One would not expect to find truly excellent Mexican food in a small NH town -- even the earnestly self-stylized "Recreation Center of New Hampshire." El Tequila does not break the mold. This unassuming restaurant does, however, punch above its weight when it comes to hospitality and reasonably-priced, enjoyable-enough Mexican-American food. They accommodated our enormous group of around 30 adults and children on short notice, and with grace. Food came out relatively quickly, though not surprisingly, given the size of our group, staggered in waves. Thin tortilla chips and a thin, almost tomato-sauce-like salsa were complimentary at the start of the meal. They weren't our cup of tea, but we appreciated this increasingly rare courtesy, and our subsequent side orders of guacamole were excellent. My Camarones al Mojo de Ajo ($21.95) were appropriately garlicky, the small, well-textured shrimp sautéed with plenty of onions and the tiny bits of garlic you typically get from a jar. Although the portion size wasn't quite as generous as those of my convives, the shrimp were imbued with flavor and overall enjoyable. The dish came with orange-tinged rice (a little hard and dry) and a salad of iceberg lettuce, chopped tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, with a bit more of that excellent guacamole tucked underneath. Some of our friends enjoyed enormous servings of chicken and steak fajitas. Others were less impressed by their burritos, which came drizzled with a Velveeta-like cheese sauce. Unfortunately, steak tacos came with flour tortillas -- not our preference -- but they were generously filled with flavorful (if slightly dry) steak. Cocktails were large and reportedly light on alcohol + sugary. Despite the rather dreary strip mall that El Tequila is tucked into, the inside is festive and cheerful, painted with colorful murals. A bar and large screen TVs line one side, making it an easy place to dine alone should you wish to do so. Would we eat here if the restaurant were in NYC? Probably not. But for a family- and group-friendly, casual restaurant in a NH town, population 7,000, we were more than pleased. read more

El Tequila Mexican Restaurant - Camarones Al Mojo de Ajo - Mexican Near Me - Gilford, New Hampshire

We had such a great lunch on Tuesday afternoon at El Tequila Mexican restaurant! Wow! Our food was amazing and we were all so full! My daughter and I loved our margaritas and my husband got his favorite tequila on the rocks. Our server was so sweet and attentive. Our bartender was gracious and came to our table to ensure he made our drinks just the way we wanted. Beautiful place too. We love El Tequila and we will return more often. read more

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We went here on the way to a concert and what a great choice! Portions were huge, as was the margarita. I had the birria tacos which were delicious with a very tasty seasoning. The dipping sauce was just ok, it was a little heavy on the cilantro. The rice was yummy too, moist and sticky. MY friend got a giant burrito which she was determined to finish, and she did. Nice decor, nice staff. Coke on tap! Chips and salsa to start. Perfect! read more

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We were going to a concert and stopped by for its convenient location to the venue. We were impressed beyond all expectations! Great food, great drinks and great service! Very nice decor too. The food was spicier than we get at other Mexican restaurants, but we love spicy so it was great! I'm sure there are less spicy options too. We loved it and will be back next time we are in the area. read more

El Tequila seems like a good place to satisfy your hunger for a reasonable price, but it's hard to say this is anything better than mediocre Mexican food. Some of our lunch dishes were better than others. Things started off well, with free chips and salsa - a puréed salsa with a nice touch of heat, but not too spicy. The El Tequila Especial was a very thin flavorfully seasoned chicken cutlet. Sliced and stuffed into flour tortillas with refried beans, this made for a nice lunch. The lunch burritos, on the hand, were dry and bland (both the chicken and ground beef). When the iceberg lettuce based salad (with diced onion and jalapeño) has more flavor than the burrito, something is off. The interior is decorated with bright colorful booths, tables and chairs, and very typical of American Tex-Mex restaurants. Given the scarcity of ethnic dining in the region, El Tequila is worth a try, but if you're a lover of fresh authentic Mexican cuisine, you may be a little disappointed. read more

