Don't do it!!!!!!! We had an hour to eat before a show at the Capital Theater and we decided to eat here because it's right next door. We waited for 15 minutes for our drinks, and my margarita was bad.. like, I don't even know how you mess up a margarita, but it tasted like the juice was not fresh. My husband ordered a seafood dish and I ordered nachos with shredded beef and a side of guacamole. Another 35 minutes goes by and we still have no food.. and we're seeing patrons that came in after us finishing their meals and paying their bills. The waitress finally comes over and I tell her that at this point, we have to cancel our food and leave because the show is about to start, and she says, "You didn't get your food?", and I say "No, we didn't!".. so she says "two minutes", and I said, "We have to go, just forget it", and she says, "ok, I get it to-go", and I'm like, "We cannot take it to-go, PLEASE get check for our drinks!". She walks away and comes back with a container of tortillas ?? and this plate of "nachos".. it was like 12 chips, burnt, with cheese, no beef, no guacamole.. so I explain that this is not what I ordered and again.. to *please* get us our bill for drinks so that we can leave! She starts arguing and saying that there IS beef on them.. lol!!! (Look at the photo!!!). A couple at the next table said "Is she serious?? This is madness! I'm so sorry for you guys, you should just leave!". Just then, a really nice waiter saw that there was some kind of issue and he came over to talk to us. I explained what was going on, and he ran to the kitchen with the plate of nachos and had them put some beef on it, and brought it back with a side of guacamole.. he apologized and gave us our bill (with the $20 nachos and guacamole still on it, which was ridiculous IMO.. look at the photo). We shoveled a few nachos into our mouths, paid our bill (and tipped 20%+, which I'm still not sure why we did) and ran out of there. Do not waste your time or your money!!!! $57.26 plus tip for crappy service, no food, 2 drinks, and 2 cans of soda. Unreal. read more

Mexican Amer El Tio - This is supposed to be nachos with shredded beef and a side of guacamole. - Mexican Near Me - Port Chester, New York

To say the least the food was mediocre and way over priced not to mention the service was pretty sluggish and honestly out of all the other options in port chester to eat at, id definitely go to any other restaurant that is close in either direction, ive also seen them reuse salsa's left from previous customers onto new ones. Point is there are many better options read more

Luke warm service. Sub mediocre food and drink. We ordered a patron silver margarita to start, figuring a Mexican restaurant that's been open since 1991 would know how to pull off. What we got tasted like store bought mix with very little tequila. Queso fundito app looked like something a college kid threw into the microwave one time at 2 am in their dorm room. Chimichanga wasn't bad but only came with about a half teaspoon of sour cream, Pico and guac on the side. All edible but not very good. They tried playing music from the band that was performing next door at the Capitol theater but they played the same 2 songs over and over and over. I Heard the same 2 songs 4 times through dinner and that was all they played. I felt like I was in the Twilight zone. This place is lucky to be located where it is and that is it. No frills Mexican. I wouldn't go back read more

A lot of these reviews (from a few years ago) state that El Tio does not give you an itemized bill and that they add a gratuity fee. Both of these are currently untrue. I received a normal itemized receipt and I was able to add my own gratuity. See my attached picture. I love this place; the service is great. It's a small establishment so there are always servers walking by your table to refill your drinks and see if you need anything. I had the chips and salsa and chicken enchiladas - I've ordered this a few times before, as well. All of my food was fresh and delicious. Chicken enchiladas are my go to and these were very authentic. I'm so glad I came here. I can't wait to stop here again to tryout more of their options. read more

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A convenient spot to grab a bite before a show at the Capitol Theater next door. Get there early. It gets crowded. We stopped in the other day before a show. Great tunes playing during our meal. The service suffers as the place fills up. Still, really good chips and two types of salsa, mild and hot, to start. Good cold beer and chipotle steak. We asked for rare despite being a thinner cut of meat and it came out rare! Greatly appreciated. So, my kind of place. Good tunes, food, cold beer and a great place to hang before a show. read more

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BE AWARE THAT THE TIP IS INCLUDED! Check your bill. That is NOT a criticism, just be warned. We popped by this place prior to seeing a concert down the road at the Capitol Theatre. It is within walking distance of the theatre. The place was kind of full of diners and it looked family friendly. They had sangria which was kind of sweet. They had wine for $7. We weren't hungry but had some time to kill, so we ordered quesadillas. I had to ask for water, which I found rude/annoying. If we order food and booze, give us water! WTH? Then they were like "bottled water?" Ummm no, I can plainly see you're trying to pad the bill because the 20% tip is included. Shady. read more

