Diablos Smoke House

Great margaritas!!! I love that they have different flavors & it’s so inexpensive. They are closing on Sunday January 16^th but they have a great drink selection. Friendly staff and quick bar food options. Not the best but not the worst.

Manager, Jess?, is a total troll. We would probably come more but she is regularly rude and abrupt. The food is decent with like beer selections. Country music in a Mexican bar, what? The hostess is fabulous and always helpful. This place could be something but come at «peak hours» and the lack of crowd tells you something. Get rid of the troll.

Diablos has a lost identity. It’s definitely a bar considering the bar is right in the middle when you walk in. But the bar/​drinks are pretty meh and underwhelming. Their mexican food is not authentic — they make a good burrito and chimichanga, but i wouldn’t venture to anything else they try to pass off as authentic. The BBQ here is the best, but its really lost in the shuffle.

We started out with the rib tip apps that we ok. Little dry. Then the bartender/​server brought us out some chips and a dip. The chips tasted like the noodles from a Chinese restaurant. The dip was ice cold like it was frozen. I got a beer draft and I don’t think the lines were cleaned recently. It was nasty. Had to get a bottle. My wife got the steak fajitas that were good. Very nice size portion. I got the platter with 3 smoked wings, 3 ribs, and pulled pork over fries. The wings were black and hard to eat. The ribs were ok. The pulled pork was good except for the sauce. It tasted like tomato soup. I couldn’t eat it. The place has a ton of potential but lacks on the main thing there doing food.

We came here just having moved into the area. We were hoping to find a new go-​to spot, but unfortunately that did not happen. My husband and I are big happy hour attenders and Diablos Smoke House sounded interesting. We were served by a very friendly and attentive waitress who explained to us that ALL domestic drafts and house margaritas were included in the happy hour specials. So over the course of happy hour, we ordered 2 beers (dogfish head and flying fish) and 2 margaritas (made with the house mix). At the end of the meal all of our drinks were all full price. We asked the waitress about our receipt and she told us that the only beers included in the happy hour were Miller Lite, Yuengling, and PBR. We explained that Dogfish and Flying fish are both domestic breweries, to which she answered that she doesn’t drink beer and couldn’t tell us why they weren’t included. A voice piped up from the bar and said that they were «craft beers» and weren’t included in the specials. In addition, I didn’t specify that I wanted the house margarita and so I was charged more for that as well. I would have been ok paying more for the margaritas if only they had rectified us paying more for the beers. When we stepped into the establishment we explained to our waitress that we were here for the happy hour specials. When we explained our honest confusion and misunderstanding/​miscommunication we were met with a quick «sorry» (underlined with: but you still have to pay full price.) In any case, we won’t be coming back here and will not be recommending it to our friends and family any time soon. It’s a shame. I wanted to like it.

Not spectacular, not terrible, just a solid OK.
First of all, do not come here expecting authentic Mexican – or even Tex Mex for that matter. The menu is an odd combination of very American tacos and burritos intermixed with what I would call southern barbecue? My friend and I came here recently and we both ordered burritos that were literally the size of a small child. I still can’t decide if I’m impressed or totally repulsed. The prices are surprisingly high for lunch, unfortunately.
On the other hand, the drink menu is awesome! Happy Hour margaritas are big, cheap, delicious, and come in several different flavors. The beer selection is great too.
The interior is hard to describe. It’s just a huge box, but the lack of tables makes it feel very empty. I think the original plan was to fill the place up with people whenever the live music is there to perform… but that never happens so it just feels dead. So much untapped potential.
Still, the staff is very friendly and professional. I felt bad that the only guy working was running both the restaurant and the bar, but he did a great job and seemed happy as a clam! I might be back for that alone.

Yeah: close to home (check), great service (check), good margaritas (check), good mex/​bbq (check). We went here on a cold winter night and had a really nice time: Booth seating and very good waitress. Fish tacos for the hubby (4 stars), I had the tortilla soup. Salsas are very good and we enjoyed trying two dif. drinks Diablo margarita and the House margarita. Also good choices on beers. Large bar area and perfect music (noise level was just right and the music was perfect choice for our meal). We were not hurried one bit and ate like kings (huge portions) for a very reasonable bill (all in including several drinks, chips, salsa, fish tacos, tortilla soup was $ 40).
Second trip there: bit busier and lots of families with kids escaping home during the snow storms. Wait staff was stretched so… bartender, cook helped out (GREAT TO SEE THIS — NOTE TO YOU OTHER RESTAURANTS THIS IS HOW IT IS DONE!). Fantastic drinks again, the nachos was huge (had enough left over for another meal), husband got the carnitas fundido — smokey shredded pork, cheese, peppers with tortillas, guac, salsa and sour cream. Comes out from the kitchen steaming/​sizzling on a cast iron pan… nice presentation and very yummy, too. We left just before the band came on but will be back to check that out too.
Note the amazing daily specials — such a bargain and so good.
We like this place and the Havertown area really needs this lovely gem.
We’ll be back for sure!

