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    El Rey

    3.7 (335 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:30 pm

    Order El Rey Takeout or Delivery

    El Rey Mexican Restaurant Photos

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    EL REY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - El Rey

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    Chicken

    Look I come here regularly for tacos and other food. It was always amazing. I came here for lunch today. I got a couple chicken tacos and some fried pork tacos. Two chicken tacos on their "special" for Taco Tuesday were so disappointing and just lazy. For $3 each they served what tastes like and looks like canned chicken. Ive been wrong before but I've had canned chicken before too and if this isn't canned which I'm sure it is to save a few bucks while making an insane profit, it's gross. The texture is SO DRY. And it's flaky just like tuna straight from the can and unseasoned. Idk if this is the fault of the cooks or management just pinching pennies. But typically their taco places are almost TWENTY dollars. And this is what they're serving. I'm Mexican and a Mexican place slinging this for what they're charging and this dog food quality chicken is just embarrassing. Look save your money and prep for taco Tuesday at home. You'd get better quality chicken from the deli at Food Lion.

    Drinks were great! Many flavors of margaritas, a little on the sweet side. The ambiance and interior were cute. Our servers were quick and nice. Now let's get to the food......This was the worst birria I have ever had in my life. Dry, overcooked and no where near warm. I understand it's taco tuesday and that's a busy time, but the food is lacking badly. My tacos had about 2.5 pieces of meat each. They were flavorless and so was the consomé. The rice was overcooked and flavorless and the beans were cold and flavorless. They need new chefs!

    Demetrius A.

    Grabbed a quick bite with friends. We seated ourselves and drink orders were taken. None of my party ordered alcohol but they appear to be true to providing the tequila! Quite a few tables were enjoying margaritas. I found that this location has chicken birria and my friends ordered this leaving no crumbs after! I opted for something smaller but still delicious! The carne asada fries were very tasty and well seasoned. You'll enjoy this if you're looking for something light with a half order or more to share with a full order. The inside was decorated nicely, low lighting and huge margaritas if that's your thing! I'd say this could be a nice dinner date or drinks with friends.

    3 Birria & Shrimp Tacos Chicken, Carnitas, and Asada Tacos
    Esha R.

    Decided to go try this place out for a taco Tuesday night and it was packed. I got there around 7 PM and they said it was going to be approximately 45 minutes for a table for two but it ended up only taking 10 minutes which was really nice. The inside was absolutely gorgeous definitely very Instagrammable as other have said because there were lights everywhere and the ceiling was filled with sombreros! Would definitely come back for the ambience! Service was average because they put us at a table in the corner and seemed to kind of forget about us, especially towards the end when we were done eating no one really showed up for almost 20 minutes asking us if we were okay and we had to ask multiple times for a to go box but the waiters and waitresses were still very nice people. As for the food, we ordered shrimp and chicken birris tacos as well as some of their $2.50 tacos. Definitely make sure you ask for their homemade hot sauces because those were absolutely amazing with the tacos. My mouth was definitely on fire in a good way! The birria tacos were amazing and the two $50 tacos for taco Tuesday were pretty good for the price. I wish they had other broth options for the birria since I do not eat beef or pork and would have loved an alternate dip for my birria tacos! Parking was convenient because there was a lot of space both in front and on the sides of the complex. Definitely worth coming here at least once and deciding for yourself how much you love the tacos too!

    Had a shot and a beer while waited for our food.
    Tami H.

    The food is amazing and it's always packed so prepare to wait. Especially on Sundays and Tuesdays.

    Asad fries and Birria Tacos
    Jorge I.

    This place is NICELY decorated! From the lights to the murals to the menu, wow! Our waitress was so sweet and attentive. I had actually ordered pickup on Uber but decided to eat and have 5.50 Sunday Margaritas and our food came out soooo yummy!!! The margaritas here are insanely delicious especially for the price!

    Aaron S.

