I eat at el Ray all the time! The best mexican food in town. Great food and friendly people!
Amanda P.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Chico, CA
Love their chilaquiles! Just be prepared for a wait(20 minutes our so) since they make the chips fresh, but it’s worth it. The chips are thicker and crispy, rice and beans flavorful. Boyfriend likes the machaca and both dishes are under $ 7 each. Great place to visit when I’m craving a real Mexican breakfast.
Fallon N.
Rating des Ortes: 1 San Luis Obispo, CA
My husband and I used to love this place. It was the only Mexican restaurant in town we could find that serves pasole(so if you know of another, we’d love to know!) Today he grabbed it to go(a 40 minute wait for two tacos and soup, with three other people ordering) – and they didn’t put the lid on the pasole at all, so when driving home it tipped and dumped the entire contents of soup on the floor. He was pretty upset, but those reasons aren’t why we are never coming back. I hate to bash a local restaurant, but I opened up my tacos to find a LIVECOCKROACH. Nope, nope, nope. Sorry, but this place needs to literally clean up its act.
Nancy R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Hayfork, CA
Cheap, easy, nice staff. Yeah, okay with me. I liked the price, for sure, and the easygoing nature of the place. It took a while for the food to come out, but since I was forewarned on Unilocal,we took reading materials. BTW, knew the hours because I was able to check on Unilocal
Tony L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Chico, CA
Had a breakfast bacon and ham burrito with rice today it was so goooooood I wanted another one.
Eric R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Auburn, CA
Very good Al pastor tacos! Simple, authentic and tasty! These tacos are larger than your typical truck tacos so try to catch a peak before you order!
Melanie E.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Chico, CA
I have tried to come here 3 times and each time they are closed for random reasons at completely reasonable hours when they are supposed to be open according to their hours. Don’t know what’s going on with them but I will update my review when they are actually open for business.
Mario B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Chico, CA
After moving away from Chico, I have been on a mission to find a Molcajete that tastes similar to El Rey’s. After two years of frustration and wasted money, I haven’t been able to find anything that tastes half as good as El Rey’s. Molcajetes in the East Bay and Sacramento have been major let downs! My Tia from Michoacan even said that El Rey’s Molcajete was one of the best dishes she had tasted in the states. I Advise: Something so good takes time, be prepared to wait an average of 25 min. Call ahead and order the dish before you arrive. On a final note I think El Rey has raised my standards too high for everyone else(this may not be a good thing for me). Chico do yourself a favor and try their Molcajete! Family ran business and just great people…
Laura G.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Acton, CA
This is our«go to» place for mexican food in Chico! It is family owned, and run and they are always very friendly and attentive! The food is fresh, flavorful and the prices are very good. They do have the BEST bacon/potato breakfast burrito around… just add a little extra cheese. But the tacos, taco salad, carnitas plate are all delicious. Definitely try the homemade salsa and pica de gallo!
Shannon S.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Chico, CA
This place was dirty and uncomfortable with friends of the owners(table full of men) watching a game on a little dirty table in the corner. The chips tasted of bad grease and chemicals. The meat tasted old in the tacos and the salsa tasted like it was from a can. I will not be returning to this place.
Emmett S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Chico, CA
Came in after reading the reviews. Really good food, some of the best Mexican in Chico. Looking forward to coming back again & trying more. Service was great & so are prices.
D B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Chico, CA
Food is awesome. The ghost pepper salsa is so damn good, the owner grows his own peppers in his back yard! Customer service is amazing. The owners son asked me if I liked hot stuff since I ordered the ghost pepper salsa. When I told him yes he gave me a ghost pepper in a sandwich bag. Thank you for the awesome food and the pepper!
John B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Newark, CA
The al pastor is dank sauce, the ghost pepper hot sauce is awesome! The 2 $ taco’s are where it’s at. The 5 $ Cali burrito is also where you wanna be. Cheap, authentic, pimp city.
Tamera Y.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Chico, CA
I’m in love with there breakfast burritos. Everything taste so very fresh and there hot sauce awesome. The family pleasant & the draught very sweet.
Myra A.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Chico, CA
Having the Chile Colorado Burrito lunch plate with a Modelo Especial as we speak– I AMINHEAVEN. This may be Chico’s best kept secret(though it shouldn’t be). Such amazingly fresh and delicious Mexican food. It’s ridiculously good… And I actually love how unassuming it is, tucked away in a quiet strip mall overshadowed by the neighboring and famous Sierra Nevada Brewery. There’s nothing«hipster» about it(thank goodness), just a kind staff, sweet authenticity, and natural lighting, which adds so much to its appeal. Can’t wait to bring more people on to this experience.
Sherrie T.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Williams, CA
This restaurant is great! The family that runs is so nice. We have been there twice and the waitress remembered us even though it had been a month since we had been there. The food is super tasty and really well priced. We have tried the carne asada tacos, beef enchilada, crunchy tacos, and papusas(I’m not sure I spelled that one right??). All were delicious! Do your self a favor and give this place a try!
Janelle C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Diego, CA
Being from San Diego it was very difficult moving to northern california where the mexican food is much, much different than down south(and in my very biased opinion, not nearly as good). I’ve tried many ‘mexican’ eateries all over town but El Rey Mexican is the ONLY one that comes close to being like true on-the-border mexican. THEYHAVECALIFORNIABURRITOS! REALCALIFORNIABURRITOS! Not only do they have california burritos, they have delicious, fresh, huge Cali Burritos! If you do eat here, just be sure to either call-in your order ahead or give yourself some time to relax and wait because everything is made to order! Everything is so authentic and true to the real cuisine and they are such a small, genuine establishment that they can, on occasion, run out of ingredients. Which is why this place is amazing. It’s the real thing! Everything I’ve had has been delicious from the Cali Burrito, Super Burrito, Pozole, Ceviche… JUSTLIKESOUTHERNCALIHOME. Easily, best Mex in Chico!
Janae F.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Butte, CA
I love love love El Rey! Eat here all the time. They have a dish called the molcajete which has cactus, prawns, chicken, beef, onions, bell peppers, and cheese. ONe of a kind in Chico. Perfecafter a night of drinking! They are super nice family owned and operated. Very good prices and pozole and menudo every day. Sometimes they are out of stuff and in the process of making it, but it is still supergood!
Jake M.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Chico, CA
Went there for the first time at lunch today. After being in Chico for years and trying various other Mexican restaurants, I figured it was time to try it. My transaction went something like this” Asked for the Pastor…“it’s not ready”…ok(it was 11:40a.m. on Thursday), is your chicken shredded or cubed? «its’ shredded… but it’s not ready. We can grill one». Oh, ok that works. I’ll also have one Carne Asada, all to go. After leaving, it turns out I got two chicken burritos. They weren’t bad, price was right. But it’s Chico and there plenty of other options. Not too many on this part of town, but again, it’s Chico and it’s not that big of town. Wouldn’t mind trying a breakfast burrito in the future, that menu looked extensive. Just hope the food would be ready when I do.