El Tesoro

Food is okay, just okay. Margaritas are below par. Augh, salt water. I think its the mix they use. Staff is very friendly and on top of things. Not a date place on Friday, it’s more of a place to bring your kids. Lots of kids running around. So if you have a baby, it’s the place to be. Atmosphere is cool and food is priced well. Well, that’s about it I guess :).

This place is great! Went here with friends on a Saturday night and it was surprisingly very calm. We sat outside on the side deck and the weather couldn’t have possibly been more perfect for it!
We started off with Chips with queso and salsa. Both of which were great. The green salsa is amazing. I don’t know what they put in it and I don’t care because it’s absolutely DELICIOUS.
I got the chimichanga and it was huge! There was no possible way I could finish it! That doesn’t mean I didn’t try though! It was so delicious! Smothered in cheese and stuffed with perfectly marinated beans, peppers, and rice. I absolutely loved everything about it.
Aside from the delicious food, the staff was wonderful too. They were super nice and attentive so you can’t really ask for more on that front!
I would definitely come back here again. The food is good and the people are great. Highly recommended!

This is another place which I feel is more of a 3.5, but since I can’t give half-​stars, I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt this time.
Went here for the first time tonight (Labor Day!) with my husband, another couple, plus their adorable baby. Our waitress was also the hostess, and was very nice. However, I think they might have been a bit understaffed as it was Labor Day, so she disappeared for a long period of time, and my husband’s water glass stayed empty for a good 20 minutes.
We got the basic chips and salsa appetizer. The green salsa is EXCELLENT, the regular salsa I found a bit watery, and everyone else did also, although one of our friends said it grew on him. I got a glass of chardonnay, as well as a limeade, and both were great. I considered getting a margarita, but some of them seemed very expensive to me (one was almost $ 11 for a single glass).
I will also say, our waitress asked if we’d like another round of chips and salsa, and we said yes. I had assumed we would get charged for the second round, but we didn’t, which was a pleasant surprise.
Everyone except my husband got the taco platter, and I think everyone loved their tacos. My husband got a tamale, and he said it was dry. As I am vegan, I got the tofu chipotle tacos. I am not really sure what about the tofu makes it chipotle, but I will say this: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE MARINATE YOUR TOFU. If you need classes on how to properly cook/​marinate tofu, contact me, I am more than willing to give classes on this. It tasted like they warmed up but did nothing else to the tofu. Tofu needs to be marinated for at least 2 hours for maximum flavor. You wouldn’t warm up dry duck with no sauce whatsoever, so I don’t understand why people think this is fine for tofu. Fortunately, the sauces that came with the tacos were able to cover up the improperly handled tofu.
Ehem. Rant.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of vegetarian options at El Tesoro, I thought the place itself was cute, and the outdoor area was nice. I’d definitely be willing to go back — I’d just be a little wary of their tofu.

Love this place. Guess I’m pretty lucky as I haven’t really experienced any of the problems others have (kids rampaging around, out of certain foods or drinks). I’m sure that’ll happen at some point, but for right now, this is probably my favorite Mexican restaurant around.
I was never a fan of guac. Yeah, you heard me. In the past, every time I tried guacamole, it was horribly bland or very greasy tasting. But my god, El Tesoro cured me of that problem. Fantastic guac, great chips (just salty enough), a little squeeze of lime juice over the guac. Man, I want to go get some right now.
Anyway, last time I went, I had the lobster taco and the brisket taco. Lobster. Taco. I can’t even begin to describe how amazingly good it was. I’ve also had the pork carnitas. Delicious. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever ordered anything I haven’t liked there.
The service was quick and attentive. Couldn’t have asked for a better waiter.

This is my favorite place for Mexican food. My wife and I go here at least twice a month for the wonderful location, atmosphere, and food. Our favorite dishes are the duck tacos, both the pork and duck carnitas, the tamales, and the taco salad. We also love the Blanco margaritas — they’re light and refreshing — not too sweet and syrupy like some other places make them.
If you’re looking for the cookie-​cutter, «combination platter» Mexican restaurant, you should go somewhere else. El Tesoro offers fresh ingredients and a variety of interesting and unusual dishes.
We also love the periodic tequila dinners, in which the owner/​chef, Walter, cooks up five courses of off-​the-​menu specials and pairs them with five different tequilas. Some of the dishes at these tequila dinners have included grilled rabbit skewers, crab cakes, and bacon-​wrapped shrimp.
We recommend El Tesoro to all our friends and enjoy sitting outside on the porch in nice weather.

