El Gallito Restaurant

I have enjoyed this place for many years. It’s sad to see them close. The food is great and the service is awesome. I hope they keep the name and just relocate.

good food will be missed.
always — chicken enchiladas and their amazing chips and salsa

Best Enchiladas in town. Sad to see them Close

I have been coming to El Gallito for over 20 years and I have never had a bad meal. Everything is delicious and the food is always consistently wonderful. I am so sad that they’re closing at the end of the month. Do yourself a favor and try it out before it’s too late!

The best Mexican food in SoCal. Sorry to see the closure. We’ve enjoyed this family restaurant.

Best chile rellano I ever had! FYI no free refills! Our waitress was the nicest one there! Owner is rude, cocky very negative body language. Maybe because they are closing or knows that the awesome food brings back customers BUT I honestly have to say I hope someone buys this business and keeps the recipes! It’s established and successful! I can I eat the once!

Home style and incredibly good. I can’t wait to return. Flavores are like mom would have made if I was Mexican.

My mom has lived here for a month now and when I visit her, I want to partake in the best dinning possible, that are favorite spots of the locals. When I heard this place was closing and that this upset the locals, I had to try it at least once. The exterior makes it look like a spot you would see in a small pueblo in Mexico. It’s nice seeing a free standing restaurant that fits in a certain theme.
I was craving greasy hard shell tacos and this place did not disappoint. I ordered one chicken, one beef, and both were delicious. They were served with beans and rice, which were also delicious. Service was quick and efficient. My only issue was that I had called a couple hours before I arrived to make sure they served michiladas, as my friend who was joining my mom me was hungover and needed this hangover cure. The woman who answered the phone, claimed they served them. My server informed me that they didn’t when I ordered one. I settled for a Dos XX =[.
El Gallito, I didn’t know you long, but I’m glad I was able to meet you. =]

Do not really get what all the fuss is over the food. The tortilla chips were the standout of the meal. Did not like the sauces and the guacamole was okay. I am not a fan of massive quantities of rice and beans and cheese accompanying my plate as seemed to be the norm. Limited selection (like, don’t expect carne asada or carnitas), the place is cash only, only beer and wine are served (what, no margarita?), but the service is pretty good and fast. The novelty is in the fact that a local long time loved business is closing which may be why it is so busy, but this is not a place we would go back to sorry to say.

First time visiting but not the last, looking flowed in coming back before they close Their doors at the end of this season.
It will be missed

We went to dinner based on a recommendation from a local tour guide. We missed lunch and went to dinner early, around 5:30. The place was packed. You need to push past the crowd, and put your name on the list at the front desk. We waited about 30 minutes, but they have seating out front; so depending on weather, not a big deal.
We started with a cheese quesadilla. It was just okay, but their salsa which is red and heavy on onion made it tasty. I got a combo plate and my wife had one too. The chili relleno was our favorite, the cheese and onion enchilada with ranchero second, and the shredded beef taco was a close 3^rd. I was surprised when ordering a beer; «we don’t have lime». That’s fine but surprising. I guess when they opened in 1978, limes and beer didn’t go together and they’ve held their ground.
Bottom line is, if you want seriously tasty old school Mexican, this place is a classic. Nothing fancy, just good food.
Remember CASH ONLY!

All the negative reviews complain that they don’t take cash… waah waah. Get past that and try the salsa, it is simply the best ever. El Gallito isn’t really for tourists anyway… Try the Burrito Especial or the Carne Asada… In fact in 6 hours I will be eating lunch there again. I can hardly wait.

Hawlucha would give this place 3 claws up!
Knowing Ash, he would miss this place easily because it’s in an old house next to the big plaza with the Mary Pickford theater. Kind of hard to find!
CASH ONLY! Oh man! Poor Ash going hungry here. However, it is well worth if you come prepared (thanks Brock!!).
Beef Chimichangas, chicken nachos, chicken enchiladas!!! We never see this in any of the regions, well, maybe in Unova.

The problem about some of the long established small busineses is that, after some time they loose their enthusiasm. They take their loyal customers granted, quality and service goes down.
This is a perfect example for it. Mediocre food and mediocre service but they still have a line front of their door waiting to be seated.
And they take only cash! Why? Can’t they afford %2 credit card processing fees? Sure they can! It’s a busy restaurant and they do make good money! I think the reason they don’t take card because they don’t want to pay sales tax and income tax. Having cash only busines makes it harder for IRS to monitor their sales.
«Authentic home cooking» joint should NOT serve salsa STRAIGHT OUTTA CHEAPEST CAN!
I would not go back. Smell inside that small dining room is not acceptable for the vibe you get for dining in such an old school restaurant…

Growing up in the Coachella Valley, I’ve driven past this restaurant so many times and finally stopped to try it for the first time last night. Wow was my meal fantastic! There are plenty of Mexican restaurants closer to my home in Palm Desert, but trust me, this is worth the drive. My husband and I arrived here for dinner around 7:30, and were immediately seated in a cozy booth. Small place, but full of charm and «no frills» food and service.
First off, the chips and salsa were spot on. There’s no weak tomato sauce here, this stuff has a nice kick with every bite and I heaped spoonfuls of it all over my entrée. Yummy!
I ordered a combination plate of Cheese Enchilada Ranchera, Crispy chicken taco, and rice and beans. Simple, but so so very tasty. Very authentic food, I come from a family of Mexican immigrants and it just doesn’t get much better than this!
Other notes:
Alcoholic beverages are wine & beer only
For those whining about cash only, there’s an ATM inside the restaurant.

