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    El Tapatio

    4.4 (871 reviews)
    ModerateBars, Seafood, Tacos
    Open 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order El Tapatio Takeout or Delivery

    El Tapatio Photos

    EL TAPATIO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Tapatio

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    Spanish rice, large portion
    Todd P.

    Large portions but also pricey for the quality of food. Traditional Mexican restaurant with a typically large selection of food options. Our party of 5 came for lunch and ordered from the lunch menu and the bill was still $120 before tip. Complimentary chips and salsa were good, but the salsa dish was small and the staff was slow to refill it. Likewise, water refills were from a pitcher without ice, leading to lukewarm water. Again, food was tasty and plentiful but not sure it was worth the price. Located in a nondescript strip center that was tired looking from the outside, but inside was festive and colorful with lots of Mexican music, which was a little overpowering.

    Guacamole- Yummy
    Michael M.

    Great Customer Service, great ambiance, clean and Food & Drinks were great. Got in immediately on busy night.

    Tapatio Enchiladas,  Mexican Molcajete
    Katie B.

    We recently moved to the area from phx and have been looking for a good Mexican spot. We were overjoyed by our experience at El Tapatio. Authentic, incredible service, and a huge, detailed menu with a great selection of vegetarian and special dishes. What stood out was how busy it was in here, but how fast and efficient the service was. Every single worker was busting their butt but with smiles on their faces. The portions are HUGE! I got the tapatio enchiladas which are 3 different enchiladas and it was delicious. My husband got the Mexican Molcajete, and it was incredible as well, and again, huge portions! We had a 10/10 experience at this restaurant and cannot wait to come back.

    Jumbo margs
    Courtney B.

    This place has excellent service and delicious food. Everything and I mean everything is good. Everything comes out fast and the drinks are huge and strong. I've been twice and have a good time every time.

    A very road weary and wrinkly me. Ft. My margarita.
    Raymond H.

    The food and drinks were very passable albeit refreshing after a long drive from Boise. That being said I would have expected much more reasonable pricing given the quality. The beer in Marg was the highlight and I think that's the 9 hour drive talking. Lowering my review to 1 star. The owner claimed that they are not the restaurant I visited as they are in Flagstaff. I'm very much aware they are in Flagstaff and I included a picture inside the restaurant but he still has the nerve to deny it. Very distinct artwork. Odd that the self proclaimed manager doesn't recognize the inside of his own restaurant.

    Carne asada burrito
    Craig R.

    Carne asada was very good. Portion were huge, and all food was very good. It's really smoky in the restaurant due to the kitchen being open, but overall we really enjoyed it. Service was friendly as well.

    Katherine R.

    Okay, this place is legit authentic Mexican food honestly the best I've had in Arizona. And the best part? They have white queso, which I haven't been able to find anywhere on the West Coast! The staff is super friendly and the place is clean. 10/10 recommend.

    Chips, salsa and slaw
    Kristal R.

    Such an amazing find!! I had never seen my fajitas set on fire table side before!! I was worried it would be burned but nope....it was absolutely perfect!! It was so fun seeing this show around us during our dinner too!! This is a must stop if you are in Flagstaff or traveling through!! The cups and salsa were delicious too!! It seemed to be one of the few busy places and I completely understand why.

    Entrance
    Madison T.

    This was a quick stop and wow!! Truly one of the best Mexican restaurants I have been to. It was easily the best service I've received in probably the last year. The food was outstanding! The chimichanga à la crema sauce was easily one of my favorite dishes I've had in a long time. The cheese dip was in a moderate sized dish, larger than most places I've been in the past.

    Shrimp cocktail
    Jamie S.

    We were sat at a large comfortable booth upon entering. The tables and chairs are hand painted and sealed. It makes for a nice atmosphere. Service was prompt and our Cadillac margaritas came out quickly along with complimentary chips and salsa. The shrimp cocktail was huge and had tons of shrimp in it. It was delicious. Hubby had the Quesabirria tacos and I had a mix of three different tacos. They were all tasty. The broth with the birria was excellent. Our waiter didn't hurry us and let us finish our margaritas without trying to rush us. So glad we chose El Tapatio for our Mexican food dining experience in Flagstaff.

