First time at the restaurant on May 5th to Celebrate!! It was festive!! The wait staff was friendly and all pretty nice!! Like even for it so busy due to the holiday from the host to the bar it was great vibes!!! It was a hour and 40 for a table of 4. And we were able to snag seat at the bar it we were all good!!! Chips and salsa was decent. Didn't except hot chips so it's whatever. Then the drinks were on point. We got strawberry, pineapple, mango margaritas all good. The mango margarita was heavy in syrup only problem. The people drunk sold the restaurant out of CASAMIGOS lol!!!! The food was delicious.. the tacos were full.. the food season. read more

El Rey - Chicken Large Quesadilla, Half Asada Fries, 3 Birria & Shrimp Tacos, mango margarita - Mexican Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Steak torta was a huge half loaf of bread with very little meat. The meat was more like a relish and got lost in the other flavors. Don't think the bread was correct as it wasn't like tortas I've had on the west coast or other places in Va. read more

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food so amazing 10/10 service need some work but they were sweet the ambience was out of this world. and i will be back read more

Delicious food, but I wish I could've gotten the birria tacos a la carte instead of only as 3. Also wish that the birria meal came with beans and rice instead of having to order separately. Service was friendly and restaurant ambiance was fun and probably is great for a Friday night - we came on a Monday so it was pretty calm. read more

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My husband and I were in the mood for tacos. We normally go to the other El Rey but I wanted to show him this spot because I stopped in one evening for take-out. We came on a Sunday night and the vibe was so friendly, helpful, and chill. We surprisingly found a Sunday HH special - tacos and beers for $2.50! We loaded up on some delicious tacos on corn tortilla (home made) and the spiciest yet the most delicious hot sauce. You gotta get their asada fries (they even offer a half size which is still extremely delicious and filling). read more

This restaurant has nightclub vibes. There are sombreros on the ceiling and party lights illuminating the path to the restrooms. I had the fiesta burrito and my friend had beef tacos. We added a side of queso to the complimentary chips and salsa. The fiesta burrito has steak, chicken, cheese, bell peppers, jalapeños, beans and rice. The server suggested I get the habanero sauce on the side if I don't like spicy foods and he was right to do so! The habanero sauce is fire in liquid form. You have been warned. Service was great, the food is good, and prices are fair. The only thing we didn't like was smelling like the restaurant when we walked out. read more

We came on a Sunday after craving tacos the night before too late that nothing was open. They have the same Tuesday specials on Sunday. That made things even more interesting. Everything we had was delicious. And spicy means spicy! The decor is very unique and colorful. The wait staff are very patient and fast. You could find the bartender waiting tables, ringing people up, and making drinks. read more

I'm not sure why the reviews are so low. This is the best Latin food I've had in a long time. Get the birria tacos and the queso. The salsa and chips were also so fresh and homemade. Cannot wait to bring everyone I know here. read more

El Rey - Order of birria - Mexican Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Food: 3/10. presentation: 10/10 Margaritas were simple syrup, store bought margarita mix and a splash of tequila. Atmosphere was fun, prob the best thing about the place. Ordered cheesy birria shrimp tacos platter for two, did not come on a platter and also came missing the shrimp. Server would not remake tacos for us and only would offer a side of shrimp. So we were forced to wait 10 mins while our food got cold for the missing shrimp. Birria was disappointingly dry, almost hard to eat dry. Overrated for the very expensive prices.. go elsewhere read more

El Rey - Cheese shrimp Birria tacos (missing shrimp) - Mexican Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Hands down the best birria in 757, and I've tried so much birria around here . Every time I tried birria I felt like it was lacking flavor but El Ray's was the opposite, lots of flavor yet not too spicy (coming from an Ethiopian American that's use to cooking with a lot of flavor). We ordered the birria for 2 which was 6 birria tacos for $30. At first I didn't think it was a lot of food but by the end we weee STRUGGLING to finish, but in a good way. I also really enjoyed the chips and salsa. The service was pretty attentive dispute the fact that they were super busy. The interior vibes is giving a nice cool energy, idk how to verbalize this so pls forgive me. Anyways I'd love to come back and try other items on the menu to give another more holistic review. read more

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Love the atmosphere of this place. Food is solid, love the birria. Service is good and attentive. read more