    After randomly looking for a taco spot in Norfolk I came across this place. A quaint space that's easy to miss if you're not paying attention, we were able to get a seat right away. The service could have been better. While our waitress was cordial, it was confusing on whether we were supposed to order from the table or the register because it took so long for her to come over. No communication or "ill be with you in a sec", we just sat there waiting. Even after we ordered, it was about 15 mins for the food to arrive. We ordered the birria tacos, frijoles, and a quesadilla. No complaints on the food at all, we definitely enjoyed what we had and it would recommend ordering all of it. Be forewarned though, the birria tacos are a popular item and if you go later in the day they may be out.

    the inside of a mexican restaurant
    Cassie M.

    First off- I must mention the decor! How fun! Sombreros & lights on the ceiling. They really went above and beyond to make it a fun place. They have a decent happy hour & different food specials each day! I went here with my aunt, cousin, & her 3 kids. It's a good place for kids if it isn't busy. My aunt & I both had the El Rey burrito which was good. My meat was too fatty for my taste but overall it was a good size. My cousin got some tacos to try, & got her children the Papusas. Drink wise we tried both margaritas & the horchata which were good. Just an fyi - this is a you go to the bar to pay place, no one told us but we put the pieces together after we finally saw a sign & no one was coming to us lol. If you come here check to see if they still have the 10% off code for check in!!!!!

    Takeyia S.

    What a great hidden gem! Finally made it to this spot. Great vibe and it was packed on a Friday night. All the servers were very attentive. We ordered drinks, Hennessy Margarita and a Classic Margarita, both great and huge. Good we had the carne asada fries (AMAZING) , surf and turf tacos, and carne asada tacos. All the food was fresh and very good! But it was the carne asada fries for me! We also had house tequila shots. Overall I'd definitely go back and WILL get the fries every time LoL. Check them out, cute decor for pictures also.

    Christine L.

    Honestly? It was okay. I love Birria and got their birria pizza. I wish they used better cheese, like a queso or crema Fresca or something. Instead they used mozzarella of all things. I get it fits into the whole "pizza vibe", but I wish it were better. The consomé was eh. It could've used some lime. I will say I do love their quesadilla burrito so no complaints there. But I don't recommend getting birria from them. If you're looking for a good birria place, try Agave Azul

    Zinthia S.

    The "instagram" worthy place to go for some good drinks, is the best way to describe my experience. I have been here twice after the remodel and I can definitely say that the authenticity of the food has changed since its hole in the wall days. The first time I came (post remodel) they didn't have my first option, pozole, they also didn't have barbacoa or tripas, so I settled for Al pastor sopes. The Al pastor was not seasoned well and a little dry. The drinks however, were good. The second time I came (post remodel) was a little better, I went with what's trending now, which is the birria and I had the birria queso tacos. They were pretty decent, the consomé made them less dry but also very flavorful. It wasn't over salty like other places and I was able to enjoy them, again the drinks were good, personally prefer any of their margaritas made with Don Julio, you can't go wrong. In all the tik tok and Instagram videos the montages made the place look bigger than what it seems, know If you have party of 10 or larger you will more than likely be taking up the whole place. Cute establishment, great drinks, but not MY idea of authentic. My favorite part of this place is definitely the murals.

    Shrimp, lengua, tripa tacos in the order
    Nakita C.

    So we had 2 shrimp, barbacoa, carne asada, lengua, and tripa tacos with a queso, half on corn half on flour tortillas. When they say everything on the taco they mean lettuce, tomato, onion, and cilantro be mindful. The shrimp tacos were decent, would for sure be better in a quesadilla. (Will try that next time) Barbacoa, lengua, and tripa had no seasoning at all, not even salt. The asada was season well. The queso is a white queso and good, I would get that again. The atmosphere was pretty cool, awesome art, and lots of lights. The service was spectacular, they are on top of everything there for sure. They were sadly out of street corn and birria, but we will for sure go back to try them again. He did say the birria is a six hour process and made in-home fresh daily, so excited to see how that shows out.

    Corn tacos. Very dry and thick but maybe some people like that ??
    Sarena G.

