El Palacio Restaurant & Cantina

Decent chips and salsa bar, food was good, atmosphere was so/​so. We like this place and I go here for lunch a few times a year and we’ll go for dinner about once a year. The food is really good, they have a good lunch menu and lots of flavor on everything. They have a gluten free area in the kitchen so even my wife that has Celiac disease could eat there. the only reason I knocked it down a star is for atmosphere. There is nothing really intimate about the place and it was pretty hot. I’ll keep going here and recommend it to friends if they are looking for a place to eat and want to avoid the lines in downtown gilbert and the San Tan area.

Service was good. We really liked the waiter. The fish tacos didn’t smell right nor taste good at all. They use store bought taco shells that were stale. The food was bland and nothing seemed to be fresh, like you would expect at an authentic Mexican restaurant. I was very disappointed and with all the other choices close by, there is no way I would go back to this place.

Great experience! Roy was awesome, made a great suggestion with the godfather burrito. Food was great and the service was on point. We will be back.

This place never disappoints, always great service and great food. Many different salsas to pick from and some of the best beans around.

Our server was so nice! He was super busy and made sure to let us know but still continues to check on us as he should. Our food though was awful! My shredded beef chimi had zero flavor, and my rice wasn’t cooked all the way. My boyfriend had carne Asada which apparently had no flavor also. Something about it didn’t look right when it came out, which would explain the food poisoning he got right afterwards. It was our first time there and I was hoping it was just a bad night but after reading the reviews on here and other places I guess it’s common to have awful food there.

I love the salmon chimichanga! I never get tired of it. I like that they open at 10:30 on Sunday. While people are waiting at other places to open at 11, we are in and ordering!

Went again for Mother’s Day dinner. My GF wanted Mexican food so we went here. Again, nothing special about the food or service; mediocre at best, but convenient for us since we live close by. Drinks like strawberry margaritas are expensive, but beers are average in cost. We had the old standby dinner — rice and beans, and enchiladas — cheese, chicken, and machaca.

One of the best ever sit down Mexican eateries!
Good food
Good service
Able to accommodate birthday large groups!
This place should not let you down!
I have eaten here dozens of times!

To start, Chips tasted funny. Couldn’t eat them. Almost like they hadn’t changed the oil. Which set the tone for lunch. If your oil isn’t changed then I can imagine how unsanitary your kitchen is.
Carne Asada, I had to saw through, chile relleno wads lot of breaking that’s it. Who puts celery in pick de Gallo?
Yes, the give you bean dip but that doesn’t make up for the poor quality of the food. Service was good that is the reason for the one star.

Favorite Mexican food in the area, hands down. I love Unilocal and generally you can get a good idea what to expect based on the overall vibe of the reviews, but this one is tricky. My wife and I come here at least once per week, but more often than not, we find ourselves here at least twice a week. Why???
PRO’S
1. If you like cold beer, like I do, I challenge you to find colder brew.
2. Chips and salsa. All you can eat! Any review you read that says they don’t like the chips and salsa has to be from someone who likes chips from a bag and salsa from a jar. The chips are made fresh as is the variety of different salsas they offer at the salsa bar.
3. Taco Tuesday! Cheap tacos and beer specials.
4. Street Taco Thursday! If you like street tacos, you’ll love these. I highly recommend the Pastor, which is a pineapple chipotle marinaded pork. But, they offer 4 or 5 different kinds of meat if pork isn’t for you. They’re all great!
5. Authentic food. Having met the owner Anthony (a professionally trained chef) who is from Mexico, there are items on the menu you just don’t find at most Americanized Mexican food joints. Try the chicken mole, burrito style to see what I mean. It’s fantastic.
5. The staff. Roy the bartender, Jacob and Jesse are typically our servers. They’re all attentive and keep my mug full!
6. I enjoy sitting in the bar area. Playing Buzztime trivia and watching whatever games are on, keeps me entertained for hours.
Cons:
1. The place can get busy. Especially on Taco Tuesday. Even with a full staff, you might find yourself waiting. Don’t get discouraged, have an ice cold beer and relax with your first world problems.
2. This is Mexican food. It’s almost like pizza, it’s not going to knock your socks off– but it’s good food. The difference between average and the best you’ve ever had is a fairly small margin. This is good Mexican food, no doubt, but if you compare it to a Filet from Flemings your expectations are off.
3. Décor is what you’d expect. This is a family joint, not a high end restaurant with white table cloths and bow tied waitstaff.
I’ve tried a few other Mexican food restaurants and the Palace is hands down my favorite. If you don’t agree, you might want to swing by Taco Bell for something that tastes more authentic to you.

