This lunch was my first visit to El Royale, and I was impressed! The atmosphere is unique in Birmingham and very interesting. The service was well above average - attentive and responsive. The food has a unique flavor and texture combination and mostly good overall. I'm not a fan of the warm salsa that had a soupy/mushy texture, but the queso made up for it. The entrees were both excellent. Our favorite meat was the steak kabob - great flavor and cooked perfectly! It's pricey, but we'll be back because of the quality and uniqueness. read more

We had been waiting to try El Royale for a few weeks, as it hit the Birmingham restaurant scene hot, and reservations were scarce. We were welcomed by a couple of the team. They were polite and friendly. Once seared, our server, Sean, was attentive and professional. The ambiance is old-school Mexico, overflowing with palms and bananas trees, colorful decor, good energy, and a vibe that makes you want to order a margarita and stay a while! Chips and salsa came out first, Chips were crispy, salsa tasty and the salsa verde added a nice touch. We ordered our entrees and they were out in minutes. I had the taco salad, which was ok, but for me , a bit salty. My partner had the birria tacos. Good, but the tortillas had lost their crispiness. Beans and rice, sides, were unremarkable and went uneaten. Of course, we had to try the margarita, so we opted for the pitcher for some savings. Flavor was decent, not legendary, but they did the job and completed the experience. We will be back, to try some other things on the menu, the dreamy outside patio, and maybe one of the fancier cocktails that El Royale is becoming known for. read more

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Beautiful restaurant, inside dining and outside patio. Perfect spot for lunch! Love that they stared us off with chips and salsa. We added guacamole, which was so fresh. Highly recommend. read more

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The chips were stale, elote tasted like a terrible abomination to the human race, and the salsa was poopoo. Overpriced to hell for the quality and you would think the service would AT LEAST match that. Surprise surprise it didn't. Anywho I deeply regret wasting money there and wish I had spent it elsewhere. McDonald's would have been better and I despise McDonald's :) read more

As the stars say "Could've been better". The official Yelp label for a 2 star review is "Could've been better" and that appropriately sums up my experience last night at El Royale. The other word that comes to mind would be "hectic". Hectic for various reasons but mainly because it was a Thursday night and they are the new flavor in town. Thursday evenings always seem to be the popular night of the week to meet with friends and colleagues after work for drinks and this night was no different. Having only been opened a few months, El Royale's reputation is trying to carve it's mark into the Birmingham food scene. Located downtown just a few blocks from UAB St. Vincents, parking can be a challenge but they offer valet parking. Having previously been a nursery and greenhouse, the aesthetics is unique and impressive. The decorative walkway was filled with beautiful greenery and bushes opening up to a covered patio with benches and tables for outdoor dining. The main dining room is speckled with nostalgic tiles and memorabilia that exudes a good home cooked sit down meal. Centered in the room was a large three-sided bar that was quite busy. Kenny had to make a reservation for our six top a few weeks ago so we had a table waiting for us on this bustling evening. When questioned about our table, the maitre d seemed very disinterested in helping us find our friends or table and just motioned us to look in the back. Our six top round table was almost centered in the back dining room surrounded by tables and small booths. There wasn't an open seat to be seen, but there were certainly loud conversations to be heard. Above this dining room was the remnants of what appeared to be the ceiling of an old greenhouse. With this remarkably tall ceiling space you would hope that it would accommodate the noise, but you would be incorrect. It was incredibly difficult to have any conversation even with the six of us leaning on our elbows. Our server Andrew did his best checking on us, but he was swamped with other tables and eventually got our drinks to us. The Little Dove mocktail with large slice of grapefruit, lemon and lychee was refreshing. Tammy didn't have much to say about her margarita. When Andrew finally had a chance to take our order, we had to wait what I would consider a longer than usual time for our entrees to arrive. In the meantime, keeping us pacified with chips and salsa helped, but our server wasn't really exceptional in that endeavor either. At the conclusion of our meal, our table sat uncleared as well reminding us that they were short staffed. Linh tried the Jolene combination. Her opinion of its mediocrity was apparent. Paul and Tammy ordered the Blackened Grouper. My sampling of it was that it was in desperate need of seasoning. Renee chose the Fish Tacos which appeared to be large portions of grouper fried with heavy batter. As a lover of everything seafood, I wanted to try their house special Prawns Royale. Just the name of the dish exemplified magnificence, unfortunately it fell short of it's intended mark. There's not much you can do with plating 5 shrimp with the head on so it was a blessing that they kept the lighting dim and to a minimum. I mentioned shrimp because the only thing resembling "prawns" was the grilled heads. The paltry sizes of the shrimp left much to be desired considering the attached pricing. I'm glad I ordered the additional beans and rice since the shrimp did not come with any sides. The saving grace was the sauce. The cilantro and parsley added a very nice flavor to the butter infused sauce. A good dining experience is not always just about the meal. It is often a collective experience. Would my opinion be different if we had been here on a Wednesday evening with a kitchen that wasn't backed up? Would I return in 12 months when it's not as hectic and the "newness" has subsided? Perhaps, but when you pitch an elevated Tex-Mex dining experience at this price point, it's paramount to make that good impression on the very first encounter. This night was memorable for its wonderful fellowship, but dining expectations unquestionably fell short. read more

