El Idolo Mexican Restaurant

I received food poisoning from this place last night. I am just starting to feel better and it’s 1 o’clock in the afternoon. We would’ve gone to the hospital but I couldn’t leave the bathroom. The worst gas cramps I’ve ever had. I am currently cleaning up my tub, my bathroom floors and my toilet. The meat tasted funny and we told the manager it did. The waitress just smiled and nodded and took our plates away. I ate two pieces of the strip steak that was on my plate the other two cups of meat went back to the kitchen. My husband ate half of his food. He orders the same thing every time we go to any Mexican restaurant and 99% of the time he’s licking the plate at the end. When we were leaving I told the hostess it was probably the worst food we’ve had in a long time the manager comes out of the kitchen and says I tasted your food it was just fine. Can you believe? A) why would you taste food off a customer’s plate and B) if the customer says it taste funny it taste funny I sent all the food back. And he did nothing to rectify the problem we spent $ 50 last night. Please do yourself a favor and a possible hospital visit do not go to this restaurant!

Outstanding food and service! This is not your typical Memphis area Mexican restaurant. The food is seasoned well and cooked to perfection. The staff are very attentive and friendly
We had the pollo fundido and chicken taco. Everything tasted great. They do not have list of combination plates on their menu like others restaurants. Instead, they have a create your own combo section that offers more flexibility.
Give try his place a try. You won’t regret it.

I have wanted to try this place since they opened last spring. It was definitely worth rhe wait. I had some of the best tacos ever and Husband had one of the house specialities called Molojete de Idolo which was basically the kitchen sink thrown into a heated mortar bowl. It had fajita veggies, plenty of meats, and cheeses… all for $ 13.99!!! The setvice was very friendly and accommodating without being intrusive. With such delicious food, cheap prices, excellent service AND the bonus of being close to home, I assure you that Husband and I will be back for more soon.
Gracias, mis amigos at El Idolo!

My husband and I went to this location for his birthday. The atmosphere and servers were excellent. The food is great!!! Everyone was very friendly even the other customers. It’s just a great place to go and chill after a long day… the décor is nice and it was a plus that they had the basketball games on that night. We will definitely be going back!!!

Great drinks… top shelf margaritas. The food was a pass. It was okay. Nothing notable. Food was not well seasoned, it tasted almost like canned chicken. I had an appetizer sampler. The drinks were great though and that was what I wanted. Any margaritas!!! (5 stars just for the drinks)

The staff was super friendly. The atmosphere intimate. The top shelf Margarita was some powerful stuff. The mix was good and smooth, so you don’t realize the booze hit you until you try standing up from the table. The portions were generous, but not overwhelming to the point you’re asking for a takeout box before trying to tackle the meal, which hit the spot. I wish the restaurant had a bigger sign, because if you’re not familiar with the area, you might miss them. Next time, we shall indulge in their desserts. Yum!

Perhaps the other Unilocalers providing better reviews of El Idolo had a better experience than I did. I stopped in last night and ordered Fajitas Jalisco for 2 to go, with a side of queso dip. When we started eating the fajitas, there was a noticeable absence of taste, however. I think they forgot to use the dry fajita seasoning or liquid fajita season mix on our batch. Really, I kept tasting around the plate to try to get some more flavor, but could not find any. Also, even though it was a dinner for 2, there was only 1 small container of salsa for 1 person.

Yes! 20 reviews and 5 stars! This is so delicious! This restaurant is what was once pig n whistle. Same building just without all the smoke and filth. The bathroom was clean and chips were at my table before I sat down.
My friend Anna came to eat with me. She didn’t order anything though because she brought a brown bag lunch to work. She ate a peanut butter jelly sandwich and potato chips. And a pickle. Anna likes pickles. She had a lot of fun coloring while I ate. She even said how good my food looked.
Back to the food though, the menu is great. I especially like the lunch deal where you get rice and beans and can choose1,2,or 3 items. I had mine with Chile rellano and tamale. They also have a Christian section on the menu. Something about Jesus and Maria, so thats good.
The Chile pepper was just the right amount of heat and stuffed with meat. The tamale was covered in chili. The beans were very creamy I guess and somehow the best I’ve ever had. I normally eat just a couple bites of beans but I finished all these with my chips. The rice is about average.
I’m sure I’ll be back here again. I’m sure Anna will be back too.

Try the Botana Grande appetizer if two of you are looking to share something as an entrée. It’s humongous and has the perfect sampling of Mexican dishes on one plate such as ground beef and chicken nachos, chicken quesadilla, queso and guacamole dips topped with sour cream, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce and cheese. Yum! (Also an unbeatable appetizer to share with four people.)

