Don Pablo’s
100 Towne Ctr Blvd, Sanford, FL, 32771
Don Pablo’s Menu
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Burritos & Chimis
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Fiesta Meals
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Fiesta Platters
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Tastes of Texas
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Sides
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Carnitas
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Mesquite-Grilled Favorites
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Enchiladas
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Dons Combos
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Desserts
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Appetizers
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Fresh Salads & Soups
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Fajitas
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Fajita Combos
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Primo Tacos
Diabetics at McDonald's
Most burgers served at McDonald's are low in sugar but there are several burgers which are high in sodium. You must choose burger options which are low in sugar and moderate in sodium content. You can also avoid extra dressings or cheese over your burger to control diabetes at McDonald's.
Foods to Avoid for Diabetics at McDonald's
Diabetics will find many tempting food items at McDonald's but most of these food items are also high in sugar or sodium. Diabetics must skip desserts and shakes at McDonald's to avoid sugar spike. You should also skip all McCafe drinks except a few containing low sugar and fat-free options. Besides the drinks and beverages, you should also avoid bacon-based and sausage-based burgers and sandwiches to limit your sodium intake. Diabetics should also skip the sausage-based salad options available at McDonald's.
Food Suggestions for Diabetics at McDonald's
Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad
Nutritional Facts: 350 calories, 12g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4.5g), 1070mg sodium, 27g carbs, 6g sugar, 6g fiber, 37g Protein
Egg McMuffin®
Nutritional Facts: 300 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 6g), 760mg sodium, 30g carbs, 3g sugar, 2g fiber, 17g Protein
4-piece Chicken McNuggets®
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2g), 340mg sodium, 11g carbs, 0g sugar, 1g fiber, 17g Protein
Kiddie Cone
Nutritional Facts: 45 calories, 1g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0.5g), 20mg sodium, 8g carbs, 6g sugar, 0g fiber, 1g Protein
4-piece Chicken McNuggets® Happy Meal
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2g), 340mg sodium, 11g carbs, 0g sugar, 1g fiber, 10g Protein
Iced Latte
Nutritional Facts: 90 calories, 4.5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2.5g), 65mg sodium, 7g carbs, 7g sugar, 0g fiber, 4g Protein
World Famous Fries®
Nutritional Facts: 230 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 1.5g), 160mg sodium, 29g carbs, 0g sugar, 3g fiber, 3g Protein
Healthy Meal suggestions for Don Pablo’s
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Burritos & Chimis
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Fiesta Meals
-
Fiesta Platters
-
Tastes of Texas
-
Sides
-
Carnitas
-
Mesquite-Grilled Favorites
-
Enchiladas
-
Dons Combos
-
Desserts
-
Appetizers
-
Fresh Salads & Soups
-
Fajitas
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Fajita Combos
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Primo Tacos
High Blood Pressure at McDonald's
Most burgers at fast food joints contain a high amount of sodium. You must keep your sodium intake in check if you are suffering from high blood pressure. McDonald's offers a wide range of burgers based on your diet preferences. Choose the right burger and avoid French fries at all cost while dining at McDonald's.
Foods to Avoid at McDonald's for High Blood Pressure
Avoid Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit Burger and Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles at McDonald's as both these burgers are high in sodium. Skip extra cheese and avoid French fries if possible as they are too greasy and can add to your sodium intake. Also, avoid all types of sausage-based burgers or sandwiches at McDonald's to limit your sodium levels.
Food Suggestions for High Blood Pressure at McDonald's
Side Salad
Nutritional Facts: 15 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 15mg sodium, 3g carbs, 1g sugar, 1g fiber, 10g Protein
Filet-O-Fish®
Nutritional Facts: 390 calories, 19g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4g), 560mg sodium, 38g carbs, 5g sugar, 2g fiber, 17g Protein
Baked Apple Pie
Nutritional Facts: 240 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 6g), 95mg sodium, 35g carbs, 16g sugar, 4g fiber, 2g Protein
Vanilla Cone
Nutritional Facts: 200 calories, 5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 3.5g), 95mg sodium, 32g carbs, 16g sugar, 4g fiber, 2g Protein
Americano
Nutritional Facts: 0 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 10mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g Protein
Coffee
Nutritional Facts: 0 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 20mg sodium, 1g carbs, 0g sugar, 0g fiber, 2g Protein
Apple Slices
Nutritional Facts: 15 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0 g), 0mg sodium, 4g carbs, 3g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g Protein
Visit below restaurant in Sanford for healthy meals suggestion.
High Cholesterol at MCDONALD'S
Cholesterol is the biggest concern for people visiting McDonald's, especially people suffering from high cholesterol. You can order chicken or egg burgers instead of ham or cheeseburgers to maintain your cholesterol levels at McDonald's. In addition, you can also try the salads and opt for drinks that low in sugar.
Foods to Avoid at MCDONALD'S for High Cholesterol
Bacon-based items are often too greasy and high in bad cholesterol. If you are concerned about high cholesterol, then you must avoid all bacon-based burgers and salads. Also, skip the Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Tenders to keep your cholesterol levels in check. You must also keep sausage-based items at bay when dining at McDonald's.
Food Suggestions to Maintain Cholesterol Level at MCDONALD'S
Side Salad
Nutritional Facts: 15 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 15mg sodium, 3g carbs, 1g sugar, 1g fiber, 1g Protein
Egg White Delight McMuffin®
Nutritional Facts: 260 calories, 8g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4.5g), 780mg sodium, 29g carbs, 3g sugar, 2g fiber, 16g Protein
McChicken®
Nutritional Facts: 410 calories, 22g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4g), 590mg sodium, 39g carbs, 5g sugar, 2g fiber, 15g Protein
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Nutritional Facts: 140 calories, 5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2.5g), 125mg sodium, 22g carbs, 12g sugar, 1g fiber, 2g Protein
Hamburger Happy Meal
Nutritional Facts: 480 calories, 16g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 5g), 680mg sodium, 62g carbs, 21g sugar, 3g fiber, 22g Protein
Cappuccino
Nutritional Facts: 120 calories, 6g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 3.5g), 80mg sodium, 9g carbs, 9g sugar, 0g fiber, 6g Protein
Yoplait® GO-GURT® Low Fat Strawberry Yogurt
Nutritional Facts: 45 calories, 0.5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 30mg sodium, 9g carbs, 5g sugar, 0g fiber, 2g Protein
Visit below restaurant in Sanford for healthy meals suggestion.
Q & A for McDonald's
When McDonald's first opened?
McDonald's began its operations by converting food and drinks stand called "The Airdrome" into first McDonald's restaurant.
When does McDonald's open?
McDonald's opens daily at 5:30 AM and stays open until 11:00 PM.
Which McDonald's is open 24 hours?
Unfortunately, there are not a single McDonald's which operates 24/7.
Where's McDonald's near me?
There are over 13,905 McDonald's outlets in the United States itself. You can find a McDonald's nearby with the help of our Restaurant Listings directory.
When McDonald's start and stop serving breakfast?
McDonald's starts serving breakfast at 5:30 AM daily until 10:30 AM.
When McDonald's start and stop serving lunch?
McDonald's starts serving lunch at 10:30 AM from Monday to Friday and 11:00 AM on Saturdays and Sundays. Happy Meals are also served during lunch hours.
Will McDonald's bring back the McRib?
McRib is back at McDonald's since October 2018.
Will McDonald's bring back spicy McChicken?
McDonald's in the United States has no plans currently to bring back the Spicy McChicken.
Will McDonald's bring back the Grand Mac?
McDonald's doesn't serve Grand Mac currently and there are no plans to bring it back anytime sooner. You can always try the Big Mac if you have a large appetite for burgers.
Are McDonald's milkshakes gluten free?
Yes, all flavors of McDonald's milkshakes are gluten-free. Nearly all beverages served at McDonald's are gluten-free.
Are McDonald's burgers gluten-free?
Unfortunately, McDonald's does not serve gluten-free burgers. All the buns and other ingredients such as fried chicken patties, grilled chicken patties, beef patties, sauces, condiments, etc. contain gluten.
Are McDonald's Apple Pies vegan?
Generally, Apple Pies are prepared using shortcrust pastry which contains eggs. However, McDonald's Apple Pie pocket is vegan-friendly as it is both dairy and egg free.
Are McDonald's Veggie Burgers vegan?
Veggie Burgers served at McDonald's are purely vegan. Just remember to skip the sauce as the sandwich sauce contains egg.
Are McDonald's Milkshakes vegetarian?
Yes, McDonald's milkshakes are 100% vegetarian and don't contain any meat product.
When did McDonald's introduce McCafe?
McDonald's McCafe was introduced by McDonald's as a separate coffee chain in 1993. The café also served great bakery and pastry besides offering a great variety of coffee beverages.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
About McDonald's
McDonald's is the largest American fast food company with over 37,855 outlets spread across 100 countries. Primarily known for hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and French fries, McDonald's menu also serves chicken dishes, breakfast products, soft drinks, wraps, milkshakes, and desserts today. The restaurant chain introduced smoothies, salads, fish, and fruits on the menu to offer healthy food options at McDonald's.
The restaurant began its operations in 1940 in San Bernardino, California, United States. The name of the restaurant comes from its founders Richard and Maurice McDonald. The siblings started the food business as a hamburger stand which was later converted into a restaurant franchise in 1953. The first Golden Arches logo was also introduced in the same year.
Healthy Food Options at McDonald's
McDonald's was highly criticized for its unhealthy food options. Being a renowned brand and a popular fast food chain, McDonald's decided to revamp its image and decided to serve healthy food options. Most of these healthy food choices were salads, smoothies, fruits, and fish items.
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Address :
100 Towne Ctr Blvd
Sanford, FL, 32771 - Phone (407) 328-1885
- Website https://www.donpablos.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Thomas B.
Took my friends out for dinner. Their beer cooler was broken for days, so there was no draft beer. They also didn't order enough bottled beer so they were out of several brands. Had to settle for Bud Light. We all had the AuCE tacos. I kept biting into the chunks of tomatoes and hitting the hard, stem end. Can't your prep cook scoop them out before dicing? They have a little scoop just for that purpose and it's only a couple of bucks. The manager comp'ed my beer and my friend's margarita because of the cooler. I was surprised they had options for sides, the waitress just said "Rice & beans OK?" but my friend asked what his options were. Good thing too: I don't care for their rice, but a salad was a great option. I think it will be a while before I go back, everything was as you'd expect it to be for a chain, Tex-Mex place. Nothing special.
(3)Ethan H.
Came in for taco Tuesday's. Great deal! $6.99 for all you can eat tacos with rice and beans. I enjoyed the food- it was nothing extraordinary but it was decent; especially for the price. However, our Server was having a bad day. She was very awkward with us; almost like she wasn't paying attention. We asked for something and she stared at us. She never gave her name or really smiled. Then in the middle of our meal we noticed she hadn't come back in a while. We waited and waited. A new server came over and informed us that our server left. So we finished the meal off with a server. Not sure what happened.
(3)Natalia F.
Visited on Thursday, 03/05/2015 at 1:30 PM Female waitress, didn't let us know her name, but Management knows exactly who this was. Before I begin. I just want to say that I grew up going to Don Pablos, and I loved this place dearly. Not anymore. My boyfriend and I came in looking for a quick lunch before we had to go to work. We were greeted by a less than enthused waitress, but hey, being a waitress can be hard, so we decided to cut her a little slack. I ordered a water without lemon, and the water tasted like cleaner, actually bleach, and I was instantly nauseous. I asked for the manager to make him aware, and he came back with a super clean glass of water for us. It was much better, but then the waitress came back to talk to us, and her sarcastic remarks made me a little less trusting of the water, so we both asked for Sprite. By this point, I was convinced I was the one to blame, and I'd felt terrible for making them go through all this work. So I apologized because I felt like I was making it harder on them, and we placed our order, Shrimp Tacos and a Steak Burrito. They come out a little bit later, and I noticed I'd gotten Fish Tacos. My boyfriend and I let the server know that wasn't what I'd ordered, and they sent it back. Enter sarcastic waitress. "Are you sure you didn't order fish tacos?" Me: "No, I ordered Shrimp Tacos." Waitress: "I'm pretty sure you ordered Fish Tacos." Me:"I don't even like Fish Tacos, I didn't order them" Waitress: *checks order* "Oh, my bad, you did order Shrimp Tacos. We'll have those right out." By the time I'd received my food, my waitress let me know that my order was messed up a few more times, but they finally got it right. Halfway through eating, my boyfriend leans over and tells me, "Hey, I didn' t want to make things worse, but I ordered Steak, not chicken." At this point, I was done. Absolutely done. I called the waitress over, and she checked the order and realized that he in fact ordered steak. I ask her to bring over the manager again. She goes to the back and comes back to give us the check. She assures me she's solved everything and gives me the check. We were charged for fish tacos. I was so mad that my hands were shaking. I told her I was done talking to her and I needed to see a manager. I knew I wouldn't be able to be rational about everything at this point, so I excused myself to go to the car and let my boyfriend take care of it. The manager ripped up the receipt and told us that the meal was on them and apologized. Hopefully she was put in check. She's the main reason I'm not coming back. Plus, the shrimp tacos were awful. The only positive thing about our visit was the chips and salsa, which will always hold a special place in my heart. tl;dr Don Pablos really needs to step their game up, I miss my chips and salsa.