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ElRoyale does not disappoint! Cute, garden-like ambiance whether you sit inside or out, delicious food (everything we tried was phenomenal), and perfect for happy hour or a date -- easily in my top five restaurants in Birmingham! Tip: Make reservations several weeks in advance. read more

El Royale - Barry's Plate - Tex-Mex Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Went to have a Birthday dinner. Cool set-up. Seated at a 6:15 reservation. Party of 4. Little did I know that Kaitlyn would be the beacon highlight of the night, the rest of the experience was really poor. 1st thing that meets you is the "WE ARE A CASHLESS" establishment sign. Drinks took 20 minutes to get, Dip trio took longer. Margarita's were really weak, Kaitlyn spent the night apologizing for the bartender & service delays. Pitiful!! Plates came with a cold pile of beans & rice. $15 per pre-mixed margarita is ridiculous. Then the real parting gift is a $7 charge for using my credit card. Crappy parking, poor service, cold food, & overcharged for "Drive thru , take-out Tex-Mex" food. My favorite place from now on... NOT. I'll never darken the door. Bet there's lots of 1 time eaters. Hope their lease is easily broken. Won't be around another 18 months I bet. read more

The service was very good but everything is pricey for what it actually is. I did not think the food was any better than your average Mexican restaurant. The drinks were super expensive and not as flavorful as they should have been. It's a great venue but I don't see myself being a regular patron. read more

El Royale - Barry's plate - Tex-Mex Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

My first visit for lunch with friends. My first attempt we didn't have a reservation (a Sunday afternoon) but this time we did. Friendly reception. Ordered a drink from the bar before being seated. I tried the peach margarita and they did not hold back on the alcohol (yay!). Once seated we ordered the dip trio appetizer with guacamole, queso and the el royale. All were good and shareable with three people. I am a sucker for ribs so I ordered the Honey Chipotle ribs with fries and slaw. The fries and slaw were okay and the ribs were delicious! Tender and almost fall off the bone. I would definitely order that again. Nice ambiance and decor. read more

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Last night we visited El Royale for the 2nd time. The first was at an inside table which was lovely. But last night we could only get a patio table and it was just too hot to dine outside. Food is great. Both times I had chicken fajitas. I love that they are served with a head of roasted garlic and melted butter. My family had fish tacos which they also enjoyed. The drink menu is great. The frozen sangria is delicious. My only complaints - 1. If you're waiting for a table outside skip the outside bar. I paid $15 for the margarita pictured that's practically Dixie cup sized. 2. Get bottled/sparkling water. We ordered tap and it tasted like sugar water. The server told us it's kept in iced tea urns and the sweet tea must not have been cleaned out. read more