I really love going to El Tesoro– I dream about it, even. With fresh, authentic food, and really great service, what’s not to love?
My absolute favorite thing on the menu is the Mexican Pizza, but you have to have a bit of a love for spicy if you order it! It’s not just the peppers, the radishes have a fantastically zesty bite to them that I just adore. The Duck Carnitas are a nice surprise, as well, very succulent and not too crispy (which duck can be if you’re not careful). I also highly recommend trying the daily ceviche– I had the shrimp ceviche and even though the inside of my mouth was pickled (obviously, ceviche should be shared, it’s extremely acidic and I ate the entire thing) I wanted more!
Even if you’re not looking for a big meal, you can head in and have a seat at the beautiful handmade bar and get Bo or one of the other bartenders to serve you up a yummy house margarita.
Can we tell I like this place? Now I’m craving ceviche…

The tacos are very good, similar to Taq del Sol, and they are open on Sundays, which the Taq is not. Love the variety of salsas available, but the taco platter with 2 salsas comes with no chips. That was confusing.
They have quite an extensive selection of tequilas, so that’s a plus if you’re into that. The service has been good when I’ve been, which is late lunch or early dinner, so no surprises there. I’ve gotten to-​go food here before too and was served in a timely manner. Parking is on the street or in the parking lot, which is rare for Decatur.
The 3 stars is for the crowd. I know, I know, it’s Decatur. But Tesoro went to the extent to provide a specific play area for the kids, but the parents still choose to sit in the areas not designated for children? WHY? I am baffled by this.
Choose to sit at the bar or on the far side of the balcony if you don’t want to listen to other people’s kids cry and watch them run around unsupervised.
Without the kids, I would give this place 4 stars, no doubt!

El Tesoro has so much potential that I will continue visiting until 1) it becomes my favourite mexican joint or 2) I have a terrible experience.
Currently I have loved one meal, liked another, loved one drink, liked another. I have yet to be overwhelmed, but the fireplace outside combined with the great wrap-​around deck and promise of movie screenings in the summer from the owner makes me a fan. And the guacamole is pretty on point.
Visit, stay a while, have a drink by the fire. You won’t regret it, and you might love it.

I must admit that Courtney R. and I experienced the horrendousness at El Tesoro together so maybe it’s not fair to gang up on the place but DANG, it was really bad.
Three servers in one small room with 7 tables. THREE SERVERS and not all 7 tables were full. Our server was only serving our table and then apparently she was hanging out with the bartender watching him build a house with toothpicks the rest of the time.
At one point, I got agreement with the girls I was with that if the food came out cold we were just going to leave and go to Raging Burrito down the street. The service was already that bad before our food ever came out of the kitchen. I just expected it would make it to us ice cold. It came out warm enough to avoid a walk out but not as warm as I would have liked.
The food was mediocre at best and just lacking. The blackened mahi mahi could have been spicier… and more blackened. The black beans could have had more zippity doo da. The green beans and broccoli were pretty good though. I was hungry so I ate most of it anyway but I could have enjoyed it more.
They were also out of several items on the menu which was another harbinger of doom. Can I have the brisket taco? Nope, no brisket… and by the way we are out of duck too… oh you want that wine? Oops, sorry we just ran out.
Overall, this experience was an indicator to me that El Tesoro has jumped the shark unless they do some major soul searching and overhaul the hell out of the place. El Tesoro… you used to have some good qualities but now you are in the pooper with me. Now don’t misunderstand. I’m not mad, I’m just a little sad.

Oh El Tesoro how I want to love you. How I want to easily make the decision to go to you over the many other Mexican restaurants overpopulating Atlanta. Alas, you failed me and I am such an easy one to please.
I want to believe it was an off night or maybe the waitress fell on her head prior to our arrival. Let me describe why:
* Poor service. When we arrived there was only one other table already seated and we observed three staff assigned to the room. Foolishly we thought, «this should equate to good service». Yet we waited on almost everything. Drink arrival. Food arrival (others who showed up after us had their food way before we did). I had to almost beg for our check after our meal after tracking her down and yet our waitress still waited almost 15 minutes before delivering it.
* Lack of available menu items. Out of duck. Out of brisket. Out of the red wine on special. Really? Lie to me. Tell me you’re running to the Kroger and will still prepare one of the three things you just «happen» to be out of that night. Hell, run down the street and order the duck to go from Feast (who does a phenomenal duck) and throw it into a tortilla. That would make me happy. That would make me love you.
* Seasoning. The chips needed salt big time. The black beans were bland. Once we added salsa to the beans and salt to both we were able to finish them.
My fish of the day was okay, but at that point I was over the experience. Overall the trip to El Tesoro was one big let down. I’ll put $ 5 down that this place will not still be open in six months unless major changes happen fast.