El Tequila Mexican Restaurant - El Tequila Especial (Lunch), thin chicken w/ rice, refried beans and salad. - Mexican Near Me - Gilford, New Hampshire

I had a party of eight and behind us were a party of twelve they got served before us we ordered a lemonade and never got it so we went to the fridge and took one for ourselves the service was super bad and the food was okay read more

The food is horrible. It gave me severe stomachs issues. Ambiance is alright. Service was okay but I bet they don't meet health codes because of how sick I was. Don't recommend. read more

Delicious authentic food very polite servers served in a timely manner clean and festive atmosphere

Excellent tasting food, great service and charming decor & spacious dining room! So happy I found it in this shopping center, easy parking read more

El Tequila Mexican Restaurant - Chicken Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Gilford, New Hampshire

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Food was excellent but we hadn't figured out what we wanted yet and the server left for so long that I had to go find him to order. I think he might have gotten a little impatient with us. read more

Ive been coming here since they opened. Amazing food, Amazing service, the decor is great especially the new murals that's been painted since the last time I was here. Great Margarita, cocktail selection, and they will help you out with drinks that aren't on the menu. A large selection of tequila from 1800 to Don Julio 1942. read more

El Tequila Mexican Restaurant - House Margarita (special $6.95), Classic Manhattan and Shirley Temple. - Mexican Near Me - Gilford, New Hampshire

8-4-24. My wife and I have been here numerous times. We love it and I'm constantly surprised that not more folks are crowding this place! The food and drinks are great. The food is all authentic Mexican, we have never had a bad meal and I've given myself a goal to try all of their specialty meals. There hasn't been one that I haven't enjoyed yet. Here's a tip for you, if you want a slow meal order a drink or two first as the cooks are fast and your piping hot plates of delicious food will arrive within a few minutes of ordering them. Wonderful family run restaurant with great food, try it and you'll become a steady and happy customer. If this review was helpful please give it a thumbs up read more

After an appointment, I stopped by El Tequila in Gilford for Mexican food takeout. This place used to be a Japanese sushi restaurant located next to GameStop in the Walmart Plaza in Gilford. This casual restaurant and bar offers a good variety of Mexican favorites, specialty dishes, lunch specials, and a full drink menu. The prices here seem reasonable and they offer dine-in, takeout, and DoorDash delivery. The place has nice colorful Mexican art and décorations including the chairs which the back rests are painted with different art.  I placed my order for the Tex Mex Burrito ($12.99 plus tax) served with Mexican rice and beans (refried). The food was bagged and ready for me in 7 minutes after paying. The big burrito was stuffed with pieces of beef steak (very chewy), grilled onions in a soft flour tortilla, topped with a medium hot red sauce and queso. The Mexican rice had a soft moist texture and the refried beans were very soft. They also included warm crunchy tortilla chips and medium tomato salsa too.  Overall, the food was very tasty and the takeout was super quick. The steak however was tough and chewy to eat, but there are plenty of other dishes on the menu I would definitely try out. read more

Have gone a few times--Good service, food & clean environment! --Taco salad w/chicken --Chicken & Cheese Quesadilla Oh.... Salsa is good too! read more

Looked this up on yelp. No way there are enough stars. I haven't had Mexican food this good and well priced to boot, in a very long time. Fresh everything. Hot plates. I had the chicken enchilada beef taco combo and ordered an avocado as well. I yummed through the whole thing. Even the rice.. and I'm a rice snob. My partner was super happy as well. What a hidden gem in a strip mall. Gracias. Waiter was great as well. No minuses for me. 100 % Satisfied. read more

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Place is super cute. Food was delicious and the best part was the Jalapeño Margarita. I had the Texas Bowl and my partner had the Taste of Mexico Place was busy. They are short help so be patient Great little restaurant to go to before a concert at the NH Pavilion in Gilford read more

