El Rey Restaurant

So sad. I have enjoyed this place in the past but today was really bad. I came in alone before running to the airport to pickup my girl. Had the time so I sat at the bar. They took their time to come to me it obviously seemed they thought I was going to do a take out order so when they finally arrived I asked if I could have the order to stay. She giggled and said of course.
I ordered 3 tacos al pastor. Never a glass of water or placemat or even another look. The tacos were boxed to-​go and only then did I see the light go off in her head that I said to stay but she stayed the course and asked for my payment. LOOK, that’s not a crime I get it… you forgot, but then did nothing to correct it and now is when it actually gets bad.
The tacos were so gross! Barely heated through when the pork is supposed to be crisp and a little charred. They were also so salty and boxed with lemons not limes. I bet the limes are too expensive right now even though the tacos are now $.50 more. This could have been just a regular time at a divey mexican joint but the lack of care and follow though deserves a review. 2 stars because it’s actually been kinda good before.

Started with two tamales. They were good. Tried their chicken and beef burrito sampler dish. The chicken was way better than chewy tough beef. Finished with Chicken enchilada verde which was off the hook. Heat but no fires. Pleasant service. Jukebox and deerhead always a plus.

Went in on a Sunday and the family was just chilling in the back. Tried to catch somebody’s eye but couldn’t so I figured I’d just sit down. After about 10 minutes somebody saw me and shouted back, «Tienes alguien!» (You’ve got somebody!) Was the only one there. I ordered Carnitas with Chile Relleno and they brought out Chuletas with guacamole. I told them about it, but there was a big language barrier and I ended up just eating what they brought me. It was good but not $ 12.95. Halfway through one of the kids started blasting overloud music out of the jukebox. They were out of most of the desserts on the menu. I try not to write bad reviews but the more I think about going here the more I realized what a lame experience it was. I mean, they probably do ok by their friends and family, but I really got the vibe that they weren’t trying to do good by the public. Sorry, guys.

Good, authentic Mexican food in Astoria! Staff is very nice and welcoming. I’d avoid the margaritas though… not good.

I don’t know why this place has four stars. This is one that I’m confused about. The margaritas suck so bad. The food is blah and the service is just idiotic. The only thing I enjoy and thought was cool was the juke box lol. I was here cause it’s across the street from Astoria Manner and I was spying on my munchkin keeping a close eye for her prom. Lmao

After five years of being within a block or two of El Rey, we finally ordered takeout from there. We’ve ordered from them twice now, and both times were good, but not mind-​blowing.
Enchiladas de la casa were a solid showing. Both burritos we ordered were enormous to the point where you have to use a fork and knife. The carnitas inside, though, were a little dry — and cubed, not the shredded pork you normally expect. Fajitas de bistec were simple but delicious: meat, onions, peppers. Can’t really go wrong there.
The other reviews here can speak to the service in house, but ordering and picking it up was easy and fast. We’ll be back.

Returned to this restaurant for lunch on Sunday and was reminded how much I enjoy their food. Huge, cheap, yummy tacos. Delicious enchiladas. Fast and friendly service. In a neighborhood that lacks inexpensive, good Mexican food, el Rey is a solid choice.

Love this place. One of my go-​tos for Mexican in Astoria. Delivery is always fast and dining in is always an experience! I have ordered the chicken fajitas and the enchiladas suizas. All delicious! Portions are plentiful. All I have taken there like it too.
You get chips and salsa free when you dine-​in, it is extra if you order for takeout. They don’t speak the best English, which can make ordering via phone kind of hard, but never bothers me. I also wish they were on seamless!

Back stat — grew up in SoCal (not Cali, anyone who says Cali is not from California originally. That is how you can tell the natives from the wannabes) and went to MX at least 5 times a year. Either to TJ, San Felipe (best fish tacos, that is where its from originally) or to DF. The food here is ok, better than other places in NYC but nothing to write home about or trek out to. If you want real food then Corona is where you need to be but even that is ify. If you are looking for a greasy decent meal then this is where you can grab one but don’t expect real good food.

