The neighborhood is not great but the food is. Its by no means a 4 star cloth napkin kind of place. This is a hole in the wall, been here for ever and had the same furnishings for the whole time casual kind of place. The enchiladas are yummy as are the flour tacos.
(3)
Adam W.
Really not so great. Food has little flavor, and clearly relies heavily on the Sysco truck. Service is slow and almost begrudging. Parking can be a challenge, particularly when the legislature is in session. It is relatively cheap, and you probably won't have to wait for a table, but....If you want Mexican food in this neighborhood, you really should be heading up University to Homi.
(2)
Sarah S.
Good solid food that will please the milder manners of the Minnesotan while leaving room for those of us with more adventurous tastebuds to say, "Not bad for Minnesota!" My husband and I had a pleasant, relaxed experience there. He got the chili relleno, I a chicken and a beef taco and beans and rice. Kinda strange to have gravy on the relleno but it was tasty. My tacos were good but not rave-worthy. Still, the prices were good, the service slow but solid and we'll be back.
(3)
Tyana C.
This has to be the worse restaurant I have ever been in, let alone the only one I have ever been to that the food was so disgusting I refused to eat it and even my friend refused to. If we would have eaten all the food here that we ordered, I seriously think we would have been sick. I will start with the walk in, I noticed food on the floor and dirty tables that were not cleaned while two people were up front sat talking. We sat our selves and was greeted in a reasonable amount of time with stale chips and terrible salsa that tasted like they just put a bunch of Tabasco sauce in it. I ordered the chimichanga with beans and rice from the extremely small menu and my friend ordered two tacos with beans and rice. It took maybe 5 -10 minutes for our food and I immediately notice the sauce on the chimichanga to be a color of gravy, I tasted the sauce and it tasted just like it too! The chimichanga was pretty much ruined by the taste of this "gravy" sauce and appeared to be not fried or anything, just a giant burrito basically. Now my friends tacos were dry, bland and the worst part was it smelled of chlorine straight up in the meat. The rice was awful and really dry, and the beans were straight from a can. This was the worst dining experience in my life and I would only suggest this place to my enemies.
(1)
Laura E.
El Bravo is one of the few places within walking distance of my office to eat, so I often (once every couple of weeks) drop in to meet my boyfriend for lunch or stop to pick up a take-out order for the office. The family running El Bravo is very nice; service is prompt and friendly even over lunch hour when the place fills up with those who work in the neighborhood. The restaurant itself is nothing fancy and a bit worn but has always been clean when I've dined. I stick to vegetarian dishes here as they are my personal preference (especially the bean and cheese tostada), and of course I eat more than I need of the tortilla chips with homemade roasted salsa. This isn't the best place for Mexican cuisine in the Cities, but it is satisfying and the price is right.
(4)
Che C.
The service was absolutely horrible the ladies wer very rude no free refills and you only get one complimentary order of chips very nickel & dime ish the staff seems angry
(1)
Brad S.
El Bravo has some of the best Mexican Food in the Twin Cities. Most people would probably skip by this small restaurant on Rice Street but I am glad I found it. I eat here at least twice a month. The flour tacos are the best followed by their enchiladas. The flour tacos are in between a hard shell and a soft shell, something you don't see in too many places around here but they are sooo good. I see cops eating here all the time so you know it has to be good, part of the reason I checked it out. The prices are very reasonable and the wait staff is super-nice.
(5)
Avonna S.
We started going to El Bravo before i was pregnant with my son 6 years ago. it is AMAZING. the family that owns it know us by name - and they know what we like. I LIVE FOR THIS SALSA. one of the owners make it every day and i can't even describe how outstanding it is. go for the beef enchiladas, fresh guacamole, cold beer and out of this world salsa. i buy a tub of it to bring home everytime we go. the location is a bit sketchy - but this place is st. paul's best kept secret!!!!!
(5)
John S.
Awesome Food. Great Service. They Need Better Parking But Who Cares....the Food Makes Up for It.
(5)
Jessie S.
El Bravo is delicious, don't let the location scare you away! There best menu item is their flour tacos, which have deep friend shells. They also have good enchiladas and tostadas. They also serve meundo everyday, which is hard to find in this area. It is a small family owned restaurant and is also frequented by the Saint Paul Police, so you know it's good. The food is inexpensive, good and plentiful.
