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    El Sonador

    4.1 (472 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order El Sonador Takeout or Delivery

    El Sonador Photos

    Business Info

    EL SONADOR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - El Sonador

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    Reviews With Photos - El Sonador

    Margarita flight and queso
    Danielle F.

    Every thing was great! From the view to the good to the drinks so the service! We ordered a little of everything from the menu and not one thing disappointed us! Plus the host and our server were so much fun!

    The Gatlinburg H.

    As a local content creator here in Gatlinburg The Gatlinburg Hussey I tell all of my subscribers to visit El Sonador...Great food and view overlooking the Gatlinburg Parkway

    Parrillada el Sonador
    Chauntel B.

    Great food great service and traditional Mexican ambiance! The food is so good it competes with my California favorites. So authentic and the portion sizes are huge you can definitely share one plate for 2 people. Every person in our party left stuffed and satisfied. The service was quick to seat and order but took a minute for the food to come out. We WERE NOT disappointed! The chips and salsa are complimentary and they did not hold back, they filled our chip baskets a few times while we were waiting on our food. Aside from the food portions being huge, they served all full size drinks in pint cups I couldn't even finish mine. We would absolutely come back if we ever find ourselves in the area it's a must try!!!

    Carne Asada Street Tacos with side of shredded cheese.
    Kelly T.

    We first visited this mexican restaurant on our trip to Gatlinburg in 2019. We were excited to see that it was still open and we decided to have dinner here on a Saturday night during our most recent visit. The restaurant was busy but we were able to get a table without any trouble. The staff is super friendly. The chips and salsa are plentiful and the margarita packs a punch! I had the carne asada street tacos and they were delish. The only drawback was that we had to pay for parking but definitely shop around. There are some cheaper lots than the $20 one across the street.

    Chips and Salsa
    Craig T.

    I was in town in staying at Margaritaville Resort and wanted Mexican food. This spot was a 3 min walk across the street. There is a cross walk for you to cross the busy Parkway. The restaurant is located in the 3rd floor and way up above which makes it a cute place to eat at as it looks like you are eating up in a tower. There is an elevator to go up to the 3rd floor but we opted to take the stairs. While walking in, we were seated right away in a nice booth. Having craving some Mexican food for a while now. I knew exactly what I was looking for. I ordered the Carne asada and my better half ordered the Pina Loca. We even for the little one a kids meal (chicken/fries). The meal came with complimentary chips and salsa. There was a fine print that the first round was free and if you requested more chips and salsa, it would be $2.99 extra. That the first time seeing something like but then again, this a highly populated tourist area. My Carne asada was super tasty. The meat was juicy and tender and wasn't dried out. The corn tortillas and Mexican rice was good as well. Waiter service was fast and friendly! The chicken and fries weren't half as the chicken was very crispy. Fries were more on the soft side. The Pina Loco wasn't bad as the shrimp and grilled chicken had a nice flavor to it. I definitely recommend this place if your in town and wanting some good Mexican food.

    Cheesecake chimichanga

    Had my sons rehearsal dinner catered through El Sonador. The food was hot fresh and everyone absolutely loved it! Just Absolutely delicious ! Portion size was great !! Jose was amazing in helping me decide what to serve. He even recommended the delivery service. Just exceptional! If you want a taco bar set up,or Mexican cuisine ,I highly recommend !

    Tamales Mexicanos

    3.5 stars We were seated with no wait on a Friday night and enjoyed the view of the sunset through the tables by the large windows. We had good service and the food came out quick. The rib eye steak was a bit chewy and tough. Tamales and enchiladas were just okay. I would recommend the The mar y Tierra platter. It definitely had the best presentation and came with tons of food, of which we really liked the fried cheese and elote.

    Freshly made tortilla chips and salsa
    Annette D.