El Royale - Margarita on outside patio - Tex-Mex Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

First time here and like everyone has said the atmosphere is so nice! We ordered a cocktail and waiter seemed pushy about ordering quickly. We didn't want a ton of food so we split fajitas and the prawns. Very good but it came out so fast. In and out in 1 1/2. Definitely will go back. Place was packed! read more

El Royale - Chips and salsa - Tex-Mex Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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The food, ambiance, and service was amazing! The drinks were definitely on point. I will be back. read more

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Beautiful atmosphere, but sadly the food didn't live up to the hype. Birmingham has plenty of better Mexican options--with much shorter wait times too . read more

Like many people, the buzz around this place really had me in the mood for some Tex-Mex. They are in a great space (miss the Bier Garden truth be told) and have done a nice job with it. Broke out mi muy mal Espanol on the waiter, but his was mas mal. So we soldiered on in English. Did some quick 'maths' (as the English say) on the Margarita pricing and decided to go in on the pitcher. It was a good drink -- muy bueno for those of you hoping for some more Espanol. Can't seem to get the Yelp site to put the squiggly thing over the 'n'. C'mon Yelp! The chips were good as was the salsa. Salsa is really how I judge a Tex-mex restaurant. If there aren't any chucks of tomato and onion I say meh (Now he's writing in Yiddish, will this nonsense ever stop). I'll be sure to try it again. Hasta la vista compadres y vaya con dios. read more

Gorgeous restaurant, exceptional service, mediocre food. We had the bone in ribeye, blackened grouper and Mexican chopped salad with shrimp. Presentation was beautiful for each entree. Flavor was lacking. The best item was the salad surprisingly. read more

The vibe is great. Really good design and interior. The food is pretty good. A little over priced. But the experience makes up for it I guess. My main issue- the bar. This is the only place where it is the most difficult thing in the world to get a drink while you wait for your reservation. The bar tenders actively ignore you. There isn't a designated places for people to grab a drink without disturbing the people who are seated at the bar. And the attitude of the bar tenders towards people who are getting a drink while they wait is terrible. read more

El Royale - This is the "spot" where you order a drink if you want one while you wait. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I ordered the chorizo chile relleno and the churros. Unfortunately, the sauce on the chile relleno tasted more like an Italian meatball or pasta sauce than a traditional Mexican sauce, which was disappointing. The churros were just okay--they were filled with dulce de leche, but the filling didn't add much flavor. I didn't finish any of my dishes nor took my leftovers. The complimentary chips were chewy rather than crisp, although the salsa was very good. On the positive side, the service was excellent, and the restaurant itself is beautiful with a great atmosphere. read more

Went here recently with friends and I was very impressed! The atmosphere is perfect for late night dining with friends. I could see how the low lighting might make it hard for some to read the menu but it wasn't a problem for us. I'm very impressed with how they renovated the dining space--especially the bar! The cheese dip was great and the Birria tacos were the best I've had in bham! My one critique is that the chips were a little too thin for how thick the cheese dip was which made it a little difficult to eat. Will definitely be going again! read more

El Royale - Birria tacos - Tex-Mex Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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The food and service were good. I ordered the crispy beef tacos for $17 and the party vixen drinks for $15. It's a new Mexican cuisine restaurant with valet parking. They have indoor and outdoor seating. I highly recommend reservations because it's new, and everyone is checking it out. It has a nice ambience with dim lighting. Perfect for all occasions: date night, girls night, or just a night with friends. Check out their website too! read more

