Margarita was horrifying. They must have lost half their liquor license because it was white zinfandel wine with sweet and sour mix. Reminiscent of bathroom cleaner, without the buzz. Food is great, ambience crap. Save yourself some pain and get takeout or delivery. Personally, I'd rather hit up a truck. Not sure why people rave about this place. read more

Started with two tamales. They were good. Tried their chicken and beef burrito sampler dish. The chicken was way better than chewy tough beef. Finished with Chicken enchilada verde which was off the hook. Heat but no fires. Pleasant service. Jukebox and deerhead always a plus. read more

El Rey Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Astoria, New York

Not sure what all the fuss is about. I ordered the "enchiladas de la casa" - chicken enchiladas with mole and green sauce. The meat filling, while plentiful, tasted somewhat gamey (old?) and contained a bit of cartilage. The sauces were lacking in both quality and quantity. While I did enjoy the crema and queso blanco sprinkled on top, there wasn't enough of it! My co-diner had the chicken torta, which contained a passable piece of white meat, a thick slice of mild cheese, and avocado on a fresh roll. Once again, though, the dish lacked spice and a certain je ne sais quoi (yo no se que?). People, there's got to be better Mexican food than this in Queens. read more

Once upon a time, when I was younger, and had a few more friends living in Astoria, we would frequent this place. Thank you for taking us back, even though we started friendly knife fights, fork fights, and plain Imma kick the chair til you fall on your back fights. Thank you for enduring and still delivering great food! I miss this place. read more

So, after reading all the reviews I wanted to check this place out for myself. The place is small and after getting off the train wondering about the neighborhood...but after ordering the combinaton platter (Chimichanga, Tostada, & Chicken Taco) OMG, delicious! Loved it! This is some real authentic mexican food. I would definately recommend it to anyone who wants to eat real Mexican food. :) read more

This is some damn fine (and proper) mexican food. The salsa is fresh and has a kick to it. The tacos are excellent, cheap, and sizable. The beer comes with frosted mugs, straight out of the freezer. They're open 'til 3am and they deliver. And, no offense, but you've never had tongue this good. read more

Pretty Good and Authentic Food, my service could of been a little better, I walked in and all waitress staff were still sitting down looking at me until one finally said I could seat myself, there were only two other people eating at the time. Maybe language was a barrier so my waitress didn't communicate much but I knew exactly what I wanted. The food was good will try their food again. read more

Super unhappy with the food here. Ordered the nachos, which ended up just being a couple of tortilla chips with some melted cheese and shredded chicken. The chicken was totally unseasoned. No beans, nothing else. Completely disappointing! The portion size was so small, I had to go out and get a second dinner. Won't be coming back here any time soon :-( read more

This place is close to me and I needed an large order of guacamole (no chips). I specified that we needed as much guac as we could possibly fit into a container, willing to pay whatever price. They gave me a third of a containers worth guac and 2/3 of unappetizing chips which I really REALLY didn't want or need. read more

I ordered delivery. I got a chimichanga which had a nice flavor but was mostly just boiled chicken in a barely fried tortilla. The refried beans and rice were tasteless. The cost was quite a bit more tham any menu posted online. They may not be up to date but it would have been nice if the honored the price or sent a menu. That said the delivery was quick but the gentleman didnt have change. read more

Love this place. One of my go-tos for Mexican in Astoria. Delivery is always fast and dining in is always an experience! I have ordered the chicken fajitas and the enchiladas suizas. All delicious! Portions are plentiful. All I have taken there like it too. You get chips and salsa free when you dine-in, it is extra if you order for takeout. They don't speak the best English, which can make ordering via phone kind of hard, but never bothers me. I also wish they were on seamless! read more

Come here all the time. The food here is authentic Mexican. Everything here is good! I'm a hard taco person, but the soft tacos here are everything. Come and eat here! Just don't sit in my booth. read more

The food was really good, I had enchilada mole poblano, everything had a really traditional taste. read more

El Rey Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Astoria, New York

I think this was the best Chimichanga I've ever had! The rice and beans on the side were pretty ok, but the Chimi was fresh and tasted like legit chicken. The salsa is fresh and spicy. The Flan was ok not what I expected with the strawberry drizzle, random whip topping and raisins. I might need to learn some more spanish tho, because the accent is pretty thick and slight communication issue but she was very nice and helpful. They had some pretty good drink specials too so will mos def be back. Not fancy, very casual, relaxed typical mexican restaurant setting. read more

The food was alright, chips were a little old but its okay. We had a really rude server, the lady didn't even ask how we were or if we wanted anything else. They don't give you the check nor do they say you have to pay at the counter. Our waitress was on the phone talking, and barely attended us. Overall experience was bad. read more

Do yourself a favor and do Not eat from here. Tonight i ordered a dish called botanas and I found a little piece of wire in between the nachos and the flautas covered by the salsa verdes and roja the put on the top of the flautas. Good thing was i realized before putting the flautas in mouth that will have choke me. 0% hygienic. Is a no no no. read more