    Updating from my last review... I have been here probably more than eight times. Every time was OK. The drinks are always really good and the service is usually nice. I do really like the workers. They always seem to be in a good mood. the only times I've ever had any serious issues was once when I picked up an order that they never seemed to get submitted through online.. and I submitted it 30 minutes before getting there, and I just had to wait. This time we ordered through Grubhub because there was a coupon. We wanted to try the Birria burrito. I was honestly not very impressed. It kinda looked like a little sandwich burrito. Lol. Not expensive but pretty much just filled with rice and beans and a little bit of the Birria meat.. The food usually lacks seasoning but I just added some salt and that was good. we got the chips and yellow queso cheese, I don't really recommend the yellow cheese. Next time I am going back to the white, which is really good. We also got grill tacos, which were OK, just not very well seasoned. And lastly, I asked for a couple green and a couple red salsa's and we ended up only getting hot sauce, so I was a little disappointed with that because I love salsa on all of my Mexican food . Anyway, I will still go again, but I hope next time is better .

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    8 months ago

    Worst tacos on this side of the Mississippi. Save your money and go to Taco Bell, Same differences and service is wack

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    El Azteca Mexican Restaurant - Chicken Fajitas

    El Azteca Mexican Restaurant

    4.1(285 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    THIS IS THE BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT in the entire region... hands down, no contest…read more If you know and appreciate authentic Mexican food--true flavor, real technique, and recipes that taste like they came straight from a Mexican kitchen--this is your place. If you prefer the watered-down, copy-paste "Mexican" food from a chain... well, Jose Tequilas is right down the street. Bless your heart. But if you want the real deal, read on: My Must-Try Recommendations: 1. The Frozen Margaritas -- THE BEST. Order the Jumbo Texas Frozen Margarita with salt. Trust me, it's dangerously good. 2. Shrimp Quesadilla -- LEGIT. Packed, flavorful, perfectly grilled. No one else comes close. 3. Chips & Salsa + the White Sauce + Queso This trio alone could be a standalone reason to come back. The white sauce? Magical. 4. Enchiladas Yolandas Soft, flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth perfection. 5. Tacos de Pescados (soft corn tortillas) Add lettuce and crema... thank me later. Absolutely amazing. And this is just a glimpse of what I order on repeat. I LOVE this place. It's family-owned, the staff has been there for years, and the consistency is unmatched. You can taste the pride and care in every dish. Do I have wishes? Sure--I'd love to see a Mariachi band occasionally and maybe some branded hoodies (yes, I would absolutely buy one). Other than that... **I WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING. ** Try it for yourself, support an authentic local gem, and let the amateurs head down the street to the chain restaurant. El Azteca is the real one.

    The food is always amazing, we are frequent in this location. My steak fajita is not so good today…read moreit was not tender but everything else in our order was good. You cannot beat a free chips. And the servers were all friendly as always. The restaurant looks very mexican traditional and clean. Price is very reasonable as well.

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    Main dining area

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    Tacos Y Tequila - Street Tacos

    Tacos Y Tequila

    3.8(120 reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$

    While my sister was in town, we decided to head to Tacos Y Tequila to grab a bite to eat on a…read moreWednesday around 7pm. I live about 30+ mins away but I remember the food being very good last time, so I didn't mind the drive at all. We were greeted by the host as soon as we walked in and were seated right away. Our server was wonderful. She was very pleasant and helped us with some of the questions we had regarding the menu items. We started with the Fresh Tableside Guacamole and it tasted great! We did order it with a "medium" spice level and it wasn't spicy at all but other than that, it was very good. Since the Street Tacos caught our eye, we both decided on those. We ordered the Al Pastor, Barbacoa, Carnitas, Chorizo, Camarón, Nopales and Lengua. The tacos were served with a variety of different sauces, ranging from sweet and mild to very spicy. Most of the tacos were delicious, our favorite was the Al Pastor, Barbacoa, and Camarón. We weren't a fan of the Lengua, it was very dry, chewy and unflavored. Overall, we had a great experience. Our margaritas were amazing as well! I love the vibe of this restaurant and the food and service is always wonderful.