(5)
Lisa M.
It's been a while, it's gotten better! I hadn't been to this place in I bet 5 plus years. I remember it being great at first and then kinda "meh." Well, a friend and I went for lunch this week and I have to say, I was impressed again! We arrived and the place was maybe half full. We ordered water and DC along with our chips. We decided on food - I had 1 chicken taco, flour with guac and a bean tostada and friend had the 2 beef taco combo with rice and beans. I decided we should have some bean dip to start. The bean dip came and it was great - cheesy and onion-y, with beans and jalapenos. I would order again! My food came I don't remember it being this good! My taco was crispy and the guac was a nice addition to the taco. Friend enjoyed her tacos as well. The food was not spicy at all - no Tums that afternoon. It's not my favorite place in the neighborhood, but I think I'll put it back on my list. The service was decent, the food tasty, the bean dip ROCKED and the price reasonable - $21 for everything.
(3)
Neal L.
When I went to this restaurant on a whim, we were the only two people in the restaurant at 7pm on a Friday. They plop down a small basket of too-thick chips and decent but no-heat salsa. Then, 20 minutes later we were finally able to order. I got a plate with beef enchiladas and tacos. I expected slow cooked beef smothered in rich, flavorful red sauce. About FOREVER later, the server brought out my food. The enchilada sauce was yellow-green and had absolutely no flavor and was filled with ground beef. I've never seen ground meat in an enchilada. I asked for hot sauce and the waiter said "sorry, we only have the salsa." What the F kind of Mexican restaurant doesn't at least have Tapatio?! So, there was nothing to spice up and flavor up my bland, tasteless food. This would be a restaurant fit for a rural town where there isn't any Mexican food, but in Saint Paul don't even bother; there are SO many better Mexican restaurants! EL BRAVO: INAUTHENTICO! If you want real Mexican tacos, go to Los Ocampo or Taqueria Los Paisanos!
(1)
AJ B.
I am not quite sure what to think of this place. The food was pretty good for Mexican food in Minnesota. The salsa had a good kick to it. The odd thing was that a group of us from work went in for lunch. There were only two other tables seated with a couple people at each table. The "hostess" immediately said that we should have called ahead because our group was just too big (there were 11 of us) so she could have seated the dining room differently to accommodate such a large group. The thought that ran through my mind was ... you have no business right now and you want us to leave? Furthermore, the cost on the menu is not exactly the price you pay. The bills are not itemized so you have no idea what you are paying for and the amount does not match what you ordered. I understand that they charge extra for every little thing (like more than 2 soda refills in an 8 oz glass). But, it still does not add up. The waitress should look for a new line of work.
(2)
Annette L.
This little hole-in-the-wall serves some pretty good (but not authentic) Mexican cuisine. Any time I've visited, the service has been great. Immediately you're served chips and salsa, and though the salsa is a bit too pepper-y (as in cracked black pepper), the chips are always good and warm. The deep-fried flour shells are the best part of this place -- never order a taco without it. Other than that, this place is rather lackluster.
(3)
Saby K.
Wanted Mexican for lunch. They do take out, so I called ahead and tried the beef corn alacart (3 piece) taco. Not bad. It reminded me of del taco tacos, but slightly better. I did like the salsa though, it has a nice kick. They gave me a good estimate for pickup, so I didn't wait long. The worker wasn't extremely friendly, but not extremely unfriendly. Probably just her personality.
(3)
Luther M.
Fantastic roasted salsa with perfect tex-mex chips make this hole in the wall worth a visit. Negra Modelo and several other Latin beers add to the allure. Go for the tacos. I tried the Chicken Mole which I know is tough to do on order but it tasted like Dona Maria mole right out of the jar. Second and subsequent visits ordering any tacos has been awesome. Go for the fantastic salsa, chips and beer, stay for the great tacos. Nice and close to the State Capital Building just in case you have anything to protest.
(4)
slim t.
this place is sub-par. food was bland. no hot sauce available? pay for chips? weak service. c'mon man. many other places in st paul to check-out. avoid this place
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
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.