Great Tacos Al Pastor. I am unapologetically a gringo. I prefer Al Pastor on flour tortilla(corn tortilla traditional). They will make the change for you. The girls practically giggled when I asked.( I expected it :) ) Authentically seasoned pork and pineapple with copious cilantro and freshly chopped onion. The pork had the right amount of fattiness and lean at the same time. If you want your tacos with flour tortilla, say, " quiero tortillas de harina" read more

Very happy to find El Rey Restaurant - a classic Mexican joint, full of big portions, fresh food with all your favorites on the menu and more. Reasonably priced, good service and again, huge portions. You will not leave here hungry. I ordered the make-your-own combination and chose some big boy items: Beef chimichanga, steak burrito, chicken enchilada. The chimichanga and burrito were straight awesomeness, but I thought the chicken enchilada could use some work - something was a little off about it but it was still fine. We got a side of sour cream & guacamole for the meal, and they brought us out a cool sauce display with verde & rojo. The combos came with a side of refried beans & rice, as they should and usually do at legit Mexican restaurants. Oh, and I had my first Horchata drink experience... I slurpped that down way too fast, it was fantastic. My friend who ate with me, also a local Astorian, was equally impressed with the food. We crushed it! read more

El Rey Restaurant - Guac - Mexican Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Their menu is heavy on the seafood but since I'm sort of seafood-averse (thanks Midwest upbringing!) I steered away. Appetizer was arancini risotto fritters and tomato ragu. AMAZING! the tomato ragu was fresh and sweet. Perfect combo. Next up was charred pear salad - with pecorino, endive lettuce, and candied pecans. Beautiful. For pasta I got something with mushrooms but that was kind of lackluster. Entree was short braised ribs with fontina cheese polenta. My polenta was cold, and I mentioned that fact to my dining companion. Before I knew it, the waiter (who had overheard), whisked away my plate, and brought me a NEW ONE. I had expected them to just reheat it and bring it back! Short ribs were tender, and polenta was creamy and buttery. I liked the other dish better - Striped Bass with quinoa. The bass was crispy on the outside, and buttery on the inside. For dessert, we had four choices but only two interested me: Fragola alla romana (strawberry tiramisu) and La torta del picolo babino gesu cristo (literally, the baby Jesus cake). Supposedly it was so good that the person who tried it first said, "oh baby Jesus" and hence it was named. Dessert is MY domain so I was super excited - but it was just a toffee cake. Kind of dry too. The Strawberry Tiramisu was better, but a bit heavy on the whip cream. without the coffee/rum/brandy it was just a strawberry shortcake variation. The ultimate verdict? a SOLID dinner with excellent service.. But not the "wow" factor across the board I had been hoping for given the ratings on here. I would have liked more interesting/sharper flavor combos. I should have prefaced this by saying my food expectations are ridiculously high from having lived in San Francisco. Now i've been told their brunch is AMAZING so I'll definitely go back to try that. read more

I gave this place a 5/5, but after Friday night's meal, I move it down to a 1/5. There was hair in my chips (not mine, different color). I don't usually get grossed out by hair, I know it just happens, but the amount of hair in my chips, that was just being careless. The guacamole was still good, but once I stopped eating chips, I just had a pile of guacamole and nothing to eat it with!! The chicken burrito looked beautiful. The sauces were excellent. But the quality of ingredient side were beyond awful. The chicken was like white and then grey and then brown. I know some people eat dark meat, I prefer white meat. But this meat was a variety of colors and textures. Sometimes I didn't even know if I was eating chicken!! I think I saw steak in it too. I was bummed that my second experience was so poor. I wish I could get my money back!! read more

This is Mexican done right. Authentic Mexican cuisine that is reasonably priced and boldly flavored. I love this place whether I get delivery or eat in, the experience is always great. The burritos, floutas, tacos, enchilada, salsa and every other item on the menu are great. I am a huge fan of the burritos and enchiladas. The only thing I ever had here that I didn't like was the seafood soup and after I ate it I asked myself "you hate seafood soups, what were you thinking?" So in classic Seinfeld "it wasn't them it was me". read more

Good, authentic Mexican food in Astoria! Staff is very nice and welcoming. I'd avoid the margaritas though...not good.

Horrible horrible service almost slapped the lady that took my order ! Then I asked for her name to only be told she wasn't able to give me !! Since when !! She knew I was going to complain and got scared ! SO angry ! read more

Definitely a gem. Very affordable. Great fresh food. A +++

No. That's all I have to say. The Yelp reviews fooled me completely about this place. Maybe it's traditional? I don't know. The sangria was awful. The guacamole was good and the rice and beans were not bad. Those were the only good parts about the meal. I ordered a steak chimichanga and it was filled wit ONLY steak. No cheese, no other fillings, just steak. My friend and I split the nachos, which came with chicken that tasted like turkey. We hardly ate anything, just drank our pitcher of bad sangria and left hungry. read more

Effing delicious mexican food.. done right. The price was a little bit higher than expected, but the quality of food made it worth it. I ordered a boatload of food to be eaten over an entire afternoon/night of unpacking, and this did the trick. Rice and beans were made with serious love.. read more

Just went here last night and ordered their Al Pastor torta, which was very reasonably priced (~$7) and tasted great! The fast preparation was also an added bonus as it was already late and I was already starving. read more

I was hungry late at night and found this place for delivery. Good food. Open until 3am

Came back last night with the same friends. One of which doesn't even live in Astoria. Food was just as great as the last time! Dangerous!

Excellent and authentic! This is the one restaurant I missed when I left Astoria. Now I'm back and El Rey is still fantastic and price is right. read more

This place is a hidden gem for sure. Tucked away and out of sight for sure. But once you get in it's amazing! Went for dinner and walked out stuffed to the lid! Huge portions and about $11 for them too. My only dislike about them was that they used corn tortillas instead of flour for a bunch of their dishes, but that didn't take away from the overall good tastes. Very happy and very full. Definitely Mexican food done right! read more

So I'm all about exploring my new neighborhood and tasting authentic cuisine! This is an authentic Mexican restaurant! Don't let the decor or appearance scare you away... My friend and I had a chicken quesadilla as appetizers which come in big portions... My friend ordered 2 beef and 2 chicken tacos and couldn't finish the fourth but he loved them.. I ordered the mole poblano which is a combination of chocolate nuts and spices.. Delicious... But it was hot & spicy so if you're not into hot food tell the waitress you don't want hot sauce(she will ask)... Oh and they play Mexican ranchera music which just makes the experience more authentic. The lemon margarita on the rocks is a must have! read more

Returned to this restaurant for lunch on Sunday and was reminded how much I enjoy their food. Huge, cheap, yummy tacos. Delicious enchiladas. Fast and friendly service. In a neighborhood that lacks inexpensive, good Mexican food, el Rey is a solid choice. read more

I tried El Rey for the first time last night as I just happened to walk past it at the end of a very long walk. I was starving and they did not disappoint. My order of Enchiladas de la Casa came with 3 enormous enchiladas, one with red sauce, one with mole and one with green sauce, plus rice & beans. It was two dinners worth of food for about 12 dollars. I'm looking forward to trying some of their other dishes. read more

OK, I have eaten here or ordered delivery at least 30 times. It's close, better than most Mexican places in my area, and reasonable. They always warn me that it's "very spicy" and it never is. I usually order the carne enchilada taco, and the al pastor taco...Though, I've tried quite a few different things on their menu. The only time I ever had a bad dish was fried calamari. The squid was bad, so I covered it with my napkin and moved it to the side. The server, who didn't speak English, just took note that I didn't eat it and took it off my bill. The service there in general has been decent. Not stellar. Same with the food. It's been good, but not excellent. UNTIL...............I went on a Friday night and the place was packed. There were different servers. I believe the woman who had my table was Annah?? That's what it said on the check anyway. She was great. Perfect actually. And the food!!! Was really incredible. I ordered a special. It was slices of pork meat ( I'm pretty sure they used the tenderloin) with a chile relleno. The pork was so delicious and tender and perfect with their rellenos.. I forgot how much I like their chile rellenos. I recommend this place in general, but I think the busy vibe on Friday night is the key...I'll add another star if I get the same experience next time I go back read more

Yelp has once again led me to a winner.Excellent nachos, each one individually piled onto a chip with tons of meat and a side of guac. The enchildas de la casa were excellent, with huge, meaty enchiladas and excellent mole and green sauces. The portion was so large, we were happy when the waitress forgot our fajitas order; we could never have finished it. That is the places downfall; poor service. But, the ambience is reasonable and the food is worth the trip. Portions large, food tasty. Had the fajitas upon our return; good, not great. read more

Consistent with past reviews...food was downright outstanding, but the service was clumsy, slow and disinterested. But I'll definitely work this into the carryout rotation. read more

Back stat - grew up in SoCal (not Cali, anyone who says Cali is not from California originally. That is how you can tell the natives from the wannabes) and went to MX at least 5 times a year. Either to TJ, San Felipe (best fish tacos, that is where its from originally) or to DF. The food here is ok, better than other places in NYC but nothing to write home about or trek out to. If you want real food then Corona is where you need to be but even that is ify. If you are looking for a greasy decent meal then this is where you can grab one but don't expect real good food. read more

I'd give it less than 1 star if I could. I could barely hear the lady on the phone taking my order, she put me on hold for 5 minutes, hung up on me, couldn't comprehend the difference between the number 4 and 5. Food was delivered in a mess and cold. Never again read more

Good, big, tasty burrito!!!! Yummy, can't tell about the in house service, ordered delivery and it was quite fast.