El Maguey

Coming from Texas, I have pretty high standards when it comes to Mexican food but unfortunately El Maguey did not meet those standards. I started off with the complementary chips and salsa and the salsa didn’t seem fresh (it came out of a bottle, wtf). I ordered the cheese enchiladas with a side of rice and beans and it was pretty unremarkable. The enchiladas were soggy and bland and were just warm, not hot. My friend said that his food wasn’t hot either. I’m giving this place 2 stars instead of 1 because the service was quick and the food was cheap but I wouldn’t come back here again. Maybe I’ll just go for the margs next time and see if they’re decent. But if you’re looking for quality Mexican food in STL don’t come here, even Taco Bell’s quality is better!

This restaurant wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t the worst. We ordered a pitcher of Margaritas and they weren’t the best, seemed to be a premade mix and I don’t prefer that. I would rather have a fresh Margarita. The chips and salsa were okay. I ordered the veggies fajitas and they were good. They give you large portions, enough to share among two people.

To me most Mexican food places are the same, with a few exceptions here and there. El Maguey, regardless of the location, its like once you’ve eaten at one… you’ve eaten at them all! I’m not saying the food and service was bad. In fact, it was decent. Nothing that really stands out is all I’m saying. I’ll keep going to other Mexican restaurants if I have a craving for that kind of food.

Worst place to eat… They bring you something else to eat than what you have ordered. This restaurant doesn’t even deserve one star.

If you want down and dirty Mexican food, this is the place. They have awesome chicken nachos, really tasty carnitas and a pork burrito and it’s not very expensive! The Delmar location requires a 15% gratuity on all parties since a lot of people walk out on their tabs on the loop, jerks, but it’s worth it. Maggie is a friendly server and the food is always consistent and reliable.

The worst customer service restaurant I have ever been to. We waited for two hours and the food didn’t even come. I highly recommend anyone to avoid this restaurant at any cost. It does not even deserve 1 star. Period.

Not good. Just, not good. This place has some of the blandest, flavorless salsa I’ve ever had, and my combination plate arrived completely soggy and lukewarm. Here’s hoping I can find a decent Mexican restaurant SOMEWHERE in St. Louis /​Clayton /​U City…

Never going back to this location. The waiter was rude after he over charged us and they go against the law by charging a 15% gratuity onto the check and after tax. We asked for a manager and the guy played dumb and said he’s not there and he can’t contact him. Long story short we were ripped off an will be contacting the BBB, the authorities and the IRS!
It is against the law to make someone pay a tip and make money off of taxes!

El servicio de ello es horrible. el servicio malo empezo desde que yo entre al restaurante. Era una noche calma perro todavía tomaron un tiempo muy largo para atendernos.

So it wasn’t great but it wasn’t bad. This is in comparison to Chimis, Mi ranchito, and even Chevy’s. It was just OK. The rice and beans were too salty, the sauce in the enchilada was odd tasting and they didn’t have the delicious Mexican corn cake I love. Someone else got the chicken nachos and the white sauce was rather tasty and I thought the chimichanga was good. The warm chips and salsa for the table was good with just a hint if cilantro. I wouldn’t go back on my will but If I went with someone else I would know what to stay away from. Oh and major minus points for the automatic 15% gratuity they charge. It was only the 2 of us. Smh!

I’ve lived in the Loop for about eight years now and the quality of El Maguey just goes further and further down. It’s a great tourist trap, but everyone that lives in the area knows it is just awful. Margaritas are watered down to about 2% alcohol. The fajita veggies are frozen. The salsa tastes like dishwater.
Save yourself the pain and go around the corner to Mi Ranchito. SO MUCH BETTER.

A different lunch yesterday, read a lot of reviews that were negative and I don’t really see why.

I have no idea what all of these other Unilocalers are talking about! This place, for the midwest, has VERY good mexican food, and I say that as a San Diego native.
The staff is friendly and accommodating. Also, always a good sign when you go to a mexican place and the cooks are actually speaking spanish to one another! I can understand if it is very busy, they might not have enough people working, but they all seem to do their best.
I love that they have authentic mexican shredded chicken! I always get this in San Diego and have been really sick of the BBQ chicken I have been finding in my «tacos» at other «mexican» places (seriously? BBQ in a taco?)
Excellent, fresh guacamole. Killer but sort of spicy salsa. Margarita mix could be better, but like I said, I don’t think they have enough employees to have a real bartender.
Everything I have tried here has been excellent, and I highly recommend it if you are in the area and craving actually AUTHENTIC mexi food!

Decent margaritas and food. I recommend the steak quesadilla (while greasy it is very VERY tasty). The chips are decent but a little think for my liking. The staff is friendly and very attentive. Overall an OK Mexican meal, however nothing was extraordinary and the prices are a bit higher than what I’m used to.

