El Jalapeño Mexican Restaurant

Off the main road but worth looking for. This is a fun and authentic looking Mexican restaurant. The owners are actually Guatemalan so the food has a little extra twist.
The salsa and chips was excellent, easy to fill up on them while you’re waiting on your food.
I love shredded beef so I asked for a shredded beef enchilada, and it was wonderful. Tender beef with lots of flavor in a flour tortilla covered in white cheese sauce, with a side of rice. Everything was very good.
The staff was very attentive and the manager came by our table several times to make sure everything was ok.
This is a place we will try again.

Published a year ago

Everything was DELICIOUS.

At first, I wasn’t sure about the salsa. It wasn’t love at first bite but by the third chip I was HOOKED. Actual cilantro flavor (my pet peeve when it’s missing!) and good balance, just the right amount of spicy for me. Not at all watery.

We got street tacos and guacamole azteca with house-made hot sauce. The tacos came with a yummy fried jalapeño and onion: see photo cause that onion was gorgeous!

The guacamole azteca:
Lemme tell y’all something.
I LOVE AVOCADOS.
I got this for the avocados but WOAH was the red onion delicious! It reminded me of pickled onions almost, but it’s just salt and garlic if I heard correctly… there’s gotta be some secret there cause they were delicious. we ate like it was going out of style and I used it as extra for the tacos (bc I split them all, see below)

Hot sauce: I may have been tearing up a little. Good flavor, plenty of heat, no regrets.

The street tacos:
I’d rank the shrimp ones first, though they have less meat (duh, it’s shrimp), then grilled chicken, carne asada, and carnitas last. The carnitas had meat flavor but I have had some I liked better, although those were probably not even halfway authentic. These tonight were really really juicy, tho.
The shrimp, chicken, and carne asada were seasoned BEAUTIFULLY for me and I am hard-to-please about steak in Mexican food. Fresh red onion and tons of cilantro, with chunks of perfectly ripe avocado to top it off. They come with two tortillas for structural integrity, I guess, but I actually split them all and ate eight mini tacos instead 😳 and these very nice people didn’t even comment on it 🤣

The people? Lovely. There were two servers and they got a little busy as I came at the beginning of their dinner rush. Having been a server myself, everyone seemed to leave satisfied from what I saw. They did a very good job at balancing everything they had going on and still made time to hear me rave about their food. You should be a little embarrassed for me and also a little impressed bc we finished it all 😅

We will definitely be back to check out the other menu items. I’ve never had birria but I guess it’s time to hop on the trend train and see where it takes me. Also, there was a sign about esquites and I ADORE street corn, but I forgot all about them when I saw that beautiful guac. Soon I’ll return to stalk those kernels.

Plus, they’re open on Monday and I tend to wanna grab food on Mondays and get frustrated bc most people are closed due to slow traffic.

I wish no slow traffic on El Jalapeño. Go try them out or try them again and bring your tastebuds with you. They’ll be grateful.

Published a year ago

Awesome service! Amazing food!! Such a huge portion I will be eating it for three meals! Great affordable prices! Everyone needs to try it!!!!

Published 10 months ago

Salsa...too much cilantro 🤮 Steak quesadilla...steak was very tough and chewy/stringy! Not good quality and makes me question what I ate 🤮 Wife also got like a rice bowl and thought the same. Grandson ordered cheese pizza and fries. They brought him pepperoni and he wouldn't eat 1 bite. Freezer burnt, crust half cooked on bottom but edge was hard? Like how??? AND how can you mess up fries??? Fries had no salt and also tasted freezer burnt and a weird taste like half cooked although they wasn't soft. Can't even explain it. Was looking at planning 2 group get togethers over next few weeks with 15 people, but we will look for another place to go. OH and if you chose to go, make sure you are ready for some bad karaoke! 👎 Now, if they are still open in a year, I may try it again, but they have some kinks to work out!

Published 7 months ago

Perfect. The perfect blend of authentic and "Tex Mex". We ordered the Street corn, and it was the best we ever had including in multiple places in Mexico. The cheese dip was delicious and not watery like in most places these days. We ordered a couple of combos with things like chicken burritos, beef enchiladas, chili relenos, and they were PERFECT. My wife just spoon fed me a spoonful of JUST the refried beans, and it was DELICIOUS. They are doing things very different here while also keeping the menu easy to maneuver. Service was also perfect. He was very friendly, very careful not to get the order wrong, and also extremely knowledgeable about the menu and food.

Like I said. It was one of those rare "Perfect" experiences tonight. It was our first time in and can already tell that we will be eating here often in the future.

Published 8 months ago

Wanted this to be amazing because is close to us. However, service was horrible. We had 4 people at our table and every single order was wrong. The food was mediocre .

Published 7 months ago

Location, service, and food were DEFINITELY wonderful. It's worth the price. I will definitely be going back. One thing I loved was that the menu was easy to read ( I have vision problems), and you can understand what the crew is saying when they speak to you. The people are super nice and friendly, and they always have a smile on their faces. They truly make you feel at home.