The Molcajete de Idolo was GREAT, best I ever had and the servers were awesome, knowledgeable and attentive! Will definitely go back.

I think I’ve been to every restaurant this building has housed. But I’m so glad this building is now El Idolo! Wow. The food is GREAT!
I always get the fajitas, mostly because they are so great. Maybe next time I’ll build my own combo, simply because I can. I love that I can do that.
They have a solid menu. The food tastes fresh. The sweet tea is even wonderful.
My husband and I have been here several times now and every time is just as good as the first.
My only drawback here is their cheese dip is a little thick. If that’s my only complaint then I think I’ll keep coming back!

Service improved alot since last visit… it was outstanding! Food hot. Glass never empty
Try the Top Shelf Strawberry Margarita and Dessert Burrito
Parking lot filled up around 730 and everyone was served quick
Regular salsa mild and fine for kids… ask for the hot stuff and you will not be disappointed

This is the place for good consistent Mexican food. The service is top shelf and the food is fresh. The lettuce and tomatoes are fresh, the salsa is fresh, the guacamole is fresh, and the chips are warm and fresh.
I live nearby and Idolos has become a favorite go to for my family. After trying nearly all the offerings and margaritas, which are awesome, haven’t had a bad thing or bad service. This is a great place for families and it won’t break the bank either.
The best Mexican food in Bartlett period.

This restaurant stands out among other Mexican restaurants in Bartlett. There are so many selections of appetizers that can be whole meals. There are combo dinners. I even saw steak on the menu. The salsa and chips there are super. The chips are light and crisp. The salsa is thick and mild. We had nachos with pulled chicken and ground beef. Their lettuce and tomatoes were fresh. The service was outstanding. We definitely plan to repeat this experience.

We tried this place today on a whim & we loved the food! The staff is super friendly. The peach margarita was yummy too!

Like your typical Tex-​Mex restaurant but just better at everything.
We tried the Mole de Pollo and Chili Verde and the flavored were just great. The mole sauce was thick with just a hint of chocolate. The verde was a vibrant green and very flavorful, maybe a little on the salty side.
The servers and staff were all very polite and gave us samples of the top shelf margarita and the spicy salsa.
Will definitely be back.

This restaurant was very impressive from the moment I walked through the door. The whole staff was on point. We were promptly greeted our drinks were never allowed to become completely empty. The server had a very good knowledge of the menu and even brought us some samples of other things we may like. The hot salsa was spicy but delicious. My wife got a quesadilla and it was large. The children’s menu is diverse with pictures. I got the molcajete el idolo. This thing is huge. Enough to possibly feed 3. It was delicious. It comes in a sizzling bowl shaped like an Aztec animal. I’m a large man and had to take the rest home. I highly recommend this place and will definitely be returning.

Meet your next Taco Tuesday destination. The food is great and the staff is friendly and want to make sure you enjoy your time. The chips and salsa hit the table and the white cheese dip followed. Everyone found something great to order on a menu that was well organized. The kids menu is the best. All meals on the kids menu have pictures and are numbered for easy kid ordering. After stuffing our faces the owner stopped by our table, made a few jokes and took the time to ask us about our meal. You pay on your way out and can head next door to Freeman Park to walk it all off.

We’ve been to this location as all of its restaurant ventures, and today we dined on Mexican. It’s still a nice restaurant, but they are still trying to acquire a liquor license, so there were no margaritas on this trip :(
I liked that we were able to make up our own combo plate. I had a tostada and a taco with beans and rice. The rice was a little over cooked, but good.
The menu is similar to other Tex-​Mex and the décor is beautiful and colorful.

It seems that there is a new Mexican Restaurant opening somewhere in and around Memphis at least once a month and here on the edge of Bartlett is the newest one. This building most recently housed Bruno’s and a few years ago was home to the long standing Pig & Whistle.
I’ve been to El Idolo four times now and have been impressed each time. We’ve done lunch as well as dinner and they’re doing things right no matter what time you visit.
The salsa is very fresh and has a nice amount of cilantro and spice. The chip are your typical thin «Restaurant Style «but are very good.
My first visit I had Carnita’s and it was close to the best I’ve had. It was a large portion of moist tender pork roast seasoned just right. I was also surprised with how well cooked and seasoned the refried beans were and they complimented the Carnita’s very well.
On one visit I had the Shrimp Quesadilla and was blown away at just how good it was. They use a very good chorizo that would have made a great quesadilla by itself.
So far everyone I’ve been here with has enjoyed their meals as well.
El Idolo offers good variety, good value and lots of flavor. The service has been friendly and consistent. This place is worth a visit or four.