El Tapatio's is authentic Mexican food with a nice atmosphere and clean dining area! The fresh salsa and chips were great too! The wait staff was very friendly and helpful!! Great place for lunch and affordable as well ! Check them out! read more

We were seated immediately on a Friday night and the service was on point! Great ambiance. The street tacos I ordered were great too, but the one with chorizo was too salty. The steak one was the best! Good beans and decent pico de gallo that came with it. Would recommend and would come back. read more

El Tapatio on Jefferson - Street Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

We checked in at the Thunderbird Inn and walked over to this restaurant. Seated quickly. Water and menus brought to the table promptly. Warms chips and medium size bowl of red salsa arrived shortly thereafter. I ordered enchiladas and my husband ordered a burrito. Margaritas were medium in size and average in taste. I didn't care for the sauce on my enchiladas. We ordered a side of guacamole and it was average. The restrooms were clean and the staff was efficient. It was rated with 4 stars because of location, not necessarily for taste. We were seated at the back by a window with a nice view to the southeast. read more

El Tapatio on Jefferson - Margarita, lime & frozen - Mexican Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

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Hard to order due to language barrier. Food was good, 6/10. Waited for service on refills. The location is good and no wait time. But I do love the food there even though it's a very Americanized Spanish food for a quick fill. Would say check it out but not like I seek it out read more

We stopped on our way to mammoth caves from atl. The chicken fajita was very well seasoned and great value for money. The chunky guacamole was huge portions but the house Salsa was most disappointed and tasted pre-made and not fresh. The spicy salsa is hot. So be careful with it. I would definitely go again read more

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The food is very good but the waiters keep getting mine and my family's orders wrong and I had asked for just shrimp and rice nothing other than shrimp and rice for my son and they had gotten the order wrong! Lots of space once you walk in and it really brings the authentic Mexican food vibes read more

We had been on the road for 10 hours & stopped @ the Best Western. I did not it want to get back in the car so a restaurant on property sounded perfect. I was hungry & would have eaten just about anything. What a gem! Our server Octavio was delightful. The hot tortilla chips & salsa were just what I needed. The margaritas were huge! The vegetable soup was house made to order. I would highly recommend. Delicious. I had the mole chicken substituting the rice for black beans. I am so full but very happy. read more

El Tapatio on Jefferson - House made Vegetable Soup - Mexican Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

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I've been to this restaurant twice and it's a great place to sit and enjoy food friends and family the atmosphere is great at window booth you can find plans and let's not forget about the comfortable seating. Not just the environment is great but the food it amazing. I'm from Texas so I have pretty high Mexican food standards, although it's not Tex-mex this is great food I would highly recommend this restaurant for a family dinner or a date with affordable prices read more

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If I could give El Tap more stars I would. In fact, we were traveling and ate here for dinner. The next day we kayaked and then went there again for lunch!!!! Sometimes Mexican is just meh. But, not here. Our party ordered chicken fajitas & a chicken soft taco. The chicken was so moist & seasoned well. Good presentation. Chips were crispy & the salsa was good. Our server was a smiley gentleman who was very good. I noticed all the servers were dressed so nicely & professional. read more

The only place I could find in Cookeville with fish ceviche. The closest to authentic Mexican food I can find aside from the food trucks- decent variety as well. read more

I'm in town for business and since it was next to my hotel it was so convenient: Excellent food & service. The margarita was so good. Ended up eating there twice in the week I was in town. A lot of restaurants around but this place was so good. Will be back next time I'm in town. Delicious read more

Best Mexican food around. Fast friendly service. My favorite is the white cheese and the taco salad. We have been coming here for years and are always pleased with service and food. read more

I've been going there for years and last time I was there I had a bad experience waited a few months gave it another try today total disappointment food was extra salty I told my waitress and the only thing he said was oh okay I'll tell the cook ! will not recommend this place at all . read more

The shrimp in chipotle sauce was delicious. I didn't expect a restaurant so closely associated with a motel would be so good. We ate here only out of convenience after a long drive. Our meals were really flavorful. The giant margarita was tasty too!! read more

No... please stop! This is not Mexican food... and it's mostly not the restaurant's fault. They are just providing what sells.

This is a hiding jewel. The first impression upon walking to our table was a good one. The restaurant is very clean and very appealing. It just got better as we enjoyed margaritas, appetizer and a fantastic dinner. The civici was wonderful, as good or better than what I had in downtown Mexico City! The entire experience was topped off with EXCELLENT service throughout. read more

Staff was super friendly, so I almost hate to give 1 star review. But the chicken tasted like it can straight out of a can with no seasoning. The beans were bland and even left a bad aftertaste. Salsa was bland as well. Margaritas were good, though, and not super pricey, so you might go there for that... read more