Fryem T.
The neighborhood is not great but the food is. Its by no means a 4 star cloth napkin kind of place. This is a hole in the wall, been here for ever and had the same furnishings for the whole time casual kind of place. The enchiladas are yummy as are the flour tacos.
(3)Adam W.
Really not so great. Food has little flavor, and clearly relies heavily on the Sysco truck. Service is slow and almost begrudging. Parking can be a challenge, particularly when the legislature is in session. It is relatively cheap, and you probably won't have to wait for a table, but....If you want Mexican food in this neighborhood, you really should be heading up University to Homi.
(2)Sarah S.
Good solid food that will please the milder manners of the Minnesotan while leaving room for those of us with more adventurous tastebuds to say, "Not bad for Minnesota!" My husband and I had a pleasant, relaxed experience there. He got the chili relleno, I a chicken and a beef taco and beans and rice. Kinda strange to have gravy on the relleno but it was tasty. My tacos were good but not rave-worthy. Still, the prices were good, the service slow but solid and we'll be back.
(3)Tyana C.
This has to be the worse restaurant I have ever been in, let alone the only one I have ever been to that the food was so disgusting I refused to eat it and even my friend refused to. If we would have eaten all the food here that we ordered, I seriously think we would have been sick. I will start with the walk in, I noticed food on the floor and dirty tables that were not cleaned while two people were up front sat talking. We sat our selves and was greeted in a reasonable amount of time with stale chips and terrible salsa that tasted like they just put a bunch of Tabasco sauce in it. I ordered the chimichanga with beans and rice from the extremely small menu and my friend ordered two tacos with beans and rice. It took maybe 5 -10 minutes for our food and I immediately notice the sauce on the chimichanga to be a color of gravy, I tasted the sauce and it tasted just like it too! The chimichanga was pretty much ruined by the taste of this "gravy" sauce and appeared to be not fried or anything, just a giant burrito basically. Now my friends tacos were dry, bland and the worst part was it smelled of chlorine straight up in the meat. The rice was awful and really dry, and the beans were straight from a can. This was the worst dining experience in my life and I would only suggest this place to my enemies.
(1)Laura E.
El Bravo is one of the few places within walking distance of my office to eat, so I often (once every couple of weeks) drop in to meet my boyfriend for lunch or stop to pick up a take-out order for the office. The family running El Bravo is very nice; service is prompt and friendly even over lunch hour when the place fills up with those who work in the neighborhood. The restaurant itself is nothing fancy and a bit worn but has always been clean when I've dined. I stick to vegetarian dishes here as they are my personal preference (especially the bean and cheese tostada), and of course I eat more than I need of the tortilla chips with homemade roasted salsa. This isn't the best place for Mexican cuisine in the Cities, but it is satisfying and the price is right.
(4)Che C.
The service was absolutely horrible the ladies wer very rude no free refills and you only get one complimentary order of chips very nickel & dime ish the staff seems angry
(1)Brad S.
El Bravo has some of the best Mexican Food in the Twin Cities. Most people would probably skip by this small restaurant on Rice Street but I am glad I found it. I eat here at least twice a month. The flour tacos are the best followed by their enchiladas. The flour tacos are in between a hard shell and a soft shell, something you don't see in too many places around here but they are sooo good. I see cops eating here all the time so you know it has to be good, part of the reason I checked it out. The prices are very reasonable and the wait staff is super-nice.
(5)Avonna S.
We started going to El Bravo before i was pregnant with my son 6 years ago. it is AMAZING. the family that owns it know us by name - and they know what we like. I LIVE FOR THIS SALSA. one of the owners make it every day and i can't even describe how outstanding it is. go for the beef enchiladas, fresh guacamole, cold beer and out of this world salsa. i buy a tub of it to bring home everytime we go. the location is a bit sketchy - but this place is st. paul's best kept secret!!!!!
(5)John S.
Awesome Food. Great Service. They Need Better Parking But Who Cares....the Food Makes Up for It.
(5)Jessie S.
El Bravo is delicious, don't let the location scare you away! There best menu item is their flour tacos, which have deep friend shells. They also have good enchiladas and tostadas. They also serve meundo everyday, which is hard to find in this area. It is a small family owned restaurant and is also frequented by the Saint Paul Police, so you know it's good. The food is inexpensive, good and plentiful.