    Beer in the booth

    OMG. Where to start... the service was TOO LEGIT TO QUIT and our waiter had a wonderful whistle when he was delivering the FAJITAS!!! My wife and I got the carne asada taco plate and the child verde. Both were delicious and made us feel fuzzy inside. Good margs, good music, staff, and great vibes all around 10/10 will come again (hey! That rhymed ).

    Delicious Enchilada Trio
    Camilla V.

    I was traveling through Arizona and heard that this place was very delicious. So I decided to stop by. I ordered the Enchilada trio. It was really tasty. The sauces each had their own unique delicious and bold flavors. I accompanied it with a refreshing and creamy horchata drink. It had the right amount of cinnamon and sweetness in it. This Mexican restaurant was definitely not watered down as some are. Everything was authentic and good quality. I would definitely order this again. The service was very good. And the place inside is very lively and welcoming. I highly recommend this place when you find yourself in Flagstaff, Arizona craving Mexican food. You will not be disappointed.

    Chicken Fajitas
    Khloe D.

    The food here was excellent and had all of the right flavors on many different dishes. And the inside of the restaurant looked like you copied and pasted every single white person mexican place, but the vibes were definitely there and ready for a party. The only thing I was no so impressed with was the service, but I think if you are going there to eat and be with family and friends it's great cause they don't interrupt you until they see everyone is done. But maybe not the best if you're looking for a place to go in and out of

    Wet burrito

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    6 months ago

    Great salsa, Dos Equis Amber on tap, delicious food from start to finish and superb service. Just go.

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    1 month ago

    I had the best fish taco on Taco Tuesday for $3.99. What a great deal!!! The service is amazing, as is the ambiance.

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    Page 1 of 22

    El Tapatio Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - El Tapatio

    Do you take reservations or is it first come, first serve?

    No, First come, first serve.

    Is there a taco Tuesday special?

    Yes

    View All 3 Questions

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    Salsa Brava

    Salsa Brava

    3.9
    (1.7k reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Food was delicious and waitress was polite and friendly thanks Lana…read more Awesome food and location.. overall great experience

    We walked into Salsa Brava on rainy Monday evening for dinner. It wasn't too busy at 5:30PM and we…read morewere seated immediately at a six person booth for our party of two. Overall the service was very prompt and friendly, a welcome experience after hiking outside most of the day. The restaurant itself is an interesting blend of Tex-Mex and Native American cuisine, with frybread living alongside cheesy lunch combos and plenty of dairy rich cream sauces. Chips & Salsa (Complimentary) - The chips are normal white corn tortilla chips, nothing really to comment about. Salsa Brava has three types of salsa. The first is a mild pico with fresh tangy tomatoes, red onions, and cilantro stem in a watery base that's somewhat sour from citrus. The second is a medium spicy salsa that's a bit warming, filled with comforting smoky and tomato flavors. The last is the spiciest, but doesn't really top out much higher than spicy jalapeno. It's so fruity at the start it's almost like drinking salted pineapple juice. Navajo Taco ($19.50) - The base is a piece of frybread around 7 inch in diameter. It's rather thin, not puffy at all, making it somewhat dense and chewy. The frybread is slathered with some refried beans that are tender and thick. They aren't pureed until completely uniform; instead, there are some pinto pieces strewn throughout. On top is a mound of their famous carnitas, full of pork flavor, seasoned well and braised until very tender, almost fall-apart so. There's a tiny bit of a tang but I'm not sure I can identify the flavor as citrus as the menu indicates. Plenty of cheese is melted on top, then a pile of mixed lettuce, tomato, pickled onions, and lime creme. Finally, there's a huge mound of sour cream. It all adds up to an extremely filling meal. It's fatty, it's rich, it's decadent. It sits so heavily in the stomach that it feeds two very hungry people. On the side, they give a small cup of Mexican rice. It has some charred bits inside and also some whole corn kernels. It's pretty much the perfect texture, no complaints. (5/5) Stuffed Sopapilla ($19.50) - Even with the taco being so rich, this dish is even more so. It's the same frybread base, but folded over with tons of ingredients stuffed inside, placed on a bunch of lime creme, and then topped with even more dairy. The lime creme is interesting in that it doesn't really taste like crema. For some reason, I taste nutmeg which reminds me heavily of alfredo sauce. On top is a bunch of melted cheese and cilantro cream, and then some diced onion, cilantro, and pickled onion. There's not enough acidity for that much richness from the rest of the dish. And that's why they give a side of sour cream. Which also adds more dairy richness, but also a pleasing tangy note. There's so much varied dairy, there's probably enough saturated fat to make even a cardiologist blush. Stuffed in the sopapilla there's even more cheese! And then refried beans and a ton of pulled chicken. The chicken is surprisingly moist - usually dishes with this many fatty and saucy elements means the chicken is an afterthought and cooked until super dry. This one's actually quite nice though, seasoned well with great chicken flavor. (5/5) Both plates are broiled so everything is warm and the cheese is all melty and delicious. This is one of the few places I've visited where they give you a ton more food than the menu pictures online indicate. Even with us hiking the entire day, we could not finish more than half of each plate. I feel like this is one of those restaurants which I wouldn't have given such a high review if I hadn't been ravenous going in. But I can only rate on how much I enjoyed the food as I ate it - and for that, Salsa Brava deserves a 5. Bathrooms - Two larger ones with multiple stalls Note: Salsa Brava charges an automatic 4% service charge. This is labeled on the menu.

