Very good food.service was excellent friendly staff very welcoming will definitely return highly recommend

Do you love a good....no, GREAT margarita? Do you LOVE Mexican food? El Tapatio is by far the best Mexican food that I have had. I am a sucker for anything spicy or authentically Mexican and this place just puts me over the edge! The ambiance of the restaurant is that of Guadalajara! This is perfectly fitting because 90% of the workers, if not 100% are from Guadalajara! It looks like a small joint, but I have never had to wait more than two minutes for a table! This is not to say that they are not busy, because they are! Always! They just have ample seating for both indoors and outdoors! The service is quick and friendly! The servers take the time to explain anything you are confused about and if you do not see what you like on the menu, they are more than happy to accommodate you. If you do not know what the dish you like is called, you simply can explain it to them and they will know exactly what you are talking about! The food is as authentic as it comes. I am a rather petite girl, and their portions are huge! However, everything is so delicious, I never leave a morsel on my plate! The dessert is wonderful as well and they have such a unique variety! The fried ice cream is my favorite because of the tortilla dish! Give this place a shot! You will not regret it! read more

The best Mexican I've had thus far. I am so sad their location in Cranston/Providence moved, as this one is pretty out of the way. My visits are not as frequent as I would like but when I go, it is magical. Enormous sized portions, good service. I love the burritos and combo meals. The fried ice cream is delicious as well. read more

OK, I'll be the stick in the mud here. First time there and I didn't find anything about my experience good enough for a return trip. First off, the "Ultimate" margarita wasn't so ultimate. Very small, weak and very acidic from all the lime juice. I had 2, thinking they just messed up the first one, but it was just as bad. 2 ultimos and not even a hint at a buzz. No BUENO! I had the tacos and I found them very bland. Everything was under-spiced. I felt like I was eating nursing home food. There are better alternatives in the area. read more

El Tapatio is my absolute favorite restaurant. My family and I used to go to the Johnston location very often, and I was very sad when they closed. Thankfully this location exists because I don't know where I would go to get amazing mexican food! El Tapatio is the definition of authentic. They are incredibly reasonable with their prices and give you large portions of food. The staff is always friendly and quick. Dinner usually comes out within about 5-7 minutes after ordering. They give you unlimited chips and salsa, which I can't get enough of! The chips are unsalted and always warm, and the salsa is the perfect consistency with just the right amount of kick to it. The restaurant is very inviting as soon as you walk in. There is a super cool mural in one of the dining rooms and everything is very clean. The hostess stand is right in front of the door, so you are always acknowledged as soon as you walk in. I have come here for my past 6 birthdays and have no intentions of celebrating anywhere else. El Tapatio serves an incredibly impressive meal and I am so glad we have such an amazing restaurant in Rhode Island. If you want true, deliciously authentic mexican food, go to El Tapatio! read more

Went here last night. Even though it was still early (before 5:30), there was already a 20 minute wait, thus confirming the spot's popularity. We ended up sitting at the bar and having dinner there, which was fine with us. The staff was extremely friendly, and the food (we had the chili con queso for an appetizer, and the chicken quesadilla and some enchiladas for our entrees) arrived quickly. And it was tasty indeed, just like at their Cranston location. And it's quite inexpensive to boot! All in all, we will definitely return. I'd much rather go here than to On the Border for my Mexican food. I do wish the place was bigger, and the parking lot does leave a lot to be desired, but the alternate lots aren't too bad. read more

Service was good, but the food was just bad. My wife had to send the fish tacos back as they were covered in sour cream and looked like a seafood salad sandwich. I got a combo dish and it was just poor quality, greasy food. The refried beans are loose and look like they were poured from a can. Overall I think your better off at Taco Bell sadly enough. read more

So I've only been here once for a quick bite with my mom, so idk if my review will be skewed. As soon as I walk into the main dining area, I smell a strong kind of cleaning disinfectant. It's like the floor was cleaned just as we walked In or something. It lingered as I sat down at our table and I was instantly turned off. It is definitely a good family oriented place, I can't deny that with all the decor and the bright pink walls. The staff is really nice! Our waiter was very patient and spoke in some Spanish and he was a pretty cool guy. Kids would definitely be interested in trying new kinds of food here because they put cheese on the refried beans. The salsa was watery, and that was kind of disappointing because I love chunky salsa - I mean come on. Mom and I didn't have any drinks, but we got some soft tacos - hers with chicken, mine with pork, I cant remember the menu names - the food was alright. Just alright. Definitely not worth the $35 we spent in just entrees and sodas, though. Aw man. This doesn't really matter but me being a tall girl the bar area was disorientating for me because behind the bar was lowered for the employees so they looked so much smaller than they actually were??? I have no clue. read more