El Royale - Crispy beef tacos - Tex-Mex Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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The decorations were fun & festive. The staff were very friendly! My enchiladas plate & drinks were good. But the RIBS were AWFUL (too salty, I couldn't swallow it), the food prices for Texmex were too pricey, and we made a reservation for 8:30PM but had to wait 20 mins with no waiting area. They directed us to wait at the bar where seating was limited so we awkwardly stood in the way of the staff running around us. The overall dining experience did not match the price. read more

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Came here with a couple of friends as it has been popular based on the social media posts. The indoor and outdoor decor were beautiful. The drinks were good, and the food was decent. While it was more expensive than other places in town, I would say that most dine here because the ambiance is consistent with the social media posts. It definitely has the vibes during the busy night social hours. All in all, it was nice to experience the hype and worth the visit for those who have not yet been. read more

This is definitely the hot spot right now. I was surprised at how fast reservations book up, but have been able to get in twice. The earlier the better. Both times I went around 5p. By 530-6,they are packed. The atmosphere is definitely upscale, but loud. I love the decor- so bougie! We had the same waitress for both visits. She was very nice and knowledgeable about the wine. Yes I said wine. Although this is a Mexican restaurant, it is upscale and has things like grouper on the menu! Which, I will have to say was absolutely delicious and served with drawn butter, guacamole, rice and a little pico. The grouper was grilled perfectly - nice and charred on the outside, moist and flaky inside with a delicious flavor. The cheese dip has a dollop of cilantro and jalapeños on top- yummy! The chips were light and crisp, just like I like them. They were served with two salsas, a red and verde. The verde was delish! The chicken suiza was also yummy. The chicken was tender and flavorful. I tried the Verde wine. It was lite and crisp. We had a small vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and sprinkles birthday Sunday which was complimentary. Overall both visits were great. read more

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I really enjoyed my visit here. I met up with a friend of mine for lunch. I was concerned about parking since we had a 12:45 reservation. However, they had valet, which I absolutely loved. So that alleviated any parking concerns. When we arrived, our table wasn't quite ready, but the staff kept us updated, and we didn't have a super long wait. The whole ambience of the place made me love it even more. We had a great server who explained menu options really well, and they were great about taking allergy precautions, as I am allergic to shellfish. We got the dip trio as the appetizer. I have to say that their tortilla chips are so good, and the dips were good as well. My favorite dip was the queso, although I did find the el royale dip to be tasty as well. I ordered the Golden Spritz for my drink, and I loved it. My friend ordered the flaming royale, and I really liked the concept of the drink. I ordered the Jolene plate for my entree. They really give you a nice portion of food. The enchiladas on the plate were easily my favorite. With this plate, I liked the variety because it included a taco as well. So it really was a nice treat. I plan to visit again, as the place and service were both great. read more

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I am obsessed with this place! The ambience is amazing and it's gorgeous inside the restaurant. We started with the delicious beef tallow chips and salsa, along with the brisket flautas as our app. I can't stop thinking about the flautas and the consume to dip them in! My main was the sourcream enchiladas with creamy chicken and cheese inside, along with rice and beans. Our server was amazing and we will definitely be back! read more

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This restaurant is absolutely beautiful and the food & service are good. However, the wooden chairs are TERRIBLE! I'm 5'11 & weigh 170 & think those are the most uncomfortable chairs I have ever sat in at a restaurant. read more

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One of the most beautiful restaurants in Birmingham. We were told that staff may be a little slow that day, and I always appreciate the honesty. The caramelized hot cakes topped with butter for brunch were delicious and came with sides of strawberry, syrup and whipped creme. The taco trio was excellent. The chorizo had excellent flavor and paired deliciously with their amazing flour tortilla. The birria taco was phenomenal. It's rare to find one that is actually crispy and cheesy. It had a crunch when I bit into it. They use double tortillas and put lots of cheese in between them. The chicken tinga wasn't as flavorful as the others but was good when you add their very fresh guacamole, pico and sour creme. The beans were also delicious! The only thing that was average was the rice, but since it's meant to be eaten with the very flavorful beans, it works. Had an excellent experience and will definitely be back! read more

