All the food is super salty. Beans and rice are just re heated, or it seems like they are. The service is okay.
(1)
Nicole S.
After raving about how this was the best Mexican place for miles, I was so disappointed to find that they no longer serve beans with their chips. That was the main reason why I drove 45 minutes away to this location! The salsa was still pretty good, and the cheese enchilada just what I was craving, but the rice was a little dry. The side of beans that came with my combo made up for it.
(3)
Jean G.
***PROS*** * Seated right away * Offered drinks right away / served drinks promptly * Ordered dinner / served dinner promptly * All of our orders were DELICOIUS * Children's menu available * Chips were refilled; 2 salsas and the fabulous bean dip were served * Great view of the patio * Clean restaurant, friendly atmosphere * Free Wi-Fi * $1.99 margaritas during Happy Hour ***CONS*** * ....... none ....... We love El Palacio and Casa Serrano (Don't love their price increases during Laughlin River Run though!)
(5)
Dysko G.
Service was awful! I had to get my own drinks for my party! Took over 20 min to even take drink orders. Food was not bad but for sure not good! Do not recommend to come.
(1)
Christina B.
The food was horrible! I had the Mexican flag plate and the sauces for the enchiladas were horrible. The food was only semi warm like they've been sitting there awhile. My boyfriend had the burrito and asked for asada and got shredded beef. Overall not worth it! Service was slow as well.
(1)
Marylee T.
They have a couple of good things on the menu; nothing healthy. I like the Mexican pizza and the Desert Burrito. The shredded beef is tender and tasty. Their chips have garlic salt on them, which is odd, and I'm not crazy about their salsa. I prefer something a little fresher tasting; theirs tastes like they make it well in advance.
(3)
Brian R.
The staff was friendly, but that's all they had. The food was over priced, small portions and it had WAY too much salt on it.
(2)
Ashton C.
I really wanted to like this place....and while the food was just ok, the service was horrible. We waited 10 min to place a drink order, another 10 to place a food order and never had the same waitress twice. No one refilled our water and and the margaritas were grossly overpriced for a mix. Like I stated before, the food was ok...but the bad service makes this place not worth it.
(2)
Don O.
Service: 3/5 stars Food: 3/5 stars Presentation: 3/5 stars Prices: 3/5 stars Not bad overall. We were seated right away and served chips and salsa. The hot salsa was excellent. We had a trainee serving us but she did fine. You could tell she was new at serving and spent a lot of time running in circles. Chicken breast on the grilled chicken salad was way overcooked and dry as was the sirloin on the fajita sandwich. The sandwich was still good. A lot of food at a reasonable price.
(3)
Joy G.
Hit & Miss. Hits: Service provided by Saul. Shredded Beef Enchilada. Carne Asada Quesadilla Drink Refills provided by other staff members. Free chips w/ hot, mild & bean dip Free dessert Misses: Service provided by hostess that seated us. Al Pastor Chimichanga. Shredded Beef Tacos Each table, no matter how many people, only gets one menu to share I'm currently on the fence. The lady we dealt with there could probably use some customer service training (or a job in the back of the house). Most of the food was tasty. I suspect that we got free dessert because the waiter possibly saw us both using our Yelp app. Without the free dessert, the rating and review would have been the same, though. Before we ordered off the menu, we peeked in at the buffet offerings. I saw a typical salad bar and the hot food offered was beans, rice, cheese enchiladas and cheese quesadillas. I did not see any meat items on the buffet table, but there were a couple trays that were already empty when I looked. The elaboration for my "misses"...the al pastor chimichanga made this list because the amount of pure fat chunks inside it was about 30% of the entire thing. The shredded beef tacos came out a little bland. It appeared to be the same shredded beef that was inside the enchilada, but not sure why these had a lot less flavor.
(3)
Rae B.
To start off the service was awful. We waited 15 minutes to even be acknowledged in this restaurant upon us entering. Once we were seated we didn't see a server for a good ten minutes. It was extremely hot inside and no windows and the fans were off. They brought us chips and salsa with bean dip, which was so so. The food was definitely not authentic. The beans already had cheese mixed in with them, and the tacos were soggy with only one corn tortilla. All other previous experiences at an authentic Mexican restaurant were with two corn tortillas. The sangria was really good, as was the fajita burrito.. although I couldn't get beans in it because, as mentioned, the cheese was already mixed in, and I can't eat cheese. Having a mild allergy to dairy, this was very upsetting to find out after I had eaten the beans. I would have rated this lower if it were not for the sangria. Recommend to no one. Also, have it be noted that my boyfriend is Mexican and is also an owner of Mexican restaurants.
(2)
Jessica S.
Worst place ever. Called and told them I had a big party and when I arrived they said they had no record of that. There was hair in 3 of the dips. When I asked for water they said they were running low so I couldn't get a refill. They added 3 extra meals to the bill. If you respect your family and have any intelligence DO NOT COME HERE!!!
(1)
Adela B.
Pros: Large room to accommodate large parties. Carne asada meat was good. chili relleno was decent. Fajitas were good and the chicken was tender. They tried to keep the chips and salsa flowing. They did a good job on a large party of about 40. We ordered and ate in a little over an hour. Cons: Avoid the house margarita at all cost! They must've used a taquila that comes in a gallon size plastic bottle. Refried beans were too salty! Salsa didn't have a lot of flavor. Empanadas was really a taco folded in half, neatly. They would not give separate bills but one bill per one huge table that sat over 20 people. They has extensive menu but lacked the authentic taste.
(2)
Valerie M.
Eh was craving some Mexican food. It was good last time but it kinda sucked this time... It wasn't real busy but our food wasn't warm and service was slow. For two people with meals and fried ice cream (which wasn't as great as usual) it was $40. I knew what we were getting into. It's a fast food type of Mexican food. Wish it was better for the price... The manager was nice and asked if everything was okay but I of course felt I was on the spot and lied and said it was okay. Ugh wish I could tell the truth in person! That's on me. They can't fix what they don't know. Probably won't be back for a long time. The only good thing was the chips and salsa. At least the chips were warm....
(2)
Joe S.
Service sucks really bad. Spare from waiting forever and don't bother coming here. Food was so salty that I could not finish eating it. Complained to the manager and he seemed like it was not a surprise about the bad service. Will never be back here again.
(1)
Orv M.
OK, it's not LA or Sante Fe or Austin; but not bad if you're stuck in Bullhead City. Good hot salsa and bean dip. Extensive menu (don't know how they manage consistency with 200 items). Food was fine, nothing was a knockout or bad. Decent margs. Slow service each of 2 times we went, need to staff up; besides more servers, need a receptionist to seat people instead of having serviers do it.
(3)
Nettie P.
I've been here many times whenever I'm in town. My family and I are always seated right away and we are usually a party of 7-10 people. The salsa is delicious and the bean dip is great too. I really like the tortilla soup, it is flavorful and healthy. Overall I have had a good experience here. Service can be a little slow but it is always friendly. Overall very satisfied!
(4)
Rusty S.
we used to go there mainly for the bar to kick back play buzz time trivia have a few drinks and get a few super tacos. the bar is nice for happy hour with free appetizers. they used to have a bartender named bill who was on to of things never needed to flag him down and always kept your chips and salsa filled. the last few times we went some lady was bar tending and she was right there for your drink order. the problem was getting her back to order food or another round .so it is not worth the headaches of dealing with her seeing the food is average at best ( except the super tacos in flour tortillas) when we can go to buffalo wild wings to play buzz time .the food is aver
(2)
Allison Y.
I was in Bullhead this weekend looking for a suggestion on Yelp and was surprised to see such a low rating for the El Palacio. I have been here many times so I wanted to add my review. I love the bean dip and chips. I would go there just for that. I have also had the taco platter with large groups many times. I'm not sure if they even put it on the menu, but it is a large platter with pork, chicken, and steak and everyone makes their own tacos. Perfect for a group of 6 or 8. I see many complaints about the service - stick with Tom, he's the best! Can't comment on anyone else since he's always my server.
(4)
Adrienn T.
Hard to believe that it's a sister restaurant to Casa Cerrano in Fort Mohave where the food is always up to par and the service is superb
(1)
Tim C.
Hands down the worst mexican i have ever had. Nasty gross food with service just as bad.
(1)
Robin E.
Bean dip was tasty and the service was prompt and friendly. But the food poisoning I got after eating a chicken tostada there ruined any thought of ever going back to El Palacio. Now when I drive by the pink palace, I cringe.
(1)
Norma L.
1st time there during this years Laughlin River Run. Noticed it as we road by and went with a huge party. I don't remember the name of our waitress but she was friendly and fast. Got our order right too. The Brunch was decent, good taste, fresh and the price was great. Will be back next year :)
(4)
M F.
Ate the lunch buffet today (Saturday). $9.99 pp includes iced tea, coffee and mango water. They had pork carnitas, chili rellanos, enchiladas, tostadas, menudo, salad, rice (excellent), beans, shrimp ceviche and flan with chips and two types of salsas. We dine at a Mexican restaurant every day and really enjoyed the buffet. The pork was very flavorful. The chili relleno and rice were some of the best we have ever had!. Wish they would have had guacamole on the buffet and another type of dessert (fried ice cream would be nice). The flan was just ok. The mango water is a nice touch and very refreshing. We mixed the two salsas together, and it was amazing. We'll definitely dine there again. Service was really good, as well.
(4)
E L.
This place has been in Bullhead for a LONG time. Over the years we have noticed the food get more and more salty...What are they trying to hide? Over all the service and food is OK. Maybe it needs a new owner with more motivation.
(4)
Scott U.
I read some negative reviews but went anyway, I'm glad I did. They have a Lunch special for $4.99, It looked good but I went for the lunch buffet they had for $7.50,I don't know what other people are talking about, I thought it was great. They had a very nice green salad and fixings ,rice and beans, some kind of shredded chicken dish that was very good. An enchilada type dish that was very tasty, quesadilla, and some delicious Pozole. Not to mention chips and salsa when you sit down, plus flan for desert and two types of drink, both tasty. I had the pleasure of talking to two young ladies while waiting for the restaurant to open, one who had previously been employed there. They both said it was still their favorite Mexican restaurant. I asked about cleanliness as I had never been there, and she told me they were clean fanatics. So if you are in Laughlin or Bullhead City and want a delicious meal, in a clean and friendly place go to El Palacio.
(4)
Christie L.
I wanted to make a point to eat here on our recent trip to the Bullhead City/Laughlin area because every time I have driven by the parking lot is packed. It is a big place so there is plenty of seating. They have tables and booths. upon entering there was a man who seated us right away. . Our drink order was taken quickly and chips, bean dip, and two kinds of salsa (mild & hot) were brought to our table. The bean dip was pretty good and the salsa tasted fresh and delicious. The drinks brought to our table were huge and a refill was never necessary because the cups were so big. The salsa bowls are a pretty decent size and it is easy to fill up just on that. We were on a trip though and never have a problem pigging out so we also ordered some "Queso Dip" priced at $6.50 and it was good. I have experienced many kinds of queso dips but this kind was a first. It was loaded with sliced cooked onions. Instead of using chips to dip into the dip, you just break away the tortilla bowl the queso comes in. They have daily lunch specials served 11:00 am - 3:00 pm and after 3:00 pm add $1. You just can't beat the prices. From the lunch menu I ordered the "Mexican Flag" priced at $6.95 and the picture looked more appetizing then it actually tasted. It is three enchiladas, 1 chicken enchilada with verde sauce, 1 machaca enchilada with red sauce and 1 pork enchilada with ranchera sauce. This did not come with rice or beans. The meat inside each enchilada was dry and only the verde sauce was the only decent tasting of the sauces. I will pass on this dish again. My hubby ordered a "Fajita Veggie Burrito" priced at $5.95 and he loved it. I loved that it had fresh slices of avocado on it that I stole to put on my enchiladas! Our server never checked on us. She only took our order, brought our food, and I had to get up and ask for the bill. I'm glad the drinks were so big because if we did need a refill I don't think we would have got it. I mentioned something to the manager on the way out and he apologized. There was enough good things about the meal to make me want to go back and try something else on the menu when passing through town. If I could I would actually give a 3.5 rating. -They offer catering and have banquet rooms -I found it very cool that they have an outdoor dining patio that is dog friendly! -Happy hour is in the bar area and only Monday-Friday 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. -There is a arcade your kiddos can have some fun and play games in. -Check their Summer hours because sometimes they are not open on Friday & Saturday.
(4)
D. M.
Place is okay. Our waiter Tom was great. Brought us everything we asked for and always checked on us. The food is okay. Nothing special. Seems like any other Mexican restaurant. Apparently the godfather burrito is good. Good place for a quick meal.
(3)
Shelley M.
Get a clue El Palacio. You have the largest restaurant in town but consistently serve horrible tasting food. Clean up your act. Bad ambiance, bad decor , ugly grounds and bad food. Last and final time we ate there, I tried the adobo. 1 bite and done. Beans tasted like they cone from a can. Husband's meal was just,as bad. Food is bad but not cheap. Servers could learn a lesson in customer service. They don't become friendly until it's tip time.
(1)
Dan W.
I was here with Thomas and agree that the service was the slowest ever. their mental awareness was quite off for customers. I am not sure they even knew we were there. Once they got a clew they took our order and it was back to waiting. We both finished our beers and could not even get someone to see that we needed more. our chips were gone to. my god WTF???? really???? Where did everyone go??? was there a party out back or in the kitchen we were a partied to?? well when they finally came out we got some bean dip and more chips. we even got a cold beer. wow!!! then we waited again....... and again.... all of the sudden out of the kitchen comes this lame brain with 2 plates and almost dropped one on the bar so hard it just about broke the plate. the server said the plates are very hot and he had no glove or even a towel. bare handed! what a klutz!! my grandmother would have called him a lummox or a buffoon for sure!!! maybe someone needs to babysit this crew and insure they have some sort of management showing them how to serve hot plates. the food was just OK. nothing special. More waiting for our check... OMG Really???? I would highly suggest going elsewhere if you want any kind of service. Maybe we should have ordered a bucket of beers so we would not have to wait. whatever, go somewhere else and read the rest of the reviews if you think I am to hard on this place.
(1)
Sindy V.
Terrible service. Sat waiting for a server to take our drink order for 25 min. No one acknowledged that we were there. This is the second time this has happened. Never going again
(1)
Shea S.
Love the food but terrible service from the minute we walked in until the minute we left. When we walked in the manager didn't even acknowledge us and it took about 15 minutes after we sat to even have our drink order taken. We heard 4 other tables complain about the service while we were there. The salsa is definitely their saving grace.
(2)
may l.
I always like to come here with my boyfriend when were craving a good deal on Mexican food. The portions are always more than generous and the prices are extremely affordable, especially for happy hour, lunch, or the daily specials. The food has always been great every time we've been here. The service is the only thing I would warn you against. I don't know if they just have trouble finding good help right now but the service is always slow and all the servers seem a little green. So if you're in a hurry, I wouldn't recommend it, but otherwise it's nice. Also, I've been told on a visit today that they got rid of the food on their happy hour menu and that there are now only drinks. Boo. :(
(4)
Tani A.
Don't waste your time! We finally got sat after 10 minutes waiting at the host stand.. There were 3 servers that walked by and did not say a word. Once we got sat, we waited 15 minutes before we got our drinks ordered then another 15 minutes went by and we never even got our drinks so we left. Meanwhile all the tables around us were either still dirty or were being taken care of. Many servers walked by but no one stopped. Worst service ever, I can only imagine how awful the food must be. Save yourself time and go somewhere else!
(1)
Claudia S.
We have been coming to this restaurant for many years. As the years have gone by the quality of the food and service has declined. We went there on June 18th with our family to celebrate a birthday. We had the most deplorable service and food! Let me mention a few of the problems we encountered at El Palacio. - It took us 40 minutes to order drinks (3 - soft drinks, 3 - ice teas and 2 beers). In fact, we had to get up and find someone to take our order because we were so thirsty. - Even though the restaurant was not too crowded, we were seated in a back room that had ceiling fans and was rather warm. We saw later that there was plenty of seating inside the main restaurant that had air conditioning. We were not loud, rowdy or rude. We were dressed nicely and were clean and well behaved. Everyone in our party was pretty quiet since we had spent the day at the river. Our party was tired and hungry. - We had our order taken approximately one hour after being seated. This is when we finally got some chips and salsa which were gone in an instant. We got up to find a waitress and asked for more but never got any. - Our food was brought to our table after being seated at the restaurant for one hour, 35 minutes. (The restaurant was not crowded. This was a Thursday night.) - Four of our dinner orders were completely wrong. Three of our party kept the meals and ate them anyway because they were hungry, but one meal had to be sent back due to an allergy to cheese. She had ordered shrimp fajitas and she got something completely different with cheese all over it. My daughter ordered a burrito with Ranchera Sauce over it and it came with no Ranchera Sauce and it was cold and dried out. The sauce had soaked into the burrito and the top of the burrito was stiff and cold. It must have been sitting for a very long time. It was also supposed to have avocado inside and it didn't. - Our drinks were never refilled, even though we asked for refills. The room was very warm. - Generally they bring a small dessert at the end of your meal. They never did nor did they honor our request to have my son-in-law sang to for his birthday. - We sat there for approximately 2-1/2 hours at this restaurant. No one came to see if we needed anything. We had to get up and look for a waitress and our requests were never fulfilled. We never got dessert or the check. My husband had to leave the table again to find our waitress and ask for the check. We just wanted to get out of there. We were hot, tired and extremely disappointed. We left at approximately 9:30pm. - My husband never found the waitress but he did find the manager. He told the manager that he was extremely disappointed with the service and the food. The manager rolled his eyes at my husband and said that it's the waitresses fault and there is nothing he can do about it. He didn't care to hear my husband mentioning all of the problems with the food either. **** The management for this restaurant is horrible! A manager should make his guests feel heard and offer to take care of the situation. He never did. He basically dismissed my husband and walked away. If I owned this restaurant, I would fire the manager. We have been in business for many years and I would never allow a manager to treat a guest as if their needs didn't matter. We will never spend one dime at this restaurant in the future and we will make sure that everyone we know doesn't either. My son-in-law in a high ranking officer in the sheriff's department, and my husband is a business man who used to frequent this restaurant in town. I can see a huge problem if things do not get corrected, although it's too late for us. I've never made a negative Yelp until now. Don't waste your money! The food and service are less than desirable.
(1)
Dane A.
I went for drinks and was glad to see they still have Modelo Negra dark beer on tap. I went just for a few beers and was glad they still offer up free chips with three different dips:hot sauce,medium, and bean. SO it is good I got something to eat as I didn't have lunch that day. Also they have Dos Equis Dark, which is a very good beer to get on draugh tap. This restaurant has been here for decades, as well as the sister restaurant in Fort Mohave called Casa Serrano. I always eat the Desert Burrito or Burro, not sure what it is called, they serve with machaca hand pulled meat. They are very good, that is what I ALWAYS order and stick to because I hav e been disappointed with some of the other dinners I have ordered. If you like dark beer with free corn chips, this is the place to go.
(4)
Heather C.
Craving some good Mexican food and this was some of the worst food I have ever eaten. The food took forever to come out eventhough they were not busy. The food came out cold and one of the orders was wrong. When the food that was fixed only one of the three items came out with a good amount of food. The cheese enchiladas had more cheese on the outside than the inside. The served Hector was very nice and he was the only asset this place has. He brought our concerns to the manager and had our bill adjusted. We definitely won't be coming back unless this place changes its cooks and management. Hector should look for a job in a real restaurant where he can make good money with his excellent customer service.
(1)
Thomas W.
I can not say enough times how slow the service was in both speed and mental awareness. The gentleman all but burned his hands carrying hot plates. I am not sure if they participate in a program, but the larger girl making drinks was not sure of how cold the fridge was without climbing all but fully into it, she got half way before her bulbous body excluded her from diving further in. I am worried, even troubled these people go without supervision. Not sure I will ever eat here again.
(1)
Freddy P.
Great place to eat and hang out, we tried the one in NV but it sucked. This one is AZ is great, we were seated immediately, they brought us our chips and salsa right away. And the prices are a little bit cheaper as well, the restaurant in NV was charging $15 for a shrimp cocktail, here in AZ it was $11 something, and it was the same thing for other items on the menu. The restaurant is across the river so not far at all... I recommend the restaurant in AZ, it's so much better then the one on NV
(4)
Carl H.
Service started out OK but went downhill quickly. Enchiladas were decent but carnitas and chili rellanos were terrible and in edible. My mistake was not checking reviews before hand. As of this review, it had 2 1/2 stars. Felt that was 2 stars to many. Not coming back.
(1)
Micky S.
Needs some tlc. Food is just ok had tacos beans rice nothing out standing. Two salas hot and mild they where good.
(3)
Laura M.
I have been to this location many times and it has always been my favorite. I came here tonight for my birthday dinner and was so disappointed! We waited at least 15-20 minutes before the hostess even acknowledged us. Once we were finally seated no one came to even take our drink order for another 30 + minutes. I am currently still waiting on our water as I type this. I am so sad I will never come here again!... So we continued to wait we did get our drinks and waited some more.. We got fed up and decided to leave. When we payed for our drinks the waitress said " I'm sorry you had to wait, I told you it would be more than an hour you can just go to Taco Bell" .... Are you kidding me?? Do not go to this dump ever!! So rude!
(1)
Jason B.
I dont know why it has low ratings but this is very good. Chips and salsa's keep on coming as much as you want. Dinner was good, and I will go back when Im in the area.
(4)
Michelle B.
This place is horrible...horrible food, horrible service and horrible management! We were on a family vacation visiting from California and it was my brother-in-law's birthday on June 18th and he chose to come here for dinner. We had a party of 8. We waited 30 minutes just to be seated, another 30 minutes just to order drinks, then we waited a whole hour after we ordered just for our food to come. They brought my niece and my mom the wrong order, I ordered a wet shrimp burrito and they brought me a cold burrito that looked like it had been sitting for a while considering all the red sauce was soaked into the tortilla. It was disgusting! The waitress was new and didn't know what she was doing. Never came back to refill our chips, drinks, nothing! They had us seated in this one room in the back of the restaraunt that wasn't even air conditioned, mind you it had been 120 degrees out that day. My Dad had to get up and walk around the restaraunt to find someone just to ask for our check at the end. When my Dad confronted the manager about this horrible experience, the manager wasn't apologetic at all and didn't offer to comp us at all either considering our bill was almost $100. My family had been here before but it was my first time and I was less than impressed. We all were. We will never ever visit this restaraunt again. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Don't waste your time or your money.
(1)
LaNora O.
I used to really like El Palacio, but lately, not so much. I've been a few times for taco Tuesday and instead of doing the street-style tacos, have ordered them ala carte off the menu and they have been barely warmed over pre-made tacos. You cannot reheat a fried corn tortilla without it turning very rubbery. The meat was still cold inside. No bueno! Tonight, I had 3 margaritas and didn't even get a buzz. The bucket margaritas used to be $1-2, now $2.95 with absolutely no kick! Wondering if they even put booze in it & charging more for it! Tonight I had the grilled chicken salad. There certainly wasn't $9 worth of food on that plate! If you want good Mexican food, go to El Charro's. If I have a choice, I won't be back unless it's for Happy Hour drinks & appetizers.
(2)
Victoria G.
First Mexican food place with a buffet and I must say we were quite impressed! Very tasty and very fresh! Staff was also very attentive!
(4)
Bob D.
Thumbs-Up / Late Lunch / Early Dinner When ever I have extra time traveling from AZ-CA I like take an overnight-er in Laughlin. While I enjoy gambling at the gaming tables that does not include the casino's dining tables "this is no Vegas" and all you can eat buffets frighten me..."nothing like food in a trough" LOL. Just a short hop across the river in Bullhead AZ lies a good Mexican American diner/cantina that is hard to miss. El Palacio is colorfully decorated and has an oasis in the desert styling "big surprise right?", the staff was very friendly and the food portions along with the quality were great! The fare is mostly what you would expect and it was all delicious, the sopapillas at dessert had to be the finest presentation I have had ever and I highly recommend them! If you are a dog lover they not only offer an outdoor friendly area, but a special menu jut for K-9's.The offer of outdoor seating while nice in theory would be insane considering the 114 degree in the shade day, that is hot enough to melt flatware for pete's sake!
(3)
Tim G.
Chips & salsa delivered quickly. Chips seemed to be out of a plastic bag, the "mild" salsa was bland, the "spicy" salsa was smoky, but not all that spicy. It took a while to get our drink order in, (finally taken by a busboy) and even longer to order food. As a preventative measure, when the waitress finally came, we ordered our main course, and an appetizer. The main was delivered, but the appetizer was not, so we cancelled it. The "Mexican Flag" was uninspiring, with no discernible flavor. The special sour cream didn't compliment any of the enchilada flavors. The Ala Carte # 1's chili relleno cheese was just barely warm and not melted. The spinach enchilada had no cheese, and was barely warm. Neither had any flavor. I asked for a refill of my iced tea, and my glass disappeared until after the bill was delivered. It took a while for the wait staff to identify which of several bills was ours but, once sorted, they were quick to process the credit card payment. We were told this was the best Mexican restaurant in Bullhead. I hope not.
(2)
Mona M.
Had the $10 buffet. Menudo and posole was okay. 1 omelet lady cooking with 1 pan with a long line the whole time we were there. Should've grabbed a flan when I first got there since they never put anymore out. People next to us asked what they have for soda the waiter said Pepsi only. Wouldn't come back again.
(1)
Kellee K.
I love their daily lunch specials. Good selection, cheap prices, and friendly service. We stop in whenever we visit Laughlin. On a recent visit the salsa was great as always. We also had the tostada and tamale with chicken and cheese flauta. Our lunch hit the spot for $15, you gotta love it.