Food was good. But do NOT be in a hurry to go anywhere after dinner. So slow, took almost 30 minutes to get the check and we had a concert next door. read more

DO NOT listen to the bad reviews!!! I've been coming here for twenty years, and have eaten Mexican food all over Mexico. The food here is some of the most authentic and delicious you will find in the states. Particularly their tacos -- the adobada is highly recommended. Fantastic chimichanga, enchiladas in red mole, shrimp Veracruz, etc. I no longer live in the area and commute here regularly as a pilgrimage of sorts. It's fun, delicious, comforting food. read more

Decent not great - got the combo Chilli Relleno and Chicken Enchilada. Spicy/Jalapeño Margarita was ok, nothing special. Poor service. Still a good place to hit preshow at the Cap read more

Excellent food great atmosphere and music can't wait to bring the family back to try it ... flan is delicious... I want to get up and dance to the music... first time here but will be back for sure read more

Mexican Amer El Tio - Flan - Mexican Near Me - Port Chester, New York

Red snapper was delicious, bathrooms were clean, they had artist's music on before the show! Fantastic service, and fair pour on alcohol! read more

Mexican Amer El Tio - Red snapper was fabulous! - Mexican Near Me - Port Chester, New York

This is our favorite Mexican Restaurant in Port Chester. The food is always fresh and my man Loves ths tripe soup, very authentic and hard to find. There margaritas are awesome also!! read more

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We were in town for a show at The Capitol. It's right next door so we stopped in for drinks and dinner. Special guava margarita didn't taste much "guava flavor" but it was a good pour of tequila. Friend had a vodka cocktail with another good pour, which is good because the drinks were a little pricey at $12 each. There is a full bar though, which was a pleasant surprise. The food was a little pricey as well but the flavors made up for it. I had the Chile Rellenos/Enchilada combo. So good! Smokey sweet spicy (not too spicy) and delicious. Other had quesadilla combo, shrimp dish, and chicken fajita. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Because of the show, and a Saturday it got really busy after 630 or so but staff was very attentive and available. If going to a show, definitely give it a try. But keep in mind when bill received the TIP IS INCLUDED (which I found strange). Overall very pleased and would go again. read more

Wish I loved this place. I ordered a snack while I waited for a friend to get off the train. They brought out the usual - tortilla chips and salsa. I had a bottled Modelo to drink and ordered beef Nachos off the bar menu, which was an underwhelming portion considering the price advertised. The large oval plate had a lot of space around the perimeter and I actually ended up taking the rest of the plain tortilla chips and added those to my nacho plate so I wouldn't be left hungry. Unfortunately, this wouldn't have bothered me so much if I weren't overcharged - they swiped my card about 5 times (I got a fraud call from my bank while I was there) - and when I asked for an itemized receipt I saw their computer registered my nachos as being $3 more than what was listed on the menu. Unfortunately this left a bad taste in my mouth, and by the time I pointed out the difference they had at that point run my card - I waited so long they just handed me cash to make up the difference and I left. It's annoying because $3 doesn't seem worth it, right? But I felt scammed like they thought I was stupid the way they responded. The food wasn't spectacular, but if it weren't for the lack of organization/professionalism I would have still gone back. Like I said - I wished I loved this place. read more

Friendly staff but if it gets even a little busy, expect long waits after ordering & prepare for chaos & confusion. That said, we still go out of convenience (the Cap) however, this trip was our last. After asking several people, several times for the check, I hurriedly added 20% tip & asked for a full breakdown. After the 3rd ask they finally gave it to me, we ran out as we were now late to the show. Noticed later the reason for the stall... They snuck in an 18% gratuity on our 4 top & didn't want me to see it. Bastards! read more

El Tio is a revelation. Food here is fresh and authentic. The parking is an abomination but what do you expect being right by the Capitol Theatre? The salsa is amazing and I would eat it as soup if I could. They have all the conventional combinations of enchiladas, burritos and chimichangas, etc. Still -- places like Chipotle can't touch this. The chicken tasted fresher than you find in most places. As for ambiance, the place is darker inside than a church confessional. I would not only come back for the food but I might go out of my way to do it. Service was pleasant but a tad slow with the check. Really friendly though. read more

