Margaritas are fairly priced especially during happy hour but only eat their food if you want a stomach ache. Queso should NOT be made with Velveeta
Fred P.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Tuscaloosa, AL
In the words of Unilocal,it’s A-OK. Don’t eat the food(what are you, new here?), go for the margaritas. Pro-tip: if you’re really starving, order guacamole and chips, which was actually decent the last time I had it. My best guess for their margarita recipe = half a cup of the cheapest available grain alcohol, half a cup of pure corn syrup, and neon food coloring. There is nary a hint of tequila taste in them. If you have more than two you’re guaranteed a hangover. But hey, they’re cheap, come with free chips and salsa, and the atmosphere is fine. The crowd is all college students, most of them sharing giant fishbowl margaritas obtained with fake IDs. But if you go between 5−8pm, it’s never too loud or crowded(can’t speak to the atmosphere later than that). Good for groups, especially if you have a happy hour with coworkers from UA! No happy hour on Sundays.
Anna G.
Rating des Ortes: 1 El Paso, TX
Worst excuse for Mexican food. I’m from Mexico and i know in the states, you’ll probably get more TexMex. But this food was pitiful. I ordered the combination plate, chile relleno enchilada and taco. Grease dripping from my food. Rice was undercooked. Only thing i could finish was the beans. My girlfriend had a spicy shrimp dish. The shrimp were rubbery and it was way too hot to even enjoy the food. I was disgusted. I will never step in this establishment again. Prefer taco bell over this garbage they call mexican food.
Grant S.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Tuscaloosa, AL
AWFUL service. Disgusting food. Our bills were all wrong. When we asked for them to be corrected the waiter threatened us. The night ended up with 6 cops at the restaurant. They were easily on our side because it had happened before. DONOTGO. The worst Mexican restaurant I have ever been to.
Meredith D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Birmingham, AL
You need to understand what you’re getting when you come to El Rincon — its a noisy college hangout. The service is ok, not great. The food is so-so, but its on the better side of Mexican fare in Tuscaloosa. The margaritas are oustanding, and as other reviewers have said, loaded with tequila. This is not a casual, mid-day lunch margarita. Huge groups + happy hour = long wait times and long lines at check out. Its just the nature of the beast. Don’t come expecting a quick in and out meal at dinner on most nights. Parking also sucks, because its the Strip. Be prepared to walk a few blocks unless you get lucky. During my undergrad I had an awesome time here with friends. I miss it so.
Kerri B.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Long Beach, CA
In summary, they’re heavy on the tequila when it comes to their margaritas– which I love. I mostly come here for drinks during happy hour because the food is very so-so, far from authentic, but good enough if you cover it in queso. Definitely a place people come to socialize and drink. The best place to get Mexican in Tuscaloosa is at Los Tarascos over by Sam’s Club. If your from California or Texas and looking for something like you’d find back home, keep in mind you’re in Alabama so don’t set your expectations too high.
Mike C.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Long Beach, CA
I was told we were meeting up with one of my gf’s coworkers at a mexican place near campus. After determining there was no parking anywhere around the restaurant, we parked on campus and walked the 3 minute walk over to the restaurant. I almost walked right by it, because nothing about the exterior said mexican restaurant to me. As soon as the door to this place opened I realized I was truly back in a college town. TIghtly packed tables of blond chicks and their man-friends filled the first room. The roar of chatter was so loud I could barely hear myself think. The waitress walked us over to a booth in another room and the atmosphere was pretty interesting. A fake bat hung from the ceiling(mind you its April, not October) which kind of puzzled me. It didn’t however, puzzle me more than the two large TVs that were playing«The First 48» on A&E. That definitely took the cake. We were just in time to catch the last 15 minutes of happy hour and so being the alchy that I am, I ordered myself a $ 4 pitcher of miller(It was that or coors light:(), while my gf ordered a $ 3 margarita which was apparently jam packed with tequila. The chips were moderately fresh, and the salsa was disappointingly underwhelming. It was as if someone in the kitchen had come up with a great blend of spices and sauce, looked up and saw the hordes of college kids, and decided to hell with it and added a vat of water to it to keep the costs down. This had me worried about what the entrees would possibly be like, but to my surprise I really enjoyed my food. I ordered #58 the Flautas Mexicanas, which came with sour cream, guacamole, cut tomatoes and onions and queso. It pretty much hit the spot. To sum it all up, this place is affordable, college bar loud, and packs a punch in their drinks.
Taylor N.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Tuscaloosa, AL
Horrific service – they treat customers like pigs at a trough. Not even good for groups, because they won’t even reserve tables for groups until the ENTIRE group is there. The margaritas were once decent, but they have started replacing the tequila with some sort of cheap vodka. Actually had to water mine down to make it drinkable. Avoid, avoid, avoid.