(4)
Michelle G.
I never had a chance to eat the food...however what service we did have was HORRIBLE!! We put in our name for a table for 9. We waited 55 minutes before we all got up and left. Who knows how long we would have waited had we stayed?? The large party before us apparently was also displeased with the service because they told us good luck as they were leaving. 25 minutes into waiting we told the hostess we were willing to be split up if that could get us a table quicker. We asked to speak to the manager after we saw at least 7 other parties of 4 seated as soon as they walked in. The manager never came to the front to talk to us. The hostess seemed so flustered and not helpful at all. Thank goodness for Casa Serrano who saved our hungry tummies!! YAY Casa Serrano!!!
(1)
Marlin K.
go to orials
(2)
Angel S.
First, let me start by saying they would get a one star rating if the experience was completely based on just today. We actually sought out four other Mexican restaurants in Bullhead City prior; but, unfortunately being a Sunday they were all closed. We have been coming here for years and years and have slowly watched it deteriorate into a two star restaurant. We showed up for a late lunch/early dinner around 5 p.m. and were greeted with a dirty booth. Typically, upon seating you get two types of salsa, beans, and chips, except this time we had to ask four different times for the beans. My wife ordered a desert burrito which comes with meat and asked to substitute zucchini instead of the meat and cheese. They advised that it would be an additional dollar charge which we went ahead and did even though it didn't seem fair. When the meal arrived the zucchini seemed as if it was just cut and thrown in the burrito without even being cooked. I had a bean and rice burrito which was coated with uncooked onions and was luke warm at best. We sent her burrito back and decided to just split mine so we can get out of there. We even struggled to get things like drink and chip refills and overall the ambiance just isn't there anymore. Our server seemed very sweet but obviously was distracted by a lack of overall organization. One suggestion would be if a customer complains about food, the manager should immediately make contact with them and see what can be done to improve. Failing to do so just shows an overall lack of concern for customer service. Two weeks ago we went to Casa Serrano in Ft. Mohave and it was marginally better. It is very sad because we have told dozens of people about this restaurant chain and also have had several annual large parties there. This rating today isn't based one experienced but more of five or six in a row. From now on I think we will skip El Palacio and even if every other Mexican restaurant is closed we will stop by the store and pick up some beans to cook ourselves.
(2)
Maytte G.
My family and I came from California to Arizona. I yelp Mexican restaurants and this appeared first. The food is really good, good portions, reasonable prices(except the.steak tacos, kinda expensive $10)., and lovely service. Our waitress was really nice and attentive to our needs. Immediately she sat us and asked for our beverage choices. In addition, she brought us beans and salsa. My mom loved the spicy salsa choices as well as the beans. Our meals were great and cooked well. From my experience I could not have gone to another location. It was great. The deep fried vanilla ice cream was delicious. The Horchata wasn't the best.
(4)
Diwata P.
It's a cute restaurant with Mexican flair. Our server was friendly and attentive. The food portions were huge, but everything was just way too salty. The three things I actually did like - tortilla chips, bean dip, and the mild salsa. My machaca and eggs burrito style was nothing memorable. My boyfriend had the make-your-own combo which he had the empanada, pork tamale, and chicken flauta. The empanada was greasy and bland, the pork tamale tasted different than other pork tamales I've had (I had better from those people selling tamale in grocery store parking lots), and the chicken flauta was average. I think the best thing he ordered was a large horchata which felt refreshing after a long day playing in the river. So the question I pose to myself ... would I come back here again? Probably not. There's so many other Mexican restaurants in the area that look much more promising than this place.
(2)
Melissa V.
Just got back from a mini vacation in Laughlin with friends and tried this place. The food was pretty good and the margaritas strong! I would go back to this restaruant if I were in town again. Oh and if you are a BIG eater you might want to try the 30inch burrito. My boyfriend and friend thought they were "man vs. food"...food won!
(3)
Roy H.
I asked a couple of locals for their favorite Mexican restaurant. Both mentioned El Palacio so I decided to give it a shot. Loved the hot, spicy salsa...hot and good flavor. Tried a 3 way combo- the shredded beef taco was excellent...shredded beef enchilada was boring, and I didn't care for the chile relleno...not much taste to it. Prices were very reasonable but the service was almost non existent.
(3)
80sgirl N.
awful food and awful service!!!
(1)
Toni R.
Decent food. The Spanish rice was tasty, but the beans were so salty I could not eat it. My flauta was a little greasy but good on flavor. Hubby had a burrito with beef but couldn't give me much more to yelp about ........typical guy. Best part was the friendly waiter. Overall the food was a bit more expensive than the quality reflects.
(3)
Peter G.
Wow. Worst Mexican food I've eaten in a long time. Nasty, salty and pathetic service. Server said "Oh...I have served parties of 80 receivig an $700 tip" Yeah Right! She could barely take care of a party of 10! Stay clear. Not so much the poor service...Just the poor food. Kinda sad :(
(1)
Mike D.
Absolutely HORRIBLE service and just okay food!! Went here a few weeks ago and waited over an hour to get our food. After an hour of waiting, I asked the waiter if he could let me know how much longer it would be for our food his response (very rudely) was I'm sure they are back there cooking it along with the other 40 people's food that came in before you! WTF! First of all there were not 40 other people in the entire restaurant secondly, the food is not made to order, obviously or it would taste a hell of a lot better! Needless to say we will not be back here!!!
(1)
Mark C.
Wow I'm not the only one then! This place sucks. I'd rather eat those crappy store bought beans any day. Everything is just so freakin bland and overcooked. My search for a good mexican restaurant in the area has just ended. I've gone up and down highway 95 and I can't find good mexican food anywhere. I am truly sad
(1)
Bill W.
Everytime we goto Laughlin we always hit up El Palacio. Some of the best Mexican food around, and believe me, I know Mexican food!! Growing up in Southern California I've been enjoying this cuisine my entire life. El Palacio is a large restaurant with great food and excellent service. I never had a bad meal here. Tonight we were seated as soon as we arrived. As we were settling into our table, our drink order was taken and chips, two kinds of salsa, and a bean dip was brought to us. Tuesday nights are $0.99 taco night. Choices of chicken, shredded beef, ground beef, and pork were offered. I had two chicken, shredded beef and a pork tacos. The salsa bar offered 5 different salsas, all were very good. Tacos were good size, same size as you wound find at Taco Bell. Four filled me, as i usually eat good size meals. Chicken tacos were the best, pork being second, and he shredded beef taking a close third. Writing this review is making me hungry for El Palacio again.
(4)
Ryan B.
I've had good food and bad food here. We frequent this restaurant and find it generally better than other places in the area give it a try!
(3)
Brent G.
We were there last weekend, the place has decent food, I would recommend the bean dip with the chip before dinner. The margaritas are really good. We had the back room with about 80 people and it was buffett style. They did a great good with the large party the foods drinks and service were all very smooth. I will be returning.......
(4)
Jim D.
I read the recent review from 7/9/2009 about food poisoning. It reminded me of the last time my wife and I ate at the El Palacio about three years ago. We BOTH got whopping cases of food poisoning. We had NO doubt that it was from eating at the El Palacio. Even though it was quite some time back, I figured it might help to show that food poisoning at this restaurant is not an isolated incident. It's sister restaurants, the two Casa Serranos in Fort Mohave and Laughlin, NV on the other hand, are first rate. We eat at the Fort Mohave Casa Serrano several times a year and have not had a bad experience.
(1)
Daniel C.
The lady adores this place, so we've headed back on a number of occasions. Food's decent, but again I have to mention the service being fantastic.
(3)
Justin R.
Food is below average amerimex, no real spices to speak of and tons of cheese and sour cream (which you sure don't find a couple thousand miles to the south) which is to be expected I guess for a vacation area. What really bothered me about the place is how shamelessly they try to gouge people for a few extra dollars. We just moved to the area and went in a couple times. The second time was during a big tourist weekend. When we got there according to their own dry erase board it was happy hour, so we preceded to order some margaritas, when it came time to pay the bartender informed us that there was no happy hour as it was a busy weekend, when I pointed out the sign he just shrugged his shoulders and said that is how it is. I asked to speak to the manager as this constitutes false advertising. The manager Max was very condescending and said he could not discount our drinks to happy hour prices for some reason but could give us a free appitizer next time we came in. No thanks Max, you just lost business from locals who go out a lot and live up the street.
(1)
Carrie G.
Really the only thing this restaurant has going for it is the bean dip. But be aware big weekends( River Run, Labor Day) they don't bring it to the table for free.
(2)
Freddy P.
Great place to eat and hang out, we tried the one in NV but it sucked. This one is AZ is great, we were seated immediately, they brought us our chips and salsa right away. And the prices are a little bit cheaper as well, the restaurant in NV was charging $15 for a shrimp cocktail, here in AZ it was $11 something, and it was the same thing for other items on the menu. The restaurant is across the river so not far at all... I recommend the restaurant in AZ, it's so much better then the one on NV
(4)
Carl H.
Service started out OK but went downhill quickly. Enchiladas were decent but carnitas and chili rellanos were terrible and in edible. My mistake was not checking reviews before hand. As of this review, it had 2 1/2 stars. Felt that was 2 stars to many. Not coming back.
(1)
Tim C.
Hands down the worst mexican i have ever had. Nasty gross food with service just as bad.
(1)
80sgirl N.
awful food and awful service!!!
(1)
Michelle B.
This place is horrible...horrible food, horrible service and horrible management! We were on a family vacation visiting from California and it was my brother-in-law's birthday on June 18th and he chose to come here for dinner. We had a party of 8. We waited 30 minutes just to be seated, another 30 minutes just to order drinks, then we waited a whole hour after we ordered just for our food to come. They brought my niece and my mom the wrong order, I ordered a wet shrimp burrito and they brought me a cold burrito that looked like it had been sitting for a while considering all the red sauce was soaked into the tortilla. It was disgusting! The waitress was new and didn't know what she was doing. Never came back to refill our chips, drinks, nothing! They had us seated in this one room in the back of the restaraunt that wasn't even air conditioned, mind you it had been 120 degrees out that day. My Dad had to get up and walk around the restaraunt to find someone just to ask for our check at the end. When my Dad confronted the manager about this horrible experience, the manager wasn't apologetic at all and didn't offer to comp us at all either considering our bill was almost $100. My family had been here before but it was my first time and I was less than impressed. We all were. We will never ever visit this restaraunt again. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Don't waste your time or your money.
(1)
Micky S.
Needs some tlc. Food is just ok had tacos beans rice nothing out standing. Two salas hot and mild they where good.
(3)
Laura M.
I have been to this location many times and it has always been my favorite. I came here tonight for my birthday dinner and was so disappointed! We waited at least 15-20 minutes before the hostess even acknowledged us. Once we were finally seated no one came to even take our drink order for another 30 + minutes. I am currently still waiting on our water as I type this. I am so sad I will never come here again!... So we continued to wait we did get our drinks and waited some more.. We got fed up and decided to leave. When we payed for our drinks the waitress said " I'm sorry you had to wait, I told you it would be more than an hour you can just go to Taco Bell" .... Are you kidding me?? Do not go to this dump ever!! So rude!
(1)
Jason B.
I dont know why it has low ratings but this is very good. Chips and salsa's keep on coming as much as you want. Dinner was good, and I will go back when Im in the area.
(4)
Robin E.
Bean dip was tasty and the service was prompt and friendly. But the food poisoning I got after eating a chicken tostada there ruined any thought of ever going back to El Palacio. Now when I drive by the pink palace, I cringe.
(1)
Don O.
Service: 3/5 stars Food: 3/5 stars Presentation: 3/5 stars Prices: 3/5 stars Not bad overall. We were seated right away and served chips and salsa. The hot salsa was excellent. We had a trainee serving us but she did fine. You could tell she was new at serving and spent a lot of time running in circles. Chicken breast on the grilled chicken salad was way overcooked and dry as was the sirloin on the fajita sandwich. The sandwich was still good. A lot of food at a reasonable price.
(3)
Steve G.
We used to eat at El Palacio fairly often. I can remember a decade or two ago when everyone said the food was good but service was horrible. They fixed the problem with service and food is still good. Just DO NOT order to-go. This is 2 nights this week that the to-go orders were absolutely inedible. In fact, I reluctantly fed it to the dogs, then had to go to McDonalds to get everyone here fed. A nearly $70.00 to go order, and had to give it to the freakin' dogs. I live here in town, and I won't be back..!!
(1)
Orv M.
OK, it's not LA or Sante Fe or Austin; but not bad if you're stuck in Bullhead City. Good hot salsa and bean dip. Extensive menu (don't know how they manage consistency with 200 items). Food was fine, nothing was a knockout or bad. Decent margs. Slow service each of 2 times we went, need to staff up; besides more servers, need a receptionist to seat people instead of having serviers do it.
(3)
Nettie P.
I've been here many times whenever I'm in town. My family and I are always seated right away and we are usually a party of 7-10 people. The salsa is delicious and the bean dip is great too. I really like the tortilla soup, it is flavorful and healthy. Overall I have had a good experience here. Service can be a little slow but it is always friendly. Overall very satisfied!
(4)
Tim G.
Chips & salsa delivered quickly. Chips seemed to be out of a plastic bag, the "mild" salsa was bland, the "spicy" salsa was smoky, but not all that spicy. It took a while to get our drink order in, (finally taken by a busboy) and even longer to order food. As a preventative measure, when the waitress finally came, we ordered our main course, and an appetizer. The main was delivered, but the appetizer was not, so we cancelled it. The "Mexican Flag" was uninspiring, with no discernible flavor. The special sour cream didn't compliment any of the enchilada flavors. The Ala Carte # 1's chili relleno cheese was just barely warm and not melted. The spinach enchilada had no cheese, and was barely warm. Neither had any flavor. I asked for a refill of my iced tea, and my glass disappeared until after the bill was delivered. It took a while for the wait staff to identify which of several bills was ours but, once sorted, they were quick to process the credit card payment. We were told this was the best Mexican restaurant in Bullhead. I hope not.
(2)
Mona M.
Had the $10 buffet. Menudo and posole was okay. 1 omelet lady cooking with 1 pan with a long line the whole time we were there. Should've grabbed a flan when I first got there since they never put anymore out. People next to us asked what they have for soda the waiter said Pepsi only. Wouldn't come back again.
(1)
Kellee K.
I love their daily lunch specials. Good selection, cheap prices, and friendly service. We stop in whenever we visit Laughlin. On a recent visit the salsa was great as always. We also had the tostada and tamale with chicken and cheese flauta. Our lunch hit the spot for $15, you gotta love it.
(4)
Michelle G.
I never had a chance to eat the food...however what service we did have was HORRIBLE!! We put in our name for a table for 9. We waited 55 minutes before we all got up and left. Who knows how long we would have waited had we stayed?? The large party before us apparently was also displeased with the service because they told us good luck as they were leaving. 25 minutes into waiting we told the hostess we were willing to be split up if that could get us a table quicker. We asked to speak to the manager after we saw at least 7 other parties of 4 seated as soon as they walked in. The manager never came to the front to talk to us. The hostess seemed so flustered and not helpful at all. Thank goodness for Casa Serrano who saved our hungry tummies!! YAY Casa Serrano!!!
(1)
Marlin K.
go to orials
(2)
Ashton C.
I really wanted to like this place....and while the food was just ok, the service was horrible. We waited 10 min to place a drink order, another 10 to place a food order and never had the same waitress twice. No one refilled our water and and the margaritas were grossly overpriced for a mix. Like I stated before, the food was ok...but the bad service makes this place not worth it.
(2)
Angel S.
First, let me start by saying they would get a one star rating if the experience was completely based on just today. We actually sought out four other Mexican restaurants in Bullhead City prior; but, unfortunately being a Sunday they were all closed. We have been coming here for years and years and have slowly watched it deteriorate into a two star restaurant. We showed up for a late lunch/early dinner around 5 p.m. and were greeted with a dirty booth. Typically, upon seating you get two types of salsa, beans, and chips, except this time we had to ask four different times for the beans. My wife ordered a desert burrito which comes with meat and asked to substitute zucchini instead of the meat and cheese. They advised that it would be an additional dollar charge which we went ahead and did even though it didn't seem fair. When the meal arrived the zucchini seemed as if it was just cut and thrown in the burrito without even being cooked. I had a bean and rice burrito which was coated with uncooked onions and was luke warm at best. We sent her burrito back and decided to just split mine so we can get out of there. We even struggled to get things like drink and chip refills and overall the ambiance just isn't there anymore. Our server seemed very sweet but obviously was distracted by a lack of overall organization. One suggestion would be if a customer complains about food, the manager should immediately make contact with them and see what can be done to improve. Failing to do so just shows an overall lack of concern for customer service. Two weeks ago we went to Casa Serrano in Ft. Mohave and it was marginally better. It is very sad because we have told dozens of people about this restaurant chain and also have had several annual large parties there. This rating today isn't based one experienced but more of five or six in a row. From now on I think we will skip El Palacio and even if every other Mexican restaurant is closed we will stop by the store and pick up some beans to cook ourselves.
(2)
Maytte G.
My family and I came from California to Arizona. I yelp Mexican restaurants and this appeared first. The food is really good, good portions, reasonable prices(except the.steak tacos, kinda expensive $10)., and lovely service. Our waitress was really nice and attentive to our needs. Immediately she sat us and asked for our beverage choices. In addition, she brought us beans and salsa. My mom loved the spicy salsa choices as well as the beans. Our meals were great and cooked well. From my experience I could not have gone to another location. It was great. The deep fried vanilla ice cream was delicious. The Horchata wasn't the best.
(4)
Marylee T.
They have a couple of good things on the menu; nothing healthy. I like the Mexican pizza and the Desert Burrito. The shredded beef is tender and tasty. Their chips have garlic salt on them, which is odd, and I'm not crazy about their salsa. I prefer something a little fresher tasting; theirs tastes like they make it well in advance.
(3)
Brian R.
The staff was friendly, but that's all they had. The food was over priced, small portions and it had WAY too much salt on it.
(2)
Rusty S.
we used to go there mainly for the bar to kick back play buzz time trivia have a few drinks and get a few super tacos. the bar is nice for happy hour with free appetizers. they used to have a bartender named bill who was on to of things never needed to flag him down and always kept your chips and salsa filled. the last few times we went some lady was bar tending and she was right there for your drink order. the problem was getting her back to order food or another round .so it is not worth the headaches of dealing with her seeing the food is average at best ( except the super tacos in flour tortillas) when we can go to buffalo wild wings to play buzz time .the food is aver
(2)
Diwata P.
It's a cute restaurant with Mexican flair. Our server was friendly and attentive. The food portions were huge, but everything was just way too salty. The three things I actually did like - tortilla chips, bean dip, and the mild salsa. My machaca and eggs burrito style was nothing memorable. My boyfriend had the make-your-own combo which he had the empanada, pork tamale, and chicken flauta. The empanada was greasy and bland, the pork tamale tasted different than other pork tamales I've had (I had better from those people selling tamale in grocery store parking lots), and the chicken flauta was average. I think the best thing he ordered was a large horchata which felt refreshing after a long day playing in the river. So the question I pose to myself ... would I come back here again? Probably not. There's so many other Mexican restaurants in the area that look much more promising than this place.
(2)
Melissa V.
Just got back from a mini vacation in Laughlin with friends and tried this place. The food was pretty good and the margaritas strong! I would go back to this restaruant if I were in town again. Oh and if you are a BIG eater you might want to try the 30inch burrito. My boyfriend and friend thought they were "man vs. food"...food won!
(3)
Roy H.
I asked a couple of locals for their favorite Mexican restaurant. Both mentioned El Palacio so I decided to give it a shot. Loved the hot, spicy salsa...hot and good flavor. Tried a 3 way combo- the shredded beef taco was excellent...shredded beef enchilada was boring, and I didn't care for the chile relleno...not much taste to it. Prices were very reasonable but the service was almost non existent.
(3)
80sgirl N.
awful food and awful service!!!
(1)
Toni R.
Decent food. The Spanish rice was tasty, but the beans were so salty I could not eat it. My flauta was a little greasy but good on flavor. Hubby had a burrito with beef but couldn't give me much more to yelp about ........typical guy. Best part was the friendly waiter. Overall the food was a bit more expensive than the quality reflects.
(3)
Peter G.
Wow. Worst Mexican food I've eaten in a long time. Nasty, salty and pathetic service. Server said "Oh...I have served parties of 80 receivig an $700 tip" Yeah Right! She could barely take care of a party of 10! Stay clear. Not so much the poor service...Just the poor food. Kinda sad :(
(1)
Mike D.
Absolutely HORRIBLE service and just okay food!! Went here a few weeks ago and waited over an hour to get our food. After an hour of waiting, I asked the waiter if he could let me know how much longer it would be for our food his response (very rudely) was I'm sure they are back there cooking it along with the other 40 people's food that came in before you! WTF! First of all there were not 40 other people in the entire restaurant secondly, the food is not made to order, obviously or it would taste a hell of a lot better! Needless to say we will not be back here!!!
(1)
Allison Y.
I was in Bullhead this weekend looking for a suggestion on Yelp and was surprised to see such a low rating for the El Palacio. I have been here many times so I wanted to add my review. I love the bean dip and chips. I would go there just for that. I have also had the taco platter with large groups many times. I'm not sure if they even put it on the menu, but it is a large platter with pork, chicken, and steak and everyone makes their own tacos. Perfect for a group of 6 or 8. I see many complaints about the service - stick with Tom, he's the best! Can't comment on anyone else since he's always my server.
(4)
Mark C.
Wow I'm not the only one then! This place sucks. I'd rather eat those crappy store bought beans any day. Everything is just so freakin bland and overcooked. My search for a good mexican restaurant in the area has just ended. I've gone up and down highway 95 and I can't find good mexican food anywhere. I am truly sad
(1)
Bill W.
Everytime we goto Laughlin we always hit up El Palacio. Some of the best Mexican food around, and believe me, I know Mexican food!! Growing up in Southern California I've been enjoying this cuisine my entire life. El Palacio is a large restaurant with great food and excellent service. I never had a bad meal here. Tonight we were seated as soon as we arrived. As we were settling into our table, our drink order was taken and chips, two kinds of salsa, and a bean dip was brought to us. Tuesday nights are $0.99 taco night. Choices of chicken, shredded beef, ground beef, and pork were offered. I had two chicken, shredded beef and a pork tacos. The salsa bar offered 5 different salsas, all were very good. Tacos were good size, same size as you wound find at Taco Bell. Four filled me, as i usually eat good size meals. Chicken tacos were the best, pork being second, and he shredded beef taking a close third. Writing this review is making me hungry for El Palacio again.
(4)
Ryan B.
I've had good food and bad food here. We frequent this restaurant and find it generally better than other places in the area give it a try!
(3)
Brent G.
We were there last weekend, the place has decent food, I would recommend the bean dip with the chip before dinner. The margaritas are really good. We had the back room with about 80 people and it was buffett style. They did a great good with the large party the foods drinks and service were all very smooth. I will be returning.......
(4)
Jim D.
I read the recent review from 7/9/2009 about food poisoning. It reminded me of the last time my wife and I ate at the El Palacio about three years ago. We BOTH got whopping cases of food poisoning. We had NO doubt that it was from eating at the El Palacio. Even though it was quite some time back, I figured it might help to show that food poisoning at this restaurant is not an isolated incident. It's sister restaurants, the two Casa Serranos in Fort Mohave and Laughlin, NV on the other hand, are first rate. We eat at the Fort Mohave Casa Serrano several times a year and have not had a bad experience.
(1)
Daniel C.
The lady adores this place, so we've headed back on a number of occasions. Food's decent, but again I have to mention the service being fantastic.
(3)
Justin R.
Food is below average amerimex, no real spices to speak of and tons of cheese and sour cream (which you sure don't find a couple thousand miles to the south) which is to be expected I guess for a vacation area. What really bothered me about the place is how shamelessly they try to gouge people for a few extra dollars. We just moved to the area and went in a couple times. The second time was during a big tourist weekend. When we got there according to their own dry erase board it was happy hour, so we preceded to order some margaritas, when it came time to pay the bartender informed us that there was no happy hour as it was a busy weekend, when I pointed out the sign he just shrugged his shoulders and said that is how it is. I asked to speak to the manager as this constitutes false advertising. The manager Max was very condescending and said he could not discount our drinks to happy hour prices for some reason but could give us a free appitizer next time we came in. No thanks Max, you just lost business from locals who go out a lot and live up the street.
(1)
Carrie G.
Really the only thing this restaurant has going for it is the bean dip. But be aware big weekends( River Run, Labor Day) they don't bring it to the table for free.
(2)
Adrienn T.
Hard to believe that it's a sister restaurant to Casa Cerrano in Fort Mohave where the food is always up to par and the service is superb
(1)
Tim C.
Hands down the worst mexican i have ever had. Nasty gross food with service just as bad.
(1)
Robin E.
Bean dip was tasty and the service was prompt and friendly. But the food poisoning I got after eating a chicken tostada there ruined any thought of ever going back to El Palacio. Now when I drive by the pink palace, I cringe.
(1)
M F.
Ate the lunch buffet today (Saturday). $9.99 pp includes iced tea, coffee and mango water. They had pork carnitas, chili rellanos, enchiladas, tostadas, menudo, salad, rice (excellent), beans, shrimp ceviche and flan with chips and two types of salsas. We dine at a Mexican restaurant every day and really enjoyed the buffet. The pork was very flavorful. The chili relleno and rice were some of the best we have ever had!. Wish they would have had guacamole on the buffet and another type of dessert (fried ice cream would be nice). The flan was just ok. The mango water is a nice touch and very refreshing. We mixed the two salsas together, and it was amazing. We'll definitely dine there again. Service was really good, as well.