El Rey - Mexican Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

If you live in the Hampton Roads area then you have definitely come across pictures from El Rey #2 one way or another. They recently grew in popularity because of their giant family size meals usually consisting of fries, tacos and burritos! We were a little surprised to see them so empty on a Friday night, but I'm not complaining because the service was quick and prompt. I loved the whole aesthetic of this location-- the neon sign was cool and the bar looked really nice. And it was super clean! We started with margaritas, chips and salsa, and a half order of carne asada fries (spicy). The margaritas were AMAZING and the fries had a nice heat to them. Their menu is pretty big, but we ended up opting for the tacos. We were a little disappointed because they were out of most of the meat we wanted (barbacoa and chorizo). The homemade corn tortillas were tasty, but overall the tacos were lacking. The chicken tasted/ looked like it had been sitting out and was not very flavorful. But the carnitas were good! The elote was a little too limey for my taste but good nonetheless. In my option I think this would be a good place for happy hour or a quick bite. I hope next time we return they have more of the meats listed on the menu! read more

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Great food, attentive service and nice atmosphere. Chips were fresh & hot, the tacos are fantastic and the tortillas are fresh and so much better than the typical corn tortillas read more

El Rey - El Rey margarita - Mexican Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I hadn't been here in at least 2 years, and I had a serious craving for it this morning for brunch! I took my boo, who had never been before. A few things have changed since I've been: -they serve alcohol now (Sundays & Tuesdays $5 margs or $2 bottles of a wide assortment of beers) -the decor is way different (my boo said it looked like a regular Mexican restaurant, which I'll get to later In the past when I've been, I felt like I was in a restaurant in Mexico- it wasn't anything fancy, and I liked it like that. No tv's, no serious English speakers, it was Mexico. I was a little disappointed to see the switch, however the food is just as delicious!! This isn't your typical "American-Mexican" restaurant. It's Mexican-Mexican. Little tip if your an avid breakfast eater like myself: they serve breakfast all day, just ask- it's not in their regular menu. I always get huevos rancheros, but with scrambled eggs & cheese instead of the regular egg. It comes with papas (sliced potatoes), jamón (ham), beans, and your choice of corn or flour tortillas. All this for $7! If you haven't been, you need to go. read more

El Rey - The ceiling- mesmerizing! - Mexican Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

First off, the flavor of their Birria is incredible. We ordered both the tacos & the burrito and they were delicious! Perfect balance of rich, spice, & cheese. And the portions were generous as well which made their prices an incredible value. I did have an fairly significant issue with my burrito which I docked a star for but they took care of it swiftly and kindly so it won't deter me from coming to try this spot again. Service was attentive and great as well. We will definitely be back and will be telling our friends to come check it out too! read more

El Rey - Birria Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Stopped in this location today for a quick lunch. I'd never been here but I'd heard good things. Arriving we were promptly greeted and sat and within a minute or less we had waters. I decided to try the three street tacos and selected three kinds - al pastor, steak and pork. They were all delicious and the whole time I was eating them I kept taking in the restaurants decorations and how colorful the place was even in the daytime. I highly recommend the street tacos I don't think you can go wrong and it comes with beans and rice. A lot of places want you to pick one or the other but I appreciated both were included. They do have daily specials you'll have to check out. One I do remember reading was they have 10 percent off on Mondays for military, veterans and retired military. Next time I come back it will have to be after work as their selection of margaritas sounds awesome and tasty. I would say the only negative is the parking outside but I think it is worth the walk if you can't find a close spot in the lot. read more

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My boyfriend heard about this place from TikTok. They have daily specials. We went on a Sunday. Happy hour started at 4pm and they had $4 margaritas. It took a while for our food to come out but It was nice and hot. I had the Birria shrimp and beef tacos (I was told I had to get shrimp and beef or shrimp and chicken but they were out of chicken). I would have preferred the chicken. Either way the environment was cool and the drinks were great, so was the service read more

El Rey - Birria tacos shrimp and beef - Mexican Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Some of the best tacos in Virginia ! I got three carne asada tacos with jalapeños and this orange sauce! Someone please call 911 (in my wyclef voice) .if you want some awesome tacos this is the place read more

El Rey - Fire hot sauce - Mexican Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I enjoy coming to this restaurant. I'm originally from California, so trying to find a good Mexican place in Virginia has been difficult for me. I'm in love with their birria dishes and habanero mango chicken wings. It's always pretty busy, but that's expected with places that have good food. The staff have always been friendly and attentive. I definitely recommend if you're in the area. read more

got here a whole hour before closing (i understand it's inconvenient but they're open until said hour ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) with the hope of at least getting takeout but the door was locked and the chairs inside were already on the table with the workers standing there watching me walk away they should update their hours or add a sign if they're closing that early read more