(1)Resarima H.
If you are reading this, good! Maybe I can save you from wasting time (and money, unless they hopefully give you a refund) by going to this place. First off, this place used to be great. Now, it blows. Went out to lunch before work. Upon being seated, Im eventually greeted by a waiter with a dirty apron. He asks me what I'd like for a drink, and he sets down chips and salsa, and a paper-wrapped straw on my table with what looked to be blood on the paper. He brings out my water, and walks away without bothering to ask if I need a few more minutes to order. I grab my glass, and see food residue on it. Eww. That's nasty. I asked for a new glass, and he came back with a clean glass and /then/ asks me what I'd like. I place my order, and he disappears to the kitchen. I sample the chips and salsa, and sadly feel they're bland. The chips just had 0 taste, and the salsa was mediocre-no "bite" to it at all. Basically vegetables in a water-solution. Kind of sad, since this is supposed to be Mexican food... Supposed to be. In the meantime of waiting for food to be delivered, I jumped on Yelp to read reviews to see what's going on here. Scary enough, I ran across recent reviews of fellow Yelpers crying out for help about the horrifying service and food they received themselves... At that very moment, alongside my already abysmal experience, I accepted that my fate here may be the same as theirs. And it was. The food came out. It looked beautiful. Though let us not forget that looks can deceive, for this food did. I asked for the chile mashed potatoes as a side as one of the choices. When it came out, it literally looked like a pancake. And not just a pancake, there was barely enough food there to be considered a side dish. I actually laughed when the waiter set it on the table...It was cold on the outside but scorching on the inside. (Seriously, I hate text-talk but "WTF?") The rice was dry, the little burrito rolls tasted like microwaved Delimex, the taco was blander than dirt, and the hair (yes, the human hair that did not resemble that of my own due to the color of it!!!) on the enchilada became the icing on the cake. Called over the waiter, who took the food away, and had the manager come over. I explained all that happened, only to have him say "Very sorry, Ill take care of it". While he went to the register, I got up, and waited behind him. When he turned around, he said he took care of it, and I told him I was leaving, to which he apologized once again. This was not only an absolutely out-right bad experience, but a sad reminder even great restaurants can fall, for whatever reasons. Never returning again. You have been warned!
(1)Bruce K.
Popped in at lunch time for the all-you-can-eat Taco Tuesday. And while our waitress was great, I'd say that you should skip the tacos on Tuesday. The beef or chicken, soft or crunchy, did not have enough protein but did have lots of lettuce and tomato. The flavor was bland and thankfully there are an assortment of hot sauces on the table to try to rescue it. I had to have a second portion and confirmed that, yep, they're boring. And so I say "Meh. I've experienced better."
(2)Toni S.
Best carnitas, great food, good margaritas and friendly service, i try and go there at least twice a month.
(5)Lana B.
The restaurant is beautifully decorated. Spacious and open. There is a beautiful fountain in the middle of the restaurant. You get free chips and salsa to start - for a Mexican restaurant- their chips were really boring. Thick and nothing special. Chili's or cheddar's could easily win over them in a tortilla chip contest. The salsa as well was just "meh". They are supposed to be a MEXICAN restaurant. Shouldn't they have really good salsa??? Chili's still in my opinion has the best (restaurant chain style salsa). I ordered two hard chicken tacos with rice and black beans. The chicken was so bland. :( +---- I'll just leave that there. The rice also .... Absolutely no flavor. The black beans were an atrocity. (I was brought refried beans first - which I had to send back). All in all - would not go back - would not recommend.
(2)Brenda F.
We seriously have grown to love this place! Chicken Burrito Bowl is our favorite! Along with $2.99 huge happy hour Margaritas! Hot tortilla chips and $5.49 dip sampler . Celebrate Friday on budget!
(5)Tom A.
One of a few Don Pablo's left in Central Florida as most closed near my house. Came here to do a to go order and we were attended quick and our order came out quick but It was wrong,we had order a chicken taco salad and instead we got a beef taco salad. Beside the place being packed on a Saturday,the place smelled good and the menu had some good stuff including now you can make your own guacamole. The staff was friendly and nice and we were able to get our order quick and get out before it got more crowded.
(4)Franklyn T.
Rarely do I ever leave 1 star reviews for businesses especially being part of the industry myself. However, this restaurant needs an intervention with its menu more specifically quality! The food I ordered was beyond presentable and eatable. The queso sauce tasted like I hasd mixed salt, flour, and water stirred it and then poured it on my enchiladas. The beans were peppery as in I just added some black pepper and then some more, then finally said screw it lets pour the whole container plus they had a crunch!?!? sitting under a light warmer much. Overall it's too bad this place serves bad food considering its location. I clearly see I'm not the only patron that had a bad experience, considering the other multiple low star reviews. These are the reviews owners should consider and improvise their operations in order to succeed. The service was good and for that I grant them the incredible "1" star. "Hay que hacer cambios a la cocina, si no les gusta, pues cierren las puertas"-Anonymous (Changes to the kitchen must be made, if you don't like change, well then close the doors)
(1)Julie K.
The waiter was fantastic! The chips tasted like they were cooked in old oil and the enchilada was very chewy on the bottom. This place has been around for years and is still here because it is right next to the mall. The food is just okay, but the skillet apple pie is wonderful!
(3)Dani R.
This was a horrible experience. My boyfriend and I came in to check the place out since we are new to the area. Our table was dirty, our server was not friendly nor did she know everything on the Happy Hour specials. She told us not to ask any more questions. Our food was luke warm and we waited for ever for our drinks. We will not be back.
(1)Rich S.
Walked in and waited at the podium to be seated. A server walked by and smiled but didn't care to greet us or tell us if anyone would be with us. It seemed like she was the only server and she was busy so we decided to sit at the bar. Once we sat down everything went smoothly. Our bartender/ server was friendly and on his A game. The food was delicious. Definitely coming back and definitely going straight to the bar.
(5)Mary C.
I was generous in giving them one star! Only because I had to in order to review. After waiting almost 5 minutes before we saw a server, my husband ordered the bacon cheese burger and I ordered the chicken chimichanga. He wasn't asked how He wanted it cooked or what he wanted on it. We received our meals fairly quickly but the burger didn't have bacon. My chimichanga was severely lacking of chicken, consisting mostly of sauce. The beans were room temperature and the rice was cold. We spoke to the manager who informed us that they ran out of bacon and he didn't have time to tell our server. After arguing with us about the service and food we decided to just leave and go somewhere else. See my next check in. The atmosphere was neither fun or pleasant, resembling a large warehouse full of tables and the music was more like a dance club throbbing kind of noise. We will never go back.
(1)Anna-Marie W.
I love Mexican food. We used to have a number of Don Pablo's around central Florida but they have since closed, leaving only a small number left in the area. I don't understand. Don Pablo's is great. Sure, it's a chain similar to the Chevy's chain or the now defunct Chi Chi's chain, but it is still great. Maybe the fact that there are so many Mom and Pop Mexican restaurants here in Florida had something to do with it. But I sure love my Mexican places. Maybe it's the chips and salsa that are served at every Mexican restaurant in the country- but Don Pablo's serves them warm and fresh. And the salsa isn't too shabby either. Perhaps my most favorite item on the menu is their Dip Sampler. the Queso Dip, Queso Blanco Dip, Prairie Fire Bean Dip and Guacamole are served with flour tortillas. Nothing is bad here. I especially love the Queso Blanco Dip. Wow- perfection. Served with homemade flour tortillas that are made right in the middle of the restaurant for everyone to see. There is nothing better than a fresh homemade tortilla to go with Queso-Blanc dip. Chad has fallen in love with fish tacos and that is exactly what he ordered. The Fish Taco Trio plate is "Your choice of grilled or golden fried, hand-battered fish with lettuce, pico de gallo and Monterey Jack nestled in three freshly-made tortillas. With Mexican rice and choice of beans." He ordered the grilled fish and he loved them. And this is a guy who just a few months ago wasn't into the idea of fish served on taco shells. Now he loves them and he loved them here. I got the Chipotle Portabella Mushroom Fajitas. I love the diversity of portabella mushrooms and I loved them as a meat substitute for the usual chicken or steak normally served in fajitas. And of course, it was served with the traditional lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and flour tortillas on the side. I loved them. I could eat that all day. The mushrooms had a smoky flavor and were meaty and plump. Deliciousness on a plate. Here is where my visit went wrong. At a nearby table, a toddler had thrown her paper children's menu on the floor and it sat there right in the aisle. It stayed there as the hostess sat tables and she passed it about eight times and never picked it up. It stayed there as our server walked not only by it but around it. As someone who used to work in restaurants I think I am pretty easy going when it comes to certain things, but leaving a large piece of paper on the floor is just not acceptable to me. It is a safety hazard. Not only could the server holding a large and hot tray of food slip on it and get seriously injured, a guest could potentially take a spill and that would cause a major headache for the restaurant. Now, I know you are questioning why I didn't pick it up myself and I thought about it, but not once did I see any of the staff carrying big trays out and I saw both the hostess and the server look down at it so I knew they knew it was there. We were nestled back into a corner of the restaurant where there weren't any other guests nearby so a guest wasn't in danger per se. When the busser cleared the table he eventually picked it up. That just bothered me. Paper on the floor aside, I love Don Pablo's. I love that the atmosphere is so colorful and the food is always hot and delicious. But that one piece of paper on the floor just got to me. I know- it's petty. It is. If it weren't for that I would be praising five out of five sprouts.
(3)Stephanie M.
Disappointed. We were served both cold and burned food. The server and manager were both unattentive. Another table sent back cold food and the manager did not visit either of our tables. Won't be back.
(2)James G.
We decided we would not eat here! The kitchen door opened and we were shocked at how dirty the kitchen was. We were sitting at the bar, right in front of the kitchen door. Our glasses still had lip marks on them. The menus had salsa on them and to top it all off the bartender was less than friendly. No smile, no help, and very uninviting. We had a drink and left before we ordered dinner. Won't go back.
(1)Gaea V.
The hubs and I needed a bite after hitting a beer tasting, hadn't been to a Don Pablo ' s in five years and wanted to try it out again. It was past 9 and dead inside. Our waiter was very personable and checked on us regularly. My husband's fajitas were amazing: hot, sizzling, and seasoned. My carnitas on the other hand, the pork was kind of dry and it just didn't look as appetizing as my husband's dish. I will say I can overlook anything when distracted by queso and chips- and they did just that. Food: average. Service:solid. Queso: muy bien.
(3)Todd A.
Do not go to this location, we have ate here for years but after seeing some things tonight we will never return. Very dirty kitchen and not sanitary. Very poor management and you would be horrified to know what the food prep is like.
(1)Steven B.
Arrived for lunch at approximately 11:30 AM. On a Friday. Very pleasantly surprised. The food was reasonably priced and very good. Brittany, my server, was terrific, prompt, and friendly. I have been here before. This is the best time. So that's a good sign. The seater was less good. The restaurant is huge. I arrived at around 11:30 AM. The server was clustering everyone together near the north side of the restaurant. I, personally, don't want to sit next to anyone when there is a huge number of tables available. When I asked for another table, she become visibly unhappy. Training issue, probably. Will recommend the restaurant and I hope to come back again soon. One final note. For me, it is like fingernails on a blackboard when a customer service person says, in response to a customer request, "no problem." How much more elegant to say, "my pleasure." Even if you don't mean it. Again, a training issue. This did not apply to Britney... She was terrific in all ways.
(4)Keith H.
Last Tuesday we visited Don Pablo's for Tacos. I have to say that I'm impressed with the service we received. Of course, this is a chain and so you're not going to find any authentic meals here, but the food was decent. The atmosphere was welcoming and I like the decorations they do inside the "warehouse-like" buildings they make. I had the unlimited tacos for 7.99. I got refried beans and rice as a side. Like I said, its decent, nothing spectacular but you're going to be ok with the food.
(3)Melissa H.