(4)
Dan W.
I was here with Thomas and agree that the service was the slowest ever. their mental awareness was quite off for customers. I am not sure they even knew we were there. Once they got a clew they took our order and it was back to waiting. We both finished our beers and could not even get someone to see that we needed more. our chips were gone to. my god WTF???? really???? Where did everyone go??? was there a party out back or in the kitchen we were a partied to?? well when they finally came out we got some bean dip and more chips. we even got a cold beer. wow!!! then we waited again....... and again.... all of the sudden out of the kitchen comes this lame brain with 2 plates and almost dropped one on the bar so hard it just about broke the plate. the server said the plates are very hot and he had no glove or even a towel. bare handed! what a klutz!! my grandmother would have called him a lummox or a buffoon for sure!!! maybe someone needs to babysit this crew and insure they have some sort of management showing them how to serve hot plates. the food was just OK. nothing special. More waiting for our check... OMG Really???? I would highly suggest going elsewhere if you want any kind of service. Maybe we should have ordered a bucket of beers so we would not have to wait. whatever, go somewhere else and read the rest of the reviews if you think I am to hard on this place.
(1)
Sindy V.
Terrible service. Sat waiting for a server to take our drink order for 25 min. No one acknowledged that we were there. This is the second time this has happened. Never going again
(1)
Carl H.
Service started out OK but went downhill quickly. Enchiladas were decent but carnitas and chili rellanos were terrible and in edible. My mistake was not checking reviews before hand. As of this review, it had 2 1/2 stars. Felt that was 2 stars to many. Not coming back.
(1)
Micky S.
Needs some tlc. Food is just ok had tacos beans rice nothing out standing. Two salas hot and mild they where good.
(3)
Ryan B.
I've had good food and bad food here. We frequent this restaurant and find it generally better than other places in the area give it a try!
(3)
Brent G.
We were there last weekend, the place has decent food, I would recommend the bean dip with the chip before dinner. The margaritas are really good. We had the back room with about 80 people and it was buffett style. They did a great good with the large party the foods drinks and service were all very smooth. I will be returning.......
(4)
Jim D.
I read the recent review from 7/9/2009 about food poisoning. It reminded me of the last time my wife and I ate at the El Palacio about three years ago. We BOTH got whopping cases of food poisoning. We had NO doubt that it was from eating at the El Palacio. Even though it was quite some time back, I figured it might help to show that food poisoning at this restaurant is not an isolated incident. It's sister restaurants, the two Casa Serranos in Fort Mohave and Laughlin, NV on the other hand, are first rate. We eat at the Fort Mohave Casa Serrano several times a year and have not had a bad experience.
(1)
Daniel C.
The lady adores this place, so we've headed back on a number of occasions. Food's decent, but again I have to mention the service being fantastic.
(3)
Dane A.
I went for drinks and was glad to see they still have Modelo Negra dark beer on tap. I went just for a few beers and was glad they still offer up free chips with three different dips:hot sauce,medium, and bean. SO it is good I got something to eat as I didn't have lunch that day. Also they have Dos Equis Dark, which is a very good beer to get on draugh tap. This restaurant has been here for decades, as well as the sister restaurant in Fort Mohave called Casa Serrano. I always eat the Desert Burrito or Burro, not sure what it is called, they serve with machaca hand pulled meat. They are very good, that is what I ALWAYS order and stick to because I hav e been disappointed with some of the other dinners I have ordered. If you like dark beer with free corn chips, this is the place to go.
(4)
Heather C.
Craving some good Mexican food and this was some of the worst food I have ever eaten. The food took forever to come out eventhough they were not busy. The food came out cold and one of the orders was wrong. When the food that was fixed only one of the three items came out with a good amount of food. The cheese enchiladas had more cheese on the outside than the inside. The served Hector was very nice and he was the only asset this place has. He brought our concerns to the manager and had our bill adjusted. We definitely won't be coming back unless this place changes its cooks and management. Hector should look for a job in a real restaurant where he can make good money with his excellent customer service.
(1)
Thomas W.
I can not say enough times how slow the service was in both speed and mental awareness. The gentleman all but burned his hands carrying hot plates. I am not sure if they participate in a program, but the larger girl making drinks was not sure of how cold the fridge was without climbing all but fully into it, she got half way before her bulbous body excluded her from diving further in. I am worried, even troubled these people go without supervision. Not sure I will ever eat here again.
(1)
Joy G.
Hit & Miss. Hits: Service provided by Saul. Shredded Beef Enchilada. Carne Asada Quesadilla Drink Refills provided by other staff members. Free chips w/ hot, mild & bean dip Free dessert Misses: Service provided by hostess that seated us. Al Pastor Chimichanga. Shredded Beef Tacos Each table, no matter how many people, only gets one menu to share I'm currently on the fence. The lady we dealt with there could probably use some customer service training (or a job in the back of the house). Most of the food was tasty. I suspect that we got free dessert because the waiter possibly saw us both using our Yelp app. Without the free dessert, the rating and review would have been the same, though. Before we ordered off the menu, we peeked in at the buffet offerings. I saw a typical salad bar and the hot food offered was beans, rice, cheese enchiladas and cheese quesadillas. I did not see any meat items on the buffet table, but there were a couple trays that were already empty when I looked. The elaboration for my "misses"...the al pastor chimichanga made this list because the amount of pure fat chunks inside it was about 30% of the entire thing. The shredded beef tacos came out a little bland. It appeared to be the same shredded beef that was inside the enchilada, but not sure why these had a lot less flavor.
(3)
Rae B.
To start off the service was awful. We waited 15 minutes to even be acknowledged in this restaurant upon us entering. Once we were seated we didn't see a server for a good ten minutes. It was extremely hot inside and no windows and the fans were off. They brought us chips and salsa with bean dip, which was so so. The food was definitely not authentic. The beans already had cheese mixed in with them, and the tacos were soggy with only one corn tortilla. All other previous experiences at an authentic Mexican restaurant were with two corn tortillas. The sangria was really good, as was the fajita burrito.. although I couldn't get beans in it because, as mentioned, the cheese was already mixed in, and I can't eat cheese. Having a mild allergy to dairy, this was very upsetting to find out after I had eaten the beans. I would have rated this lower if it were not for the sangria. Recommend to no one. Also, have it be noted that my boyfriend is Mexican and is also an owner of Mexican restaurants.
(2)
Jessica S.
Worst place ever. Called and told them I had a big party and when I arrived they said they had no record of that. There was hair in 3 of the dips. When I asked for water they said they were running low so I couldn't get a refill. They added 3 extra meals to the bill. If you respect your family and have any intelligence DO NOT COME HERE!!!
(1)
Adela B.
Pros: Large room to accommodate large parties. Carne asada meat was good. chili relleno was decent. Fajitas were good and the chicken was tender. They tried to keep the chips and salsa flowing. They did a good job on a large party of about 40. We ordered and ate in a little over an hour. Cons: Avoid the house margarita at all cost! They must've used a taquila that comes in a gallon size plastic bottle. Refried beans were too salty! Salsa didn't have a lot of flavor. Empanadas was really a taco folded in half, neatly. They would not give separate bills but one bill per one huge table that sat over 20 people. They has extensive menu but lacked the authentic taste.
(2)
Maggs R.
All the food is super salty. Beans and rice are just re heated, or it seems like they are. The service is okay.
(1)
Dysko G.
Service was awful! I had to get my own drinks for my party! Took over 20 min to even take drink orders. Food was not bad but for sure not good! Do not recommend to come.
(1)
Christina B.
The food was horrible! I had the Mexican flag plate and the sauces for the enchiladas were horrible. The food was only semi warm like they've been sitting there awhile. My boyfriend had the burrito and asked for asada and got shredded beef. Overall not worth it! Service was slow as well.
(1)
Nicole S.
After raving about how this was the best Mexican place for miles, I was so disappointed to find that they no longer serve beans with their chips. That was the main reason why I drove 45 minutes away to this location! The salsa was still pretty good, and the cheese enchilada just what I was craving, but the rice was a little dry. The side of beans that came with my combo made up for it.
(3)
Valerie M.
Eh was craving some Mexican food. It was good last time but it kinda sucked this time... It wasn't real busy but our food wasn't warm and service was slow. For two people with meals and fried ice cream (which wasn't as great as usual) it was $40. I knew what we were getting into. It's a fast food type of Mexican food. Wish it was better for the price... The manager was nice and asked if everything was okay but I of course felt I was on the spot and lied and said it was okay. Ugh wish I could tell the truth in person! That's on me. They can't fix what they don't know. Probably won't be back for a long time. The only good thing was the chips and salsa. At least the chips were warm....
(2)
Joe S.
Service sucks really bad. Spare from waiting forever and don't bother coming here. Food was so salty that I could not finish eating it. Complained to the manager and he seemed like it was not a surprise about the bad service. Will never be back here again.
(1)
Norma L.
1st time there during this years Laughlin River Run. Noticed it as we road by and went with a huge party. I don't remember the name of our waitress but she was friendly and fast. Got our order right too. The Brunch was decent, good taste, fresh and the price was great. Will be back next year :)
(4)
Shea S.
Love the food but terrible service from the minute we walked in until the minute we left. When we walked in the manager didn't even acknowledge us and it took about 15 minutes after we sat to even have our drink order taken. We heard 4 other tables complain about the service while we were there. The salsa is definitely their saving grace.
(2)
Tani A.
Don't waste your time! We finally got sat after 10 minutes waiting at the host stand.. There were 3 servers that walked by and did not say a word. Once we got sat, we waited 15 minutes before we got our drinks ordered then another 15 minutes went by and we never even got our drinks so we left. Meanwhile all the tables around us were either still dirty or were being taken care of. Many servers walked by but no one stopped. Worst service ever, I can only imagine how awful the food must be. Save yourself time and go somewhere else!
(1)
E L.
This place has been in Bullhead for a LONG time. Over the years we have noticed the food get more and more salty...What are they trying to hide? Over all the service and food is OK. Maybe it needs a new owner with more motivation.
(4)
Don O.
Service: 3/5 stars Food: 3/5 stars Presentation: 3/5 stars Prices: 3/5 stars Not bad overall. We were seated right away and served chips and salsa. The hot salsa was excellent. We had a trainee serving us but she did fine. You could tell she was new at serving and spent a lot of time running in circles. Chicken breast on the grilled chicken salad was way overcooked and dry as was the sirloin on the fajita sandwich. The sandwich was still good. A lot of food at a reasonable price.
(3)
Christie L.
I wanted to make a point to eat here on our recent trip to the Bullhead City/Laughlin area because every time I have driven by the parking lot is packed. It is a big place so there is plenty of seating. They have tables and booths. upon entering there was a man who seated us right away. . Our drink order was taken quickly and chips, bean dip, and two kinds of salsa (mild & hot) were brought to our table. The bean dip was pretty good and the salsa tasted fresh and delicious. The drinks brought to our table were huge and a refill was never necessary because the cups were so big. The salsa bowls are a pretty decent size and it is easy to fill up just on that. We were on a trip though and never have a problem pigging out so we also ordered some "Queso Dip" priced at $6.50 and it was good. I have experienced many kinds of queso dips but this kind was a first. It was loaded with sliced cooked onions. Instead of using chips to dip into the dip, you just break away the tortilla bowl the queso comes in. They have daily lunch specials served 11:00 am - 3:00 pm and after 3:00 pm add $1. You just can't beat the prices. From the lunch menu I ordered the "Mexican Flag" priced at $6.95 and the picture looked more appetizing then it actually tasted. It is three enchiladas, 1 chicken enchilada with verde sauce, 1 machaca enchilada with red sauce and 1 pork enchilada with ranchera sauce. This did not come with rice or beans. The meat inside each enchilada was dry and only the verde sauce was the only decent tasting of the sauces. I will pass on this dish again. My hubby ordered a "Fajita Veggie Burrito" priced at $5.95 and he loved it. I loved that it had fresh slices of avocado on it that I stole to put on my enchiladas! Our server never checked on us. She only took our order, brought our food, and I had to get up and ask for the bill. I'm glad the drinks were so big because if we did need a refill I don't think we would have got it. I mentioned something to the manager on the way out and he apologized. There was enough good things about the meal to make me want to go back and try something else on the menu when passing through town. If I could I would actually give a 3.5 rating. -They offer catering and have banquet rooms -I found it very cool that they have an outdoor dining patio that is dog friendly! -Happy hour is in the bar area and only Monday-Friday 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. -There is a arcade your kiddos can have some fun and play games in. -Check their Summer hours because sometimes they are not open on Friday & Saturday.
(4)
D. M.
Place is okay. Our waiter Tom was great. Brought us everything we asked for and always checked on us. The food is okay. Nothing special. Seems like any other Mexican restaurant. Apparently the godfather burrito is good. Good place for a quick meal.
(3)
Shelley M.
Get a clue El Palacio. You have the largest restaurant in town but consistently serve horrible tasting food. Clean up your act. Bad ambiance, bad decor , ugly grounds and bad food. Last and final time we ate there, I tried the adobo. 1 bite and done. Beans tasted like they cone from a can. Husband's meal was just,as bad. Food is bad but not cheap. Servers could learn a lesson in customer service. They don't become friendly until it's tip time.
(1)
Claudia S.
We have been coming to this restaurant for many years. As the years have gone by the quality of the food and service has declined. We went there on June 18th with our family to celebrate a birthday. We had the most deplorable service and food! Let me mention a few of the problems we encountered at El Palacio. - It took us 40 minutes to order drinks (3 - soft drinks, 3 - ice teas and 2 beers). In fact, we had to get up and find someone to take our order because we were so thirsty. - Even though the restaurant was not too crowded, we were seated in a back room that had ceiling fans and was rather warm. We saw later that there was plenty of seating inside the main restaurant that had air conditioning. We were not loud, rowdy or rude. We were dressed nicely and were clean and well behaved. Everyone in our party was pretty quiet since we had spent the day at the river. Our party was tired and hungry. - We had our order taken approximately one hour after being seated. This is when we finally got some chips and salsa which were gone in an instant. We got up to find a waitress and asked for more but never got any. - Our food was brought to our table after being seated at the restaurant for one hour, 35 minutes. (The restaurant was not crowded. This was a Thursday night.) - Four of our dinner orders were completely wrong. Three of our party kept the meals and ate them anyway because they were hungry, but one meal had to be sent back due to an allergy to cheese. She had ordered shrimp fajitas and she got something completely different with cheese all over it. My daughter ordered a burrito with Ranchera Sauce over it and it came with no Ranchera Sauce and it was cold and dried out. The sauce had soaked into the burrito and the top of the burrito was stiff and cold. It must have been sitting for a very long time. It was also supposed to have avocado inside and it didn't. - Our drinks were never refilled, even though we asked for refills. The room was very warm. - Generally they bring a small dessert at the end of your meal. They never did nor did they honor our request to have my son-in-law sang to for his birthday. - We sat there for approximately 2-1/2 hours at this restaurant. No one came to see if we needed anything. We had to get up and look for a waitress and our requests were never fulfilled. We never got dessert or the check. My husband had to leave the table again to find our waitress and ask for the check. We just wanted to get out of there. We were hot, tired and extremely disappointed. We left at approximately 9:30pm. - My husband never found the waitress but he did find the manager. He told the manager that he was extremely disappointed with the service and the food. The manager rolled his eyes at my husband and said that it's the waitresses fault and there is nothing he can do about it. He didn't care to hear my husband mentioning all of the problems with the food either. **** The management for this restaurant is horrible! A manager should make his guests feel heard and offer to take care of the situation. He never did. He basically dismissed my husband and walked away. If I owned this restaurant, I would fire the manager. We have been in business for many years and I would never allow a manager to treat a guest as if their needs didn't matter. We will never spend one dime at this restaurant in the future and we will make sure that everyone we know doesn't either. My son-in-law in a high ranking officer in the sheriff's department, and my husband is a business man who used to frequent this restaurant in town. I can see a huge problem if things do not get corrected, although it's too late for us. I've never made a negative Yelp until now. Don't waste your money! The food and service are less than desirable.
(1)
may l.
I always like to come here with my boyfriend when were craving a good deal on Mexican food. The portions are always more than generous and the prices are extremely affordable, especially for happy hour, lunch, or the daily specials. The food has always been great every time we've been here. The service is the only thing I would warn you against. I don't know if they just have trouble finding good help right now but the service is always slow and all the servers seem a little green. So if you're in a hurry, I wouldn't recommend it, but otherwise it's nice. Also, I've been told on a visit today that they got rid of the food on their happy hour menu and that there are now only drinks. Boo. :(
(4)
Dane A.
I went for drinks and was glad to see they still have Modelo Negra dark beer on tap. I went just for a few beers and was glad they still offer up free chips with three different dips:hot sauce,medium, and bean. SO it is good I got something to eat as I didn't have lunch that day. Also they have Dos Equis Dark, which is a very good beer to get on draugh tap. This restaurant has been here for decades, as well as the sister restaurant in Fort Mohave called Casa Serrano. I always eat the Desert Burrito or Burro, not sure what it is called, they serve with machaca hand pulled meat. They are very good, that is what I ALWAYS order and stick to because I hav e been disappointed with some of the other dinners I have ordered. If you like dark beer with free corn chips, this is the place to go.
(4)
Heather C.
Craving some good Mexican food and this was some of the worst food I have ever eaten. The food took forever to come out eventhough they were not busy. The food came out cold and one of the orders was wrong. When the food that was fixed only one of the three items came out with a good amount of food. The cheese enchiladas had more cheese on the outside than the inside. The served Hector was very nice and he was the only asset this place has. He brought our concerns to the manager and had our bill adjusted. We definitely won't be coming back unless this place changes its cooks and management. Hector should look for a job in a real restaurant where he can make good money with his excellent customer service.
(1)
Thomas W.
I can not say enough times how slow the service was in both speed and mental awareness. The gentleman all but burned his hands carrying hot plates. I am not sure if they participate in a program, but the larger girl making drinks was not sure of how cold the fridge was without climbing all but fully into it, she got half way before her bulbous body excluded her from diving further in. I am worried, even troubled these people go without supervision. Not sure I will ever eat here again.
(1)
Freddy P.
Great place to eat and hang out, we tried the one in NV but it sucked. This one is AZ is great, we were seated immediately, they brought us our chips and salsa right away. And the prices are a little bit cheaper as well, the restaurant in NV was charging $15 for a shrimp cocktail, here in AZ it was $11 something, and it was the same thing for other items on the menu. The restaurant is across the river so not far at all... I recommend the restaurant in AZ, it's so much better then the one on NV
(4)
Laura M.
I have been to this location many times and it has always been my favorite. I came here tonight for my birthday dinner and was so disappointed! We waited at least 15-20 minutes before the hostess even acknowledged us. Once we were finally seated no one came to even take our drink order for another 30 + minutes. I am currently still waiting on our water as I type this. I am so sad I will never come here again!... So we continued to wait we did get our drinks and waited some more.. We got fed up and decided to leave. When we payed for our drinks the waitress said " I'm sorry you had to wait, I told you it would be more than an hour you can just go to Taco Bell" .... Are you kidding me?? Do not go to this dump ever!! So rude!
(1)
Jason B.
I dont know why it has low ratings but this is very good. Chips and salsa's keep on coming as much as you want. Dinner was good, and I will go back when Im in the area.
(4)
Michelle B.
This place is horrible...horrible food, horrible service and horrible management! We were on a family vacation visiting from California and it was my brother-in-law's birthday on June 18th and he chose to come here for dinner. We had a party of 8. We waited 30 minutes just to be seated, another 30 minutes just to order drinks, then we waited a whole hour after we ordered just for our food to come. They brought my niece and my mom the wrong order, I ordered a wet shrimp burrito and they brought me a cold burrito that looked like it had been sitting for a while considering all the red sauce was soaked into the tortilla. It was disgusting! The waitress was new and didn't know what she was doing. Never came back to refill our chips, drinks, nothing! They had us seated in this one room in the back of the restaraunt that wasn't even air conditioned, mind you it had been 120 degrees out that day. My Dad had to get up and walk around the restaraunt to find someone just to ask for our check at the end. When my Dad confronted the manager about this horrible experience, the manager wasn't apologetic at all and didn't offer to comp us at all either considering our bill was almost $100. My family had been here before but it was my first time and I was less than impressed. We all were. We will never ever visit this restaraunt again. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Don't waste your time or your money.
(1)
LaNora O.
I used to really like El Palacio, but lately, not so much. I've been a few times for taco Tuesday and instead of doing the street-style tacos, have ordered them ala carte off the menu and they have been barely warmed over pre-made tacos. You cannot reheat a fried corn tortilla without it turning very rubbery. The meat was still cold inside. No bueno! Tonight, I had 3 margaritas and didn't even get a buzz. The bucket margaritas used to be $1-2, now $2.95 with absolutely no kick! Wondering if they even put booze in it & charging more for it! Tonight I had the grilled chicken salad. There certainly wasn't $9 worth of food on that plate! If you want good Mexican food, go to El Charro's. If I have a choice, I won't be back unless it's for Happy Hour drinks & appetizers.
(2)
Victoria G.
First Mexican food place with a buffet and I must say we were quite impressed! Very tasty and very fresh! Staff was also very attentive!
(4)
Scott U.
I read some negative reviews but went anyway, I'm glad I did. They have a Lunch special for $4.99, It looked good but I went for the lunch buffet they had for $7.50,I don't know what other people are talking about, I thought it was great. They had a very nice green salad and fixings ,rice and beans, some kind of shredded chicken dish that was very good. An enchilada type dish that was very tasty, quesadilla, and some delicious Pozole. Not to mention chips and salsa when you sit down, plus flan for desert and two types of drink, both tasty. I had the pleasure of talking to two young ladies while waiting for the restaurant to open, one who had previously been employed there. They both said it was still their favorite Mexican restaurant. I asked about cleanliness as I had never been there, and she told me they were clean fanatics. So if you are in Laughlin or Bullhead City and want a delicious meal, in a clean and friendly place go to El Palacio.
(4)
Jean G.
***PROS*** * Seated right away * Offered drinks right away / served drinks promptly * Ordered dinner / served dinner promptly * All of our orders were DELICOIUS * Children's menu available * Chips were refilled; 2 salsas and the fabulous bean dip were served * Great view of the patio * Clean restaurant, friendly atmosphere * Free Wi-Fi * $1.99 margaritas during Happy Hour ***CONS*** * ....... none ....... We love El Palacio and Casa Serrano (Don't love their price increases during Laughlin River Run though!)
(5)
Bob D.
Thumbs-Up / Late Lunch / Early Dinner When ever I have extra time traveling from AZ-CA I like take an overnight-er in Laughlin. While I enjoy gambling at the gaming tables that does not include the casino's dining tables "this is no Vegas" and all you can eat buffets frighten me..."nothing like food in a trough" LOL. Just a short hop across the river in Bullhead AZ lies a good Mexican American diner/cantina that is hard to miss. El Palacio is colorfully decorated and has an oasis in the desert styling "big surprise right?", the staff was very friendly and the food portions along with the quality were great! The fare is mostly what you would expect and it was all delicious, the sopapillas at dessert had to be the finest presentation I have had ever and I highly recommend them! If you are a dog lover they not only offer an outdoor friendly area, but a special menu jut for K-9's.The offer of outdoor seating while nice in theory would be insane considering the 114 degree in the shade day, that is hot enough to melt flatware for pete's sake!
(3)
Tim G.
Chips & salsa delivered quickly. Chips seemed to be out of a plastic bag, the "mild" salsa was bland, the "spicy" salsa was smoky, but not all that spicy. It took a while to get our drink order in, (finally taken by a busboy) and even longer to order food. As a preventative measure, when the waitress finally came, we ordered our main course, and an appetizer. The main was delivered, but the appetizer was not, so we cancelled it. The "Mexican Flag" was uninspiring, with no discernible flavor. The special sour cream didn't compliment any of the enchilada flavors. The Ala Carte # 1's chili relleno cheese was just barely warm and not melted. The spinach enchilada had no cheese, and was barely warm. Neither had any flavor. I asked for a refill of my iced tea, and my glass disappeared until after the bill was delivered. It took a while for the wait staff to identify which of several bills was ours but, once sorted, they were quick to process the credit card payment. We were told this was the best Mexican restaurant in Bullhead. I hope not.
(2)
Mona M.
Had the $10 buffet. Menudo and posole was okay. 1 omelet lady cooking with 1 pan with a long line the whole time we were there. Should've grabbed a flan when I first got there since they never put anymore out. People next to us asked what they have for soda the waiter said Pepsi only. Wouldn't come back again.
(1)
Kellee K.
I love their daily lunch specials. Good selection, cheap prices, and friendly service. We stop in whenever we visit Laughlin. On a recent visit the salsa was great as always. We also had the tostada and tamale with chicken and cheese flauta. Our lunch hit the spot for $15, you gotta love it.
(4)
Michelle G.
I never had a chance to eat the food...however what service we did have was HORRIBLE!! We put in our name for a table for 9. We waited 55 minutes before we all got up and left. Who knows how long we would have waited had we stayed?? The large party before us apparently was also displeased with the service because they told us good luck as they were leaving. 25 minutes into waiting we told the hostess we were willing to be split up if that could get us a table quicker. We asked to speak to the manager after we saw at least 7 other parties of 4 seated as soon as they walked in. The manager never came to the front to talk to us. The hostess seemed so flustered and not helpful at all. Thank goodness for Casa Serrano who saved our hungry tummies!! YAY Casa Serrano!!!
(1)
Marlin K.
go to orials
(2)
Ashton C.
