The servers are all very friendly and attentive and seem to work well with one another. The chips and salsa to start were very good. The guacamole was excellent. I got a Catina salad, which was vegan. Added black beans. No dressing It tasted fresh and the mango added some great sweetness. My dinner mate got a beef chimichanga which was missing a few things - not much cheese, spinach was no where to find. Minimal sour cream. Taste was excellent he said. Very fresh. Good beef. The mango margarita was amazing. The pineapple not so much. Overall great service. Seems clean. Staff is very nice. The bathrooms were not good. Smelled so bad and were dirty and rundown. read more

EL Mexicano - Guac n chips - Mexican Near Me - Sanford, Maine

Friendly service the Bowl Asada is my favorite I get it almost everytime I go and the price is very reasonable wifey gets the quesadillas and changes the protein up every time but so far the chicken and the steak have been amazing the tacos are authentic way better than a mainstream Taco Bell the place doesn't get 5 stars cause of cleanliness the bathrooms are disgusting and fruit flies fly around while your eating over your food makes you kinda question what is going on outback but the food is delicious otherwise and the staff is friendly read more

We usually love this place, but today we had a mixed experience. They were very skimpy with the salsa, and I think they may have made it less spicy than it used to be. My nachos were very light on the cheese. If you like plenty of cheese, you might want to order them with extra cheese. My husband got a chimichanga with steak. He said the steak was tough and of poor quality. read more

We've been here a few times. The first time we waited 10 mins for someone to come our table. They did at least hide us chips and salsa! Then this time we waited 15 mins ! Unreal! They do need to address this, as it's not very good restaurant business etiquette. After they did come by and grab our order, which he asked for twice, it still came out wrong! However, the food is good and it comes out quick. The food is also fairly cheap, especially when other places continue to raise their prices! The place is well decorated and looks like a cantina you might come across in Mexico. We go two drinks, two meals and a dessert to share and all for under 40$. That's cheaper than fast food these days!! Check them out ! read more

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ALWAYS great food, never once had something bad here for the number of times I've been, inside the restaurant is very spacious and decorated well, staff is fast and professional. Calling out for take out can be hard sometimes since it seems like they can't understand my voice but that's a personal issue. Overall: 10/10 read more

I've eaten here many times in the past and have never had a bad experience, until yesterday. I ordered a burrito Cali to go and when I got home to eat it I noticed multiple ingredients were missing. No cheese, no sour cream, no avocado salsa and no chili sauce. Giving an extra star for all the excellent meals had here previously. read more

EL Mexicano - Interior of Burrito Cali I ordered. Missing two types of salsa, sour cream and cheese. - Mexican Near Me - Sanford, Maine

The real feel of a Mexican restaurant. The food is excellent with great flavor, service is top notch as well. Our go to for local Mexican food. read more

Service SUCKS There seems to be no Management Service is often Slow Tonite DoorDash orders were Screwed Up After ordering weekly for a while now, I'm all set and won't go back anytime soon. read more

You gave me food poisoning. And now I am waiting to be discharged from the hospital. Do better.

Crazy but this is an amazing restaurant in Sanford. Staff is attentive. Menu is extensive and prices are reasonable. I had a beef bowl...tastier and larger than Chipotle for $9 dollars read more

Coming from Houston, TX Mexican food runs the show, or rather tex-mex. Ive been here 3 years and this is one of 2 spots I really enjoy. The tamales are fantastic, I haven't had a bad experience yet. As normal, the salsas are meh, (normal with most placed up here) but all around, this is my go to. read more

What a great lunch! We stopped in for a quick lunch and the staff was pleasant, the food was fresh. I had 3 Tacos (probably only needed 2) and they were each different and excellent. I had fish, chicken and a beef (street taco style) the veggies on them were fresh and the plate looked as good as it tasted. My wife had an enchilada plate and couldn't finish it because it was so generous. Great Meal. read more

I wanton love this place but have just been disappointed on more than one occasion. No flavor, no seasoning, none of the things I expect with Mexican food. On the upside, their drinks are pretty good and we did enjoy the margaritas and the chips and salsa were okay. But seriously, why would a Mexican restaurant charge extra for salsa with the meal? Thought this would be an authentic Mexican experience but not sure if they've been in Maine too long or what the issue is. read more

We live in Sanford and come to El Mexicano fairly often. We also DoorDash and deliver food from here often. I have never had a bad experience here. Staff is always friendly, food is always great. I even love the decor. The paintings on the walls are beautiful. read more

Just ordered for the first time tonight and I am so mad! So mad I waited 3 years to try this place!!! We had take out and it was fantastic! Taco Birria was sooo good!!! Can't wait to dine in. read more

Great service chips and dip are to die for and I'm sitting anticipating this delicious burrito I order mouth watering waiting for the moment it sits on my table read more

