El Palenque

$ 6.00 buys you a glass full of Margarita mix, no alcohol at all. Green enchiladas were full of plain boring ground beef, no seasoning at all. Overall tasteless and a waste of money.

I grew up going to El Palenque once a week with my family or friends! Went over the holidays with my family and I love how the same people are still working here after 20+ years. The remodel they did this fall was a nice updated. Make sure to try the chicken soup. :)

First impression are everything and it starts right when you walk in the door with the hostess. Blonde girl with pink on ends was my first impression. She asked if I was waiting to be seated and I said yes 3, looked around for my husband didn’t see him so asked her before we even left the hostess stand if she just sat a man. Huff, yes. Ok we’re with him and by the way the ladies restroom toilet is clogged. Eye roll and then she walks away. So we sit and wait. And wait and wait to the point there are 3 other tables behind us that have not been helped yet either. I’m talking no drinks just chips and salsa. We get up and leave and tell the hostess we were never serviced. Another eye roll. Will not be coming back.

I’ve been here a few times and must say, their Mexican food is better than 90% of Mexican Restaurants I’ve been to. It’s always consistent and a cut above. Prices are very reasonable and the staff is always very friendly.
The only complaint which keeps me from giving them 5 stars is that they are also consistently SLOW as can be that it borders on that I wonder if it is on purpose or just lack of caring.
We always come when they are slow (~2pmish) and drinks always take about 10 minutes to come, food usually takes another 15 (not too slow, but slower than typical Mexican Restaurants) and 3 times I have had to go back to the kitchen after waiting 10 minutes to pay for my check.
I’m giving it 4 because the food really is fantastic and they are always nice as can be; but honestly, if the times I had went I had even remotely been on a schedule (not even in a hurry), I would probably give a 2 due to the frustration it would illicit.
I will come a couple of more times during a busy time and if it is exceptionally slow, I will update my review.

El Palenque is back! I have frequented this restaurant for 20 years and thought it was closed because of the construction this summer. Apparently the owners were required to remodel in order to renew their lease. So happy to know they are still open! I actually miss the old décor.
This is a solid authentic Mexican restaurant (not Tex-​Mex) and one of my go-​to places in the Green Hills area. The salsa is my favorite in town and they fry their own chips so they are always fresh, warm and super crispy. We also love the guacamole, pollo fundido, taquitos and margaritas.
They have outdoor seating which is nice on a pretty day even though it overlooks the parking lot.

I have been coming here on and off for a few years. It has never been good, just a quick place to go in Green Hills. Sometimes the chips are fresh and the salsa good. Enchiladas Supremas and tacos is what I always order.
I thought that since they remodeled things would get better. Wrong… first of all the food is still very plain and just mush. The service has never been good and the staff never smiles and almost border on rude like they are doing you a big favor. Went there the other night to see if it had changed. That sealed the deal, terrible rude service, fair food, to be honest with you I think that Taco Bell would be better. Sorry if I could give them a no star I would. Too many other options in town and much better food around town. They better step it up or close down. Won’t be back!

Nobody on the staff smiles. Nobody. We made a game out of it. «Find one person who is smiling that works here.» Other than that, the food is standard. Part of going to a Mexican restaurant is for the atmosphere and experience. No music at all… And did I mention: nobody smiles? It was fascinating!

Apparently they’ve just remodeled because several patrons complimented the owner on the work. There are several tables outside as well overlooking the parking lot to Green Hills. Good food, reasonable prices. Service was a little slow but not inattentive. Glad we saw the Unilocal reviews! We’ll be back.

I love these folks… been going for 15 years… always good and consistent and if you live in the neighborhood (Green Hills or Belle Meade) it is tough to go in there and not see someone you know. Great Maragaritas. The people who have run it for years continue to get better and better at their English, but a real Mexican experience in the middle of Green Hills!

So great. Your basic cheap Mexican food that’s quick & easy. Vegetable fajitas are great — loaded with Broccoli & Cauliflower. For vegetarians, excellent options. Avocado Enchiladas are in no way good for you but absolutely delicious. Also, the staff is always sweet & very on top of it.