Mexican BBQ is maybe a good idea on paper, but here it’s nothing spectacular. This would be a 4 star place if it was properly staffed. I was completely satisfied with the food, drinks, and prices. Our servers were especially fun and friendly, but it looked like the two of them were the only ones on the floor, which included a busy bar and maybe a dozen tables. I felt bad for these girls because they were doing the best they could under irresponsible management.

This place seems to have revamped their menu for the better. Wings are absolutely delicious and they make their own sauces as well. If you think you love a dangerously spicy hot sauce, ask for «the hottest they got». This sauce is hotter than HELL but absolutely delicious. I was able to only finish a few of them and the owner was kind enough to make me a new batch with a little less heat. The quizzo here gets better every time I go and seems to have develop a cult following.

What began as just another passable suburban Mexican restaurant has evolved into our new go-​to spot for barbecue.
Cantina Diablos is now Diablos Smokehouse, and to prove it their ‘cue chef, Steve, has set up a traditional smoker out on the veranda in front of the joint. The great aromatic clouds that waft out of that flame-​lit black metal bin are just the first of many signals that you’ve arrived in meat heaven.
So ignore the Mexican menu (sorry, Diablo’s) and go straight for the barbecue. The Smoker Special is a basket filled to brimming with a remarkably succulent pulled pork, three solidly smoked wings and St. Louis style ribs that are the tenderest I’ve tasted on this side of the Mason-​Dixon line, or the Mississippi River, since the days of Mama Rosa’s.
And now for the cons:
1) It’s a cavernous bar with some tables and booths scattered around. In fact, the lay-​out of the place reminded my wife of a roadhouse — as in the Patrick Swayze movie of the same name.
2) Many of the table and stool legs have been maddeningly mangled, so sitting «on point» and upright is a challenge. Unless you position your seating properly you’ll be subject to the laws of gravity throughout the duration of your meal.
3) Our waitress was a pro but she was overextended. The chef and the bar staff pitched in to help but it was all too much for one wait person to handle. Expect delays.
4) Parking is a blood sport here. There are not enough parking spots outside of the Smokehouse to accomodate customer vehicles. The restaurant is surrounded by businesses which close at five or six but their lots are posted with tow signs — and rogue tow truck drivers were trawling Haverford Road looking for prey. Instead of attempting to park like a scofflaw, bear left at the fork where Haverford and Karakung Drive split. Park on the hill facing Wynnewood Park or across the street on Haverford Road. Remember that it will cost you $ 200 cash money to rescue your car from a lot full of angry, nose-​breathing dogs who wish you ill will.
5) The margaritas? Meh. Tastes like a store bought mix with a half jigger of Sauza Gold tossed in as an afterthought. Please lose the Sauza, tarten up the mix with a splash of Tabasco, and use Camarena Tequila Reposado instead. People will flock to your doors for the cocktails *and* the barbecue…

I really really wanted to like this place, but after eating here 3 times, I advise you to ONLY drink here. My latest visit came today. I decided to try this place again because it is now called Smokehouse Diablos so I thought MAYBE it changed hands and would be good. I came on wing night for some wings and to play some pool. Well, the pool table was broken and I can honestly say i have NEVER had worse wings. They tasted like grocery store wings that sat on the counter for 3 days, got microwaved, then grilled, fell below the grill into the coals, got picked out, tossed in dollar store hot sauce, and served. Worst Wings Ever.

Unnecessarily dark. Mediocre piña colada.

Suburban Mexican, you are Cantna Diablos.
As mentioned below, this place leans more bar than restaurant. When we go here as a family, I can hear Reese Witherspoon’s character in Sweet Home Alabama yelling «You have a baby. In a bar!» That said, the drink specials are great. I can only have one margarita, as I am usually guarding my lime slice from a 4 year old, but the list of specials on the giant chalkboard wall is impressive.
My kids will eat most of the food. That should be an indication that this establishment does not scream «Authentic Mexican.» The chicken wings were good, and I noticed a lot of bbq on the menu now. Maybe they should continue to expand in that direction.

Definitely NOT my place of choice. Stopped by for a drink and left after 5 minutes of sitting around waiting for someone to wait on us. The place was dead. A handful of college kids and a few guys at the bar. Unpleasant atmosphere. Very bright inside.

