We were passing through Charlottesville traveling and were starving. We found your place on Google and decided to give it a try. Amazing food and excellent service. Loved the chips and salsa. And my meal and my husband's was delicious. I highly recommend stopping by this little hidden gem if you are hungry. Thanks for the meal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patrick Keese
El Puerto is what Guadalajara wishes it was. This place has good service and excellent food especially for the price.
Get the chicken soup and thank me later.
Ahri A
El Puerto is an absolute gem—unassuming from the outside, but once you step in, you're greeted with warm, consistent hospitality that makes every visit feel like coming home. The service here is always attentive without being overbearing, and the food speaks for itself.
The Steak Ranchero is a standout: reasonably priced, packed with bold umami flavor, and spicy enough to make your taste buds dance without overpowering the dish. Every bite is deeply satisfying.
They start you off with free chips and an incredibly fresh homemade salsa that sets the tone perfectly. Pair your meal with the guava soda—it’s fruity, fizzy, and just the right amount of sweet. For dessert, don’t skip the flan. It’s wonderfully sweet, smooth, and jiggly—just the way it should be.
El Puerto delivers amazing value and flavor in a cozy, welcoming environment. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Battlefield Process Serving
I asked my daughter (who just graduated from UVA) for a referral on a Mexican restaurant. Let’s just say that if we lived closer, we’d be eating here EVERY week. Great food!
Victor Veliadis
Informal place for Mexican food.
Gerryh
Great food from a locally owned restaurant. Staff is genuinely friendly. Good prices
Michael Lamberson
Jake and G-Nat called it, this is a great Mexican restaurant. Food is wonderful and menu is extensive. Very reasonable prices too.
Zachary Rosen (Xiri)
The locals say this was the place to go. They were correct. Everything from the service, food, and atmosphere was perfect for eating true mexican food.
Adrienne Eichner
Chili rellenos at El Puerto, Barracks Road, are the best in town! Yum!
Dennis Terribile
Been going here for years. Consistent good food and service.
It's really hard to write a Mexican restaurant review because we lived 7 miles from the border for 15 years. This places does the best they can with what you can get here, I bet. The food was ok. I got a combo plate that ended up being all ground beef items and my husband got combo plate with a tamal (tomale) that was pretty dry and a chicken enchilada that was delicious! Loved the mild flavors for our daughter but missed the distinct Mexican flavors of Mexican food in Mexico! Here is my issue with this place, and tell me if I'm wrong because we just moved here - We were charged 16% in taxes. When we asked for the bill it was what we ordered, plus 16% dining tax. When we asked, they said 12% plus 4% for card tax even though we hadn't even showed a method of payment. I don't know if they would have taken off the 4% had we had cash. If all seemed a little sketchy but maybe that's how it works around here...? They have a kids menu with a good selection!
Aaron Mcreynolds
Excellent homey restaurant with kind staff and good prices.
Madison McManners
I go here all the time, often alone. It’s always delicious. You can’t go wrong on the window. Servers are kind and prices are reasonable. Grateful I found this place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
steven Hayes
A decent Mexican restaurant. My Arroz Con Pollo was very bland. I will probably search from something better next time. This one was very close to the hotel we were staying at.
We were passing through Charlottesville traveling and were starving. We found your place on Google and decided to give it a try. Amazing food and excellent service. Loved the chips and salsa. And my meal and my husband's was delicious. I highly recommend stopping by this little hidden gem if you are hungry. Thanks for the meal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
El Puerto is what Guadalajara wishes it was. This place has good service and excellent food especially for the price.
Get the chicken soup and thank me later.
El Puerto is an absolute gem—unassuming from the outside, but once you step in, you're greeted with warm, consistent hospitality that makes every visit feel like coming home. The service here is always attentive without being overbearing, and the food speaks for itself.
The Steak Ranchero is a standout: reasonably priced, packed with bold umami flavor, and spicy enough to make your taste buds dance without overpowering the dish. Every bite is deeply satisfying.
They start you off with free chips and an incredibly fresh homemade salsa that sets the tone perfectly. Pair your meal with the guava soda—it’s fruity, fizzy, and just the right amount of sweet. For dessert, don’t skip the flan. It’s wonderfully sweet, smooth, and jiggly—just the way it should be.
El Puerto delivers amazing value and flavor in a cozy, welcoming environment. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I asked my daughter (who just graduated from UVA) for a referral on a Mexican restaurant. Let’s just say that if we lived closer, we’d be eating here EVERY week. Great food!
Informal place for Mexican food.
Great food from a locally owned restaurant. Staff is genuinely friendly. Good prices
Jake and G-Nat called it, this is a great Mexican restaurant. Food is wonderful and menu is extensive. Very reasonable prices too.
The locals say this was the place to go. They were correct. Everything from the service, food, and atmosphere was perfect for eating true mexican food.
Chili rellenos at El Puerto, Barracks Road, are the best in town! Yum!
Been going here for years. Consistent good food and service.
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent service! Best tamales!
It's really hard to write a Mexican restaurant review because we lived 7 miles from the border for 15 years. This places does the best they can with what you can get here, I bet. The food was ok. I got a combo plate that ended up being all ground beef items and my husband got combo plate with a tamal (tomale) that was pretty dry and a chicken enchilada that was delicious! Loved the mild flavors for our daughter but missed the distinct Mexican flavors of Mexican food in Mexico! Here is my issue with this place, and tell me if I'm wrong because we just moved here - We were charged 16% in taxes. When we asked for the bill it was what we ordered, plus 16% dining tax. When we asked, they said 12% plus 4% for card tax even though we hadn't even showed a method of payment. I don't know if they would have taken off the 4% had we had cash. If all seemed a little sketchy but maybe that's how it works around here...?
They have a kids menu with a good selection!
Excellent homey restaurant with kind staff and good prices.
I go here all the time, often alone. It’s always delicious. You can’t go wrong on the window. Servers are kind and prices are reasonable. Grateful I found this place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A decent Mexican restaurant. My Arroz Con Pollo was very bland. I will probably search from something better next time. This one was very close to the hotel we were staying at.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
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