Exactly as I thought it would be! This Mexican restaurant had all the colors, decor and charm that I had hoped for. We were looking for another good place to go for "Taco Tuesday " and we found it! We were greeted right away, had our free chips and salsa and ordered within 10 minutes. Our tacos were yummy ($1.99 each), the service was spot on, and the restaurant felt perfect for our needs. Oh! We noticed a large outdoor seating area and will definitely come back later (when it's warmer outside) with our doggos. read more

El Tapatio Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Rainier, Oregon

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Large, clean restaurant located next to the Columbia river. Service was friendly and personable! The food came out, piping hot and fast. Nothing required additional salt. We would probably return in the summer for cocktails and appetizers - To sit outside & enjoy the view. read more

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The chicken in the everything burrito tasted brown and stringy. The chicken taco salad was white meat and very good. The mens bathroom needed a better cleaning read more

Carnitas burrito is amazing. Shredded chunks of pork with a mild spicy green sauce and beans plus rice. The super burrito with shredded beef and extra lettuce is my wife's favorite. Good table service with regular check ups keeping our glasses full. read more

El Tapatio Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Burrito Tapatio - Mexican Near Me - Rainier, Oregon

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I was blown away by this cut, but roomie, mexican restaurant. The plac itself is very curated and comfortable. The staff is cordial, welcoming, and they were so kind to my kids. The food was one of the best mexicans I ever had! The meat, especially, was cooked to perfection and was so tender that I had to abrely use a knife. The kids meals were very inexpensive but done with care and so good that not much was left of them. Great pricing. I could not recommend more! read more

Rainier is one of my favorite "pit stops" when heading to the coast or returning home. I've eaten here quite a few times and they never disappoint. There are several very good eateries in this little town and El Tapatio is one of them. I don't know how "authentic" the cuisine is but it's certainly classic, tasty, reasonably priced and filling. Wait staff is always great. They take your order quickly and get the food to you hot and fast. It's rarely very crowded here so seating is immediate. Lots of off-street parking. Abundant portions and the menu has most everything you would expect to find in a restaurant of this type. They have a nice patio out back with a view of the Columbia and shipping. read more

Luis makes THE BEst guacamole you have ever tasted in your life!!!! River view great service and again.... best guacamole ever!!

Came to meet some extended family from Washington and Rainier was our halfway point. They offered a private room for our family meeting with a big table to fit all of us. Quickly took orders and brought out all of our meals. Margaritas were delicious and huge. Shrimp tacos were also huge and over stuffed with toppings I got full off of just one and ate the shrimp out of the last two tacos. Nothing too fancy just your standard Mexican restaurant but friendly staff, big menu, and quick service. read more

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José Luis never disappoints. We've been to multiple El Taps, but Rainier's beats them all. Waterfront view, just right service. Anticipates your needs, knows just what to recommend, we leave feeling like we've just been on a mini vacation. Well done, José. read more

Food was delicious. Waiter Jose was friendly, polite, and attentive but not hovering. Large, clean, and nicely decorated facility. Will definitely return... read more

Food is always on point! I don't go as often as I'd like but I get to go once a month for a "meeting " The meals are affordable and delicious. Who doesn't love a good margarita? I do not like one experience but it was handled well after read more

Always enjoy the food and the service is always friendly. The patio is open. Watched the ships going back out to the ocean. The ships were from Fleet Week read more

This is hands down my favorite restaurant in Rainier!! The food is delicious. The customer service is attentive & friendly. The drinks are strong & the bartender is great!! The restaurant is always clean. All in all, in over 20 visits to this establishment, I have never had a complaint. Thank you!! read more

El Tapatio Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Shrimp fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Rainier, Oregon

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The best part of this restaurant is the location. It has a beautiful view of the river. The inside is nice but sitting on the outside patio cannot be beat. We visited early afternoon so the inside was not full but several were seated outside. We were seated immidiately by the hostess. The server showed up shortly after. We loved the complimentary bean dip with cheese especially since often salsa is just too spicy for us. We didn't really care for what we had ordered much. So, I would say food was just okay. The enchilada sauce was different that what we expected. Once we ordered we never saw our server until he brought the bill. No fillups on drinks or even water. So, I wouldn't rate the service very good. Not sure we would return unless maybe to sit outside with an appetizer. read more

Came here for lunch with a couple of people. There was not a lot of people, so I'm not sure why the service was not the best. We ordered drinks and water....it took like, 10 15 mins for them to bring it. I got the salad in the tortilla bowl, I forgot the name but it was not called a tostada. It was decent.... we got our food and sat there for like, 3 minutes waiting for utensils. And then our server was nowhere to be seen, so we went up to pay. read more

Food was great but it's 80 out and I didn't get one glass of water at the table after asking 3 times