A classed-​up Taqueria del Sol with better food, atmosphere, and without the brash indifference toward the customers. Clean, artsy design in a beautifully restored house, but the décor is not (as sometimes is the case with these types of places) simply a smokescreen to disguise mediocre fare.
The menu is inventive but not overly experimental, and adds a twist to conventional dishes. The four taco entrée ($ 12) allows a sampling of the various meats they have, which are very tasty (the pulled pork and the duck were my favorites). The house margarita was better than most I’ve had around town, and at $ 5 didn’t break the bank.
They seemed a little understaffed when we were there, but it was 7:00 on a Friday night in downtown Decatur. Once we were seated the service was prompt and excellent. We’ll definitely be back!

Call me a poseur, but I prefer flour tortillas over corn. So when my most recent waiter at El Tesoro told me to get my four-​taco plate on corn tortillas, I shouldn’t have listened. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the flavors I selected: fried fish and beef brisket. I also appreciated the trough of condiments that accompanied my plate, allowing me to mix and match salsas and onions.
What propels El Tesoro from just another Mexican restaurant with so-​so food above the rest is the location: an historic white house with folk art. I’m more about El Tesoro’s vibe than the food.

Really great chips and salsa and the little bit of queso with my chips was amazing.
Our service was quick and friendly, the food was great and the atmosphere was nice and quirky.
There is outside seating and street parking.
I really enjoyed my taco salad and it appears my fiancé enjoyed his mexican pizza.
I’d definitely go again and try some tacos and margaritas.

I think hit or miss sums it up pretty well.
The first time I went, we had an excellent waiter that got my girlfriend’s Coach purse its own chair. First class service!
The second time, my Dad wanted to leave because it took our waitress 10 minutes to come get our drink orders.
Ultimately, I enjoy the place. Very good food; this is exactly the Mexican food I like, with authentic seeming ingredients and delicious sauces and what-​not.
Huge tequila selection, perhaps unnecessarily huge? But the Margaritas are good. I don’t know where you would get a better Margarita. But you can’t get them frozen, because the bartender «would die» or something. I don’t like that… I am an American, I want my margarita frozen.
Seating is a bit odd. Very nice on a nice day, because ²⁄₃ of the tables are outside, but it is really tight inside.
Overall, I definitely recommend El Tesoro to anyone looking for fine Mexican food in Decatur. But don’t blame me if you have a bad experience.
Update: last time I went, my taco tasted like… I’m not even going to go there, but tacos should not taste like that. It was really disturbing.
Boooo.

I’d read a decent review in Creative Loafing, and decided to check this place out. Strangely, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the restaurant had almost no customers (maybe three tables were sat around 1pm).
We sat outside, at a flimsy table on the patio. We ordered the ceviche appetizer. The menu didn’t specify what exactly was in the ceviche, and I didn’t think to ask (I’m used to tilapia or other white fishes). It turned out do be octopus, which I don’t like to eat. It would be nice if the server made it a point to tell her customers about the octopus, since it’s not a commonly eaten food.
The service was poor in other respects, too – no water refills and infrequent visits. The food was OK, but nothing special. They hardly give any salsa for dipping, which was quite disappointing for a Mexican restaurant.

Walking up to the place, seeing 15 people milling around outside and a blaring «HELP NEEDED» sign is a good indicator that you’re going to wait a while here, but it didn’t end up being so bad. After being asked for my cell phone number (as their way of notifying you that your table is ready; weird, but I guess fairly practical) we honestly had about a 10-​minute wait. On the plus side, there’s a sizable «front yard» to relax and have a drink while you wait.
You can find decent, fresh food here. The server was on-​the-​ball both times I’ve been (sat outdoors once, indoors the other time), the dual chip sauces (verde and chipotle) were both tasty, the guac is good, and I very much enjoy the tilapia corn tacos and tofu corn tacos alike. A good selection for vegetarians in general, and not just heaps of beans and cheese like a more run-​of-​the-​mill Mexican place might offer.
It seems like this place may have gotten a little ahead of themselves in opening before they were adequately staffed, but that seems to be a pretty common thing these days. This place has charm and I expect it to improve.

