I have been wanting to try this place for years. Passed by at least a hundred times. My midget asked for authentic Mexican food, and this place was recommended so much. I see why. If this restaurant was in Mexico, it would work. It's not trying to be something it's not with fancy decor, it's just enough. It's actually quite huge inside. Ok here we go. The service itself could have been better. It wasn't crazy busy, but the waitresses seemed overwhelmed. If you check the website it states as much. The menus are also darn good at describing and picturing the menu items as is the website. The menu is in Spanish, but there is a scan for English translation which was great! Anyway onto the food...we had the choriqueso, pambazo, a taco of chicharon in green salsa, shrimp quesadillas, costillitas en salsa verde, and chile relleno. I don't even know where to begin. They begin with bringing you chips. They were warm and fresh. Much appreciated. The sauce they brought was just ok. That's not why we came. The appetizers that came out were for the most part great. The problem with each dish, the pambazo and the choriqueso was the actual chorizo. It lacked flavor. I'm going to attribute it to a bad batch of chorizo. Also there was an insane amount of queso in the pambazo. Depending on the bite that's all you tasted. It was authentic! Let me get one more negative out of the way. The rice and beans were quite unpleasant. I know it's just a side, but for a place this great to have mediocre rice and beans...you know. Onto to the greatness...the corn tortillas are quite possibly top three if not the best I've had. That's what set them apart from any other true Mexican place. Not Tex Mex. The shrimp quesadillas were huge, and the rich corn flavor from the tortilla only helped elevate and complement the cheese and shrimp. It is the best true quesadilla the midget has ever had. The chicharron taco in the green sauce was great! I'm more of the type that likes the chicharron with a little bit of a bite. Just personal preference. The green sauce on my costillas was a thing of beauty. I can see some not liking the amount of cilantro in the dish, seeing it may have too much. I like it, but the kids did say it was a bit much. The meat was tender, and had the right amount of seasoning. The greatest part is they actually gave me a choice of green or red sauce. I personally am not a fan of chile relleno, I've had too many bad ones, but the oldest offsprings was actually not bad. It wasn't super greasy. That was a a major plus! The filling was fantastic! The red and green table salsas were spicy and delicious. It was closer to a five, just couldn't get over the rice and beans being bad. We are most definitely coming back to try the rest of the menu. Who knows I may just give it a 5! read more

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I love coming here. The staff is always super attentive, the prices are reasonable, the plates are huge, and the horchata is outrageously good. (Seriously, it tastes like ice cream.) My husband enjoys coming because he gets to practice his Spanish and the waitresses are very patient with him as he tries to order haha. The most recent time we visited I had the mole enchiladas, which had a rich and deep flavor. My husband has the al pastor tacos. We both liked our dishes very much. They try to make you feel like you're in Mexico City with all their decor, so I always enjoy that. The only reason I knocked off a staris because the bathrooms need some TLC. read more

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Delicious dishes, reasonable prices, especially the weekday lunch specials. My favorite dish is the chicken molé with its black delicious sauce on chicken. Also, I enjoy the nopale tacos, a la mexicana. read more

My coworker and I like to have what we call payday lunches where we try a new restaurant on, you guessed it, payday. This turn was El DF. Some background, el DF refers to the federal district of Mexico City. The capital has since dropped the DF, but it and the culture remains Mexico City. The decorations and TVs reflect this. You can sit at any open table, no need to wait to be seated. They'll bring out chips and salsa to munch on while you put on your reading glasses to browse their extensive menu. The salsa has a little kick, but most people should be fine. You think I'm joking, but their menu is a multi-page laminated booklet! "where is the [x]? " "look at page 18!" is a realistic conversation. You may have to send your server away if you want to read it all before ordering. With that, it's clear they put a lot of effort into the menu. This time, I ordered the campechana plate with an agua fresca while my coworker ordered the enchiladas tri-color with a sweet tea. NOTE, only some drinks get free refills!! Make sure to check the drink menu or ask your server beforehand. My agua, was unfortunately, not free refill. The food was delicious! The meat was cooked well and the beans and rice were not bland. They also had three salsas and two of them were spiiiicy, especially the orange (presumably habanero) one. My coworker enjoyed his meal as well. The drink and plate does add up, so it ended up being around $17 with tip. If you're looking for a budget meal, check out their daily specials, posted at the restaurant entrance! I saw plates as low as $6, with no drink. Get a water and you're ballin' on a budget. Cheers! read more

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Food was very yummy, and did not give Tex-Mex at all. Authentic flavors and dishes. 10/10 would return. Staff was friendly as well read more

Such a cool ambiance. The food was very unique and also very tasty. This is not your everyday Mexican restaurant, dishes were very authentic and great portions. read more

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Everything is in Spanish so be prepared!!! LOVE it here! Salsa verde is spicy, they weren't stingy with it either. Got one for each of my gorditas. Gorditas were hot, crispy, full of meat and cheese. LOVELY. I also got a sweet tea/lemonade mix, yummy very sweet and slightly sour. PERFECT, not tart or watered down whatsoever. I ordered to go, and service was fast, 10 min if that. There was live music, it was packed and servers were moving with a major pep in their step! Love that. Paid $19 for 3 asada Gorditas and large drink. Can't wait to bring friends! read more