I'm glad El Tapatio has such a brightly colored building. I was starving and it shined like a beacon of food! We came in off the street, not realizing that was the back door. There was a small team working, but they were easily able to keep up with the traffic coming in. We ordered and it only took a few minutes for our food to arrive. It was interesting that our two plates arrived a few minutes apart. The shredded beef burrito Diablo was delicious! It had just enough heat to clear your sinuses. I would have liked to see a little more depth in flavor, it seemed like a single hot sauce coating the burrito. The chicken tacos were also very good. Nice chicken that was seasoned well. The meal was super filling! It almost sent me into a food coma afterwards. The view of the water is also great from the back room, so check that out too! read more

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This place used to be so good but the last 3 times I've eaten here.I've been so disappointed with the quality of the food. What sort of Mexican restaurant gives you a taco in a pressed shell?? Not to mention the ground beef was greasy and not tasty at all. I requested fresh guacamole and that was very chunky and good. Drinks are always good as well. Service is great and fast. But I have to say I won't be eating there again. There are much better places for Mexican food. read more

El Tapatio Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Ground beef tacos - Mexican Near Me - Rainier, Oregon

We love the El Tapatio back home in Sacramento so since we were driving through on a 9 day road trip through Oregon we decided to stop by. The ambiance is typical Mexican decor with lots of room for large groups in or outdoors. The outdoor patio overlooks the river but we sat inside due to the wind. The service was good and the food was good. There was lots of crab in the crab enchiladas and my husband enjoyed his beef enchiladas with mole. The portions are huge and the margaritas are delicious. read more

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. You absolutely must try their chicken taquitos! They are delicious and the service is top notch. The paintings throughout the restaurant are beautiful. read more

El Tapatio Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Chicken Taquitos. These are fabulous! - Mexican Near Me - Rainier, Oregon

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I had to go back and give this updated review! My friend and I went Friday for their great chicken notchos and a couple of drinks. Both were excellent! The service is outstanding and the bartendar was great! Thanks for the good everything! The DJ made the ambiance wonderful! read more

I love eating here! The chips and salsa is always flowing. Great homemade tortilla chips. The tacos are incredible! I've never had bad service! Always excellent! read more

Food was delicious and very well served, but the workers need to work on their English .

My family lives in Longview, WA and this restaurant has easily become our destination for Mexican food! The waitresses are very sweet, genuine, attentive, and are more than willing to teach my 5 year old words in Spanish when she is curious about how to say things like water, milk, and colors in another language. I recently ordered catering from this location and our order was taken and fulfilled by Ivan. This was the ABSOLUTE best and easiest experience I have EVER had. Ivan took all of the stress out of trying to feed 25 people and was the kindest person. All of our guests loved the quality and quantity of food as well. We will definitely be back! read more

El Tapatio Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Ivan on the left! Nicest guy ever!!! - Mexican Near Me - Rainier, Oregon

We visited for the first time last Friday and the food was great. Additionally, our service Jose Luis was most helpful and very friendly and he did an excellent job and so did the others that either seated us and brought the chips and salsa. They even give you beans with the salsa which was a nice touch. Wonderful food and great service, we will be back, thank you Jose!! read more

The $12 Cadillac Margarita's were served in plastic cups, the mix tasted horrible, no shot of grand mariner and they used well tequila for which they charged $7 for an extra shot, again in plastic. The food lacked authentic taste. I'll not be visiting again. :( read more

Friday lunch here had major service issues, food was slow and arrived Luke warm. Ok so there were 10 of us, and if served hot/fresh the food was likely a 4, and the tableside Guacamole was 5 star, the inept service only allows a 2. read more

We came by here for a couple drinks on our way home from Astoria and I was not impressed. Dining area and staff were wonderful. Staff was very polite and attentive, area was clean but the food and drinks were just so blah. The salsa was more like a ketchup/tomato sauce hybrid. The chips were really yummy and warm. We got the sample platter to nibble on and about 50% of it was good the rest was just okay. The margaritas were so disappointing. We just got the house margaritas on the rocks and it was not good. Definitely one that you have to choke down the past couple sips. It tasted basically like really bad house mix and definitely couldn't tell there was any tequila in it. Definitely a place I probably wouldn't go back by unless I was just going to eat (but who want Mexican food without a good margarita??) read more

Worst service I've ever gotten. Manager or owner didn't seem to care that the waitress forgot half our order, had to ask several times for it. We have eaten here three times and it's just getting worse. read more

Beautiful view, delicious food and excellent service! Jose Luis was appropriately attentive and very nice. I hope he's our server the next time we're here! Best refried beans around, and fresh tortilla chips. read more

El Tapatio Authentic Mexican Restaurant - On the patio - Mexican Near Me - Rainier, Oregon

Came her with the boyfriend on a Thursday night. Moderately busy, but we were seated right away. The staff was attentive and polite. The food was massive. So much food! We took home 4 to go boxes!! Insane! The only reason I am giving a 4 and not a 5 is because our appetizer came out a minute prior to our meal. We had no chance to eat it. read more

