Great food and very nice staff! Portions are plentiful! Recommend this place! This place is very Veteran friendly!
(4)
Allison C.
I was really excited to try this restaurant when I moved to Columbia. We went in on a whim because the building looked nice from the outside and it was Mizzou themed. A waiter showed us to a booth and we looked over the menu. The waiter was nice and she tried to make small talk while she brought out the chips and dip. The first thing we noticed was how the chips and salsa.. was not good. The chips tasted stale and the salsa had almost no flavor to it. Right off the bat we were disappointed. I ordered a quesadilla and I can agree with other Yelpers as far as wait time. We finished the chips.. yes we went as far to actually eat all the chips we were that hungry. While we were waiting for our food, we mostly talked about how we regretted coming. We didn't leave because we were hungry. Part of me hoped that the food would be better than the appetizer. When the food got to us, I tried it. I could have ordered a quesadilla at a fast food restaurant and it would have tasted better. It tasted like something I could have made at home, and that translates into something pretty simple and basic. I wasn't impressed with this restaurant. We left and I didn't take home the leftovers. The restaurant itself looked nice inside. There was dim lighting and the booth was really comfortable. I really wanted to like this restaurant but it didn't quite hit the mark for me.
(1)
Jim G.
Great food great drinks great prices. Can't ask for any more. Plenty of TVs Next MIZZOU game I'll be here.
(5)
Matthew R.
If you read nothing else - here is the bottom line in what is a long review: We WILL NOT be returning and would highly discourage anyone else from going in the first place. My wife, kids (16 and 3), and I decided to give El Tigre a try for dinner this evening. It's closer to home than our usual Mexican Food Spot. On the surface it seemed okay to start. Simple, clean, and seemingly well maintained. We were seated, promptly greeted by our server, and brought chips and salsa. We ordered our drinks and a bowl of queso gringo dip and dug into the usual chips and salsa. She returns promptly and we order our entrees. So far so good. Within a few minutes, the basket of chips - that seems large, but definitely holds far less than other restaurants, was empty (next to a rather full bowl of queso, getting colder by the minute) and within a few more minutes, everyone's drinks were empty as well. As an avid reviewer, I pulled out my iPhone stopwatch and watched a little over 8 minutes tick by waiting for our server to return into sight. Finally, I catch a glimpse of her leaning against the counter in the kitchen, casually talking and laughing. She glanced over and made eye contact and hurried over. No apology, no ownership of the situation, and worse yet, she didn't learn a thing, because it happened once more. We finally receive our food. After ensuring that we asked everything we could possibly need (including missing silverware), because we didn't know when we may see her again - we began to eat. Here is a list of our gripes on the food: 1. My 3 year old's plate was hot and the simple bean burrito and rice was at least 160 degrees. Big no-no. The already restless toddler, had to wait another 5 minutes for her food to cool. 2. I ordered a Fajita Chimi. The steak was overcooked, tough, and caused the Chimi to fall apart entirely as you tried to cut it into manageable bites. Chewing was a chore and lacked flavor. 3. My wife and daughters food (quesadillas) were soggy and bland. 4. Even if the food had been quality, the portions were disproportionate to the price of the plate. 5. My wife had to hand over her fork to the toddler (who dropped hers on the floor) because again we hadn't seen our server in the 10 minutes since our food had been dropped. We finally see our server again and asked for the check so that we could be proactive and prepare to get the restless toddler home as soon as everyone finished. She dropped the check, but never came back. 6-7 minutes later, I had enough, sent my family to the car, and cashed out at the bar. For the record - it wasn't busy. Never more than 6 tables (including us) while we were there - split between a host, two servers, and a bartender. We will not be coming back. Waste of time, money, and energy. Stressed us out - would have been better off serving and cooking for ourselves. Obviously they depend on drunken college students to pay their bills. Poor business model.
(1)
Keith H.
Would be the best Mexican restaurant in Columbia if food were always served hot. Servers are very nice, but occasionally get the food out after it's been sitting a bit long. I do like this restaurant, though!
(4)
Donald L.
My wife and our friends had lunch here. It was the only place opened on Memorial Day that we could find. I had Barbacoa Tacos. They excellent and served on corn tortillas with cilantro and onion. The others had Quesadillas. It was nice and we sat on their patio.
(3)
Brett F.
Great food. Best Mexican in Columbia! Staff is always very helpful, friendly, and welcoming.
(5)
Darryl W.
First time here. Promptly greeted by very friendly staff. Quick service and prompt delivery of our order. Then the owner comes up and introduces himself and brings me his fresh hot salsa. Great place!
(5)
Alexis H.
Had a groupon here, went on a weekday it was my lunch break so me and my boyfriend went at 10:45 bc we didn't know what time they opened, drove around, came back at 11 when they were open, the guy host opened the door for us was yelling to the kitchen "they're back " real loud and it made us feel weird. Food was average priced, portions were good but the nachos hardly had any cheese on them so we didn't finish many. The entire place was empty yet they still sat 2 women literally next to us. Besides the incident at the beginning, service was okay until the waitress had to emphasize that the groupon didn't include tip- got it. They looked like they had a good happy hour ($1drafts and tacos) so I would go try that but not a full price dinner .