Kinda the "run of the mill" commercialized chain restaurant. Unimpressed with the chimichangas - the red sauce killed it... The service was pretty decent though.
(2)Caryn A.
My friend and I went to Don Pablo's on Tuesday to try the all-you-can-eat tacos for $7.99 special. Sadly, we weren't very impressed. The tacos could have used seasoning and a lot less grease. We found the salsa and guacomole tasty though. The service was good as well.
(3)Brian M.
Over the years, I've had an on and off relationship with Don Pablo's. As far as Mexican chain restaurants go, there are some things here that truly excel, and others that just fall short. The Positives - In my opinion, one of the best house margaritas out there, something I typically am always drawn to when I'm there. They have good prices as well, as they have adopted the buy one get one on most drinks. The chips here are also good, and the salsa never disappoints. The Queso Blanco is out of this world awesome, especially if you dip it with their flour tortillas. They seem to have some good daily specials, whether it be discounted fajitas, all you can eat tacos, etc. The Negatives - I can say, on more than one occasion, I haven't felt all that great after eating here, which leads me to wonder about overall food quality. The last time I ate here, the rice tasted a bit odd (kind of a dirt flavor). Overall, the food quality can be hit and miss, and the crunchy taco shells are not always very crunchy, and more on the stale side. They really could, and in the early days have done better. Overall, I'd come here for the margaritas and food specials, but knowing full well it might not be of the highest quality.
(3)Jorge T.
Lovely Mexican American food. In house made tortillas. Great waiters. Delicious fajitas and great specials everyday.
(5)Shawn B.
eh....we usually go for Taco Tuesday. Regular salsa is like puree'd tomatoes, nothing exciting, bland. Beef tacos are pretty good but chicken in chicken tacos are disgusting and soggy wet every time. And they charge you extra for a little DAB of sour cream! Really? Most people put sour cream on their tacos so it should be a complimentary item if and when asked for like most places! My beef (get it?) with this place is that it MAINTAINS a filthy dining area and has for YEARS! Every time we go we see the same things.......dust, dust dust on the walls, window sills, light fixtures by the booths. Windows are dirty as are the booths themselves. Can;t believe that management has let this go for sooo long now. This place needs a "close the doors" cleaning, I'm not kidding. I'm really disappointed in the entire team here, servers, all location management, especially the manager and district manager, regional manager (if their is one that has ever visited) when it comes to the cleanliness of the front of the house. Don't want to even imagine what the back of the house looks like! Servers are mostly friendly and attentive though and that's a plus.
(2)Falicia B.
Terrible food, awful presentation. Would not recommend to anyone. Luckily service was acceptable although!
(2)E K.
Service was great and so was the food!! Love the $5.99 lunch special. That was a lot of food for that price.
(5)Kristina C.
Don Pablo's has a fun atmosphere and good service, but the food just isn't that great. Pre-packaged salsa, ground beef with no seasoning... Nothing to "write home about." I definitely wouldn't choose to eat here over the many other terrific restaurants in the area.
(2)Jessica G.
If yelp would allow me to leave a zero star review, I would. We waited for more than an hour (while munching on chips that tasted like they were cooked in old oil) for our food. Our waitress was less than attentive. The food was horrendous. Maybe the worst I've ever had in a restaurant setting. I ordered a bean and cheese burrito which I thought was a safe bet in a restaurant that was new to us. I was wrong. It was absolutely disgusting. I took one bite and sit it into my napkin. My 3 year old said the quesadilla was disgusting and my oldest daughters "nachos" were chips with a handful of half melted shredded cheese on top. The manager was kind enough to comp most of our bill when he saw that none of us are any of the food. I would NOT recommend this restaurant to ANYONE.
(1)Matt R.
After many years not going here because the place was bad i decided on a dessert "to-go" order at 920pm. The gentleman who answered the phone was rude and said "we close at 10 are you going to be here before then?" When we arrived our order was at the bar and I checked it to make sure everything was in order and noticed the rum sauce (which I always request on the side) was less than 1/4th full. I asked the bartender who was also the extremely well mannered individual who took my call if he could please fill it up for me and he said it was going to be an additional fee of 2 dollars (which is half the price of the dessert itself.) The manager overheard our convo and pretended like she didn't and kept going about her business until a different server came by and said it should def have been full all the way. Upon asking the manager how much it should be filled she repied "3ounces". I assured her it wasnt 3oz as I am experienced in counting my foods she got me more and they STILL charged me extra. Horrendous customer service and support. Will NEVER be going back.
(1)Diane K.
Hubby and I have been coming here for awhile, often to enjoy the queso blanco appetizer, which was recommended on an early visit. However, on our last 2 visits, it became obvious that the recipe had changed, and not for the better. (The blanco is now way more orange-ish in color, to the point where I had to ask if they gave us the right cheese.) My husband also raves over their chips and salsa, but the chips look different this time and our server acknowledged that yes, they make them differently now. (They taste like everyone else's now.) It was fajita Wednesday, so we split the fajita combo...but the steak came nearly raw and chicken wasn't flavored as well as in the past. My grandson wanted to try the fajitas and he "traded" a bite of his kid's menu burger, which he loved (but I thought was awful.) Quality has definitely gone down here.
(2)Randall P.
We usually enjoy eating at this location as there is really no Tex Mex alternative in the area. Today was not a good restaurant experience and it will be my last trip here. The queso dip was cold and my batch of tortillas were not fresh like they usually are. I ordered the steak fajita burrito. I bit into it and the meat was literally cold on the inside raw. I was grossed out and was not going to tell my wife so as not to turn her stomach but the manager came by to ask how our meals were and I pointed at the raw meat. She apologized and took it off the bill but oddly did not offer to make another and the bill came shortly after that and the waitress was ticked off and did not offer more food or an apology. She had been attentive up to the raw food episode but must have been agitated at the smaller tab? Who knows? Just a really bad experience.
(1)Julianne E.
Eh, wasn't impressed at all. The service was ok, the food not so much. Ordered a burrito bowl with chicken. There wasn't anything about that dish that was enjoyable. I think I ate 3 bites of it. The margaritas were crappy, way too much sour mix. I can see why they closed a few down. If they closed this place I wouldn't miss it. I'll stick with the real Mexican non chain restaurants.
(2)Lindsay A.
It is no surprise that this restaurant has less than 3 stars. The service from the wait staff and management is atrocious. If I could give this restaurant less than 1 star, I absolutely would.
(1)John C.
I am down in the florida area quite often to visit family. During past visits we have all went out to Don Pablo's for a nice dinner and generally enjoy the food. Unfortunately this occasion we had a bad experience. While deciding what to order (and sncaking on complimentary chips and salsa), I noticed a new appetiser item on the menu, stuffed Jalapeno wrapped with bacon! Well when my eyes lifted from the menu, my sister scooped up a 1/2 eaten version of that appetiser from the salsa bowl! To me that notes they re-use the salsa at each table. We were disgusted and left. The staff did not seem to alarmed by this discovery. But what shocked me more was that we did have anyone to stop us and offer a sincer apology as we left. It seemed they were not concerned with a party of 12 leaving. I am not sure if next time we will want to give this place another try, but I hope customer service and food preperation/disposal processes improve due to this review.
(1)Lake Mary C.
This place has gone downhill. Slow service and the food is not very good. Salsa tasted like ketchup with a few onions in it.
(1)Diana B.
Wait time on food was ridiculous for take out over an hour. Service when we eat there was bad as well. Would not recommend
(2)Kevin L.
In college I loved going to the Don Pablo's near UCF. Good food, great drinks, and friendly service. The Sanford location has none of that. Bland food, below average drinks, and poor service. One person in our party had a simple request for her tacos. No cilantro. Her tacos came covered in cilantro. the waiter said it must have been on the cook's glove. Then tried to say it wasn't cilantro. My enchiladas were soggy and bland. The chips seemed stale. This Don Pablo's needs to follow the rest and close. It will be a blessing for any future customers.
(1)Lori B.
Got food poisoning immediately after leaving. Wonder when the last time they cleaned their margarita mixer! There is not a 0 review rating to bad.
(1)Ethan H.
Came in for taco Tuesday's. Great deal! $6.99 for all you can eat tacos with rice and beans. I enjoyed the food- it was nothing extraordinary but it was decent; especially for the price. However, our Server was having a bad day. She was very awkward with us; almost like she wasn't paying attention. We asked for something and she stared at us. She never gave her name or really smiled. Then in the middle of our meal we noticed she hadn't come back in a while. We waited and waited. A new server came over and informed us that our server left. So we finished the meal off with a server. Not sure what happened.
(3)Kevin L.
In college I loved going to the Don Pablo's near UCF. Good food, great drinks, and friendly service. The Sanford location has none of that. Bland food, below average drinks, and poor service. One person in our party had a simple request for her tacos. No cilantro. Her tacos came covered in cilantro. the waiter said it must have been on the cook's glove. Then tried to say it wasn't cilantro. My enchiladas were soggy and bland. The chips seemed stale. This Don Pablo's needs to follow the rest and close. It will be a blessing for any future customers.
(1)Lori B.
Got food poisoning immediately after leaving. Wonder when the last time they cleaned their margarita mixer! There is not a 0 review rating to bad.
(1)Resarima H.
If you are reading this, good! Maybe I can save you from wasting time (and money, unless they hopefully give you a refund) by going to this place. First off, this place used to be great. Now, it blows. Went out to lunch before work. Upon being seated, Im eventually greeted by a waiter with a dirty apron. He asks me what I'd like for a drink, and he sets down chips and salsa, and a paper-wrapped straw on my table with what looked to be blood on the paper. He brings out my water, and walks away without bothering to ask if I need a few more minutes to order. I grab my glass, and see food residue on it. Eww. That's nasty. I asked for a new glass, and he came back with a clean glass and /then/ asks me what I'd like. I place my order, and he disappears to the kitchen. I sample the chips and salsa, and sadly feel they're bland. The chips just had 0 taste, and the salsa was mediocre-no "bite" to it at all. Basically vegetables in a water-solution. Kind of sad, since this is supposed to be Mexican food... Supposed to be. In the meantime of waiting for food to be delivered, I jumped on Yelp to read reviews to see what's going on here. Scary enough, I ran across recent reviews of fellow Yelpers crying out for help about the horrifying service and food they received themselves... At that very moment, alongside my already abysmal experience, I accepted that my fate here may be the same as theirs. And it was. The food came out. It looked beautiful. Though let us not forget that looks can deceive, for this food did. I asked for the chile mashed potatoes as a side as one of the choices. When it came out, it literally looked like a pancake. And not just a pancake, there was barely enough food there to be considered a side dish. I actually laughed when the waiter set it on the table...It was cold on the outside but scorching on the inside. (Seriously, I hate text-talk but "WTF?") The rice was dry, the little burrito rolls tasted like microwaved Delimex, the taco was blander than dirt, and the hair (yes, the human hair that did not resemble that of my own due to the color of it!!!) on the enchilada became the icing on the cake. Called over the waiter, who took the food away, and had the manager come over. I explained all that happened, only to have him say "Very sorry, Ill take care of it". While he went to the register, I got up, and waited behind him. When he turned around, he said he took care of it, and I told him I was leaving, to which he apologized once again. This was not only an absolutely out-right bad experience, but a sad reminder even great restaurants can fall, for whatever reasons. Never returning again. You have been warned!
(1)Bruce K.
Popped in at lunch time for the all-you-can-eat Taco Tuesday. And while our waitress was great, I'd say that you should skip the tacos on Tuesday. The beef or chicken, soft or crunchy, did not have enough protein but did have lots of lettuce and tomato. The flavor was bland and thankfully there are an assortment of hot sauces on the table to try to rescue it. I had to have a second portion and confirmed that, yep, they're boring. And so I say "Meh. I've experienced better."
(2)Toni S.
Best carnitas, great food, good margaritas and friendly service, i try and go there at least twice a month.
(5)Thomas B.
Took my friends out for dinner. Their beer cooler was broken for days, so there was no draft beer. They also didn't order enough bottled beer so they were out of several brands. Had to settle for Bud Light. We all had the AuCE tacos. I kept biting into the chunks of tomatoes and hitting the hard, stem end. Can't your prep cook scoop them out before dicing? They have a little scoop just for that purpose and it's only a couple of bucks. The manager comp'ed my beer and my friend's margarita because of the cooler. I was surprised they had options for sides, the waitress just said "Rice & beans OK?" but my friend asked what his options were. Good thing too: I don't care for their rice, but a salad was a great option. I think it will be a while before I go back, everything was as you'd expect it to be for a chain, Tex-Mex place. Nothing special.
(3)Lana B.