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The food is great, as a native Mexican I can assure you this is no Tex-Mex bs. Their menu is extensive and very reasonably priced. The service is good, the waitresses are very attentive and sweet. The ambiance is also good, properly spaced out tables, nice music selection at a good volume, and they even bring in (good) musicians every now and then. read more

Having some work done on a car close by to this place. Being that it sounds collaborative.Nobody speaks english in the restaurant.Some of the clientele have a problem ordered due to the language barrier. With a little effort, you can be successful.. I ordered the mini tacos by score. Meat had good flavor came with .Whole beans set out on a pepper, sweet onions, radish and a couple of lines. Of course, I ordered fries on the sides, picture showed crinkly but they turned out to be shoe string fries. That was a disappointment.. .There's plenty of seating. They serve beer, Mexican drinks. They have some t. V. .Overall, the food was pretty decent, but I saw so many different platters. Go buy me that look interesting. I'm gonna have to come back and try them. read more

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Good was good nopalitos taco are delicious. Customer service ... well, I guess the lady don't like her job Ambiance.,. The music was very loud. I like music but for breakfast it is to loud read more

The food was great The services Sucks . The Girl at the register Very Rude it almost looks like she is been force to be there . Firts and last time I will eat there....... read more

The food is good, has flavor, the ambiance is very nice. I love the decor. The service can be improve sometimes I get very nice waitresses and ln point with what is asked and sometimes they are very sloppy and do not pay attention on what one asks. read more

Food was good customer service was not. Poor waitress mannerism customers waiting without acknowledgement.

Good not going to lie and good service but there's no free refills on majority of the drinks especially on the "agua frescas" how disappointing. There was also apple juice there too. Which didn't state there were (no refills) so I asked and it also doesn't have free refills. They need to be very clear on things but also I have never been to a Mexican restaurant that has a no refill on there Aguas Frescas. read more

I woke this morning with plans of working out and healthy eating to start my week off right - Then my bestie Karyna called and all went to sh*t! No work out and now we are eating while talking about where we are going to eat after we eat. But my girl never steers me wrong because she took me to this amazing little gem El DF and I can die fat and out of shape with a smile on my face ! Carnitas Carnitas Carnitas, so tasty they melt in your mouth, we started to dip our carnitas in the salsa verde sauce and we think we might have just created world peace. The food was so yammy we started listing some of our favorite restaurants and this one moved into the conversation. Trust me the carnitas and chilaquiles mexicanos our winners! read more

Restaurante El DF - From left to right. First plate is sole sencillo. Second plate carnitas plate, & third plate chilaquiles Mexicanos with shredded chicken. - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Good Mexican food for even better prices. Come here and you will find typical Mexican (not Tex-mex) dishes. They have breakfast tacos to go when you need a morning taco run. They start you off with chips and salsa. The salsa is not the ones that I'm used to with chips. It's more like the salsa you put on your tacos. It's not too spicy either. I ordered the nopalitos (cactus) plate. Watch out because they sneak in some jalapanos into the dish. They aren't too spicy, but can definitely catch you off guard. The home made corn tortillas are thick and not dry at all. We went on a Saturday night and they had karaoke going on. I'm not sure if this is a typical weekend night for them. read more

Restaurante El DF - Nopalitos - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

My oldest daughter and I love coming here for the huarache con asada. My hubby's favorite is the costillas de puerco en salsa verde. My youngest daughter loves their bean and cheese tacos and chips and salsa. The warm salsa is spicy but tasty. Please note if you're on a diet, this place serves good size portions and you will want to finish your plate. I give this place 5 stars for the fresh food, authentic flavor, friendly staff and clean establishment. We highly recommend this place!! read more

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This was a very authentic Mexican food and I was ever so happy to share this place with visiting guest! If you want a true SA Antonio experience! The service was good. The coffee was even better. And the food....take a look at the pictures and your mouth will water! Well all was A ok until the ticket came. They gave me a good subtotal, added $8.12 of gratuity, added in my beverages, charged me one extra drink, then taxed me on that total. So my over total over $10 more because my Gratuity was taxed in my total. Hmmm....... They did recalculate and fixed the charges. read more

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This is a treasure of a find for delicious and inexpensive lunches. Everyday, Monday - Friday, they offer 2 choices for the amazing price of $3.99!! Delicious, filling and cheap; my trifecta of lunch. This place offers me a most excellent ROI. And is definitely at the top of my lunch rotation. If you are in the area at lunch time i highly recommend dropping in. ** $5 minimum for using plastic read more

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Wonderful authentic Mexican food - not Tex- mex. The service was great and with the drive.