    Photos
    Salsa Brava
    Stuffed Sopapilla
    Stuffed Sopapilla
    Outside view

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    Outside view
    MartAnne's

    MartAnne's

    4.2
    (2.5k reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    After eating next door for a lunch, we saw the signs all over MartAnne's claiming they are "The…read moreHouse That Chilaquiles Built!" We were intrigued enough that we visited MartAnne's the very next night for dinner. That was on a Tuesday at around 6PM and it wasn't too busy the entire time we were there. House Horchata ($5.99) - This drink comes in a giant 32 oz Ball jar with tons of ice. Per the server it's made with milk and condensed milk, no rice milk at all. It's rich, thick, creamy, sweet, filled with earthy notes of vanilla and cinnamon. There's so much spice included that at some points, there's almost a gritty feeling while drinking. It's perfect for a hot day after hiking. Buckwheat Pancake ala carte ($4.99) - Buckwheat pancakes are something we've never seen before on a diner menu in the past. It seems to be pretty common around Arizona, so we had to give it a try before leaving Flagstaff. This one's pretty big, almost plate sized. It's really moist, fluffy, bouncy, and light with a slight sweetness and a certain earthy flavor. It's moist enough that it sticks to the ceramic plate it's served on. The pancake is somewhat crumbly due to the low gluten content of buckwheat, although I believe they use a mix of buckwheat and wheat flour to give some more stability. It's bluish grey in color with black specks of ground buckwheat throughout. It's dusted with powdered sugar, but it's not a ton, making the pancake not really sweet at all. The pancake comes with a small cup of their cinnamon honey butter. It's not mixed that well, leaving it mostly unhomogenized with streaks of honey and spice through the softened salted butter. Tamale ala carte ($4.99) - MartAnne's offers two types of tamales - the first a red chile beef, and the second a green corn and cheese. We went with the latter, which is a homemade tamale with a somewhat looser, coarsely ground masa shell surrounding an interior of yellow sweet corn kernels, a bouncy and somewhat spongy block of Oaxaca cheese, and a fragrant green chile. There's a slight sweetness throughout and the tamale overall is easy to eat. Chilaquiles, Xmas, Fratelli ($17.99) - This is a monster sized plate of a mishmash of ingredients. There are three things as essentially a base layer. Firstly some Mexican rice that's tender, moist, and fluffy, totally unlike the more common dry and and compact version. My guess is that they skip the initial frying step that helps keeps the starch together. It's quite fragrant and has gives a bit of heat. On top of the rice is a layer of hash browns. The potatoes are tender on the interior, griddled on one side to give a delightful crunch, although there's some acridity that develops. Another third of the plate is covered with chili beans - tender pinto beans that are well salted and seasoned. Then there's the eggs stuffed in between layers of corn tortilla chips, smothered with sauce. I went with the Christmas combination of red and green sauce, followed up by the Fratelli-style pork green chile. The green sauce is fragrant and vegetal, while the red sauce is more smoky. The pork, which is cut into chunks, on top is a bit tough and dry but there's more than enough sauce to make up for that slight demerit. Finally, there's a small mound of I believe jalapeno peppers, cut into small neon-green colored pieces. Some pieces are spicy, some are mild, all have a vegetal pepper taste. I found the food at MartAnne's to be pretty good. It definitely hits the spot after hiking all around the area for most of the day. Bathrooms - Two individual rooms, one for men, one for women. Note: MartAnne's charges a 3.5% credit card fee. This is labeled on the menu.