The boys love this place but the boys are not picky. The usual sloppy mess so many of these places call food. Unacceptable to a few but a delicious lunch for many.
Budget friendly and fast.

Good service, decent & cheap mexican food in Green Hills.

Good local basic Mexican. Great for takeout.

This restaurant deserves five stars for being exactly what it is presented to be — a neighborhood Mexican restaurant that is fast, good, and cheap. As a group of four on New Year’s Eve around lunch hour, we were seated right away. Our service was extremely quick, food was great, margaritas were strong, and the bill was inexpensive.

Love this place. Cheap, delicious food, and quick service. So good!

Bland. Very, very bland, and I tried several things before writing a view just to be sure I hadn’t ordered the one weak link.
The ground beef in the taco wasn’t seasoned; the chicken in the enchilada was just barely seasoned — I did detect a bit of tomato, or perhaps red pepper in it. I do have to say that the amount of beef and chicken in each was generous. The tamale was not good. You can get better tamales in Mississippi or Arkansas grocery stores than they serve here.
One of those interchangeable «Mexican» restaurants you see everywhere that takes chicken, ground beef, pork and shrimp and creates 40 dishes using different starch vehicles (taco shell, flour tortilla, corn tortilla) and a rotation of the same 6 ingredients (cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, peppers and guacamole) in different combinations.
There are a few pluses to El Palenque, and they are not to be discounted, depending on your situation: the price is right, the margaritas and cheese dip are good (not stellar — good), and their to-​go service is almost as fast as a fast food drive-​thru.

I love El Palenque! This is my go-​to Mexican lunch spot.
I work right around the corner from this restaurant and it is a very easy way to grab a good lunch and still make it back to work in a timely manner. The service is prompt and I can’t remember ever having a problem with my food.
Everything is very good. The cheese dip is great and I’ve enjoyed fajitas, burritos, tacos, and several other items on the menu. They also have a soup that is amazing if you want to stay light.
This place is family owned and I know several of them very well. They are great folks and will do everything possible to make sure that you enjoy your experience.
The parking can be a bit iffy at times, but I always seem to find a spot. Their neighbors are usually slow and that keeps the small lot open for the most part.
If you are looking for a quick Mexican dish with caring service, El Palenque is an excellent choice in the Green Hills areas.

Meh. Just meh. My work bunch wanted to go here for lunch. I tagged along for the heck of it. Big mistake on my behalf… Lesson learned!
Service was efficient. I certainly won’t deny that. It was worthy of three stars but I will not round up because the food was bland and uninspired. The salsa was just so-​so. The chips were warm but a little too thick for my taste.
I ordered the lunch portion of the carne asada. The beef was so thin and tough. It lacked flavor and seasoning. A sprinkle of salt would have gone a long way as would have a few minutes less cooking time. The guac was also lackluster — it would have benefited tremendously with a bit more salt and some acidity. I left some behind; a rarity for me. The beans and rice were also unremarkable. Basically it was just nondescript food on a plate. Quite the disappointment.
I definitely will not be returning

Cheap cheesy Americanized Mexican food. Yup.
A friend and I stopped in for a lateish dinner and we got we asked for. A run of the mill Mexican place. We had to ask for salsa a few times, and it wasn’t my favorite, but it did the trick ok. For entrees, I had a combo dinner (bean burrito and chicken enchilada with rice and beans) and it was good. A good amount of delicious cheese on top, so just what the doctor ordered. My friend had the green enchiladas and they were good as well. Really liked the green verde sauce that they used. Good food but not great. I have definitely had better run of the mill Mexican places but I’ve had far worse as well.
Overall, not bad. Don’t see any reason to rush back but would stop in if the time was right and I needed another cheap option in Green Hills!

This place is a cheap Mexican restaurant.
That’s really all I can say. The food is bland, parking is terrible and the margaritas taste overly mix-​ish. If you need a quick mex-​fix then go for it, but if you are looking for something more, this isn’t the place to do it.