What a fun and surprising atmosphere to walk into! The staff have always been really accommodating as my husband sometimes has strange requests but they always come through. I think their tacos are the thing to get here. I wasn't crazy about the quesadilla. The El Rey Burrito is super tasty as are their nachos. read more

Inside this location the vibe is great! The front of the house is upbeat and usually the back of the house has bomb food coming out. The lengua was very bland. Unimpressed by this location. I'll be going back to the original though read more

Craving authentic Mexican food. Didn't know if I wanted a taco.... burrito...so I opted for the El Rey basket which included 2 burritos, carne asada fries & 4 tacos! Ordered them with corn tortilla and it brought me back to my Cali living days!!! Gave a 4 out of 5 because they didn't have street corn available, acouple beer onn draft were not available and they didn't have enough high chairs. I asked for 2. But food wise....it did not disappoint. Also...if you check in on yelp, you'd get 10% off! read more

El Rey - Tacos and tequila - Mexican Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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This place always hit right 2 years ago. We have been loyal customers but it has fallen off slowly to the point of writing this review. Tonight we ordered for pick up. Got the food home and honestly I'd rather have had Taco Bell. (I'm 40 plus and do not eat Taco Bell!) All three meals that were ordered were as if this ginger country boy made it himself. I'm unsure how a bunch of steak amidst a sea of peppers and onions (fajitas) could taste so bland. It was as if my Italian mother in law tried to make fajitas. We ordered Queso and chips and ended up with some sort of weird cheese flavored water. (Never seen that before). The tacos were that of an old Ortega commercial with some Bobo Food Lion cheddar and somehow they managed to make a simple cheese quesadilla taste like literally nothing. The best part of the meal was some Margs to go. Such a shame because I used to recommend this place very highly. Unsure what happened in the last two years but it has fallen off to the point of writing a poor review and seriously unlikely to return at this point. That sucks. Loved it a few years ago. read more

Food was awfully bland & cold for being a quick delivery. Delivery driver & restaurant didn't ask nor let us know they didn't have the sodas we ordered & took it upon themselves to put in two different options while also not being the sizes ordered. The three tacos platters was shredded & falling apart before one bite. And as if the corn tortillas were done two weeks ago. A French fry is more firm than your tortillas holding the fried pork. Rice wasn't as plain in seasoning from other guests' opinions. What a waste of time & money spent. I should've taken majority of the other recently bad reviews into favor. Goodluck to staying open El Rey. The one star was for how tasty the mini churros were. Thank You for the treat. read more

Want a place to hang out, eat good food and something to drink? You found it. Staff is friendly and will speak to you in Spanish if you Hablo Spanish. Food is fresh, and made to order. See photo. Try the cheesy Birria and Shrimp tacos . Yum! Don't miss out out on Taco Tuesday and on Sundays! Why cook when you can come here! read more

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Tacos: My tortilla was thick and barely and meat I asked for onion and cilantro half a sprinkle of cilantro and a mountain of onions on each taco. They didn't come with any salsa either! I ordered queso I might as well gone to Food Lion and bought velveta cheese. I spent 30 dollars in food and I was not satisfied at all I only ate one tortilla and merged all the meat to make one taco. #upset El Rey 1 is better... heard it's family owned and they it's same but they seem to care more for the quality read more

I guess there's a reason why it's named 'El Rey 2'. I will say that the food is not much of the problem I had with my visit. It was inoffensive. The burrito was good for a burrito and the chips were great. What's off putting are some of the choices the location makes either to cut costs or have as stylistic choices. Such as but not limited to: - entrees not including rice and beans automatically (I only mark this since I've been to plenty of Mexican places that just include this without an extra charge) - PLASTIC KITCHENWARE. This was the most baffling. You try cutting a 3-4 inch thick burrito with a plastic fork and knife. Waitress was nice but never checked on me for anything during the meal. Never asked me if everything was okay, or if I'd like a refill on my water or to order another drink. We only spoke three times. Twice at the start to get water and make my order, and upon leaving with the check to pay. Unless you are really pressed for time I wouldn't bother with this hole in the wall spot. Not very welcoming, staff likes to chat with each other more than check on guests, and if the food is only 'ok' you may as well go to any fast food location that gets you served faster and better. read more

The food was authentic, large portions and was delicious! Great service and ethnic atmosphere. Totally enjoyed the food! Try it you won't be disappointed. read more

Birria Tacos are so good !! & the food came quick. The vibe is also so cute in here, would recommend!

