Very popular amongst the locals. Unfortunately, I'm a bit of a Mexican food snob after living in San Diego for 19 years. My friend really enjoyed his combination meal and got fajitas to go for his girlfriend. I had the Tacos Al Pastor and they were fair. Once again, my comparisons may be a bit skewed because of my time in SoCal. I'll give them 3.5 plates. read more

There weren't many non-chain restaurants to choose from, so we picked this place. For a small town, it was good, but being used to having really, really good Mexican food, this wasn't the best I've ever had. The staff was really friendly and checked on us often. The chips were not very good and I wasn't a fan of their salsa. Two of us ate lunch for about $15, so you can't complain about their prices. Their guacamole was really tasty and I enjoyed their rice and beans, too. I usually end up leaving rice and beans on my plate, but not today. read more

El Nopal Mexicana Restaurant - Chile relleno con frijoles - Mexican Near Me - Trenton, Missouri

It had really good flavor in the food. I had a chimi and Chris had the shrimp tacos. Everything was good. Quick service. Chips were on the thick side if you like them that way. read more

Oh my gosh ... we love this place! The food here is just wonderful with homemade sauces, light and crunchy chips, a unique menu, and BEST OF ALL - their famous chicken and rice which is actually addictive!!! Creamy and savory ... you just have to try it to experience the deliciousness! They also feature huge and frosty flavored margaritas, and a wonderful, efficient staff. We live in Salt Lake City or would be here every week. Whenever anyone comes back and eats there, the rest of us are jealous. read more

El Nopal Mexicana Restaurant - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Trenton, Missouri

EXCELLENT food! I had the chicken and rice, it almost melts in your mouth! Generous portion and full of flavor! Worth the trip to this very small town. read more

El Nopal Mexicana Restaurant - Chicken and rice, with a side order of beans. Delicious!! - Mexican Near Me - Trenton, Missouri

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It was amazing the mix burrito. Was so good!!! Big portions so come hungry !! I really recommend this place staff. Was real friendly!

This is probably the cleanest Mexican restaurant I have ever been in. The staff is friendly and attentive. We always get seated quickly and chips and salsa are not far behind. The service is outstanding, the portions are perfect for working people and they get you in and out very quickly. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about El Nopal at all and I hope Trenton gets to enjoy them for a very long time! This place is a star for Trenton. Check it out if you are in the area read more

I live in Springfield now but my family still resides in Trenton and this is a MUST STOP every time I visit!! It stomps any Mexican restaurant in Springfield!! I recommend the Chicken and Rice, I believe it's about $6 and it's huge and very filling!! I have had to take it to go several times throughout the years. I only get that if I'm like starving. I usually get a Chicken Tostaguac which is grilled chicken on a fried tortilla with lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, and I get extra sour cream. It's about $4 a la carte. If you're down for drinking, the margaritas are strong and amazing and inexpensive!! Great beer prices!! I highly recommend this place! read more

The food is excellent, and I always (in the past) enjoyed going there on my birthday. This year was different. We ate the food (excellent as always), the service was excellent as always. Then came the fried ice cream they serve for birthdays. I don't mind wearing the sombrero and being sung to in Spanish (even though it wasn't the best of songs). But the handful of whipped cream to my face and beard was too much. I kept a good face about it, but I won't be going back to this restaurant. The food cannot make up for the lack of respect for a customer. read more

Went for lunch and was pleased but I would say it's a very average place. I ordered the #4 lunch special which is a chicken enchilada, rice and beans. The enchilada sauce was pretty good but the chicken was a touch dry. Not a very large portion either it honestly could have used a second enchilada. The rice was excellent very tender and fluffy with not too much tomato. The beans tasted good but the texture was pretty bad. It was whipped smooth and a little watery I prefer some chunks in mine with less liquid. The interior was pretty tacky and the chairs were really uncomfortable. Overall pretty good I think this is probably your best option in trenton and I would definitely go back next time I'm in town. read more

Really enjoyed atmosphere, service and food. Prices are fair. Love crowd of locals and visitors. read more

Good food and good service. Quite possibly the best chair and booth artwork I have seen in a Mexican restaurant. read more

El Nopal Mexicana Restaurant - Booth art. - Mexican Near Me - Trenton, Missouri

This is the third time in a row we have been there and waited an hour and a half for food. The restaurant was not even busy this time. Watched a table of four come in after us and leave before we even got our food. Waiter was great but the kitchen needs to get it together. read more

Super atmosphere and fantastic food! Jose has a great menu and this is authentic Mexican food. Yummy! read more

El Nopal Mexicana Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Trenton, Missouri

The chicken tasted like it was from a can. My son spilled a drink and the made us clean it up our self and when I told them about the chicken the guy told me "o well". But it's a small town so they can do whatever they want read more

Chips and salsa were a solid 5/5 stars. But, the two others I was eating with rated their meal 4 stars. We all agreed we would eat here again, but never drive to eat here. Chicken and rice was very good and is the dish I would recommend. Nice place in Trenton if you're looking for a restaurant that isn't a chain. read more

El Nopal Mexicana Restaurant - Top: lunch special #2 (chicken quesadilla w beans & rice) Bottom right: chicken and rice half order Bottom left: beans and rice - Mexican Near Me - Trenton, Missouri

Food was great. Fresh and hot! Staff was super friendly. Clean environment during pandemic time.

First of all, it is what it is--a good, basic, cheap Mexican restaurant in a town that doesn't have a ton of eating options. The menu won't surprise you, but I have been there four or five times and the food and service are always excellent. It's always crowded with locals, so that says something good about it. I wouldn't say it blows away most similar Mexican restaurants in central Missouri, but it's well above average. Cheap beer, fun crowd, tasty food, pleasant interior, friendly staff, and a clean restaurant. If you're hungry and in Trenton, you'll leave full and satisfied. read more

We looked up the options passing through town and found this on yelp along with a local recommendation. Have to say it was great to see all the locals eating here. The chicken with rice was the best dish of all the ones we order. Definitely stop by here next time you are in town. The server was incredibly friendly. read more

Excellent food and service! We were pleasantly surprised and will definitely come bacK next time we are here! The chicken burrito was awesome as was the chimichanga. Good salsa as well! read more

Great restaurant! Excellent service, tasty food, free chips and salsa, very inexpensive. I highly recommend it.

Well, if you're in the mood for Mexican in Trenton, this is your only option. Midwestern Mexican food must be a little different than the flavors I'm accustomed to in Latin America and even the southeast US. The salsa shared more similarities to marinara sauce and the cheese dip is ordered as a soup, largely due to the smooth albeit broth-like, texture. read more

Thought I would give this place another chance. Took 4 other friends with me so there were 5 of us. We were given one small basket of hard chips with a very small container of salsa for the chips. We were there on another tuesday so the tacos were $1.00 and the Margaritas were $2.50. Taco shells were very cheap store bought ones and very tough. Very little ingredients. The Margaritas were small ones with no Tequila taste. I drank 3 of the margaritas just to see if there was any tequila in them and there wasn't. The owners or cooks here need to go to Galatin and learn from that Mexican restaurant how to cook and make margaritas. Or go to KC to learn. Definitely will spread the word around the college up here. read more