El Grill Restaurant and Bar

Best place to get tacos after hitting the bar! Cheap, delicious and always friendly. Seriously, these are the best damn tacos I have ever had. I would highly recommend the chicken or pork. The beef is delicious too, but something about the chicken makes me order them every time. You can also eat in and have a beer. I’m regular at this place, and come here at least once a week for their 3 tacos for 6 dollars deal!

I am Unilocaling from the burger place next door because I just received the worst worst customer service. I ordered two chicken tacos. 3 minutes after ordering I asked to make sure they came on flour tortillas. She said «No, corn». I asked her to change it to flour. She said they were done being prepared. I told her to change it, but she said no. I told her that they should change it or cancel my order.
If I were at any other establishment, they certainly would have change the tortilla to flour. Seems like a simple request to keep a patient happy but they clearly don’t understand the importance of customer service.

Best al pastor tacos in Astoria. The chorizo and carne enchilada tacos are excellent. The sandwiches are good. I’d skip the platters and burritos.

The food here is good & cost efficient for a Mexican spot in Astoria. This is more of the epitome of how authentic Mexican food should taste.
First visit I grabbed the nachos with chorizo and it ended up being a HUGE portion. I split it with 2 of my male cousins and we were stuffed! While dining in you also get a bowl of homemade tortilla chips with salsa. Be sure to eat the nachos quickly as they with all the toppings get soggy QUICK hence becoming unappetizing for some.
Second time I opt for delivery and got the steak enchiladas (came with rice and beans) and got a side of guacamole. Food was decent as always however they did forget the onions and hot sauce I asked for. (Figure the language barrier) The guac here was a bit on the creamier side with a more liquidy consistency as well.
Overall decent spot and delivery was generally quick. I like the place over a lot of other Mexican spots around NYC but still could use some improvements here and there.

Last night I ordered steak fajitas thinking its pretty simple and a Mexican place couldn’t mess it up! WRONG. They sent me the normal: rice, beans, sour cream, and guacamole but then I open the steak fajitas and it’s a steak stew??? More veggies than meat! But wait what kind of veggies you ask? Broccoli?! Zucchini?! Green peppers?! WTF where is the lettuce, tomato, grilled onions and peppers? I’M NEVER ORDERING HERE!

I’ve been here at all different times. Dinner time and 5 in the morning after a night out. Every time it is equally delicious. Service is great. Food is authentic. 5 stars.

Absolutely disgusting service. They got my order wrong after I asked for no onions because I am allergic. My plate came with onions, I called them to have the order replaced and the cook or owner or whatever he is basically told me that he’s too busy and everything he makes has onions and I’m going to have to wait 40 minutes for my food and then proceeded to hang up on me. This wasn’t even my fault! They can’t even own up to their own mistakes and then apparently told everyone not to deliver to my address. I’m filing a food safety complaint to make it aware that they do NOT care about a customers allergies.
I also honestly feel bad for their employees if they have to put up with his shitty attitude.

The staff was not very friendly. The «large» rice and beans are really a small. I asked for a vegetarian taco with no cheese, their menu says exactly what’s in it but they fail to mention that it has sour cream (who mentions one condiment (guacamole) and not the other?) — had I known that I would have asked for none of that also. Wasted food and money.

We were here for dinner on a Saturday night around 9pm. The place wasn’t busy at all. Most of the people who came in, they were just buying take out.
One of us was craving for some lengua tacos so after reading a lot of great reviews about this place on Unilocal,we decided to stop by here for dinner. We ordered the 3 lengua tacos, the spicy pork tortas, & the cheese quesadillas. The service were good. Our waitress were polite. We also didn’t have to wait a long time for our food.
The tacos were good but the portion is a bit small. If you like spicy food, you probably be disappointed with the hot sauce here because it’s not that spicy. The tortas is probably the best out of the three that we ordered but definitely not the best tortas that we’ve had. The portion of the tortas is pretty good for $ 6.50. The cheese quesadillas is a disappointment. It’s bland, no flavor what so ever.
The good thing about this place is that it opens late. It’s not a bad place to stop by late night if you’re around the area.

This place is my default go-​to restaurant when I am undecided of what I want to eat. Why? I know whatever I order, it’ll be delicious and the prices are incredibly reasonable. With all the things I have ordered here, I was never once disappointed. One of my go-to’s is the beef tacos as their meat has small bits of fat incorporated with the seasoning and toppings add a tons of flavor.
The atmosphere could use a bit of improvement and the entrance is a bit tight. but more than adequate if you are there for a quick bite. The workers there are very friendly, accommodating, and appreciative when they receive their tip.
My friends knows not to mention tacos from this place since once mentioned, I start salivating, then I NEED to have it in my mouth. (thats what she said).

I love this place. The food is great, the price is good, and the people are nice. They’re open later at night, which is convenient. I usually get food to go, but sitting in the restaurant itself is also a very pleasant experience. My fav: cheese quesadilla with their incredibly delicious green sauce (which you have to ask for – trust me, ask for it!!!).

This place is a gem. My boyfriend introduced me to this restaurant about three weeks ago. We ordered three tacos for $ 7.50 and a burrito for $ 9 to go. I’m a huge taco fan but an no connoisseur, however, these were the BEST TACOS I’ve ever had. I’ve had Mexican food in LA, in Sunset Park, from Mexican friends and this was hands down the freshest most delicious tacos. I, of course, had a bite of the burrito and omg it was amazing. Too bad my boyfriend didn’t want to share more than two bites, I don’t blame him though. I even tested out my taste buds by going to a taco food truck in NYC, and I quickly realized what a gem this location is.
Whenever we go, the dinning room is empty, but don’t be fooled. This place has a lot of business, people constantly coming in and ordering out.
If you have some time to travel to 30^th avenue make sure to visit this place on the other side of the tracks ;).

