El Mariachi Mexican Restaurant

Fact File

336-834-2200

Type: Mexican

Location: 4623 High Point Road #E, Greensboro, N.C.

Price Range: Most menu items under $15, many under $10

Hours: ???

Payment accepted: Cash, credit card

Overview: El Mariachi offers a wide variety of Mexican fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is a full-service bar, daily specials, late-night karaoke and a live mariachi band on weekends.

Review by Zac Goldstein

Greensboro is home to many Mexican restaurants, but few distinguish themselves the way El Mariachi does. The menu, for instance, is far more expansive than you’ll find elsewhere and features all-day breakfast and lengua (beef tongue) as a taco filling. The quality varies – a generous portion of huevos con chorizo hit the spot, but authentic-style tongue tacos were surprisingly bland and one diner compared her meatball soup to a canned Campbell’s offering – though the variety is commendable. Go here enough times and you’re bound to find something you like.

For those who like theatricality with their food, the namesake band delivers with professionalism and poise. The mariachi combo takes requests and rotates from table to table, ensuring you won’t go deaf from an evening of sitting directly in front of the music.

Servers at El Mariachi are affable and knowledgeable about food and song alike and service on the whole is swift. One diner endured a short wait after part of her order was forgotten, but we were a large group. Pricing is plenty reasonable: a filling meal can be had for under $10, though seafood dishes and house specialties run higher.

With its festive atmosphere, good value and multitude of options, El Mariachi may offer the best all-around Mexican dining experience in Greensboro. El Azteca keeps the crown for best tacos in town, but if you’re looking for more than food, the High Point Road establishment is well worth your while.

7.75/10

Mexico Restaurant

Fact File

336-292-6044 (Market), 336-333-2514 (Battleground), 336-665-5170 (Fleming), 336-286-9040 (Elm)

Type: Mexican

Location: 4800 West Market Street, 1007 Battleground Avenue, 2307 Fleming Road, or 3606 North Elm Street, Greensboro, N.C.

Price Range: Many entrees under $10

Hours: ???

Payment accepted: Cash, credit card

Overview: A local family-owned operation, Mexico Restaurants can be found at four locations across Greensboro (this review covers the Battleground location). Mexico offers a wide variety of tortilla-based dishes (tacos, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas), chicken and steak selections, salads, margaritas, imported beers and more. Food and drink specials change daily and lunch specials are offered from 11-2:30. Catering is available.

Review by Zac Goldstein

A Mexican restaurant called Mexico Restaurant sets the bar low for originality. Accordingly, the most innovative thing you’ll find here is the décor. Brightly colored tables, chairs and walls give the establishment a distinct identity – think Alice in Wonderland with a Southwestern flair.

Unfortunately, the cuisine is pedestrian by comparison. Grilled chicken served inside half a pineapple is as exotic a dish as you’ll find here. That means no mole sauce or puerco al pastor and the tacos are Tex-Mex rather than authentic-style. Though the menu spans an impressive 5-plus pages, many of the selections incorporate beef, chicken and some kind of tortilla.

Familiar as it may be, the food here isn’t bad. Camarones (shrimp) come full-size and carnitas (seasoned pork) is just flavorful enough and not too dry. As most dishes come with lettuce and a side of rice (at minimum), you get a good deal of bang for your buck. Entrees run from $7-$8 for chicken and quesadilla dishes up to around $13 for steak and seafood. For those seeking lighter fare, tacos and sides are also available a la carte for a few dollars each.

Service at Mexico is prompt. Order a refillable beverage and your glass won’t stay empty very long. The wait staff is also able to provide separate checks for large groups without any difficulty. Just be clear about what you’re ordering or you could end up with something you never intended.

On the whole, Mexico offers standard Tex-Mex fare at reasonable prices. It’s hardly the worst in town, but it’s not a fiesta for your taste buds either.

6.25/10

Taqueria El Azteca

Fact File

336-292-4008

Type: Mexican

Location: 5605 West Friendly Avenue #B, Greensboro, N.C.

Price: Most menu items under $10

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday

Payment accepted: Cash, credit card

Overview: Housed in the Quaker Village Shopping Center, El Azteca offers margaritas, tacos, burritos, fajitas and other Mexican fare. Tuesdays and Thursdays are $1 taco nights. Limited outdoor seating is available.

Review by Zac Goldstein

For tacophiles, El Azteca is Greensboro’s gold standard. They are served up authentic Mexican style, with radish, avocado, cilantro and lime. More than half a dozen fillings are available, and you can’t go wrong with most of them. The pastor (marinated pork) is addictively flavorful, while the chorizo has a nice kick. Only the chicken is a bit dry. The tacos are small – don’t expect them to last you more than three bites – but at a $1 each, they are still a good bargain.

El Azteca’s other menu options aren’t quite of the same caliber. Burritos and fajitas can run over $10, depending on the fillings, and are prepared in more of a Tex-Mex style. That isn’t necessarily a demerit and nothing is made badly here, but you can find similar food elsewhere.

The restaurant’s waitstaff is friendly and attentive. Drinks are refilled and baskets of chips replenished promptly. Of course, that will only benefit you if you’ve already been seated. El Azteca is not a large establishment and on $1 taco nights, it fills up very quickly. Show up with a group after 6:30 on a Tuesday or a Thursday and you’re virtually guaranteed a wait.

If you like tacos and don’t mind a crowd, El Azteca has the potential to become a local favorite. If you’re in a hurry or are in the mood for something else, however, you may want to rethink your options.

7.25/10