Stayed at the Best Western that it shares a parking lot with and needed to find a quick meal after a long day on the road. They have a good selection of items that are takeout friendly for eating in the room. They have a good selection of "American" options which is good because my wife didn't want Mexican. She had the chicken breast sandwich. She said it could've had more flavor, but was otherwise good. I had a pair of tacos pastor. I wanted tacos, but didn't want anything too heavily seasoned because of another long day on the road the next day. The pastor were seasoned just right and the crispy shells were clearly house made and tasty. My only complaints about them is that they were a touch greasy and I like a little more pineapple and onion diced in with the meat. Not the best I've ever had, but far from the worst and still a nice surprise for a small town in the middle of Tennessee. Rated 4 stars for convenience (2 minute walk from my room), quickness (ordered online and ready in 15 minutes), and being surprisingly good for where it is. I'll eat here again if I ever stay in Cookeville, TN again. read more

After spending several weeks in AZ, we'd sworn off Mexican during our trip back East. Enter El Tapatio, adjacent to our motel, so after a day on the road we couldn't resist and were glad we did. The fish bowl sized margarita was a bargain, the tortilla soup way oversized and delicious, the mole authentic, and the street tacos fairly authentic. It isn't "real Mexican" but it was better than most especially for East Tennessee. Our server was fantastic and easily added one star to our review. read more

This is the place that got me addicted to Mexican food. The food here is great. It's not authentic as some other places, but the food is still pretty good. You can get "green" tomatilo sauce instead of the traditional red salsa. They also offer cooked jalepenos that you can order with your food as well. One of my favorite dishes is the chicken & rice bowl(not on the menu). I go here almost everytime I come to Cookeville read more

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The food was amazing, all I got was tacos de asada but the steak was literally perfect. asked for the homemade hot sauce and it was better than I expected. Nobody makes ghost pepper hot sauce anymore, but el tap does!!!! My house patron margarita was perfectly and sour. Lol even my server Gamaliel H laughed with me while my mouth was on fire. I have had family owned Mexican in 6 states and el tap is now in my top 3. kee up the great work guys. read more

Absolutely the best Mexican food I've ever had. Was visiting from Florida and have been a few times. Is on my must have list every time I'm in Cookeville!! read more

Wasn't very good to me, salsa seems to have no flavor but tomato, burrito beef seems to have very little flavor, just no flavor. On a positive note the beer was cold and the liquor was expensive. Thanks read more

The service was excellent. The food was just blah. We had a party of 8. We were seated right away. Like I previously mentioned the service was excellent. Everyone ordered something different. I got the 3 enchiladas Ranchero. The Mexican rice was good. The enchiladas were flavor less. No spice no seasoning. Nothing, just plain. Everyone in our group said the same thing except for the person that ordered the fajitas. That was the only dish that smelled appetizing. He said they were good. Not the best but also not the worst. The worst dish was the taco salad. It came out in an extra wide taco she'll with just ground beef on the bottom, shredded lettuce on the top with a dollop of sour cream on top of the lettuce. That was the most pathetic taco salad I have ever seen. To recap. The service was excellent, the food was mediocre to bland. The only saving grace other than the service was the cost. The prices were low as was the food. read more

Basic Mexican food. Decently priced. I requested the green bottled hot sauce that is standard at most Mexican restaurants and was offered their homemade green hot sauce instead, which is pretty good! The grilled jalapeños were crispy and seasoned to perfection. Waiting staff were pleasant and helpful. read more

Our family was in Cookeville on vacation and wanted to get some mexican food for dinner and seemed many options in the area. With El Tapatio having two locations in the same town, it seemed like the obvious choice. We ordered up a variety of different options and the entire family enjoyed. The staff was very helpful and friendly which is always a plus in today's world of lack of service with many places. I would highly recommend for your family. read more

I ordered El Tap from door dash and paid $6 for queso and wasn't given any chips to go with it. That is why I am giving it 2 stars. Who forgets the chips with the queso! read more

So I am on this diet called "the 4 hr body". This means no flour, no fruit, no carbs and no sugar. Amazingly enough the Mexican food diet is great for this. I got the pollo a la plancha. thats chicken something. Now when I think of Mexican food I think Tex Mex. This was more Creole Mex. The sauce was more what I would call tangy and reminiscent of Louisiana blackened fish cooking. Definitely different. Definitely tasty. The decor is vey traditional Spanish feel. Which is cool if you like that sort of thing. Me, I wouldn't bring a date here on the first date. This comes off definitely more of a family resteraunt. No wonder this is the after church favorite. A definite second date place though once you have known the girl and the awkwardness s less tangible. But would definitely come here again. The food is fantastic. read more

I spent the night at the Best Western in Cookeville and was so pleased to see a Mexican restaurant just steps away from my room. I dined alone at El Tapatio and ordered cheese enchiladas. The salsa that came first was standard, which is good. The enchiladas that came were beef, but they had delicious cheese enchiladas out to me in five minutes tops. Good place. I will definitely eat at El Tapatio on my next drive through TN. read more

