Perhaps the best tacos, rice, and beans I've had in the Midwest. As good as anywhere in the US. Service was amazing too, but this was a real surprise to find in Minnesota! I will definitely be back! read more

Amazing! Delicioso like the one my mom makes back in Mexico. My wife had the chilaquiles verdes. Never disappoints! read more

El Mexican Restaurant - Menudo - Mexican Near Me - Hastings, Minnesota

DELICIOUS!! I was getting tattoos done & craving Mexican. My husband ran next door & picked up some DELICIOUS Mexican food. Firstly, I have never liked fried rice...I was practicing licking the plate clean. The food was so hot, the steak cooked to perfection & the salsa is my favorite kind - chunky with onions, YES!! I had horchata for the first time & told my husband before we leave we have to get another round as it was such an experience. read more

El Mexican Restaurant - Horchata - Mexican Near Me - Hastings, Minnesota

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Great Authentic Mexican food. Just like when I use to live in Los Angeles! We had the street tacos and they were great!!!! Only wish they had Bria tacos. Besides that, this place is great. Enjoy everyone? Won't be disappointed!!! read more

Man, for how much everyone hyped me up about this place, I walked away with just an average experience. First, I will say, service was great. It was pretty fast and the guy behind the counter was hustling. He was alone and was covering the whole restaurant magnificently. Chips and salsa were...not great. The salsa was just not for me. Also ordered a couple pina coladas and questioned if there was any rum in them. On to the food. I had a combo street tacos and enchiladas. Both were excellent. I love street tacos and the verde sauce on the enchilada was great. The rice, however, was salty AF. Hubs had a chimi and he liked the meat, but didn't seem to love the cheese or ranchera sauce on it. Would return on service alone but might just stick to street tacos and water. read more

El Mexican Restaurant - Street tacos and enchilada combo dinner - Mexican Near Me - Hastings, Minnesota

Delicious lunch specials at a very nice price. The salsa and chips were EXACTLY how we like 'em...and so were the yummy street tacos...and the steak fajitas (my kid is a very picky eater and he gobbled this up)...and my classic house margarita was so refreshing. Bright and colorful interior that makes me smile and want to sing. I really really like the hand carved benches and booths. The staff really made us feel special and they were so attentive and kind. What a mesmerizingly charming place! read more

Every time we come here and the food is always been amazing. They treat us like family.

We've been here for breakfast, so thought we'd try dinner. Server promptly seated us & provided waters. Traditional blended or on the rocks Margaritas were a good pour in highball glass. Salsa & salads were fresh. Meal portions meant we needed take home containers. Ambiance could use a little help, but otherwise excellent all the way around. Price point very reasonable. Features patio & indoor seating. Takes reservations on line or by phone. Will be back! read more

The food was fantastic, prices very reasonable. The service was a little slow, but not for lack of effort from the staff. Looks to be a family run business and everyone was hustling, friendly and just a pleasure. We both had the 3 street taco meal with rice and beans. I had the carnitas and my BF had the steak. The double corn tortillas were stuffed with juicy meat, cilantro & onions and the plate of rice and beans was tasty & huge. We'll definitely be back! read more

Ok, the place does not look like much from the outside. Also, do not let the inside decoration trick you ! The building is old ! The seating is also somewhat used but ...... The food makes up for it all ! The me the sopa de mariscos is wonderful ! It take a little time to prepare but it is well worth it ! All other dishes are also very fine and the prices are very reasonable The waitstaff is friendly and helpful ! Not the most fancy place but very good food ! read more

Great food and service! The staff is great and friendly. Highly recommend. You need to visit.

My wife and I had lunch yesterday at El Mexican and we loved it! The salsa that came with the complimentary chips and salsa was just fantastic and super flavorful! Our entrees were both delicious. The service and the atmosphere were both great. We well be going back and we recommend it to all! read more

Great service & fast food deliver. I ordered the Taco salad with Shrimp. Very tasty. Seating in the front window area, to people watch on the street. ;) & Clean bathrooms! read more

The food is truly authentic and super delicious. I had fajita.... Absolutely delish! I'll definitely be coming back. Can't wait! read more

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The best salsa in town! El Mexican of Hastings never disappoints. Loved my breakfast this morning.