I really wanted to like this place....and while the food was just ok, the service was horrible. We waited 10 min to place a drink order, another 10 to place a food order and never had the same waitress twice. No one refilled our water and and the margaritas were grossly overpriced for a mix. Like I stated before, the food was ok...but the bad service makes this place not worth it.
(2)
Angel S.
First, let me start by saying they would get a one star rating if the experience was completely based on just today. We actually sought out four other Mexican restaurants in Bullhead City prior; but, unfortunately being a Sunday they were all closed. We have been coming here for years and years and have slowly watched it deteriorate into a two star restaurant. We showed up for a late lunch/early dinner around 5 p.m. and were greeted with a dirty booth. Typically, upon seating you get two types of salsa, beans, and chips, except this time we had to ask four different times for the beans. My wife ordered a desert burrito which comes with meat and asked to substitute zucchini instead of the meat and cheese. They advised that it would be an additional dollar charge which we went ahead and did even though it didn't seem fair. When the meal arrived the zucchini seemed as if it was just cut and thrown in the burrito without even being cooked. I had a bean and rice burrito which was coated with uncooked onions and was luke warm at best. We sent her burrito back and decided to just split mine so we can get out of there. We even struggled to get things like drink and chip refills and overall the ambiance just isn't there anymore. Our server seemed very sweet but obviously was distracted by a lack of overall organization. One suggestion would be if a customer complains about food, the manager should immediately make contact with them and see what can be done to improve. Failing to do so just shows an overall lack of concern for customer service. Two weeks ago we went to Casa Serrano in Ft. Mohave and it was marginally better. It is very sad because we have told dozens of people about this restaurant chain and also have had several annual large parties there. This rating today isn't based one experienced but more of five or six in a row. From now on I think we will skip El Palacio and even if every other Mexican restaurant is closed we will stop by the store and pick up some beans to cook ourselves.
(2)
Maytte G.
My family and I came from California to Arizona. I yelp Mexican restaurants and this appeared first. The food is really good, good portions, reasonable prices(except the.steak tacos, kinda expensive $10)., and lovely service. Our waitress was really nice and attentive to our needs. Immediately she sat us and asked for our beverage choices. In addition, she brought us beans and salsa. My mom loved the spicy salsa choices as well as the beans. Our meals were great and cooked well. From my experience I could not have gone to another location. It was great. The deep fried vanilla ice cream was delicious. The Horchata wasn't the best.
(4)
Marylee T.
They have a couple of good things on the menu; nothing healthy. I like the Mexican pizza and the Desert Burrito. The shredded beef is tender and tasty. Their chips have garlic salt on them, which is odd, and I'm not crazy about their salsa. I prefer something a little fresher tasting; theirs tastes like they make it well in advance.
(3)
Brian R.
The staff was friendly, but that's all they had. The food was over priced, small portions and it had WAY too much salt on it.
(2)
Orv M.
OK, it's not LA or Sante Fe or Austin; but not bad if you're stuck in Bullhead City. Good hot salsa and bean dip. Extensive menu (don't know how they manage consistency with 200 items). Food was fine, nothing was a knockout or bad. Decent margs. Slow service each of 2 times we went, need to staff up; besides more servers, need a receptionist to seat people instead of having serviers do it.
(3)
Nettie P.
I've been here many times whenever I'm in town. My family and I are always seated right away and we are usually a party of 7-10 people. The salsa is delicious and the bean dip is great too. I really like the tortilla soup, it is flavorful and healthy. Overall I have had a good experience here. Service can be a little slow but it is always friendly. Overall very satisfied!
(4)
Rusty S.
we used to go there mainly for the bar to kick back play buzz time trivia have a few drinks and get a few super tacos. the bar is nice for happy hour with free appetizers. they used to have a bartender named bill who was on to of things never needed to flag him down and always kept your chips and salsa filled. the last few times we went some lady was bar tending and she was right there for your drink order. the problem was getting her back to order food or another round .so it is not worth the headaches of dealing with her seeing the food is average at best ( except the super tacos in flour tortillas) when we can go to buffalo wild wings to play buzz time .the food is aver
(2)
Diwata P.
It's a cute restaurant with Mexican flair. Our server was friendly and attentive. The food portions were huge, but everything was just way too salty. The three things I actually did like - tortilla chips, bean dip, and the mild salsa. My machaca and eggs burrito style was nothing memorable. My boyfriend had the make-your-own combo which he had the empanada, pork tamale, and chicken flauta. The empanada was greasy and bland, the pork tamale tasted different than other pork tamales I've had (I had better from those people selling tamale in grocery store parking lots), and the chicken flauta was average. I think the best thing he ordered was a large horchata which felt refreshing after a long day playing in the river. So the question I pose to myself ... would I come back here again? Probably not. There's so many other Mexican restaurants in the area that look much more promising than this place.
(2)
Melissa V.
Just got back from a mini vacation in Laughlin with friends and tried this place. The food was pretty good and the margaritas strong! I would go back to this restaruant if I were in town again. Oh and if you are a BIG eater you might want to try the 30inch burrito. My boyfriend and friend thought they were "man vs. food"...food won!
(3)
Roy H.
I asked a couple of locals for their favorite Mexican restaurant. Both mentioned El Palacio so I decided to give it a shot. Loved the hot, spicy salsa...hot and good flavor. Tried a 3 way combo- the shredded beef taco was excellent...shredded beef enchilada was boring, and I didn't care for the chile relleno...not much taste to it. Prices were very reasonable but the service was almost non existent.
(3)
Toni R.
Decent food. The Spanish rice was tasty, but the beans were so salty I could not eat it. My flauta was a little greasy but good on flavor. Hubby had a burrito with beef but couldn't give me much more to yelp about ........typical guy. Best part was the friendly waiter. Overall the food was a bit more expensive than the quality reflects.
(3)
Peter G.
Wow. Worst Mexican food I've eaten in a long time. Nasty, salty and pathetic service. Server said "Oh...I have served parties of 80 receivig an $700 tip" Yeah Right! She could barely take care of a party of 10! Stay clear. Not so much the poor service...Just the poor food. Kinda sad :(
(1)
Mike D.
Absolutely HORRIBLE service and just okay food!! Went here a few weeks ago and waited over an hour to get our food. After an hour of waiting, I asked the waiter if he could let me know how much longer it would be for our food his response (very rudely) was I'm sure they are back there cooking it along with the other 40 people's food that came in before you! WTF! First of all there were not 40 other people in the entire restaurant secondly, the food is not made to order, obviously or it would taste a hell of a lot better! Needless to say we will not be back here!!!
(1)
Allison Y.
I was in Bullhead this weekend looking for a suggestion on Yelp and was surprised to see such a low rating for the El Palacio. I have been here many times so I wanted to add my review. I love the bean dip and chips. I would go there just for that. I have also had the taco platter with large groups many times. I'm not sure if they even put it on the menu, but it is a large platter with pork, chicken, and steak and everyone makes their own tacos. Perfect for a group of 6 or 8. I see many complaints about the service - stick with Tom, he's the best! Can't comment on anyone else since he's always my server.
(4)
Mark C.
Wow I'm not the only one then! This place sucks. I'd rather eat those crappy store bought beans any day. Everything is just so freakin bland and overcooked. My search for a good mexican restaurant in the area has just ended. I've gone up and down highway 95 and I can't find good mexican food anywhere. I am truly sad
(1)
Bill W.
Everytime we goto Laughlin we always hit up El Palacio. Some of the best Mexican food around, and believe me, I know Mexican food!! Growing up in Southern California I've been enjoying this cuisine my entire life. El Palacio is a large restaurant with great food and excellent service. I never had a bad meal here. Tonight we were seated as soon as we arrived. As we were settling into our table, our drink order was taken and chips, two kinds of salsa, and a bean dip was brought to us. Tuesday nights are $0.99 taco night. Choices of chicken, shredded beef, ground beef, and pork were offered. I had two chicken, shredded beef and a pork tacos. The salsa bar offered 5 different salsas, all were very good. Tacos were good size, same size as you wound find at Taco Bell. Four filled me, as i usually eat good size meals. Chicken tacos were the best, pork being second, and he shredded beef taking a close third. Writing this review is making me hungry for El Palacio again.
(4)
Justin R.
Food is below average amerimex, no real spices to speak of and tons of cheese and sour cream (which you sure don't find a couple thousand miles to the south) which is to be expected I guess for a vacation area. What really bothered me about the place is how shamelessly they try to gouge people for a few extra dollars. We just moved to the area and went in a couple times. The second time was during a big tourist weekend. When we got there according to their own dry erase board it was happy hour, so we preceded to order some margaritas, when it came time to pay the bartender informed us that there was no happy hour as it was a busy weekend, when I pointed out the sign he just shrugged his shoulders and said that is how it is. I asked to speak to the manager as this constitutes false advertising. The manager Max was very condescending and said he could not discount our drinks to happy hour prices for some reason but could give us a free appitizer next time we came in. No thanks Max, you just lost business from locals who go out a lot and live up the street.
(1)
Carrie G.
Really the only thing this restaurant has going for it is the bean dip. But be aware big weekends( River Run, Labor Day) they don't bring it to the table for free.
(2)
Adrienn T.
Hard to believe that it's a sister restaurant to Casa Cerrano in Fort Mohave where the food is always up to par and the service is superb
(1)
Joy G.
Hit & Miss. Hits: Service provided by Saul. Shredded Beef Enchilada. Carne Asada Quesadilla Drink Refills provided by other staff members. Free chips w/ hot, mild & bean dip Free dessert Misses: Service provided by hostess that seated us. Al Pastor Chimichanga. Shredded Beef Tacos Each table, no matter how many people, only gets one menu to share I'm currently on the fence. The lady we dealt with there could probably use some customer service training (or a job in the back of the house). Most of the food was tasty. I suspect that we got free dessert because the waiter possibly saw us both using our Yelp app. Without the free dessert, the rating and review would have been the same, though. Before we ordered off the menu, we peeked in at the buffet offerings. I saw a typical salad bar and the hot food offered was beans, rice, cheese enchiladas and cheese quesadillas. I did not see any meat items on the buffet table, but there were a couple trays that were already empty when I looked. The elaboration for my "misses"...the al pastor chimichanga made this list because the amount of pure fat chunks inside it was about 30% of the entire thing. The shredded beef tacos came out a little bland. It appeared to be the same shredded beef that was inside the enchilada, but not sure why these had a lot less flavor.
(3)
Nicole S.
After raving about how this was the best Mexican place for miles, I was so disappointed to find that they no longer serve beans with their chips. That was the main reason why I drove 45 minutes away to this location! The salsa was still pretty good, and the cheese enchilada just what I was craving, but the rice was a little dry. The side of beans that came with my combo made up for it.
(3)
Rae B.
To start off the service was awful. We waited 15 minutes to even be acknowledged in this restaurant upon us entering. Once we were seated we didn't see a server for a good ten minutes. It was extremely hot inside and no windows and the fans were off. They brought us chips and salsa with bean dip, which was so so. The food was definitely not authentic. The beans already had cheese mixed in with them, and the tacos were soggy with only one corn tortilla. All other previous experiences at an authentic Mexican restaurant were with two corn tortillas. The sangria was really good, as was the fajita burrito.. although I couldn't get beans in it because, as mentioned, the cheese was already mixed in, and I can't eat cheese. Having a mild allergy to dairy, this was very upsetting to find out after I had eaten the beans. I would have rated this lower if it were not for the sangria. Recommend to no one. Also, have it be noted that my boyfriend is Mexican and is also an owner of Mexican restaurants.
(2)
Jessica S.
Worst place ever. Called and told them I had a big party and when I arrived they said they had no record of that. There was hair in 3 of the dips. When I asked for water they said they were running low so I couldn't get a refill. They added 3 extra meals to the bill. If you respect your family and have any intelligence DO NOT COME HERE!!!
(1)
Adela B.
Pros: Large room to accommodate large parties. Carne asada meat was good. chili relleno was decent. Fajitas were good and the chicken was tender. They tried to keep the chips and salsa flowing. They did a good job on a large party of about 40. We ordered and ate in a little over an hour. Cons: Avoid the house margarita at all cost! They must've used a taquila that comes in a gallon size plastic bottle. Refried beans were too salty! Salsa didn't have a lot of flavor. Empanadas was really a taco folded in half, neatly. They would not give separate bills but one bill per one huge table that sat over 20 people. They has extensive menu but lacked the authentic taste.
(2)
Maggs R.
All the food is super salty. Beans and rice are just re heated, or it seems like they are. The service is okay.
(1)
Dysko G.
Service was awful! I had to get my own drinks for my party! Took over 20 min to even take drink orders. Food was not bad but for sure not good! Do not recommend to come.
(1)
Christina B.
The food was horrible! I had the Mexican flag plate and the sauces for the enchiladas were horrible. The food was only semi warm like they've been sitting there awhile. My boyfriend had the burrito and asked for asada and got shredded beef. Overall not worth it! Service was slow as well.
(1)
Joe S.
Service sucks really bad. Spare from waiting forever and don't bother coming here. Food was so salty that I could not finish eating it. Complained to the manager and he seemed like it was not a surprise about the bad service. Will never be back here again.
(1)
Valerie M.
Eh was craving some Mexican food. It was good last time but it kinda sucked this time... It wasn't real busy but our food wasn't warm and service was slow. For two people with meals and fried ice cream (which wasn't as great as usual) it was $40. I knew what we were getting into. It's a fast food type of Mexican food. Wish it was better for the price... The manager was nice and asked if everything was okay but I of course felt I was on the spot and lied and said it was okay. Ugh wish I could tell the truth in person! That's on me. They can't fix what they don't know. Probably won't be back for a long time. The only good thing was the chips and salsa. At least the chips were warm....
(2)
Norma L.
1st time there during this years Laughlin River Run. Noticed it as we road by and went with a huge party. I don't remember the name of our waitress but she was friendly and fast. Got our order right too. The Brunch was decent, good taste, fresh and the price was great. Will be back next year :)
(4)
D. M.
Place is okay. Our waiter Tom was great. Brought us everything we asked for and always checked on us. The food is okay. Nothing special. Seems like any other Mexican restaurant. Apparently the godfather burrito is good. Good place for a quick meal.
(3)
M F.
Ate the lunch buffet today (Saturday). $9.99 pp includes iced tea, coffee and mango water. They had pork carnitas, chili rellanos, enchiladas, tostadas, menudo, salad, rice (excellent), beans, shrimp ceviche and flan with chips and two types of salsas. We dine at a Mexican restaurant every day and really enjoyed the buffet. The pork was very flavorful. The chili relleno and rice were some of the best we have ever had!. Wish they would have had guacamole on the buffet and another type of dessert (fried ice cream would be nice). The flan was just ok. The mango water is a nice touch and very refreshing. We mixed the two salsas together, and it was amazing. We'll definitely dine there again. Service was really good, as well.
(4)
Tani A.
Don't waste your time! We finally got sat after 10 minutes waiting at the host stand.. There were 3 servers that walked by and did not say a word. Once we got sat, we waited 15 minutes before we got our drinks ordered then another 15 minutes went by and we never even got our drinks so we left. Meanwhile all the tables around us were either still dirty or were being taken care of. Many servers walked by but no one stopped. Worst service ever, I can only imagine how awful the food must be. Save yourself time and go somewhere else!
(1)
E L.
This place has been in Bullhead for a LONG time. Over the years we have noticed the food get more and more salty...What are they trying to hide? Over all the service and food is OK. Maybe it needs a new owner with more motivation.
(4)
Christie L.
I wanted to make a point to eat here on our recent trip to the Bullhead City/Laughlin area because every time I have driven by the parking lot is packed. It is a big place so there is plenty of seating. They have tables and booths. upon entering there was a man who seated us right away. . Our drink order was taken quickly and chips, bean dip, and two kinds of salsa (mild & hot) were brought to our table. The bean dip was pretty good and the salsa tasted fresh and delicious. The drinks brought to our table were huge and a refill was never necessary because the cups were so big. The salsa bowls are a pretty decent size and it is easy to fill up just on that. We were on a trip though and never have a problem pigging out so we also ordered some "Queso Dip" priced at $6.50 and it was good. I have experienced many kinds of queso dips but this kind was a first. It was loaded with sliced cooked onions. Instead of using chips to dip into the dip, you just break away the tortilla bowl the queso comes in. They have daily lunch specials served 11:00 am - 3:00 pm and after 3:00 pm add $1. You just can't beat the prices. From the lunch menu I ordered the "Mexican Flag" priced at $6.95 and the picture looked more appetizing then it actually tasted. It is three enchiladas, 1 chicken enchilada with verde sauce, 1 machaca enchilada with red sauce and 1 pork enchilada with ranchera sauce. This did not come with rice or beans. The meat inside each enchilada was dry and only the verde sauce was the only decent tasting of the sauces. I will pass on this dish again. My hubby ordered a "Fajita Veggie Burrito" priced at $5.95 and he loved it. I loved that it had fresh slices of avocado on it that I stole to put on my enchiladas! Our server never checked on us. She only took our order, brought our food, and I had to get up and ask for the bill. I'm glad the drinks were so big because if we did need a refill I don't think we would have got it. I mentioned something to the manager on the way out and he apologized. There was enough good things about the meal to make me want to go back and try something else on the menu when passing through town. If I could I would actually give a 3.5 rating. -They offer catering and have banquet rooms -I found it very cool that they have an outdoor dining patio that is dog friendly! -Happy hour is in the bar area and only Monday-Friday 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. -There is a arcade your kiddos can have some fun and play games in. -Check their Summer hours because sometimes they are not open on Friday & Saturday.
(4)
Shelley M.
Get a clue El Palacio. You have the largest restaurant in town but consistently serve horrible tasting food. Clean up your act. Bad ambiance, bad decor , ugly grounds and bad food. Last and final time we ate there, I tried the adobo. 1 bite and done. Beans tasted like they cone from a can. Husband's meal was just,as bad. Food is bad but not cheap. Servers could learn a lesson in customer service. They don't become friendly until it's tip time.
(1)
Dan W.
I was here with Thomas and agree that the service was the slowest ever. their mental awareness was quite off for customers. I am not sure they even knew we were there. Once they got a clew they took our order and it was back to waiting. We both finished our beers and could not even get someone to see that we needed more. our chips were gone to. my god WTF???? really???? Where did everyone go??? was there a party out back or in the kitchen we were a partied to?? well when they finally came out we got some bean dip and more chips. we even got a cold beer. wow!!! then we waited again....... and again.... all of the sudden out of the kitchen comes this lame brain with 2 plates and almost dropped one on the bar so hard it just about broke the plate. the server said the plates are very hot and he had no glove or even a towel. bare handed! what a klutz!! my grandmother would have called him a lummox or a buffoon for sure!!! maybe someone needs to babysit this crew and insure they have some sort of management showing them how to serve hot plates. the food was just OK. nothing special. More waiting for our check... OMG Really???? I would highly suggest going elsewhere if you want any kind of service. Maybe we should have ordered a bucket of beers so we would not have to wait. whatever, go somewhere else and read the rest of the reviews if you think I am to hard on this place.
(1)
Sindy V.
Terrible service. Sat waiting for a server to take our drink order for 25 min. No one acknowledged that we were there. This is the second time this has happened. Never going again
(1)
Shea S.
Love the food but terrible service from the minute we walked in until the minute we left. When we walked in the manager didn't even acknowledge us and it took about 15 minutes after we sat to even have our drink order taken. We heard 4 other tables complain about the service while we were there. The salsa is definitely their saving grace.
(2)
may l.
I always like to come here with my boyfriend when were craving a good deal on Mexican food. The portions are always more than generous and the prices are extremely affordable, especially for happy hour, lunch, or the daily specials. The food has always been great every time we've been here. The service is the only thing I would warn you against. I don't know if they just have trouble finding good help right now but the service is always slow and all the servers seem a little green. So if you're in a hurry, I wouldn't recommend it, but otherwise it's nice. Also, I've been told on a visit today that they got rid of the food on their happy hour menu and that there are now only drinks. Boo. :(
(4)
Victoria G.
First Mexican food place with a buffet and I must say we were quite impressed! Very tasty and very fresh! Staff was also very attentive!
(4)
Claudia S.
We have been coming to this restaurant for many years. As the years have gone by the quality of the food and service has declined. We went there on June 18th with our family to celebrate a birthday. We had the most deplorable service and food! Let me mention a few of the problems we encountered at El Palacio. - It took us 40 minutes to order drinks (3 - soft drinks, 3 - ice teas and 2 beers). In fact, we had to get up and find someone to take our order because we were so thirsty. - Even though the restaurant was not too crowded, we were seated in a back room that had ceiling fans and was rather warm. We saw later that there was plenty of seating inside the main restaurant that had air conditioning. We were not loud, rowdy or rude. We were dressed nicely and were clean and well behaved. Everyone in our party was pretty quiet since we had spent the day at the river. Our party was tired and hungry. - We had our order taken approximately one hour after being seated. This is when we finally got some chips and salsa which were gone in an instant. We got up to find a waitress and asked for more but never got any. - Our food was brought to our table after being seated at the restaurant for one hour, 35 minutes. (The restaurant was not crowded. This was a Thursday night.) - Four of our dinner orders were completely wrong. Three of our party kept the meals and ate them anyway because they were hungry, but one meal had to be sent back due to an allergy to cheese. She had ordered shrimp fajitas and she got something completely different with cheese all over it. My daughter ordered a burrito with Ranchera Sauce over it and it came with no Ranchera Sauce and it was cold and dried out. The sauce had soaked into the burrito and the top of the burrito was stiff and cold. It must have been sitting for a very long time. It was also supposed to have avocado inside and it didn't. - Our drinks were never refilled, even though we asked for refills. The room was very warm. - Generally they bring a small dessert at the end of your meal. They never did nor did they honor our request to have my son-in-law sang to for his birthday. - We sat there for approximately 2-1/2 hours at this restaurant. No one came to see if we needed anything. We had to get up and look for a waitress and our requests were never fulfilled. We never got dessert or the check. My husband had to leave the table again to find our waitress and ask for the check. We just wanted to get out of there. We were hot, tired and extremely disappointed. We left at approximately 9:30pm. - My husband never found the waitress but he did find the manager. He told the manager that he was extremely disappointed with the service and the food. The manager rolled his eyes at my husband and said that it's the waitresses fault and there is nothing he can do about it. He didn't care to hear my husband mentioning all of the problems with the food either. **** The management for this restaurant is horrible! A manager should make his guests feel heard and offer to take care of the situation. He never did. He basically dismissed my husband and walked away. If I owned this restaurant, I would fire the manager. We have been in business for many years and I would never allow a manager to treat a guest as if their needs didn't matter. We will never spend one dime at this restaurant in the future and we will make sure that everyone we know doesn't either. My son-in-law in a high ranking officer in the sheriff's department, and my husband is a business man who used to frequent this restaurant in town. I can see a huge problem if things do not get corrected, although it's too late for us. I've never made a negative Yelp until now. Don't waste your money! The food and service are less than desirable.
(1)
LaNora O.
I used to really like El Palacio, but lately, not so much. I've been a few times for taco Tuesday and instead of doing the street-style tacos, have ordered them ala carte off the menu and they have been barely warmed over pre-made tacos. You cannot reheat a fried corn tortilla without it turning very rubbery. The meat was still cold inside. No bueno! Tonight, I had 3 margaritas and didn't even get a buzz. The bucket margaritas used to be $1-2, now $2.95 with absolutely no kick! Wondering if they even put booze in it & charging more for it! Tonight I had the grilled chicken salad. There certainly wasn't $9 worth of food on that plate! If you want good Mexican food, go to El Charro's. If I have a choice, I won't be back unless it's for Happy Hour drinks & appetizers.
(2)
Scott U.
I read some negative reviews but went anyway, I'm glad I did. They have a Lunch special for $4.99, It looked good but I went for the lunch buffet they had for $7.50,I don't know what other people are talking about, I thought it was great. They had a very nice green salad and fixings ,rice and beans, some kind of shredded chicken dish that was very good. An enchilada type dish that was very tasty, quesadilla, and some delicious Pozole. Not to mention chips and salsa when you sit down, plus flan for desert and two types of drink, both tasty. I had the pleasure of talking to two young ladies while waiting for the restaurant to open, one who had previously been employed there. They both said it was still their favorite Mexican restaurant. I asked about cleanliness as I had never been there, and she told me they were clean fanatics. So if you are in Laughlin or Bullhead City and want a delicious meal, in a clean and friendly place go to El Palacio.
(4)
Jean G.
***PROS*** * Seated right away * Offered drinks right away / served drinks promptly * Ordered dinner / served dinner promptly * All of our orders were DELICOIUS * Children's menu available * Chips were refilled; 2 salsas and the fabulous bean dip were served * Great view of the patio * Clean restaurant, friendly atmosphere * Free Wi-Fi * $1.99 margaritas during Happy Hour ***CONS*** * ....... none ....... We love El Palacio and Casa Serrano (Don't love their price increases during Laughlin River Run though!)
(5)
Bob D.
Thumbs-Up / Late Lunch / Early Dinner When ever I have extra time traveling from AZ-CA I like take an overnight-er in Laughlin. While I enjoy gambling at the gaming tables that does not include the casino's dining tables "this is no Vegas" and all you can eat buffets frighten me..."nothing like food in a trough" LOL. Just a short hop across the river in Bullhead AZ lies a good Mexican American diner/cantina that is hard to miss. El Palacio is colorfully decorated and has an oasis in the desert styling "big surprise right?", the staff was very friendly and the food portions along with the quality were great! The fare is mostly what you would expect and it was all delicious, the sopapillas at dessert had to be the finest presentation I have had ever and I highly recommend them! If you are a dog lover they not only offer an outdoor friendly area, but a special menu jut for K-9's.The offer of outdoor seating while nice in theory would be insane considering the 114 degree in the shade day, that is hot enough to melt flatware for pete's sake!
