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    El Tapatio

    4.3 (36 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Open 10:30 am - 9:30 pm

    El Tapatio Photos

    EL TAPATIO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Tapatio

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    Fajitas with shrimp, steak, chicken and veggies.
    Kendra T.

    This place is my favorite go-to when in the area. Always consistent in exceptional flavors, upbeat and observant staff, and authentic atmosphere. 10/10 would always recommend!

    Spike S.

    Impressive, above average, for a small town OkieMex restaurant. El Tapatio appears to be a member of the El Tapatio restaurant cartel/syndicate, with restaurants in small towns, scattered across Oklahoma. Sometimes it is necessary to ask the readers to not be too judgmental and try to overlook the appearance (inside or outside) of small restaurants in order to enjoy the great food. In this case I have to ask the readers to overlook the appearance of the town, Nowata. It is one of those little Oklahoma towns that would improve tourism drastically, if it had a by-pass built around it. If you will tolerate the town's rough charm you will find some mouthwatering food. El Tapatio! When we arrived, the staff was hustling; cleaning the restaurant from the top of the icemaker to far dark corners under the booths. Mops and rags were in motion. I like what I see. The place is spotless, attractive, and maintained. Nice clean restrooms, with modern upgrades. A hand dryer with ultraviolet sanitization. Very unusual for a small town establishment. The salsas were superb. Prompt service by the owner. The menu is enormous. We are off to a good start. I had the Beef Steak Tampiqueña; a ribeye steak with fresh vegetables on the side. Very different, fresh vegetables instead of grilled. The beans and rice perfectly seasoned. Back to the steak. This was not a USDA Grade No. 1 cut of beef. It was delicious though. It was just under a half inch thick. Cooked perfectly. Excellent chargrilled sear on both sides yet medium rare on the inside. Someone in the kitchen is a steak master. Cooking a thin steak that perfectly takes talent. The flavor of the steak with the fresh vegetables and salsa was fabulous. My wife went with a perfect plate of Enchiladas Verde. Another example of El Tapatio's fine food. Same superb beans and rice with three perfectly spiced, juicy, pulled chicken filled enchiladas, covered in flavorful green salsa. A winner. If you are passing through on Hwy 60 or 169 and have the hankering for good Mexican food, El Tapatio is a fine little restaurant. Worth the drive in the rain today from Broken Arrow Nowata you are lucky to have this fine little restaurant. El Tapatio is fantastic, Show some love for it!

    Grande steak burrito
    Gork B.

    This was reccomended to us by a gal at @RCBbank - and well worth the drive. Most authentic #Mexican food we've found so far in #Oklahoma. Good grub, great service. Margaritas were generous with the good stuff.

    Yum!
    Arline S.

    The first bite will transport you to Mexico! Stunningly beautiful (and delicious) food, really warm, inviting hosts. Waiter doesnt write down the orders, so you may have to remind him a few times to bring what you ordered, bit other than that, an absolutely stellar time here.

    Lunch special #1

    Friendly staff and the food was really good. I loved both of their salsas. If you like spicy ask for their spicy salsa. It was only $6.99 for their lunch. Today was my first time trying and will def be back to try other things.

    Drive thru dining. Keeping it moving.

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    28 days ago

    For being in a small town, you could not find better Mexican food any place. We had chicken fajitas with all the fixing, and it was great.

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    9 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    The best Latin American food in the area, the pastor tacos are amazing not to mention the service

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    This place has excellent food and awesome staff. They have a dish called Eric Special... Do it you will not be disappointed.

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    5 years ago

    The best place to eat in Nowata. Queso is amazing quality and the staff are so friendly. Definitely recommend stopping in!

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    8 years ago

    Best place to eat in Nowata. Every time you walk in you know the service and food will be good!

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    6 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    7 years ago

    One of our favorite spots. They have the BEST red sauce for their enchiladas, if you have never tried it, you definitely should!

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    Ask the Community - El Tapatio

    Review Highlights - El Tapatio

    It reminded me of a steak for fajitas but covered with amazing white melted cheese sauce and caramelized onion...

    $12.50 Fajitas

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    918 Maples Tacos & Cantina - Taco plate

    918 Maples Tacos & Cantina

    4.7(223 reviews)
    42.0 miThe Pearl
    $$

    This is our go to date night! We LOVE their birria taco pizza!!!…read more Tonight we had the queso birria fundido. It did NOT disappoint!!! We bring visiting friends and family here.

    There are few word combinations that get me more excited than "Taco Tuesday." There are plenty…read moreMexican & Latin cuisine eateries spread throughout Tulsa but they're not all made alike. I've heard of the highly lauded 918 Maples Tacos & Cantina many times since I moved back so I finally decided to try it on August 28th, 2025. Since then, I've experienced 918 Maples on different occasions and I'd say that it deserves the high praise. I've eaten at 918 Maples atleast 4 times, twice at the food truck (4931 S Union Ave.) and twice at this location. On 8/28, I arrived around 5:50pm. The walls are filled with color & different decorations, from murals to Latin-American art as well as TV's behind the bar for entertainment. The area is very home-like, compact, with just enough space for walking lanes. There's only one booth while the rest of the seating is either tables or at the bar. The host podium is at the door immediately upon entrance, I sat at the bar. Their menus are large but not overwhelming. On Tuesdays, tacos are $2 each. This doesn't include Birria, fish or Shrimp which are $3 or $4 on Tuesdays. My server was Diego, great guy! I ordered 5 Tacos: 2 Birria, 1 chicken 1 Carne Asada and 1 El Pastor. I also ordered a Paloma and a small queso. The meal comes with chips & Salsa, brought out immediately. Their chips are thicker and their salsa is mild. Add a little salt, good to go! I'm a fan of white queso but I particularly enjoyed theirs, worth the $2. The food came out within 10mins, not long at all. Two ramekins of salsa & 4 tacos. Each taco was amazing individually. The el pastor had crispy edges on the meat, the carne asada was soft & delicate while the birria was to DIE for. Only criticism is that the chicken was a little too salty but not terrible overall. As I mentioned, I ordered 5 tacos, queso & a Paloma but only received 4 tacos. I wasn't upset about the paloma, I could do without. But, I was a little uneasy about being shorted 1 taco, especially since I paid for 5. However, I didn't fret. I paid the bill & praised the staff because they deserve it! Since then, I've returned once or twice. Each time, usually on a Tuesday, the space is decently filled which a sign of a well-run & good quality establishment and the food is just as good. I consistently ordered tacos but I would gladly try their Queso Chicken, Rustic Quesadilla, or Birria Pizza. I've had their tacos at their food truck as well and, though the ambiance isn't comparable, the service is sweeter & the food is just as good. Bummer that their food truck doesn't do discounted tacos on Tuesdays. Photos here are from 8/26/25, 9/16/25 and 1/6/26. Had it not been for the forgotten taco, this would be a FULL 5-Star review!

    Photos
    918 Maples Tacos & Cantina - Informal & fun atmosphere.

    Informal & fun atmosphere.

    918 Maples Tacos & Cantina - Mole

    Mole

    918 Maples Tacos & Cantina - Yummy Margarita

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    Yummy Margarita

    El Tapatio - mexican - Updated May 2026

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