We were traveling through town and stopped here for a quick bite. I went to the bathroom first. There was no soap and no paper towels. During our meal I saw an employee go into the bathroom. She did come out with dripping wet hands but did she use soap? The menus is simple. We ordered the chicken taquitos and a burrito. My server seemed new and wasn't sure about things. He kept asking for help. I was asked to wait quite a few times. It wasn't bad, just seemed like the blind leading the blind. The prices posted on the menu weren't exactly accurate. I was charged more than it showed. Not much, but it was inaccurate. The drink machine was sticky. Every time I pushed the lever I had to stop early or my cup would over flow because it was sticky and kept pouring. It needs a good cleaning. The food was surprisingly good. The chili verde meat was tender and the taquitos were crisp and flavorful. The spice was perfect. Overall, It was ok. I would just like to see a few things better stocked and cleaned. read more

Jose's Cafe Mexican Food - Chili verde burrito with red sauce $14.69 - Mexican Near Me - Ephraim, Utah

The food is decent here. We got the sweet pork burrito and honey chicken half nachos. Similar to Costa Vida but not as good of quality. The decor was a bit meh and outdated. Someone else in our party ordered the special for that day: the beef and shrimp fajitas. They didn't give her a receipt and they were taking forever to fix her food. We had to follow up with them. And when they finally brought out her food, they did apologize but also said they forgot to fix her food. Interesting. read more

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I love their food! Their red sauce is so unique and nuanced. They never ever skimp on serving size, which makes me feel that bountiful feeling. The service is usually mundane and dry but I don't care because I love the food. The atmosphere is airy and wide-open with lots of space between the tables. read more

The food isn't horrible but it couldn't be farther from "authentic" Mexican food. The grilled chicken is pulled from a pot of warm water and if I was to guess it's pre cooked frozen chicken put in hot water..... Again not horrible just don't set your expectations very high, maybe slightly above Taco Bell. read more

I had such high hopes...but no. Slow service, dried out rice that was kept too long on the steam table, cold black beans. I ordered the chicken taquitos and I had to take the taquito apart to find any chicken. The horchata from the cold case was room temp. Finally, the serving line was FULL of flies. Disappointed. read more

Highly Recommend!! Birra tacos were delicious. The two tacos carne asada were excellent. Bathrooms were clean. Employees were polite and efficient. read more

Took my order at the drive up window. Was asked if I wanted pinto beans or black beans . Replied with pinto. Asked what kind of meat. Answered ground beef. After waiting 35 minutes. They came an swiped my card. I asked for a couple of medium drinks. After waiting another 10 minutes a second person came to the window and i once again asked for 2 med drinks. She took my card again and said it was $6.59 for 2 med drinks! Then we waited for another 10 minutes for a third person a male come to the window and asked what did we order . I said we ordered 2 med drinks for $6.59. !! And that we had be n waiting for 20 minutes. By that point I was totally frustrated. Told him KEEP YOUR DANG DRINKS AND MY 6.59 and we drove off. Our food was cold by that time and received black beans and meat that was not ground beef. Our food was cold by that point! WORSE RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE EVER! Beware if you go there! read more

Great lingua! Fast service and good food; dinning room is beautiful, always a great choice for quality Mexican grub.

This is a cafe rio style establishment. You go through the line and pick your protein then beans and rice etc. The tortillas are fresh made but not quite as thick or tast as rio. I had the barbacoa and it was very tender but kind of one note flavor wise. The give you a ton of meat though. I liked that they have spicy pico as an option. And it was actually pretty hot. I payed with a card and was immediately asked if I wanted to leave a tip. Uhh, I guess so. I poured my own water and bussed my own table. I wish places like this would just include a tip in the price of the food. read more

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In town for work. Cinco de Mayo gotta get Mexican food. We went here because of the reviews. TBH it's not bad but not sure I would go back. The service was fast and friendly. Prices are reasonable. Think Cafe Rio or Costa Vida. Bu the food is bland not a hint of spice. Don't get me wrong I am not a fiery food kinda guy but I need a little bit more spice in my Mexican food. So if you think ketchup is spicy this is the place for you. Otherwise drive on by read more

The first thing you need to know is Malena's is gone, it's now "Joe's Cafe". But based on our experience, everything else remains the same. This was our first time, and I read most of the reviews and they are spot on. The asada tastes like pot roast. The sweet Pork is very sweet. And mild is VERY mild, like no heat at all. My wife, who doesn't like spicy food loved it. Ironically, most of the customers were Hispanic which is always a good sign, but none were asking for "mild" anything! I ordered the sweet pork, and it was too sweet for me. Next time I'll try the pork chili verde , or Al Pastor or carnitas. The burrito was enormous. My eyes bugged out at the huge amount of pork she loaded in, then she added more. All burritos are smothered with no extra charge. I think this is a place where you need to find out which ingredients you really like and stick with them. read more