The restaurant is beautifully decorated. Spacious and open. There is a beautiful fountain in the middle of the restaurant. You get free chips and salsa to start - for a Mexican restaurant- their chips were really boring. Thick and nothing special. Chili's or cheddar's could easily win over them in a tortilla chip contest. The salsa as well was just "meh". They are supposed to be a MEXICAN restaurant. Shouldn't they have really good salsa??? Chili's still in my opinion has the best (restaurant chain style salsa). I ordered two hard chicken tacos with rice and black beans. The chicken was so bland. :( +---- I'll just leave that there. The rice also .... Absolutely no flavor. The black beans were an atrocity. (I was brought refried beans first - which I had to send back). All in all - would not go back - would not recommend.
(2)Brenda F.
We seriously have grown to love this place! Chicken Burrito Bowl is our favorite! Along with $2.99 huge happy hour Margaritas! Hot tortilla chips and $5.49 dip sampler . Celebrate Friday on budget!
(5)Tom A.
One of a few Don Pablo's left in Central Florida as most closed near my house. Came here to do a to go order and we were attended quick and our order came out quick but It was wrong,we had order a chicken taco salad and instead we got a beef taco salad. Beside the place being packed on a Saturday,the place smelled good and the menu had some good stuff including now you can make your own guacamole. The staff was friendly and nice and we were able to get our order quick and get out before it got more crowded.
(4)Matt R.
After many years not going here because the place was bad i decided on a dessert "to-go" order at 920pm. The gentleman who answered the phone was rude and said "we close at 10 are you going to be here before then?" When we arrived our order was at the bar and I checked it to make sure everything was in order and noticed the rum sauce (which I always request on the side) was less than 1/4th full. I asked the bartender who was also the extremely well mannered individual who took my call if he could please fill it up for me and he said it was going to be an additional fee of 2 dollars (which is half the price of the dessert itself.) The manager overheard our convo and pretended like she didn't and kept going about her business until a different server came by and said it should def have been full all the way. Upon asking the manager how much it should be filled she repied "3ounces". I assured her it wasnt 3oz as I am experienced in counting my foods she got me more and they STILL charged me extra. Horrendous customer service and support. Will NEVER be going back.
(1)Natalia F.
Visited on Thursday, 03/05/2015 at 1:30 PM Female waitress, didn't let us know her name, but Management knows exactly who this was. Before I begin. I just want to say that I grew up going to Don Pablos, and I loved this place dearly. Not anymore. My boyfriend and I came in looking for a quick lunch before we had to go to work. We were greeted by a less than enthused waitress, but hey, being a waitress can be hard, so we decided to cut her a little slack. I ordered a water without lemon, and the water tasted like cleaner, actually bleach, and I was instantly nauseous. I asked for the manager to make him aware, and he came back with a super clean glass of water for us. It was much better, but then the waitress came back to talk to us, and her sarcastic remarks made me a little less trusting of the water, so we both asked for Sprite. By this point, I was convinced I was the one to blame, and I'd felt terrible for making them go through all this work. So I apologized because I felt like I was making it harder on them, and we placed our order, Shrimp Tacos and a Steak Burrito. They come out a little bit later, and I noticed I'd gotten Fish Tacos. My boyfriend and I let the server know that wasn't what I'd ordered, and they sent it back. Enter sarcastic waitress. "Are you sure you didn't order fish tacos?" Me: "No, I ordered Shrimp Tacos." Waitress: "I'm pretty sure you ordered Fish Tacos." Me:"I don't even like Fish Tacos, I didn't order them" Waitress: *checks order* "Oh, my bad, you did order Shrimp Tacos. We'll have those right out." By the time I'd received my food, my waitress let me know that my order was messed up a few more times, but they finally got it right. Halfway through eating, my boyfriend leans over and tells me, "Hey, I didn' t want to make things worse, but I ordered Steak, not chicken." At this point, I was done. Absolutely done. I called the waitress over, and she checked the order and realized that he in fact ordered steak. I ask her to bring over the manager again. She goes to the back and comes back to give us the check. She assures me she's solved everything and gives me the check. We were charged for fish tacos. I was so mad that my hands were shaking. I told her I was done talking to her and I needed to see a manager. I knew I wouldn't be able to be rational about everything at this point, so I excused myself to go to the car and let my boyfriend take care of it. The manager ripped up the receipt and told us that the meal was on them and apologized. Hopefully she was put in check. She's the main reason I'm not coming back. Plus, the shrimp tacos were awful. The only positive thing about our visit was the chips and salsa, which will always hold a special place in my heart. tl;dr Don Pablos really needs to step their game up, I miss my chips and salsa.
(1)Jessica G.
If yelp would allow me to leave a zero star review, I would. We waited for more than an hour (while munching on chips that tasted like they were cooked in old oil) for our food. Our waitress was less than attentive. The food was horrendous. Maybe the worst I've ever had in a restaurant setting. I ordered a bean and cheese burrito which I thought was a safe bet in a restaurant that was new to us. I was wrong. It was absolutely disgusting. I took one bite and sit it into my napkin. My 3 year old said the quesadilla was disgusting and my oldest daughters "nachos" were chips with a handful of half melted shredded cheese on top. The manager was kind enough to comp most of our bill when he saw that none of us are any of the food. I would NOT recommend this restaurant to ANYONE.
(1)Diane K.
Hubby and I have been coming here for awhile, often to enjoy the queso blanco appetizer, which was recommended on an early visit. However, on our last 2 visits, it became obvious that the recipe had changed, and not for the better. (The blanco is now way more orange-ish in color, to the point where I had to ask if they gave us the right cheese.) My husband also raves over their chips and salsa, but the chips look different this time and our server acknowledged that yes, they make them differently now. (They taste like everyone else's now.) It was fajita Wednesday, so we split the fajita combo...but the steak came nearly raw and chicken wasn't flavored as well as in the past. My grandson wanted to try the fajitas and he "traded" a bite of his kid's menu burger, which he loved (but I thought was awful.) Quality has definitely gone down here.
(2)Randall P.
We usually enjoy eating at this location as there is really no Tex Mex alternative in the area. Today was not a good restaurant experience and it will be my last trip here. The queso dip was cold and my batch of tortillas were not fresh like they usually are. I ordered the steak fajita burrito. I bit into it and the meat was literally cold on the inside raw. I was grossed out and was not going to tell my wife so as not to turn her stomach but the manager came by to ask how our meals were and I pointed at the raw meat. She apologized and took it off the bill but oddly did not offer to make another and the bill came shortly after that and the waitress was ticked off and did not offer more food or an apology. She had been attentive up to the raw food episode but must have been agitated at the smaller tab? Who knows? Just a really bad experience.
(1)John C.
I am down in the florida area quite often to visit family. During past visits we have all went out to Don Pablo's for a nice dinner and generally enjoy the food. Unfortunately this occasion we had a bad experience. While deciding what to order (and sncaking on complimentary chips and salsa), I noticed a new appetiser item on the menu, stuffed Jalapeno wrapped with bacon! Well when my eyes lifted from the menu, my sister scooped up a 1/2 eaten version of that appetiser from the salsa bowl! To me that notes they re-use the salsa at each table. We were disgusted and left. The staff did not seem to alarmed by this discovery. But what shocked me more was that we did have anyone to stop us and offer a sincer apology as we left. It seemed they were not concerned with a party of 12 leaving. I am not sure if next time we will want to give this place another try, but I hope customer service and food preperation/disposal processes improve due to this review.
(1)Lake Mary C.
This place has gone downhill. Slow service and the food is not very good. Salsa tasted like ketchup with a few onions in it.
(1)Diana B.
Wait time on food was ridiculous for take out over an hour. Service when we eat there was bad as well. Would not recommend
(2)Franklyn T.
Rarely do I ever leave 1 star reviews for businesses especially being part of the industry myself. However, this restaurant needs an intervention with its menu more specifically quality! The food I ordered was beyond presentable and eatable. The queso sauce tasted like I hasd mixed salt, flour, and water stirred it and then poured it on my enchiladas. The beans were peppery as in I just added some black pepper and then some more, then finally said screw it lets pour the whole container plus they had a crunch!?!? sitting under a light warmer much. Overall it's too bad this place serves bad food considering its location. I clearly see I'm not the only patron that had a bad experience, considering the other multiple low star reviews. These are the reviews owners should consider and improvise their operations in order to succeed. The service was good and for that I grant them the incredible "1" star. "Hay que hacer cambios a la cocina, si no les gusta, pues cierren las puertas"-Anonymous (Changes to the kitchen must be made, if you don't like change, well then close the doors)
(1)Julianne E.
Eh, wasn't impressed at all. The service was ok, the food not so much. Ordered a burrito bowl with chicken. There wasn't anything about that dish that was enjoyable. I think I ate 3 bites of it. The margaritas were crappy, way too much sour mix. I can see why they closed a few down. If they closed this place I wouldn't miss it. I'll stick with the real Mexican non chain restaurants.
(2)Lindsay A.
It is no surprise that this restaurant has less than 3 stars. The service from the wait staff and management is atrocious. If I could give this restaurant less than 1 star, I absolutely would.
(1)Julie K.
The waiter was fantastic! The chips tasted like they were cooked in old oil and the enchilada was very chewy on the bottom. This place has been around for years and is still here because it is right next to the mall. The food is just okay, but the skillet apple pie is wonderful!
(3)Dani R.
This was a horrible experience. My boyfriend and I came in to check the place out since we are new to the area. Our table was dirty, our server was not friendly nor did she know everything on the Happy Hour specials. She told us not to ask any more questions. Our food was luke warm and we waited for ever for our drinks. We will not be back.
(1)Rich S.
Walked in and waited at the podium to be seated. A server walked by and smiled but didn't care to greet us or tell us if anyone would be with us. It seemed like she was the only server and she was busy so we decided to sit at the bar. Once we sat down everything went smoothly. Our bartender/ server was friendly and on his A game. The food was delicious. Definitely coming back and definitely going straight to the bar.
(5)Anna-Marie W.
I love Mexican food. We used to have a number of Don Pablo's around central Florida but they have since closed, leaving only a small number left in the area. I don't understand. Don Pablo's is great. Sure, it's a chain similar to the Chevy's chain or the now defunct Chi Chi's chain, but it is still great. Maybe the fact that there are so many Mom and Pop Mexican restaurants here in Florida had something to do with it. But I sure love my Mexican places. Maybe it's the chips and salsa that are served at every Mexican restaurant in the country- but Don Pablo's serves them warm and fresh. And the salsa isn't too shabby either. Perhaps my most favorite item on the menu is their Dip Sampler. the Queso Dip, Queso Blanco Dip, Prairie Fire Bean Dip and Guacamole are served with flour tortillas. Nothing is bad here. I especially love the Queso Blanco Dip. Wow- perfection. Served with homemade flour tortillas that are made right in the middle of the restaurant for everyone to see. There is nothing better than a fresh homemade tortilla to go with Queso-Blanc dip. Chad has fallen in love with fish tacos and that is exactly what he ordered. The Fish Taco Trio plate is "Your choice of grilled or golden fried, hand-battered fish with lettuce, pico de gallo and Monterey Jack nestled in three freshly-made tortillas. With Mexican rice and choice of beans." He ordered the grilled fish and he loved them. And this is a guy who just a few months ago wasn't into the idea of fish served on taco shells. Now he loves them and he loved them here. I got the Chipotle Portabella Mushroom Fajitas. I love the diversity of portabella mushrooms and I loved them as a meat substitute for the usual chicken or steak normally served in fajitas. And of course, it was served with the traditional lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and flour tortillas on the side. I loved them. I could eat that all day. The mushrooms had a smoky flavor and were meaty and plump. Deliciousness on a plate. Here is where my visit went wrong. At a nearby table, a toddler had thrown her paper children's menu on the floor and it sat there right in the aisle. It stayed there as the hostess sat tables and she passed it about eight times and never picked it up. It stayed there as our server walked not only by it but around it. As someone who used to work in restaurants I think I am pretty easy going when it comes to certain things, but leaving a large piece of paper on the floor is just not acceptable to me. It is a safety hazard. Not only could the server holding a large and hot tray of food slip on it and get seriously injured, a guest could potentially take a spill and that would cause a major headache for the restaurant. Now, I know you are questioning why I didn't pick it up myself and I thought about it, but not once did I see any of the staff carrying big trays out and I saw both the hostess and the server look down at it so I knew they knew it was there. We were nestled back into a corner of the restaurant where there weren't any other guests nearby so a guest wasn't in danger per se. When the busser cleared the table he eventually picked it up. That just bothered me. Paper on the floor aside, I love Don Pablo's. I love that the atmosphere is so colorful and the food is always hot and delicious. But that one piece of paper on the floor just got to me. I know- it's petty. It is. If it weren't for that I would be praising five out of five sprouts.