Service is not good waitress has to work on their customer service.. food it's okay this will be the last time I visit this place. If you're looking for a good customer service and great ambiance this not the place to go. read more

The food is always a reliable source for filling a craving. They've recently updated the decor in there which kind of feels more hipster as opposed to the original mom and pop shop but I like it. read more

Fast and tasty food. Moved to NC and nothing here can compare to El Rey. Will visit again when in Norfolk

I would love to give this place a shot however I couldn't do to the long wait. I called my order in and was told 20 minutes. I got there in 18. I was then told by a gentleman that it would be another 20 minutes. they went to the back to check again and another gentleman told me that it hasn't even been 20 minutes yet I said I know that's not my issue my issue is being told that it was going to take another 20 minutes on top of what you told me. apparently they were more concerned with the larger orders they had received since I placed mine. I just canceled my order and left. I can understand understanding but how you say things to people and how you operate matters to me. read more

This was my first time ever being to el Rey it's a cute smaller spot and it was kind of busy when me and my friend went for lunch but we were able to be seated right away and the service was very good our waiter was attentive and made sure he told us about the lunch special for the day and answered any questions we had. I went with the steak and shrimp tacos with a side of asada fries y'all I had no idea that they made their own corn tortillas from scratch there! The steak and shrimp were seasoned very well and the tacos were great I was very pleased with them. And the asada fries were also very good everything had great flavor I would also get the fries again. The only reason I'm giving this review 3 starts instead of 4 is because I also ordered Mexican street corn but my waiter forgot to put it not that it was a big deal because both of the dishes I ordered were very big portions so I wouldn't of been able to finish it anyways lol and he was willing to reput the order in for me but I just didn't have time, but now I have a reason to go back so I will be back to try that street corn. read more

El Rey - Half Asada Fries - Mexican Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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...Now know as Tacos & Tequila. We went her for Taco Tuesday. $2 beers and $2 tacos. I ordered the carnitas, el pastor and carne asada with cilantro and onions on a corn tortilla. The tortillas were homemade and they were sooooooo fresh. Omg the carnitas was melt in your mouth deliciousness. Everything was so fresh and I cant wait to go back. We will be back every Tuesday until we get tire of it-which I'm sure will be never. Go get cha some. read more

El Rey - Peach Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Very good food. The staff is very attentive. The bar is very well stocked and the drinks are great!

The tacos were bland and the margaritas were oh kay but I really enjoyed the customer service. Good people here, just wish the food matched!

Great place! Ambiance was very lively and fresh. The food was AMAZING! The wait staff was a little under trained. Overall a super chill place with good food. read more

SI. SI. SI. SI. SI. SI. SI. SI. YES YES YES YES YES YES Okay, why in the world is this place a hidden gem? This deserves to be out and proud! I would like a bigger sign and people pointing me into this heaven! HAPPY HOUR 5-7, $2 beer, tequila shots, $5 margaritas, $3 fireball, and more!. What a bargain! Let me say FLAVOR TOWN! ( yes I know Guy gets credit for that phrase). The steak in my mega taco was to die for!!!! I can't even begin to explain the complex flavors and the amazing richness! This 12" tortilla filled with goodness may be my new kryptonite! The Texan burrito was bigger than my head and covered and smothered with chili and ooey gooey cheese! Food portions are out of control and so worth the very reasonable price! The salsa has the perfect heat and is accompanied by fresh cooked tortilla chips! We got a glimpse into the kitchen one time and holy moly, there are more people helping you get to flavor town than you even realize! Our waitstaff (yes each and every one came to the table to make sure everything was okay) was superb! Luis was fantastic! He has a vision for this restaurant and I have a feeling this place is going to take off and it won't be my secret spot... okay, I'm okay sharing, I think. This place is not too small, but not too big, with 5 booths and a few larger tables for family dining! The star light fixture in the middle of the room really makes you feel like you are in an exclusive club. The Sombreros in the wall give the perfect accent to the not overly done Mexican decor! read more

El Rey - Texas burrito - Mexican Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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