I love cheap mexican… the cheesier, the hotter, the better! And I love a good margarita on a summer day. I will skip this place and go to other mexican dives that have much better food. Let’s start with the service. The waitress was not attentive. We were stuck in a weird corner next to the bathroom and we were forgotten. The restaurant was also very dirty. The table was dirty, the floors were covered with crumbs and it just did not have a clean feeling.
The margaritas looked great on paper but they did not live up to the description. I had a margarita with lime and ginger but it tasted just like any other margarita made from a mix.
The street tacos were very oily. The food was overpowered by the sauces and toppings used.
Sorry, skip this one and head to taqueria down the road!

Oh wow, it can’t get any worse than this. I must say everything looked great on the outside. We immediately got seated by the Hostess, however, there was no acknowledgment from the server. After sitting there 15 minutes, the waitress said ‘I’ll be with you in a minute” No apologies, no sense of urgency, just your typical slack «I don’t give a crap» attitude. We gave it about 10 more minutes, and still, no drink order or further contact from the server! THEN we overheard the child (approximately 4 years in age) seated next to us complaining to his Dad about his meal. That’s when we knew it was time to head over to Twain’s. El Tesoro was complete waste of our time.
I have since contacted the Manager no returned call, no response to my email. No surprise when they go out of business.

I just moved to town from SF and had already been here twice. We really like the place, although I admit, they need to work with their servers a bit. First time we came it was around 8:30 on a Sat and we just sat at the bar. Bar tenders were very friendly and they have a nice selection of tequila. We went with the taco plate and enjoyed all four of them.
We went again this past Sat, around 7:00. The place was packed, but they do let you take your drinks and sit out front, which I think is pretty cool. There were a bunch of kids running around the yard, but I think if you come a bit later, that would not be a problem. The service was a bit slow to start, but did pick up. The food was very good and if you like hot salsa, this is your place. I will be sure to come back, soon!

A refreshing new restaurant in Decatur offering traditional Mexican fare, with some dishes sporting a contemporary twist.
The space is awesome– formerly operated by Jake’s (ice cream parlor), it’s basically a large, single story house with an expansive, wrap-​around front porch. Due to this, there is no large open dining space to be had. When walking in, you’re first greeted by the bar with a small area of seating to the left and right. In addition to this, there are approximately four other «rooms» of dining. This allows for a more intimate dining setting and keeps the noise down as well. In addition, their logo and menus are great! Who ever did the work should be congratulated. Top notch!
Either the owners or several of the employees (or both) are from Cantina La Casita in East Atlanta VIllage, so a few of the dishes carry over from there (. El Tesoro’s menu however offers many more options.
Our two-​top started with the chips and salsa, which is similar to La Casita (fire roasted tomato and fire roasted tomatillo) although the chips are more authentic to what you would get at a traditional taquera (slightly thicker with more of a corn taste).
As is tradition with our visits to La Casita, we ordered a pitcher of the blanco marguerita. There was something different– not as good– about El Tesoro’s version but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Just remembering it not being as good.
On to the food… I ordered one of the tamales (pork in chili guajillo sauce), a pollo verde taco, and sopes de pato.
If you are a fan of tamales, you absolutely must try this place. Simply put, these are the best tamales in town, bar none. Perfectly moist with an abundance of flavor, it will knock your socks off.
The pollo verde taco, as well, is a winner, with poached chicken, lettuce, and two salsas– the tomatillo and mexicana.
The most interesting dish of the night was the sopes de pato, loosely explained as «thick & crispy corn-​masa boats» (a little larger than the size of a hockey puck) smothered with citrus-​braised duck, refried beans, and red onion. Although the menu said it was also supposed to come with queso fresco (most likely drizzled on top), it didn’t, which might explain why I thought this dish was a tad on the dry side. Still enjoyed it, but it could definitely use something to «wet» it down. We put a little of the salsa tomato on there which really helped.
Overall, this is a must try whether you’re looking for an authentic Mexican taqueria or interested in trying something a little different. There’s still some tightening up to do (they only opened as of this past Wednesday– ³⁄₁₉) however I have no doubt that there will be lines to compete with in the very near future.