El Paso

I eat here often, food is always good and the staff is always friendly. I used too to another Mexican restaurant often, but this is my first choice now.

The food here was nothing like I have ever eaten at any other Mexican restaurant. I had the quesadilla fajita with chicken and there was barely any chicken inside yet there was an abundance of hot tomatoes and yellow peppers as well as more onions than I could have eaten in three meals. The meat had a good flavor even though I had grease running down my elbow

This is my favorite Mexican Restaurant! The salsa bar is great, the staff is great, the food is a good price and portions are abundant! I can usually go in for lunch, take my leftovers to work and eat those for dinner!

Best salsa I’ve seen at a Mexican restaurant! The food is as good if not the best that I have had at a Mexican food place. Service is always fast. Daily special’s. Nice bar area and also does large parties (birthday, Etc). You can print a coupon from the el paso website which is good for $ 4 off if you buy 2 drinks.
Monday’s children eat free!

2 – 2.5 Stars. Being from Texas, I tend to search out Mexican restaurants. I find that El Paso is fair to mediocre. I have been many times (to 4 of them, Hickory area and Morganton) and and found all 4 about the same. Don’t get me wrong, it’s better than Taco Bell but I have stopped going.
I have tried many places in the area and have only found 2 in the area that have good food and both off I40 (exit128.)The food truck at BP (North) on Fairgrove Church Rd and a new spot, San Pancho (South) which previously was a Japanese followed by a Thai restaurant (or vice verse.) They pride themselves as a stationary food truck. No frills at either place but very good food.
If I am looking for more of a restaurant, I tend to head to Statesville to Mi Pueblo. Pretty good food for this area.
Regards, Lee

So I feel like I need to come back and edit my review after a number of visits to eat here. Overall, the service and food have decreased in quality over the last 6 months. I really enjoy the salsa bar that they added some time ago. It really helps keep my dad from flagging down the server every 5 minutes needing more. We all enjoy the bean salsa that comes standard to the table. Any other salsas are at the salsa bar.
However, the food is your typical Mexican restaurant (as seen in the pictures). However, I downgraded my rating because there is always an issue with the food. I believe the biggest part is the language barrier most of the time, from english to the native spanish speaking server. Unless you get exactly what is on the menu, it rarely comes out correctly. I’m not talking about hard orders, but simple things like no sour cream.
In addition, I used to get margaritas! I love them, and what is more Mexican than that? (Besides Dos Equis of course) However, the margaritas are always so weak, I can only really taste the sour mix. I know that is the goal, but I can tell when there is very little alcohol, being a consummate alcohol drinker. Seems they only use a shot regardless of the size you order. Given that, I stopped ordering alcohol when I do visit.
Overall, I get more disappointed when I visit. We used to come here a lot, but now we have started going other places when I am in town to visit. If you are looking for mexican, and are in the area, feel free to stop by, otherwise, I’d look elsewhere.

I was craving Mexican food, or… if truth be told, I was craving a cold, tasty, Margarita on the rocks. I came here because I remembered that Valerie H. had rated this restaurant well.
I ordered two steak tacos, which comes with yellow rice with corn and refried pinto beans. This lunch combo is $ 6.95 Monday through Friday. On the weekends the very same meal is $ 8.95. Why do they charge a premium for the weekend? Well, your guess is as good as mine?
I forgot and relearned something about ordering Margaritas at Hispanic restaurants, namely, don’t tell them that you want the «LARGE» or you’ll get the fishbowl or christening chalice sized Monster Margarita.

