Explored this Independence Square restaurant during a recent community event. Located directly on the square with access to public parking lots and street parking nearby. A locally owned business with lots of charm. A modest dining space is ideal for families, couples and small groups. Great selection of ala carte, appetizers, salads and main dishes. The menu on their website is out of date. Ordered the fish taco dish and a beergarita. This dish featured two healthy portions of white fish on soft flour tortillas. Topped with corn cabbage, salsa, avocado and Chipotle mayo. The tacos had great flavor but the tortillas were overfilled. I would have gladly paid for three or four flour tortillas with the same amount of taco filling. A small bar and point of sale station is nestled about halfway across the building space. Depending on the location of your seats, you might get to see food finessed on the kitchen line. Be sure to check their calendar for regular specials. As a local business, they are closed on Sundays. They also depend on local support to share and gain social media momentum. Being rewarded for that help is a good thing. A relaxed environment to grab a bite. Friendly staff and speedy food service. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

El Pico Mexican Restaurant - Beergarita - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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I love street tacos! Quaint little Mexican restaurant located on the square. Saturday night is Tacos and Tequila night. Chips and salsa are served to every customer. Servers are knowledgeable on food choices and drinks. read more

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Located Independence Square by Harry Truman Store this Mexican restaurant was very good. Inside was clean and cozy environment. I had the stuffed beef burrito with beans and rice. Everything was perfectly prepared. Our waitress was very good and kept outlets drinks refilled. I would recommend if you're in area. read more

El Pico Mexican Restaurant - El Pico Burrito rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Delicious food, quick service, helpful waiter. Had the Tostadas with pork - the pork had been cooked in a rich sauce read more

Clean well presented restaurant. Service however made me feel like they didn't want us there. Food was good.

Not great, the food had very little flavor. We got the street tacos and Fabrito. The only saving grace was the cheese dip which was averagely good. Chips and salsa were not included with the meal and the salsa had very little to no flavor. My water was empty for half of the meal and never got filled, didn't seem like service was the priority. Overall, super disappointing. read more

Service, food, and ambiance were all excellent. They have a unique mango pineapple drink that was refreshing and delicious. The fajitas, stuffed burrito, and avocado tostadas were all top of the line Mexican cuisine. Service was friendly, attentive, and very fast. Would highly recommend read more

El Pico Mexican Restaurant - Stuffed burrito without the optional sides of beans and rice. Poured queso and salsa on top - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Two friends who were craving Mexican food (although they had eaten here before and were not impressed) called El Pico to reserve a table for 2 last Friday, 4/23/21. They spoke to a manager, who said they did not take reservations, told them that if they waited until after the lunch rush, they should have no problem walking in and getting a table. They got there after the lunch rush and there was only one table with people at it. Perfect, right? Well. actually no. They were told by the "manager" that there would be a 2 hour wait! They responded by saying they had called in and were told (probably by this douche) that they didn't take reservations. He then held up his bandaged hand and said he was working with an injury, What??? Not that this should even have to be mentioned, but my friends are financially stable, kind and funny guys. And they are gay. See the problem here??? Shame on this establishment for not rolling out the red carpet for these awesome guys that just wanted some mediocre Mexican food. Their money spends just like hetero money, dumb sh**. You need to wake the f*** up. Don't eat here and have a nice day! read more

This is a clean restaurant with great Variety of food, personal with a polite attitude and all the food was very tasty I would recommend this place to anyone that enjoys a restaurant with alot of class and very tasty food read more

We stumbled across El Pico while on the square for the Independence Day celebration. The staff were very friendly, the food was super delicious, not mention the margaritas, yum!! Nice atmosphere read more

After wandering Independence Square, looking for a place to eat, I arrived alone on Saturday evening at 8:45. There was one couple seated and no staff in sight. After a couple minutes, a small sized young girl comes out carrying two plates, which I assume are for the seated couple. She yells at me across the room "What can I do for you?". Because I appreciate decent manners, I do not yell across the room at her. After she leaves the food for the seated couple, I ask her for a table for one. She says "We close at 9:00", with the very clear implication that I am an interruption, and not welcome. I say "All right. Never mind.", and I leave. If this is your restaurant's style of hospitality, I will not return. read more