(3)Stephanie M.
Disappointed. We were served both cold and burned food. The server and manager were both unattentive. Another table sent back cold food and the manager did not visit either of our tables. Won't be back.
(2)Mary C.
I was generous in giving them one star! Only because I had to in order to review. After waiting almost 5 minutes before we saw a server, my husband ordered the bacon cheese burger and I ordered the chicken chimichanga. He wasn't asked how He wanted it cooked or what he wanted on it. We received our meals fairly quickly but the burger didn't have bacon. My chimichanga was severely lacking of chicken, consisting mostly of sauce. The beans were room temperature and the rice was cold. We spoke to the manager who informed us that they ran out of bacon and he didn't have time to tell our server. After arguing with us about the service and food we decided to just leave and go somewhere else. See my next check in. The atmosphere was neither fun or pleasant, resembling a large warehouse full of tables and the music was more like a dance club throbbing kind of noise. We will never go back.
(1)James G.
We decided we would not eat here! The kitchen door opened and we were shocked at how dirty the kitchen was. We were sitting at the bar, right in front of the kitchen door. Our glasses still had lip marks on them. The menus had salsa on them and to top it all off the bartender was less than friendly. No smile, no help, and very uninviting. We had a drink and left before we ordered dinner. Won't go back.
(1)Gaea V.
The hubs and I needed a bite after hitting a beer tasting, hadn't been to a Don Pablo ' s in five years and wanted to try it out again. It was past 9 and dead inside. Our waiter was very personable and checked on us regularly. My husband's fajitas were amazing: hot, sizzling, and seasoned. My carnitas on the other hand, the pork was kind of dry and it just didn't look as appetizing as my husband's dish. I will say I can overlook anything when distracted by queso and chips- and they did just that. Food: average. Service:solid. Queso: muy bien.
(3)Todd A.
Do not go to this location, we have ate here for years but after seeing some things tonight we will never return. Very dirty kitchen and not sanitary. Very poor management and you would be horrified to know what the food prep is like.
(1)Steven B.
Arrived for lunch at approximately 11:30 AM. On a Friday. Very pleasantly surprised. The food was reasonably priced and very good. Brittany, my server, was terrific, prompt, and friendly. I have been here before. This is the best time. So that's a good sign. The seater was less good. The restaurant is huge. I arrived at around 11:30 AM. The server was clustering everyone together near the north side of the restaurant. I, personally, don't want to sit next to anyone when there is a huge number of tables available. When I asked for another table, she become visibly unhappy. Training issue, probably. Will recommend the restaurant and I hope to come back again soon. One final note. For me, it is like fingernails on a blackboard when a customer service person says, in response to a customer request, "no problem." How much more elegant to say, "my pleasure." Even if you don't mean it. Again, a training issue. This did not apply to Britney... She was terrific in all ways.
(4)Keith H.
Last Tuesday we visited Don Pablo's for Tacos. I have to say that I'm impressed with the service we received. Of course, this is a chain and so you're not going to find any authentic meals here, but the food was decent. The atmosphere was welcoming and I like the decorations they do inside the "warehouse-like" buildings they make. I had the unlimited tacos for 7.99. I got refried beans and rice as a side. Like I said, its decent, nothing spectacular but you're going to be ok with the food.
(3)Melissa H.
Kinda the "run of the mill" commercialized chain restaurant. Unimpressed with the chimichangas - the red sauce killed it... The service was pretty decent though.
(2)Caryn A.
My friend and I went to Don Pablo's on Tuesday to try the all-you-can-eat tacos for $7.99 special. Sadly, we weren't very impressed. The tacos could have used seasoning and a lot less grease. We found the salsa and guacomole tasty though. The service was good as well.
(3)Brian M.
Over the years, I've had an on and off relationship with Don Pablo's. As far as Mexican chain restaurants go, there are some things here that truly excel, and others that just fall short. The Positives - In my opinion, one of the best house margaritas out there, something I typically am always drawn to when I'm there. They have good prices as well, as they have adopted the buy one get one on most drinks. The chips here are also good, and the salsa never disappoints. The Queso Blanco is out of this world awesome, especially if you dip it with their flour tortillas. They seem to have some good daily specials, whether it be discounted fajitas, all you can eat tacos, etc. The Negatives - I can say, on more than one occasion, I haven't felt all that great after eating here, which leads me to wonder about overall food quality. The last time I ate here, the rice tasted a bit odd (kind of a dirt flavor). Overall, the food quality can be hit and miss, and the crunchy taco shells are not always very crunchy, and more on the stale side. They really could, and in the early days have done better. Overall, I'd come here for the margaritas and food specials, but knowing full well it might not be of the highest quality.
(3)Jorge T.
Lovely Mexican American food. In house made tortillas. Great waiters. Delicious fajitas and great specials everyday.
(5)Shawn B.
eh....we usually go for Taco Tuesday. Regular salsa is like puree'd tomatoes, nothing exciting, bland. Beef tacos are pretty good but chicken in chicken tacos are disgusting and soggy wet every time. And they charge you extra for a little DAB of sour cream! Really? Most people put sour cream on their tacos so it should be a complimentary item if and when asked for like most places! My beef (get it?) with this place is that it MAINTAINS a filthy dining area and has for YEARS! Every time we go we see the same things.......dust, dust dust on the walls, window sills, light fixtures by the booths. Windows are dirty as are the booths themselves. Can;t believe that management has let this go for sooo long now. This place needs a "close the doors" cleaning, I'm not kidding. I'm really disappointed in the entire team here, servers, all location management, especially the manager and district manager, regional manager (if their is one that has ever visited) when it comes to the cleanliness of the front of the house. Don't want to even imagine what the back of the house looks like! Servers are mostly friendly and attentive though and that's a plus.
(2)Falicia B.
Terrible food, awful presentation. Would not recommend to anyone. Luckily service was acceptable although!
(2)E K.
Service was great and so was the food!! Love the $5.99 lunch special. That was a lot of food for that price.
(5)Kristina C.
Don Pablo's has a fun atmosphere and good service, but the food just isn't that great. Pre-packaged salsa, ground beef with no seasoning... Nothing to "write home about." I definitely wouldn't choose to eat here over the many other terrific restaurants in the area.
(2)Shawn B.
eh....we usually go for Taco Tuesday. Regular salsa is like puree'd tomatoes, nothing exciting, bland. Beef tacos are pretty good but chicken in chicken tacos are disgusting and soggy wet every time. And they charge you extra for a little DAB of sour cream! Really? Most people put sour cream on their tacos so it should be a complimentary item if and when asked for like most places! My beef (get it?) with this place is that it MAINTAINS a filthy dining area and has for YEARS! Every time we go we see the same things.......dust, dust dust on the walls, window sills, light fixtures by the booths. Windows are dirty as are the booths themselves. Can;t believe that management has let this go for sooo long now. This place needs a "close the doors" cleaning, I'm not kidding. I'm really disappointed in the entire team here, servers, all location management, especially the manager and district manager, regional manager (if their is one that has ever visited) when it comes to the cleanliness of the front of the house. Don't want to even imagine what the back of the house looks like! Servers are mostly friendly and attentive though and that's a plus.
(2)Falicia B.
Terrible food, awful presentation. Would not recommend to anyone. Luckily service was acceptable although!
(2)E K.
Service was great and so was the food!! Love the $5.99 lunch special. That was a lot of food for that price.
(5)Kristina C.
Don Pablo's has a fun atmosphere and good service, but the food just isn't that great. Pre-packaged salsa, ground beef with no seasoning... Nothing to "write home about." I definitely wouldn't choose to eat here over the many other terrific restaurants in the area.
(2)David P.
I debated giving out a 1 star rating. But when I thought about it, if my back was against the wall and my choices were to eat here or skip a meal, I'd go ahead and eat here. I just ask myself why anyone would eat here. The food is bland and generic, the service is so - so and there is really nothing that distinguishes this place. With so many better options available, I don't understand why you'd ever pick this place. To each their own, but the food here is so blah that I can't see any reason to go back.
(2)T W.
Horrible experience... 1/2 hour wait on a not busy night, once seated it was another 22 min before drinks were brought, chips were stale and cold, another 1/2 wait for food and couldnt eat it because it was cold..... called corporate to complain... something we have never done before. We will never go back even with a free coupon we received in the mail.
(1)Lizzy S.
Fun atmosphere, mediocre food. Margaritas were so tart we could barely suck them down. Food was either bland and tasteless or way too spicy.
(3)Thomas M.
Taco Tuesdays are awesome! The fried ice cream is also to die for.
(4)Ethan H.
Came in for taco Tuesday's. Great deal! $6.99 for all you can eat tacos with rice and beans. I enjoyed the food- it was nothing extraordinary but it was decent; especially for the price. However, our Server was having a bad day. She was very awkward with us; almost like she wasn't paying attention. We asked for something and she stared at us. She never gave her name or really smiled. Then in the middle of our meal we noticed she hadn't come back in a while. We waited and waited. A new server came over and informed us that our server left. So we finished the meal off with a server. Not sure what happened.
(3)Resarima H.
If you are reading this, good! Maybe I can save you from wasting time (and money, unless they hopefully give you a refund) by going to this place. First off, this place used to be great. Now, it blows. Went out to lunch before work. Upon being seated, Im eventually greeted by a waiter with a dirty apron. He asks me what I'd like for a drink, and he sets down chips and salsa, and a paper-wrapped straw on my table with what looked to be blood on the paper. He brings out my water, and walks away without bothering to ask if I need a few more minutes to order. I grab my glass, and see food residue on it. Eww. That's nasty. I asked for a new glass, and he came back with a clean glass and /then/ asks me what I'd like. I place my order, and he disappears to the kitchen. I sample the chips and salsa, and sadly feel they're bland. The chips just had 0 taste, and the salsa was mediocre-no "bite" to it at all. Basically vegetables in a water-solution. Kind of sad, since this is supposed to be Mexican food... Supposed to be. In the meantime of waiting for food to be delivered, I jumped on Yelp to read reviews to see what's going on here. Scary enough, I ran across recent reviews of fellow Yelpers crying out for help about the horrifying service and food they received themselves... At that very moment, alongside my already abysmal experience, I accepted that my fate here may be the same as theirs. And it was. The food came out. It looked beautiful. Though let us not forget that looks can deceive, for this food did. I asked for the chile mashed potatoes as a side as one of the choices. When it came out, it literally looked like a pancake. And not just a pancake, there was barely enough food there to be considered a side dish. I actually laughed when the waiter set it on the table...It was cold on the outside but scorching on the inside. (Seriously, I hate text-talk but "WTF?") The rice was dry, the little burrito rolls tasted like microwaved Delimex, the taco was blander than dirt, and the hair (yes, the human hair that did not resemble that of my own due to the color of it!!!) on the enchilada became the icing on the cake. Called over the waiter, who took the food away, and had the manager come over. I explained all that happened, only to have him say "Very sorry, Ill take care of it". While he went to the register, I got up, and waited behind him. When he turned around, he said he took care of it, and I told him I was leaving, to which he apologized once again. This was not only an absolutely out-right bad experience, but a sad reminder even great restaurants can fall, for whatever reasons. Never returning again. You have been warned!
(1)Bruce K.
Popped in at lunch time for the all-you-can-eat Taco Tuesday. And while our waitress was great, I'd say that you should skip the tacos on Tuesday. The beef or chicken, soft or crunchy, did not have enough protein but did have lots of lettuce and tomato. The flavor was bland and thankfully there are an assortment of hot sauces on the table to try to rescue it. I had to have a second portion and confirmed that, yep, they're boring. And so I say "Meh. I've experienced better."
(2)Toni S.
Best carnitas, great food, good margaritas and friendly service, i try and go there at least twice a month.
(5)Thomas B.
Took my friends out for dinner. Their beer cooler was broken for days, so there was no draft beer. They also didn't order enough bottled beer so they were out of several brands. Had to settle for Bud Light. We all had the AuCE tacos. I kept biting into the chunks of tomatoes and hitting the hard, stem end. Can't your prep cook scoop them out before dicing? They have a little scoop just for that purpose and it's only a couple of bucks. The manager comp'ed my beer and my friend's margarita because of the cooler. I was surprised they had options for sides, the waitress just said "Rice & beans OK?" but my friend asked what his options were. Good thing too: I don't care for their rice, but a salad was a great option. I think it will be a while before I go back, everything was as you'd expect it to be for a chain, Tex-Mex place. Nothing special.
(3)Lana B.