We initially were confused if it was Jose's or Malena's cafe as the signage varied inside & outside. We had burritos, tacos, nachos, and salad. The barbacoa beef tasted like a crockpot roast. The sweet pork was way too sweet for us. The asada (steak) was my favorite, my wife enjoyed the shredded chicken. The grilled chicken looked like the frozen chicken slices you can find at subway, but my dad said it was pretty good. I would definitely recommend the spicy pico (it was more medium than hot hot). It was nice to have the option of half sizes. Not the best Mexican food I've eaten, but if you know what to get you could have a solid meal. read more

If you're craving flavorful authentic Mexican food, this place delivers with no doubt. Their tender chicken burritos with red sauce is packed with bold, Spanish-inspired flavors that keep me coming back, and they don't skimp on portions, you really get your money's worth. One of my most favorite dishes are the birria tacos, they are especially delicious with tender well-seasoned meat that just melts in your mouth. Each tortilla is warm, soft, and full of that rich, homemade taste that perfectly complements every dish. Every bite makes you feel like you're savoring a true taste of Mexico, leaving you completely satisfied. For quality food that hits all the right notes, this spot is unbeatable. read more

Melanas is great to take friends to, just like we did today. I especially like the Chile Rellanos on Wednesday as the special. My go-to is the Raspberry Chicken Burrito with the hot red sauce and all the fixins. Thanks for consisten t good food. I'm a tough grader, so a 4 is really good for me: 5 = Excellent 4 = Very Good 3 = Good 2 = Fair 1 = Needs Serious Improvement read more

Jose's Cafe Mexican Food - Melanas is great. - Mexican Near Me - Ephraim, Utah

Food was good and the prices were so good, we're going to have to make this our stop on this road

Absolutely amazing fresh food. I was surprised to find such a high quality Mexican food in a small town like Efraim, UT! I had the raspberry chicken enchiladas with rice, pinto beans, pico-de-halo and guacamole. Oh boy! The restaurant is impeccable clean. Did I mentioned it was under 7 dollars dinner? read more

Great place for some quick and great Mexican food in Ephraim, Utah. I've been here several times and the daily specials I've had have all been great. They are very affordable and high quality food. It's the type of place where you walk up and order what you want and they make it in front of you to your specifications of toppings and inclusions. Portions are quite reasonable and the food is great. They've even busy a couple times that I've gone but they move people through pretty efficiently. Daily specials come with a drink and they used to have sparkling water as an option. They no longer have that option but that's not enough reason to keep from going back (I maybe need some help with my sparking water addiction). One thing I haven't been able to try yet is their Chile Relleno. They only have them on Wednesday's and I haven't been there on a Wednesday yet. From the regulars I've talked to they are out of this world. Need to find myself down there on some Wednesday soon. read more

Jose's Cafe Mexican Food - Chili rellenos. Worth the trip. - Mexican Near Me - Ephraim, Utah

Malena's is basically Cafe Rio but more authentic. The food was yummy! They give you a TON of meat (way more than Cafe Rio!) but less dressing (which is more lime-y and less creamy than Cafe Rio). They also have the option for a crunchy tortilla under your taco, which is pretty fun. The ladies working when we came were SO sweet. They were willing to help us and answer our questions, and they were very kind. Such a fun little stop on our weekend getaway! read more

Friendly service, good food. A bit busy because of Manti Temple open house, but all in all, it was a good lunch spot.

A Mexican 'cafe rio' type place. Good food friendly service. Beans were rather bland snd we pointed out some if the beverages weren't working but they never fixed or corrected this. read more

Jose's Cafe Mexican Food - This is one spicy dish! - Mexican Near Me - Ephraim, Utah

From out of town, this is delicious! You look at the menu, tell them what you have decided on and they make it in front of you. Pick as many items you want with your burrito, taco or salad. Fast and friendly service. Clean too!! Highly recommend this place. We had a carne Asada burrito and shredded chicken taco. Devoured it before a picture was taken. read more

Jose's Cafe Mexican Food - Chicken taco salad. Not the best picture but delicious. - Mexican Near Me - Ephraim, Utah

7,89/10 It's good, I usually get the burrito al pastor and it's ok. The people there are great, and the food too. The only bad thing is when you are eating and they start using a vacum cleaner which ruins my chance to shoot my shot. But yea, I like it. Would recommend, also, If you like spicy i recommend the red sauce. read more

Joes's was slammed when we stopped in due to the Manti Temple dedication on 3/23/24, but it was definitely worth the wait. Food was excellent and the staff was super friendly and next time we are in the area, we will be sure to satisfy our tummys. Order extra for left overs! read more

Solid four stars. This a satisfactory little restaurant in a small town. If you're looking for Mexican food and don't know if you trust the burger joints because of low reviews go here instead. I got three tacos and enjoyed the asada, raspberry chicken and al pastor chicken. All three were tasty. The kids got cheese quesadillas and felt there was way too much cheese. (I guess I'm stingy at home.) My adult daughter got a bean and cheese burrito and felt that it was quite dry. That could be because she didn't get a sauce in it. My wife got a taco salad with sweet pork. She reports that it was good. The night we were here we were the only people in a fairly large restaurant. Maybe they're busy on the weekends. We came because of the other good reviews and weren't disappointed. read more