I went in to El Pico today for the 1st time to try it out. I ordered to go. I chose to try the Steak Chimichanga, the chimi was delicious and who doesn't like quest on top of their chimi. The white rice was tasty as well as the chips and salsa were good as well. I will definitely be back and will recommend to others. read more

El Pico Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Do not come here if you are in a hurry. The staff is very friendly they just can't keep up with the customers. I had the avocado burrito which was very good. Their chips and salsa are pretty tasty too. read more

Maybe it's just me, but I yearn for something really special when I go out to eat. After all, I could have chosen dozens of other places to go, but I selected this one, mainly for it's location and I have had good luck with Mexican restaurants lately. My super-friendly waiter was a tad on the slow side for processing my order and following up after bringing my check but I'll take friendly any day over an uncaring snob. The decor was fine if not interesting anyway (see pics). My glass of iced tea was served in a plastic cup. I REALLY REALLY prefer glass. I ordered the 2-avocado tostada dinner with refried beans and rice. it looked great but was somewhat bland, however...the hot sauce served with the chips prior to the meal was outlandishly good. The GM stopped at my table to see how things were and I did let her know that I really liked the hot sauce. They apparently they roast all the veggies in it before blending it. The flavor is rich and kind of smokey. I asked if chipotle seasoning was in it. She said it was not. I was able to get a small container of it to bring home though, for $1. Prices are reasonable and I might come back to try other items on the menu, so, it didn't suck by any means. read more

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ElPico is really a great place to eat, surprisingly. The meal was great and so was the Manager. totally recommend this pool place.

I have driven past this place many times over the past year but could never convince my other half to try it out. FINALLY, he gave in tonight! We ordered the chicken nachos (as I have been desperately craving them for at least a month) and a chimichanga to split. This was one of the best experiences with mexican food that either of us have ever had. The nachos came out hot and eye appeasing! Real chunks of grilled chicken topped with the perfect amounts of refried beans, lettuce, pico and cheese. The chimichanga was the best my future husband has ever had in his life. The beans were made perfectly. The restaurant itself also had an amazingly easy atmosphere. The lighting was just right and everything was sparkling clean. These guys must take real pride in their restaurant. The service was extremely friendly and very punctual. We did not wait long for anything. My margarita was exactly the way it should be, and speedy too! We will definitely be back! read more

El Pico Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Highly recommend this Mexican restaurant! I typically like to go on Wednesday's when they have 2 for $20. You get an appetizer, two entrees, and dessert! They have a burrito bowl that is my favorite (add fajita veggies to it ) read more

Great food, services and vibes. Highly recommend!! They are vegan/vegetarian friendly

I had the best pork burrito bowl at El Pico for lunch. Would highly recommend getting it with a house marg! I really enjoyed the chips and salsa as well! Low key vibe makes it an easy pic for anyone looking for Mexican in Independence! Look forward to coming back to try other menu items. read more

An experience is a thing all crave. The experience of love, the experience of a warm hearth, and yes, even the experience of a piping hot Mexican meal... El Pico certainly is an experience, but one most would fear rather than crave. After being enticed into eating here for a celebration of birth, I found myself sitting in a restaurant with a dining room as narrow as Ichabod Crane and as long as the longest hallway that a girl would run screaming down as a serial killer chased her in any terrible slasher film. I ordered the Wednesday night special (2 for $20) at my fiancé's request and soon found myself gazing upon brown guacamole that my stale chips could hardly compensate for. Following my abysmal $6 appetizer, I had the "stuffed burrito." This is a nomenclature as they left out a key word. The "Stuffed with Sadness Burrito" would be a more apt label. The hot lettuce wilted from within the burrito, and the crusty refried beans, from what I can only assume was yesterday's special, covered my overly seasoned (with the rare spice of fecal matter) meat. Needless to say, I nearly cried. I was also charged an extra two dollars for requesting cheese on top of it, but I digress... The much longed for ending was as bitter as could have been hoped for. I had hoped against all odds that perhaps my sugar encrusted sopapillas would be forgiving. The TWO I received (which I had to split) were not. I had two beers and my fiancé had a margarita for a total over $40. I've spent less on that much alcohol at craft cocktail bars. For that price, I half expected the drinks to pour themselves on my mouth while complimenting my impeccable style. But hey, they had Negra Modelo... 2 stars read more