The restaurant is beautifully decorated. Spacious and open. There is a beautiful fountain in the middle of the restaurant. You get free chips and salsa to start - for a Mexican restaurant- their chips were really boring. Thick and nothing special. Chili's or cheddar's could easily win over them in a tortilla chip contest. The salsa as well was just "meh". They are supposed to be a MEXICAN restaurant. Shouldn't they have really good salsa??? Chili's still in my opinion has the best (restaurant chain style salsa). I ordered two hard chicken tacos with rice and black beans. The chicken was so bland. :( +---- I'll just leave that there. The rice also .... Absolutely no flavor. The black beans were an atrocity. (I was brought refried beans first - which I had to send back). All in all - would not go back - would not recommend.
(2)Brenda F.
We seriously have grown to love this place! Chicken Burrito Bowl is our favorite! Along with $2.99 huge happy hour Margaritas! Hot tortilla chips and $5.49 dip sampler . Celebrate Friday on budget!
(5)Tom A.
One of a few Don Pablo's left in Central Florida as most closed near my house. Came here to do a to go order and we were attended quick and our order came out quick but It was wrong,we had order a chicken taco salad and instead we got a beef taco salad. Beside the place being packed on a Saturday,the place smelled good and the menu had some good stuff including now you can make your own guacamole. The staff was friendly and nice and we were able to get our order quick and get out before it got more crowded.
(4)Matt R.
After many years not going here because the place was bad i decided on a dessert "to-go" order at 920pm. The gentleman who answered the phone was rude and said "we close at 10 are you going to be here before then?" When we arrived our order was at the bar and I checked it to make sure everything was in order and noticed the rum sauce (which I always request on the side) was less than 1/4th full. I asked the bartender who was also the extremely well mannered individual who took my call if he could please fill it up for me and he said it was going to be an additional fee of 2 dollars (which is half the price of the dessert itself.) The manager overheard our convo and pretended like she didn't and kept going about her business until a different server came by and said it should def have been full all the way. Upon asking the manager how much it should be filled she repied "3ounces". I assured her it wasnt 3oz as I am experienced in counting my foods she got me more and they STILL charged me extra. Horrendous customer service and support. Will NEVER be going back.
(1)Diane K.
Hubby and I have been coming here for awhile, often to enjoy the queso blanco appetizer, which was recommended on an early visit. However, on our last 2 visits, it became obvious that the recipe had changed, and not for the better. (The blanco is now way more orange-ish in color, to the point where I had to ask if they gave us the right cheese.) My husband also raves over their chips and salsa, but the chips look different this time and our server acknowledged that yes, they make them differently now. (They taste like everyone else's now.) It was fajita Wednesday, so we split the fajita combo...but the steak came nearly raw and chicken wasn't flavored as well as in the past. My grandson wanted to try the fajitas and he "traded" a bite of his kid's menu burger, which he loved (but I thought was awful.) Quality has definitely gone down here.
(2)William B.
Here's a tip. When you go to a restaurant thinking it can't be any worse than your last visit, prepare to be surprised. I just visited for lunch. My fajitas were very bland and the order came out wrong. I asked for charra beans instead of refritos. I sent back the plate with the offensive glop. First I was brought a small bowl if beans and then a small bowl if rice. Wondering about the plate that went back, I asked what I was supposed to eat it on. The waitress said, "just eat it or not." The meal was bland, there was no other service for drink refills or napkins. I wasn't rude to her at any time and her attitude was pleasant. She was just clueless. Don't go there.
(1)Robert B.
I always hit the all you can eat tacos on Tuesdays. They are good but not anything to write home about.
(3)Heath P.
Well I knew it was bound to happen...just wish it wasn't on Valentine's Day. Being a Restaurant Manager for 20yrs I'm a bit harder to please and level of expectations is a bit high but basic customer service should be standard practice. Now saying this we have visited this location since 2004 and have had our share of ups and downs. But this particular night was the worst service I have received at ANY restaurant in many years. I know all the tricks when it comes to serving since I've personally trained well over 2000 of them. Our problem started with the time the waitress came to our table.. When a server ask you what you would like vs suggesting menu items you get a "Order Taker". Big Bummer. How about suggesting items off your menu and making it a "Experience". But.. when you do tell them you are asked twice to repeat what your ordered? -When you order a drink bring ALL the drinks to the table not the other one 10mins later. -When the customer ask for extra napkins bring them... Don't be gone for half the meal then bring them with a customers other food. -When the customer inquires that changes have been made to the item you have ordered and has been the same since 2004 don't say "Oh" then walk away..ask if I would like something else or like to see a menu. -Don't spend all your time at your other table because you feel since there is 4 vs 2 you might get a better tip. I normally tip 30% on good service. This night I tipped enough to tip out the busser,host and bar. -And on Valentine's Day why don't you offer dessert? The biggest night for a server to sell dessert is that day. I always say that a Manager is to blame and on this night that couldn't have been more true. How about walking the floor and talking to your guest and making a connection with your customer base. You might get a grumpy customer like me but you could have turned it around. But all I seen that night was you talking to your host and hanging out at the server station. This 9 Year customer has had enough.
(2)Boo P.
My first one star review. Don Pablo's was not good. I had a shredded chicken salad for lunch, and the sauce on the chicken was TOO MUCH. It was your typical ice berg lettuce, a blob of sour cream, guacamole, a sprinkle of cheese, and a few tomatoes. Not good, nor was the flavor good. My hubby had an enchilada and taco. He said it was very average.
(1)Jessica D.
Good location, great salsa, pretty good margaritas, and overall pretty good food. I'd say it's a little pricey for the quality though. I rather go to a Chili's in the area for less money and better drink specials.
(3)Austin H.
I don't understand all the bad reviews, this place is amazing! Great food, great service, speedy. The salsa is to die for. All around good!
(5)Larry M.
Two kids, 3 & 5, queso, ice cream, drinks - dinner, of course and all for $20, with Dad's meal! Great service.
(5)J R.
This is one of the last Don Pablos in the Orlando area and it is good. Its basic mexican and they have all you can eat specials almost everyday of the week. It is what it is, affordable and good mexican food.
(4)Kathy H.
It could be so much better...
(2)Pris B.
Awesome for queso dip lovers, painful for anyone who gets the 2-4-1 house margaritas, Don Pablo's is a decent choice for a sit down, fauxMex dinner. We ordered the Dip Sampler as an appetizer and our server suggested the happy hour special on the house margaritas. I thought about upgrading to a better brand of tequila, sensing the inevitable disaster that comes of cheap tequila. But $7 for 2 margaritas is the best deal I've found since the Great Margarita and Mashed Potatoes Heat Basketball Game Disaster of '06 (a story for another time). "What's the house tequila anyway?" "Montezuma," said the server. "Hrm..." said my husband and I, contemplating where on the shelf this particular brand normally lies. Neither of us had heard of it, but I can safely say I will never forget it. But let's discuss the food first. The dips came with slightly-smaller-than-promised bowls of Queso, Queso Blanco, and Guacamole. As a guac connoisseur, i'd say theirs is worth trying. However, it's evident we were both fighting over how many chips we could dip in to the regular Queso. Don Pablo's has a fair amount of vegetarian options which is awesome, and I went with the Chipotle Portabella Mushroom Fajitas. Lots of tortillas, sauteed peppers and onions and mushroom slices, with salsa, cheese, and sour cream, plus extra sides of rice and refried beans. Can't go wrong with any of that! My only qualm was that the mushrooms weren't very flavorful. By the end of it, we'd each had a couple margaritas and when the bill came, it wasn't too painful. The only pain was felt the next morning as I could still taste the tequila on my breath, a pain that was truly justified when we visited a liquor store a few days later and found a GIANT PLASTIC BOTTLE of Montezuma Tequila - right on the bottom shelf. So yeah, eat the food, but upgrade your tequila. It's not worth the hangover. Don't say I didn't warn you.
(3)Jackie S.
I Yelped prior to eating dinner at Don Pablo's and David V. mentioned the "Conquistador" having a little bit of everything. So, I was starving and decided, "hey, I'm going to have that!!" It had a little of everything, crunchy taquitos, a burrito, chicken fajita burrito, crunchy beef taco, queso, charro beans, and rice. The price was also pretty reasonable too for Tex-Mex. I thoroughly enjoyed everything- I would consider it a "Tour of Mexico." My fiance had a chicken enchilada and a beef taco from the pick 2 menu, and that was plenty for him. Our waitress was great, she kept the salsa, chips, and drinks coming, which I greatly appreciated. Overall, the atmosphere is great, we were greeted immediately upon entering the restaurant, and the food was yummy.
(3)Leigh N.
One word.. Slenderita. Get one. It is the best. I can eat tortillas all night long if I am sippin on these.
(5)Anna-Marie W.
I love Mexican food. We used to have a number of Don Pablo's around central Florida but they have since closed, leaving only a small number left in the area. I don't understand. Don Pablo's is great. Sure, it's a chain similar to the Chevy's chain or the now defunct Chi Chi's chain, but it is still great. Maybe the fact that there are so many Mom and Pop Mexican restaurants here in Florida had something to do with it. But I sure love my Mexican places. Maybe it's the chips and salsa that are served at every Mexican restaurant in the country- but Don Pablo's serves them warm and fresh. And the salsa isn't too shabby either. Perhaps my most favorite item on the menu is their Dip Sampler. the Queso Dip, Queso Blanco Dip, Prairie Fire Bean Dip and Guacamole are served with flour tortillas. Nothing is bad here. I especially love the Queso Blanco Dip. Wow- perfection. Served with homemade flour tortillas that are made right in the middle of the restaurant for everyone to see. There is nothing better than a fresh homemade tortilla to go with Queso-Blanc dip. Chad has fallen in love with fish tacos and that is exactly what he ordered. The Fish Taco Trio plate is "Your choice of grilled or golden fried, hand-battered fish with lettuce, pico de gallo and Monterey Jack nestled in three freshly-made tortillas. With Mexican rice and choice of beans." He ordered the grilled fish and he loved them. And this is a guy who just a few months ago wasn't into the idea of fish served on taco shells. Now he loves them and he loved them here. I got the Chipotle Portabella Mushroom Fajitas. I love the diversity of portabella mushrooms and I loved them as a meat substitute for the usual chicken or steak normally served in fajitas. And of course, it was served with the traditional lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and flour tortillas on the side. I loved them. I could eat that all day. The mushrooms had a smoky flavor and were meaty and plump. Deliciousness on a plate. Here is where my visit went wrong. At a nearby table, a toddler had thrown her paper children's menu on the floor and it sat there right in the aisle. It stayed there as the hostess sat tables and she passed it about eight times and never picked it up. It stayed there as our server walked not only by it but around it. As someone who used to work in restaurants I think I am pretty easy going when it comes to certain things, but leaving a large piece of paper on the floor is just not acceptable to me. It is a safety hazard. Not only could the server holding a large and hot tray of food slip on it and get seriously injured, a guest could potentially take a spill and that would cause a major headache for the restaurant. Now, I know you are questioning why I didn't pick it up myself and I thought about it, but not once did I see any of the staff carrying big trays out and I saw both the hostess and the server look down at it so I knew they knew it was there. We were nestled back into a corner of the restaurant where there weren't any other guests nearby so a guest wasn't in danger per se. When the busser cleared the table he eventually picked it up. That just bothered me. Paper on the floor aside, I love Don Pablo's. I love that the atmosphere is so colorful and the food is always hot and delicious. But that one piece of paper on the floor just got to me. I know- it's petty. It is. If it weren't for that I would be praising five out of five sprouts.
(3)Stephanie M.
Disappointed. We were served both cold and burned food. The server and manager were both unattentive. Another table sent back cold food and the manager did not visit either of our tables. Won't be back.
(2)Steven B.
Arrived for lunch at approximately 11:30 AM. On a Friday. Very pleasantly surprised. The food was reasonably priced and very good. Brittany, my server, was terrific, prompt, and friendly. I have been here before. This is the best time. So that's a good sign. The seater was less good. The restaurant is huge. I arrived at around 11:30 AM. The server was clustering everyone together near the north side of the restaurant. I, personally, don't want to sit next to anyone when there is a huge number of tables available. When I asked for another table, she become visibly unhappy. Training issue, probably. Will recommend the restaurant and I hope to come back again soon. One final note. For me, it is like fingernails on a blackboard when a customer service person says, in response to a customer request, "no problem." How much more elegant to say, "my pleasure." Even if you don't mean it. Again, a training issue. This did not apply to Britney... She was terrific in all ways.
(4)Keith H.