I’ll try to curb my normal tendencies to write a novel and get to the point.
The steak carne asada tacos were excellent. The steak had a nice char-​grilled taste. The tacos were filled to beyond capacity, and there was more steak than veggies.
The Monster Margarita was refreshing, BUT it didn’t have very much Tequila. If properly made, this large of a margarita will lay a grown man out, but I didn’t even get the slightest buzz. A «light pour» is something that I view very negatively, and I take that into consideration when choosing restaurants for lunch or dinner. Why? Because I don’t like being taken advantage of. The restaurant may be trying to make money by being stingy with their alcohol, but if I don’t order a Margarita again in the future… what have they accomplished?
My server was Jesus, and he was both friendly, courteous, and attentive. He actually went to the salsa bar FOR ME and brought back his two favorite salsas that he prefers on tacos. Be warned — the GREEN salsa is eye watering hot, but flavorful. I liked his other choice better, which was a medium strength tomatillo based salsa.
Service is VERY GOOD here and they seem to have a large staff of employees.
The salsa bar also has many choices, and the bins were kept full and the area clean.
There is a large veranda and cupola for outdoor seating, which reminds me of Cuban restaurants in Miami.
One other thing… the complimentary hot chips was served with refried beans. I really don’t like the pinto bean dip that Hispanic restaurants serve, but El Paso’s was different. It was thick and spicy and delicious! I ate just about all the gratis dip, and I made a sizable dent in the lunch portion topped with cheese. Good stuff!
Damages were: $ 21 and change, with the Monster Margarita inflating the check. This will be the LAST Margarita that I order from El Paso though.
Prices on the whole are about twice what one would pay in a rustic Mexican burrito joint.
Sanitation rating is currently: 97.5%.
I will give them a three stars… minus one star for the light pour Margaritas, and minus one star for the unsalted, cheapo, tortilla chips.
PS: Thanks for the recommendation, Valerie!

Top note: consistently fresh ingredients, hit-​and-​miss service (usually fall flat on later-​end of dining, with follow-​up and cheque), mid-90’s sanitation rating (over several months).
This place offers a salsa bar, with several fresh-​made salsas. You can see fresh chopped onion and cilantro and tomato chunks… and as another reviewer stated, it’s kinda hard to consume salsa from the tiny cups they provide (but I am assured that the cup is clean, since unlike traditional salsa service, those baby’s hit the trash can when the table is cleared.)
The Mexican Street Taco platter is one of their best dishes, if you like a traditional taco (soft corn tortillas, chopped onion and cilantro on top, wedges of lime to squeeze on top). The trio of tacos include: carnitas (not fatty, but juicy roast pork), carne asada (beef steak tips, highly seasoned, and a bit chewy), and highly seasoned chicken breast, chopped and grilled (fry-​grill, not outdoor grill). This platter includes an iceberg lettuce, tomato and cheese «side salad,» and a surprising bowl of pinto beans, that get dressed-​up with chopped tomato, cilantro, onion AND chopped jalapeños! (A few times I discovered some small amount of smokey meat, too!). I could, quite honestly, chow the whole bowl of beans, and almost forget the salty tacos
Just note: if you order tacos a-​la-​carte, or in a standard «combo,» you will be served the Americanized taco. That other chicken taco is an oven-​roasted, pulled chicken breast, that is very bland. They will toss on a little iceberg lettuce and a nice wad of Mexican cheese, and you’ll not get a «street taco.» However, if you specifically say, when you order, «I want the kind of taco that is the pork, chicken or beef «LIKE The Street Taco.» You will be served that other style.
They also make one of the best chile poblanos I have ever had! I’ve traveled to several «little Mexico» areas, here in the U.S. (Seattle, CA, TX, Detroit). You will find rivals in those large markets, but to find that quality in little Hickory, is pleasantly surprising.
If you’re still reading, I will add that I’ve tried three of their soups: Chicken Soup, Tortilla Soup and Siete Mares (Seven Seas). They’re all muy deliciouso.

Great Mexican food! Very authentic, quick, and the prices are reasonable also.

Bland food. The waiter acted like he had better things to do, when I tried give him my order he kept rolling his eyes and sighing. I won’t be back

Not your everyday Mexican restaurant. They put a spin on Mexican to make it really authentic. Excellent meal! Wide variety of choices on the menu. They took me by surprise and brought out bean dip instead of your typical salsa. When I asked about it I was directed to the bar of salsa. I got to pick and choose which one I wanted. Awesome! Yummy! The meal itself was a large portion of yummy flavors. I will come back next time I am in the area!