A disappointing experience at this restaurant. We were really looking forward to eating here because we'd stopped in for a drink a while ago and liked the vibe. Unfortunately, the "vibe" this time didn't make up for the terrible service and general disorganization of the place. We honestly could not tell who our waitress was. It took forever for everything except getting our dinner within a few minutes of our appetizer. Try fitting nachos and fajitas on a tiny table for 2. We had no plates and the waitresses asked if we wanted plates and we were pretty amazed because we thought it was fairly obvious we would need plates. Then she just brought one and asked me if I wanted one. Wow. It seemed like waitresses were not assigned to any particular table or area. We were there before the place filled up and then it was impossible to get any service. We asked for more drinks which never came and had to go to the bar for water and wine. We asked 3 different waitresses for our check which didn't come. The most frustrating part-a 20% gratuity was automatically added in to the bill. Really annoyed by that. It's just wrong. And just another added negative comment-no paper towels in either bathroom. What a wreck of a place. I'm not going to review the food-it could be terrible or great-doesn't matter-horribly managed establishment. My boyfriend and I are very, very patient people, so for me to write this type of review-it had to be bad. read more

Love this place. I'm the biggest fan of Ma & Pa brick and mortars. I love, love, love a great hole in the wall that you can actually have fun at and eat half way decent food. For this picky chef I was impressed. If I ask for something a certain way they made the time to take care of me. Everything is always great. Fresh guac, fresh rice, Chimichangas are always perfect. Beans are great. Cold beer when I order. They just got new tables which are ok. Some are lopsided. I wish they'd get rid of the pendant lighting in the corner. It's too close to the head and can at times be way too hot. They need to work on the lighting. Parking: There is a lot across the street. After 6 or 7 I believe you can park in the train station. Speaking of that you can easily get here from anywhere because it's right next to the train station. The all new "world famous" Capitol Theatre is right next door. Great place to see a band and the bar on the side isn't too shabby as well. Speaking of bars. El Tio has a full bar and some tequila choices. Don't forget this is a hole in the wall so don't come here wanting 300 tequila choices. In closing. Go here. It's great with friends, couples, families, and or by yourself. You can sit at the bar. Have fun! read more

Once I walked in, there was not one person who wasn't hispanic in the restaurant. I take that as a good sign that the place is very authentic. The feel of it was quite authentic too. Not a long of bang to the ambiance, but just a regular place you find normal patrons at with their families. You get a nice selection of everything Mexican on the menu from Enchiladas to Chimichangas to Tacos (and much more of course). Service was fast and the waiters are very accommodating (even to non-latinos). I ordered 2 chicken tacos and 1 beef tongue taco (priced at $2.50 each). They were nicely dressed with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and guacamole. Presentation was also very pleasing to the eye, so that struck a nice note. I also ordered the Guava juice... man I love guava juice! Overall prices were reasonable depending on what you get - averaging around $12-15 and portions are large. If you're looking for an authentic Mexican place, look no further! read more

Gone are the days when El Tio made tortillas from scratch. I remember seeing big sacks of masa in the back. Now they serve Costco garbage. I had carne asada tacos that were nearly uneatable. Over cooked bits of fat and a few pieces of meat. No cilantro and few onions. The beans were beyond watered down. Rice was eatable. Wife had a Cesar salad that was beyond blah. If I ever return, it will be for drinks only. Such a shame. Had so many good meals here when the kids were young. Was a favorite destination. read more

Went to grab a bite before the show yesterday. I ordered ceviche and my boyfriend ordered steak quesadillas. When the waitress brought the food they brought a quesadilla and shrimp fajitas. I said oh no I ordered ceviche and the waitress looked at me like I was crazy. She then tried to convince me that I wanted the fajitas instead and the other dish was too light. I again said I wanted what I had ordered. She left and then brought the original waitress who had taken the order. She said you ordered shrimp fajitas I said no I had not. Then she also tried to convince me to have the fajitas. Eventually they brought out the ceviche but at that point I did not even want to eat it. When the check came out they charged us for the fajitas. We did not want to argue any longer and just paid and left. Awful experience. Would not recommend and will definitely not return. Worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. read more

Decent food, but double-check your bill! We were a party of four. The food and service were fine. When we got our check, it was higher than we had anticipated. After we kept asking about it (it was hard to get an answer out of our server), she eventually told us that it was a 20% tip. We were so surprised! For one thing, I had never seen a tip added for a party of four. A large party, yes, but for four people? That's unusual. Then, I didn't see any mention on the menu that this was their policy. Plus, the check itself was kind of scribbled, and it was impossible for us to read what that extra charge was. We paid the bill, but we left feeling that we didn't have a good experience at El Tio, sad to say. Diner beware! read more

