I always have a great time at El Santo! I've been about 5 times now and have tried various food and drink. I love the Rey mysterio, so fruity and delicious! The birria pizza wasn't the presentation i expected but still great nonetheless. I absolutely LOVED their lomo saltado and appreciate them taking the time to perfect it before throwing it on the menu. The filet mignon melted in my mouth, amazing! Ask for my guy Brad! Such great energy and amazing service. They have djs on the weekends and turn into a very fun scene! read more

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El Santo Vibes! If you're looking for great cocktails, excellent food, and a family-friendly atmosphere, El Santo is the spot! We came for their Happy Hour (3-7 PM) and it did not disappoint. I had a Dirty Martini with Hendrick's Gin (perfection!) and my brother went for the Blackberry Margarita (so good!). For appetizers, we shared guacamole & nachos and crispy calamari--fresh, flavorful, and totally hit the spot. Dinner here is fantastic, with options for families and small children. The table service is excellent, and the servers are incredibly friendly and attentive, making the experience even better. The vibe? Streaming music, TVs for sports and news, and an overall lively, welcoming energy. Perfect for date night, family dinner, or just hanging out with friends. Fun fact: There are a few items on the menu and the restaurant itself are inspired by legendary wrestlers--think El Santo, Dr. Wagner, and Rey Mysterio--which adds a unique and playful twist to the experience! Highly recommend! read more

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Me and my lady had an awesome happy hour experience at El Santo. Delicious drinks and food, reasonable prices, and exemplary service by new bartender Kevin. He was upbeat, knowledgeable, helpful, and always there when needed. Kudos to the management for staffing at a level that allowed the bartenders and servers to be attentive. Yum yum, we'll be back. read more

El Santo - Mexican Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

It's been since I visited El Santo, but it's always a good time, whether it's eating or grabbing a drink. This time I dabbled in Ceviche, Tostones, Chicken Tinga tacos. Food in a glass gives such an elegant touch & fun to eat. The flavors of the tinga gave the chicken the spice it needed. The Tostones & creaminess was a nice combination. read more

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"And them South Side sisters sure look pretty, And them downtown boys, they sure talk gritty, It's so hard to be a saint in the city" (Bruce Springsteen) Pop Quiz Q: What's the English translation of the Spanish phrase "El Santo"? A: The Saint OK, now that we gave your high school Spanish a tune-up, let's talk about El Santo in the very heart of West Hartford Center. You'll find it right on busy Farmington Avenue where the old Cosi used to be and simply put --- El Santo is fantastic. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch yesterday and that positive experience started the very minute we walked through the front door. The interior is beautiful, with hanging lantern lights and greenery on the ceiling, Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling) imaging everywhere and playful bright yellow neon messages on the wall about the virtues of tequila -(TEQUILA MAY NOT BE THE ANSWER BUT ITS WORTH A SHOT). Our server Miguel was stellar-very attentive, very polite and professional. He did all the little things that great servers do, like frequent checkbacks and unprompted water refills. And the lunch menu we ordered from had some excellent pricing for outstanding food. We started with two appetizers - a big ear of cheesy Mexican Street Corn for $5 and a big basket of warm non-greasy chips and salsa ($3.50). Our entrees were a Chicken Quesadilla ($13) and four street tacos at just $3.50 each. The quesadilla was served as three wedges jam-packed with cheese and chicken, My grilled chicken, chicken Tinga, carnita and steak tacos were served on white corn tortillas with diced onions, shredded red onions, a lime wedge, and a fiery green salsa. They were delicious! Our $38 before tip lunch was a great value with enough leftovers for a second meal tomorrow. We can't wait to go back. read more

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El Santos was a great happy hour experience. Their drinks were very well crafted at a great price! All of the employees were friendly and good at making pretty and tasty drinks. The only negative would be their tacos. The meat for both the chicken and steak tacos were a bit dry and a very small portion. But I did enjoy their chips and guac! Their spicy margaritas and espresso martini were amazing also. If I come back to Connecticut I would definitely go back for a few drinks! read more