Last Tuesday we visited Don Pablo's for Tacos. I have to say that I'm impressed with the service we received. Of course, this is a chain and so you're not going to find any authentic meals here, but the food was decent. The atmosphere was welcoming and I like the decorations they do inside the "warehouse-like" buildings they make. I had the unlimited tacos for 7.99. I got refried beans and rice as a side. Like I said, its decent, nothing spectacular but you're going to be ok with the food.
(3)Melissa H.
Kinda the "run of the mill" commercialized chain restaurant. Unimpressed with the chimichangas - the red sauce killed it... The service was pretty decent though.
(2)Caryn A.
My friend and I went to Don Pablo's on Tuesday to try the all-you-can-eat tacos for $7.99 special. Sadly, we weren't very impressed. The tacos could have used seasoning and a lot less grease. We found the salsa and guacomole tasty though. The service was good as well.
(3)Brian M.
Over the years, I've had an on and off relationship with Don Pablo's. As far as Mexican chain restaurants go, there are some things here that truly excel, and others that just fall short. The Positives - In my opinion, one of the best house margaritas out there, something I typically am always drawn to when I'm there. They have good prices as well, as they have adopted the buy one get one on most drinks. The chips here are also good, and the salsa never disappoints. The Queso Blanco is out of this world awesome, especially if you dip it with their flour tortillas. They seem to have some good daily specials, whether it be discounted fajitas, all you can eat tacos, etc. The Negatives - I can say, on more than one occasion, I haven't felt all that great after eating here, which leads me to wonder about overall food quality. The last time I ate here, the rice tasted a bit odd (kind of a dirt flavor). Overall, the food quality can be hit and miss, and the crunchy taco shells are not always very crunchy, and more on the stale side. They really could, and in the early days have done better. Overall, I'd come here for the margaritas and food specials, but knowing full well it might not be of the highest quality.
(3)Jorge T.
Lovely Mexican American food. In house made tortillas. Great waiters. Delicious fajitas and great specials everyday.
(5)Randall P.
We usually enjoy eating at this location as there is really no Tex Mex alternative in the area. Today was not a good restaurant experience and it will be my last trip here. The queso dip was cold and my batch of tortillas were not fresh like they usually are. I ordered the steak fajita burrito. I bit into it and the meat was literally cold on the inside raw. I was grossed out and was not going to tell my wife so as not to turn her stomach but the manager came by to ask how our meals were and I pointed at the raw meat. She apologized and took it off the bill but oddly did not offer to make another and the bill came shortly after that and the waitress was ticked off and did not offer more food or an apology. She had been attentive up to the raw food episode but must have been agitated at the smaller tab? Who knows? Just a really bad experience.
(1)Natalia F.
Visited on Thursday, 03/05/2015 at 1:30 PM Female waitress, didn't let us know her name, but Management knows exactly who this was. Before I begin. I just want to say that I grew up going to Don Pablos, and I loved this place dearly. Not anymore. My boyfriend and I came in looking for a quick lunch before we had to go to work. We were greeted by a less than enthused waitress, but hey, being a waitress can be hard, so we decided to cut her a little slack. I ordered a water without lemon, and the water tasted like cleaner, actually bleach, and I was instantly nauseous. I asked for the manager to make him aware, and he came back with a super clean glass of water for us. It was much better, but then the waitress came back to talk to us, and her sarcastic remarks made me a little less trusting of the water, so we both asked for Sprite. By this point, I was convinced I was the one to blame, and I'd felt terrible for making them go through all this work. So I apologized because I felt like I was making it harder on them, and we placed our order, Shrimp Tacos and a Steak Burrito. They come out a little bit later, and I noticed I'd gotten Fish Tacos. My boyfriend and I let the server know that wasn't what I'd ordered, and they sent it back. Enter sarcastic waitress. "Are you sure you didn't order fish tacos?" Me: "No, I ordered Shrimp Tacos." Waitress: "I'm pretty sure you ordered Fish Tacos." Me:"I don't even like Fish Tacos, I didn't order them" Waitress: *checks order* "Oh, my bad, you did order Shrimp Tacos. We'll have those right out." By the time I'd received my food, my waitress let me know that my order was messed up a few more times, but they finally got it right. Halfway through eating, my boyfriend leans over and tells me, "Hey, I didn' t want to make things worse, but I ordered Steak, not chicken." At this point, I was done. Absolutely done. I called the waitress over, and she checked the order and realized that he in fact ordered steak. I ask her to bring over the manager again. She goes to the back and comes back to give us the check. She assures me she's solved everything and gives me the check. We were charged for fish tacos. I was so mad that my hands were shaking. I told her I was done talking to her and I needed to see a manager. I knew I wouldn't be able to be rational about everything at this point, so I excused myself to go to the car and let my boyfriend take care of it. The manager ripped up the receipt and told us that the meal was on them and apologized. Hopefully she was put in check. She's the main reason I'm not coming back. Plus, the shrimp tacos were awful. The only positive thing about our visit was the chips and salsa, which will always hold a special place in my heart. tl;dr Don Pablos really needs to step their game up, I miss my chips and salsa.
(1)Jessica G.
If yelp would allow me to leave a zero star review, I would. We waited for more than an hour (while munching on chips that tasted like they were cooked in old oil) for our food. Our waitress was less than attentive. The food was horrendous. Maybe the worst I've ever had in a restaurant setting. I ordered a bean and cheese burrito which I thought was a safe bet in a restaurant that was new to us. I was wrong. It was absolutely disgusting. I took one bite and sit it into my napkin. My 3 year old said the quesadilla was disgusting and my oldest daughters "nachos" were chips with a handful of half melted shredded cheese on top. The manager was kind enough to comp most of our bill when he saw that none of us are any of the food. I would NOT recommend this restaurant to ANYONE.
(1)John C.
I am down in the florida area quite often to visit family. During past visits we have all went out to Don Pablo's for a nice dinner and generally enjoy the food. Unfortunately this occasion we had a bad experience. While deciding what to order (and sncaking on complimentary chips and salsa), I noticed a new appetiser item on the menu, stuffed Jalapeno wrapped with bacon! Well when my eyes lifted from the menu, my sister scooped up a 1/2 eaten version of that appetiser from the salsa bowl! To me that notes they re-use the salsa at each table. We were disgusted and left. The staff did not seem to alarmed by this discovery. But what shocked me more was that we did have anyone to stop us and offer a sincer apology as we left. It seemed they were not concerned with a party of 12 leaving. I am not sure if next time we will want to give this place another try, but I hope customer service and food preperation/disposal processes improve due to this review.
(1)Lake Mary C.
This place has gone downhill. Slow service and the food is not very good. Salsa tasted like ketchup with a few onions in it.
(1)Diana B.
Wait time on food was ridiculous for take out over an hour. Service when we eat there was bad as well. Would not recommend
(2)Kevin L.
In college I loved going to the Don Pablo's near UCF. Good food, great drinks, and friendly service. The Sanford location has none of that. Bland food, below average drinks, and poor service. One person in our party had a simple request for her tacos. No cilantro. Her tacos came covered in cilantro. the waiter said it must have been on the cook's glove. Then tried to say it wasn't cilantro. My enchiladas were soggy and bland. The chips seemed stale. This Don Pablo's needs to follow the rest and close. It will be a blessing for any future customers.
(1)Lori B.
Got food poisoning immediately after leaving. Wonder when the last time they cleaned their margarita mixer! There is not a 0 review rating to bad.
(1)Franklyn T.
Rarely do I ever leave 1 star reviews for businesses especially being part of the industry myself. However, this restaurant needs an intervention with its menu more specifically quality! The food I ordered was beyond presentable and eatable. The queso sauce tasted like I hasd mixed salt, flour, and water stirred it and then poured it on my enchiladas. The beans were peppery as in I just added some black pepper and then some more, then finally said screw it lets pour the whole container plus they had a crunch!?!? sitting under a light warmer much. Overall it's too bad this place serves bad food considering its location. I clearly see I'm not the only patron that had a bad experience, considering the other multiple low star reviews. These are the reviews owners should consider and improvise their operations in order to succeed. The service was good and for that I grant them the incredible "1" star. "Hay que hacer cambios a la cocina, si no les gusta, pues cierren las puertas"-Anonymous (Changes to the kitchen must be made, if you don't like change, well then close the doors)
(1)Dani R.
This was a horrible experience. My boyfriend and I came in to check the place out since we are new to the area. Our table was dirty, our server was not friendly nor did she know everything on the Happy Hour specials. She told us not to ask any more questions. Our food was luke warm and we waited for ever for our drinks. We will not be back.
(1)Julianne E.
Eh, wasn't impressed at all. The service was ok, the food not so much. Ordered a burrito bowl with chicken. There wasn't anything about that dish that was enjoyable. I think I ate 3 bites of it. The margaritas were crappy, way too much sour mix. I can see why they closed a few down. If they closed this place I wouldn't miss it. I'll stick with the real Mexican non chain restaurants.
(2)Lindsay A.
It is no surprise that this restaurant has less than 3 stars. The service from the wait staff and management is atrocious. If I could give this restaurant less than 1 star, I absolutely would.
(1)Julie K.
The waiter was fantastic! The chips tasted like they were cooked in old oil and the enchilada was very chewy on the bottom. This place has been around for years and is still here because it is right next to the mall. The food is just okay, but the skillet apple pie is wonderful!
(3)Rich S.
Walked in and waited at the podium to be seated. A server walked by and smiled but didn't care to greet us or tell us if anyone would be with us. It seemed like she was the only server and she was busy so we decided to sit at the bar. Once we sat down everything went smoothly. Our bartender/ server was friendly and on his A game. The food was delicious. Definitely coming back and definitely going straight to the bar.
(5)Mary C.
I was generous in giving them one star! Only because I had to in order to review. After waiting almost 5 minutes before we saw a server, my husband ordered the bacon cheese burger and I ordered the chicken chimichanga. He wasn't asked how He wanted it cooked or what he wanted on it. We received our meals fairly quickly but the burger didn't have bacon. My chimichanga was severely lacking of chicken, consisting mostly of sauce. The beans were room temperature and the rice was cold. We spoke to the manager who informed us that they ran out of bacon and he didn't have time to tell our server. After arguing with us about the service and food we decided to just leave and go somewhere else. See my next check in. The atmosphere was neither fun or pleasant, resembling a large warehouse full of tables and the music was more like a dance club throbbing kind of noise. We will never go back.
(1)James G.
We decided we would not eat here! The kitchen door opened and we were shocked at how dirty the kitchen was. We were sitting at the bar, right in front of the kitchen door. Our glasses still had lip marks on them. The menus had salsa on them and to top it all off the bartender was less than friendly. No smile, no help, and very uninviting. We had a drink and left before we ordered dinner. Won't go back.
(1)Gaea V.
The hubs and I needed a bite after hitting a beer tasting, hadn't been to a Don Pablo ' s in five years and wanted to try it out again. It was past 9 and dead inside. Our waiter was very personable and checked on us regularly. My husband's fajitas were amazing: hot, sizzling, and seasoned. My carnitas on the other hand, the pork was kind of dry and it just didn't look as appetizing as my husband's dish. I will say I can overlook anything when distracted by queso and chips- and they did just that. Food: average. Service:solid. Queso: muy bien.
(3)Todd A.
Do not go to this location, we have ate here for years but after seeing some things tonight we will never return. Very dirty kitchen and not sanitary. Very poor management and you would be horrified to know what the food prep is like.
(1)Cheryl D.
My husband and I had our first date at the Don Pablo's that used to be in Casselberry. So now, whenever we go it brings back fond memories. So, when we went this time (we hadn't been in awhile, we were happy that we were seated at the comparable same seat as our first date. :o) Anyway, we were seated next to a party of about 20-25, who had about 6 very young kids. Despite this, our service was still very good. We both ordered enchiladas, but I got beef while he got the spinach poblano. Our plates were very hot and the food tasted freshly cooked. Very delicoius! I had ordered a glass of Chardonnay but, in a happy accident, our server mistakenly put in an order for white sangria (which I've never had). I decided to try it and it was SO good!! Loved it! But.....then the large party started to get rowdy. The children were throwing matchbox cars all over the floors and I was very pre-occupied worrying that one of the servers would trip over one. My husband eventually got up and picked them up when it became obvious the parents wouldn't. I know the restaurant can't help it when people bring kids in but I wish they would take more responsibility in reigning them in when the kids start getting rowdy and making things very unenjoyable for the rest of the patrons. We couldn't leave fast enough. Having said that, the our server and food were wonderful....so 4 stars.
(4)David V.
Good service great food. Strong margarita. If you like authentic bland Mexican food or taco bell then you don't know what you're missing. This place has savory Mexican food that is great. I always get the conquiestador it has a little everything and I never finish it, it's alot of food. They also have all you can eat days for tacos, enchiladas and fajitas. Their beef tacos are amazing btw
(4)Lynnsie H.
best sangria and amazing chicken fajitas!!!!