Great food that is decently priced, fast service in a nice atmosphere. Food is not over seasoned as some claim nor is it under seasoned as others claim. It is not spiced as heavily as you might find it in Mexico but it is spiced enough to keep your mouth tingling for a while after eating. It is perfectly seasoned for a New Englanders' pallet. I definitely recommend El Mexicano. Long menu, good drinks! read more

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Just ok. Super nice service, price was right. Lacked Mexican spice, not as in spicy, just the red sauce over enchiladas tasted like tomato only read more

I didn't really care for what I got, I got 3 steak tacos and they were very bland, like they just chopped it up cooked. Not adding any spices or seasoning. I'll go back and try something else but never again steak Tacos read more

Solid Mexican restaurant in the South Sanford Shaw's plaza. Classic Mexican American decor makes you feel right at home. The extensive food and drink menu takes a few minutes to digest. I selected the Tomatillo Grande Burrito from the Hot Plate section of the menu. It lived up to its name. The Burrito was huge. The fillings were in a good balance. The meat was not as moist as i prefer. The tomatillo sauce delivered spot on tomatillo flavor. I couldn't finish it due to its massive size. You could share the burrito on date night with ease. The host and servers were friendly and attentive. read more

Have eaten here twice and have not been impressed both times. People review that its the best Mexican food in Sanford. There really isn't any other Mexican in Sanford. I ate there last week and had the steak fajitas. The steak was spare and was cut in very thin strips; almost like it was the end bits and pieces. The food lacked seasoning especially the guac which needed salt and lime desperately. Sorry folks but "you don't get what you pay for". read more

Best mexican food around. Have not found a queso dip that is better. Service is always good and the prices aren't bad for the portions.

Uncourteous and unprofessional All of my reviews have only been for places i really liked but these guys shocked me by the level or unprofessionalism. They handed us the menus when we got there for a table. They seated us on the patio but then just went MIA .. we waited for 30 mins but no server no apologies no regrets. We had to leave without eating. Disappointed... added it to my "never again" list ! read more

Very nice restaurant glad to have mexican restaurant in Sanford. They provide good size portions and the food was delicious. The atmosphere is festive. read more

LITERALLY MY FAV RESTAURANT!! Love this place, amazing food at really good prices, seriously I almost never eat anywhere else because their bang-buck ratio is really good. The ambiance is cool, with what I assume to be Mexican music weaving through the air constantly. The servers are rather awkward, but their always nice, cool, and respectful. if you go there I definitely recommend the burritos!! read more

This place is fantastic. This is my second time here since I moved to Maine from California. Best authentic cuisine I have had in over a year. This little gem is hidden in a strip mall. It is super clean, comfortable, big comfortable chairs. The staff is terrific. The cooks are so happy they sing with gusto in the kitchen, and their happiness shines in their food. Delicious and very reasonably priced. Antonio our waiter comes from Vera Cruz Mexico. He is so friendly and happy. Great service, great food. This is a must visit for Mexican food lovers!!!!! Don't miss the Elotes, they are even better than California Elotes!!! Will be coming back from now on. read more

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Had lunch here and it was very good. I had BBQ pork burrito and hubby had Veggie burrito. Both very large and delicious. Salsa was homemade and fresh. I'd go back. read more

Not a good experience. My girlfriend and I went to El Mexicano today and the service was horrible and the food was overpriced. They should really change the name to "El Suck-O" because the menu was terrible and the service was SO unprofessional and rude. It took 10-15 mins to seat us and there wasn't a soul in the waiting room. We were seated and the manager took our drink orders. Another server came by and asked us if we had been served yet, we said yes. He came back a few minutes later and asked if we had our drinks yet. We said no. And then he got REALLY rude and said "Well I just ASKED you if you were served!" My gf and I were speechless. We ended up ordering from the dessert menu, which was decent, but 2 drinks (A Raspberry margarita and a sangria) and 2 desserts (flan and fried ice cream) came out to $39!!! Not only that, but they added an extra $5.95 for a small cheese sauce that really tasted watered down. We will NEVER go here again! So if you're looking for good food and good service...go to Taco Bell. This restaurant is a shoo-in for "Restaurant Impossible." read more

We snagged El Mexicano during this crazy pandemic and we couldn't be more pleased with how delicious the food was! I didn't get a chance to snag pics of our entire order, because not going to lie - we ate it pretty dang quick. The food was fantastic, great portions and the price was perfect! For sure worth the drive to Sanford - will be back again. read more

EL Mexicano - Taco Baja - Mexican Near Me - Sanford, Maine

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they put mushrooms only mushrooms in my goddamn taco bread was cold and soggy shut tasted like a wet paper towel and there was a rat tail in my taco like be deadass read more

The handmade fries were very over seasoned and spice for someone that normally doesn't eat mexican food. the burger was just okay. the only two great things about this place is the drinks of popular soda and the staff at the resturant. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who has not liked eating mexican food at all. read more