(2)
Gretchen V.
We went to El Tigre for lunch on graduation weekend. We had a great meal and the waitress was so nice! I had the Carnitas and the pork was cooked perfectly and was so tender. And it was the first time I've had a side of Mexican rice that was really good and worth eating. They have quite a selection of margaritas and the two I tasted were awesome. If I lived in Columbia, I would definitely go back again!
(5)
Sharon C.
Delicious...especially "Antoinette's Amazing Tamales"! It's also a fantastic "sports restaurant" with several tv's!
(5)
Gretchen V.
My family and I tried this place last night. We were disappointed and won't be back. The complimentary chips and sauce were good, but it went downhill from there. We ordered a pitcher of frozen lime margaritas. At least half of it was foam. The waitress set the glasses down on the table. I could see they weren't clean, and were actually sticky. I was pretty gross. Surely she noticed this. She brought back different glasses that weren't that much better, but I was embarrassed to ask her again so I just wiped them off myself. We ordered the sausage/cheese appetizer. We had to ask for plates. The meal was okay. We ordered the Texas fajitas which I thought were overly generous with peppers and onions but didn't have much meat. If you order additional tortillas, there is a charge. The service was okay. Although she visited our table, she just couldn't anticipate what we would need, such as plates. We won't be back.
(2)
David S.
My wife and I have been here 3 times and every time we come, we been very happy with the service and with the food. I consider myself a Mexican food snob because I grew up in Texas, so I won't say that this is the best salsa in the world or chips, but the food is generally very good. I would say this is probably the best Mexican restaurant I've been in Columbia. my wife gets some soup called menudo, which had never heard of before, but it's very unique and she likes it. I generally get a normal Mexican dish, and it's always very well done. This time we had fried ice cream and I am blown away. It was delicious.
(5)
Diane L.
I try to keep giving this place a chance because my kids like it. Tonight I am very certain the chicken was canned. The chips had been sitting in oil too long. I didn't say anything about the chicken being canned, my daughter said my exact thought. Service isn't great either. Servers wear very inappropriate clothing with hair hanging down over food. I will probably go back when my kids beg me and will change my rating if I see any improvement. But overall, not a place I would ever recommend!!
(1)
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Address :10 W Nifong Blvd,Ste M
Columbia, MO, 65203
Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
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.
John H.
Great food and very nice staff! Portions are plentiful! Recommend this place! This place is very Veteran friendly!
(4)Allison C.
I was really excited to try this restaurant when I moved to Columbia. We went in on a whim because the building looked nice from the outside and it was Mizzou themed. A waiter showed us to a booth and we looked over the menu. The waiter was nice and she tried to make small talk while she brought out the chips and dip. The first thing we noticed was how the chips and salsa.. was not good. The chips tasted stale and the salsa had almost no flavor to it. Right off the bat we were disappointed. I ordered a quesadilla and I can agree with other Yelpers as far as wait time. We finished the chips.. yes we went as far to actually eat all the chips we were that hungry. While we were waiting for our food, we mostly talked about how we regretted coming. We didn't leave because we were hungry. Part of me hoped that the food would be better than the appetizer. When the food got to us, I tried it. I could have ordered a quesadilla at a fast food restaurant and it would have tasted better. It tasted like something I could have made at home, and that translates into something pretty simple and basic. I wasn't impressed with this restaurant. We left and I didn't take home the leftovers. The restaurant itself looked nice inside. There was dim lighting and the booth was really comfortable. I really wanted to like this restaurant but it didn't quite hit the mark for me.
(1)Jim G.
Great food great drinks great prices. Can't ask for any more. Plenty of TVs Next MIZZOU game I'll be here.
(5)Matthew R.