If I had to choose one Mexican restaurant to eat at the rest of my life, this would be it. So if you’re on here looking for a delicious, indulgent, made from scratch Mexican meal, this is the place. If you’re looking for health food, vegetarian, and black beans, just go to chipotle. This is cheesy homemade heaven.
First. The chips and salsa here are to die for. The chips are thick homemade and crispy and the salsa is spicy and flavorful. They’ve never let my salsa bowl run dry.
I usually order a two or three item combo with rice and beans. The rice and beans here are so good I don’t leave a crumb behind. My three items are the chili relleno, cheese enchilada, and a chicken taco. The sauce on both the chili relleno and the enchilada are like crack. They have raised my expectations for other restaurants. If there is sauce left on my plate I mix it into my rice and beans and eat it. The chicken taco has shredded chicken, lettuce, and a generous heap of cheese on it. Actually, everything has a generous heap of cheese on it here. I’ve also had nachos here, which are different but delicious, and a chicken burrito, which was killer. I’ve never had anything mediocre here. Everything is top notch.
Beware, it is cash only, and I see a lot of Neanderthals take issue with that. Also, don’t come here expecting to get tanked on margaritas, because there is no hard liquor.

Heard about this through a quick search for Mexican food nearby.
Arrived shortly before 5p on a Saturday and was seated immediately. Nice quaint location seems to be a former house. Plenty of parking on the street.
I had the combo plate of Chicken Enchilada Ranchera and Crisp Chicken Taco accompanied by generous, fresh portions of rice and beans. My dining partner had the same.
Food was good. Not over the top spectacular but solid homestyle Tex Mex classics. The interior echoes that theme throughout. Service was solid as well.

Our server was cute and wearing a Mexican dress. The decorations were cute.
After seating us, a few minutes later they made us and another couple that was seated after us get up and move our cars to a different place in the parking lot. They apologized saying the parking is confusing, but there are no lines, spaces, or signs that direct you where to park.
I had the chicken enchiladas with rice and beans and the complimentary chips and salsa. The food was average. Nothing to write home about. It was $ 10.25. My husband had the chicken enchilada chicken taco rice and beans combination. It was $ 10.95. Average prices for an entre in a Mexican restaurant. This is what I’m dissatisfied about. The restaurant is CASH ONLY. They write an explanation on the menu for why they don’t accept debit/​credit cards which basically says they are losing $ 1000 a month paying the fees and other restaurants can afford it because they charge more for their food. Ha!!! The prices here are comparable to every Mexican restaurant I’ve ever been to and is probably my most visited category. I’ve been to Mexican restaurants in Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, California, Florida, Arizona, Washington, and Mexico!!! WTF?!? Every other one accepts debit/​credit cards and some are a lot cheaper than El Gallito’s. This place doesn’t even have a lunch special. The thing is, we would’ve spent more had we not had to pay with cash.
They don’t have any condiments. No other hot sauces. The only choice is their salsa. Don’t get me wrong, the salsa is good and spicy, but sometimes you need a little kick from some Tapatio or similar.
No cilantro on either dish or salsa.
We ordered water, but if we had ordered tea or soda, we would’ve only been allowed one free refill. The cups literally probably only held 8 ounces. I feel bad for someone who orders a regular drink.
I feel like this restaurant is nickel and diming their patrons. Bad business.

We absolutely LOVE the MENUDO on Saturday nights. We have tried other dishes and specials here, and they are very good (especially the Mole), but we keep coming back for the Menudo.
They also serve St Pauli Girl NA, which is our fave! (We also like Beck’s and Clausthaler… in that order. Most places serve O’Douls which we don’t like at all: bitter and watered down).
This was our first real taste of Menudo (aka Pancita). It was strong to us at first but it grew on us so much that we order the biggest bowl… it has become comfort food! El Gallito serves the Northern Mexico version with hominy. There is also a condiment tray that is brought to the table and one can add chopped white onions, Lemon/​Lime, and dried Oregano.
After talking to our server (and expressing we are open to trying new food items), he brought us a small dish with Pata (Pata de Vaca). Now we order the Menudo with a side of Pata.
The wait staff has always been courteous and the service is good. We have been told several times by friends that the food here isn’t really authentic; yet after trying «authentic» Menudo elsewhere we have found the Menudo to be very gamey and not «clean» tasting at other restaurants. I don’t feel El Gallito’s Menudo is any less authentic.
My only suggestion for improvement is to fix the booth seats. A couple of them have pretty deep indents which can be hard on the spine and places one too low at the table.
Generous portions, reasonably priced. Love all the Rooster décor.

I was a little skeptical upon walking in based on all the roosters inside and outside the restaurant. However, after sitting down I realized the genuine service when we were asked what we’d like to order and a round of warm chips and salsa. The salsa didn’t look spicy but it did have a nice kick to it. Upon receiving our entrees I realized that these portions were huge! Their burritos are authentic in the sense that they do not come with beans or rice.
My coworkers I came here with had the enchilada with a taco and both finished their meals so I would say this was a successful lunch.
For newbies, this place is cash only! (They do have an ATM for your convenience though)