Absolutely worth the wait!!! Homemade hot sauces put the finishing touch on our amazing tacos and chips and salsa. Everything was so fresh and healthy with delicious upscale Mexican food. Will be back for sure!!
dan s
lively & bustling on a Thursday, quick service, unique twists with our food. Friendly service! would return.
Kristina A
I had the Gulf Shrimp quesadilla & it was amazing!! Food is pricey here, but no more than what the usual would be! Pomegranate margarita was delicious! We came on a Saturday, opened at 11:30 & there was a line out the door waiting already!! We had to wait one hour- ok for a couples place but waiting with 3 kids is not fun!
dm231
It was awesome. Maybe the best Mexican I’ve ever had. Had the chicken mole; it was fantastic. Had a Paloma; it was fantastic. Will return!
hollandandmax
Loved this place! Very friendly staff and the food was great. Owner (Lord Trifle) was a great host and made us feel at home.
X376SXchrisf
Had a party of six and the food and service was fantastic! LOVE their three homemade hot sauces! Ask for Emily...she was a great waitress! Well trained!!!
figment84
We have been to El Barrio many times but for some reason on this visit, the staff was incredibly RUDE from the time we walked in until the time we paid and left. I hate to say that I will choose one of the many of other fine restaurants in Birmingham that actually value their guests before returning here.
MalbecWriter
The heart and soul of downtown Birmingham’s rebirth. Nothing is typical Mexican but everything is fresh, authentic and interesting. The caring staff is what has enabled this place to go above and beyond year after year. The chicken soup, the chorizo meatloaf, and the pozole are standouts. But there’s not a thing on the menu I haven’t loved. Big yes on the tres leches cake, too.
Cheri Collins
I actually live several hours south of Birmingham so all of my correspondence with the management of 2nd Avenue storage was by email. Even so, the management was very responsive and kept me informed of anything I might need to know. They were always a pleasure to deal with…very professional and timely. The facilities are roomy and easy to get to. The management also has a restroom adjacent to the storage areas for renters to use if need be, which comes in quite handy. The pull carts and dollies are extremely useful.
Rush S
We were in Birmingham to do some shopping and could not skip going to one of our favorite restaurants. The seasonal guacamole and al pastor are to die for. Will have to find another excuse to visit Birmingham.
Visiting Birmingham this week and a server the night before recommended this place. Fun atmosphere and you can see it is a local favorite for young adults. As a vegetarian, I had several great options and ended up with the vegan tostada, which was amazing. Huge portions and lots of great flavor. Definitely a must-go place if you are in Birmingham.
TylerV354
So I want to start with all the food seemed to be freshly prepared. You can tell they use fresh ingredients. The restaurant is very nice and clean and the service was decent. My first gripe though is if you are a Mexican restaurant chips and salsa should be part of the experience not an add on. Secondly, the food in general was very bland. The salsa, although fresh, had no spice to it and lacked any semblance of salt. The chips were under salted as well. I got the chicken quesadilla and it was just really bland. It had a tomatillo sauce that had no real flavor to it. There was a crème sauce that came with it but it was in such stark contrast with the dilla that I did not enjoy it. It also came with a little side salad which I actually really liked. The dressing that they used mixed with the cheese was very good. My fiancé got the fish tacos which were also lacking flavor. It came with a sour cream mixture that was the only thing that had flavor. Other than that very bland. I would be willing to give this place another try, everyone has an off night and they were very busy. This experience was just meh because of the food though.
Guzby
We stopped in for an early dinner & the place was already bustling. We were graciously welcomed by the hostess. She was friendly & professional. We started at the bar...we enjoyed two different fresh Margaritas. (The El Barrio & the Spicy) Both were deliciously fresh! The food was IMPECCABLE! We shared the Potato Taquitos for our appetizer. Light & fresh & bursting with flavor! My wife had the Veggie Quesadilla, which was fresh & uniquely flavorful with the charred corn & goat cheese. I selected the Carne Asada which was one of the best I've ever had...I can only describe as delectable! Cooked perfectly & the char was full of flavor. The potato gratin was the perfect touch to accompany such a wonderful dish. Our server was professional & attentive. Overall a tremendously enjoyable meal...Can't wait to come back!
G992SOanthonyl
The food was excellent here. I had the BEEF BARBACOA QUESADILLA and wished it was two times as big. The only thing that I thought was underwhelming was the Spicy Margarita. The quality of the margarita was not very good and it was not spicy.
IraBfromCSG
Started with chips & queso, freshest and tastiest chips possible. We had the chicken enchiladas (large portion), and the sirloin Tacos. The seasoned taco steak is served separately from the cabbage (see photo), sauce and lime, so I was able to assemble the taco/tortilla to my own preferred proportions. I can't recall ever having a better Mexican meal in Birmingham. Service was good, albeit nothing memorable - Our server was a kind young guy, but he never did give his name, so I can't give a shout-out. Pricing is reasonable, we averaged $20/person, drinking iced tea...If you're a Margarita or beer drinker, adjust accordingly. They don't take reservations, and tables fill up fast - We went on a weekday before 5 pm, and by the time we left at 5:45, the place was packed. When food is this good, it's worth the wait you'll likely encounter at peak times.