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Great restaurant and very fun environment! The outdoor seating is also very nice in the summer. Food was great and prompt service - the plate presentation was beautiful! read more

El Santo - Mexican Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

Had a great Sunday lunch here!! Lunch prices were super reasonable. We sat outside and had great service. The queso was fabulous, and I had the birria tacos that were delicious. The fish quesadilla was also super tasty. Would return to check out the night vibes if in town again! read more

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We went to walk around west Hartford for a bit and ran into this. So happy we did. The food was great! Our server was so nice and everything he suggested was tasty. The decor was very trendy and they played nice music. read more

El Santo - They had a bunch of cute signs around the restaurant. - Mexican Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

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This is my third time coming to el santo . First two times I came for happy hour which was good. But for cinco de mayo we were able to secure a table . They had 2 DJs for the festival and the staff was dressed to impress , looking fabulous ! However the music was very loud and made having conversation very difficult . The drink we obviously had to get the margaritas .. however they were watered down ( and have been in my previous visits to ) . We got some chips and salsa and guacamole which were okay ( salsa and guacamole were small portions ) I ordered the chimichanga which were also okay could use some more flavour . And it didn't come with rice and beans ( need to order separately ). And my husband got the bowl with chicken which lacked flavour as well and was charged extra for hot sauce ( which wasn't hot at all ) . Unfortunately with so many other good Mexican places around, el santo just did not impress me . Our friends got the baja fish tacos which were very small portions even for her and had to order a side of beans and rice . And the quesa burria was good according to my friend ( probably the best dish out of the table . We did stay for dessert and got the churro. Which were good again but nothing to praise about . Definitely had better food . read more

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Great bar atmosphere. We were two people there for happy hour and we sat at the bar. We ordered delicious cocktails and birria nachos, which were a revelation--tasted like moist braised short ribs with all the sour cream and other toppings that make nachos great. The bar tenders were efficient and friendly. read more

I was super excited to try this place and was definitely let down. I came here with some friends around lunch time and was provided lunch menus. By the time we all sat down and were able to look at the menu (after coming in from torrential rainfall), she said lunch was over and we were only able to order off the main menu now...which was disappointing considering we came here for lunch and the prices have now doubled (very convenient). We asked then about happy hour and was notified the seats we were sitting in were not apart of the happy hour. okay fine....we order our food and the best part of this whole meal was their drinks! the sangria was absolutely divine and is probably one of the best i've ever had, shoutout to their incredible bartender! I ordered some tacos for my meal and was surprised by how light they looked, considering it was about $5 a taco. the ribeye taco was hands down my favorite, the ribeye was very tender and flavorful. the pork belly was straight up sad, it was basically all fat, had no flavor and was very chewy, i got grossed out right away. the shrimp taco was good and the their steak/chorizo taco wasn't bad either, however it was supposed to have crispy potatoes in there and there were none. we tried the flan for dessert and it was sadly not good. the tres leches tiramisu was great though! i also just felt like the waiters wanted us out of there - my friend had asked to order the flan (we said it 3-4 times between all of us) and he just kept walking away until one of us said it a little louder, so odd! maybe i'd come back during happy hour but im not sure! read more

El Santo - Mexican Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

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No better than chipotle. We ordered the chicken nachos. They put lettuce on the nachos! Who does that? In my opinion it was to add volume to a lacking dish. This is nothing but an Instagram selfie backdrop! They turn it into a club at 11pm with lots of security. Not the kind of place I want to be. read more

El Santo - Mediocre Margarita - Mexican Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

Terrible establishment. Roberto Denied my friend entry because she's white. Wouldn't give a legitimate reason as to why she couldn't enter.