I had moderately high hopes for El Mexicano. I say moderately high because it has stellar reviews, but I also carry a small bias coming from the west where decent Mexican food exists in fast food form. We arrived just before 8 pm on a Friday night. The bar top was full and there were a few tables in the main dining area that were full. We were seated promptly by the hostess, and it wasn't long before our server stopped by to introduce herself. She seemed frazzled and rushed, and didn't take our drink order, just told us the house margarita was the best. I guess the sales pitch worked because I decided while we awaited her return with our stale chips and toddler sized salsa bowl that I would opt for the house marg. The menus were very hard to read. Envision a Chipotle cup or bowl liner and the way they artfully weave text around cartoon drawings, and how hard they can be to follow. I should've taken a picture, but our neighboring table (that was only 3 feet away and really too small for their party of 4) was staring at us for some reason. I'm thankful I found their menu on Facebook ahead of time that was readable. I'm adding it to Yelp for your menu reading sanity. We gave our drink order to her and she rushed off before we could get out that we were ready to order food as well. When she arrived with our soft drink we were able to slow her down to put in our order: pescado and hongos tacos for my wife and Chiapas enchiladas for me. As we waited on our food, we munched on our stale chips and cleaned up the salsa bowl before we were even half done with the chip tray..and we used salsa sparingly. Our food came out almost too fast, and my enchilada plate was SCORCHING hot. I get that Mexican restaurants typically have hot plates, because I usually enjoy the "hot plate! hot plate!" warnings as they are delivered, but this one was hot enough to serve sizzling fajitas on! Bring your oven mitts! The food looked awesome, the presentation was great, but that's as far as it went. My wife tried each of her tacos (you really get two of each kind), but didn't even finish one whole one of each. Her fish was of poor quality and was not deboned fully. The mushroom taco was dry and although we specifically asked for no cilantro, and it showed that the waitress put in for no cilantro, her tacos each had healthy doses of cilantro on top. My enchiladas were extremely dry. They were virtually non-existent buried beneath the biggest pile of "slaw" ever. The vinegar taste within the pickled items overpowered everything and the enchiladas hardly had any sauce on them, and what was there was crusted into the tortilla. The rice that came with my enchiladas was not Mexican rice. It was white rice that had the slight color of Mexican rice, but none of the flavor. The black beans were strangely cold in spite of my plate being the temperature of the sun. The only reason I ate nearly all of it was because I couldn't let my guilt set in for refusing a take home box, when my wife barely touched her tacos. By the time I was done, my mouth was SO DRY. Enchiladas should leave your mouth watering. As a side note, it seemed odd to me that there were so many loud people slurring their words in the dining area, until I received my margarita and realized how strong the pour was, and noticed all of the loud slurrers also had cocktails of some sort and were likely being over-served. The waitress claimed the tequila was top shelf in the house margarita, but after looking to the menu, it is a mid-bottom shelf tequila. I left with a decent buzz though! My advice to the owners: please don't try to be something you're not. I appreciate your effort in trying to bring the strip mall Mexican food industry into the new millennium, but the bottom line is that the food you are attempting must be executed to perfection every time. Step it down to a more traditional Mexican style and ace that and you will win rave reviews every time. read more

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First time coming here. Food is excellent. I judge a lot of places on their rice and beans. If they aren't good the rest will be ok. I will tell you they are on point. Chimichanga, bbq tacos, and the burrito were amazing. Great job, highly recommended. read more

I come here like 3 times a week and always get the same thing! Taco platter with one chicken taco and one carne asada, best fricken Mexican food I've ever had! Everyone is so nice and welcoming! I have no complaints! They even know my name now haha!! read more

Stopped here for a quick lunch. Great food, authentic vibe, free chips and salsa. $1.99 margs on Monday's, Can't say no to that! Homemade pico on top of the tomatillo burrito, subbed shredded beef instead of the chicken. Very tasty! Service is spot on. All around best place In Sanford for sure! read more

EL Mexicano - Tomatillo burrito - Mexican Near Me - Sanford, Maine

amazing food, great service and i love the atmosphere, 100% recommend :) i'm sure you'll leave satisfied because i always do

this is the best place in sanford maine to get the best mexican food around. i love el mexicano you guys are the best read more

Fantastically delicious, quick and friendly service. Authentic Mexican dishes with generous portions and décor that transports you. Some outdoor seating available. read more

Disapointed this time. Made big order of tamales to go. Got a corn husk on the plate, chicken verde, then masa dumped on top with cheese. Sorry that might be a gringa's version.. If you had said what your intentions were because you were out, I would have given 5 stars! Also asked for chile rellenos. Only had Poblanos. Why doesn't anyone do the real stuff anumore? read more

The food looks authentic. That's it. No chili at all. From salsa with chips to the main course. Bland, even a little chili powder or taco sauce would help. Sat outside in the sun after checking in. One server brought salsa and chips, another server brought our food. That is the only service we got. Other couple was also ignored. As a minimum a server should check after we tasted the food. Bringing our check, offering to refill drinks would have been nice touches. read more