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Best skinny girl margaritas in the lakes region !!!! The staff is super friendly !!! Go shopping at Homegoods and Walmart then stop for a skinny girl and get the chicken wings xtra crispy !!!!! read more

El Tequila Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Gilford, New Hampshire

Chori Queso was terrible. The chorizo had no flavor, steak tacos were exceptionally mediocre. The steak was thin strips and many were cooked to the point of being hard. No lettuce or tomato or sour cream with the tacos. Just steak in a tortilla with some onions, cilantro and salsa on the side. Black beans were good, rice was fine. Margarita was mediocre. read more

Horrible food and fruit flies everywhere the service was equally as bad. They were demeaning and I left hungry and sad because of the way I was spoken to. Just don't get food here there are sooo many other choices read more

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Best Mexican restaurant in the Gilford area And the service was great. They also have interesting drinks

Tostada, tacos and rice were delicious! Authentic Mexican food in the lakes region finally!

By far the best authentic Mexican food anywhere in the lakes region. Always good service and delicious food every time we come here.

I've been here several times now and every time the food has been amazing. The servers are always exceptional. The atmosphere is great too. Clean and colorful. read more

Best Mexican food I've had in New Hampshire. Friendly service and fair prices. Worth a visit!

We came in with a party of 15 and they were amazing. Food and drinks were delicious. They were very attentive and food came out fast especially considering such a large party. Highly recommend El Tequila! read more

Mediocre at best. Delivered our drinks and never came back for at least 10 minutes. Delivered our meals, missing the rice for my husband's meal and that took another 10 minutes to arrive. Never saw the waiter again til he asked if we were done. The staff was running around-actually running never seen anything like it-and it wasn't even that busy. My food seemed to have either been cooked the day before or sat in the grill all day. read more

Best Mexican food around. I like so many things on the menu but my favorite is the chicken fajita quesadilla with extra tomatoes. So simple but so flavorful. The salsa is also good here and the boys that work here are so nice but yes they are not the best at English read more

Stopped in for dinner during Laconia Bike week. We noticed it was a new(er) restaurant and decided to try something different. The decor is absolutely beautiful! Hand painted tables, carved chairs and everything oh so colorful and authentic looking. Service was wonderful. Tortilla chips (warm) were brought immediately to the table with a mildly spicy salsa. Everyone really enjoyed their meals. We had a variety, including steaks, shrimp, chicken, burritos, tamal, and even an order of wings. The black beans and rice were some of the best I've ever had! My only complaint is that I ordered the camarones chipotle and the sauce was totally broken. A disappointment, considering the chef should have known that and not served it. Had it not been for that, I would have said 5 stars for sure. My husband is not a fan of Mexican food but he raved about his meal. We will definitely come back. I hope the area people will keep them in business. Definitely worth a try! read more

Love it here!! Great food & great service. Portions are plentiful. The interior decor is so fun too. Highly recommend!

Been there 3 times since it opened and all 3 were great. Food is authentic Mexican, not Tex-Mex like most places in this area. Drinks were good, service was fast and the food was very hot and plentiful. No skimping. Prices are very reasonable and the staff very pleasant. Ambiance and décor are wonderful. Very beautiful artwork on the chairs, booths and tables. Will go there again, and many times there after. read more

Had the worst enchiladas Verde last night. Huge piece of chicken breast wrapped with a corn tortilla and a tiny amount of salsa Verde. Overcooked, dry and tasteless. Never had an enchilada with a corn tortilla before. It was a carry out. 2nd time trying them and I am done. read more

We got delivery and it was so amazing we ended up ordering again the next night!! Everything was amazing but the black beans were perfect, Tamal was perfect. 10 stars. Highly recommend. Also, my husband doesn't "like" Mexican, but he enjoyed everything so much he insisted we order again. I am one happy customer! read more

The food is absolutely delicious! Generous portions at an affordable fair rate. I highly recommend! Enjoyed an amazing feast on Cinco De Mayo. read more