Delicious! I tried Mexican food all over NYC from stands in Jackson heights, Queens. Tacos from Bushwick, Brooklyn and yes, even chipotle.
I had the best meal of my life. I tried the pollo, carne asada, and chorizo burrito and it was beyond my expectations. The plate was very refreshing; nice little salad on the side with tomatoes and cucumbers, next to it sat the GIGANTIC BURRITO smothered with GUACAMOLE and SOUR CREAM.
I’m one satisfied customer.
Two thumbs up

This place is a decent little run in the mill Mexican food spot. The portions are huge. Each entrée’s good for two people. The chicken has a lot of fat attached to it, and the enchiladas are too salty. Service time is decent and price is fair. It sucks that they only take cash. The beef is much better than the chicken and I’d highly recommend getting steak on anything you order.

I received my cemita de al pastor and, upon my first bite, I realized that there was a Creator… and that creator is Mexican. Of course I’m joking, but Mexico has brought us a lot of really good things – Selena, Dos XX, tequila, picadita rellena, cheap US labor, and California, so the creator must be at least a quarter Mexican, right?
Regarding Athens Grille (or El Grille), my lunch here was undoubtedly one of the best tasting I ever had. I’ve had Five Guys, Pow Burger, Lucky’s, Shake Shack, Jimbos (90s), banh mi (Vietnamese), Katz, tortas, etc and the best tasting sandwich to me was Shake Shack’s double stacked mushroom cheeseburger, which was worth the 15 – 20 minute wait. This al pastor cemita has edged out that Shack Stack, however, as my #1 sandwich.
The server actually thought something was wrong when she saw me eating but I was really having a rare foodgasm. I told her that I needed this place to be closer to my house.
This place, by the way, is setup like a neighborhood bar/​lounge but with really good food as opposed to just decent food. There’s a bar and grill in the front; tables in the middle; and then there’s a dance floor/​lounge area in the back.
That combination of really good food, drinks and music makes this a 5 star spot.

MmMmm still dreaming about the al pastor taco. It was sweet and savory at the same time and had subtle, unexpected pineapple chunks in it – really had me devouring that taco. Also tried the chicken taco and it was clean, simple, and tasty. I’m a person who absolutely loves onions, garlic, scallion so I really did enjoy their tacos. If you’re around the area and looking for a quick, satisfying bite, this is the place to go!

I love this place! I work a rotating shift and this place seems to be always open round the clock! It is perfect place to end a all day drinking binge in Astoria or to pop in for a quick bite while at work. I always get the tacos which are loaded with fresh ingredients for the great price of 3 for $ 7. They always give free chips with salsa for a appetizer! If you are into real authentic tacos … Not Americanized versions of them… This is the place to go!!! You will catch me there at least once a week!!!

Yes I was a little sceptic arriving to an empty dining room on. Saturday evening. The name upfront is also Athens Grill which added to the confusion. There is a slight scent of mothball lingering as well which worried me a bit more. But we found a good sparking space and were really hungry.
Ordered mixed tacos — spicy pork, lengua (tongue) and pork. Best tacos I’ve had. Must have. $ 7
Under special plates, we ordered grilled sirloin a la mexicana. It is seriously spicy. My husband was sweating bullets. I can handle heat but it was seriously spicy. Warning. We were struggling to finish. I don’t know how they have this dangerous dish on the menu. $ 13
We ordered a side of the grilled cactus. Really good side dish.
Service was sparse and but they were friendly. I’ll come back for the tacos. After reading more reviews, apparently this place is well known for late night snacking. Open until 4am.

BEST AUTHENTIC MEXICAN RESTAURANT EVER!!!
Sorry for the caps, but I couldn’t express how much I love this place. I always get their tortas with carnitas. Their sandwich bun is AWESOME!!! AMAZING!!! BUTTERY!!! OMG made my sandwich 100% DELICIOUS! The carnitas was bbq with perfection. It is a big sandwich so they don’t cheap out on the ingredients. Very afforadable place and they serve free homemade chips with salsa. Very clean and they have LARGE tvs so you can watch the game while eating. The waitress are very friendly and nice. One time I ordered take out and she still served me chips and salsa. My mexican friends confirmed it was real mexican food. LOVE coming here ever time I am in the area!

Still excited to have this place nearby (although I wish it were closer!) Tried the al pastor quesadilla which was definitely «interesting» as another reviewer put it. Thick corn tortilla, crumbly cheese (almost parmesan-​like) along with delicious crispy pieces of al pastor. Douse it in the green hot sauce and it becomes pretty awesome. It came with a side salad of lettuce, cucumber, and radish, too. All for $ 4!
Also tried the chicken burrito which was short and fat, totally stuffed with rice and beans and chicken and smothered on top with an avocado sauce and sour cream. This was not your typical hand-​held burrito but a knife and fork affair. The chicken was actually really tasty and the fillings didn’t even really need any of the hot sauces. Next time, I’m getting the burrito so I can have more than a couple of bites!
Chips that came to the table were good although the salsa that came with was only okay, with a hint of chipotle flavor.
Btw, I don’t think there’s any sort of sign outside that tells you the name of the restaurant, be it El Grill or otherwise.

Me encanta la comida mexicana y en este sitio encontré los mejores tacos q me he comido aquí en NY lo recomiendo buena atención y rápida