First off. The mixed drinks are pretty good and pretty strong. I suggest drinking here only.
The food… Yikes! It comes out on disposable plastic plates which should have been our first clue to leave (or just keep to the drinking). The food is far from yummy, authentic or tasty. The meat is super greasy and tastes a little funny. The chips and salsa are creeeeepy. The chips are ok. The salsa is the consistency of tomato paste. I have no clue why though. It is also pretty tasteless.
The service here is very friendly and welcoming though. I suggest drinking and playing pool. Maybe head to the 7 – 11 later if you get hungry…

Run for the hills! What an awful place for food. The soda and water tasted funky. The guacamole was better then I expected and the service was good, the girls were polite and kept checking in on us.
I ordered a bowl of the tortilla soup. It came in the same size bowl as the salsa for $ 6.50, the girl charged me for a cup, still $ 5.75 which was OUTRAGEOUS. My hubby had a burrito — served on a plastic plate, which was difficult because of the size of the burrito, couldn’t even cut it!!! The brown stuff on top — no words to describe how it tasted.
Going in I didn’t expect much which is exactly what we got. Needless to say — we won’t be back.

$ 3.00 margaritas and $ 1.00 tacos. Sure — you get what you pay for; but being able to have a night out for $ 12 each is fun. Shuffleboard is free. Lots of reviews seem to call the food bland — but they didn’t try the buffalo chicken dip. Packs a kick and filling.
4−7pm; good specials. An odd menu quirk — the fajitas. They are over $ 20 on a menu when the next highest priced item is in the $ 15 range. I don’t get that one! Good drinks.
One word of warning — We’ve been there about a dozen times. Two or three of them the same pack of folks were drunk at the bar; super dunk; and loud and obnoxious. So; ¹⁰⁄₁₂ times a fine and fun time; ²⁄₁₀ times pretty awful.

Just not good at all.
The place was practically deserted on the Sunday evening I went with my friend. We sat at the bar for dinner. He got a beer, I got a margarita which was overwhelming with curacao and sour mix.
We had to ask for chips, which were hard and flavorless. The salsa was thick and kind of sweet, a mix between pasta sauce and salsa.
He got the enchiladas and I got the burrito loco. The dark sauce on top was good. The enchiladas could really use salt. My burrito was large and filling but nothing special.
It kills me that there aren’t any good Mexican restaurants in the area but I won’t be returning to Cantina Diablos.

I want to give this place more stars but i simply can not.
My old stomping grounds and this place was a usual hangout for me and what was great about it was that it was a hole in the wall and it was my hole in the wall. Now they put money into and it and are trying to make it a Mexican night club and all but underneath it is still PJ Henry’s but Mexican style.
The place is never busy. I went on a Friday evening and i was so shocked really that we were looking at like 18 people in the entire place. Including staff. Back in the days, this place on a friday was packed with Nova /​St Joe students and Natty Light Night… now its simply empty.
Their food is odd, and simply put doesn’t work. I do not come to a dive bar to have true Mexican food. If we are talking taco’s, nacho’s and some wings/​fries you know bar food, i’d be interested but this place is just out there.
Again I want to be generous and two stars is generous, but their food/​ambiance and general restaurant feel just do not work, especially near a bowling alley. Maybe in Rittenhouse this would work… not here though. Keep it simple, wings/​bar food, cheap beer, tvs, hot bartenders and you’d have a winner. When I have to get negra modello (a), and patron, and other things i wouldn’t normally order in Wynnwood… you can see why its a low rating.

Some establishments are restaurants that also have a bar. Others are bars that also serve food. It’s all about managing expectations. Cantina Diabolos is primarily a bar that has a few booths and tables for dinner patrons.
Physically this place is a narrow rectangle. At one end are a couple of pool tables. Next comes the bar. After that are a few booths and tables. Finally at the other end is a stage for a band and a small dance floor.
This place is new and has been around about two months. The lovely wife and I stopped in last night about 8:00 for dinner. The pool tables and bar were jumping. We snagged a booth. As Mexican restaurants go the menu is very small. I tried the four taco platter for $ 10.50. I chose soft tacos and beef. It was served in the «build your own style.» There was plenty of food that was the correct temperature and fresh but nothing special. Not a bad deal for the price.
The wife chose chicken fajitas. She was hesitant because of the $ 17 price. It seemed high for this place. They were amazing and the portion was huge. When we return I’m going to try the beef version.
How about the adult libations? I chose a Modelo Especial draft that was served in a beautiful glass. The wife inquired about a mango margarita. Our waitress said not usually but she’d make it happen. A large portion was served in a mason jar. The wife loved it. By the way; our waitress was Abby and she was excellent.
We were a little too early for the band and didn’t have the time to wait but it looked like a great place to chill out with some good music. We’ll be back!