Quaint restaurant with nice clean atmosphere. As my first time I tried the regular tacos (mainly because I love tacos and you can tell a lot about a Mexican restaurant from their tacos). My girl ordered the fish tacos. Food was fresh and delivered nice and warm. Waiter (Bobby) was nice and friendly. Only detractor would be the attention to some details of our order (however they were very minor and the manager (Elena) took very good care of us). We will return. read more

Up until this afternoon, this place has been a fave of both my friends and I to go to, usually at least once or twice a week, every week! The service was less than lacklustre, with the waiter making it VERY obvious he had no interest in doing his job the entire time we were there. Not only was he absent through 99% of the time we were there, we had to yell for him to bring the check and when we tried to get boxes to go he ignored us completely. Finally my friend had to go hunt him down to ask again for boxes and he was horribly rude and obnoxious to her. She is a senior citizen, so not only did he display atrocious behaviour to a paying customer, but to a senior citizen paying customer as well! He was argumentative, belligerent and showed a seriously low class attitude the whole time. My friend & I were the Only customers there throughout the whole time, so it's not like he was being run ragged around the place. If I could give this place less than one star I would but that isn't an option. I don't know if names are allowed to be given here so I will just use his initials, they are: X.C. If this is the kind of server that El Pico is going to have available from now on, then don't bother ever going to this place....I know none of us will be going back that's for sure!! read more

I am at a loss for words right now from how many stars this place has. My experience was terrible and I don't plan to ever go back. The environment is very cool. Small place but very eclectic atmosphere. It was insanely loud though. We could barely hear each other while at lunch. The service was terrible. It was around noon which is peak time but the place only has 11 tables total. It took 5-10 minutes to be greeted, 5-10 to get our waters, then 15+ minutes to get the 4 tacos we ordered. We barely saw the servers and they kept disappearing into the kitchen. I think they might have been making the food and serving the tables. We were never given refills and only asked once everything was gone and we had been sitting for 5 minutes waiting for the bill to come. I don't even care about service if the food is heavenly and that is far from the words I would use to describe their cuisine. The salsa for the chips and salsa tastes just like spaghetti sauce. Even my guest thought so. We ordered 4 chicken street tacos and they were good. Not great. Nothing special about them. I didn't care but my guest was extremely underwhelmed by them. Overall I give them less than 1 star. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. I feel like they should go visit some other restaurants and really learn about service and culinary excellence. read more

We tried El Pico for the first time back in January of this year. Needless to say this review is long overdue! I remember that we were blown away at how delicious this place was that I left El Pico a note on their facebook page. Basically this will be a review inside a review! January 18, 2013 - "Douglas and I went to El Pico for the first time last night. Absolutely wonderful. Chips & salsa were right on. I hate salsas that contain too much cilantro. This salsa was perfect. He had the steak street tacos and I had the chicken enchiladas. Both were phenomenal. Everything was very fresh. We can't wait to try other menu items (because obviously we will be coming back!). Bang for our buck? Right on. Our bill was $17 (this is without our tip). You can easily pay that at Subway, Quiznos or other fast food. El Pico is sit down style with a server. We thought this was a great deal. Our server was super friendly and informative. The place looked amazing and super clean. Loved the ambiance. Overall we had a wonderful dining experience and we WILL be back!! PS: There is only one review I found online for El Pico. It was incredibly stupid. The items they pointed out were meaningless, overly picky and dramatic. I look at that review as null and void. Don't listen to it! Everyone needs to try El Pico!" We've been there a couple more times since then. I remember we tried the steak burrito one time and it was so fresh, meaty & flavorful. There is one specific waitress who would wait on us each time. She remembered us not only coming in, but she kindly asked if I was the woman who wrote the nice message on their facebook page! That was really neat that she took notice of that. She said the manager was beaming and really happy that we were satisfied customers. I do not remember her name, but she was always super friendly and kept our chips and drinks coming. El Pico resides on the Independence Square. Check it out! read more

El Pico Mexican Restaurant - El Pico decor. - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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Cute little restaurant in downtown Independence with extremely slow service and underwhelming, overpriced food. I've tried this place twice for lunch, once during off-peak hours and once during the lunch rush. The first visit was during a slower time, and it took them so long for wait staff to notice we were there that we had to go ask for menus. The second visit was during the lunch rush, and... FORGET ABOUT IT. Suffice it to say, this isn't a place to grab a quick lunch when you're working near the Square. The steak street tacos are pretty good, but very overpriced at $4 each. My husband would probably have to eat four or five to get really full, and it's not very economical to do so. The Baja Shrimp Salad was fresh and colorful, but the dressing was so bland that it was almost inedible. Bummer! I'm heading over to Queen Taco next week instead. read more