The food was terrific, and the staff was extremely nice to me and my family. We all LOVED our meals - I had the enchiladas with green sauce, and the sauce was to die for. Portions were generous, the guacamole was delightfully fresh, and most importantly, the chips were warm and the salsa was delicious. We would definitely go back. It's not fancy, but it's a great place for a delicious meal and good conversation. read more

Amazing tamales, great margaritas. Ask for their smoky salsa, it's to die for. This is one of my favorite places in Hastings and they also serve breakfast all day long. It's delightful. read more

I've only had carry out from here twice, but the pulled pork chimichanga is excellent! If you like hot sauce, their in-house has a real kick. Be sure to ask for it! I would definitely come here for a sit down meal. The interior is very charming, and the staff are super responsive! read more

I'm not very impressed with El Mexican - I'm gonna be generous and rate them a BORING 3 stars. Two of us stopped in for dinner after a long day of fishing. We were famished. Our expectations were low. It should have been easy to impress us. I could have eaten the anus out of a Mississippi catfish! The food was pretty boring, far less than what I hoped. For example, I was really craving the Churrasca. But the fried beans were watery and flavorless. They asked me how I wanted my eggs done then completely ignored my request. Then why bother to ask me? I really liked the salsa. But it doesn't make up for the lacking in other areas. The food took FOREVER to come out. It was dinner time but I only saw 2 or 3 other tables. What was the big delay in the back of the house? Perhaps they were busy messing up and burning my eggs. I felt sorry for our server. It was exactly dinner time, people were starting to filter in, and she was the only one up front. I left her a fat tip. I won't come back again. Next time, I'll try another food place in Hastings. -Daddy Maxx Retro read more

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Absolutely wonderful food and service. We have been to eat there many times and are always impressed!!!

This place is great and cheap. I got the order of tacos which is three tacos for seven bucks. You can get an additional taco added for another buck and/or beans and rice for two more dollars. The amount of food for the price is a steal. They also give you chips and salsa. The chip salsa is good. The other salads are only ok. I got carnitas and the fiancé got steak. The carnitas was crispy on the outside soft on the inside -- this is the way it's supposed to be and the way I like it. So I'm super happy with that. Pulled pork style carnitas is no go. Steak was good too. Lots of meat in the tacos. We went here after a day at Afton State Park. Eating tacos after hiking was a great paring and we are planning to do it again soon. read more

El Mexican Restaurant - Tacos, carnitas, rice, beans - Mexican Near Me - Hastings, Minnesota

If you like cilantro they have it in abundance. If you don't like cilantro then you can have your meal made without it which I very much appreciate. The staff are very friendly and helpful, we would come back if we are ever in this town again. read more

Second review because the food is consistently authentic and delicious. I love their chilaquiles for breakfast and their shrimp dishes. The salads are great! Highly recommend. I moved further away and still pick this as my go to spot. My Woodbury friends said it's the best in the area as well. read more

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This place was an absolute find! The best 1800 margarita I've had! The tacos were superior to the six other places I've tried since relocating.. they have breakfast which looked amazing. The steak tacos are to die for. Melt in your mouth good. I tasted four completely different salsas which each had a different taste!!! Not the standard for sure! read more

The food was great, we had cheese dip to go with our chips and salsa that I would definitely get again. My husband had a wet burrito, I had a fajita quesadilla, and my kids had a kids beef taco and Mac and cheese. We all really enjoyed our meal. Our waitress was very friendly! read more

Had fish taco platter and the taco salad with horchata as takeout. Excellent flavors, ingredient quality and execution. Basic Mexican food done very well. read more

No stars. Horrible experience. Will not be back. Got our food 15 minutes after our friends who ordered at the same time. Got the wrong order, and had to pay more! Not even tasty. Totally not acceptable experience and will not be back.​ read more

The only authentic Mexican food in town. I'm sad to see such negative reviews because as someone who grew up eating these dishes - this is the best you're going to find outside of the city. The ingredients and spices are authentic and the presentation is great. read more

Wonderful food! Tamales, Street Tacos-- so good!! We eat here every time we're in Hastings!