The "red" sauce on my cheese enchiladas was really unique. Tasted great for the first few bits, but it got to be too sweet for my tastes soon after that. The beans and rice were fine. The chips and salsa were also normal. When I asked for the chips with my take-out order, I thought I'd just get some chips to go. They ended up charging me, which was a bit unexpected. Not a huge deal, though... read more

Air conditioner was a bit too strong, the music an incoherent mix of loud things, and - as the reviews here do point out - they add an 18% charge for a tip. They dont say anything and I suspect if you are carelessly tip above that, they'd be more than happy to take the extra tip. The food is not as authentic as it purports to be, the portions fairly small. It's an alright place but not all that. read more

Located next to the Port Chester train station, this Mexican gem packs a diverse crowd of locals, business people, and guests. The bare minimum decor is a glaring bright terracotta and lacks any appeal, but the restaurant is spotless. El Tio has a failry large menu of authentic Mexican dishes, and the portions are huge. Service was fast and courteous. I came on my lunch hour, and was out in 30 minutes with time left to spare. They don't have a vegetarian section on the menu, but are happy to make any dish veg friendly. read more

Mexican Amer El Tio - Bean and cheese enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Port Chester, New York

Food is good. Place is clean and inviting. I am already thinking when I am going to return.

Perhaps the worse service I've ever gotten at a restaurant. When we walked in there was no hostess or anyone. We just stood there for 15 minutes and eventually had to track down a waitress. When we finally got a table the waitress was rude and inattentive. No chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant? Food was cold when served. No checkins for drinks or food. Could have just walked out since we hadn't seen the waitress in 45 minutes. Also the margaritas were god awful. Stay away from this dump. read more

We had a great dinner tonight and we'll definitely return soon. The guacamole was very nice, the chips light, crispy , and warm. My chicken fajitas was superb; caramelized onions, juicy and flavorful chicken, and a lot of it. The side plate of salad, rice and refrained beans was a generous presentation. The beans were delicious. Everybody else's dinners looked delicious. Four stars. read more

Great, great Mexican food. Decor isn't amazing, service good..always fast.

I will state that this restaurant has FANTASTIC salsa. Unlike most Mexican restaurants, however, they don't include it with the meal (But it is inexpensive enough). I am 110% convinced their carne asada is microwaved...110%. The salsa really raised my hopes but then the burrito was just awful. There's also no Mexican tomato sauce on top which maybe that's just preference but it wasn't there. My girlfriend's taco salad was OK but just OK. Given the demographics of the community surrounding the restaurant, I don't get how this food wouldn't be anything other than AMAZING! Would I go back? Yes. It is next door to the Capitol Theatre and so the convenience is definitely a factor as this would be my only real reason for going back to this area. Such a missed opportunity though if you ask me. If the rest of the food would complement their salsa, this place would be unstoppable. read more

Stopped here for a few drinks before a show at the Capital Theater, and then eats after the show. The mixed drinks are a little strong, so just beware of this going in. The food is very good. I'm an expert in Mexican cuisine, but it sure did the trick for me! The only thing that sort of put me off is they automatically put an 18% tip on the bill. I don't like that at all .... especially when I don't catch it and tipped twice. Not that the guy didn't deserve it because he was great. I just don't like places forcing a gratuity on me. It's presumptuous. read more

Very nice experience. Monday night...place was empty. Had an avocado tostado and a chicken tostado. Absolutely delicious. Waitress was very nice. I look forward to returning in the near future to try something else. read more

Sitting down, I had the strange feeling I was in prison. Not some dreary downer type prison like Riker's Island, more like a hipster Indonesian prison where you learn to dance like Michael Jackson. The concrete block walls were colored this great orange-red hue with bright white mortar that matches those cool prisoner jump suits exactly. I don't know a chimichanga from a chupacabra, but luckily the extensive menu described all the dishes in English, awesome for trying new things. I immediately ordered two tacos. The two servers spoke passable English leading me to believe they were authentic out-of-towners who picked up another language for the same reason I did...to be able to swear with a larger vocabulary. While there were (disappointingly) no f-bombs exchanged, our server efficiently took our drink order, delivered said drinks, took our dinner order, delivered our appetizers, and delivered our dinner complaint free. The tacos were good. Cheryl's quesadilla was spectacular. I totally got screwed by my dish selection, so I proceeded to eat half of Cheryl's meal. I also had to try her rice since I ordered a la carte (remember the tacos?) and found the fluffy starch to be equally spectacular which is more than I've ever felt for Mexican-style rice before. I'm pretty sure the secret ingredient was safron, though it may have been Demerol. Finally, while Cheryl kicked back with her traditional Mexican restaurant beverage, a Dos Equis Amber, I ordered the great American beverage...a coke. They served it in a can which was a mild surprise since Costco is two blocks away and sells "Mexican" coke in bottles by the case for like $3. But I have to admit I love restaurants that serve canned cola. Not only was it ice cold, but you know they secretly do it so that they don't have to offer free refills. This was a solid place for some good authentic Mexican food (as far as I could tell...I really have no idea what authentic Mexican food tastes like). read more