Mediocre at best. Food was ok but nothing special. Had the Carne Asada, it was over cooked with a wilted green onion draped over it. Soups were ok I had the Abondogas and my husband had the chicken tortilla, we’ve had better at local Mexican places. All in all not impressed. Better places around for a great Mexican meal.

Placed a quick to go order for lunch. The burrito was extremely greasy. The chips and salsa were good. I ended up just eating the contents of the burrito with the chips. The tortilla was too greasy and wet. Service was quick and friendly. May give this place another try. Still not sure.

Beer was cold, chips were terrific as was the salsa and beans that came with them
Newer building good ambience.
Good experience

Evening trivia!
The beer is good, the mixed drinks are good, the margaritas are better than most places, like señorvesas to name names.
I had the sopa del Mar. The lady said good choice and I was worried a $ 15 soup was not going to be good or filling. I was wrong for worrying. Let’s say for starters I took half of it home. The soup was amazing. Mussels, shrimp and some good meaty fish. The broth is delicious and it’s served with extra toppings.
This place serves beans and two salsas with their chips which is a nice change.
I like the ambiance and the bar but this place is not open late. It has a patio and is animal friendly.

We had attended a Chef Off event here between the El Palacio owner/​chef and Romeo from Romeo’s Euro Café. The food was amazing on both sides and their salsa was memorable.
A few months later we returned for lunch are were equally impressed. The complimentary chips, 2 kinds of delicious salsa and a creamy bean dip were so good and went fast.
We ordered from the lunch menu and the portions were giant. My husband got the steak sandwich with inions and peppers which was really like a giant fajita on a bun. Very tender and tasty for about $ 9! I got the Mexican flag plate with a side of rice and beans. Serious yum!
Perfectly cooked enchiladas with nice seasoned meat which I couldn’t even get close to finishing.
Thank you El Palacio for staying true to Mexican cooking without swimming in grease.
Excellent service and the waiter was very nice.
We will be back and tell all our friends.

One of my two favorite Mexican places in the Chandler/​Gilbert area. Si Señor’s and this are the two I go to most. I argue with myself over which I like more, each time I visit one of them.
Palacio has awesome flavor!
That is the review. It is not the spiciest (Si Señor’s Spicy Green Chili fills my craving for that) but each and every dish I have had has had great flavor. Their carnitas are my favorite of the meats. It has all the normal Mexican fare, but each just tastes great. I have worked my way all the way through the lunch menu (sharing with family) and have tried a good bit of the entrees. Each has been wonderful. Salsas are all homemade and tasty. I mix the white sauce from the salsa bar with the bean dip they provide to go with my chips.
My go-​to is the Queso-​dilla burrito, which I order with the queso on the side to avoid cheesemeltdown. I also love the giant taco with chorizo (I forget the actual name?) and the godfather burrito.
I always go home with leftovers because the portions are awesome, servers have always done well, and the atmosphere is fun and colorful.
The one thing I do like over Si Señor’s can be seen as a negative, but I find Palacio always to be quieter. There is not always a huge crowd here like at Si Señor’s, and it is nice to have a quieter lunch from time to time. Si Señor’s is generally loud and packed, and Palacio has the space to enjoy and take your time. Haven’t brought my dog to the pet friendly patio yet. might try that sometime after summer blows past.
Don’t let the stars above discourage you from at least trying it. I read through some of the negatives and just disagree or think that someone had a bad day with a server (have gone at least 20+ times over the years and servers have been great). Although to the ones complaining about grease, I will say yes, the fried food and chorizo is greasy. Luckily, I don’t go to Mexican places for salad.

Love Taco Tuesdays. Sat at the bar and enjoyed cocktails and Tacos, So yummy and soooooo very affordable!

Bartender mike was great!
Food was great! The bean dip was a nice touch!
Friendly staff

The food was ok. We were seated at the bar and the bar tender was very inattentive it took a hour to get a menu and when person in my party spilled a drink he got aggravated. Not a good experience

Went twice. Tried to like it. Food just wasn’t that great and seemed pricey for what you got. Good service and fast food delivery… just not a fan of the actual food. Meh.