We enjoyed the atmosphere as soon as we walked in, the server greeted us and it improved steadily from there. Sam our server was attentive and ready to answer our questions and exhibited great patience for our many inquiries. Our girls had the cheese quesadilla and my wife and I shared the combo fajitas; they were awesome! If you enjoy queso dip please give it a go as it was great as well. read more

El Pico Mexican Restaurant - Renee and Amy waiting for chips and Salsa - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

I went on a Thursday at 12, restaurant not busy. I waited at the front for a few min, ,waitress saw me but never acknowledged my presence. I sat in first booth and waited, again waitress saw but never acknowledged me. Finally I went to back to find someone to help me. I saw waitress and kindly asked to be helped. The waitress said you can sit there, motioning to the table in front of her, with metal chairs and within 5ft of service area. I politely said oh I am already seated up front. She responded "well we sit single people here and save the booths for parties". I smile and say "I prefer to sit in booth up front" she responded "fine". I return to my seat and after a few minutes another person comes up to my table to take my drink order and they said" I'm surprised she sat you here usually single people get sat in the back" I laughed slightly and said "oh she tried but I prefer to sit in a booth up front" still in disbelief and trying to make light of situation and enjoy my lunch. They respond "well Incase we get busy with it being Thursday" ok I look around and there are 10 booths with 2 taken and it is now 1230, which shouldn't matter. Original waitress came to take my order. She asked me what I wanted. I ordered a taco, rice and beans. Hard/soft, white/red, black or brown. Not even a full sentence, no extra words. Food, which turned out to be mediocre, was delivered. Not once did she come back to the table to check on me. I noted while I ate 2 parties came into restaurant and there was a glaring difference in how the only waitress treated them. So at the height of their rush 4/10 booths were utilized. I have reasons I have my preference and they do not matter, I as a single person who often dines alone deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. This treatment was sooo discriminatory. Will not return. PS I have trauma related to being at a shooting so prefer to sit in front so I can see the door,have back injuries so cant sit on hard chairs. IT Doesn't matter!!!! read more

We just revisited this establishment on December 16th. The food and service was great. Our waitress was really nice and we got great and speedy service. I would recommend this restaurant to friends and family. read more

So me and my grandma decided to eat here on Wednesday, as my grandma said thisnplace serves really good food. From the outside it does not look like much. In fact you may miss it as you pass by. When you step inside there are bright colors and some unique decor. So we came during the busy lunch rush and it was maybe barely even a 10 minute wait. The staff greeted us and were very friendly. So overall, a good start. We are then sat down and decide to do their Wed. special of the 2 for $20. We decide upon the cheese dip, stuffed burrito, street tacos and sopapillas. To start the salsa and chips are really good, the salsa had a wonderful kick to it. The queso Blanco, is ok. I mean it's good but could use some more flavor to it. Our entrees were delicious, their homemade pick tasted pretty good as well as their red rice. The sopapillas were amazing. So light and fluffy and that vanilla ice cream covered in some syrup is delicious. Overall, prices and specials are reasonable. Portions and food are worth the price. Definitely will come again! read more

Went here for dinner on a Friday evening. Pretty full, but not a long wait for a table. The servers were friendly and eager to please. The salsa was a bit spicier than your average Mexican restaurant! Good assortment of street tacos. Overall nothing remarkable, but perfect if you want an average Mexican meal. The margaritas were decent, pretty sweet. Great for families. read more

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Great street tacos and margaritas! Friendly staff and very clean! Definitely be back!