    Not dog-friendly as listed…read more I've eaten here before and the place is fantastic! Both the ambience and food is top-notch. The only problem I have with it is that on a recent trip through town I made a point of stopping here with my dog, both their yelp listing and Apple maps listing have them down as dog friendly. I was turned away at the door because they do not allow dogs.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Taco
    Taco
    Patrona

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    Patrona
    Tacos Los Altos

    Tacos Los Altos

    3.9
    (237 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $

    Rarely 5 stars..always room for improvement…read more That said...once you find this place it's a gem it's hidden in a marketplace with crappy signage and directions from Siri sucked. But, when we found it...parking is ample and the entry is loud and proud. Bright interior colors and lots of Mexican pastries and other items before the order desk. The menu is ample and service is friendly...they acknowledged the poor directions ‍ I had the rolled taco special which came with rice beans and a drink (the horchata is AMAZING!). My friend had a huge breakfast burrito. In small places like this a salsa bar usually is a huge indicator of good food for me. The salsa bar was beyond impressive. All made in house...and do NOT bypass the pickled carrots and jalapeños. OH MY The interior is huge and it is definite a local take out place. I will be back to try more!

    Stopped for lunch at the recommendation of a friend who lives in town. Order at the counter and…read morethen pick a seat, they'll bring you your food. The staff was very attentive and offered exceptional service. There is a cold bar with salsas and toppings in the seating area. My food was good - but some complaints. The carne asada taco was excellent and tender and the beans were exactly as expected. The carnitas taco had a strong nutmeg or allspice flavor that overpowered the taco and the rice was dry.

    Photos
    Tables
    Tables
    Here's the adada tostada, in the background are tomatillo sauce, guacamole sauce, and spicy red salsa
    Here's the adada tostada, in the background are tomatillo sauce, guacamole sauce, and spicy red salsa
    The menu as of today, March 1st, 2024

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    The menu as of today, March 1st, 2024
    Madrez Cafe

    Madrez Cafe

    4.6
    (274 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    As a Mexican, it's super hard to find good, authentic Mexican food in Flagstaff. Lots of "locals"…read more() will lead you astray with their recommendations however, Madrez is the spot to be!!! I've eaten here countless times and I'm never disappointed. They serve breakfast and lunch and have a variety of dishes, including vegetarian options. Their waffles are incredible as are their burritos, skillets, tostadas, and gorditas. Breakfast always comes with a side of whole beans (flavored with ham hock) which are super fresh. I can truly say there's nothing bad on this menu! The staff is always super welcoming and friendly and the ambiance is refreshing. It's a smaller space and it does get pretty busy, so be aware of that. The best part is that the cafe is family owned, with roots in Playa del Carmen, MX. I HIGHLY recommend Madrez if you're looking for a delicious and authentic Mexican brunch spot. Support local!

    Unfortunately, it felt overpriced for what we received. The portions were quite small, and overall…read morethe food didn't live up to the cost. My partner and I ordered a chorizo burrito, a skillet poblano, and a plain waffle. While everything was just okay, it honestly felt like something we could have made better at home. I especially wouldn't recommend the waffles -- they were very airy, almost like toast, and at $14 they just didn't feel worth it. Overall, it wasn't a terrible experience, but it's not somewhere I'd return to.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Waffles with fresh berries, apples, bananas and Greek yogurt.
    Waffles with fresh berries, apples, bananas and Greek yogurt.
    Chorizo Gordita

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    Chorizo Gordita

    El Tapatio - bars - Updated July 2026

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