How many times can you say «Not Good» in a review.
Walked in on a busy night to find all of the outdoor seating full. Walked inside to be seated and it looked like a food bomb went off in this place, NG. More than half of the 16 or so tables were dirty with dishes still on them NG. No attention by waitstaff so headed to small bar to grab a Tecate and read the menu. Extensive menu and OK prices. Was seated by server and felt I had been abandoned. Beers were empty and pleaded with my wife to abandon ship but she wanted to try the chorizo. 8 or 10 minutes later, a basket of chips and a bowl of salsa was served (from a giant plastic syrup pitcher) NG. No time for my order but understood my finger gesture that another round was needed. Not brave enough to try a margarita.
Bland salsa was accentuated by cold unsalted chips, Really Not Good. Other diners returning orders for whatever reason. Five minutes later one of the two servers takes our order. Chorizo for her, Quesadilla Jalisce for me. Blah, meh and OK are the descriptors I could scrape up, NG. Plates removed after eating? Not a chance.
Ten minutes more to ask for, receive and pay the bill, but hey, I’m used to waiting by now. One guy in the kitchen, no wifi, dirty surroundings and cold beer. There are so many other good restaurant choices within three blocks, why would I ever come back?

Yummy! I just had the tacos. The beef was full of flavor. The salsa & chips wasn’t all that but it was doable.

Well, I love pretty much all Mexican food and I was just so disappointed after eating here. The restaurant itself looks nice enough and it’s cozy. The wait staff was nice and fast. The menu seemed appealing, but some of the prices were odd (.90 for add-​ons?).
I ordered tacos and the menu did not specify that they were hard shell. Had I known — I would not have ordered them that way. The tacos came with horrible unseasoned ground beef, iceberg lettuce, and mounds of cheese. That’s it.
Positive note — decent margaritas and free chips with so-​so salsa.
I will not be back to this location. I may try one of the others, but only if dragged.

I at 3 Mexican meals in a row! Not the best Idea, but I did save the best for last! I disagree with this 2 star rating! I had a great meal! Veggie Fajitas were AWESOME! They were also Huge, I could not finished my meal! Great guac, great veggies, beans were excellent!
Chips and salsa are complimentary and the service was amazing! This is a great stop on the Loop! In-​door and Out-​door seating and clean rest rooms! Give it whirl!

Excellent margaritas!!! Average food at decent prices. The service is nice, but slow. The patio is great for people watching and catching some afternoon rays of that warm St. Louis sun. If you are looking for authentic Mexican food, try Cherokee Street. If you want to get a nice afternoon buzz on margaritas, El Maguey is your spot.

Only two stars because they have the best location– the Delmar Loop. Other than that they are awful. The service is terrible and the servers really act as if they don’t want to be there. Sometimes the food, especially the beef and cheese nachos are undercooked and soapy. It’s really disgusting.
The margaritas taste like some pre-​packaged garbage you’d find. There is no character about this place and leaves a lot to be desired.

My experience here is on the cusp of a 3, but even then, I think I’m overrating it.
I’ve been here a couple of times now. First time was so-​so, this time was «not so much». My friend Nick and I came here early yesterday (Monday) evening to have some cheap food and chat. My dear friend is moving away at the end of the month, so I said he pick where we go. He settled on El Maguey since it’s in the middle of where his work and where I live.
We both walk up at the same, and immediately spot an open booth on the patio. We take a seat where our server asks if we’d like drinks or anything. I’m on antibiotics, and Nick wasn’t in the mood for alcohol, so we both settled for water. Our guido teenage server returns back with our water. I end up ordering a cheese quesadilla with queso on it. What can I say? I was craving cheesy goodness. Nick had the chicken burrito with a side of rice and beans.
In the mean time, we are snacking on the chips and salsa. I liked these. The chips were crisp and fresh, whereas the salsa was mild and not too spicy. Good stuff. I think we ended up eating two baskets before getting our meals.
Around 25 minutes later we receive our food. My quesadilla was sans the queso, so I asked if he would have them put a little on it… a little, mind you. When he comes back, it looks like they dumped a bowl of queso straight onto the plate! I uploaded a pic to the website, so check that out after you read my review. Damn, I might as well have ordered it with the chips… I could not even consume a quarter of my meal. 1. I was pretty full from the chips and salsa. 2. My food was pretty hot and almost to the point overwhelmingly disgusting because it was just smothered. Nick was dipping his chips into the cheese to take some off the plate. Nick enjoyed his meal for the most part. The rice was pretty dry in his opinion. What we didn’t finish, we took it to-​go to eat on a later date.
I ended up eating my left overs today for lunch. I have to say it tasted much nicer today than what it did last night. I was able to scrape off some of the cheese so I could actually taste my quesadilla. Lesson learned: eat El Maguey as left overs the day after, not for the actual meal.
As far as service goes, our server was so-​so. He seemed more intrigued in conversating with the large and loud table a few feet away from ours than he was into actually serving us or any of his other tables for that matter.
I’m sure I will come back, but certainly not immediately…