My boyfriend loves this restaurant so for our half anniversary I got take out from here for him. Well, it was so good we went back later that week. Drinks are good and a good pour and portions are big. I had the carne asada dish. The food tastes so good and is coked very well. My only complaint is that the steak was really really thin. Almost like shaved steak. I know its not supposed to be thick, but this was borderline. Still, I would order the same entree. Next time ill also try the flan :) Service was great and prices reasonable, specially my glass of wine at $5.75. BTW, my boyfriend swears by the chimichangas. And i have to agree. Damn good! read more

El Tapatio - Carne asada dish - soooo good! - Mexican Near Me - North Kingstown, Rhode Island

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Overall I am giving it three stars not because of the food or service. We went here asking for gluten free menus, and definitely understand that this is not easy for many restaurants to do. The staff said that they have menu options that are marked gluten free, but when they served chips and salsa at the beginning of our meal we asked if they were fried. The corn chips are fried in the same fryer as food with flour and gluten as well. I was thankful that the server knew this information but when looking at their menu, even nachos were marked as gluten free but with using the same fried chips. We ended up leaving fearful of an allergic reaction to the food overall. read more

We gave up looking for Tex Mex (that's a good reason to fly back to Texas), but have found this place to have excellent American Mexican food. Our favorite full service Mexican food Restaurant in Rhode Island (El Rancho Grande is a close second). Great service and huge servings with good quality ingredients. read more

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I ordered lunch from this place today and was.... confused. I ordered a tostada and received several huge chunks of pork, haphazardly thrown atop a tortilla and cheese. As a first time customer, I have no past reference for comparison so IDK if this is what it's usually like... but as a person who has eaten many tostadas in my life, I know that's not wtf this is. Never have I ordered one of these and then had to shred my own meat. While it didn't taste nearly as terrible as it looked, I likely will never order from here again. read more

El Tapatio - Supposedly, this is a tostada. - Mexican Near Me - North Kingstown, Rhode Island

My favorite Mexican food restaurant locally. The atmosphere is great, the drinks are strong, and above all else the food is amazing. I usually order the ground beef chimichanga due to the sheer size and amazing taste. The service although a little unattentive is over looked when the food arrives. The cost is extremely reasonable and I frequently eat here and the quality doesn't waiver. Simply put, Amazing!!! read more

El Tapatio - 5 out of 5!!! - Mexican Near Me - North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Great food and great service. I have been here a few times now and it has been consistently great. I would recommend this place to anyone. The food was fresh. The prices are good. read more

A decent enough Tex-Mex restaurant suitable for getting your enchilada or burrito fix. The servings are ample, particularly the El Tapatio burritos and can usually bank on taking half of it home for a meal the next day. That kind of frugality is appealing because I think El Tapatio is a little on the expensive side for Tex-Mex, and it's nice to be able to get two meals out of the visit. The complimentary chips and salsa are okay -- the chips are not home-made (i.e. cut from fresh tortillas and deep-fried) but they are warmed and not stale; the salsas are also fine with two different types (we like the more vinegary one), although quite mild and can be a little watery. We always request the real hot stuff from the waiter to mix in with these. The combos are pretty generous (I usually get a chicken enchilada and chile relleno or beef taco) which comes with refried beans, arroz roso, and oddly, a cabbage slaw, as sides. As noted in some of the other reviews, the waitstaff can be a little pre-occupied and often requires flagging one down to get a refill on drinks or settle the tab. read more

Good spot. Great service, cocktails & reliable Mexican food. Always busy but bar & wait staff hustle to keep it moving. We had chile rellenos - large & breaded but tasty, burritos, carne asada and more. All good quality control comfort food. read more

It turns out that the margaritas aren't a sure thing. I've visited a few times, and only got the good ones once. It's not the liquor, Don Julio all the way, but the pre-mix sour, it's just OK. The Tacos al Pastor haven't disappointed though, and I found the Tamales to be quite good as well. They need a little hit of spice, but a dash of the "hot" salsa already on the table does the trick. I'd skip the Chiles Rellenos, mine was leathery and overcooked. read more

Awesome Mexican restaurant. Solid food reasonably priced and good service. The carnitas is good. Be hungry for the dinner.

