Very cool bar area, outdoor seating, inside seating etc…read more Great cocktails, Margaritas, cold beers.... Food great as well. It's outside of town but totally worth it.....

I had dinner here on a Friday evening for the first time. El Charro is located about 1 mile east…read moreof Hwy 89 and has a big parking lot when you get there. Outside there was an uncovered patio with a musician playing his guitar. Inside I saw a full bar in its own room and then 2 dining rooms. I ordered the chicken fajitas for $23.10 (weird pricing) and asked for the ranchero beans and homemade flour tortillas. First to arrive was a basket of complimentary chips and two red salsas. One was mild and the other spicy, I enjoyed them both the mild one more so. The meal arrived about 15 minutes later. I noticed the large bowl of beans along with a healthy dollop of sour cream and another one of guac. The sizzling platter had grilled onions and red and green bell peppers with the grilled chicken, of course. The beans were good tasting in their broth but I couldn't detect anything like bacon in them. Kiddos on being such a large serving but taste wise I thought they were average. The fajitas were good tasting with the added pico de gallo that came with the meal but not to the point that I would return for them again anytime soon. And at $23 for chicken seemed to be a little expensive. I would return to El Charro to try something else especially considering that the amount of restaurants in Chino Valley is kind of limited.

Solid 4 star experience - mango margaritas were awesome! Chile Rellenos were very good, very fresh…read more- grate, flavorful sauce - this place is super consistent!!!

Service is meh. Diner ambiance. Food was great. It is typical Mexican fare, but the enchiladas…read morecrema takes it above typical. Expensive, but then, dining out is expensive everywhere.

Fri 3/14/26 5:30 Our neighbors took us to this place first…read moretime for us I had steak pacado burrito and it was excellent, the sauce they put on it is excellent My girlfriend had a chicken enchilada and a asada taco and it was great Service and ambience was great will be back We finally found a truly authentic Mexican restaurant

We've been to this place a few times in the past. The food was usually decent--not amazing, but…read moresatisfying--and the margaritas were consistently weak. On a previous visit, I mentioned the margaritas to the owner, who told me to ask for them to be made "by scratch" next time. Well, I did just that on this visit, and unfortunately, it made no difference. Still watered down and lacking flavor. When I mentioned this to the staff, the only response I got was a polite "sorry"--no effort to remake it or make things right. To make matters worse, the food this time was bland and tasteless, a noticeable drop in quality. They also have a new menu with noticeably higher prices, which might be easier to swallow if the quality had improved instead of declined. On the bright side, the service was friendly and attentive throughout the meal, which is why this review isn't a one-star. But sadly, between the lackluster food, underwhelming drinks, and rising prices, I think this might have been our last visit.

This is a cozy, small eatery serving interesting and flavorful meals with friendly service. Outside…read moreof the colorful interior are sought-after patio tables. I had the Chicken Stir Fry. This innovative dish, for a Mexican place, was based with a yellow rice mixed with the tender chicken, mixed (basic) vegetables, and freshly-cooked green peppers, broccoli, onions and mushrooms. For style and taste, fresh tomatoes and avocado slices were on the edges of the plate. The sauce was mildly salty with a light soy and green chili taste - held together with thick gooey Monterrey cheese. I enjoyed this the richness of this dish. My eating partner had the Polle Mole (pun). This was chicken breast in a dark mole sauce, with the earthiness of chocolate and some sweetness to bring out the flavor. Unexpectedly good eating. Yay!

What an amazing experience!!!!!!! From the moment I called to ask if the beans they serve…read morevegetarian or not I felt at ease. Their beans are vegetarian and they use canola oil to cook their meals. We shared Mexican pizza with shrimp 10 out of 10, light, flaky and full of flavor. Salad Jalisco with shrimp definitely 10 out 10, fresh crispy greens with beautiful grilled shrimp, the restaurant was very clean and cozy. Great prices as well.

This is one of my favorite Mexican food restaurants ! Great, friendly service. Clean & very…read morewelcoming . The food is great & there are so many items to choose from. I highly recommend this restaurant..

Service was excellent! Cute place with many options. Loved the salsas and special orange sauce…read more Hubby raved about the rice. I loved my shredded beef taco. I really want to try the pozole or menudo next time. Extra props for the seared cheese on my beans. Yummmm!!

I have eaten a LOT of tacos in my life. Genuinely a lot. I consider myself a man of experience in…read morethis arena. And I am here to tell you: none of them -- not one -- prepared me for this place. Let's start with the Governor taco. I don't know how to explain what happened to me. One bite and my entire life reorganized itself into "before" and "after." My only regret in this world is that I ordered ONE. Learn from my mistake. Order three. Order four. Then the horchata. One sip and the whole table caved -- everyone ordered one. It's that good. I've already mentally committed to drinking three more before we leave. And the beans deserve their own paragraph. My wife has appointed herself their unofficial spokesperson and is now aggressively recommending them to strangers. I support this campaign fully.

Voted as one of the Top 100 Taco Spots in 2025 on Yelp, we just had to try this place out while we…read morewere in town. This place is a total vibe once you walk in. Great decor and nice ambiance. Large TVs screens to watch the game. It's a great little hang out spot. We were greeted and seated promptly. Chips and salsa aren't complimentary. My youngest opted for the supreme nachos. My oldest and I decided on the taco combo plate. The menu makes it seem like you're limited to certain types of tacos, but our server informed us that's not the case. I went with the Al pastor which was incredible and the carne asada, which was also good. Rice and beans were on point and I loved the salsa they brought out with the food--a verde an a roja, both were excellent. Everything was so good! It was the perfect send off for us as we made our journey home.

Very surprised. I am not a fan of sauce, but the sauces here are very good. I ordered the duck…read morecarnitas with the pasila sauce on the side and it was delicious. My friends tried the halibut, the brisket enchiladas, and the carne asada and all the sauces were very good. The chips and salsa was also very tasty. Strong drinks. I liked the sauce so much that I bought the chef's cookbooks that were on sale at the front desk. I love experimenting with recipes and excited to try to make my own sauces. Parking lot was full so we parked next door. We also made a reservation. Please come and create your own adventure.

I will start by saying it's decent but I definitely don't see what all the hype is about. Nice…read moreplace, good service, decent food. Nothing to get excited about though. I live in San Diego with some of the best Mexican food this side of the border so to me Elote Cafe is Mid. We had the elote, tasted fine, didn't stand out as anything out of the ordinary. What did stand out was the goat cheese balls and the brisket enchiladas. Those 2 dishes got the stars. They were delicious. Again, everything else was just okay. I know it's hard to get reservations here so if by chance you can't get in, don't worry about it, there is always next time.

Super cute interior! The staff was super friendly and the service was quick!! The food was also…read moreDELISH!!! The horchata was amazing i would love to come back here again!!! I'd say the price was pretty reasonable and normal!

7/3/26 Update: Better this time but no adult beverage or dessert so actually somewhat affordable…read more Just under $22 (before tip) for me on a 1 item combination with beans & rice and a soft drink. Complimentary chips still so that's good! I had 3 people help me, so that was fun They also have a fun little shop of handmade pottery and other items.. all from Mexico I believe. Bien hecho! Including photos of the 3-piece ocean set I bought for my wife and I. Thank you.