El Charro Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge

They just re-opened. More than anything, I wanted this to take me back 30+ years to the recipes and amazing food I remember. I want to be very objective and fair about this. If you go, be prepared for the portion sizes to be very small. Also be prepared for the prices to be much, much higher. I am OK with paying more money, as that is to be expected. I just don’t want to have to order two $7 bean burritos to get full. The tacos are still amazing. They are also $5.50. That is kind of tough if you are at wanting to get full. Typically, I will eat four tacos. Sorry, I’m not paying $22 for four tacos. The cheese crisp was just as awesome as it was over the decades, but it is much, much smaller. The green chile tasted like someone put some green chile flavoring in a can of stew. I’ve seen other reviews these past few weeks on other formats talking about this exact thing. They need to get their old recipes! Lastly, while their salsa is pretty good, their hot sauce tastes like someone spilled a 5-pound bag of sugar in it. It is awful. I wish them well. However, I will not be back. This really makes me sad, because I wanted it to be amazing. They need to work on their customer service as well. I’ve been twice this week and the exchange with customers is unfriendly at times.

Update September 16: I tried it again today. I brought my brother with me. I made the mistake of trying the tacos without salsa. They were awful without salsa. The enchiladas were below average. The hot sauce taste like straight sugar. I am 100% done with the place. What happened to the old recipes?! The prices are astronomical now. My brother had never tried it before. He took two bites out of his taco and pushed his plate away.

UPDATE October 10, 2024. If you look at my reviews and updates, you can see what went wrong with this place. They reopened with terrible food and high prices. Whatever family members did this should be ashamed of what they did to the original recipes. I’m surprised they lasted 3 years. You can’t serve unsavory food and charge exorbitant prices and expect to stay in business.

It's very sad to see the end of such a big part of our dinning experience for at least 3 decades for my self and family. I hope someone has the kindness to post El Charros recipes. I really am having a hard imagining never tasting their green or chili beef, among many other things. Even thier bean and cheese burritos were amazing.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 3

This is an update to my earlier review. This place is permanently closed.

I have ordered takeout twice since they recently opened back up. Im so disappointed in their burros. They are so small and not much inside them. I ordered a green mixed burro and it was runny both times and not much flavor or meat. So sad this place does not serve the same excellent food that used to have. I hope they fix their issues before it is too late.

CLOSED Permanently

No wonder they had to close.
Now up for sale… Tear down the building and sell the business for the value of the land and be done with it because we are done with you. Congratulations in destroying a Mesa tradition!

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Yeah employee told me it's closed permanently. Probably building another apartment complex or even worse. Another city of mesa office building.

In mesa for a dr appt for my teenage daughter- I live in Pinetop Lakeside and the el charo in show low is so much better then this facility! Not the same menu or atmosphere at all. Pretty disappointed

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Eating there since I was born. Best Mexican food!!!

Parking: Plenty parking available

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: My Chicken Chimichanga, Enchilada, Cheese Tortilla, Bean Burrito and Beef Taco, Green Chili Burrito Deep Fried with Sour Cream and Guacamole, Hard Tacos Beans Rice Chili Burrito, Chips and Salsa, Two Tacos, Macaroni Salad

Always great when we have Chris as a server. Only had one bad server there and I never want that again. Chris is the best though!! And the food is excellent!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Food is always good and so is the service.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I'm 53 years old. El Charro has been apart of my family's dinner vocabulary my whole life. From nights spent at the old "El Charrito" with my grandparents in the 70's and 80's, to takeout from the El Charro of today, thank you for the decades of being there. We recently had takeout and the food was great. Was greeted by 2 lovely young ladies and had a pleasant conversation about the old days with another. When I got home everything I ordered was there, and everyone enjoyed it immensely. Thank You.

This restaurant has been the family go-to for over 50 years. It is the FIRST place I stop when I come back to the Valley!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Honestly not good at al Taco Bell is better tbh not even hating speaking facts been driving by this place my whole life finally went to go eat there to find out place is ran down it was probably good in 1990 but in 2024 this place should be called Ned’s nothing Mexican about this place at all salsa was straight from Cosco if i could give 0 stars I would honestly want my money back

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 4

We had been wanting to go to this place for a long time and it was a disappointment, bad food with no taste, I ordered a combination of enchilada and tamale and I ate only cheese, there was nothing, sauces without salt, not to mention a bar of drinks why the beer without gas! We definitely left very disappointed.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 2

Dusk to Dawn . . . The food was very good. Have had better, but nothing to complain about. I'd go back.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 5

I took a to go order and ordered the El Charles special.It was a lot of food.You can definitely split it with three people ohio recommend it

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5