(5)Lisa M.
It's been a while, it's gotten better! I hadn't been to this place in I bet 5 plus years. I remember it being great at first and then kinda "meh." Well, a friend and I went for lunch this week and I have to say, I was impressed again! We arrived and the place was maybe half full. We ordered water and DC along with our chips. We decided on food - I had 1 chicken taco, flour with guac and a bean tostada and friend had the 2 beef taco combo with rice and beans. I decided we should have some bean dip to start. The bean dip came and it was great - cheesy and onion-y, with beans and jalapenos. I would order again! My food came I don't remember it being this good! My taco was crispy and the guac was a nice addition to the taco. Friend enjoyed her tacos as well. The food was not spicy at all - no Tums that afternoon. It's not my favorite place in the neighborhood, but I think I'll put it back on my list. The service was decent, the food tasty, the bean dip ROCKED and the price reasonable - $21 for everything.
(3)Neal L.
When I went to this restaurant on a whim, we were the only two people in the restaurant at 7pm on a Friday. They plop down a small basket of too-thick chips and decent but no-heat salsa. Then, 20 minutes later we were finally able to order. I got a plate with beef enchiladas and tacos. I expected slow cooked beef smothered in rich, flavorful red sauce. About FOREVER later, the server brought out my food. The enchilada sauce was yellow-green and had absolutely no flavor and was filled with ground beef. I've never seen ground meat in an enchilada. I asked for hot sauce and the waiter said "sorry, we only have the salsa." What the F kind of Mexican restaurant doesn't at least have Tapatio?! So, there was nothing to spice up and flavor up my bland, tasteless food. This would be a restaurant fit for a rural town where there isn't any Mexican food, but in Saint Paul don't even bother; there are SO many better Mexican restaurants! EL BRAVO: INAUTHENTICO! If you want real Mexican tacos, go to Los Ocampo or Taqueria Los Paisanos!
(1)AJ B.
I am not quite sure what to think of this place. The food was pretty good for Mexican food in Minnesota. The salsa had a good kick to it. The odd thing was that a group of us from work went in for lunch. There were only two other tables seated with a couple people at each table. The "hostess" immediately said that we should have called ahead because our group was just too big (there were 11 of us) so she could have seated the dining room differently to accommodate such a large group. The thought that ran through my mind was ... you have no business right now and you want us to leave? Furthermore, the cost on the menu is not exactly the price you pay. The bills are not itemized so you have no idea what you are paying for and the amount does not match what you ordered. I understand that they charge extra for every little thing (like more than 2 soda refills in an 8 oz glass). But, it still does not add up. The waitress should look for a new line of work.
(2)Annette L.
This little hole-in-the-wall serves some pretty good (but not authentic) Mexican cuisine. Any time I've visited, the service has been great. Immediately you're served chips and salsa, and though the salsa is a bit too pepper-y (as in cracked black pepper), the chips are always good and warm. The deep-fried flour shells are the best part of this place -- never order a taco without it. Other than that, this place is rather lackluster.
(3)Saby K.
Wanted Mexican for lunch. They do take out, so I called ahead and tried the beef corn alacart (3 piece) taco. Not bad. It reminded me of del taco tacos, but slightly better. I did like the salsa though, it has a nice kick. They gave me a good estimate for pickup, so I didn't wait long. The worker wasn't extremely friendly, but not extremely unfriendly. Probably just her personality.
(3)Luther M.
Fantastic roasted salsa with perfect tex-mex chips make this hole in the wall worth a visit. Negra Modelo and several other Latin beers add to the allure. Go for the tacos. I tried the Chicken Mole which I know is tough to do on order but it tasted like Dona Maria mole right out of the jar. Second and subsequent visits ordering any tacos has been awesome. Go for the fantastic salsa, chips and beer, stay for the great tacos. Nice and close to the State Capital Building just in case you have anything to protest.
(4)slim t.
this place is sub-par. food was bland. no hot sauce available? pay for chips? weak service. c'mon man. many other places in st paul to check-out. avoid this place
(1)