Absolutely worth the wait!!! Homemade hot sauces put the finishing touch on our amazing tacos and chips and salsa. Everything was so fresh and healthy with delicious upscale Mexican food. Will be back for sure!!
lively & bustling on a Thursday, quick service, unique twists with our food. Friendly service! would return.
I had the Gulf Shrimp quesadilla & it was amazing!! Food is pricey here, but no more than what the usual would be! Pomegranate margarita was delicious! We came on a Saturday, opened at 11:30 & there was a line out the door waiting already!! We had to wait one hour- ok for a couples place but waiting with 3 kids is not fun!
It was awesome. Maybe the best Mexican I’ve ever had. Had the chicken mole; it was fantastic. Had a Paloma; it was fantastic. Will return!
Loved this place! Very friendly staff and the food was great. Owner (Lord Trifle) was a great host and made us feel at home.
Had a party of six and the food and service was fantastic! LOVE their three homemade hot sauces! Ask for Emily...she was a great waitress! Well trained!!!
We have been to El Barrio many times but for some reason on this visit, the staff was incredibly RUDE from the time we walked in until the time we paid and left. I hate to say that I will choose one of the many of other fine restaurants in Birmingham that actually value their guests before returning here.
The heart and soul of downtown Birmingham’s rebirth. Nothing is typical Mexican but everything is fresh, authentic and interesting. The caring staff is what has enabled this place to go above and beyond year after year. The chicken soup, the chorizo meatloaf, and the pozole are standouts. But there’s not a thing on the menu I haven’t loved. Big yes on the tres leches cake, too.
I actually live several hours south of Birmingham so all of my correspondence with the management of 2nd Avenue storage was by email. Even so, the management was very responsive and kept me informed of anything I might need to know. They were always a pleasure to deal with…very professional and timely. The facilities are roomy and easy to get to. The management also has a restroom adjacent to the storage areas for renters to use if need be, which comes in quite handy. The pull carts and dollies are extremely useful.
We were in Birmingham to do some shopping and could not skip going to one of our favorite restaurants. The seasonal guacamole and al pastor are to die for. Will have to find another excuse to visit Birmingham.
Restaurantji Recommends
Visiting Birmingham this week and a server the night before recommended this place. Fun atmosphere and you can see it is a local favorite for young adults. As a vegetarian, I had several great options and ended up with the vegan tostada, which was amazing. Huge portions and lots of great flavor. Definitely a must-go place if you are in Birmingham.
So I want to start with all the food seemed to be freshly prepared. You can tell they use fresh ingredients. The restaurant is very nice and clean and the service was decent. My first gripe though is if you are a Mexican restaurant chips and salsa should be part of the experience not an add on. Secondly, the food in general was very bland. The salsa, although fresh, had no spice to it and lacked any semblance of salt. The chips were under salted as well. I got the chicken quesadilla and it was just really bland. It had a tomatillo sauce that had no real flavor to it. There was a crème sauce that came with it but it was in such stark contrast with the dilla that I did not enjoy it. It also came with a little side salad which I actually really liked. The dressing that they used mixed with the cheese was very good. My fiancé got the fish tacos which were also lacking flavor. It came with a sour cream mixture that was the only thing that had flavor. Other than that very bland. I would be willing to give this place another try, everyone has an off night and they were very busy. This experience was just meh because of the food though.
We stopped in for an early dinner & the place was already bustling. We were graciously welcomed by the hostess. She was friendly & professional. We started at the bar...we enjoyed two different fresh Margaritas. (The El Barrio & the Spicy) Both were deliciously fresh! The food was IMPECCABLE! We shared the Potato Taquitos for our appetizer. Light & fresh & bursting with flavor! My wife had the Veggie Quesadilla, which was fresh & uniquely flavorful with the charred corn & goat cheese. I selected the Carne Asada which was one of the best I've ever had...I can only describe as delectable! Cooked perfectly & the char was full of flavor. The potato gratin was the perfect touch to accompany such a wonderful dish. Our server was professional & attentive. Overall a tremendously enjoyable meal...Can't wait to come back!
The food was excellent here. I had the BEEF BARBACOA QUESADILLA and wished it was two times as big. The only thing that I thought was underwhelming was the Spicy Margarita. The quality of the margarita was not very good and it was not spicy.
Started with chips & queso, freshest and tastiest chips possible. We had the chicken enchiladas (large portion), and the sirloin Tacos. The seasoned taco steak is served separately from the cabbage (see photo), sauce and lime, so I was able to assemble the taco/tortilla to my own preferred proportions. I can't recall ever having a better Mexican meal in Birmingham. Service was good, albeit nothing memorable - Our server was a kind young guy, but he never did give his name, so I can't give a shout-out. Pricing is reasonable, we averaged $20/person, drinking iced tea...If you're a Margarita or beer drinker, adjust accordingly. They don't take reservations, and tables fill up fast - We went on a weekday before 5 pm, and by the time we left at 5:45, the place was packed. When food is this good, it's worth the wait you'll likely encounter at peak times.