El Royale - Caramelized hot cakes - Tex-Mex Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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What a gorgeous place, inside and out! It is very bright and clean, and the restaurant gives an outdoor feel. Our service was quick and friendly, with a knowledge of the menu. The food and drinks were truly phenomenal! read more

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One word: meh We had reservations and were seated promptly at the time requested. 6 people in our party sat at a comfortable size table although could have used a shim to fix the unevenness. Interior seating the decor throughout was nicely done and the live plants brought a nice summer feel. Bar drinks: margarita was more ice than margarita for the size and price, Paloma - piece of dried grapefruit(fresh would have been nicer) and again more ice than drink and not a stand out drink Menu: unable to read the entirely too small print in the darkness plus waiter who seemed too busy to care rushed me to a decision as I sat there with a cell phone light trying to read. Food: temperature of the food was served hot, refried beans should have been call baby food as it had been cooked down to just an unappetizing blob of brown well I won't say it...too much cumin apparently to add flavor to them, rice -dry, I got the blacken shrimp fajitas and shrimp were blacken on one side very well and the other side not...the 'vegetables' onion and peppers were so blacken they were stuck down on the cast iron serving plate. When I asked about the queso that was ordered for table the reply from other guest- taste like your standard queso- meh Waiter didn't show any signs of asking for drink refills or dessert, of course it was so extremely loud that if he had I wouldn't had heard him. I'm a long time foodie and love exploring new places and I got sucked into the Instagram postings and beautiful pics of the place. So if you are going to just eat chips and salsa and scream at your friends in the dark then this is your place. Really missed the mark for what this could have been to go with the decor like a nice refreshing ceviche starter or gazpacho soup for an seasonal change, and for entrees how about not the typical sides of beans and rice even charro beans would have been a nice accompaniment, grilled cactus instead of being like the 500 other Mexican restaurants, pin lights on tables to add light but not to distract from the moody style. Hopefully management is still evolving this place to be more unique dining experience as B'ham is open to try new dishes from the standard fair as long as it is done well and they can read the menu read more

The design of this restaurant was beautiful and gorgeous, especially the outside walking in; it felt very tropical and exotic. An upscale Mexican restaurant is something that we've been missing here in Birmingham for several years. Family and I ordered the dip trio. The thick chips were amazing and the 3 dips (along with the complimentary salsa and chips) were tasty. I ordered the deluxe taco trio for entree. Loved both the chorizo and birria tacos, wasn't not a fan of the chicken tinga taco but I was convinced that it was because I had eaten so much food I couldn't eat another bite. Margarita was meh, but that was on me: I got something different than a house margarita so that does not count. The prices are high and while that would be a breaking point for me, my meal was on my parents so.......5 STARS! Will bring my wife back! read more

The atmosphere is AMAZING!! The food was okay! But the mocktails and drinks you def need to try it out! This place is beautiful! read more

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Had lunch with some girlfriends and got seated fast as we had a reservation. Environment was great; beautiful and reminded me of Italy. We got complimentary chips and salsa which was delicious as you can tell the salsa was fresh! I ordered the Chipotle Ribs and they were cooked too much as the bottom of the ribs were charcoal black and I couldn't eat but the sauce was delicious and everything else tasted amazing. Overall, I would go again but I would order something different. read more

El Royale - Chipotle BBQ ribs 1/2 with fries but instead of coleslaw I asked for rice. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Food was delicious I enjoyed everything I ordered. My steak was cooked perfectly seasoned well and very tender. My first time having chimichurri and now I want more! read more

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We finally got the chance to eat at El Royale & it did not disappoint. The space is beautiful & welcoming. The service was friendly and spot on. The food, there's so much to say, we had surf & turf fajitas that was enough to feed 2. The steak was cooked to perfection & an entire lobster tail sat on top, also cooked perfectly. We also had the taco trio, a chorizo, a chicken tinga, & birria. It was so so good! The red salsa so smokey & full of flavor, it was my favorite. Even our most picky little eater said that was the best food he's ever eaten. We will definitely be back to try different food! read more