Today was my third time going to El Mexican and I would HIGHLY recommend this restaurant. I have had their street tacos, fajitas, and enchiladas which were all fantastic. All of their salsas are extremely fresh, I personally love the salsa verde. The food comes out quickly, staff is very friendly, you get huge portions for a great price, and the ambiance is great. If your looking for Mexican cuisine in Hastings look no further! read more

Good but not great, so it's hilarious that this gets 5 stars before this review gets added in. Las Margaritas is still better Mexican food in town with a better atmosphere, but this is a close second. Hastings folks overate local places across the board because they don't know any better. Great Minnesota restaurants like MAnnys, Oceanside, Porterhouse, and the now closed La Belle Vie, only get near 4 stars on Yelp, and an average Mexican restaurant in an old coffee shop location in a little town gets 5. Like I said, hilarious and trust me....it's 3 stars if you've been around. read more

Amazing and authentic Mexican food! Great chips and salsa with tacos! Staff is incredibly welcoming. Definitely recommend stopping in for a bite! read more

Fabulous Authentic Tacos! 3 different house made salsas and a wonderful attentive server. What more could you ask for?!

Biked into Hastings and was surprised when this new Mexican restaurant popped up on yelp with the best Hastings reviews. Than we are there and understood why- tortillas are cooked fresh, sopa de mariscos was deliciously spicy and my alambre was scrumptious. If you want a nice Mexican surprise in a Minnesota river town, this is perfect! read more

El Mexican Restaurant - Alambre con pastor - Mexican Near Me - Hastings, Minnesota

One of the worst Mexican food places I have stopped at. The pricing here is much higher than other places I've tried and the portion size is nearly half. Salsa was very good but suspect chips came from a bag. Will not stop here again. I'm also confused if it's a bar, ice cream shop, or Mexican restaurant. read more

Most authentic street tacos I've had in a long time. For lunch I had the carnitas tacos. The tortillas had been made within moments of getting the filling. The salsa was muy bueno. The chips served up front were fresh and homemade. I would definitely return here the next time I'm Hastings. My wife had a queso enchilada. Also authentic and delicious. Very good service. read more

Good place for breakfast but menu is limited to just a few items but all sounded relatively good. I had the burrito de desayuno and a side of sour dough toast read more

Came through Hastings on a whim taking the Great River Road back from Twin Cities (to Quad Cities, lol). Needed breakfast and was referred here by a neighboring bar facility for a "great breakfast." Not disappointed! The chilaquiles were pretty good (and other dishes going by looked good too). read more

Went here for Mother's Day lunch, the service was terrible. Took forever for a server to take our drink order, she never brought us water, when taking our food order she didn't write it down and when we finally got our food it was wrong. We didn't want to wait for a new entree to come since it was taking so long so we just settled for what we got. The food was not good. I ordered the chilaquiles and my husband ordered the enchiladas. Both were covered in green chili sauce that was weird tasting, it was way too acidic and made both dishes inedible. The only thing we really enjoyed was the chips and salsa. Needless to say we are still looking for that great Mexican restaurant in the twin cities. read more

My mom from Hudson and I from Farmington like to meet halfway at least once a month and have breakfast &/or lunch. We were both craving Mexican and El Mexican on 2nd St in Hastings is where we decided to meet around 11 am today, Monday 4/24/2023. Neither of us had been there before, but my mom said it had a 4 out of 5-star rating. With the loud sound of construction going on right outside, we had to sit in the back to hear one another but we dismissed this as nothing the restaurant could do about this. We asked the waiter about the fajitas and if good size to split. He said comes with 5 tortillas and we decided to try it. Fajities as we usually have seen come out steaming and sizzling with all the trimmings in another plate. Not here today though, as chicken and steak were mixed but not a big deal, but the warmest was the tortilla wrapped up. The meat was looking ok at best and tasted lukewarm at best, the peppers and onions were at a minimum and the beans were like soup. We were both hungry & had 2 tortillas each but we were not satisfied at all. Thankfully we ordered only water so our bill was under $20 but we were charged $2 to share but hardly enough for one and also charged for using a debit or credit card. We will not be returning and we will not recommend this place to anyone who wants good Mexican food. I told my mom, maybe the Monday cook is just learning, but seriously. We left around 1:15 pm and the place was empty. I am so confused on how someone luckily had a great experience here. read more