If you read nothing else - here is the bottom line in what is a long review: We WILL NOT be returning and would highly discourage anyone else from going in the first place. My wife, kids (16 and 3), and I decided to give El Tigre a try for dinner this evening. It's closer to home than our usual Mexican Food Spot. On the surface it seemed okay to start. Simple, clean, and seemingly well maintained. We were seated, promptly greeted by our server, and brought chips and salsa. We ordered our drinks and a bowl of queso gringo dip and dug into the usual chips and salsa. She returns promptly and we order our entrees. So far so good. Within a few minutes, the basket of chips - that seems large, but definitely holds far less than other restaurants, was empty (next to a rather full bowl of queso, getting colder by the minute) and within a few more minutes, everyone's drinks were empty as well. As an avid reviewer, I pulled out my iPhone stopwatch and watched a little over 8 minutes tick by waiting for our server to return into sight. Finally, I catch a glimpse of her leaning against the counter in the kitchen, casually talking and laughing. She glanced over and made eye contact and hurried over. No apology, no ownership of the situation, and worse yet, she didn't learn a thing, because it happened once more. We finally receive our food. After ensuring that we asked everything we could possibly need (including missing silverware), because we didn't know when we may see her again - we began to eat. Here is a list of our gripes on the food: 1. My 3 year old's plate was hot and the simple bean burrito and rice was at least 160 degrees. Big no-no. The already restless toddler, had to wait another 5 minutes for her food to cool. 2. I ordered a Fajita Chimi. The steak was overcooked, tough, and caused the Chimi to fall apart entirely as you tried to cut it into manageable bites. Chewing was a chore and lacked flavor. 3. My wife and daughters food (quesadillas) were soggy and bland. 4. Even if the food had been quality, the portions were disproportionate to the price of the plate. 5. My wife had to hand over her fork to the toddler (who dropped hers on the floor) because again we hadn't seen our server in the 10 minutes since our food had been dropped. We finally see our server again and asked for the check so that we could be proactive and prepare to get the restless toddler home as soon as everyone finished. She dropped the check, but never came back. 6-7 minutes later, I had enough, sent my family to the car, and cashed out at the bar. For the record - it wasn't busy. Never more than 6 tables (including us) while we were there - split between a host, two servers, and a bartender. We will not be coming back. Waste of time, money, and energy. Stressed us out - would have been better off serving and cooking for ourselves. Obviously they depend on drunken college students to pay their bills. Poor business model.
(1)Keith H.
Would be the best Mexican restaurant in Columbia if food were always served hot. Servers are very nice, but occasionally get the food out after it's been sitting a bit long. I do like this restaurant, though!
(4)Donald L.
My wife and our friends had lunch here. It was the only place opened on Memorial Day that we could find. I had Barbacoa Tacos. They excellent and served on corn tortillas with cilantro and onion. The others had Quesadillas. It was nice and we sat on their patio.
(3)Brett F.
Great food. Best Mexican in Columbia! Staff is always very helpful, friendly, and welcoming.
(5)Darryl W.
First time here. Promptly greeted by very friendly staff. Quick service and prompt delivery of our order. Then the owner comes up and introduces himself and brings me his fresh hot salsa. Great place!
(5)Alexis H.
Had a groupon here, went on a weekday it was my lunch break so me and my boyfriend went at 10:45 bc we didn't know what time they opened, drove around, came back at 11 when they were open, the guy host opened the door for us was yelling to the kitchen "they're back " real loud and it made us feel weird. Food was average priced, portions were good but the nachos hardly had any cheese on them so we didn't finish many. The entire place was empty yet they still sat 2 women literally next to us. Besides the incident at the beginning, service was okay until the waitress had to emphasize that the groupon didn't include tip- got it. They looked like they had a good happy hour ($1drafts and tacos) so I would go try that but not a full price dinner .
(2)Gretchen V.
We went to El Tigre for lunch on graduation weekend. We had a great meal and the waitress was so nice! I had the Carnitas and the pork was cooked perfectly and was so tender. And it was the first time I've had a side of Mexican rice that was really good and worth eating. They have quite a selection of margaritas and the two I tasted were awesome. If I lived in Columbia, I would definitely go back again!
(5)Sharon C.
Delicious...especially "Antoinette's Amazing Tamales"! It's also a fantastic "sports restaurant" with several tv's!
(5)Gretchen V.
My family and I tried this place last night. We were disappointed and won't be back. The complimentary chips and sauce were good, but it went downhill from there. We ordered a pitcher of frozen lime margaritas. At least half of it was foam. The waitress set the glasses down on the table. I could see they weren't clean, and were actually sticky. I was pretty gross. Surely she noticed this. She brought back different glasses that weren't that much better, but I was embarrassed to ask her again so I just wiped them off myself. We ordered the sausage/cheese appetizer. We had to ask for plates. The meal was okay. We ordered the Texas fajitas which I thought were overly generous with peppers and onions but didn't have much meat. If you order additional tortillas, there is a charge. The service was okay. Although she visited our table, she just couldn't anticipate what we would need, such as plates. We won't be back.
(2)David S.
My wife and I have been here 3 times and every time we come, we been very happy with the service and with the food. I consider myself a Mexican food snob because I grew up in Texas, so I won't say that this is the best salsa in the world or chips, but the food is generally very good. I would say this is probably the best Mexican restaurant I've been in Columbia. my wife gets some soup called menudo, which had never heard of before, but it's very unique and she likes it. I generally get a normal Mexican dish, and it's always very well done. This time we had fried ice cream and I am blown away. It was delicious.
(5)Diane L.
I try to keep giving this place a chance because my kids like it. Tonight I am very certain the chicken was canned. The chips had been sitting in oil too long. I didn't say anything about the chicken being canned, my daughter said my exact thought. Service isn't great either. Servers wear very inappropriate clothing with hair hanging down over food. I will probably go back when my kids beg me and will change my rating if I see any improvement. But overall, not a place I would ever recommend!!
(1)