Went here because it was close to The Capital & it was great. Guac and Chips, and Quesedilla's were delicious. didn't try outside of that but the mojito was good and service was good as well. read more

Mexican Amer El Tio - Mexican Near Me - Port Chester, New York

I came here before I was seeing a show next door. Looked pretty authentic from the outside. I was seated pretty quickly as it was somewhat slow inside. They serve you chips and salsa and the salsa was great. A little heat but not spicy. The chips tasted a little stale. The service was average, nothing spectacular. For dinner, I ordered the chicken tacos, with added cheese. I was pretty surprised that the chicken was really dry and so were the tortillas. I might return if I'm seeing a show and try something different, but I definitely wouldn't order the tacos again. read more

****ASK FOR AN ITEMIZED BILL. Stopped in for a pre-show dinner. Staff was friendly and food was tasty. I also had a glass of the red sangria that was super delicious. When we received the bill, it was a receipt that showed: Total _____, Gratuity _____, Final Total ______. Now . . . we had 2 entrees, 1 glass of sangria, 2 desserts and 2 coffees, and the Total seemed a bit high at $73 and change. Add on a gratuity (as you are encouraged to do with the receipt that they give you) and we're looking at a bill running close to $90. So we calculated in our head what the cost of food should have been and we could not get our math to equal $73. So, we pointed this out to the person who appeared to be the manager/chef thinking maybe we received someone else's bill. She said, "No" this is your bill. We then asked for an itemized bill which seemed to annoy her. Lo and behold . . . the itemized bill showed they had automatically added on an 18% gratuity (their loss because unless service is freaking awful we tend to be 20%+ tippers). Now maybe we're wrong, but honestly this felt like INTENTIONAL DECEPTION on the their part. Why encourage ANOTHER gratuity with the receipt that is provided at the end of the meal? Reading other reviews, clearly this has happened over and over again when people ask for the itemized bill and realize why their total is higher than expected. So was the manager just playing dumb when we questioned the total? Honestly, this crap annoys me. So, my suggestion, is go somewhere else. Don't support this kind of business model. Shame on them!!! read more

I hate writing bad reviews but this calls for one. The food was barely edible, service was excruciatingly slow, then they charged my friends for top shelf liquor when they were drinking Jose Cuervo and refused to change the cost. Few days later, turns out they charged my card $25 for my $10 awful tacos. Once I called to complain, they refused to credit back my money and I had to file a dispute with my bank. Do yourself a favor and don't come here. read more

We've been coming here for many years, and have always enjoyed the food, service, atmosphere, etc. Yes, there have been times when the service has been slow, or we had to ask for refills on water, or wait a few moments before we got the attention for the wait staff; but, as a local family owned business, this doesn't stress me out. The quality of our food has never been an issue. We will continue to dine at El Tio and bring our family & friends w us. I don't recall the tip being included, or not, but I will be sure to keep my eyes open for that. read more

If I help you avoid one restaurant in our lifetime that you would thank me for later, it's this one. Check my other reviews for fairness. This was our 2nd time "dining" here before a concert at the terrific Capital Theater. The 1st time, awhile ago and I recalled not wanting to go back but forgot why. The service at this joint is the worst. Uncaring, absurdly slow. We ordered within 10 minutes of sitting down. The place was not packed and had plenty of servers. We got our drinks quickly and 1 hour later, were never offered another drink. That same 1 hour later my wife's dinner was brought after being told our meals would be out very shortly 20 minutes before. They then said mine would be right out. 10 minutes later it wasn't and I told the server to cancel it. 10 minutes after, when I was already sharing my wife's plate, they brought mine out which I quickly sent back. I had to then wait another 20 minutes for a check including walking to the back to get it. The check was wrong and had to be corrected twice! And i think they somehow still stole a few extra dollars. For the 1st time in my life, I left zero tip. I paid cash because I didn't want them to have my CC. DO NOT EAT HERE. You're welcome. read more

Watch out because they put an automatic 18% gratuity on a party of 2. I would have actually tipped more. Food was very mediocre. Salsa & Guacamole were horrible. read more