I've been to El Santo for happy hour (indoors in bar area) and for outdoor eating. Both were lovely experiences! Also recommend trying to salsa lessons when they host on Thursdays. THE FOOD: -love the happy hour options. Friend and I gawked each time the food runner delivered plates in the bar area and asked her all about them so we could order too. -regular menu options I've tried are the queso (yum!) and I've got the fish tacos both times. Very crispy, flavorful, and I love the blue corn tortillas they're served on! THE DRINKS: -these cocktails are both delicious AND beautiful. I have never been disappointed with a single one. I'm a spicy marg girl and theirs are amazingly spicy, none of that weak stuff you get at other places. -I have not had it but can't wait to make plans and get the queens tower, essentially a giant marg tower THE SERVICE: -bartenders are always very friendly and helpful -servers have all been fantastic! From answering questions, being very personable and witty, as well as attentive. -as mentioned above, even the food runners are super kind! We kept bothering this lovely woman as she was going back and forth and she was happy to tell us what foods we were seeing her walk past with (after she dropped them off, of course!) THE ATMOSPHERE: -I really like the bar area. It has bar seating plus a few smaller tables around it. Nice vibes! Haven't really ventured into the dining area -the outdoor seating is really nice on a warm summer day. Get to enjoy your drinks, food, & convo all while people watching I truly enjoy El Santo and recommend you give it a try! Between their normal menu, happy hour, taco Tuesday deals, and I think they even have brunch (!) you can't go wrong any time of the week. read more

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The place was wonderful the food was amazing and took less then an hour to get to my table it looked amazing and tasted even better the chips were even warm which was a nice touch and it was fair pricing for everything. Sage - age 11 read more

I hate West Hartford Center. All the food is horrible and just places to get hammered with gross food. This is no exception. Cool if you want instagram food or place to take pictures but baseline for Mexican food is be as good as Chipotle. Not as good as Azteca or Puerto Vallarta or Ocho Cafe and those places are franchises. Do your self a favor go to Monte Alban in Hartford get authentic Mexican food for 1/10th the price and get stuff with actual flavor. Food is way over priced for what it is and the portion sizes and taste. I ordered street corn for my wife. they boiled it then grilled it. Taste like water. Waste of $8 then ordered Pork Skin look at the picture I posted. It was 99% fat. I didnt touch it the waitress came and I told her. She replace it with something that was 70% fat. Not a strong strong start. Wife ordered the Baja tacos and liked it. I ordered the Rib Eye. Again super super fatty with almost no meat. Was suppose to be $28 + they charged me for tortillas. Ended up being $42.... 4 tortillas are $14? Was not good at all. Rice didn't taste like anything. The beans are at least not from a can which is nice. Seriously offensive to give me a steak worst than Texas Roadhouse for almost 3x the price. More than a J Gilberts steak. Also ordered a salad... was not good. Presented well and was fresh but for $14 did not taste like much. All and all was the worst $100+ meal I spent. Told my wife I am not going to any place that isn't J Gilberts or Briccio in Glastonbury. Most restaurants in the area put 0 soul into their food. Not the worst place I have ever been but not by much. Waitress was nice but had like 3 people at the restaurant and still took forever to come give us stuff or check in. Took 15 minutes after I asked for the bill for her to give it to me. I ordered 2 appetizers and they waited like 15 minutes after that to come back to offer us anything else or take our order. read more

El Santo - Pork Skin.... - Mexican Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

staff was super friendly, ambience is great in the bar area, and food was spectacular!!!! definitely my fav spot for food and drinks in the blue back square area read more

El Santo - el santo cocktail - Mexican Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

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The food was good but the service was terrible. We were sat outside and waited about 15 min for the server to come over. I was going to just leave, but my fiance went back into the restaurant to see what was happening. All of the servers were gathered a the host desk and looking at their phones. It was a very slow day, so there was no excuse to not come to the table for 15min. I've worked as a server in many restaurants, even if it's busy there should be some sort of acknowledgment of the table, not being busy and having to go find our servers ourselves is unacceptable. We ended up ordering food and it was good but we will not be going back. read more

The food was good but way too overpriced for what we got! The drinks are very sugary honestly it's just cute for an Instagram post. The waiters were good. Took a little while to get the food which wasn't anything crazy tacos, quesadillas, and two drinks. atmosphere was lively. Had some good music on. read more

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9/11/25 around 6:30 p.m. I found the service to be initially poor. We sat at a 2-top at the bar. We waited 4 minutes to receive a menu. By 3 minutes, the hosts decided to offer us water. "Would you like some water?" Lol, this is supposed to be fine dining. Water on the table is mandatory. I just stared at the host. I didn't even respond. In my mind, "What do you suppose " Finally, we got menus from the bartender. Clearly, his shift was over, and we were rushed to order our food and drinks. The food was "okay." It was salsa night, so before we knew it, the place was packed with dancers. There was a young lady at the bar with glasses who greeted us every time with a smile. She was the only reason why I enjoyed the service. However, after we went across the street to "Sparrow Pizza Bar," we sat down at the bar and were immediately greeted by the bartender. She took our order and served us waters with our alcoholic beverage WITHOUT asking. Now that's service! Will never go back into El Santo. I shared this story with a friend, and she also attested to feeling uncomfortable at EL Stanto. Zero hospitality. Rather spend my money at Sparrow across the street. We feel welcomed. read more

Went back with both my parents again for happy hour. Brett was our server and he was fantastic. My dad tried their house hot sauce and says if you like spicy, you shouldn't miss it. Sat out on the patio which was lovely. Wish the tables were slightly more level but that's just a small detail. This is quickly becoming a favorite spot! read more

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I loved my food, but my friend hated hers. She ordered the chimichangas and sent them back. Both of our drinks were a 10/10. The fajitas were delicious !!!! The restaurant is pretty, great for a date night. Our server was very attentive & nice about my friend sending her food back. She ended up having the chocolate cake & she enjoyed it. read more

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The place is cool 10 on 10 great ambience, nice place in West Hartford good service good Food we were a group of six adults and we celebrated my friends 40th birthday. I enjoyed eating hanging veggie quesadillas with mushroom and black bean, red riding hood drink was a spot on, and a few of my friends enjoyed the mock tail tamarind based. it was weird that this place charged a large party gathering fee. It was my first experience paying large gathering fee. This was my first time at El Santo. Looking forward to visiting again, and would love to try more. A big shout out to Elena for explaining things and serving us food on time.Thank you. read more

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Kinda booty cheeks and rly expensive the seating was also rly close together so you were rubbing elbows with everyone.

El Santo named after the wrestler, a new restaurant at West Hartford, serving upscale Mexican food. The decor is dominated by the legendary wrestler, you can't miss the gigantic mural on wall as soon as you walk in and the silver masks he wore dot the walls of the restaurant. Tequila flight trays resemble a wrestling ring, the masked face in the center. Ive only come here for the happy hour. Love that they have it on Sunday too! Prices are super reasonable. I had the margarita $7 and Paloma $7 both excellent choices, where not weak at all.. just coz they were on the happy hour menu. Food: Some of the best chips and salsa $3, I've had ...the chips are warm. Tacos $4 are excellent, and the chicken wings $8 are so good, crispy and were good even when I ate them after several hrs. I've been here twice and both the times I left feeling happy. I believe they have salsa dancing lessons on Thursday, should check that out sometime. read more

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Great happy hour spot! $3 tacos, $7 margs, what more could you ask for!? Service was great and food was delicious. Tacos were very flavorful (I ordered the marinated steak) and a generous portion of meat was on them. Chips were very delicious - you could tell they were house made which is appreciated. Margaritas were tasty and strong! Overall vibe inside was great. Planning on stopping by again this week for happy hour :) yum!! read more

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This was my first time at El Santo. Overall, for being SO close to so many VERY good restaurants this one misses for me. There are so many BETTER options that you could just stop here for a quick happy hour and move on. The happy hour drinks (and all others) are poured strong and they're definitely worth it. They feel like real craft cocktails. The tacos were all a 3/5, they're good but just tacos. Nothing good or great, just average. The pizza Barria was the star of the whole night, it was the only food item that was notable for us. Ambiance was sort of odd, you can tell they put a lot of effort into the space being "instagram-able" but the vibe is off. Again, it's good- just not great. If you're looking for a well made margarita this is your place. Service was EXCELLENT. Can't speak highly enough for our waiter. Overall it's a good Mexican spot with good margaritas, but if you're looking for good food there's other spots on Farmington Ave that are much better. read more

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Was a confusing night.. First.. Guacamole app..hmmm Before my friends got there I secured 6 seats at the bar.. Ordered 6 waters..lemon n lime They never brought lemon or lime the entire night and never filled our waters.. I ordered 3 apps of salsa n chips. $4 each N 3 orders of Guacamole..$5 a peice So.. To be honest.. The chips were warm n crispy.. The salsa was a 5 out of 10.. But.. could only cover 1 plate of chips..with 3 sides of salsa..terrible portions.. The Guacamole..I SENT BACK. I FELT INSULATED.. THE 3 SIDES OF GUAC. . TO BE HONEST.. WOULDN'T FEED AN ETHIOPIAN!!! That had been starving for MONTHS!!! TO BE BRIEF!!! BE..BRIGHT!! N BE GONE!!! the drinks were WEAK!!! THE SERVICE WAS SLOW.. THE MANAGER/OWNER WAS CARRYING ICE BUCKETS TO FILL LOW ICE.. AS ..bartenders..waitstaff..n busses were busy picking their noses and on social media.. NOT TO MENTION. my wifes friend saw a but upside-down!! On the bar floor squirming for food.. THAT PRESENTED ITSELF AS A COCKROACH that has eaten less than the ETHIOPIAN I mentioned before... So..for the past 20 mins before JOHNNY ROACH we have DEALT WITH ALOT OF STUFF WE MENTIONED TO STAFF N MANAGERS.. all we got.. WAS EXCUSES!!! nice try. THATS WHY U WILL BE CLOSED SOON ENOUGH.. so after the ROACH confusion.. They come over to floor... Squish it with a napkin.. WHICH I DIDNT SEE.. a few minutes later THE LOW CLASS..INADEQUATE..DISRESPECTFUL bartender comes over to us.. While we are eating. N PUTS THE NAPKIN. WITH THE SQUISHED BUT IN FRONT OF US!!!! N says it's not a COCKROACH!! ITS a cricket.. HMMMM. then u eat it Or wanna eat anything ever here again as you put. BUG GUTS!!! IN R FACE.. ur FIRED!!! as any logical manager would tell her.. But..no.. No nothing. I mean nothing.. BUT WE GOT SOMETHING!!! every person the 6 of us tell tonight.. Tells at least 6 others.. N I ALREADY PLASTED SOCIAL MEDIA WITH WELL OVER 10000 VIEWERS WHO HAVE MULTIPLE 10000.S OF VIEWERS.. you got ur 20% tip... TAKE CARE NOW.. BYE BYE THEN read more

El Santo has been on my list for a while and it did not disappoint! There are tons of food and signature cocktail options, making it hard to choose and a definite craving to come back. The service was extremely friendly and sang happy birthday to us which was awesome and fun. but a bit slow for it not being super packed. If you are looking for a vibrant place to celebrate a birthday and/or have a large party, El Santo is extremely accommodating and may even throw in a special treat. I will say, there were some delays getting cocktails because the bar was busy. The decor is bright and modern with neon signs and greenery. Here is a list of everything we tried: Birria tacos (so flavorful and filling) Passionfruit and strawberry mango margaritas Classic guacamole Baja fish tacos Street corn Nachos libre Garden salad Churros with vanilla bean ice cream read more

Great food and atmosphere. Service was friendly and welcoming and we will definitely visit again. read more

El Santo - Mil Mascaras! - Mexican Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

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AWESOME place - I've gone here 3 times in the last month alone. Took my family, took some friends and every time it hits! Anything birria here is amazing - my friend got the Birria quesadilla and it looks insane. The portions are pretty big here too we always leave with leftovers which for the price (for west Hartford standards) is a deal. A must: Birria tostones, the guacamole trio and any of the tacos. The campechanos are so so good - they have steak and chorizo with potato straws and avocado crema... I mean cmon who would love that! Really there isn't a miss here - they could be a little more generous with the alcohol in their drinks but other than that, no complaints! read more

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Had a pleasure of trying nachos, churros and a couple drinks at El Santo and was very impressed. The tortilla chips were fresh and crunchy, the guacamole was delicious and different from the other restaurants. The churros with ice cream were moist on the inside and drizzled with chocolate for the perfect finish! Drinks were amazing, strong Margaritas and the famous Queens Tower it's a must! Very cute presentation for the tequila flight also. The service was superb and very warm ambiance in a party room!! Definitely coming back for the new menu!! read more

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The Queen's Tower from El Santo was incredible! Think five signature seasonal drinks stacked beautifully in a tower- think Strawberry Margarita, Passion Fruit Margarita, Red Sangria and more! I was told a new fall tower is coming soon. Stay tuned! Co-owner and Chef Xiomara Zamudio is paying homage to her hometown, where her mother taught her to cook and where her family spent weekends watching luchador wrestling matches. The atmosphere and menu is inspired by Mexican culture. Along with Chef Xiomara, the team at El Santo- Daniel Chavez, Luis Araujo, Yessenia Masias, Lilian Salinas and Alejandro Polanco are thrilled to bring authentic Mexico City inspired cuisine to the West Hartford Center. After our meal, the main room turned into a dance hall and it was amazing to see all of the energy in the room- DJ and all! The food as always was a hit! I can't wait to go back and try some nachos! read more

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We had a really enjoyable dinner here. Ate outside in the passageway between the lot and Farmington avenue. It was good. We started with some cocktails and mock tails. The Diablo definitely had a kick to it but was fun to drink. The purple lemonade was a bit hit too. We started with chips and salsa and cheese dip. The salsa and chips had the perfect blend of salty and crunch that you need. The cheese dip was a mixed bag for me. I thought it was a little lumpy. My dinner mates said I was crazy and ate the whole thing too to bottom. So go figure. I got the birria tacos. They were a little greasy but the dip was fun and flavorful. The steak quesadillas were perfect. A prime example of how to do it right. The fajitas were big with lots of steak peppers and onions. Enough for leftovers too. Overall, we had a great Saturday night out. A nice addition to the Center which had been missing a Mexican place for many years. read more

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Great Mexican spot. 1) I really enjoyed the carne asada, it was tasty and was a large portion. Came with a side of rice and black beans as well as chimi sauce. 2) The service was also good. They filled my water and came by to check. read more

Great new restaurant on Farmington Ave! El Santo JUST opened and I am so impressed. As soon as you walk in you are greeted by their friendly staff and instantly notice the beautiful decor. What a cool ambiance! We ordered chips and salsa (not included). Chips and salsa was totally delicious though! We ordered 2 entrees- birria tacos and al pastor tacos. Both were excellent. I have tried numerous tacos around CT and would have to say these from El Santo are totally up there! Margs were good and strong. Would love to try their other signature cocktails. Staff frequently checked on us and asked us how everything was each time we tried a different food/ drink item. You can tell they definitely appreciate the feedback for a new business. Staff also told me that a happy hour menu is in the works! Can't wait to try that out too! A little pricey here but quality is total top notch! Give them a try! read more

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Went in me and my little one, we were the only ones in the back and I appreciated that usually it's better for us at times where we can settle take out pics and find what seat we want. Ordered 6 shrimp tacos to split and I underestimated the size because I got full from just that. Chips and salsa was yummy. Came up to $42 and I tipped $8. Probably will try on a Tuesday where it's $3 tacos I believe either way it was cool. Nice place to take some good pics or shoot video content. Will be back to try something else on the menu as well but for sure more tacos. I don't remember our server name but she's so sweet, kind and I like her. Thank you El Santos. Surprised star rating is only 3.5 its showing.. read more

El Santo - Mexican Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

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Food and drinks were amazing! We ordered the seafood tower, quesabirria (so bomb). The shots had dried crickets served with it which was super unique read more

El Santo - Mexican Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

This spot was so fun and lively! It had a very upbeat crowd and vibe. It appears a bit smaller on the outside than it actually is. The service was amazing. My friend and I sat at the bar and the bartender had great conversation. She was friendly and very engaging. The food! That was some of the best street corn I've had! I'm a nacho lover, and these were amazing as was the guacamole! The option to have it freshly made at your table is also available. I would have loved our cocktails to be a bit stronger, however, after 2 mixed drinks I settled with a Corona and that did the job! read more

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