This place has a friendly staff and pretty good food. I definitely will be back and will recommend it to friends.

This is our favorite local Mexican food restaurant. The food is excellent and they also have a vegetarian section which is amazing for me. I love their salsa bar. They have a delicious variety but their chunky red salsa, sour cream salsa and green salsa cannot be missed! Also, if you like local beers and a good variety of Mexican beers, this is a great place for happy hour.

We went here a long time ago and didn’t ever want to go back. We then got invited here by some friends and went. In a year the food and service has rebounded. We enjoyed our meals and the service was pretty good too!
Everything was clean and you couldn’t really find much to complain about. If its the same owners I am going to guess it was just an off night when we came before, we will be back for sure now!

The service was excellent. The food amazing. Loved the salsa! Enjoyed the sangria. Our first time here but excited to come back.

Prompt friendly service is a must for me and El Palacio delivers. The chips with bean dip and salsa are yummy and my entrees flavorful. Great option if you want a sit down Mexican dinner.

First time here and it’s Taco Tuesday! Great drink specials and great food! We ordered the carnitas nachos, three tacos and my hubby had a house margarita. The nachos were good, and the tacos were amazing. The house margarita wasn’t bad either. We enjoyed this place and our server was very nice and helpful. We will definitely try it again.

Coldest Modelo Especial in the universe…, yum yum. Oh yeah, food is great, too. Jesse is great always friendly, knows we love Modelo

My husband and I love to come and sit at the bar and have a couple of ice cold beers eat chips and salsa and chill. It’s a relaxed atmosphere with good service. They have an enchilada plate called American flag, I could be wrong on the name, it’s pretty good.

Waitress was very attentive and friendly. Food not so great.
We brought our dogs and they have an outdoor patio where they were welcome.
The reason for the low score is that we did not enjoy the food.

We almost walked out shortly after arriving, and I’m sorry we didn’t.
There was a bad smell in the air and the food was beyond greasy. It left a bad taste in my mouth and made me full gross for the rest of the day.
I don’t know how they stay in business.

Great chips and salsa bar with lots of options. However I never really found anything on the menu that wows me. They do have an awesome Taco Tuesday deal that is worth coming in for.

Our favorite local restaurant! Roy at the bar makes you feel welcomed, remembers your drinks, and always happy to recommend a dish based on your preferences or dietary needs.
Jacob is always there. Attentive, friendly, knowledgable and anticipates your needs! The food is always delicious! Try the enchilada with the sunny side egg-​beyond words!!! Taco Tuesday? Taco Thursday is amazing!!!
We always recommend EP to all our friends and usually have another family with us at least once a week! Great service and tonight with Jacob was no different! I can’t say enough about this place! Come join us and challenge us at Buzztime trivia. Loser buys next round?

This place is very meh. The food is old people food: bland, saltless, flavorless. The service was not bad, but mediocre at best.
The tables weren’t very clean and the bench seats were very uncomfortable. Even my kids thought the seats were uncomfortable and they can sit on almost anything.
The salsas and bean dip were pretty good, but that’s the only good I can say about this place. For its location, I’m surprised such a mediocre place can compete against the better places around here.

We love the Kingman el palacio so we were hoping it would be just as good. SURPISE
It was even better ! After checking in with Unilocal we recieved a coupon for 1 free appetizer with 2 entrees. Yeah ! We ordered the fiesta platter ($ 9.99) it was mini tacos, taquitos, nachos & cheese quesadilla. The platter was ok, but I wouldn’t order it again. My bf & I ordered the carne asada burrito with rice ($ 12.99) this was fantastic ! The beef was grilled and seasoned perfectly. Tortilla tasted homemade as did the rice. My fav part was at the end when we got little strawberry roll ups with whipped cream. So cute so tasty. Can’t wait to come back

As a rule I’m not a fan of chain type Mexican restaurants as I find them to mostly be exercises in mediocrity. That being said the food here was actually good… not great, but good.
Ordered the chimichanga and a chicken enchilada and tamale. Both diners were good… not great, but good. Oddly I found the beans and rice to be really good. A minor part of both plates but both were good… maybe close to great.
Also had the house margarita. In most cases I’ve found house margaritas to me overly sweet and lacking tequila. In this case the tequila was present and the margarita mix was not overly sweet.