Malena's seems to be the small town version of Cafe Rio, only much better. My girlfriend is from Manti, so over the past couple of years she's been showing me the local food one at a time as we come down and visit family. Yesterdays dinner was Malena's. We came in and stopped at the menu. They've got a decent amount of choices, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, probably something else I don't remember...it all sounded good though. Then you pick your meat from a good variety of items. From trying others food I sampled the al pastor, carne asada, and chicken. All 3 were good, but the ordering goes carne asada, al pastor, chicken. I was having trouble deciding between a burrito and nachos, until I got to the front of the line. Someone in front of us had ordered nachos, and they looked perfect. These were nachos made right, a layer of rice, beans and some cheese on the bottom, followed by chips, cheese, meat and then topped off with more chips, cheese and meat. I knew that was what I needed to get. For some reason I asked the server what she recommended...I don't remember her exact words, but they were basically something along the lines of "I don't know what to tell you", which I didn't mind because I already knew I wanted the nachos. So I ordered them with al pastor, not having tasted any of the meats. We then took the food to the table and began eating. My nachos were fantastic. You know how sometimes you have nachos and a chip missed out on touching any cheese or other topping? You don't have that problem here. Every chip is covered in ample toppings. I will say that the beef on my girlfriends nachos had a little more flavor than my al pastor, but both meat choices are great and I don't think you can go wrong with either. Anyways, in a small town like Ephraim you don't have a lot of great choices. This is one of the greats. Stop by and try it out. read more

Better than Cafe Rio. Love the pulled pork and salsa. Quick pickup or sit and relax and enjoy your company. Clean nice place for friends or family. read more

Maleena's is fresh, delicious, affordable and clean. What more can I say? When our family debated on where to go for lunch Maleena's was the one place in we all agreed on, and we rarely agree. Wednesday is Chili Rellano day and the freshly made fare is never dissapointing. Thank you for feeding us good food in an area read more

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Considering it was my first time having Mexican food ever, this place isn't a home run but it does set the standard for Sanpete County. Great size burrito, very fair pricing, and you can add almost anything to the burrito as they have all the food out on display! read more

After eating bad college food for months, all I really needed was a good, old-fashioned enchilada. I'm not kidding, I cried. The food is some of the best in town. Is it the best ever? No. But it's still really, really good. Also, their monstera plant is like 10 feet tall and it's magnificent. 5 stars for the plants. read more

It's a nice little Mexican restaurant located right off main in Ephraim. The food is great. But horchata only comes in small size

Delicious food and great service. Lots of room to eat in. Love the drive through too for take home.

we like this place. we have had all the meat and it's all good. But the sweet pork is not great, it tast like it's just BBQ sauce. the trace laches is way good we always get on to go. Nice people that run the place. read more

Was the worst Mexican food I've had in a while. For as short and rude as the little girl behind the counter was, the food sure sucked.

My favorite Mexican food ever! I am not a big Mexican food lover, but I will always go here when it is suggested. Great, fast service, with friendly staff. Also, love the atmosphere inside. read more

The food is decent but the service is very inefficient. The employees are not able to do more than one thing at a time. Asked for chips and salsa four times. The employee asks us to look at the receipt and see if it was in there, to which our reply was you do not provide an itemized receipt. He and another employee start arguing in front is us about whether or not they were ordered. Also, we ordered carne asada fries.....completley disregarded that we ordered them. Did not ring them up, not that I wanted them for free. However, I don't think the employee could handle more than one item, one order at a time. Like I said, food was decent, but service was inefficient and horrible (when you argue with the customer about chips, in front of other paying customers). Webhad THREE different receipts because the guy at the register and it took forever. read more

Beef asada tacos :) everything's delicious here, but those tacos :D Incredible environment, family-owned, I feel welcomed everytime I eat here and more importantly the food never disappoints as far as quality and amount goes read more

We were excited about this place after reading reviews, and I really hate to leave only 2 Stars, but it was not good. We couldn't finish our food. The meat, sauce, dressing, and even the fountain drinks just did not taste good. We were super disappointed and had to go get dinner somewhere else. The place was clean and they got us our food quickly. read more

Good food for a pretty good price. A drive thru is available if your on the go, fairly fast service. Dining inside is nice, clean and spacious. read more

Great authentic mexican food in the middle of nowhere, Utah. If you're here and craving some mexican, this is the place to hit. Wish there was something like this near me; Chipotle is getting boring. read more

Best. Tamales. Ever. We come out to Manti once a year for the Rat Fink Reunion, and Malena's is just a short drive down the highway. We eat there at least a couple times while we are in the area, because they are worth making a return visit to. And we're not alone. We will often see other folk who are attending the Reunion making the trek down to Malena's for their fantastic food. I still can't believe I have to drive all the way to Utah for decent Tamales. Can't wait until we get back out there next year! read more