El Tapatio offers an option for decent Mexican food, especially for those in the NK area. The restaurant was a little scarce considering our party of 5 got there at about 6:30pm on a Saturday night, but I think that may have been attributed more to the weather that evening rather than the quality of the restaurant. Our waitress was quick to come to our table and get our drink orders. I was impressed that El Tap' offered margaritas by the pitcher, and even with options for top shelf tequila. Patron? Si! The pitcher of Ultimate Margarita was by far one of the better ones I've had in a long time, so as far as I was concerned dinner was off to a great start. We were given baskets of chips and salsa to go with. The salsa was good, though a bit thinner than I typically prefer. Still, coupled with those amazing 'Ritas, I was in heaven. Dinner options were plentiful, and I had to finally make a decision. I went with the Burrito Ranchero, which was average. It was flavorful, but by no means would I call this an authentic place. If in the area, it's worth considering El Tapatio, as I don't think you will be disappointed - so long as you go in with the proper expectations. read more

I've decided to update my review of El Tapatio, which is hands down, one of my favorite restaurants, and consistently has terrific food, in generous portion sizes, at affordable prices. It was a chance occurrence that we happened across El Tapatio about a year ago, stopping in before visiting the Wickford Art Festival. That first visit surprised us with how quick the service was, and how delicious the food was. We've returned several times, including during busy dinners and the service has always been lightning quick. I usually order a chimichanga while my wife orders enchiladas. We have never been disappointed with the service and would recommend El Tapatio to anyone. Their drinks, especially the margaritas, are also made well and are adequately strong for their price range. In review, if you're in Wickford on an empty stomach, then stop by El Tapatio. If you're anywhere else in Rhode Island, still stop by El Tapatio, it's worth the drive! read more

Recently returned for a late spicy dinner on a Sunday night. By 830 the place was empty and we had our choice of indoor or outdoor seating. Food was really good again, service was attentive and the fried ice cream dishes....mmmmmm. I will keep coming back as this is the best Mexican food in this vicinity. read more

Best queso I have had in Rhode Island and California burrito was huge!! Blue moon and house marg are awesome! Definitely going back. But recommend making a reservation in advance we had to wait +40 min for a table. read more

Despite the long wait it was totally worth it. the Prices are fair, but you get what you pay for. Second visit and no disappointments yet. Margaritas are read more

First I should start by saying mistakes can happen, but how you handle them makes all the difference. We made a reservation the day before and confirmed the day of. When we arrived we were told someone "took" our table. We explained about the reservation and we're told "There's nothing we can do, we can't kick someone out." We said we get it, but we were not happy. We were then offered a booth that would not fit our party, so we declined and said we would wait. We asked how long the wait would be and the hostess said "That's impossible for us to know". (Even Taco Bell can tell you an estimate). When we sat down we asked if they had pitchers of margaritas instead of individual glasses (we had a big party). The guy either didn't speak English or didn't understand what we asked for, and he just walked away. Eventually we ordered and the food came out. The food was mediocre at best. We asked for napkins and they came back four times with each time having to ask for the napkins before they gave us them. If you want good food and good service go elsewhere. If you want to have poor service go to El Tapatio. read more

Typical New England Mexican. Kind-of. Good for that Mexican craving and you won't be disappointed. I would day stay away from the steak. Carne Asada looks more like steak jerk and no flavor. The salsa is good. Not hot...but flavorful. The rellano was really filling big and chaeeeeezzy! The pork tacos looked good and of course I will go back to try them. I did ask for extra cheese on my beans...nope...didn't happen. Also asked for lemon in my water...nope...didn't happen. And we had to do a drink run to get drinks from the bar. I will go back...and you should also. read more

El Tapatio - Mexican Near Me - North Kingstown, Rhode Island

sooooo good! We like the ambiance of this location better than the Cranston, quieter, more of a cafe feel. Now the food! Get the queso dip with your chips. Seriously, this stuff is ridiculously good - white with flecks of jalapeno (but not overly spicy, just enough). Also try the Pork el Pastor - especially if you like cilantro. Small pieces of marinated and grilled pork folded into corn tortillas with a healthy portion of fresh cilantro. I made obscene yummy sounds as I ate this dish. DH got his usual - tamale and chile relleno - very good also. Small (really small) quibbles - salsa just isn't fresh tasting to me and aside from some heat didn't have enough flavor. Chips were fried in oil that was too cold - way too much oil on the chips. And someone this visit was making a hell of a racket in the kitchen. Don't know what was going on but it was rather comical - is this the background music for today?! lol but really go! great fresh food and dang! get that queso! read more