While driving through TN., we had a hankering for Mexican food. I got out the trusty DROID and found a Mexican restaurant found it with GPS and it was closed! UGH! So moved onto choice #2. Which was this place. First off, they share the same parking with a MOTEL! WHAT?! Could barely find a spot and had to walk way to far. Once inside, it was very noisy!!! We follow the hostess and walk pass a ton of empty tables and booths, to where she takes us to the BACK of the restaurant one table away from the bathroom and right next to a party of 20!!!! NO JOKE!!!! We sat down and yelled our order to the waiter. He brought our beers right away and some Aluminum can tasting salsa with chips. Food was fair , but we inhaled it so we could GET OUT OF THERE! If your traveling through Tennessee.... keep moving on to the next "Food Stop" exits. Save you the trouble.....and your hearing. read more

Decided to check this place out because it was one of the few places in the area with any Yelp activity. We ordered a taco salad, some chicken tacos, and a "medium" margarita which turned out to be pretty huge. As mentioned in the other reviews, the salsa they serve here really needs some work and was closer to spicy catchup than what I'd call salsa. The chicken tacos were surprisingly good, and the rice and beans that came with them were pretty standard. The margarita was a little heavy on the mix and low on the tequila, but that could have something to do with us going there for lunch and it didn't seem like there was a real bartender working then despite their being a full bar. Also, when we arrived we were seated in a fairly open area and despite most of the restaurant being empty, two couples with babies were seated right next to us... which never is fun. Overall, we'd probably go back but more because there just doesn't seem other mexican restaurants in the area than El Tapatio being that exceptional. read more

I just made the 100 foot journey from my motel room to the restaurant. The food was decent (seemed to be sysco faire). Price was reasonable. Service was good. Beer was cold. read more

El Tapatio on Jefferson - Mexican Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

Bottom line, this is the best Mexican (Tex-Mex) restaurant in Cookeville. The food is very tasty and affordable. El Tap has dominated the market so long that it's now cool to hate on the place in certain circles but in my opinion it remains the alpha in the tex-mex field in Cookeville. Try the fajita nachos (steak). The chorizo is really good as well. read more

What IS IT about these mexican places? I SPECIFICALLY asked that they hold the bell peppers from my order.... I noticed that the waiter wrote something on his pad when I asked for NO BELL PEPPERS... He even nodded to me that he understood. Let me tell you something, once a DAM**ED bell pepper hits your food, the smell and taste is there FOREVER... When I finally was able to stop him and asked about the bell peppers, (it seemed as though I got EXTRAS!!!) he just shrugged and took off... Oh, the beer was good and cold. read more

Great find, and right off the freeway. El Tapatio really delivered. Friendly, prompt service and great prices with hearty servings. The soft chicken taco was perfect; beautifully cooked and flavorful. The Chile Pablano was fresh and tasty. Do not let the location next to the Best Western scare you away; this is the real deal. read more

El Tapatio on Jefferson - Extra hot sauce, as requested. - Mexican Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

What can I say? It is El Tap. I definitely grew up going here after a long weekend at the lake. Their queso and salsa is great and I love their fajitas. The servers are fast and you will get your food about ten minutes after ordering. While I would not consider it to be quality food; it is yummy, bad for you, and about as cheap as it gets. What more can you ask for? Oh and watch out for those giant margaritas. read more

Delicious Authentic Food / Salsa / Desserts / Coffee ! Courteous / Professional staff ! Great Atmosphere / Cleanness and table spacing ! Stopped three times to eat while visiting from CA , always great authentic food variety, and excellent service !!! Authentic salsa upon request was excellent / various types! Various authentic desserts like a churru / ice cream & cream ! I absolutely recommend El Tapatio to every one ! read more

The best El Tap location. Very accommodating staff, very reasonable prices, good pitchers of margaritas, and best of all, they bring a bunch of free yummy sauces and sides like salsa verde and chiles toreados! Their actual food is just adequate but overall worth a visit. read more

El Tapatio on Jefferson - Yummy margaritas. You just might have to fight over the last one! - Mexican Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

Some of these reviews are appalling. El Tap is the best restaurant in Cookeville! First, the food. I've never had a bad dish. The queso dip is among the best I've had. The fajita quesadilla is one of my favorites--delicious grilled meats and veggies, oozing with cheese? Um, yes please! The portions are hefty as well. The prices are insane--insanely cheap! My family of five used to eat there for under $30! Also, anyone complaining about the service--the problem is you. My family has patronized this restaurant since I was little, and we've never been treated with anything but over-the-top friendly and unbelievably quick service. Also, they are genuinely caring people--they sent flowers to my family when my grandpa passed away! read more

Ate here in June for lunch. Popped in around 1.30pm and the place was packed. A good sign! Huge baskets of tortilla chips and salsa provided free of charge which I hear is normal in the US, but novel to these Brits! Loved the chips, but the salsa was not great, not spicy and tasted a bit canned. This was the worst part of the meal. I had chicken chimichanga that was packed with chicken.Lovely, crispy, Hot, not greasy. Was impressed. Boyf had enchilada I think that was also good. Prices were pretty keen, and despite the place being super busy, our sodas were refilled and the service was attentive., so extra points for that. Toilets were spotless and generally a really nice experience and if Im ever passing through Cookeville again, we will go there. read more

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