This little place is adorable with their very creative decor that utilizes a repurpose, recycle, reuse philosophy and lots of color and warmth. The food is beautifully presented showing the time and care put into to even the simplest of entrees. Pricing is decent although the drinks could MAYBE be a tiny bit cheaper but is overall an excellent value for the quality and quantity you receive. The only thing I would suggest is using a tad more seasoning in the most basic use of a little more salt and that is literally all I'd change. The staff is pleasant and friendly as well. read more

El Pico Mexican Restaurant - YUM!!!!!!! - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

This is a new find for us. Quaint small establishment that has been in business 4+ years. Food is great and the salsa is some of the best. Everything is made each day fresh. I've owned cleaning companies and or managed cleaning crews for years...this place sparkles it's so clean. I highly recommend it who is hungry for Mexican food. Oh pricing is very reasonable. read more

El Pico Mexican Restaurant - Street tacos pork is some of the best Great little place on the north side of the square - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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I'm not sure what our servers name was, but she was very sweet and attentive, the food was pretty spot on, but I will NEVER go there again, we spoke to our server saying that my husband did not read on the menu that the pork chimichanga had pineapples, green peppers, and red peppers mixed into the meat. We told her we were not upset but my husband just pulled All the meat out because he was confused about what else was in the meat, she said she would have to speak with manager. XAVIER, the manager on duty, came to table, seemed very disinterested from the start. We told him why we were confused about the meat and he proceeded to say it was our fault we didn't not let our server know and that my husband eat too much, i said to him; we are not upset and he did not eat it all, he pulled all the meat out because he was confused. And he proceeded to say again, well "that's fine but that's why it's your job to let us know before eating it all", I was astonished at his demeanor and basically blamed us for the mix up. I will never be returning to this restaurant because of the manager XAVIER. In my opinion, he should never work with customers...let alone, lead a staff of workers because he is nowhere close to a positive role model. I work in customer service with people in my profession, and it was the worst experience I've ever encountered with a "manager" at a business. It was a very simple fix, and he made it so much harder than needed. 0 stars for XAVIER. 5 stars to our server. 5 stars on food, other than the menu not articulating very well.Thank you. I will be calling the owner Cindy. If she lets him go, maybe I will consider going back and referring other people to the spot, because the food was pretty darn delicious. It's too bad. read more

My family and I have been going to El Pico since right after it opened. It is one of our favorite go-tos when we have a dinner out. The servers know our orders and take great care of our girls, who are super picky. We definitely recommend the cheese dip for an appetizer. You cannot go wrong with the burrito bowls, fajita taco salad, and the french fries are pretty great too (says the 4 year old). Olivia and Xavier are our two favorite servers. They always take great care of us. If you're out on the Square, you should definitely stop in! read more

At first I was thinking, "Yay! Another Mexican restaurant in Independence. I can't wait to try it." NOT! Between all of the Mexican restaurants and thrift stores in this area, well it isn't pretty. But alas, I digress. Onward.... I'm actually glad we tried it. The chips were outstanding. Fresh, thin, hot, lightly salted and they kept 'em coming. I would go back just for a chip fix. My hubby had beef (ground - mixed soft/hard) tacos and I had the chicken chimichanga. Both came with beans and rice. The food tasted fresh and was presented nicely. By nicely, I mean it didn't look like a pile of goop was just slapped on the plate. The service was OUTSTANDING!!!!!! We NEVER had to ask for a refill of our waters or chips. They just did it. They checked on us regularly and it really felt like they wanted us there. Major kudos to them for customer service!! Clean place, solid food, and excellent service. If you live in the area, I would suggest trying it. I'm sure we'll probably be going back. FYI - They do serve beer and margaritas now. read more

Not good. Beef in the enchilada was extremely dry. Food was not flavorful. Very bland and boring. The refried beans were reheated and not fresh. The restaurant does great decor, and looks very nice. However, there were only 4 other people in the entire restaurant and the service was VERY VERY slow. Might give them one more try, but highly unlikely. read more

Food was good, maybe priced a little high. Service was outstanding, in fact all the staff was friendly and helpful. Spotlessly clean. Being on the Independence square parking can be tricky. The one flaw is that the outside sign is dark and kinda hard to see read more

My fiancé and I decided to try a Mexican restaurant we had not yet ate at. It was a pleasant surprise! We loved the atmosphere, food and service! Such a close and great location to home! The guacamole was one of the best we have ever had. Service was fast and friendly! Our server Olivia was very attentive, helpful and polite! We definitely will return to try more on the menu! Kudos to one of our new faves! read more

I ate here yesterday with some coworkers. Nice atmosphere. Great chips and salsa! I had 3 pork street tacos and rice and beans. Better than most Independence Mexican restaurants. Our server got our order wrong but we shifted items around to make it work. The manager came over on her own and offered to make it right. We explained that it was fine. No worries. But she still reduced my bill a little. That is doing it right! I'm going back today! read more