El Mictlan BYOB Restaurant

I highly recommend El Mictlan! I ordered the ceviche and the lamb tacos, I was not disappointed. The ceviche had large chunks of shrimp and octopus, the tacos were juicy and tender and the verde sauce on the side added the perfect amount of brightness, with both dishes having just the right amount of heat. Would love to eat here again in the future!

Excellent tacos and Mole sauce

Extremely good food in an unassuming, spot on a quiet corner of South Philly. The guacamole is the best I've had. Ever. BYOB. Extremely nice staff, quick service.

Interesting menu iclectic and traditional at the same time

The food at this Mexican restaurant is quite good, offering a diverse selection of dishes from risotto to octopus. While some options may not be entirely traditional, the restaurant adds its own unique twist that works well. The space is on the smaller side, so if you’re planning to come with a large group, it’s best to call ahead to check for availability. Keep in mind that due to the limited size of the kitchen, orders may take a bit longer during busy times, so a little patience goes a long way.

Cute little restaurant with some of the best Mexican food in Philly. Rivals, if not surpasses food we've eaten in Mexico city. Worth the trip to Snyder st!

Great restaurant, we found a gem, lovely server, we will be back!!

a year or 2 ago I left a 5 star review without any description, but I love this place so much I have to say more - and I have a lot to say. it's actually my favorite restaurant in the city. I've been going to this restaurant semi regularly for the past 2 years, both dine in and takeout, and I have never gotten a bad dish. some weren't my favorite, but it's just a personal preference thing - not an issue with quality or preparation. my absolute favorite dishes are the shrimp tacos and the spicy camohtli.
shrimp can be tricky to cook perfectly, but I've ordered those tacos dozens of times at this point and every single time it's perfect.
the spicy camohtli has a perfect blend of flavors and textures. if you're sensitive to the spice I'm sure you can request them without the chili pepper. I genuinely don't know how they keep the potatoes so crispy even with the amount of sauce on them.
if you're quite hungry and on a budget I'd recommend the chicken enchiladas. in my opinion it's the best value for your money and is also delicious.
I want to take a minute to comment on the 3 star review I saw, referencing poor service and issues with the food. I have literally never had a problem here. I've been here so many times over the years and the staff has ALWAYS been incredibly kind and accommodating. that person must have caught them on a bad day and there was an issue with adding modifications to the online ordering system they used.
I also don't understand why someone cared so much that the enchiladas didn't come with rice and beans for it to affect their review. even iwhen I'm real hungry I'm stuffed from the portion size (4 enchiladas). rice and beans on top of that would be an unnecessary amount of food, and they'd have to raise the price of a relatively affordable item. it also wouldn't match the vibe of their menu. if you want that much food just order the rice and beans on the side!
another person said the quesabirria tacos had too much cheese for their taste. it has quesa in the name! I've had them before and they're great, I just like other options more. I thought they could use a bit more flavor, but not in a bad way. I wouldn't want them to change it based on my opinion, and I recognize it could hide some of the subtleties that are important to the dish. but yeah, if you want tacos without a lot of cheese there's obviously so many other actual tacos that aren't a quesadilla hybrid.
I truly can't recommend this place enough. the decor feels welcoming and makes you feel at home. the staff are amazing. most importantly, I have great respect for the chef in this neighborhood joint. you can tell they put a lot of thought and effort to both the curation of the menu and also the textures and balance of flavors in each of the dishes. it's the perfect blend of traditional dishes and more modern offerings that are influenced by other cultures. if they ever close I would cry more than I did when my dog died. I'm not even engaged, but I'm already imagining my wedding being catered by them (idek if they do that).

Mole enchiladas were phenomenal.

I really enjoyed the potato dish, but the cauliflower tacos are not great. They were not cooked well and lacked flavor. The guac was ok, but not great. I think those three items are the only items you can get right now without substituting, so I currently wouldn’t recommend going. It seems like they change their menu seasonally, so maybe it will be better in the fall

Perfect for a quiet date night. Went when the sun was up, left at night. Byob, love the decorations on the inside of the day of the dead. Very beautiful. Recommend the fried plantains and the 3 chicken tacos. Plus the potato appetizer. Dessert chocolate cake with ice cream to top it off. Delicious ?

Parking: Arrived around 6pm plenty of parking

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Shrimp Tacos

The food was so good, and the service was excellent! The restaurant has a great vibe. We had the burrata cactus salad, bang bang shrimp, quesabirria tacos, taco de bistec, rice, refried beans, and the tres leches cake for dessert. We didn’t have to search for parking and found a spot right away. I’m looking forward to eating here again!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The best food , I’ve had in awhile

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The reviews are what made us come here!! This place was awesome - and all of the food came out in good timing and was hot and fresh. We had the potato appetizer, the burrito, the birria tacos, the lamb barbacoa tacos, the chocolate cake, the tres leches cake, and the dessert drink. Everything was delicious - especially the birria tacos. We were the only ones in here - we couldn’t believe it.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This was the absolute best Mexican food I’ve ever had in my entire life. Don’t judge the place on the outside because once you get in, you’re going to have some amazing food. We hot the quesabirria tacos, the pulpo tostada, and the carnitas tacos. 100000/10

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Esquite, Quesabirria Tacos, Taco Al Pastor