I get the opportunity to travel extensively and I’ve come here once before and I had the beach dip, that’s what brought me back honestly. I came around noon today and it was not really busy. The service was timely and appropriate for a restaurant.
My waiter, Chris was great. He made sure my time here was pleasant even though when I first was seated it was next to the window light which I hate but he quickly got me a good spot. He was very respectful and helpful and it didn’t feel tip based which is awesome.
The one draw back is the staff don’t seem to have a break area or choose to hang in one area alot. Makes it a bit awkward looking over at someone in uniform and on their phones or doing paperwork.
The food was great, portion sizes are above average. They’ve also got a cool salsa bar where you can grab as much as you want on top of what’s served.
Overall I’d recommend to any visiting the area.

Stop yourself right now. Walk away quickly.
Man, I have NEVER said that about a restaurant anywhere before. Like for the reals. Usually I can find one good thing to say about any place I go to, but this is the exception to the rule.
The interior of this place looks like an old Chili’s…does anyone know if it used to be? The décor is failing and everything on the walls looked extremely dusty. It is run down in appearance and that was my first red flag.
We waited at our table for a good 7 – 8 minutes before we were even approached for a drink order and even then, we were told that he would be right back to get our drink order. Did I mention the place was not busy? There had to have been a max of three other tables that were seated.
We then waited 25 minutes for our food to be delivered once we were able to order… not sure what was going on there… but when the food arrived, I knew immediately that I was going to be in for a long night of bathroom runs if we stayed. I ordered a combo plate with a mini bean burrito and a cheese enchilada. My boyfriend had a chile relleno.
I choked down a few bites of rice and beans because the enchilada was out of the question after I precariously tried a morsel of it.
Then after very clearly pushing our plates to the edge of the table to signify we were done, ten minutes passes. Our server didn’t even deliver our food and never stopped by to make sure everything was ok. I finally had to flag down a busser and ask if he could send over our server so we can pay. Another server came over and took our credit card for us and we were able to pay and get the heck outta there.
Will not be back and no amount of coercing or bribery would work. As feared, the bathroom and I became fast friends after this meal.

After falling for their amazing carnitas at Scottsdale Spice, I badly wanted to give their restaurant a try so tada! Saturday Night with the boys commenced!
Walking in was a treat. El Palacio was all decked out for some Halloween fun! The donkeys wore dinosaur pet costumes and tacky-​yet-​adorable vinyls covered the windows. They also were advertising heavily that they’ll be at this weekend’s AZ Taco Festival. I was mesmerized and ecstatic. After ordering a rich horchata and getting the complimentary two bowls of salsa and a delicious homemade bean dip with some chips, I checked-​in on the Unilocal app and discovered a «free appetizer with purchase of any entrée» offer. Yes! This night keeps getting better and better!
Our waitress had recommended us to get the Fiesta Sampler for the check-​in offer since we’re new patrons of the place and it was a great suggestion. There were cheesy quesadillas, crunchy taquitos, tiny tacos with warm chorizo and potatoes, and dressed-​up nachos all on this plate. It was a lot of food and a part of me wishes they brought it out before our entrees because I was hungry and I was too busy stuffing my face with carnitas to pay too much attention to the appetizers. Bah.
I stuck with my Carnitas Rancheras, not straying to steal bites off anyone else’s plate. It came out piping hot and smelling of delicious meats! Three warm tortillas stayed wrapped up in their foil and were waiting for me to get my green-​painted nails on them. I piled my little tortilla up with a helping of succulent slow-​cooked pork, I spooned some onions and guacamole, added my pico de gallo [sorry El Palacio, I think my pico’s better], and threw on some beans and rice just because. It was an amazing first bite. Minus their pico de gallo being a bit wimpy, I did find that the seasoning on their carnitas to be light-​handed. Where’s the heat, man?! Make me sweat! The portions are very generous. Three tortillas was not enough for all that juicy meat they give you. The free cinnamon sugar apple-​filled taquito-​dessert thing with whipped cream they give you with the bill was delish.
All in all, I had a great night out with good food and great company. Service was a bit slow and the wait was pretty killer considering it wasn’t even packed nor were there any big parties in the place but oh well. Nothing great company can’t cure. I would come back for sure. The Mole Poblano is calling my name. Help me.