This is Mexican done right. Authentic Mexican cuisine that is reasonably priced and boldly flavored. I love this place whether I get delivery or eat in, the experience is always great. The burritos, floutas, tacos, enchilada, salsa and every other item on the menu are great. I am a huge fan of the burritos and enchiladas. The only thing I ever had here that I didn’t like was the seafood soup and after I ate it I asked myself «you hate seafood soups, what were you thinking?» So in classic Seinfeld «it wasn’t them it was me».

This place has some of the best Mexican food in the area. Looks really are deceiving. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, once inside, it’s a small restaurant with some Mexican locals. Really good food.
I’m removing a star because it needs to be cleaned up a little bit. Table was a little sticky but I didn’t mind it TOO much.

I ordered delivery. I got a chimichanga which had a nice flavor but was mostly just boiled chicken in a barely fried tortilla. The refried beans and rice were tasteless.
The cost was quite a bit more tham any menu posted online. They may not be up to date but it would have been nice if the honored the price or sent a menu.
That said the delivery was quick but the gentleman didnt have change.

I’ll start out with the good. Portions were awesome, pricing was decent.
And the not so awesome — not much flavor to the meat or sides. Salsas were alright. The place seemed a little dirty, saw a few flies.
The repercussions, however, were not. I ate chicken fajitas… and ended up with food poisoning. For a week. Doubt I’ll be coming back.

Margarita was horrifying. They must have lost half their liquor license because it was white zinfandel wine with sweet and sour mix. Reminiscent of bathroom cleaner, without the buzz.
Food is great, ambience crap. Save yourself some pain and get takeout or delivery. Personally, I’d rather hit up a truck. Not sure why people rave about this place.

La comida es excelente los precios son en promedio $ 15 los platos son grandes. Volveré otra vez.

Looks are deceiving. From the outside it may not look like a perfect place to get Mexican food but oh I bet you it is!
I always get the burritos here, they are amazing wether they are chicken or beef. Hands down these are one of the best burritos I have ever tried in my life. Why? It is literally stuffed with meat and cheese. The burritos come with rice and beans. The rice is interesting because it is not your typical Goya yellow rice. It is yellow but not extremely salty, it is actually tomato based. The meat in these burritos just taste amazing, always fresh and full of flavor.
The only con with this spot is sometimes the service can be a TAD bit slow. But over all 5 stars in my book.

I first came here based on Unilocal recommendations, and I’m glad I did. I was looking for affordable, authentic Mexican food, and you sure get it here. Service has always been very friendly, and although my fiancé (who is Hispanic) always speaks in Spanish to the waitstaff, I’m sure we’d be fine going in and only speaking English.
The first time we went, we both got the Enchiladas de la Casa, and we haven’t ordered anything different since. We don’t even look at a menu, we just walk in, say «dos enchiladas de la casa, por favor,» and that’s it. They are FAN-​FREAKING-​TASTIC. You get three enormous enchiladas, stuffed with tender chicken, drenched in mole and verde sauce, and topped with cheese, tomato, avocado, and onion. I always forget it’s coming, but then a couple minutes later (because the waitress can never carry it all at once), a hearty portion of rice and refried beans is placed on the table.
NOM.
Every time I go in, I say to myself that I’m going to order something different, but it hasn’t happened yet. They’re that good. And let me reiterate — it’s a HUGE portion. I’m not usually one to leave food on my plate, but I can barely finish half of this. I end up getting it to go, and I have it for lunch or dinner the next day, it’s just as good.
The few times we’ve ordered delivery, they sent a 2-​liter bottle of Jarritos for free, yum! Delivery speed is so-​so to my area (Steinway above Ditmars).
Maybe next time I’ll try something different. No promises though.