Never had a bad experience here. Their margaritas are delicious and very well priced. The food is also quite authentic and really tasty. I recommend trying their tamales, they are so satisfying. If you're going on a Friday or Saturday night, you can expect to wait for a table, but probably no longer than 15-20 min. You'll get chips and salsa as soon as you're seated so that's awesome! Highly recommended if you enjoy Mexican food! read more

Excellent food and service. Black bean soup was amazing. Had N amazing time. The Poloma Margarita was the best.

Sat for 15 min at an empty bar before someone asked me what I wanted to drink, ordered a margarita with just a splash of sour mix, so the bar tender gave me a shot of tequila mixed with 2 shots of Lime juice?! Shit was litterAlly the worst drink I ever had. I guess I expected more from a Mexican place that had been open for as long as this place had been. Salsa was watery trash and after I saw someone else's food come out I decided to just leave instead of ordering. Won't be back. read more

Don't overlook the ala carte options. They have a good menu and I feel most items are pretty authentic and not relying on cheese for flavor. I am a huge fan of the shredded beef tacos. The shredded chicken comes in a close 2nd. read more

Mediocre, at best. Tomatillo sauce has no flavor, everything is barely appetizing. Unfortunately, not many Mexican restaurants is area so there are few choices. read more

I really have mixed feelings about this place..My boyfriend and I went here when it first opened and it was pretty good and the drinks were decent. 2 Years later we went back for my birthday and it was HORRIBLE. It took forever to be seated, the waitress didn't know her ass from her elbow probably the dumbest person ever..the food was cold and after 2 watered down Margaritas I felt like I was going to puke. I was sick all weekend after eating here and that has never happened to me before. I don't think I'll be going back..id rather go to taco bell i think :) read more

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First time there. Waitstaff was very friendly and attentive. Music playing, brightly decorated. Excellent drinks, warm tortilla chips and tasty salsa. The warm cheese dip you can order for the tortillas is amazing. The Portuguese shrimp wrapped in ham and bacon was outstanding and so was the flan. I can't wait to go back again and again. read more

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so delicious! my boyfriend and i just ordered doordash from the location in cranston, we got steak fajitas and chicken flautas. the serving size is HUGE and it comes with chips and salsa. definitely my new favorite mexican place in cranston :) read more

We've only had great experiences at El Tapatio! The service is fast & very friendly. We often do take out & its equally as delicious as eating at the restaurant. Their table chips are excellent. They taste freshly made (maybe they are??). El Tapatio makes the BEST vegetarian burritos I've had since living in Los Angeles! They are HUGE & delicious. This place is a definite favorite in our family! read more

Delicious food, HUGE portions, good prices! Cute interior decor as well, though a bit crowded. Will be back! read more

El Tapatio - Veggie verde burrito, hold the sour cream. This thing was as big as my head. - Mexican Near Me - North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Best Mexican food in the area, the food is fresh and reasonably priced! We've lived in North Kingstown area for a while but never visited this restaurant. We decided to give it a try after our neighbor had great things to say! We got a takeout this weekend, we're so glad we gave them a try!! We'll certainly be going back read more

We love it here! My wife and I go as often as we can. The speedy service, consistently great food, and price makes it worth it every time!!

This place is solid, but I think 4 stars is a bit much. It's a pretty standard Mexican joint. I will say they do right with the chips and salsa to start off. I usually go for the beef chimichanga, as their enchiladas and burritos have been a bit disappointing in the past. There's nothing too memorable about this stuff if you've eaten a bunch of Mexican food, other than that it's a bit greasier than normal - which I don't mind, but it does stick out. I've also been to several really similar places in Massachussets, down to the exact same taste from the food, and from the reviews of other Yelpers, it seems like this is becoming a chain of some sort (with different names for each place). I don't have anything against chain restaurants, but that's pretty much how I would describe the place - it's about on par with something like On The Border. read more

What a local gem! The freshest ingredients, festive atmosphere and impeccable service make El Tapatio such a standout. The shrimp in the Camarones Arroz are huge and so flavorful. Don't forget to save room for the fried ice cream. Easily shareable and only $3.95. read more

El Tapatio - Very good ice cream - Mexican Near Me - North Kingstown, Rhode Island

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