Ate here not too long ago and noticed it was on the list of dirtiest restaurants in San Antonio, Lovely... These guys made it as #12 on the list with get this.... a whopping 29 demerits!!! What the... Were they TRYING to get demerits? crazy. The food I ordered wasnt good and it wasnt bad but put that aside, was it clean? cross contamination? see the link below for the full story. http://www.mysanantonio.com/food/restaurants/article/San-Antonio-restaurant-inspections-February-20-6091928.php#photo-7550983 My friend ordered the chicken mole and didnt like it at all. It was chicken on the bone, with the chicken skin still on, and mole just poured on top. She wasnt a fan. I had the mole enchiladas, again not the best, not the worst. Beans were bland. rice was blah. I'm pretty sure it was rice/beans from the previous day. eh. Now I know.. ck the reports, AND check yelp. 29 demerits, oh my. Please step it up DF.. read more

Food is ok. Sometimes it's hot sometimes it's warm. Some waiters are more friendly than others..

Never disappointed! We love this place. It's not Tex Mex but very close to traditional Mexican food. We love their chilaquiles Mexicanos which is like a spicy green salsa on crispy tortilla chips with chicken, onion , cilantro , queso fresco and sour cream ..... yummmmm. It's a while in the wall restaurant so don't expect a luxurious place but the staff is awesome, the restaurant is clean and even though the restrooms are ancient they are clean. We have come for dinner and again never disappointed. Hope your experience is as great Came back 9/1/18 after they closed for some remodeling. Restaurant looks great. Restrooms redone and tables updated. Looks great. read more

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Great food great customer service. Their green chilaquiles are so delicious and full of flavor. My husband always orders the pambazo and he loves it! They have great prices too read more

I'm going to give you my Mexican opinion of this place. A little loud since they have karaoke and TV's everywhere. Food was great I have to say I had a Cactus plate and it was good. My husband had the traditional menudo and it wa actually pretty good, here's what I look for that the menudo is made with honeycomb and that it is made with real Chile not powder so I am impressed with this place. I highly recommend it if you want real Mexican food. read more

I may return... I ordered the carnitas, always a safe dish to order at a restaurant you've never been to. However, I was served fat instead. Small portion of meat, loaded with fat. I'm not exaggerating when I say strips of fat were on my plate. The restaurant offered to give me another plate but I declined. I ate the rice and beans, which were good. In the end, I paid $6 for rice and beans read more

The mole enchiladas were delicious spicy with just enough sweetness, I ordered them off a recommendation. I have also ordered the huarache but I didn't like it too much. If you go try something with their mole! read more

Restaurante El DF - Chicken mole enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

This place is not good and way too overpriced for the food. My wife ordered a lime margarita and dish water must have been used for the mix and it was absolutely disgusting. Save yourself the time and money and choose another one of SA's hundreds of taquerias. Will not be returning!! read more

Wonderful DF-style street food including sheep barbacoa - the original one as in Mexico City

I had to go to my office in San Antonio quite early one day last week and worked through lunch. As I was prepared to return to Austin, my stomach let me know that it had been neglected so I knew that El D.F. would satisfy the ol' belly's needs. I ordered Bistec a La Mexicana which was accompanied by refried beans, Spanish rice and salad. It was paired with a couple of ice cold Bohemia cervezas with a chilled mug. El Restaurante Mexicano El DF has a great atmosphere, good service and authentic cuisine. read more

Restaurante El DF - a plate of mexican food - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Finally! Authentic Mexico City food in San Antonio! This place is great. The food is wonderful. It's not the same Tex-Mex that you see all over town, this is the real deal from DF. Their freshly brewed horchata beats the competition hands down. Their fare is delicious, I'd go back time and time again. The decor is quaint, but authentic. The service is fast and friendly. I'll be back again! read more

Best ill treasure of authentic Mexican ! No Tex mex crap here!! Full of flavor and order time to relieving food is under 10 min every time I've been here for lunch . Waiters speak primarily Spanish in this side of lil Mexico ! But English as well! Those looking to brush up on Spanish come on out! Very friendly and across from fire dept in case the salsa is too hot for the weak read more

Restaurante El DF - Front of El DF - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Well to start menu was not in English But I am thankful to have spent time in south Texas I ordered a guisada taco The meat was a tough as shoe leather read more

Nice hidden authentic Mexican restaurant in a city filled with texmex restaurants. Food is delicious, service is great and the decorations make you feel like you are eating in the heart of Mexico City. The parking is not the best but the food certainly makes up for it. Things to try are the huaraches, gorditas and the delicious tepache. read more

Delicious. Great service. We got the fajita plate. Sopes. Enchiladas. Kids picadillo. Everything was very good. My husband loved his michilada negro. Definitely will be coming back. read more

Awful service. Awful food. Disappointed. I've been here multiple times but this time was the last. read more

Had the huarache with asada , the masa that made up the base was a little too thin , it's not supposed to be crispy , maybe the cook had an off day so I'm willing to give it another try. read more

This was the best mexican food we have ever had!!! Hands down!!!!! And authentic, not like what we are use to north of here....... our waitress was so sweet and kind, she answered several questions and even let me try the mole sauce to see if I liked it. If you are in the area this place is a must! read more

Really like the Mole, I do think some of their dishes need some more seasoning, also people should try their tepache if they have any pretty good! read more

I had this and added extra pineapple! This was a really good I'm very surprised!!! I have never had a burger this good before ! Must try this burger 100% read more

Restaurante El DF - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas