El Potrillo Mexican Grill is located on Lynnhaven Pkwy. near the intersection with Holland Rd. The place is not hard to see from the roadway. It's basically next door to the Car Spa. My most recent visit here was on November 24, 2025. There have been no issues with parking availability when I have been here. The outside view is pretty basic with the business name and such on the building. After having a reply from them after my original review, and since I had a coupon from the back of a Kroger receipt, I figured it would be a good time to re-try the business. When my mom and I came in, we were immediately greeted and seated and asked us what we wanted to drink. I went with water with lemon while my mom went with a soda. Someone else came around to put chips and salsas at the table. When our server came back with the drinks, he asked if we were ready to order, and we were. We started with the El Portrillo Dip appetizer. For the entrees, I got the Burrito Bowl with Chicken as the protein. My mom went with the Fajita Taco Salad with Beef as the protein. While waiting for that to come out, we would indulge in the dip and salsas. About 15 minutes later, the entrees came out to the table, and the timing was perfect as we had just finished the dip and such. The food came out hot and exactly as ordered. Just like the last time, the food was great. The flavors and such were there. I definitely prefer the burrito bowls instead of a burrito now. Our server came back a few times to check on us, and it was nice to hear more conversations in English when compared to the last visit. Overall, this was a much better experience on this visit. Service was much better and I didn't feel like I was in a place with a different language going on. Based on this newer experience, I will look to visit this place more often. This is a solid Mexican place to choose from. read more

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The absolute worst. Last time we went there they were so slow that it almost felt on purpose. We decided to give them another try. Today we sat at the table for about 20 minutes and they still didn't come take my order. When I stood up and asked to pay for my soda he just laughed and said you can leave. Couldn't believe it. read more

Wow I found a true gem! The house margaritas were strong and hand made. I ordered Birria tacos which were delicious but my mom ordered a steak burrito. I was against ordering steak due to the fear of it being dry but was pleasantly surprised. Their steak is so flavorful and seared to have this delicious crisp! I really enjoyed everything about this place. read more

El Potrillo Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Food was delicious. Service was fast and friendly. Music was entertaining. This place never disappoints read more

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This place is awesome, the atmosphere is great, drinks are cold and delicious, the wait time is not long at all, and the food is top notch! Some of the best in the area. read more

El Potrillo Mexican Grill - Birria Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

This was our first time visiting this restaurant. I ordered a steak quesidilla, they gave me a side of refried beans and I had an Arnold palmer for a drink. The refried beans was disgusting they tasted watered down and they were light colored. I have been to many Mexican Restaurants and these were the worst I ever tasted. I asked for rice, because I didn't like the beans. I was given cold rice, and I had to ask the waiter to give me some hot rice and they microwaved them. The rest of the food was good. I will not return to this restaurant Jose Tequilas provide better quality of food. read more

More than filling! We ate the Fried Chimichangas and the Guad-Especial, and both were more flavorful than I could believe. Often, at other Mexican restaurants, the filling is bland and food relies on the topping--NOT HERE! Seasoned chicken and beef in both my Chimis, and the Guad-special was just as delicious. Also had a Chili relleno that was amply stuffed and just as tasty as everything else. Fast service and a friendly staff, and the decor was nice, with roomy booths and typical Tex-Mex decor (though not too much, so not tacky!) We will definitely add El Portillo to our list of favorites. Looking forward to more treats next visit! read more

I constantly order food from El Potrillo. Their customer service does not disappoint, one of the servers is a very funny guy, their food is amazing I have never had a problem with them. I consider them one of the best Mexican restaurants in the 757. read more

They are hands down the best Mexican restaurant around. From the food to the customer service. Great food,people n setting. Everyone should eat here. You wont be disappointed ​ read more

This is our new place to 'indulge' when we've been trying to save money. We love love love the atmosphere- a little bit of context, I am from Texas so I am keen to the Tex mex cuisine and restaurant experience. My fiancé is from New Jersey and didn't even know fajitas came with sides......... ... . SO this place? With their delicious Texas Margarita and fluffy little shrimp- is the ish. Not expensive, but quality and authentic food and people. Our new go-to when we got-to get out because we live the service. read more

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Came back for more less than a week later. Had the fish ceviche this time. Super fresh (no fishy smell or taste). Generous portion, I added lime and hot sauce to my own taste. I will be living here every weekend! read more

El Potrillo Mexican Grill - Carnitas and chicken Street tacos 4 for $12! - Mexican Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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I have been coming to Virginia Beach for almost 40 years. I'm from northern Virginia the restaurant El Potrillo is very homey the waiter was very accommodating very friendly very nice. Service was excellent. The bathrooms were very clean. The food was excellent. I had an enchilada ranchero supreme my friend had an enchilada and my other friend had shrimp tacos. I believe it was all very excellent. The deserts were excellent my friend had a fried Cheesecake and the other friend. We all also had Mexican coffee which was excellent too. We also had fundido de queso y chorizo and being the Virginia Beach area, Mexican restaurant, they serve white salsa which is born in a Virginia Beach Mexican restaurant however, it has been adopted at the many local restaurants there. Try it out it's good. I hope to make it back there. read more

Great food and awesome drinks! They really know their tequila here. Sat at the bar and everyone became your friend. Recommend for a chill night out. The only feedback is that the bathroom floors needed swept (though rest looked clean). Will def be back. read more

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I visited here, despite the reviews, because it was convenient. I sat outside, and luckily the woman vaping out there with her terrible kids was leaving. Chips were brought out quickly but service was terribly slow the whole time otherwise. It took 20 minutes for my order to be taken. They might have been short staffed. I had to go inside and pay when I was done and hadn't been brought a bill or checked on. My Texas margarita was perfectly fine, despite sloshing that washed some of the salt off, due to sloppy carrying. But it definitely had alcohol in it, unlike some others have said. The house chips were fine, perhaps a bit oily, but they were fresh and hot. The salsa wasn't flavorful but had a small spicy bite, which was decent. The pollo loco is 2 chicken breasts with rice, beans, salad, and tortillas. My chicken, while generous, was kind of dry and had little taste. Once I got everything in the tortilla it still wasn't giving me a lot of flavor. The outdoor seating is nice with shaded umbrellas. The environment is terrible, being on a busy ass road with idiots gunning their cars with every light change. The staff is sloppy with masks. I saw some not wearing theirs and others letting theirs slip way down. read more

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Decent food and quick. Good service. Opens at 11:30 on Sunday so we go after church services. read more

El Potrillo Mexican Grill - El Potrillo chicken salad - Mexican Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

The drinks are so good! I got the quesadilla and there was nothing left! I will definitely be there again!!

Yummers absolutely delectable I will be driving back from Portsmouth to come again super good

This is a family owned Restaurant that changed their name. Love walking in the doors and the staff remembers you and is so friendly! They changed the menu up a little bit and it's a VERY WELCOME change! My family ordered Texicano Burrito which they got before ownership and name changed..they are even better than before! I got street tacos with Birria de res for meat and rice and refried beans as a side. The flavor it all had was so amazing! Every single bite was better than the previous! Rice and refried beans always feels like an afterthought at other places with not much flavor..not at this place! Everything was so fresh and full of flavor! I cannot wait to go back again! It's been our regular spot since before the name change and I'm so happy to know it stayed in the family and has improved so much! read more

So we went here on a recommendation from a family member who goes here for lunch, we went for dinner. Maybe that was our mistake but the service was slow and unfriendly. There was only a few ppl even there it was a week night and not busy at all. The food was only ok and bland. They didn't listen to my wife's order and advised her a something a little different but wasn't even close to what she wanted. When there is now a lot of good Mexican food out there this place won't get a 2nd try from us unless it's a lunch. Just to see if that any better. read more

I had a great experience here! I ordered the Burrito California and was not disappointed. The size is rather large so I had to take half of it home! Not your average Chipotle burrito for sure! The sauce on top was probably my favorite because I'm a sucker for cheese and it was a delicate blend, not like the nasty jar stuff so I disagree with the other review saying it's "like velveeta". I was there only for about 30-45 minutes for everything as our waiter was extremely quick (they had just opened so maybe that's the reason! Place was pretty much empty) Overall, I'm definitely coming back! read more

The service is good and like you don't have to wait so much. The food is one of the only Mexicans food I like because it's not a lot of like seasoning that other Mexican places do read more

El Potrillo Mexican Grill - Tacos de pollo - Mexican Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

NO, NO never again! Clearly this folks have no standards about the food they send out. I ordered delivery from El Potrillo and it was horrible (see photos). I ordered the combo with a taco, enchilada, and tostada and this sloppy mess is what they sent. I also ordered a side of guacamole and, while it was only $1.99, I was surprised to receive a two bite portion of mashed avocado without a tomato or cilantro in sight. I wouldn't exactly call that guac. Finally, I ordered a side of beans and paid for extra cheese...see the sprinkle of cheese? I guess that's the extra?. The kids meal came with about a 1/2 cup of rice, and they didn't send any salsa with the chips. The el Potrillo dip was really tasty. That's about it. Never again will I order or eat here. read more

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They got very good food, but it's always a miss or hit with this place. I've had two hair issues on my food before. I've also experienced missed or different items on what I ordered. Adding, I eat there and pick up sometimes but it's always something... read more

El Potrillo Mexican Grill - Queso Fundido and Chorizo - Mexican Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Good food, fast service! Ambiance was nice as they played older salsa and merengue. Highly recommend.

Price is reasonable. Food is delicious. No waiting each time I've arrived. Kid friendly.

Great place!! The food is amazing and the prices are even better. The service is good, is my husband's and I favorite Mexican restaurant.

ordered food , thru a 3rd party and asked to make sure there was no onions due to allergy, the person picking up ask them to remake due to allergy which was noted on the order they said no because they would lose money . read more

I had the best place for ceviche and now this El Potrillo is my new spot. The margaritas were not the greatest, but get a cold Corona, chips and salsa, and ceviche and you can't go wrong read more

Good food. Better than plaza las palmas and ensenada. New management but same good Mexican food. Try the pork sopes or we burritos. Very good always has been. read more

Food was good. BUT 3/4 of our party ended up with AWFUL food poisoning. I called to let them know it they didn't seem to take my complaint seriously which led me to make this review. Last thing I want to do is harm a small business in the middle of a pandemic. But treating ourselves to a dinner to then get violently ill warrants a serious discussion, maybe even offering a refund? It's unfortunate. read more

I've seen this restaurant change multiple times from Pizza Hut to a variety of Mexican restaurants. This latest change isn't much of an improvement. I base my opinion of Mexican restaurants on how well they execute pork carnitas. El Potrillo's carnitas were satisfactory but the accompaniments left something to be desired. The guacamole was good; I like the little chunks of avocado. The Pico de Gallo was on point. The refried beans were visually unappealing and lacked body and flavor. The rice was bland. The reason for 2 stars is the service. Our server took our order, brought our food and we never saw him again. We had to ask for our check and wait for it. It didn't help that the people in the booth next to us were watching YouTube videos with the volume cranked up so loud it could be heard in the other part of the restaurant making for an unpleasant lunch. read more

Really great salsa, food was fresh and the beans were flavorful. Excellent menu. The service was ok but overall, can't wait to go back

This restaurant used to be San Jose. It is NOT the same neighborhood San Jose that we have been accustomed to. The service is horrible! After ten minutes of just sitting there, our drink orders were finally taken. After the food was finally served, we asked for to go containers. The rude ass waiter just tossed the styrofoam to go container on top of our food. Then fast forward another 17 minutes of just waiting for our check- I finally just got up and went to the register with no bill. I mean man- I get that everyone may have a bad day but don't treat your customers like that. The food was ok. The chips tasted stale and old. Nothing to rave about. It's just the service was ridiculously crappy. Also, I notice that my receipt does not reflect the name of the restaurant. It says Chapala Inc. What's up with that? I can't wait until the new name is reflected on Yelp so I can copy and paste this again. Get it together new owner and management. read more

El Potrillo Mexican Grill - a hand holding a receipt - Mexican Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Fresh from the freezer! Ordered a burrito & it came out absolutely smothered in what seemed to be Velveeta cheese... The veggies inside of it were very chewy, the shrimp was horrendous, and the steak was way overdone. Another draw back, drinks. For $13.99 you can get a big ol margarita with maybe half a shot of tequila in it. The interior of the restaurant makes you feel like you're in the late 80's-early 90's, and the price of dinner for 2 people for what you get is even worse. Don't waste your time here. Go to La Patrona right down the road, way more authentic, fresh, clean, and over all better from food to drinks. I'll never be back to El Potrillo. read more

Been eating here for years (it used to be San Jose) and I'm never disappointed. The food is always delicious and the staff is always nice. I always recommend it to people when latin food is brought up. read more

Fun outdoor seating with lights! However, food, service, and drinks was not worth the ambiance that was perceived from the outside. Seemed that my $14 margarita was made with no alcohol, their "fresh" guacamole was more like smushed avocados (no tomatoes, red onions, etc...???), alongside terrible to no service. I would not waste the time or money. read more

I went in not really knowing what to expect but when I walked in they treated me very well and I could tell they are all close friends and family and they made me feel the same way. I sat at the bar and it had really large and comfortable seats and there was an older man who was very jolly and happy to serve me. The margherita I had was big and really hit the spot and it went well with the the carne asada fries I had. I had to get my food to go which is never a bad sign. I'm definitely coming back another time for a round of shots and tacos!! :D read more

Chips, salsa, and guacamole were really good. I really enjoyed the margarita with my carne asada street tacos. Service was delivered with a smile and my waiter was attentive. I will definitely be back. read more

I used to really love this place when it was San Jose. Been going here for 15 years at least once a month and now with the new menu, new management and new name it has changed and not for the better. I will now find a new regular Mexican place. read more