    In a town filled with fast food chains, we discovered this authentic Mexican restaurant. Tacos, tamales, enchiladas, homemade chips and salsa, oh my. I had one of everything in a combo platter and my husband feasted on steak tacos. The food was fresh, plentiful and authentic. The service was exceptional. Our waiter was charming, chatty and very familiar with the area. The only drawback was margaritas in a can. They are in the process of getting their liquor license.

    Chicken Pork and Beef Enchiladas
    Sean S.

    Standard Tex Mex fast hot and fresh. A little tough to find up on the top floor of the plaza. Off the beaten path so a little more chill and quiet. Use the parking garage across the street for $10 flat rate.

    Chicken quesadilla fajita with rice
    Lori W.

    Super friendly staff, quickly seated. Lots of great menu options. My husband had the enchiladas and I had the chicken quesadilla fajita. Super quick service and the food was delicious. Restaurant was busy but not overwhelmingly noisy. Nice solid tables.

    The Vegetarian

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    2 months ago

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    17 days ago

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    28 days ago

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    3 months ago

    Really great people watching from the windows. The service was excellent. The fajitas were a generous portion. We would definitely go back

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    1 year ago

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    3 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    5 months ago

    Love the bartender and the food was so so good! We will definitely be back when we visit gatlinburg again!

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    6 months ago

    Amazing food and atmosphere and great service! Definitely recommend to any Latinos in the area very family friendly.

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    3 years ago

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    6 months ago

    The food, customer service, and ambiance is very incredible, especially in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    8 months ago

    Decent food, good service, and nice atmosphere. prob the best mexican food in town but definitely better outside of gatlinburg

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    3 years ago

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    10 months ago

    Sat us immediately. Food was served amazingly fast. Carnitas were tender and not dry!!!

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    8 months ago

    Great service and amazing food! Portions were good for a reasonable price. Definitely recommend

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

    Food and service was wonderful. In a town with all fried food it was a welcome gift.

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    2 years ago

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    Page 1 of 12

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    Ask the Community - El Sonador

    Can you call ahead or make a reservation for a large group?

    Yes, you can call us to make large grups reservations, we will be glade to take care of you!

    Is there handicap parking available nearby and also is there an elevator or are stairs the only option?

    Yes there is parking and an elevator that takes you up to the restaurant

    Is there feee parking here?

    Restaurant doesn't have it own parking lot at all. There is parking across the street for a fee

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    No Way Jose's Cantina

    No Way Jose's Cantina

    3.2
    (1.1k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    After a long day of hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this restaurant was the perfect…read moreplace to unwind. Other restaurants had an extremely long wait time, but we were seated very promptly without any reservations. We began with the Jose's Fiesta Sampler, which had a great variety and was perfect for two. For entree, we shared the Sizzling Fajitas Supremas. It came with Steak, Chicken and Shrimp. I've ordered fajitas at many restaurants, but here it's served with a separate dish containing a large variety of sides. There were tortillas, onions and peppers, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, and rice and beans. And we had plenty of steak, chicken and shrimp to go around for two people. I also had two of their drinks, the Tropical Breeze and the Rum Runner and both were excellent!

    The service was absolutely phenomenal from the hostess to our waiter. The reason I'm giving two…read morestars is for the food. We went on a Monday night and they were not that busy. We had a party of seven in order a variety of dishes I had the enchiladas and tostada combo number 10. The tostada was set on top of the enchiladas and the sauce from the enchiladas cut the tostadas soggy. The enchiladas were extremely dry on the inside. Other members, my party said that there food was just average for a Mexican place. The first thing we noticed is that the salsa was very watery and lacked a lot of flavor. In my opinion, if you're in a tourist area, you need to have good food because they have so many other options to go to. The restaurant atmosphere was clean and welcoming.

    Photos
    Patio
    Patio
    Fajitas Supremas for one
    Fajitas Supremas for one
    Bar at No Way Jose's Cantina on October 24, 2023

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    Bar at No Way Jose's Cantina on October 24, 2023

    El Sonador - mexican - Updated July 2026

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