(4)Dave M.
Simply put it Sux
(1)Jessica S.
Wow, I haven't eaten here in years, and now I know why The food is terrible and so is the service. Never again!
(1)Emily F.
Average food and average service. The cheese dip is good and the refried beans I had with dinner were good. The tacos are ok, nothing to write home about. Their prices are reasonable. They don't do any specials on alcohol except for happy hour.
(3)Ashley S.
I know that choosing Don Pablo's means we will get reasonably good food for a reasonable price. It also means that we may or may not get good service. I often find that the wait for a table and the wait after being at the table can get lengthy so we make sure to plan a few hours if we are going here. The last time I was there we had a bizarre server who responded to legitimate questions about calorie counts with sarcasm. I am assuming he meant to be funny, but it played as rude and unhelpful. He also took forever to refill drinks and did not refill salsa. I do love the atmosphere when there are a bunch of people there, so I keep going.
(3)Michael T.
Winner Winner Big Burritto Dinner and Boy oh Boy its always wonderfully Delicous Great Chciken Burritto and you have too order there Cornbread and maybe 300,000 calories but well worth the 60 pound weight gain for Sure. Great Salsa and we love there Chips and Queso Dips ! I always order there Flautas and always asked them too golden brown them when cooking them and there always done just the way I Like them and I myself love there Ground Beef the way they season it and always yummy We always order there Dessert Sopanopa's to Go and take them home too and there Great as Tony the Tiger would say So as I dream of Don's you better try a Winner Winner thats One Big Burritto Dinner
(4)A B.
Very disappointing, not the DP's that I remembered. Both meals were sub-par and my friend and others saw a roach near the restrooms. I won't be back any time soon :(
(1)Britt M.
I like Mexican food, but until recently, I never tried Don Pablos. We got a coupon in the mail and my husband and I thought "Why not?". They delivered freshly made chips and salsa for us to snack on while we waited for our order, and the food was great! We've gone back about 5 times now, and the food is always consistently good no matter what we order. As far as service is concerned, I would say that the wait staff is always very friendly and attentive at this location. My only complaint is that sometimes it takes about 5 minutes for someone to come to your table for your drink order, because the person who seated you doesn't communicate with your waiter. This has happened to us quite a few times. While I would not classify this as a "dirty" restaurant, I think the little lights that are set up on the walls by the booths and the windowsills could use a good dusting. I never sit up against them, but I'd imagine if I did, I wouldn't want the dust caked on them that close to my food. Regardless of its few flaws, if you want good service, tasty food, and something affordable in a less-than-stellar economy...this is the place to go!
(4)Evan D.
Food is OK. My wife loves the queso blanco. We also like to get a few margaritas with our meal. We did not have any problems but one of the managers was kind enough to ask us how everything was. He was sincere and seemed to care. We come here for three things, queso, marg and to be treated like "they want us here"...thanks
(4)Rhonda S.
We love Tex Mex. The food was so good. The enchiladas and fajitas with con queso makes the meal.
(5)Megan D.
My husband and I live in Lake Mary, and don't always want to drive downtown for good food, so we sometimes have to subject ourselves to the chain restaurants in and around Lake Mary. Yesterday we went to Don Pablos- which we will never go to again. It was absolutely the worst experience for a Saturday afternoon. There were 10 servers on (saw the sheet on the hostess stand) about 15 open tables (clean) 8 tables filthy dirty that hadn't been bussed. Onions, tortillas, and beef scattered on the filthy floor- and a wait of about 10 minutes!!!! Um.. hello... do you not see how many clean open tables there are? Then- we finally get a waitress- she comes and takes our complete order(because God only knows how long we will be there before we see her again). She brings my husbands top shelf margarita with a thick- cake like layer of chunked salsa on the inside of the glass. I wanted to vomit. We asked for waters- they didn't come. The tables that were dirty when we sat down stayed dirty for about another 20 minutes. Oh- did I mention that people that had sat down after us received their drinks before us. It took 20 minutes to get a beer and a top shelf margarita. Don't waste your $12 on crappy Mexican food. Next time I will drive down to WP and hit up P.R's!
(1)Justin G.
I have to come to Don Pablo's defense. I went there a few times and always had great experiences. The enchiladas are delicious, not to mention all you can eat. The margaritas are delicious. We found the service & cleanliness to be adequate and the prices were very reasonable. I no longer live in Central Florida but I would definitely go back if we still lived there.
(4)Cheryl D.
My husband and I had our first date at the Don Pablo's that used to be in Casselberry. So now, whenever we go it brings back fond memories. So, when we went this time (we hadn't been in awhile, we were happy that we were seated at the comparable same seat as our first date. :o) Anyway, we were seated next to a party of about 20-25, who had about 6 very young kids. Despite this, our service was still very good. We both ordered enchiladas, but I got beef while he got the spinach poblano. Our plates were very hot and the food tasted freshly cooked. Very delicoius! I had ordered a glass of Chardonnay but, in a happy accident, our server mistakenly put in an order for white sangria (which I've never had). I decided to try it and it was SO good!! Loved it! But.....then the large party started to get rowdy. The children were throwing matchbox cars all over the floors and I was very pre-occupied worrying that one of the servers would trip over one. My husband eventually got up and picked them up when it became obvious the parents wouldn't. I know the restaurant can't help it when people bring kids in but I wish they would take more responsibility in reigning them in when the kids start getting rowdy and making things very unenjoyable for the rest of the patrons. We couldn't leave fast enough. Having said that, the our server and food were wonderful....so 4 stars.
(4)Emily F.
Average food and average service. The cheese dip is good and the refried beans I had with dinner were good. The tacos are ok, nothing to write home about. Their prices are reasonable. They don't do any specials on alcohol except for happy hour.
(3)Ashley S.
I know that choosing Don Pablo's means we will get reasonably good food for a reasonable price. It also means that we may or may not get good service. I often find that the wait for a table and the wait after being at the table can get lengthy so we make sure to plan a few hours if we are going here. The last time I was there we had a bizarre server who responded to legitimate questions about calorie counts with sarcasm. I am assuming he meant to be funny, but it played as rude and unhelpful. He also took forever to refill drinks and did not refill salsa. I do love the atmosphere when there are a bunch of people there, so I keep going.
(3)Michael T.
Winner Winner Big Burritto Dinner and Boy oh Boy its always wonderfully Delicous Great Chciken Burritto and you have too order there Cornbread and maybe 300,000 calories but well worth the 60 pound weight gain for Sure. Great Salsa and we love there Chips and Queso Dips ! I always order there Flautas and always asked them too golden brown them when cooking them and there always done just the way I Like them and I myself love there Ground Beef the way they season it and always yummy We always order there Dessert Sopanopa's to Go and take them home too and there Great as Tony the Tiger would say So as I dream of Don's you better try a Winner Winner thats One Big Burritto Dinner
(4)Heath P.
Well I knew it was bound to happen...just wish it wasn't on Valentine's Day. Being a Restaurant Manager for 20yrs I'm a bit harder to please and level of expectations is a bit high but basic customer service should be standard practice. Now saying this we have visited this location since 2004 and have had our share of ups and downs. But this particular night was the worst service I have received at ANY restaurant in many years. I know all the tricks when it comes to serving since I've personally trained well over 2000 of them. Our problem started with the time the waitress came to our table.. When a server ask you what you would like vs suggesting menu items you get a "Order Taker". Big Bummer. How about suggesting items off your menu and making it a "Experience". But.. when you do tell them you are asked twice to repeat what your ordered? -When you order a drink bring ALL the drinks to the table not the other one 10mins later. -When the customer ask for extra napkins bring them... Don't be gone for half the meal then bring them with a customers other food. -When the customer inquires that changes have been made to the item you have ordered and has been the same since 2004 don't say "Oh" then walk away..ask if I would like something else or like to see a menu. -Don't spend all your time at your other table because you feel since there is 4 vs 2 you might get a better tip. I normally tip 30% on good service. This night I tipped enough to tip out the busser,host and bar. -And on Valentine's Day why don't you offer dessert? The biggest night for a server to sell dessert is that day. I always say that a Manager is to blame and on this night that couldn't have been more true. How about walking the floor and talking to your guest and making a connection with your customer base. You might get a grumpy customer like me but you could have turned it around. But all I seen that night was you talking to your host and hanging out at the server station. This 9 Year customer has had enough.
(2)T W.
Horrible experience... 1/2 hour wait on a not busy night, once seated it was another 22 min before drinks were brought, chips were stale and cold, another 1/2 wait for food and couldnt eat it because it was cold..... called corporate to complain... something we have never done before. We will never go back even with a free coupon we received in the mail.
(1)Lizzy S.
Fun atmosphere, mediocre food. Margaritas were so tart we could barely suck them down. Food was either bland and tasteless or way too spicy.
(3)Pris B.
Awesome for queso dip lovers, painful for anyone who gets the 2-4-1 house margaritas, Don Pablo's is a decent choice for a sit down, fauxMex dinner. We ordered the Dip Sampler as an appetizer and our server suggested the happy hour special on the house margaritas. I thought about upgrading to a better brand of tequila, sensing the inevitable disaster that comes of cheap tequila. But $7 for 2 margaritas is the best deal I've found since the Great Margarita and Mashed Potatoes Heat Basketball Game Disaster of '06 (a story for another time). "What's the house tequila anyway?" "Montezuma," said the server. "Hrm..." said my husband and I, contemplating where on the shelf this particular brand normally lies. Neither of us had heard of it, but I can safely say I will never forget it. But let's discuss the food first. The dips came with slightly-smaller-than-promised bowls of Queso, Queso Blanco, and Guacamole. As a guac connoisseur, i'd say theirs is worth trying. However, it's evident we were both fighting over how many chips we could dip in to the regular Queso. Don Pablo's has a fair amount of vegetarian options which is awesome, and I went with the Chipotle Portabella Mushroom Fajitas. Lots of tortillas, sauteed peppers and onions and mushroom slices, with salsa, cheese, and sour cream, plus extra sides of rice and refried beans. Can't go wrong with any of that! My only qualm was that the mushrooms weren't very flavorful. By the end of it, we'd each had a couple margaritas and when the bill came, it wasn't too painful. The only pain was felt the next morning as I could still taste the tequila on my breath, a pain that was truly justified when we visited a liquor store a few days later and found a GIANT PLASTIC BOTTLE of Montezuma Tequila - right on the bottom shelf. So yeah, eat the food, but upgrade your tequila. It's not worth the hangover. Don't say I didn't warn you.
(3)Jackie S.
I Yelped prior to eating dinner at Don Pablo's and David V. mentioned the "Conquistador" having a little bit of everything. So, I was starving and decided, "hey, I'm going to have that!!" It had a little of everything, crunchy taquitos, a burrito, chicken fajita burrito, crunchy beef taco, queso, charro beans, and rice. The price was also pretty reasonable too for Tex-Mex. I thoroughly enjoyed everything- I would consider it a "Tour of Mexico." My fiance had a chicken enchilada and a beef taco from the pick 2 menu, and that was plenty for him. Our waitress was great, she kept the salsa, chips, and drinks coming, which I greatly appreciated. Overall, the atmosphere is great, we were greeted immediately upon entering the restaurant, and the food was yummy.
(3)Boo P.
My first one star review. Don Pablo's was not good. I had a shredded chicken salad for lunch, and the sauce on the chicken was TOO MUCH. It was your typical ice berg lettuce, a blob of sour cream, guacamole, a sprinkle of cheese, and a few tomatoes. Not good, nor was the flavor good. My hubby had an enchilada and taco. He said it was very average.
(1)David P.
I debated giving out a 1 star rating. But when I thought about it, if my back was against the wall and my choices were to eat here or skip a meal, I'd go ahead and eat here. I just ask myself why anyone would eat here. The food is bland and generic, the service is so - so and there is really nothing that distinguishes this place. With so many better options available, I don't understand why you'd ever pick this place. To each their own, but the food here is so blah that I can't see any reason to go back.
(2)Thomas M.
Taco Tuesdays are awesome! The fried ice cream is also to die for.
(4)A B.
Very disappointing, not the DP's that I remembered. Both meals were sub-par and my friend and others saw a roach near the restrooms. I won't be back any time soon :(
(1)Jessica D.
Good location, great salsa, pretty good margaritas, and overall pretty good food. I'd say it's a little pricey for the quality though. I rather go to a Chili's in the area for less money and better drink specials.
(3)Austin H.
I don't understand all the bad reviews, this place is amazing! Great food, great service, speedy. The salsa is to die for. All around good!
(5)