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes 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 Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Wed, Thu, Sun Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : 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.
Maggs R.
All the food is super salty. Beans and rice are just re heated, or it seems like they are. The service is okay.
(1)Nicole S.
After raving about how this was the best Mexican place for miles, I was so disappointed to find that they no longer serve beans with their chips. That was the main reason why I drove 45 minutes away to this location! The salsa was still pretty good, and the cheese enchilada just what I was craving, but the rice was a little dry. The side of beans that came with my combo made up for it.
(3)Jean G.
***PROS*** * Seated right away * Offered drinks right away / served drinks promptly * Ordered dinner / served dinner promptly * All of our orders were DELICOIUS * Children's menu available * Chips were refilled; 2 salsas and the fabulous bean dip were served * Great view of the patio * Clean restaurant, friendly atmosphere * Free Wi-Fi * $1.99 margaritas during Happy Hour ***CONS*** * ....... none ....... We love El Palacio and Casa Serrano (Don't love their price increases during Laughlin River Run though!)
(5)Dysko G.
Service was awful! I had to get my own drinks for my party! Took over 20 min to even take drink orders. Food was not bad but for sure not good! Do not recommend to come.
(1)Christina B.
The food was horrible! I had the Mexican flag plate and the sauces for the enchiladas were horrible. The food was only semi warm like they've been sitting there awhile. My boyfriend had the burrito and asked for asada and got shredded beef. Overall not worth it! Service was slow as well.
(1)Marylee T.
They have a couple of good things on the menu; nothing healthy. I like the Mexican pizza and the Desert Burrito. The shredded beef is tender and tasty. Their chips have garlic salt on them, which is odd, and I'm not crazy about their salsa. I prefer something a little fresher tasting; theirs tastes like they make it well in advance.
(3)Brian R.
The staff was friendly, but that's all they had. The food was over priced, small portions and it had WAY too much salt on it.
(2)Ashton C.
I really wanted to like this place....and while the food was just ok, the service was horrible. We waited 10 min to place a drink order, another 10 to place a food order and never had the same waitress twice. No one refilled our water and and the margaritas were grossly overpriced for a mix. Like I stated before, the food was ok...but the bad service makes this place not worth it.
(2)Don O.
Service: 3/5 stars Food: 3/5 stars Presentation: 3/5 stars Prices: 3/5 stars Not bad overall. We were seated right away and served chips and salsa. The hot salsa was excellent. We had a trainee serving us but she did fine. You could tell she was new at serving and spent a lot of time running in circles. Chicken breast on the grilled chicken salad was way overcooked and dry as was the sirloin on the fajita sandwich. The sandwich was still good. A lot of food at a reasonable price.
(3)Joy G.
Hit & Miss. Hits: Service provided by Saul. Shredded Beef Enchilada. Carne Asada Quesadilla Drink Refills provided by other staff members. Free chips w/ hot, mild & bean dip Free dessert Misses: Service provided by hostess that seated us. Al Pastor Chimichanga. Shredded Beef Tacos Each table, no matter how many people, only gets one menu to share I'm currently on the fence. The lady we dealt with there could probably use some customer service training (or a job in the back of the house). Most of the food was tasty. I suspect that we got free dessert because the waiter possibly saw us both using our Yelp app. Without the free dessert, the rating and review would have been the same, though. Before we ordered off the menu, we peeked in at the buffet offerings. I saw a typical salad bar and the hot food offered was beans, rice, cheese enchiladas and cheese quesadillas. I did not see any meat items on the buffet table, but there were a couple trays that were already empty when I looked. The elaboration for my "misses"...the al pastor chimichanga made this list because the amount of pure fat chunks inside it was about 30% of the entire thing. The shredded beef tacos came out a little bland. It appeared to be the same shredded beef that was inside the enchilada, but not sure why these had a lot less flavor.
(3)Rae B.
To start off the service was awful. We waited 15 minutes to even be acknowledged in this restaurant upon us entering. Once we were seated we didn't see a server for a good ten minutes. It was extremely hot inside and no windows and the fans were off. They brought us chips and salsa with bean dip, which was so so. The food was definitely not authentic. The beans already had cheese mixed in with them, and the tacos were soggy with only one corn tortilla. All other previous experiences at an authentic Mexican restaurant were with two corn tortillas. The sangria was really good, as was the fajita burrito.. although I couldn't get beans in it because, as mentioned, the cheese was already mixed in, and I can't eat cheese. Having a mild allergy to dairy, this was very upsetting to find out after I had eaten the beans. I would have rated this lower if it were not for the sangria. Recommend to no one. Also, have it be noted that my boyfriend is Mexican and is also an owner of Mexican restaurants.
(2)Jessica S.
Worst place ever. Called and told them I had a big party and when I arrived they said they had no record of that. There was hair in 3 of the dips. When I asked for water they said they were running low so I couldn't get a refill. They added 3 extra meals to the bill. If you respect your family and have any intelligence DO NOT COME HERE!!!
(1)Adela B.
Pros: Large room to accommodate large parties. Carne asada meat was good. chili relleno was decent. Fajitas were good and the chicken was tender. They tried to keep the chips and salsa flowing. They did a good job on a large party of about 40. We ordered and ate in a little over an hour. Cons: Avoid the house margarita at all cost! They must've used a taquila that comes in a gallon size plastic bottle. Refried beans were too salty! Salsa didn't have a lot of flavor. Empanadas was really a taco folded in half, neatly. They would not give separate bills but one bill per one huge table that sat over 20 people. They has extensive menu but lacked the authentic taste.
(2)Valerie M.
Eh was craving some Mexican food. It was good last time but it kinda sucked this time... It wasn't real busy but our food wasn't warm and service was slow. For two people with meals and fried ice cream (which wasn't as great as usual) it was $40. I knew what we were getting into. It's a fast food type of Mexican food. Wish it was better for the price... The manager was nice and asked if everything was okay but I of course felt I was on the spot and lied and said it was okay. Ugh wish I could tell the truth in person! That's on me. They can't fix what they don't know. Probably won't be back for a long time. The only good thing was the chips and salsa. At least the chips were warm....
(2)Joe S.
Service sucks really bad. Spare from waiting forever and don't bother coming here. Food was so salty that I could not finish eating it. Complained to the manager and he seemed like it was not a surprise about the bad service. Will never be back here again.
(1)Orv M.
OK, it's not LA or Sante Fe or Austin; but not bad if you're stuck in Bullhead City. Good hot salsa and bean dip. Extensive menu (don't know how they manage consistency with 200 items). Food was fine, nothing was a knockout or bad. Decent margs. Slow service each of 2 times we went, need to staff up; besides more servers, need a receptionist to seat people instead of having serviers do it.
(3)Nettie P.
I've been here many times whenever I'm in town. My family and I are always seated right away and we are usually a party of 7-10 people. The salsa is delicious and the bean dip is great too. I really like the tortilla soup, it is flavorful and healthy. Overall I have had a good experience here. Service can be a little slow but it is always friendly. Overall very satisfied!
(4)Rusty S.
we used to go there mainly for the bar to kick back play buzz time trivia have a few drinks and get a few super tacos. the bar is nice for happy hour with free appetizers. they used to have a bartender named bill who was on to of things never needed to flag him down and always kept your chips and salsa filled. the last few times we went some lady was bar tending and she was right there for your drink order. the problem was getting her back to order food or another round .so it is not worth the headaches of dealing with her seeing the food is average at best ( except the super tacos in flour tortillas) when we can go to buffalo wild wings to play buzz time .the food is aver
(2)Allison Y.
I was in Bullhead this weekend looking for a suggestion on Yelp and was surprised to see such a low rating for the El Palacio. I have been here many times so I wanted to add my review. I love the bean dip and chips. I would go there just for that. I have also had the taco platter with large groups many times. I'm not sure if they even put it on the menu, but it is a large platter with pork, chicken, and steak and everyone makes their own tacos. Perfect for a group of 6 or 8. I see many complaints about the service - stick with Tom, he's the best! Can't comment on anyone else since he's always my server.
(4)Adrienn T.
Hard to believe that it's a sister restaurant to Casa Cerrano in Fort Mohave where the food is always up to par and the service is superb
(1)Tim C.
Hands down the worst mexican i have ever had. Nasty gross food with service just as bad.
(1)Robin E.
Bean dip was tasty and the service was prompt and friendly. But the food poisoning I got after eating a chicken tostada there ruined any thought of ever going back to El Palacio. Now when I drive by the pink palace, I cringe.
(1)Norma L.
1st time there during this years Laughlin River Run. Noticed it as we road by and went with a huge party. I don't remember the name of our waitress but she was friendly and fast. Got our order right too. The Brunch was decent, good taste, fresh and the price was great. Will be back next year :)
(4)M F.
Ate the lunch buffet today (Saturday). $9.99 pp includes iced tea, coffee and mango water. They had pork carnitas, chili rellanos, enchiladas, tostadas, menudo, salad, rice (excellent), beans, shrimp ceviche and flan with chips and two types of salsas. We dine at a Mexican restaurant every day and really enjoyed the buffet. The pork was very flavorful. The chili relleno and rice were some of the best we have ever had!. Wish they would have had guacamole on the buffet and another type of dessert (fried ice cream would be nice). The flan was just ok. The mango water is a nice touch and very refreshing. We mixed the two salsas together, and it was amazing. We'll definitely dine there again. Service was really good, as well.
(4)E L.
This place has been in Bullhead for a LONG time. Over the years we have noticed the food get more and more salty...What are they trying to hide? Over all the service and food is OK. Maybe it needs a new owner with more motivation.
(4)Scott U.
I read some negative reviews but went anyway, I'm glad I did. They have a Lunch special for $4.99, It looked good but I went for the lunch buffet they had for $7.50,I don't know what other people are talking about, I thought it was great. They had a very nice green salad and fixings ,rice and beans, some kind of shredded chicken dish that was very good. An enchilada type dish that was very tasty, quesadilla, and some delicious Pozole. Not to mention chips and salsa when you sit down, plus flan for desert and two types of drink, both tasty. I had the pleasure of talking to two young ladies while waiting for the restaurant to open, one who had previously been employed there. They both said it was still their favorite Mexican restaurant. I asked about cleanliness as I had never been there, and she told me they were clean fanatics. So if you are in Laughlin or Bullhead City and want a delicious meal, in a clean and friendly place go to El Palacio.
(4)Christie L.
I wanted to make a point to eat here on our recent trip to the Bullhead City/Laughlin area because every time I have driven by the parking lot is packed. It is a big place so there is plenty of seating. They have tables and booths. upon entering there was a man who seated us right away. . Our drink order was taken quickly and chips, bean dip, and two kinds of salsa (mild & hot) were brought to our table. The bean dip was pretty good and the salsa tasted fresh and delicious. The drinks brought to our table were huge and a refill was never necessary because the cups were so big. The salsa bowls are a pretty decent size and it is easy to fill up just on that. We were on a trip though and never have a problem pigging out so we also ordered some "Queso Dip" priced at $6.50 and it was good. I have experienced many kinds of queso dips but this kind was a first. It was loaded with sliced cooked onions. Instead of using chips to dip into the dip, you just break away the tortilla bowl the queso comes in. They have daily lunch specials served 11:00 am - 3:00 pm and after 3:00 pm add $1. You just can't beat the prices. From the lunch menu I ordered the "Mexican Flag" priced at $6.95 and the picture looked more appetizing then it actually tasted. It is three enchiladas, 1 chicken enchilada with verde sauce, 1 machaca enchilada with red sauce and 1 pork enchilada with ranchera sauce. This did not come with rice or beans. The meat inside each enchilada was dry and only the verde sauce was the only decent tasting of the sauces. I will pass on this dish again. My hubby ordered a "Fajita Veggie Burrito" priced at $5.95 and he loved it. I loved that it had fresh slices of avocado on it that I stole to put on my enchiladas! Our server never checked on us. She only took our order, brought our food, and I had to get up and ask for the bill. I'm glad the drinks were so big because if we did need a refill I don't think we would have got it. I mentioned something to the manager on the way out and he apologized. There was enough good things about the meal to make me want to go back and try something else on the menu when passing through town. If I could I would actually give a 3.5 rating. -They offer catering and have banquet rooms -I found it very cool that they have an outdoor dining patio that is dog friendly! -Happy hour is in the bar area and only Monday-Friday 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. -There is a arcade your kiddos can have some fun and play games in. -Check their Summer hours because sometimes they are not open on Friday & Saturday.
(4)D. M.
Place is okay. Our waiter Tom was great. Brought us everything we asked for and always checked on us. The food is okay. Nothing special. Seems like any other Mexican restaurant. Apparently the godfather burrito is good. Good place for a quick meal.
(3)Shelley M.
Get a clue El Palacio. You have the largest restaurant in town but consistently serve horrible tasting food. Clean up your act. Bad ambiance, bad decor , ugly grounds and bad food. Last and final time we ate there, I tried the adobo. 1 bite and done. Beans tasted like they cone from a can. Husband's meal was just,as bad. Food is bad but not cheap. Servers could learn a lesson in customer service. They don't become friendly until it's tip time.
(1)Dan W.
I was here with Thomas and agree that the service was the slowest ever. their mental awareness was quite off for customers. I am not sure they even knew we were there. Once they got a clew they took our order and it was back to waiting. We both finished our beers and could not even get someone to see that we needed more. our chips were gone to. my god WTF???? really???? Where did everyone go??? was there a party out back or in the kitchen we were a partied to?? well when they finally came out we got some bean dip and more chips. we even got a cold beer. wow!!! then we waited again....... and again.... all of the sudden out of the kitchen comes this lame brain with 2 plates and almost dropped one on the bar so hard it just about broke the plate. the server said the plates are very hot and he had no glove or even a towel. bare handed! what a klutz!! my grandmother would have called him a lummox or a buffoon for sure!!! maybe someone needs to babysit this crew and insure they have some sort of management showing them how to serve hot plates. the food was just OK. nothing special. More waiting for our check... OMG Really???? I would highly suggest going elsewhere if you want any kind of service. Maybe we should have ordered a bucket of beers so we would not have to wait. whatever, go somewhere else and read the rest of the reviews if you think I am to hard on this place.
(1)Sindy V.
Terrible service. Sat waiting for a server to take our drink order for 25 min. No one acknowledged that we were there. This is the second time this has happened. Never going again
(1)Shea S.
Love the food but terrible service from the minute we walked in until the minute we left. When we walked in the manager didn't even acknowledge us and it took about 15 minutes after we sat to even have our drink order taken. We heard 4 other tables complain about the service while we were there. The salsa is definitely their saving grace.
(2)may l.
I always like to come here with my boyfriend when were craving a good deal on Mexican food. The portions are always more than generous and the prices are extremely affordable, especially for happy hour, lunch, or the daily specials. The food has always been great every time we've been here. The service is the only thing I would warn you against. I don't know if they just have trouble finding good help right now but the service is always slow and all the servers seem a little green. So if you're in a hurry, I wouldn't recommend it, but otherwise it's nice. Also, I've been told on a visit today that they got rid of the food on their happy hour menu and that there are now only drinks. Boo. :(
(4)Tani A.
Don't waste your time! We finally got sat after 10 minutes waiting at the host stand.. There were 3 servers that walked by and did not say a word. Once we got sat, we waited 15 minutes before we got our drinks ordered then another 15 minutes went by and we never even got our drinks so we left. Meanwhile all the tables around us were either still dirty or were being taken care of. Many servers walked by but no one stopped. Worst service ever, I can only imagine how awful the food must be. Save yourself time and go somewhere else!
(1)Claudia S.
We have been coming to this restaurant for many years. As the years have gone by the quality of the food and service has declined. We went there on June 18th with our family to celebrate a birthday. We had the most deplorable service and food! Let me mention a few of the problems we encountered at El Palacio. - It took us 40 minutes to order drinks (3 - soft drinks, 3 - ice teas and 2 beers). In fact, we had to get up and find someone to take our order because we were so thirsty. - Even though the restaurant was not too crowded, we were seated in a back room that had ceiling fans and was rather warm. We saw later that there was plenty of seating inside the main restaurant that had air conditioning. We were not loud, rowdy or rude. We were dressed nicely and were clean and well behaved. Everyone in our party was pretty quiet since we had spent the day at the river. Our party was tired and hungry. - We had our order taken approximately one hour after being seated. This is when we finally got some chips and salsa which were gone in an instant. We got up to find a waitress and asked for more but never got any. - Our food was brought to our table after being seated at the restaurant for one hour, 35 minutes. (The restaurant was not crowded. This was a Thursday night.) - Four of our dinner orders were completely wrong. Three of our party kept the meals and ate them anyway because they were hungry, but one meal had to be sent back due to an allergy to cheese. She had ordered shrimp fajitas and she got something completely different with cheese all over it. My daughter ordered a burrito with Ranchera Sauce over it and it came with no Ranchera Sauce and it was cold and dried out. The sauce had soaked into the burrito and the top of the burrito was stiff and cold. It must have been sitting for a very long time. It was also supposed to have avocado inside and it didn't. - Our drinks were never refilled, even though we asked for refills. The room was very warm. - Generally they bring a small dessert at the end of your meal. They never did nor did they honor our request to have my son-in-law sang to for his birthday. - We sat there for approximately 2-1/2 hours at this restaurant. No one came to see if we needed anything. We had to get up and look for a waitress and our requests were never fulfilled. We never got dessert or the check. My husband had to leave the table again to find our waitress and ask for the check. We just wanted to get out of there. We were hot, tired and extremely disappointed. We left at approximately 9:30pm. - My husband never found the waitress but he did find the manager. He told the manager that he was extremely disappointed with the service and the food. The manager rolled his eyes at my husband and said that it's the waitresses fault and there is nothing he can do about it. He didn't care to hear my husband mentioning all of the problems with the food either. **** The management for this restaurant is horrible! A manager should make his guests feel heard and offer to take care of the situation. He never did. He basically dismissed my husband and walked away. If I owned this restaurant, I would fire the manager. We have been in business for many years and I would never allow a manager to treat a guest as if their needs didn't matter. We will never spend one dime at this restaurant in the future and we will make sure that everyone we know doesn't either. My son-in-law in a high ranking officer in the sheriff's department, and my husband is a business man who used to frequent this restaurant in town. I can see a huge problem if things do not get corrected, although it's too late for us. I've never made a negative Yelp until now. Don't waste your money! The food and service are less than desirable.
(1)Dane A.
I went for drinks and was glad to see they still have Modelo Negra dark beer on tap. I went just for a few beers and was glad they still offer up free chips with three different dips:hot sauce,medium, and bean. SO it is good I got something to eat as I didn't have lunch that day. Also they have Dos Equis Dark, which is a very good beer to get on draugh tap. This restaurant has been here for decades, as well as the sister restaurant in Fort Mohave called Casa Serrano. I always eat the Desert Burrito or Burro, not sure what it is called, they serve with machaca hand pulled meat. They are very good, that is what I ALWAYS order and stick to because I hav e been disappointed with some of the other dinners I have ordered. If you like dark beer with free corn chips, this is the place to go.
(4)Heather C.
Craving some good Mexican food and this was some of the worst food I have ever eaten. The food took forever to come out eventhough they were not busy. The food came out cold and one of the orders was wrong. When the food that was fixed only one of the three items came out with a good amount of food. The cheese enchiladas had more cheese on the outside than the inside. The served Hector was very nice and he was the only asset this place has. He brought our concerns to the manager and had our bill adjusted. We definitely won't be coming back unless this place changes its cooks and management. Hector should look for a job in a real restaurant where he can make good money with his excellent customer service.
(1)Thomas W.
I can not say enough times how slow the service was in both speed and mental awareness. The gentleman all but burned his hands carrying hot plates. I am not sure if they participate in a program, but the larger girl making drinks was not sure of how cold the fridge was without climbing all but fully into it, she got half way before her bulbous body excluded her from diving further in. I am worried, even troubled these people go without supervision. Not sure I will ever eat here again.
(1)Freddy P.
Great place to eat and hang out, we tried the one in NV but it sucked. This one is AZ is great, we were seated immediately, they brought us our chips and salsa right away. And the prices are a little bit cheaper as well, the restaurant in NV was charging $15 for a shrimp cocktail, here in AZ it was $11 something, and it was the same thing for other items on the menu. The restaurant is across the river so not far at all... I recommend the restaurant in AZ, it's so much better then the one on NV
(4)Carl H.
Service started out OK but went downhill quickly. Enchiladas were decent but carnitas and chili rellanos were terrible and in edible. My mistake was not checking reviews before hand. As of this review, it had 2 1/2 stars. Felt that was 2 stars to many. Not coming back.
(1)Micky S.
Needs some tlc. Food is just ok had tacos beans rice nothing out standing. Two salas hot and mild they where good.
(3)Laura M.
I have been to this location many times and it has always been my favorite. I came here tonight for my birthday dinner and was so disappointed! We waited at least 15-20 minutes before the hostess even acknowledged us. Once we were finally seated no one came to even take our drink order for another 30 + minutes. I am currently still waiting on our water as I type this. I am so sad I will never come here again!... So we continued to wait we did get our drinks and waited some more.. We got fed up and decided to leave. When we payed for our drinks the waitress said " I'm sorry you had to wait, I told you it would be more than an hour you can just go to Taco Bell" .... Are you kidding me?? Do not go to this dump ever!! So rude!
(1)Jason B.
I dont know why it has low ratings but this is very good. Chips and salsa's keep on coming as much as you want. Dinner was good, and I will go back when Im in the area.
(4)Michelle B.
This place is horrible...horrible food, horrible service and horrible management! We were on a family vacation visiting from California and it was my brother-in-law's birthday on June 18th and he chose to come here for dinner. We had a party of 8. We waited 30 minutes just to be seated, another 30 minutes just to order drinks, then we waited a whole hour after we ordered just for our food to come. They brought my niece and my mom the wrong order, I ordered a wet shrimp burrito and they brought me a cold burrito that looked like it had been sitting for a while considering all the red sauce was soaked into the tortilla. It was disgusting! The waitress was new and didn't know what she was doing. Never came back to refill our chips, drinks, nothing! They had us seated in this one room in the back of the restaraunt that wasn't even air conditioned, mind you it had been 120 degrees out that day. My Dad had to get up and walk around the restaraunt to find someone just to ask for our check at the end. When my Dad confronted the manager about this horrible experience, the manager wasn't apologetic at all and didn't offer to comp us at all either considering our bill was almost $100. My family had been here before but it was my first time and I was less than impressed. We all were. We will never ever visit this restaraunt again. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Don't waste your time or your money.
(1)LaNora O.
I used to really like El Palacio, but lately, not so much. I've been a few times for taco Tuesday and instead of doing the street-style tacos, have ordered them ala carte off the menu and they have been barely warmed over pre-made tacos. You cannot reheat a fried corn tortilla without it turning very rubbery. The meat was still cold inside. No bueno! Tonight, I had 3 margaritas and didn't even get a buzz. The bucket margaritas used to be $1-2, now $2.95 with absolutely no kick! Wondering if they even put booze in it & charging more for it! Tonight I had the grilled chicken salad. There certainly wasn't $9 worth of food on that plate! If you want good Mexican food, go to El Charro's. If I have a choice, I won't be back unless it's for Happy Hour drinks & appetizers.
(2)Victoria G.
First Mexican food place with a buffet and I must say we were quite impressed! Very tasty and very fresh! Staff was also very attentive!
(4)Bob D.
Thumbs-Up / Late Lunch / Early Dinner When ever I have extra time traveling from AZ-CA I like take an overnight-er in Laughlin. While I enjoy gambling at the gaming tables that does not include the casino's dining tables "this is no Vegas" and all you can eat buffets frighten me..."nothing like food in a trough" LOL. Just a short hop across the river in Bullhead AZ lies a good Mexican American diner/cantina that is hard to miss. El Palacio is colorfully decorated and has an oasis in the desert styling "big surprise right?", the staff was very friendly and the food portions along with the quality were great! The fare is mostly what you would expect and it was all delicious, the sopapillas at dessert had to be the finest presentation I have had ever and I highly recommend them! If you are a dog lover they not only offer an outdoor friendly area, but a special menu jut for K-9's.The offer of outdoor seating while nice in theory would be insane considering the 114 degree in the shade day, that is hot enough to melt flatware for pete's sake!
(3)Tim G.
Chips & salsa delivered quickly. Chips seemed to be out of a plastic bag, the "mild" salsa was bland, the "spicy" salsa was smoky, but not all that spicy. It took a while to get our drink order in, (finally taken by a busboy) and even longer to order food. As a preventative measure, when the waitress finally came, we ordered our main course, and an appetizer. The main was delivered, but the appetizer was not, so we cancelled it. The "Mexican Flag" was uninspiring, with no discernible flavor. The special sour cream didn't compliment any of the enchilada flavors. The Ala Carte # 1's chili relleno cheese was just barely warm and not melted. The spinach enchilada had no cheese, and was barely warm. Neither had any flavor. I asked for a refill of my iced tea, and my glass disappeared until after the bill was delivered. It took a while for the wait staff to identify which of several bills was ours but, once sorted, they were quick to process the credit card payment. We were told this was the best Mexican restaurant in Bullhead. I hope not.
(2)Mona M.
Had the $10 buffet. Menudo and posole was okay. 1 omelet lady cooking with 1 pan with a long line the whole time we were there. Should've grabbed a flan when I first got there since they never put anymore out. People next to us asked what they have for soda the waiter said Pepsi only. Wouldn't come back again.
(1)Kellee K.