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Totally recommend. Great food, drinks, desserts, service and ambience. Definitely worth it

El Royale was 9/10 experience! I really enjoyed the freshness of the food and drinks. The service was great but also they weren't as crowded. The aesthetics are picture worthy so come dressed to snap photos! I was not a fan of the Side Hustle but I switched it out for a Mambo Taxi. Mambo Taxi was FIRE! Tip: Make reservations! read more

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The ambiance and visual appeal transport you to Europe upon entry. Every detail is perfection! To start, my boyfriend and I ordered the Paloma and the flaming Royale. The Paloma was perfectly sweet, fresh, and you could definitely taste the spirit. The flaming Royale came with a fun presentation and gave a strong peach flavor. We heard the food was mid, but we were not disappointed with any of the dishes we ordered! The dip trio was fun way to try each dip! We preferred the chips that came with the complementary salsas to the thicker chips that came with the dip trio. We ordered the carne asada and it was 1000/10. Perfectly cooked and came with a nice crisp on the outside. It came with a delicious crema on the side, but the steak was seasoned so well that we did not use it. We ended with the caramel filled churros which were crunchy, sweet, and came with a chocolate, dulce de leche, and creme dipping sauce. Parker was our server and was attentive, knowledgeable, and super pleasant. We enjoyed it and will be back for another fun date night! read more

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Drinks amazing! The queso is the best I've ever had and also staff is so nice! Can't wait to be back in the city to go again

There was great atmosphere and service and the food was really good. This is a very unique restaurant for a date night or a family dinner out on the town. I would recommend this restaurant and look forward to returning for another great experience. read more

Great food the spicy Margarita was good. Our server Bradley was very helpful. We will return

Upon our early arrival to our reservation, we had margaritas at the outside bar while we waited for our table to be ready. We ordered 4 spicy margaritas and asked that no agave be included. Unfortunately, the outdoor bar only offers premade cocktails, with no room for custom changes. Instead, any custom cocktail requests must be placed with the restaurant once the table was ready. Because of this, our cocktails were far too sweet and the manager was kind enough to accept our refund request. Once we received the text message that our table was ready, we were sat at a table with chips and salsa upon arrival. After 15 minutes of snacking on the chips and spicy salsa duo's, no waiter greeted us nor offered us water. Finally, we flagged down a server who had a full pitcher in her hand and asked if we may be able to get some water. She frantically responded that she was tending to a private event, and would be unable to assist us with that, and scurried away. Approximately two minutes to follow, she came back out of no where, reached over a guest at our table, SLAMMED the pitcher down in front of her so aggressively that the table shook while exclaiming, "JUST TAKE IT," then disappeared. We were all left astonished with our mouths wide open- speechless. After rationing off the one pitcher amongst our party of 6, a server came to ask us if we needed anything. While lacking an official greeting of our party and introduction of himself, we placed an order of drinks and the dip trio. The greeting did not include an apology for the delay. We received our drinks moments later, and amongst the 2 items ordered, one was incorrect- a Dos Equis rather than a Corona. We waited for the correct beer before toasting and reviewing the menu. Continuing to snack on the chips and pass the basket across the table- we finally received another one for accessibility purposes so we could stop passing the same basket amongst each other. Finally, the server returned to ask us what we would like for dinner. Following submitting our orders, we waited for the food to arrive. Enough time had passed between placing appetizers and ordering dinner that one of our guests was too full to order a main dish. However, across the table, we enjoyed chicken tinga tacos, birria tacos, and enchiladas. All contained excellent flavor and were delicious- just slow to come out. We were rarely checked on throughout our meal, but the food itself was positively delicious. We will definitely enjoy this food again, but via takeout. read more