Published a year ago

DO NOT GO THERE !
This is the first time I've ever written a review. Worst Mexican restaurant, I've ever gone to. I always order chili roleno and they serve me bell peppers, with two salty of meat. Water down cheese sauce. The chicken was dry and plain.
The rice was dry. We all did not like. Will not be back.

Published a year ago

My family sells the sheds up the street from here, so we frequently eat here! We love this place so much! It is always fresh and delicious!

Published 3 months ago

Fajita burrito is my favorite.

Published 3 months ago

Published 3 months ago

Food was good and it was fresh. well priced as well.

Published 4 months ago

Unas niñas me atendieron y no me dieron la bebida como la pedí , la comida estubo bien

Published 5 months ago

Published 5 months ago

Wanted this to be amazing because is close to us. However, service was horrible. We had 4 people at our table and every single order was wrong. The food was mediocre .

Published 7 months ago

Published 7 months ago

Salsa...too much cilantro 🤮 Steak quesadilla...steak was very tough and chewy/stringy! Not good quality and makes me question what I ate 🤮 Wife also got like a rice bowl and thought the same. Grandson ordered cheese pizza and fries. They brought him pepperoni and he wouldn't eat 1 bite. Freezer burnt, crust half cooked on bottom but edge was hard? Like how??? AND how can you mess up fries??? Fries had no salt and also tasted freezer burnt and a weird taste like half cooked although they wasn't soft. Can't even explain it. Was looking at planning 2 group get togethers over next few weeks with 15 people, but we will look for another place to go. OH and if you chose to go, make sure you are ready for some bad karaoke! 👎 Now, if they are still open in a year, I may try it again, but they have some kinks to work out!

Published 7 months ago

Published 8 months ago

Perfect. The perfect blend of authentic and "Tex Mex". We ordered the Street corn, and it was the best we ever had including in multiple places in Mexico. The cheese dip was delicious and not watery like in most places these days. We ordered a couple of combos with things like chicken burritos, beef enchiladas, chili relenos, and they were PERFECT. My wife just spoon fed me a spoonful of JUST the refried beans, and it was DELICIOUS. They are doing things very different here while also keeping the menu easy to maneuver. Service was also perfect. He was very friendly, very careful not to get the order wrong, and also extremely knowledgeable about the menu and food.

Like I said. It was one of those rare "Perfect" experiences tonight. It was our first time in and can already tell that we will be eating here often in the future.

Published 8 months ago

Best Mexican food in Etowah county! We loved it. We eat here multiple times a week and always come away impressed.

Published 8 months ago

Published 8 months ago

Published 8 months ago

Off the main road but worth looking for. This is a fun and authentic looking Mexican restaurant. The owners are actually Guatemalan so the food has a little extra twist.
The salsa and chips was excellent, easy to fill up on them while you’re waiting on your food.
I love shredded beef so I asked for a shredded beef enchilada, and it was wonderful. Tender beef with lots of flavor in a flour tortilla covered in white cheese sauce, with a side of rice. Everything was very good.
The staff was very attentive and the manager came by our table several times to make sure everything was ok.
This is a place we will try again.

Published 9 months ago

Published 9 months ago

Published 9 months ago

Awesome service! Amazing food!! Such a huge portion I will be eating it for three meals! Great affordable prices! Everyone needs to try it!!!!

Published 10 months ago

This restaurant’s waiting time was about ten minutes and the food tasted amazing!❤️

Published 10 months ago

Very good fajitas. Service was quick and professional. We've visited several times. I would like others to patronize this restaurant.

Published a year ago

DO NOT GO THERE !
This is the first time I've ever written a review. Worst Mexican restaurant, I've ever gone to. I always order chili roleno and they serve me bell peppers, with two salty of meat. Water down cheese sauce. The chicken was dry and plain.
The rice was dry. We all did not like. Will not be back.

Published a year ago

Great Food , Even Better Service

Published a year ago

Everything was DELICIOUS.

At first, I wasn’t sure about the salsa. It wasn’t love at first bite but by the third chip I was HOOKED. Actual cilantro flavor (my pet peeve when it’s missing!) and good balance, just the right amount of spicy for me. Not at all watery.

We got street tacos and guacamole azteca with house-made hot sauce. The tacos came with a yummy fried jalapeño and onion: see photo cause that onion was gorgeous!

The guacamole azteca:
Lemme tell y’all something.
I LOVE AVOCADOS.
I got this for the avocados but WOAH was the red onion delicious! It reminded me of pickled onions almost, but it’s just salt and garlic if I heard correctly… there’s gotta be some secret there cause they were delicious. we ate like it was going out of style and I used it as extra for the tacos (bc I split them all, see below)

Hot sauce: I may have been tearing up a little. Good flavor, plenty of heat, no regrets.

The street tacos:
I’d rank the shrimp ones first, though they have less meat (duh, it’s shrimp), then grilled chicken, carne asada, and carnitas last. The carnitas had meat flavor but I have had some I liked better, although those were probably not even halfway authentic. These tonight were really really juicy, tho.
The shrimp, chicken, and carne asada were seasoned BEAUTIFULLY for me and I am hard-to-please about steak in Mexican food. Fresh red onion and tons of cilantro, with chunks of perfectly ripe avocado to top it off. They come with two tortillas for structural integrity, I guess, but I actually split them all and ate eight mini tacos instead 😳 and these very nice people didn’t even comment on it 🤣

The people? Lovely. There were two servers and they got a little busy as I came at the beginning of their dinner rush. Having been a server myself, everyone seemed to leave satisfied from what I saw. They did a very good job at balancing everything they had going on and still made time to hear me rave about their food. You should be a little embarrassed for me and also a little impressed bc we finished it all 😅

We will definitely be back to check out the other menu items. I’ve never had birria but I guess it’s time to hop on the trend train and see where it takes me. Also, there was a sign about esquites and I ADORE street corn, but I forgot all about them when I saw that beautiful guac. Soon I’ll return to stalk those kernels.

Plus, they’re open on Monday and I tend to wanna grab food on Mondays and get frustrated bc most people are closed due to slow traffic.

I wish no slow traffic on El Jalapeño. Go try them out or try them again and bring your tastebuds with you. They’ll be grateful.

Published a year ago

While the waiter was taking our order he seemed to get frustrated and flopped his arms to his side and sighed really loud. No one ever came to check on us after giving us our food. Everything we ordered was very bland. The fajitas had no seasoning and were dry as a bone. The chili relleno was a stuffed bell pepper. The chips tasted like they were fried in old burnt grease. I asked for spicy cheese it also was bland no spice in it. The only thing spicy you will find there is the habanero sauce in a bottle on the table. We won't be back.

Published a year ago

First & not the last time trying this restaurant. My take out order consisted of ...a la carte...3 soft (shrimp,grilled chicken, steak) & hard tacos(2 ground beef/1 shredded chicken)! Entrees ordered 1 Texanas Style Fajitas & Steak Tampiquena! Sides ordered....Pico de gallo,Tortillas (3). So fresh,hot,and delicious 😋. The chips and salsa are homemade. The service awesomeness. I couldn't stop eating the chips and salsa seriously. Give them a try..you will not be disappointed! Price point and quality..well worth it. Just added this restaurant to my weekly schedule.

Published a year ago

Food is quick and some of the best around. The service is excellent.

Published a year ago

The best flaming fish I've ever had!!

Published a year ago

Best Mexican food anywhere.

Published a year ago

Published a year ago

Published a year ago

Published a year ago

Food is amazing for the price, the salsa is probably the second best I’ve ever had at a restaurant. The music can be a little loud at times, and the decor doesn’t really match the atmosphere, but they’re new, so I’ll give them a pass. They’re not as established in a little more hidden than Mi Casita, but me and my wife prefer to eat here. Which says a lot because we love Mi Casita.

Published a year ago

This was Easter Sunday dinner and it was good. Staff was friendly and busy took good care of us!

Published a year ago

Location, service, and food were DEFINITELY wonderful. It's worth the price. I will definitely be going back. One thing I loved was that the menu was easy to read ( I have vision problems), and you can understand what the crew is saying when they speak to you. The people are super nice and friendly, and they always have a smile on their faces. They truly make you feel at home.

Published a year ago

Published a year ago

It's really good, and the price was very reasonable..service was great 👍 👌

Published a year ago

Published a year ago

Ordered the Flaming Cheese and the cheese was burned to a crisp. Showed it to the waiter and he seemed like he didn't care. I don't think I will be going back.

Published a year ago

Not very flavorful dish. My wife was not impressed either. Thought we would give it a try. Won't be back.

Published a year ago

This is the best hidden gem in Glencoe. We are happy to have another dining option . Great staff and service. Food is so good.

Published a year ago

We will definitely visit again!

Published a year ago

The queso fundido was FABULOUS, and service was great.

Published a year ago

The pico was amazing

Published a year ago

Food was so salty I couldn't eat it.

Published a year ago

Published a year ago

Excellent menu choices!

Published a year ago

Published a year ago

Just a nice friendly place. Ive known the owner for years and hes always friendly. Good food with good service. Give them a chance..

Published a year ago

Omg I love their carnitas rice and beans the waiters are super attentive my only complaint is no alcohol

Published a year ago

Most authentic Mexican food I have had in Alabama! Great service too!

Published 2 years ago

Published 2 years ago

Published 2 years ago

Published 2 years ago

Published 2 years ago

Published 2 years ago

Published 2 years ago

We’ve been several times since they opened and have tried several dishes and loved every one of them. Highly recommend.

Published 2 years ago

Excellent food ! Good music and daily friendly, highly recommend this place

Published 2 years ago

Published 2 years ago

The service was great. The food was wonderful. And omg the sweet tea was amazing. In the South it's all about the sweet tea

Published 2 years ago

Food plentiful and delicious. Staff very nice and helpful. Too much food for normal consumption...but yummy.

Published 2 years ago

Meh...

Published 2 years ago

Published 2 years ago

This restaurant is very good. Their enchiladas were excellent and the device was fast and efficient.

Published 2 years ago