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Well, we thought we'd stop on a trip back from Washington on the ferry. Stopped in Rainier, since it was the closest city on Hwy 30. The food sucked... Chips were ok, the salsa was what it was... everything else was just nasty. Mine was salty and really not good. His was flavorless and really icky. Should have known... small town Mexican... thanks, but no thanks. read more

El Tapatio Authentic Mexican Restaurant - The restroom - Mexican Near Me - Rainier, Oregon

The very large place was almost empty when we walked in, we were warmly greeted right away and shown to a booth by the window. Drinks, chips and salsa arrived very quickly and we were ready for a nice meal. I think there were only 3 other parties in the place while we were there so the service was attentive. They have a fairly large selection of options to choose from and full descriptions of each. I noticed a "hot and spicy" listed on some items which is nice since neither of us are much into really spicey food. The chips, salsa and bean dip were just ok, because the chips were very hard and somewhat stale, the salsa was ok and so was the bean dip. My wife ordered a taco salad and I had chicken mole which came out of the kitchen quickly and looked good on the plate, large serving of each too. My wife's flower style taco shell was not crisp at all and very chewy. The filling was way too spicy for her but I tasted it and it was not too bad for me. My chicken mole was burn your mouth hot and spicy and I could not eat more that a couple of bites. It they mark some entree's as hot and spicy and this is the normal I can only imagine what the hot ones are like. The server was polite and friendly but when she asked how everything was we mentioned that it was too hot but she had nothing to say after that and no comment when she picked up our nearly full plates, "Oh well" All in all not a place we will try again, there are many other options for good Mexican food to choose from and this just isn't for us, though I'm sure that some people will enjoy it. read more

This was the worst dining experience I have ever had in my entire life. I have been in the service Industry for 15 years and basically tip 25-30% regardless of how service is because I GET IT. I walked out of this place tonight and I will warn others of it for the rest of my life. My family of 4 (mom, dad and two kids) came in and requested a seat outside. The host was friendly and went out and cleaned a table for us immediately and we followed him out and sat down. I requested a high chair. I noticed the place was not busy, 4 or 5 other tables on the patio and very few inside tables. However, the host sat us at a full sun table in 95 degree weather with other tables next to it in the shade. We sat and waited for the highchair (and by waited I mean frantically chases our one year old around the patio) and waters. Never came. 30 minutes later (no I'm not being sarcastic) with zero service, we flagged one of the servers down (cringe) to order WATER as we were DYING OF HEAT, beers and our food. I also requested to move over a table because the kids already had sun burns and there was plenty of space on the patio and seemed to be no designated sections for the servers. The server was friendly, though rushed, and said he will clean the table next to us off so we can sit there. 40 minutes passed. We did not get water. We did not get a high chair. We did not get food. We left and had dinner in st Helens at a fantastic dinner place. Honestly. If we had water, beverages and a high chair we would have stayed there for hours to eat, and tipped well. Tables next to us who got there after us were served while we sat there in the heat with nothing. This place was terrible. read more

Had lunch with my mom yesterday for the first time at this wonderful restaurant Our offered fresh guacamole was very good Great time and I would recommend read more

El Tapatio Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Rainier, Oregon

Great food, pretty good prices. Like all other American Mexican food it's beans meat cheese. It don't matter what ya get, just looks a little different. The ingrediants are fresh. read more

El Tapatio Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Margarita and a Hef. Mmmmm good - Mexican Near Me - Rainier, Oregon

Perfect. From time we were seated we were treated like royalty. Did not have to ask for anything. Finish my water and they filled back up. The chips and Salsa was great. Then a warm bean dip as well. In heaven. I had my favorite. Carne Asada platter. It was perfect. Full of flavor and tender. Steve had a burrito chilie con Colorado. He seriously enjoyed as well. I was so impressed with the service I had to call the manager over and let her know. For me this place is a rare find. I will be back many more times!!! Glad I live near by. read more

Would not allow my dog to eat here! The service was the only thing that was good here, once you found them to help you. The food we ordered was cold right from the kitchen and they served us post beef in the carne asada burritos. I am a foodie and do research on food, thus i do know the difference between carne asada and roast beef. there was literally five pieces in the entire burrito. The food was so cold that the cheese did not even melt. As i looked around I realized the answer to my first question walking, why it is so alone. Do not walk, run away from this place. It is horrible and lazy, that is on a good day! read more

El Tapatio Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Try not to vomit - Mexican Near Me - Rainier, Oregon

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Great Mexican-American food with large portions. I shared the Camarones El Diabla with my wife and it was perfect for 2. This restaurant has a bar with video slot machines and a huge outdoor patio to eat on with a great view of the water. If you like HOT ask for the green salsa with your chips, make sure to get a cold beer with it. read more

El Tapatio Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Camarones el Diabla - Mexican Near Me - Rainier, Oregon

After being seated for about 15 min and no greeting for water or chips I went to the host at the desk asking if he could bring to a waitress/waiters attention we had not had a greeting he proceeded to tell me he was very busy and would get to me when he could! We had been patient and polite along with the other customer waiting for their to go orders over 20ish minutes. Speechless! read more