I love their daily lunch specials. Good selection, cheap prices, and friendly service. We stop in whenever we visit Laughlin. On a recent visit the salsa was great as always. We also had the tostada and tamale with chicken and cheese flauta. Our lunch hit the spot for $15, you gotta love it.
(4)Michelle G.
I never had a chance to eat the food...however what service we did have was HORRIBLE!! We put in our name for a table for 9. We waited 55 minutes before we all got up and left. Who knows how long we would have waited had we stayed?? The large party before us apparently was also displeased with the service because they told us good luck as they were leaving. 25 minutes into waiting we told the hostess we were willing to be split up if that could get us a table quicker. We asked to speak to the manager after we saw at least 7 other parties of 4 seated as soon as they walked in. The manager never came to the front to talk to us. The hostess seemed so flustered and not helpful at all. Thank goodness for Casa Serrano who saved our hungry tummies!! YAY Casa Serrano!!!
(1)Marlin K.
go to orials
(2)Angel S.
First, let me start by saying they would get a one star rating if the experience was completely based on just today. We actually sought out four other Mexican restaurants in Bullhead City prior; but, unfortunately being a Sunday they were all closed. We have been coming here for years and years and have slowly watched it deteriorate into a two star restaurant. We showed up for a late lunch/early dinner around 5 p.m. and were greeted with a dirty booth. Typically, upon seating you get two types of salsa, beans, and chips, except this time we had to ask four different times for the beans. My wife ordered a desert burrito which comes with meat and asked to substitute zucchini instead of the meat and cheese. They advised that it would be an additional dollar charge which we went ahead and did even though it didn't seem fair. When the meal arrived the zucchini seemed as if it was just cut and thrown in the burrito without even being cooked. I had a bean and rice burrito which was coated with uncooked onions and was luke warm at best. We sent her burrito back and decided to just split mine so we can get out of there. We even struggled to get things like drink and chip refills and overall the ambiance just isn't there anymore. Our server seemed very sweet but obviously was distracted by a lack of overall organization. One suggestion would be if a customer complains about food, the manager should immediately make contact with them and see what can be done to improve. Failing to do so just shows an overall lack of concern for customer service. Two weeks ago we went to Casa Serrano in Ft. Mohave and it was marginally better. It is very sad because we have told dozens of people about this restaurant chain and also have had several annual large parties there. This rating today isn't based one experienced but more of five or six in a row. From now on I think we will skip El Palacio and even if every other Mexican restaurant is closed we will stop by the store and pick up some beans to cook ourselves.
(2)Maytte G.
My family and I came from California to Arizona. I yelp Mexican restaurants and this appeared first. The food is really good, good portions, reasonable prices(except the.steak tacos, kinda expensive $10)., and lovely service. Our waitress was really nice and attentive to our needs. Immediately she sat us and asked for our beverage choices. In addition, she brought us beans and salsa. My mom loved the spicy salsa choices as well as the beans. Our meals were great and cooked well. From my experience I could not have gone to another location. It was great. The deep fried vanilla ice cream was delicious. The Horchata wasn't the best.
(4)Diwata P.
It's a cute restaurant with Mexican flair. Our server was friendly and attentive. The food portions were huge, but everything was just way too salty. The three things I actually did like - tortilla chips, bean dip, and the mild salsa. My machaca and eggs burrito style was nothing memorable. My boyfriend had the make-your-own combo which he had the empanada, pork tamale, and chicken flauta. The empanada was greasy and bland, the pork tamale tasted different than other pork tamales I've had (I had better from those people selling tamale in grocery store parking lots), and the chicken flauta was average. I think the best thing he ordered was a large horchata which felt refreshing after a long day playing in the river. So the question I pose to myself ... would I come back here again? Probably not. There's so many other Mexican restaurants in the area that look much more promising than this place.
(2)Melissa V.
Just got back from a mini vacation in Laughlin with friends and tried this place. The food was pretty good and the margaritas strong! I would go back to this restaruant if I were in town again. Oh and if you are a BIG eater you might want to try the 30inch burrito. My boyfriend and friend thought they were "man vs. food"...food won!
(3)Roy H.
I asked a couple of locals for their favorite Mexican restaurant. Both mentioned El Palacio so I decided to give it a shot. Loved the hot, spicy salsa...hot and good flavor. Tried a 3 way combo- the shredded beef taco was excellent...shredded beef enchilada was boring, and I didn't care for the chile relleno...not much taste to it. Prices were very reasonable but the service was almost non existent.
(3)80sgirl N.
awful food and awful service!!!
(1)Toni R.
Decent food. The Spanish rice was tasty, but the beans were so salty I could not eat it. My flauta was a little greasy but good on flavor. Hubby had a burrito with beef but couldn't give me much more to yelp about ........typical guy. Best part was the friendly waiter. Overall the food was a bit more expensive than the quality reflects.
(3)Peter G.
Wow. Worst Mexican food I've eaten in a long time. Nasty, salty and pathetic service. Server said "Oh...I have served parties of 80 receivig an $700 tip" Yeah Right! She could barely take care of a party of 10! Stay clear. Not so much the poor service...Just the poor food. Kinda sad :(
(1)Mike D.
Absolutely HORRIBLE service and just okay food!! Went here a few weeks ago and waited over an hour to get our food. After an hour of waiting, I asked the waiter if he could let me know how much longer it would be for our food his response (very rudely) was I'm sure they are back there cooking it along with the other 40 people's food that came in before you! WTF! First of all there were not 40 other people in the entire restaurant secondly, the food is not made to order, obviously or it would taste a hell of a lot better! Needless to say we will not be back here!!!
(1)Mark C.
Wow I'm not the only one then! This place sucks. I'd rather eat those crappy store bought beans any day. Everything is just so freakin bland and overcooked. My search for a good mexican restaurant in the area has just ended. I've gone up and down highway 95 and I can't find good mexican food anywhere. I am truly sad
(1)Bill W.
Everytime we goto Laughlin we always hit up El Palacio. Some of the best Mexican food around, and believe me, I know Mexican food!! Growing up in Southern California I've been enjoying this cuisine my entire life. El Palacio is a large restaurant with great food and excellent service. I never had a bad meal here. Tonight we were seated as soon as we arrived. As we were settling into our table, our drink order was taken and chips, two kinds of salsa, and a bean dip was brought to us. Tuesday nights are $0.99 taco night. Choices of chicken, shredded beef, ground beef, and pork were offered. I had two chicken, shredded beef and a pork tacos. The salsa bar offered 5 different salsas, all were very good. Tacos were good size, same size as you wound find at Taco Bell. Four filled me, as i usually eat good size meals. Chicken tacos were the best, pork being second, and he shredded beef taking a close third. Writing this review is making me hungry for El Palacio again.
(4)Ryan B.
I've had good food and bad food here. We frequent this restaurant and find it generally better than other places in the area give it a try!
(3)Brent G.
We were there last weekend, the place has decent food, I would recommend the bean dip with the chip before dinner. The margaritas are really good. We had the back room with about 80 people and it was buffett style. They did a great good with the large party the foods drinks and service were all very smooth. I will be returning.......
(4)Jim D.
I read the recent review from 7/9/2009 about food poisoning. It reminded me of the last time my wife and I ate at the El Palacio about three years ago. We BOTH got whopping cases of food poisoning. We had NO doubt that it was from eating at the El Palacio. Even though it was quite some time back, I figured it might help to show that food poisoning at this restaurant is not an isolated incident. It's sister restaurants, the two Casa Serranos in Fort Mohave and Laughlin, NV on the other hand, are first rate. We eat at the Fort Mohave Casa Serrano several times a year and have not had a bad experience.
(1)Daniel C.
The lady adores this place, so we've headed back on a number of occasions. Food's decent, but again I have to mention the service being fantastic.
(3)Justin R.
Food is below average amerimex, no real spices to speak of and tons of cheese and sour cream (which you sure don't find a couple thousand miles to the south) which is to be expected I guess for a vacation area. What really bothered me about the place is how shamelessly they try to gouge people for a few extra dollars. We just moved to the area and went in a couple times. The second time was during a big tourist weekend. When we got there according to their own dry erase board it was happy hour, so we preceded to order some margaritas, when it came time to pay the bartender informed us that there was no happy hour as it was a busy weekend, when I pointed out the sign he just shrugged his shoulders and said that is how it is. I asked to speak to the manager as this constitutes false advertising. The manager Max was very condescending and said he could not discount our drinks to happy hour prices for some reason but could give us a free appitizer next time we came in. No thanks Max, you just lost business from locals who go out a lot and live up the street.
(1)Carrie G.
Really the only thing this restaurant has going for it is the bean dip. But be aware big weekends( River Run, Labor Day) they don't bring it to the table for free.
(2)Freddy P.
Great place to eat and hang out, we tried the one in NV but it sucked. This one is AZ is great, we were seated immediately, they brought us our chips and salsa right away. And the prices are a little bit cheaper as well, the restaurant in NV was charging $15 for a shrimp cocktail, here in AZ it was $11 something, and it was the same thing for other items on the menu. The restaurant is across the river so not far at all... I recommend the restaurant in AZ, it's so much better then the one on NV
(4)Carl H.
Service started out OK but went downhill quickly. Enchiladas were decent but carnitas and chili rellanos were terrible and in edible. My mistake was not checking reviews before hand. As of this review, it had 2 1/2 stars. Felt that was 2 stars to many. Not coming back.
(1)Tim C.
Hands down the worst mexican i have ever had. Nasty gross food with service just as bad.
(1)80sgirl N.
awful food and awful service!!!
(1)Michelle B.
This place is horrible...horrible food, horrible service and horrible management! We were on a family vacation visiting from California and it was my brother-in-law's birthday on June 18th and he chose to come here for dinner. We had a party of 8. We waited 30 minutes just to be seated, another 30 minutes just to order drinks, then we waited a whole hour after we ordered just for our food to come. They brought my niece and my mom the wrong order, I ordered a wet shrimp burrito and they brought me a cold burrito that looked like it had been sitting for a while considering all the red sauce was soaked into the tortilla. It was disgusting! The waitress was new and didn't know what she was doing. Never came back to refill our chips, drinks, nothing! They had us seated in this one room in the back of the restaraunt that wasn't even air conditioned, mind you it had been 120 degrees out that day. My Dad had to get up and walk around the restaraunt to find someone just to ask for our check at the end. When my Dad confronted the manager about this horrible experience, the manager wasn't apologetic at all and didn't offer to comp us at all either considering our bill was almost $100. My family had been here before but it was my first time and I was less than impressed. We all were. We will never ever visit this restaraunt again. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Don't waste your time or your money.
(1)Micky S.
Needs some tlc. Food is just ok had tacos beans rice nothing out standing. Two salas hot and mild they where good.
(3)Laura M.
I have been to this location many times and it has always been my favorite. I came here tonight for my birthday dinner and was so disappointed! We waited at least 15-20 minutes before the hostess even acknowledged us. Once we were finally seated no one came to even take our drink order for another 30 + minutes. I am currently still waiting on our water as I type this. I am so sad I will never come here again!... So we continued to wait we did get our drinks and waited some more.. We got fed up and decided to leave. When we payed for our drinks the waitress said " I'm sorry you had to wait, I told you it would be more than an hour you can just go to Taco Bell" .... Are you kidding me?? Do not go to this dump ever!! So rude!
(1)Jason B.
I dont know why it has low ratings but this is very good. Chips and salsa's keep on coming as much as you want. Dinner was good, and I will go back when Im in the area.
(4)Robin E.
Bean dip was tasty and the service was prompt and friendly. But the food poisoning I got after eating a chicken tostada there ruined any thought of ever going back to El Palacio. Now when I drive by the pink palace, I cringe.
(1)Don O.
Service: 3/5 stars Food: 3/5 stars Presentation: 3/5 stars Prices: 3/5 stars Not bad overall. We were seated right away and served chips and salsa. The hot salsa was excellent. We had a trainee serving us but she did fine. You could tell she was new at serving and spent a lot of time running in circles. Chicken breast on the grilled chicken salad was way overcooked and dry as was the sirloin on the fajita sandwich. The sandwich was still good. A lot of food at a reasonable price.
(3)Steve G.
We used to eat at El Palacio fairly often. I can remember a decade or two ago when everyone said the food was good but service was horrible. They fixed the problem with service and food is still good. Just DO NOT order to-go. This is 2 nights this week that the to-go orders were absolutely inedible. In fact, I reluctantly fed it to the dogs, then had to go to McDonalds to get everyone here fed. A nearly $70.00 to go order, and had to give it to the freakin' dogs. I live here in town, and I won't be back..!!
(1)Orv M.
OK, it's not LA or Sante Fe or Austin; but not bad if you're stuck in Bullhead City. Good hot salsa and bean dip. Extensive menu (don't know how they manage consistency with 200 items). Food was fine, nothing was a knockout or bad. Decent margs. Slow service each of 2 times we went, need to staff up; besides more servers, need a receptionist to seat people instead of having serviers do it.
(3)Nettie P.
I've been here many times whenever I'm in town. My family and I are always seated right away and we are usually a party of 7-10 people. The salsa is delicious and the bean dip is great too. I really like the tortilla soup, it is flavorful and healthy. Overall I have had a good experience here. Service can be a little slow but it is always friendly. Overall very satisfied!
(4)Tim G.
Chips & salsa delivered quickly. Chips seemed to be out of a plastic bag, the "mild" salsa was bland, the "spicy" salsa was smoky, but not all that spicy. It took a while to get our drink order in, (finally taken by a busboy) and even longer to order food. As a preventative measure, when the waitress finally came, we ordered our main course, and an appetizer. The main was delivered, but the appetizer was not, so we cancelled it. The "Mexican Flag" was uninspiring, with no discernible flavor. The special sour cream didn't compliment any of the enchilada flavors. The Ala Carte # 1's chili relleno cheese was just barely warm and not melted. The spinach enchilada had no cheese, and was barely warm. Neither had any flavor. I asked for a refill of my iced tea, and my glass disappeared until after the bill was delivered. It took a while for the wait staff to identify which of several bills was ours but, once sorted, they were quick to process the credit card payment. We were told this was the best Mexican restaurant in Bullhead. I hope not.
(2)Mona M.
Had the $10 buffet. Menudo and posole was okay. 1 omelet lady cooking with 1 pan with a long line the whole time we were there. Should've grabbed a flan when I first got there since they never put anymore out. People next to us asked what they have for soda the waiter said Pepsi only. Wouldn't come back again.
(1)Kellee K.
I love their daily lunch specials. Good selection, cheap prices, and friendly service. We stop in whenever we visit Laughlin. On a recent visit the salsa was great as always. We also had the tostada and tamale with chicken and cheese flauta. Our lunch hit the spot for $15, you gotta love it.
(4)Michelle G.
I never had a chance to eat the food...however what service we did have was HORRIBLE!! We put in our name for a table for 9. We waited 55 minutes before we all got up and left. Who knows how long we would have waited had we stayed?? The large party before us apparently was also displeased with the service because they told us good luck as they were leaving. 25 minutes into waiting we told the hostess we were willing to be split up if that could get us a table quicker. We asked to speak to the manager after we saw at least 7 other parties of 4 seated as soon as they walked in. The manager never came to the front to talk to us. The hostess seemed so flustered and not helpful at all. Thank goodness for Casa Serrano who saved our hungry tummies!! YAY Casa Serrano!!!
(1)Marlin K.
go to orials
(2)Ashton C.
I really wanted to like this place....and while the food was just ok, the service was horrible. We waited 10 min to place a drink order, another 10 to place a food order and never had the same waitress twice. No one refilled our water and and the margaritas were grossly overpriced for a mix. Like I stated before, the food was ok...but the bad service makes this place not worth it.
(2)Angel S.
First, let me start by saying they would get a one star rating if the experience was completely based on just today. We actually sought out four other Mexican restaurants in Bullhead City prior; but, unfortunately being a Sunday they were all closed. We have been coming here for years and years and have slowly watched it deteriorate into a two star restaurant. We showed up for a late lunch/early dinner around 5 p.m. and were greeted with a dirty booth. Typically, upon seating you get two types of salsa, beans, and chips, except this time we had to ask four different times for the beans. My wife ordered a desert burrito which comes with meat and asked to substitute zucchini instead of the meat and cheese. They advised that it would be an additional dollar charge which we went ahead and did even though it didn't seem fair. When the meal arrived the zucchini seemed as if it was just cut and thrown in the burrito without even being cooked. I had a bean and rice burrito which was coated with uncooked onions and was luke warm at best. We sent her burrito back and decided to just split mine so we can get out of there. We even struggled to get things like drink and chip refills and overall the ambiance just isn't there anymore. Our server seemed very sweet but obviously was distracted by a lack of overall organization. One suggestion would be if a customer complains about food, the manager should immediately make contact with them and see what can be done to improve. Failing to do so just shows an overall lack of concern for customer service. Two weeks ago we went to Casa Serrano in Ft. Mohave and it was marginally better. It is very sad because we have told dozens of people about this restaurant chain and also have had several annual large parties there. This rating today isn't based one experienced but more of five or six in a row. From now on I think we will skip El Palacio and even if every other Mexican restaurant is closed we will stop by the store and pick up some beans to cook ourselves.
(2)Maytte G.
My family and I came from California to Arizona. I yelp Mexican restaurants and this appeared first. The food is really good, good portions, reasonable prices(except the.steak tacos, kinda expensive $10)., and lovely service. Our waitress was really nice and attentive to our needs. Immediately she sat us and asked for our beverage choices. In addition, she brought us beans and salsa. My mom loved the spicy salsa choices as well as the beans. Our meals were great and cooked well. From my experience I could not have gone to another location. It was great. The deep fried vanilla ice cream was delicious. The Horchata wasn't the best.
(4)Marylee T.
They have a couple of good things on the menu; nothing healthy. I like the Mexican pizza and the Desert Burrito. The shredded beef is tender and tasty. Their chips have garlic salt on them, which is odd, and I'm not crazy about their salsa. I prefer something a little fresher tasting; theirs tastes like they make it well in advance.
(3)Brian R.
The staff was friendly, but that's all they had. The food was over priced, small portions and it had WAY too much salt on it.
(2)Rusty S.
we used to go there mainly for the bar to kick back play buzz time trivia have a few drinks and get a few super tacos. the bar is nice for happy hour with free appetizers. they used to have a bartender named bill who was on to of things never needed to flag him down and always kept your chips and salsa filled. the last few times we went some lady was bar tending and she was right there for your drink order. the problem was getting her back to order food or another round .so it is not worth the headaches of dealing with her seeing the food is average at best ( except the super tacos in flour tortillas) when we can go to buffalo wild wings to play buzz time .the food is aver
(2)Diwata P.
It's a cute restaurant with Mexican flair. Our server was friendly and attentive. The food portions were huge, but everything was just way too salty. The three things I actually did like - tortilla chips, bean dip, and the mild salsa. My machaca and eggs burrito style was nothing memorable. My boyfriend had the make-your-own combo which he had the empanada, pork tamale, and chicken flauta. The empanada was greasy and bland, the pork tamale tasted different than other pork tamales I've had (I had better from those people selling tamale in grocery store parking lots), and the chicken flauta was average. I think the best thing he ordered was a large horchata which felt refreshing after a long day playing in the river. So the question I pose to myself ... would I come back here again? Probably not. There's so many other Mexican restaurants in the area that look much more promising than this place.
(2)Melissa V.
Just got back from a mini vacation in Laughlin with friends and tried this place. The food was pretty good and the margaritas strong! I would go back to this restaruant if I were in town again. Oh and if you are a BIG eater you might want to try the 30inch burrito. My boyfriend and friend thought they were "man vs. food"...food won!
(3)Roy H.
I asked a couple of locals for their favorite Mexican restaurant. Both mentioned El Palacio so I decided to give it a shot. Loved the hot, spicy salsa...hot and good flavor. Tried a 3 way combo- the shredded beef taco was excellent...shredded beef enchilada was boring, and I didn't care for the chile relleno...not much taste to it. Prices were very reasonable but the service was almost non existent.
(3)80sgirl N.
awful food and awful service!!!
(1)Toni R.
Decent food. The Spanish rice was tasty, but the beans were so salty I could not eat it. My flauta was a little greasy but good on flavor. Hubby had a burrito with beef but couldn't give me much more to yelp about ........typical guy. Best part was the friendly waiter. Overall the food was a bit more expensive than the quality reflects.
(3)Peter G.
Wow. Worst Mexican food I've eaten in a long time. Nasty, salty and pathetic service. Server said "Oh...I have served parties of 80 receivig an $700 tip" Yeah Right! She could barely take care of a party of 10! Stay clear. Not so much the poor service...Just the poor food. Kinda sad :(
(1)Mike D.
Absolutely HORRIBLE service and just okay food!! Went here a few weeks ago and waited over an hour to get our food. After an hour of waiting, I asked the waiter if he could let me know how much longer it would be for our food his response (very rudely) was I'm sure they are back there cooking it along with the other 40 people's food that came in before you! WTF! First of all there were not 40 other people in the entire restaurant secondly, the food is not made to order, obviously or it would taste a hell of a lot better! Needless to say we will not be back here!!!
(1)Allison Y.
I was in Bullhead this weekend looking for a suggestion on Yelp and was surprised to see such a low rating for the El Palacio. I have been here many times so I wanted to add my review. I love the bean dip and chips. I would go there just for that. I have also had the taco platter with large groups many times. I'm not sure if they even put it on the menu, but it is a large platter with pork, chicken, and steak and everyone makes their own tacos. Perfect for a group of 6 or 8. I see many complaints about the service - stick with Tom, he's the best! Can't comment on anyone else since he's always my server.
(4)Mark C.
Wow I'm not the only one then! This place sucks. I'd rather eat those crappy store bought beans any day. Everything is just so freakin bland and overcooked. My search for a good mexican restaurant in the area has just ended. I've gone up and down highway 95 and I can't find good mexican food anywhere. I am truly sad
(1)Bill W.
Everytime we goto Laughlin we always hit up El Palacio. Some of the best Mexican food around, and believe me, I know Mexican food!! Growing up in Southern California I've been enjoying this cuisine my entire life. El Palacio is a large restaurant with great food and excellent service. I never had a bad meal here. Tonight we were seated as soon as we arrived. As we were settling into our table, our drink order was taken and chips, two kinds of salsa, and a bean dip was brought to us. Tuesday nights are $0.99 taco night. Choices of chicken, shredded beef, ground beef, and pork were offered. I had two chicken, shredded beef and a pork tacos. The salsa bar offered 5 different salsas, all were very good. Tacos were good size, same size as you wound find at Taco Bell. Four filled me, as i usually eat good size meals. Chicken tacos were the best, pork being second, and he shredded beef taking a close third. Writing this review is making me hungry for El Palacio again.
(4)Ryan B.
I've had good food and bad food here. We frequent this restaurant and find it generally better than other places in the area give it a try!
(3)Brent G.
We were there last weekend, the place has decent food, I would recommend the bean dip with the chip before dinner. The margaritas are really good. We had the back room with about 80 people and it was buffett style. They did a great good with the large party the foods drinks and service were all very smooth. I will be returning.......
(4)Jim D.
I read the recent review from 7/9/2009 about food poisoning. It reminded me of the last time my wife and I ate at the El Palacio about three years ago. We BOTH got whopping cases of food poisoning. We had NO doubt that it was from eating at the El Palacio. Even though it was quite some time back, I figured it might help to show that food poisoning at this restaurant is not an isolated incident. It's sister restaurants, the two Casa Serranos in Fort Mohave and Laughlin, NV on the other hand, are first rate. We eat at the Fort Mohave Casa Serrano several times a year and have not had a bad experience.
(1)Daniel C.
The lady adores this place, so we've headed back on a number of occasions. Food's decent, but again I have to mention the service being fantastic.
(3)Justin R.
Food is below average amerimex, no real spices to speak of and tons of cheese and sour cream (which you sure don't find a couple thousand miles to the south) which is to be expected I guess for a vacation area. What really bothered me about the place is how shamelessly they try to gouge people for a few extra dollars. We just moved to the area and went in a couple times. The second time was during a big tourist weekend. When we got there according to their own dry erase board it was happy hour, so we preceded to order some margaritas, when it came time to pay the bartender informed us that there was no happy hour as it was a busy weekend, when I pointed out the sign he just shrugged his shoulders and said that is how it is. I asked to speak to the manager as this constitutes false advertising. The manager Max was very condescending and said he could not discount our drinks to happy hour prices for some reason but could give us a free appitizer next time we came in. No thanks Max, you just lost business from locals who go out a lot and live up the street.
(1)Carrie G.
Really the only thing this restaurant has going for it is the bean dip. But be aware big weekends( River Run, Labor Day) they don't bring it to the table for free.
(2)Adrienn T.
Hard to believe that it's a sister restaurant to Casa Cerrano in Fort Mohave where the food is always up to par and the service is superb
(1)Tim C.
Hands down the worst mexican i have ever had. Nasty gross food with service just as bad.
(1)Robin E.
Bean dip was tasty and the service was prompt and friendly. But the food poisoning I got after eating a chicken tostada there ruined any thought of ever going back to El Palacio. Now when I drive by the pink palace, I cringe.
(1)M F.
Ate the lunch buffet today (Saturday). $9.99 pp includes iced tea, coffee and mango water. They had pork carnitas, chili rellanos, enchiladas, tostadas, menudo, salad, rice (excellent), beans, shrimp ceviche and flan with chips and two types of salsas. We dine at a Mexican restaurant every day and really enjoyed the buffet. The pork was very flavorful. The chili relleno and rice were some of the best we have ever had!. Wish they would have had guacamole on the buffet and another type of dessert (fried ice cream would be nice). The flan was just ok. The mango water is a nice touch and very refreshing. We mixed the two salsas together, and it was amazing. We'll definitely dine there again. Service was really good, as well.