Once upon a time, when I was younger, and had a few more friends living in Astoria, we would frequent this place. Thank you for taking us back, even though we started friendly knife fights, fork fights, and plain Imma kick the chair til you fall on your back fights. Thank you for enduring and still delivering great food!
I miss this place.

Not sure what all the fuss is about.
I ordered the «enchiladas de la casa» — chicken enchiladas with mole and green sauce. The meat filling, while plentiful, tasted somewhat gamey (old?) and contained a bit of cartilage. The sauces were lacking in both quality and quantity. While I did enjoy the crema and queso blanco sprinkled on top, there wasn’t enough of it!
My co-​diner had the chicken torta, which contained a passable piece of white meat, a thick slice of mild cheese, and avocado on a fresh roll. Once again, though, the dish lacked spice and a certain je né sais quoi (yo no se que?).
People, there’s got to be better Mexican food than this in Queens.

Mexican food heaven. I like eating at places with the family-​oriented feel. I felt like I was in Mexico with the mariachi music and Spanish television. Don’t be fooled by the store front. It’s not a fancy dance spot, but a place to get authentic Mexican food of generous portions and great quality.
One of the things that made me happy was seeing guacamole on the menu for a reasonable price ($ 5.50). We got the «Chorinachos» which were nachos topped with refried beans, chorizo, cheese and jalapenos. $ 6 for an enormous plate.
We had two coronas then I had the sudden urge to do a tequila shot! Jose Cuervo to the rescue, presented to me in a shot glass on a cute plate (I wish I took a picture).
I love spicy, and their sauces were spicy x infinity. I met my match!
I got the «Fajitas de Camarones» for $ 13.95. They were shrimp fajitas with all the appropriate veggies, sour cream and salsa toppings. It came with rice & refried beans as a side. Great!
My bf got a burrito the size of his head (aka big!). In all seriousness, it was great and perfect amount of everything.
We occasionally order to-​go to fulfill the Mexican craving, but I’d love to come back and sit down when I’m in the mood for more tequila shots.

Cinco de Mayo is a great reason for everyone to drink margaritas and eat Mexico food. I was in Astoria, neighborhood-​browsing with a friend, so my Unilocal instinct gravitated me towards El Rey. Even though we were in front of Mojave at the time.
The meals were decently priced, and I got a combo meal (burrito, tacos, and taquitos). The complimentary chips were ultra crispy, complemented with a light mild salsa.
1. Beef Burrito — amazing, they used steak. Nicely seared with juices locked in.
2. Taco al Pastor — great blend of flavorful pork and fresh cilantro.
3. Chicken flauta — crunchy. My first flauta.
Service was a bit slow because of the holiday, but our waitress was very accommodating and nice. I think I like this place… more than 5 Burro. Wow.
Why, oh why can’t we have awesome Mexican places like this in Flushing? Ah well, I’m moving back to Astoria anyways.

Leeeecker!!! Nach dem ersten Tag in NYC kehrten wir dort ein um den Bauch zu füllen und die Füße nicht weiter zu quälen.
El rey ist ein kleines Restaurant am Astoria Boulevard und sieht nicht megamäßig spektakulär aus, bietet aber original mexikanische Küche, die einfach bombastisch gut schmeckt! Ich bestellte mir einen Cesars Salad, mein Freund eine Platte mit lecker gegrilltem Rindfleisch, Bohnen, Salat, eingelegtem Gemüse und Kartoffeln mit Dip. Geschmeckt hat es wie gesagt fantastisch, die Bedienung war äußerst zuvorkommend und freundlich.
Im Fernsehen lief nebenher eine mexikanische Soap, wie sollte es anders sein und die Jukebox ist nonstop in Betrieb, trällert mexikanische Schmonzetten, allerdings in einer Lautstärke, dass eine normale Konversation nicht mehr möglich ist. Wir konnten jedenfalls drüber lachen, das war so schlecht dass es schon wieder gut war.
Fazit: ein wunderbar unterhaltsamer Abend der unglaublich satt machte. Jederzeit wieder!!!