    My husband found this spot a little while ago and ordered the Birria Pizza. It was honestly…read moredelicious! So, when were in the area today we had to stop by. No one was at the front when we came in, so after waiting for a short time we just sat down in a near by booth. We later saw a sign that said to wait to be seated, but I guess it was ok this time. We started off with the guacamole. I havent eaten a ton of guacamole, but this was honestly the best I've had. Loved it! A+ all day! I ordered the Mango habanero We ordered the Mango Habanero wings and they were delicious! My husband ordered the Birria Taco and he said they weren't his favorite. My son that Birria burrito and that thing was huge! He really liked it. Very nice decor and great service, and I love the hall of lights going to the restooms! We plan to return.

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    Tacos Y Tequila - Dining area

    Dining area

    Tacos Y Tequila - Tacos Birria Tacos

    Tacos Birria Tacos

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    Jose Tequilas - Chicken shrimp and steak

    Jose Tequilas

    4.7(49 reviews)
    8.3 mi

    ¡Muy bueno! From the Margaritas to the Carnitas, I was super impressed. The meats were all…read moremarinated and seasoned perfectly. They were cooked just right - moist and flavorful. The staff had a great attitude - they were having fun and made our dinner special. Best Mexican food we've had in Norfolk!

    If you're looking for a fun, lively spot with huge margaritas and great vibes, Jose Tequila's…read moreabsolutely delivers. We came here to celebrate a birthday, and it ended up being one of those meals where everything just hit. First off, those margaritas are no joke. Massive, flavorful, and strong in the best way. Bonus: they do $2 off specialty margs on Mondays, which is dangerous knowledge now that I have it. I went with the Coco Loco Margarita (1800 coconut tequila, coconut milk, triple sec, and sweetened flaked coconut), and WOW. It was creamy, refreshing, and honestly tasted like a tropical vacation. My friends ordered the House Marg, Peach Sangria Marg and the Spicy Pineapple & Cilantro Marg, all were just as impressive. The spicy one had a great kick without being overwhelming, and the peach option was super smooth and fruity. Before we even ordered, the complimentary chips, salsa, and that famous white sauce came out ... and let me tell you, that white sauce is to die for. I could've eaten that all night. For my dinner, I had the asada enchiladas, and I'm still thinking about them. Perfectly cooked grilled steak laid over cheesy enchiladas with verde sauce, plus rice and black beans. I loved that the steak was on top because once I got full, I could still pick at the protein (elite move). My friends got arroz con pollo, carne asada tacos, and the wildest dish on the table ... the El Molcajete. It came out sizzling in a stone bowl loaded with shrimp, beef, chicken, chorizo, cactus, and all the fixings. We all shared bites and it was unreal. We ended the night with the staff singing happy birthday and completely embarrassing my friend with a sombrero and a candle in his shot. Incredible. Definitely will be coming back, especially for that margarita deal and birthdays!

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    Jose Tequilas
    Jose Tequilas
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    Union Taco

    Union Taco

    4.1(179 reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$

    I've been here a few times recently. The first was when a friend won a drawing for a free taco…read morehappy hour event. He had dropped his business card in a fishbowl at the entry host station to enter the drawing. I'm not sure of all the details but 6 of us had 3 tacos. We enjoyed our bar beverages too. My next visit to bring a new employee for lunch. Our server was pleasant and attentive. We enjoyed our tacos and guac. We sampled the 3 house made salsas offered. My 3rd visit was for a late lunch with a coworker. We were promptly seated at a table for 4 even though it was the two of us which was appreciated since the 2 tops are a little small. We again enjoyed our tacos and guac. I had cauliflower rice as a side. All the tacos were full of yummy goodness. They also had a taco Tuesday special available. I made sure to drop my business card in the fishbowl. I noticed they had a place you could drop off letters to Santa outside which was nice for the holidays. There is little street parking available outside the restaurant so it's best to park in the free parking garage not far away.

    Unfortunate update to Union Taco. I was wondering if something like this was going to happen soon…read more We had dinner here 2 weeks ago and the menu was revised and shortened, the waitress had said the chef had left. Sad to see them leave this location. CLOSED Saw the notice on the door today Sunday Dec 21st

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    Union Taco - Bar area

    Bar area

    Union Taco - Food menu

    Food menu

    Union Taco - Drink menu

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    Drink menu

    El Rey - mexican - Updated May 2026

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