(4)Dan W.
I was here with Thomas and agree that the service was the slowest ever. their mental awareness was quite off for customers. I am not sure they even knew we were there. Once they got a clew they took our order and it was back to waiting. We both finished our beers and could not even get someone to see that we needed more. our chips were gone to. my god WTF???? really???? Where did everyone go??? was there a party out back or in the kitchen we were a partied to?? well when they finally came out we got some bean dip and more chips. we even got a cold beer. wow!!! then we waited again....... and again.... all of the sudden out of the kitchen comes this lame brain with 2 plates and almost dropped one on the bar so hard it just about broke the plate. the server said the plates are very hot and he had no glove or even a towel. bare handed! what a klutz!! my grandmother would have called him a lummox or a buffoon for sure!!! maybe someone needs to babysit this crew and insure they have some sort of management showing them how to serve hot plates. the food was just OK. nothing special. More waiting for our check... OMG Really???? I would highly suggest going elsewhere if you want any kind of service. Maybe we should have ordered a bucket of beers so we would not have to wait. whatever, go somewhere else and read the rest of the reviews if you think I am to hard on this place.
(1)Sindy V.
Terrible service. Sat waiting for a server to take our drink order for 25 min. No one acknowledged that we were there. This is the second time this has happened. Never going again
(1)Carl H.
Service started out OK but went downhill quickly. Enchiladas were decent but carnitas and chili rellanos were terrible and in edible. My mistake was not checking reviews before hand. As of this review, it had 2 1/2 stars. Felt that was 2 stars to many. Not coming back.
(1)Micky S.
Needs some tlc. Food is just ok had tacos beans rice nothing out standing. Two salas hot and mild they where good.
(3)Ryan B.
I've had good food and bad food here. We frequent this restaurant and find it generally better than other places in the area give it a try!
(3)Brent G.
We were there last weekend, the place has decent food, I would recommend the bean dip with the chip before dinner. The margaritas are really good. We had the back room with about 80 people and it was buffett style. They did a great good with the large party the foods drinks and service were all very smooth. I will be returning.......
(4)Jim D.
I read the recent review from 7/9/2009 about food poisoning. It reminded me of the last time my wife and I ate at the El Palacio about three years ago. We BOTH got whopping cases of food poisoning. We had NO doubt that it was from eating at the El Palacio. Even though it was quite some time back, I figured it might help to show that food poisoning at this restaurant is not an isolated incident. It's sister restaurants, the two Casa Serranos in Fort Mohave and Laughlin, NV on the other hand, are first rate. We eat at the Fort Mohave Casa Serrano several times a year and have not had a bad experience.
(1)Daniel C.
The lady adores this place, so we've headed back on a number of occasions. Food's decent, but again I have to mention the service being fantastic.
(3)Dane A.
I went for drinks and was glad to see they still have Modelo Negra dark beer on tap. I went just for a few beers and was glad they still offer up free chips with three different dips:hot sauce,medium, and bean. SO it is good I got something to eat as I didn't have lunch that day. Also they have Dos Equis Dark, which is a very good beer to get on draugh tap. This restaurant has been here for decades, as well as the sister restaurant in Fort Mohave called Casa Serrano. I always eat the Desert Burrito or Burro, not sure what it is called, they serve with machaca hand pulled meat. They are very good, that is what I ALWAYS order and stick to because I hav e been disappointed with some of the other dinners I have ordered. If you like dark beer with free corn chips, this is the place to go.
(4)Heather C.
Craving some good Mexican food and this was some of the worst food I have ever eaten. The food took forever to come out eventhough they were not busy. The food came out cold and one of the orders was wrong. When the food that was fixed only one of the three items came out with a good amount of food. The cheese enchiladas had more cheese on the outside than the inside. The served Hector was very nice and he was the only asset this place has. He brought our concerns to the manager and had our bill adjusted. We definitely won't be coming back unless this place changes its cooks and management. Hector should look for a job in a real restaurant where he can make good money with his excellent customer service.
(1)Thomas W.
I can not say enough times how slow the service was in both speed and mental awareness. The gentleman all but burned his hands carrying hot plates. I am not sure if they participate in a program, but the larger girl making drinks was not sure of how cold the fridge was without climbing all but fully into it, she got half way before her bulbous body excluded her from diving further in. I am worried, even troubled these people go without supervision. Not sure I will ever eat here again.
(1)Joy G.
Hit & Miss. Hits: Service provided by Saul. Shredded Beef Enchilada. Carne Asada Quesadilla Drink Refills provided by other staff members. Free chips w/ hot, mild & bean dip Free dessert Misses: Service provided by hostess that seated us. Al Pastor Chimichanga. Shredded Beef Tacos Each table, no matter how many people, only gets one menu to share I'm currently on the fence. The lady we dealt with there could probably use some customer service training (or a job in the back of the house). Most of the food was tasty. I suspect that we got free dessert because the waiter possibly saw us both using our Yelp app. Without the free dessert, the rating and review would have been the same, though. Before we ordered off the menu, we peeked in at the buffet offerings. I saw a typical salad bar and the hot food offered was beans, rice, cheese enchiladas and cheese quesadillas. I did not see any meat items on the buffet table, but there were a couple trays that were already empty when I looked. The elaboration for my "misses"...the al pastor chimichanga made this list because the amount of pure fat chunks inside it was about 30% of the entire thing. The shredded beef tacos came out a little bland. It appeared to be the same shredded beef that was inside the enchilada, but not sure why these had a lot less flavor.
(3)Rae B.
To start off the service was awful. We waited 15 minutes to even be acknowledged in this restaurant upon us entering. Once we were seated we didn't see a server for a good ten minutes. It was extremely hot inside and no windows and the fans were off. They brought us chips and salsa with bean dip, which was so so. The food was definitely not authentic. The beans already had cheese mixed in with them, and the tacos were soggy with only one corn tortilla. All other previous experiences at an authentic Mexican restaurant were with two corn tortillas. The sangria was really good, as was the fajita burrito.. although I couldn't get beans in it because, as mentioned, the cheese was already mixed in, and I can't eat cheese. Having a mild allergy to dairy, this was very upsetting to find out after I had eaten the beans. I would have rated this lower if it were not for the sangria. Recommend to no one. Also, have it be noted that my boyfriend is Mexican and is also an owner of Mexican restaurants.
(2)Jessica S.
Worst place ever. Called and told them I had a big party and when I arrived they said they had no record of that. There was hair in 3 of the dips. When I asked for water they said they were running low so I couldn't get a refill. They added 3 extra meals to the bill. If you respect your family and have any intelligence DO NOT COME HERE!!!
(1)Adela B.
Pros: Large room to accommodate large parties. Carne asada meat was good. chili relleno was decent. Fajitas were good and the chicken was tender. They tried to keep the chips and salsa flowing. They did a good job on a large party of about 40. We ordered and ate in a little over an hour. Cons: Avoid the house margarita at all cost! They must've used a taquila that comes in a gallon size plastic bottle. Refried beans were too salty! Salsa didn't have a lot of flavor. Empanadas was really a taco folded in half, neatly. They would not give separate bills but one bill per one huge table that sat over 20 people. They has extensive menu but lacked the authentic taste.
(2)Maggs R.
All the food is super salty. Beans and rice are just re heated, or it seems like they are. The service is okay.
(1)Dysko G.
Service was awful! I had to get my own drinks for my party! Took over 20 min to even take drink orders. Food was not bad but for sure not good! Do not recommend to come.
(1)Christina B.
The food was horrible! I had the Mexican flag plate and the sauces for the enchiladas were horrible. The food was only semi warm like they've been sitting there awhile. My boyfriend had the burrito and asked for asada and got shredded beef. Overall not worth it! Service was slow as well.
(1)Nicole S.
After raving about how this was the best Mexican place for miles, I was so disappointed to find that they no longer serve beans with their chips. That was the main reason why I drove 45 minutes away to this location! The salsa was still pretty good, and the cheese enchilada just what I was craving, but the rice was a little dry. The side of beans that came with my combo made up for it.
(3)Valerie M.
Eh was craving some Mexican food. It was good last time but it kinda sucked this time... It wasn't real busy but our food wasn't warm and service was slow. For two people with meals and fried ice cream (which wasn't as great as usual) it was $40. I knew what we were getting into. It's a fast food type of Mexican food. Wish it was better for the price... The manager was nice and asked if everything was okay but I of course felt I was on the spot and lied and said it was okay. Ugh wish I could tell the truth in person! That's on me. They can't fix what they don't know. Probably won't be back for a long time. The only good thing was the chips and salsa. At least the chips were warm....
(2)Joe S.
Service sucks really bad. Spare from waiting forever and don't bother coming here. Food was so salty that I could not finish eating it. Complained to the manager and he seemed like it was not a surprise about the bad service. Will never be back here again.
(1)Norma L.
1st time there during this years Laughlin River Run. Noticed it as we road by and went with a huge party. I don't remember the name of our waitress but she was friendly and fast. Got our order right too. The Brunch was decent, good taste, fresh and the price was great. Will be back next year :)
(4)Shea S.
Love the food but terrible service from the minute we walked in until the minute we left. When we walked in the manager didn't even acknowledge us and it took about 15 minutes after we sat to even have our drink order taken. We heard 4 other tables complain about the service while we were there. The salsa is definitely their saving grace.
(2)Tani A.
Don't waste your time! We finally got sat after 10 minutes waiting at the host stand.. There were 3 servers that walked by and did not say a word. Once we got sat, we waited 15 minutes before we got our drinks ordered then another 15 minutes went by and we never even got our drinks so we left. Meanwhile all the tables around us were either still dirty or were being taken care of. Many servers walked by but no one stopped. Worst service ever, I can only imagine how awful the food must be. Save yourself time and go somewhere else!
(1)E L.
This place has been in Bullhead for a LONG time. Over the years we have noticed the food get more and more salty...What are they trying to hide? Over all the service and food is OK. Maybe it needs a new owner with more motivation.
(4)Don O.
Service: 3/5 stars Food: 3/5 stars Presentation: 3/5 stars Prices: 3/5 stars Not bad overall. We were seated right away and served chips and salsa. The hot salsa was excellent. We had a trainee serving us but she did fine. You could tell she was new at serving and spent a lot of time running in circles. Chicken breast on the grilled chicken salad was way overcooked and dry as was the sirloin on the fajita sandwich. The sandwich was still good. A lot of food at a reasonable price.
(3)Christie L.
I wanted to make a point to eat here on our recent trip to the Bullhead City/Laughlin area because every time I have driven by the parking lot is packed. It is a big place so there is plenty of seating. They have tables and booths. upon entering there was a man who seated us right away. . Our drink order was taken quickly and chips, bean dip, and two kinds of salsa (mild & hot) were brought to our table. The bean dip was pretty good and the salsa tasted fresh and delicious. The drinks brought to our table were huge and a refill was never necessary because the cups were so big. The salsa bowls are a pretty decent size and it is easy to fill up just on that. We were on a trip though and never have a problem pigging out so we also ordered some "Queso Dip" priced at $6.50 and it was good. I have experienced many kinds of queso dips but this kind was a first. It was loaded with sliced cooked onions. Instead of using chips to dip into the dip, you just break away the tortilla bowl the queso comes in. They have daily lunch specials served 11:00 am - 3:00 pm and after 3:00 pm add $1. You just can't beat the prices. From the lunch menu I ordered the "Mexican Flag" priced at $6.95 and the picture looked more appetizing then it actually tasted. It is three enchiladas, 1 chicken enchilada with verde sauce, 1 machaca enchilada with red sauce and 1 pork enchilada with ranchera sauce. This did not come with rice or beans. The meat inside each enchilada was dry and only the verde sauce was the only decent tasting of the sauces. I will pass on this dish again. My hubby ordered a "Fajita Veggie Burrito" priced at $5.95 and he loved it. I loved that it had fresh slices of avocado on it that I stole to put on my enchiladas! Our server never checked on us. She only took our order, brought our food, and I had to get up and ask for the bill. I'm glad the drinks were so big because if we did need a refill I don't think we would have got it. I mentioned something to the manager on the way out and he apologized. There was enough good things about the meal to make me want to go back and try something else on the menu when passing through town. If I could I would actually give a 3.5 rating. -They offer catering and have banquet rooms -I found it very cool that they have an outdoor dining patio that is dog friendly! -Happy hour is in the bar area and only Monday-Friday 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. -There is a arcade your kiddos can have some fun and play games in. -Check their Summer hours because sometimes they are not open on Friday & Saturday.
(4)D. M.
Place is okay. Our waiter Tom was great. Brought us everything we asked for and always checked on us. The food is okay. Nothing special. Seems like any other Mexican restaurant. Apparently the godfather burrito is good. Good place for a quick meal.
(3)Shelley M.
Get a clue El Palacio. You have the largest restaurant in town but consistently serve horrible tasting food. Clean up your act. Bad ambiance, bad decor , ugly grounds and bad food. Last and final time we ate there, I tried the adobo. 1 bite and done. Beans tasted like they cone from a can. Husband's meal was just,as bad. Food is bad but not cheap. Servers could learn a lesson in customer service. They don't become friendly until it's tip time.
(1)Claudia S.
We have been coming to this restaurant for many years. As the years have gone by the quality of the food and service has declined. We went there on June 18th with our family to celebrate a birthday. We had the most deplorable service and food! Let me mention a few of the problems we encountered at El Palacio. - It took us 40 minutes to order drinks (3 - soft drinks, 3 - ice teas and 2 beers). In fact, we had to get up and find someone to take our order because we were so thirsty. - Even though the restaurant was not too crowded, we were seated in a back room that had ceiling fans and was rather warm. We saw later that there was plenty of seating inside the main restaurant that had air conditioning. We were not loud, rowdy or rude. We were dressed nicely and were clean and well behaved. Everyone in our party was pretty quiet since we had spent the day at the river. Our party was tired and hungry. - We had our order taken approximately one hour after being seated. This is when we finally got some chips and salsa which were gone in an instant. We got up to find a waitress and asked for more but never got any. - Our food was brought to our table after being seated at the restaurant for one hour, 35 minutes. (The restaurant was not crowded. This was a Thursday night.) - Four of our dinner orders were completely wrong. Three of our party kept the meals and ate them anyway because they were hungry, but one meal had to be sent back due to an allergy to cheese. She had ordered shrimp fajitas and she got something completely different with cheese all over it. My daughter ordered a burrito with Ranchera Sauce over it and it came with no Ranchera Sauce and it was cold and dried out. The sauce had soaked into the burrito and the top of the burrito was stiff and cold. It must have been sitting for a very long time. It was also supposed to have avocado inside and it didn't. - Our drinks were never refilled, even though we asked for refills. The room was very warm. - Generally they bring a small dessert at the end of your meal. They never did nor did they honor our request to have my son-in-law sang to for his birthday. - We sat there for approximately 2-1/2 hours at this restaurant. No one came to see if we needed anything. We had to get up and look for a waitress and our requests were never fulfilled. We never got dessert or the check. My husband had to leave the table again to find our waitress and ask for the check. We just wanted to get out of there. We were hot, tired and extremely disappointed. We left at approximately 9:30pm. - My husband never found the waitress but he did find the manager. He told the manager that he was extremely disappointed with the service and the food. The manager rolled his eyes at my husband and said that it's the waitresses fault and there is nothing he can do about it. He didn't care to hear my husband mentioning all of the problems with the food either. **** The management for this restaurant is horrible! A manager should make his guests feel heard and offer to take care of the situation. He never did. He basically dismissed my husband and walked away. If I owned this restaurant, I would fire the manager. We have been in business for many years and I would never allow a manager to treat a guest as if their needs didn't matter. We will never spend one dime at this restaurant in the future and we will make sure that everyone we know doesn't either. My son-in-law in a high ranking officer in the sheriff's department, and my husband is a business man who used to frequent this restaurant in town. I can see a huge problem if things do not get corrected, although it's too late for us. I've never made a negative Yelp until now. Don't waste your money! The food and service are less than desirable.
(1)may l.
I always like to come here with my boyfriend when were craving a good deal on Mexican food. The portions are always more than generous and the prices are extremely affordable, especially for happy hour, lunch, or the daily specials. The food has always been great every time we've been here. The service is the only thing I would warn you against. I don't know if they just have trouble finding good help right now but the service is always slow and all the servers seem a little green. So if you're in a hurry, I wouldn't recommend it, but otherwise it's nice. Also, I've been told on a visit today that they got rid of the food on their happy hour menu and that there are now only drinks. Boo. :(
(4)Dane A.
I went for drinks and was glad to see they still have Modelo Negra dark beer on tap. I went just for a few beers and was glad they still offer up free chips with three different dips:hot sauce,medium, and bean. SO it is good I got something to eat as I didn't have lunch that day. Also they have Dos Equis Dark, which is a very good beer to get on draugh tap. This restaurant has been here for decades, as well as the sister restaurant in Fort Mohave called Casa Serrano. I always eat the Desert Burrito or Burro, not sure what it is called, they serve with machaca hand pulled meat. They are very good, that is what I ALWAYS order and stick to because I hav e been disappointed with some of the other dinners I have ordered. If you like dark beer with free corn chips, this is the place to go.
(4)Heather C.
Craving some good Mexican food and this was some of the worst food I have ever eaten. The food took forever to come out eventhough they were not busy. The food came out cold and one of the orders was wrong. When the food that was fixed only one of the three items came out with a good amount of food. The cheese enchiladas had more cheese on the outside than the inside. The served Hector was very nice and he was the only asset this place has. He brought our concerns to the manager and had our bill adjusted. We definitely won't be coming back unless this place changes its cooks and management. Hector should look for a job in a real restaurant where he can make good money with his excellent customer service.
(1)Thomas W.
I can not say enough times how slow the service was in both speed and mental awareness. The gentleman all but burned his hands carrying hot plates. I am not sure if they participate in a program, but the larger girl making drinks was not sure of how cold the fridge was without climbing all but fully into it, she got half way before her bulbous body excluded her from diving further in. I am worried, even troubled these people go without supervision. Not sure I will ever eat here again.
(1)Freddy P.
Great place to eat and hang out, we tried the one in NV but it sucked. This one is AZ is great, we were seated immediately, they brought us our chips and salsa right away. And the prices are a little bit cheaper as well, the restaurant in NV was charging $15 for a shrimp cocktail, here in AZ it was $11 something, and it was the same thing for other items on the menu. The restaurant is across the river so not far at all... I recommend the restaurant in AZ, it's so much better then the one on NV
(4)Laura M.
I have been to this location many times and it has always been my favorite. I came here tonight for my birthday dinner and was so disappointed! We waited at least 15-20 minutes before the hostess even acknowledged us. Once we were finally seated no one came to even take our drink order for another 30 + minutes. I am currently still waiting on our water as I type this. I am so sad I will never come here again!... So we continued to wait we did get our drinks and waited some more.. We got fed up and decided to leave. When we payed for our drinks the waitress said " I'm sorry you had to wait, I told you it would be more than an hour you can just go to Taco Bell" .... Are you kidding me?? Do not go to this dump ever!! So rude!
(1)Jason B.
I dont know why it has low ratings but this is very good. Chips and salsa's keep on coming as much as you want. Dinner was good, and I will go back when Im in the area.
(4)Michelle B.
This place is horrible...horrible food, horrible service and horrible management! We were on a family vacation visiting from California and it was my brother-in-law's birthday on June 18th and he chose to come here for dinner. We had a party of 8. We waited 30 minutes just to be seated, another 30 minutes just to order drinks, then we waited a whole hour after we ordered just for our food to come. They brought my niece and my mom the wrong order, I ordered a wet shrimp burrito and they brought me a cold burrito that looked like it had been sitting for a while considering all the red sauce was soaked into the tortilla. It was disgusting! The waitress was new and didn't know what she was doing. Never came back to refill our chips, drinks, nothing! They had us seated in this one room in the back of the restaraunt that wasn't even air conditioned, mind you it had been 120 degrees out that day. My Dad had to get up and walk around the restaraunt to find someone just to ask for our check at the end. When my Dad confronted the manager about this horrible experience, the manager wasn't apologetic at all and didn't offer to comp us at all either considering our bill was almost $100. My family had been here before but it was my first time and I was less than impressed. We all were. We will never ever visit this restaraunt again. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Don't waste your time or your money.
(1)LaNora O.
I used to really like El Palacio, but lately, not so much. I've been a few times for taco Tuesday and instead of doing the street-style tacos, have ordered them ala carte off the menu and they have been barely warmed over pre-made tacos. You cannot reheat a fried corn tortilla without it turning very rubbery. The meat was still cold inside. No bueno! Tonight, I had 3 margaritas and didn't even get a buzz. The bucket margaritas used to be $1-2, now $2.95 with absolutely no kick! Wondering if they even put booze in it & charging more for it! Tonight I had the grilled chicken salad. There certainly wasn't $9 worth of food on that plate! If you want good Mexican food, go to El Charro's. If I have a choice, I won't be back unless it's for Happy Hour drinks & appetizers.
(2)Victoria G.
First Mexican food place with a buffet and I must say we were quite impressed! Very tasty and very fresh! Staff was also very attentive!
(4)Scott U.
I read some negative reviews but went anyway, I'm glad I did. They have a Lunch special for $4.99, It looked good but I went for the lunch buffet they had for $7.50,I don't know what other people are talking about, I thought it was great. They had a very nice green salad and fixings ,rice and beans, some kind of shredded chicken dish that was very good. An enchilada type dish that was very tasty, quesadilla, and some delicious Pozole. Not to mention chips and salsa when you sit down, plus flan for desert and two types of drink, both tasty. I had the pleasure of talking to two young ladies while waiting for the restaurant to open, one who had previously been employed there. They both said it was still their favorite Mexican restaurant. I asked about cleanliness as I had never been there, and she told me they were clean fanatics. So if you are in Laughlin or Bullhead City and want a delicious meal, in a clean and friendly place go to El Palacio.
(4)Jean G.
***PROS*** * Seated right away * Offered drinks right away / served drinks promptly * Ordered dinner / served dinner promptly * All of our orders were DELICOIUS * Children's menu available * Chips were refilled; 2 salsas and the fabulous bean dip were served * Great view of the patio * Clean restaurant, friendly atmosphere * Free Wi-Fi * $1.99 margaritas during Happy Hour ***CONS*** * ....... none ....... We love El Palacio and Casa Serrano (Don't love their price increases during Laughlin River Run though!)
(5)Bob D.
Thumbs-Up / Late Lunch / Early Dinner When ever I have extra time traveling from AZ-CA I like take an overnight-er in Laughlin. While I enjoy gambling at the gaming tables that does not include the casino's dining tables "this is no Vegas" and all you can eat buffets frighten me..."nothing like food in a trough" LOL. Just a short hop across the river in Bullhead AZ lies a good Mexican American diner/cantina that is hard to miss. El Palacio is colorfully decorated and has an oasis in the desert styling "big surprise right?", the staff was very friendly and the food portions along with the quality were great! The fare is mostly what you would expect and it was all delicious, the sopapillas at dessert had to be the finest presentation I have had ever and I highly recommend them! If you are a dog lover they not only offer an outdoor friendly area, but a special menu jut for K-9's.The offer of outdoor seating while nice in theory would be insane considering the 114 degree in the shade day, that is hot enough to melt flatware for pete's sake!
(3)Tim G.
Chips & salsa delivered quickly. Chips seemed to be out of a plastic bag, the "mild" salsa was bland, the "spicy" salsa was smoky, but not all that spicy. It took a while to get our drink order in, (finally taken by a busboy) and even longer to order food. As a preventative measure, when the waitress finally came, we ordered our main course, and an appetizer. The main was delivered, but the appetizer was not, so we cancelled it. The "Mexican Flag" was uninspiring, with no discernible flavor. The special sour cream didn't compliment any of the enchilada flavors. The Ala Carte # 1's chili relleno cheese was just barely warm and not melted. The spinach enchilada had no cheese, and was barely warm. Neither had any flavor. I asked for a refill of my iced tea, and my glass disappeared until after the bill was delivered. It took a while for the wait staff to identify which of several bills was ours but, once sorted, they were quick to process the credit card payment. We were told this was the best Mexican restaurant in Bullhead. I hope not.
(2)Mona M.
Had the $10 buffet. Menudo and posole was okay. 1 omelet lady cooking with 1 pan with a long line the whole time we were there. Should've grabbed a flan when I first got there since they never put anymore out. People next to us asked what they have for soda the waiter said Pepsi only. Wouldn't come back again.
(1)Kellee K.
I love their daily lunch specials. Good selection, cheap prices, and friendly service. We stop in whenever we visit Laughlin. On a recent visit the salsa was great as always. We also had the tostada and tamale with chicken and cheese flauta. Our lunch hit the spot for $15, you gotta love it.
(4)Michelle G.
I never had a chance to eat the food...however what service we did have was HORRIBLE!! We put in our name for a table for 9. We waited 55 minutes before we all got up and left. Who knows how long we would have waited had we stayed?? The large party before us apparently was also displeased with the service because they told us good luck as they were leaving. 25 minutes into waiting we told the hostess we were willing to be split up if that could get us a table quicker. We asked to speak to the manager after we saw at least 7 other parties of 4 seated as soon as they walked in. The manager never came to the front to talk to us. The hostess seemed so flustered and not helpful at all. Thank goodness for Casa Serrano who saved our hungry tummies!! YAY Casa Serrano!!!
(1)Marlin K.
go to orials
(2)Ashton C.
I really wanted to like this place....and while the food was just ok, the service was horrible. We waited 10 min to place a drink order, another 10 to place a food order and never had the same waitress twice. No one refilled our water and and the margaritas were grossly overpriced for a mix. Like I stated before, the food was ok...but the bad service makes this place not worth it.
(2)Angel S.
First, let me start by saying they would get a one star rating if the experience was completely based on just today. We actually sought out four other Mexican restaurants in Bullhead City prior; but, unfortunately being a Sunday they were all closed. We have been coming here for years and years and have slowly watched it deteriorate into a two star restaurant. We showed up for a late lunch/early dinner around 5 p.m. and were greeted with a dirty booth. Typically, upon seating you get two types of salsa, beans, and chips, except this time we had to ask four different times for the beans. My wife ordered a desert burrito which comes with meat and asked to substitute zucchini instead of the meat and cheese. They advised that it would be an additional dollar charge which we went ahead and did even though it didn't seem fair. When the meal arrived the zucchini seemed as if it was just cut and thrown in the burrito without even being cooked. I had a bean and rice burrito which was coated with uncooked onions and was luke warm at best. We sent her burrito back and decided to just split mine so we can get out of there. We even struggled to get things like drink and chip refills and overall the ambiance just isn't there anymore. Our server seemed very sweet but obviously was distracted by a lack of overall organization. One suggestion would be if a customer complains about food, the manager should immediately make contact with them and see what can be done to improve. Failing to do so just shows an overall lack of concern for customer service. Two weeks ago we went to Casa Serrano in Ft. Mohave and it was marginally better. It is very sad because we have told dozens of people about this restaurant chain and also have had several annual large parties there. This rating today isn't based one experienced but more of five or six in a row. From now on I think we will skip El Palacio and even if every other Mexican restaurant is closed we will stop by the store and pick up some beans to cook ourselves.
(2)Maytte G.
My family and I came from California to Arizona. I yelp Mexican restaurants and this appeared first. The food is really good, good portions, reasonable prices(except the.steak tacos, kinda expensive $10)., and lovely service. Our waitress was really nice and attentive to our needs. Immediately she sat us and asked for our beverage choices. In addition, she brought us beans and salsa. My mom loved the spicy salsa choices as well as the beans. Our meals were great and cooked well. From my experience I could not have gone to another location. It was great. The deep fried vanilla ice cream was delicious. The Horchata wasn't the best.
(4)Marylee T.
They have a couple of good things on the menu; nothing healthy. I like the Mexican pizza and the Desert Burrito. The shredded beef is tender and tasty. Their chips have garlic salt on them, which is odd, and I'm not crazy about their salsa. I prefer something a little fresher tasting; theirs tastes like they make it well in advance.
(3)Brian R.
The staff was friendly, but that's all they had. The food was over priced, small portions and it had WAY too much salt on it.
(2)Orv M.
OK, it's not LA or Sante Fe or Austin; but not bad if you're stuck in Bullhead City. Good hot salsa and bean dip. Extensive menu (don't know how they manage consistency with 200 items). Food was fine, nothing was a knockout or bad. Decent margs. Slow service each of 2 times we went, need to staff up; besides more servers, need a receptionist to seat people instead of having serviers do it.
(3)Nettie P.
I've been here many times whenever I'm in town. My family and I are always seated right away and we are usually a party of 7-10 people. The salsa is delicious and the bean dip is great too. I really like the tortilla soup, it is flavorful and healthy. Overall I have had a good experience here. Service can be a little slow but it is always friendly. Overall very satisfied!
(4)Rusty S.
we used to go there mainly for the bar to kick back play buzz time trivia have a few drinks and get a few super tacos. the bar is nice for happy hour with free appetizers. they used to have a bartender named bill who was on to of things never needed to flag him down and always kept your chips and salsa filled. the last few times we went some lady was bar tending and she was right there for your drink order. the problem was getting her back to order food or another round .so it is not worth the headaches of dealing with her seeing the food is average at best ( except the super tacos in flour tortillas) when we can go to buffalo wild wings to play buzz time .the food is aver
(2)Diwata P.
It's a cute restaurant with Mexican flair. Our server was friendly and attentive. The food portions were huge, but everything was just way too salty. The three things I actually did like - tortilla chips, bean dip, and the mild salsa. My machaca and eggs burrito style was nothing memorable. My boyfriend had the make-your-own combo which he had the empanada, pork tamale, and chicken flauta. The empanada was greasy and bland, the pork tamale tasted different than other pork tamales I've had (I had better from those people selling tamale in grocery store parking lots), and the chicken flauta was average. I think the best thing he ordered was a large horchata which felt refreshing after a long day playing in the river. So the question I pose to myself ... would I come back here again? Probably not. There's so many other Mexican restaurants in the area that look much more promising than this place.
(2)Melissa V.
Just got back from a mini vacation in Laughlin with friends and tried this place. The food was pretty good and the margaritas strong! I would go back to this restaruant if I were in town again. Oh and if you are a BIG eater you might want to try the 30inch burrito. My boyfriend and friend thought they were "man vs. food"...food won!
(3)Roy H.
I asked a couple of locals for their favorite Mexican restaurant. Both mentioned El Palacio so I decided to give it a shot. Loved the hot, spicy salsa...hot and good flavor. Tried a 3 way combo- the shredded beef taco was excellent...shredded beef enchilada was boring, and I didn't care for the chile relleno...not much taste to it. Prices were very reasonable but the service was almost non existent.
(3)Toni R.
Decent food. The Spanish rice was tasty, but the beans were so salty I could not eat it. My flauta was a little greasy but good on flavor. Hubby had a burrito with beef but couldn't give me much more to yelp about ........typical guy. Best part was the friendly waiter. Overall the food was a bit more expensive than the quality reflects.
(3)Peter G.
Wow. Worst Mexican food I've eaten in a long time. Nasty, salty and pathetic service. Server said "Oh...I have served parties of 80 receivig an $700 tip" Yeah Right! She could barely take care of a party of 10! Stay clear. Not so much the poor service...Just the poor food. Kinda sad :(
(1)Mike D.
Absolutely HORRIBLE service and just okay food!! Went here a few weeks ago and waited over an hour to get our food. After an hour of waiting, I asked the waiter if he could let me know how much longer it would be for our food his response (very rudely) was I'm sure they are back there cooking it along with the other 40 people's food that came in before you! WTF! First of all there were not 40 other people in the entire restaurant secondly, the food is not made to order, obviously or it would taste a hell of a lot better! Needless to say we will not be back here!!!
(1)Allison Y.
I was in Bullhead this weekend looking for a suggestion on Yelp and was surprised to see such a low rating for the El Palacio. I have been here many times so I wanted to add my review. I love the bean dip and chips. I would go there just for that. I have also had the taco platter with large groups many times. I'm not sure if they even put it on the menu, but it is a large platter with pork, chicken, and steak and everyone makes their own tacos. Perfect for a group of 6 or 8. I see many complaints about the service - stick with Tom, he's the best! Can't comment on anyone else since he's always my server.
(4)Mark C.
Wow I'm not the only one then! This place sucks. I'd rather eat those crappy store bought beans any day. Everything is just so freakin bland and overcooked. My search for a good mexican restaurant in the area has just ended. I've gone up and down highway 95 and I can't find good mexican food anywhere. I am truly sad
(1)Bill W.
Everytime we goto Laughlin we always hit up El Palacio. Some of the best Mexican food around, and believe me, I know Mexican food!! Growing up in Southern California I've been enjoying this cuisine my entire life. El Palacio is a large restaurant with great food and excellent service. I never had a bad meal here. Tonight we were seated as soon as we arrived. As we were settling into our table, our drink order was taken and chips, two kinds of salsa, and a bean dip was brought to us. Tuesday nights are $0.99 taco night. Choices of chicken, shredded beef, ground beef, and pork were offered. I had two chicken, shredded beef and a pork tacos. The salsa bar offered 5 different salsas, all were very good. Tacos were good size, same size as you wound find at Taco Bell. Four filled me, as i usually eat good size meals. Chicken tacos were the best, pork being second, and he shredded beef taking a close third. Writing this review is making me hungry for El Palacio again.
(4)Justin R.
Food is below average amerimex, no real spices to speak of and tons of cheese and sour cream (which you sure don't find a couple thousand miles to the south) which is to be expected I guess for a vacation area. What really bothered me about the place is how shamelessly they try to gouge people for a few extra dollars. We just moved to the area and went in a couple times. The second time was during a big tourist weekend. When we got there according to their own dry erase board it was happy hour, so we preceded to order some margaritas, when it came time to pay the bartender informed us that there was no happy hour as it was a busy weekend, when I pointed out the sign he just shrugged his shoulders and said that is how it is. I asked to speak to the manager as this constitutes false advertising. The manager Max was very condescending and said he could not discount our drinks to happy hour prices for some reason but could give us a free appitizer next time we came in. No thanks Max, you just lost business from locals who go out a lot and live up the street.
(1)Carrie G.
Really the only thing this restaurant has going for it is the bean dip. But be aware big weekends( River Run, Labor Day) they don't bring it to the table for free.
(2)Adrienn T.
Hard to believe that it's a sister restaurant to Casa Cerrano in Fort Mohave where the food is always up to par and the service is superb
(1)Joy G.
Hit & Miss. Hits: Service provided by Saul. Shredded Beef Enchilada. Carne Asada Quesadilla Drink Refills provided by other staff members. Free chips w/ hot, mild & bean dip Free dessert Misses: Service provided by hostess that seated us. Al Pastor Chimichanga. Shredded Beef Tacos Each table, no matter how many people, only gets one menu to share I'm currently on the fence. The lady we dealt with there could probably use some customer service training (or a job in the back of the house). Most of the food was tasty. I suspect that we got free dessert because the waiter possibly saw us both using our Yelp app. Without the free dessert, the rating and review would have been the same, though. Before we ordered off the menu, we peeked in at the buffet offerings. I saw a typical salad bar and the hot food offered was beans, rice, cheese enchiladas and cheese quesadillas. I did not see any meat items on the buffet table, but there were a couple trays that were already empty when I looked. The elaboration for my "misses"...the al pastor chimichanga made this list because the amount of pure fat chunks inside it was about 30% of the entire thing. The shredded beef tacos came out a little bland. It appeared to be the same shredded beef that was inside the enchilada, but not sure why these had a lot less flavor.
(3)Nicole S.
After raving about how this was the best Mexican place for miles, I was so disappointed to find that they no longer serve beans with their chips. That was the main reason why I drove 45 minutes away to this location! The salsa was still pretty good, and the cheese enchilada just what I was craving, but the rice was a little dry. The side of beans that came with my combo made up for it.
(3)Rae B.
To start off the service was awful. We waited 15 minutes to even be acknowledged in this restaurant upon us entering. Once we were seated we didn't see a server for a good ten minutes. It was extremely hot inside and no windows and the fans were off. They brought us chips and salsa with bean dip, which was so so. The food was definitely not authentic. The beans already had cheese mixed in with them, and the tacos were soggy with only one corn tortilla. All other previous experiences at an authentic Mexican restaurant were with two corn tortillas. The sangria was really good, as was the fajita burrito.. although I couldn't get beans in it because, as mentioned, the cheese was already mixed in, and I can't eat cheese. Having a mild allergy to dairy, this was very upsetting to find out after I had eaten the beans. I would have rated this lower if it were not for the sangria. Recommend to no one. Also, have it be noted that my boyfriend is Mexican and is also an owner of Mexican restaurants.
(2)Jessica S.
Worst place ever. Called and told them I had a big party and when I arrived they said they had no record of that. There was hair in 3 of the dips. When I asked for water they said they were running low so I couldn't get a refill. They added 3 extra meals to the bill. If you respect your family and have any intelligence DO NOT COME HERE!!!
(1)Adela B.
Pros: Large room to accommodate large parties. Carne asada meat was good. chili relleno was decent. Fajitas were good and the chicken was tender. They tried to keep the chips and salsa flowing. They did a good job on a large party of about 40. We ordered and ate in a little over an hour. Cons: Avoid the house margarita at all cost! They must've used a taquila that comes in a gallon size plastic bottle. Refried beans were too salty! Salsa didn't have a lot of flavor. Empanadas was really a taco folded in half, neatly. They would not give separate bills but one bill per one huge table that sat over 20 people. They has extensive menu but lacked the authentic taste.
(2)Maggs R.
All the food is super salty. Beans and rice are just re heated, or it seems like they are. The service is okay.
(1)Dysko G.
Service was awful! I had to get my own drinks for my party! Took over 20 min to even take drink orders. Food was not bad but for sure not good! Do not recommend to come.
(1)Christina B.
The food was horrible! I had the Mexican flag plate and the sauces for the enchiladas were horrible. The food was only semi warm like they've been sitting there awhile. My boyfriend had the burrito and asked for asada and got shredded beef. Overall not worth it! Service was slow as well.
(1)Joe S.
Service sucks really bad. Spare from waiting forever and don't bother coming here. Food was so salty that I could not finish eating it. Complained to the manager and he seemed like it was not a surprise about the bad service. Will never be back here again.
(1)Valerie M.
Eh was craving some Mexican food. It was good last time but it kinda sucked this time... It wasn't real busy but our food wasn't warm and service was slow. For two people with meals and fried ice cream (which wasn't as great as usual) it was $40. I knew what we were getting into. It's a fast food type of Mexican food. Wish it was better for the price... The manager was nice and asked if everything was okay but I of course felt I was on the spot and lied and said it was okay. Ugh wish I could tell the truth in person! That's on me. They can't fix what they don't know. Probably won't be back for a long time. The only good thing was the chips and salsa. At least the chips were warm....
(2)Norma L.
1st time there during this years Laughlin River Run. Noticed it as we road by and went with a huge party. I don't remember the name of our waitress but she was friendly and fast. Got our order right too. The Brunch was decent, good taste, fresh and the price was great. Will be back next year :)
(4)D. M.
Place is okay. Our waiter Tom was great. Brought us everything we asked for and always checked on us. The food is okay. Nothing special. Seems like any other Mexican restaurant. Apparently the godfather burrito is good. Good place for a quick meal.
(3)M F.
Ate the lunch buffet today (Saturday). $9.99 pp includes iced tea, coffee and mango water. They had pork carnitas, chili rellanos, enchiladas, tostadas, menudo, salad, rice (excellent), beans, shrimp ceviche and flan with chips and two types of salsas. We dine at a Mexican restaurant every day and really enjoyed the buffet. The pork was very flavorful. The chili relleno and rice were some of the best we have ever had!. Wish they would have had guacamole on the buffet and another type of dessert (fried ice cream would be nice). The flan was just ok. The mango water is a nice touch and very refreshing. We mixed the two salsas together, and it was amazing. We'll definitely dine there again. Service was really good, as well.
(4)Tani A.
Don't waste your time! We finally got sat after 10 minutes waiting at the host stand.. There were 3 servers that walked by and did not say a word. Once we got sat, we waited 15 minutes before we got our drinks ordered then another 15 minutes went by and we never even got our drinks so we left. Meanwhile all the tables around us were either still dirty or were being taken care of. Many servers walked by but no one stopped. Worst service ever, I can only imagine how awful the food must be. Save yourself time and go somewhere else!
(1)E L.
This place has been in Bullhead for a LONG time. Over the years we have noticed the food get more and more salty...What are they trying to hide? Over all the service and food is OK. Maybe it needs a new owner with more motivation.
(4)Christie L.
I wanted to make a point to eat here on our recent trip to the Bullhead City/Laughlin area because every time I have driven by the parking lot is packed. It is a big place so there is plenty of seating. They have tables and booths. upon entering there was a man who seated us right away. . Our drink order was taken quickly and chips, bean dip, and two kinds of salsa (mild & hot) were brought to our table. The bean dip was pretty good and the salsa tasted fresh and delicious. The drinks brought to our table were huge and a refill was never necessary because the cups were so big. The salsa bowls are a pretty decent size and it is easy to fill up just on that. We were on a trip though and never have a problem pigging out so we also ordered some "Queso Dip" priced at $6.50 and it was good. I have experienced many kinds of queso dips but this kind was a first. It was loaded with sliced cooked onions. Instead of using chips to dip into the dip, you just break away the tortilla bowl the queso comes in. They have daily lunch specials served 11:00 am - 3:00 pm and after 3:00 pm add $1. You just can't beat the prices. From the lunch menu I ordered the "Mexican Flag" priced at $6.95 and the picture looked more appetizing then it actually tasted. It is three enchiladas, 1 chicken enchilada with verde sauce, 1 machaca enchilada with red sauce and 1 pork enchilada with ranchera sauce. This did not come with rice or beans. The meat inside each enchilada was dry and only the verde sauce was the only decent tasting of the sauces. I will pass on this dish again. My hubby ordered a "Fajita Veggie Burrito" priced at $5.95 and he loved it. I loved that it had fresh slices of avocado on it that I stole to put on my enchiladas! Our server never checked on us. She only took our order, brought our food, and I had to get up and ask for the bill. I'm glad the drinks were so big because if we did need a refill I don't think we would have got it. I mentioned something to the manager on the way out and he apologized. There was enough good things about the meal to make me want to go back and try something else on the menu when passing through town. If I could I would actually give a 3.5 rating. -They offer catering and have banquet rooms -I found it very cool that they have an outdoor dining patio that is dog friendly! -Happy hour is in the bar area and only Monday-Friday 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. -There is a arcade your kiddos can have some fun and play games in. -Check their Summer hours because sometimes they are not open on Friday & Saturday.
(4)Shelley M.
Get a clue El Palacio. You have the largest restaurant in town but consistently serve horrible tasting food. Clean up your act. Bad ambiance, bad decor , ugly grounds and bad food. Last and final time we ate there, I tried the adobo. 1 bite and done. Beans tasted like they cone from a can. Husband's meal was just,as bad. Food is bad but not cheap. Servers could learn a lesson in customer service. They don't become friendly until it's tip time.
(1)Dan W.
I was here with Thomas and agree that the service was the slowest ever. their mental awareness was quite off for customers. I am not sure they even knew we were there. Once they got a clew they took our order and it was back to waiting. We both finished our beers and could not even get someone to see that we needed more. our chips were gone to. my god WTF???? really???? Where did everyone go??? was there a party out back or in the kitchen we were a partied to?? well when they finally came out we got some bean dip and more chips. we even got a cold beer. wow!!! then we waited again....... and again.... all of the sudden out of the kitchen comes this lame brain with 2 plates and almost dropped one on the bar so hard it just about broke the plate. the server said the plates are very hot and he had no glove or even a towel. bare handed! what a klutz!! my grandmother would have called him a lummox or a buffoon for sure!!! maybe someone needs to babysit this crew and insure they have some sort of management showing them how to serve hot plates. the food was just OK. nothing special. More waiting for our check... OMG Really???? I would highly suggest going elsewhere if you want any kind of service. Maybe we should have ordered a bucket of beers so we would not have to wait. whatever, go somewhere else and read the rest of the reviews if you think I am to hard on this place.
(1)Sindy V.
Terrible service. Sat waiting for a server to take our drink order for 25 min. No one acknowledged that we were there. This is the second time this has happened. Never going again
(1)Shea S.
Love the food but terrible service from the minute we walked in until the minute we left. When we walked in the manager didn't even acknowledge us and it took about 15 minutes after we sat to even have our drink order taken. We heard 4 other tables complain about the service while we were there. The salsa is definitely their saving grace.
(2)may l.
I always like to come here with my boyfriend when were craving a good deal on Mexican food. The portions are always more than generous and the prices are extremely affordable, especially for happy hour, lunch, or the daily specials. The food has always been great every time we've been here. The service is the only thing I would warn you against. I don't know if they just have trouble finding good help right now but the service is always slow and all the servers seem a little green. So if you're in a hurry, I wouldn't recommend it, but otherwise it's nice. Also, I've been told on a visit today that they got rid of the food on their happy hour menu and that there are now only drinks. Boo. :(
(4)Victoria G.
First Mexican food place with a buffet and I must say we were quite impressed! Very tasty and very fresh! Staff was also very attentive!
(4)Claudia S.
We have been coming to this restaurant for many years. As the years have gone by the quality of the food and service has declined. We went there on June 18th with our family to celebrate a birthday. We had the most deplorable service and food! Let me mention a few of the problems we encountered at El Palacio. - It took us 40 minutes to order drinks (3 - soft drinks, 3 - ice teas and 2 beers). In fact, we had to get up and find someone to take our order because we were so thirsty. - Even though the restaurant was not too crowded, we were seated in a back room that had ceiling fans and was rather warm. We saw later that there was plenty of seating inside the main restaurant that had air conditioning. We were not loud, rowdy or rude. We were dressed nicely and were clean and well behaved. Everyone in our party was pretty quiet since we had spent the day at the river. Our party was tired and hungry. - We had our order taken approximately one hour after being seated. This is when we finally got some chips and salsa which were gone in an instant. We got up to find a waitress and asked for more but never got any. - Our food was brought to our table after being seated at the restaurant for one hour, 35 minutes. (The restaurant was not crowded. This was a Thursday night.) - Four of our dinner orders were completely wrong. Three of our party kept the meals and ate them anyway because they were hungry, but one meal had to be sent back due to an allergy to cheese. She had ordered shrimp fajitas and she got something completely different with cheese all over it. My daughter ordered a burrito with Ranchera Sauce over it and it came with no Ranchera Sauce and it was cold and dried out. The sauce had soaked into the burrito and the top of the burrito was stiff and cold. It must have been sitting for a very long time. It was also supposed to have avocado inside and it didn't. - Our drinks were never refilled, even though we asked for refills. The room was very warm. - Generally they bring a small dessert at the end of your meal. They never did nor did they honor our request to have my son-in-law sang to for his birthday. - We sat there for approximately 2-1/2 hours at this restaurant. No one came to see if we needed anything. We had to get up and look for a waitress and our requests were never fulfilled. We never got dessert or the check. My husband had to leave the table again to find our waitress and ask for the check. We just wanted to get out of there. We were hot, tired and extremely disappointed. We left at approximately 9:30pm. - My husband never found the waitress but he did find the manager. He told the manager that he was extremely disappointed with the service and the food. The manager rolled his eyes at my husband and said that it's the waitresses fault and there is nothing he can do about it. He didn't care to hear my husband mentioning all of the problems with the food either. **** The management for this restaurant is horrible! A manager should make his guests feel heard and offer to take care of the situation. He never did. He basically dismissed my husband and walked away. If I owned this restaurant, I would fire the manager. We have been in business for many years and I would never allow a manager to treat a guest as if their needs didn't matter. We will never spend one dime at this restaurant in the future and we will make sure that everyone we know doesn't either. My son-in-law in a high ranking officer in the sheriff's department, and my husband is a business man who used to frequent this restaurant in town. I can see a huge problem if things do not get corrected, although it's too late for us. I've never made a negative Yelp until now. Don't waste your money! The food and service are less than desirable.
(1)LaNora O.
I used to really like El Palacio, but lately, not so much. I've been a few times for taco Tuesday and instead of doing the street-style tacos, have ordered them ala carte off the menu and they have been barely warmed over pre-made tacos. You cannot reheat a fried corn tortilla without it turning very rubbery. The meat was still cold inside. No bueno! Tonight, I had 3 margaritas and didn't even get a buzz. The bucket margaritas used to be $1-2, now $2.95 with absolutely no kick! Wondering if they even put booze in it & charging more for it! Tonight I had the grilled chicken salad. There certainly wasn't $9 worth of food on that plate! If you want good Mexican food, go to El Charro's. If I have a choice, I won't be back unless it's for Happy Hour drinks & appetizers.
(2)Scott U.
I read some negative reviews but went anyway, I'm glad I did. They have a Lunch special for $4.99, It looked good but I went for the lunch buffet they had for $7.50,I don't know what other people are talking about, I thought it was great. They had a very nice green salad and fixings ,rice and beans, some kind of shredded chicken dish that was very good. An enchilada type dish that was very tasty, quesadilla, and some delicious Pozole. Not to mention chips and salsa when you sit down, plus flan for desert and two types of drink, both tasty. I had the pleasure of talking to two young ladies while waiting for the restaurant to open, one who had previously been employed there. They both said it was still their favorite Mexican restaurant. I asked about cleanliness as I had never been there, and she told me they were clean fanatics. So if you are in Laughlin or Bullhead City and want a delicious meal, in a clean and friendly place go to El Palacio.
(4)Jean G.
***PROS*** * Seated right away * Offered drinks right away / served drinks promptly * Ordered dinner / served dinner promptly * All of our orders were DELICOIUS * Children's menu available * Chips were refilled; 2 salsas and the fabulous bean dip were served * Great view of the patio * Clean restaurant, friendly atmosphere * Free Wi-Fi * $1.99 margaritas during Happy Hour ***CONS*** * ....... none ....... We love El Palacio and Casa Serrano (Don't love their price increases during Laughlin River Run though!)
(5)Bob D.
Thumbs-Up / Late Lunch / Early Dinner When ever I have extra time traveling from AZ-CA I like take an overnight-er in Laughlin. While I enjoy gambling at the gaming tables that does not include the casino's dining tables "this is no Vegas" and all you can eat buffets frighten me..."nothing like food in a trough" LOL. Just a short hop across the river in Bullhead AZ lies a good Mexican American diner/cantina that is hard to miss. El Palacio is colorfully decorated and has an oasis in the desert styling "big surprise right?", the staff was very friendly and the food portions along with the quality were great! The fare is mostly what you would expect and it was all delicious, the sopapillas at dessert had to be the finest presentation I have had ever and I highly recommend them! If you are a dog lover they not only offer an outdoor friendly area, but a special menu jut for K-9's.The offer of outdoor seating while nice in theory would be insane considering the 114 degree in the shade day, that is hot enough to melt flatware for pete's sake!
(3)