Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina
5670 W Peoria Ave, Glendale, AZ, 85302
Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina Menu
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Address :
5670 W Peoria Ave
Glendale, AZ, 85302 - Phone (623) 979-3500
- Website https://www.manuelsaz.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Brunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Samantha B.
There was a time in my life when I was coming here every week with my mom. I probably still would be if we lived here, but we moved from Peoria in 2005. (Yeah, I've been going for years and it's always been consistently good.) But even though it's been a several years since we were regulars, our server Andrew still remembers us and can bring us our drinks before we even order. They've got the salsa down. I could eat a bucket of the stuff. I don't know what makes it so special, but it's my favorite salsa ever. Perfectly thin, crispy chips that aren't greasy. And they aren't stingy with refills. My favorite item (my favorite food, PERIOD) is the Pollo Especial. Shredded chicken and green chiles fried in a tortilla, then smothered in jalapeno cream cheese and cheddar. Sounds simple, but anytime I've gotten a similar item elsewhere, it doesn't hit the mark. If you get this at dinner it's a lot of food. The lunch sized version suits me just fine. Can't say how their dessert is. I've always been too full to try.
(4)Michelle T.
The two stars as defined by Yelp as "Meh. I've experienced better" is a great definer. In fact, I would amend it to say "I've experienced A LOT A LOT A LOT A LOT better." To establish my credibility, I must first say that I had been in the food service industry for almost 10 years (highschool and college) and so I've worked low end and high end and I think after experiencing different levels of the food industry, I know what I'm talking about. Additionally, as a food service worker, I would have appreciated a guest like me letting the restaurant know if there was something amiss. However, there was so much wrong with last nights dinner that I could have had an hour long talk with the manager about the millions of things that needed to be done to fix the quality of the restaurant and in particular, Manuel's service. So, I'm sure you're wanting to hear about the restaurant. I came in with a larger group around 8:15. I called ahead to let them know we were coming. We had a range of people that I thought were coming - between 10 and 13. They were busy and part of their restaurant (the bar portion) was closed due to renovations, so this already busy restaurant had limited capacity. No problem. My group was relaxed and flexible. We had nowhere to be and the bartender made us a couple of drinks while we waited. (He was probably the best part of the night.) As we waited in the front room, a hostess in a very rude voice asked if we had any idea of the real total of our party yet. She claimed that it would change our waiting time (which was of little importance to us) and said, "you only have 7 people here right now, how many more are going to show up?" I calmly told her at least 10 and we'll squeeze together if we need to add more, no problem. I don't know if she was having a rough night, but it was just her attitude, tone, and the fact that she did not approach us to have the conversation but rather stood by and hung on the seating podium that really irritated me. Once we were seated (around 8:45 or so), we grubbed on some chips and salsa. I must give a kudos to Manuels for this, the chips and salsa are tasty. Its a shame that the same quality did not extend to the rest of our meal. Around 9:20 or so, we hear this terrible clanging of silverware behind us. All of the servers had decided to roll their silver right behind us. So, for a half an hour, we got to listen to people rustling, quite loudly, silverware as they did their side work. Ugh, annoying. When our food came out, our orders were wrong. If it had been one or two, then we would have changed it .... but... if we had all complained, pretty much every dish would have been taken back to the kitchen. At least on my side of the table, my tacos came out on the wrong tortillas, they were greasy, and the quality of the beef is very very fatty, oily, and tough to chew through. My friend also ordered two fish tacos, also presented on the wrong tortillas, and the fish were in large fillets that did not span the length of the tortilla, so you were eating at some portions just pico and tortilla... kinda weird. The server also got my husbands order wrong (he ordered the chicken fajitas) and she brought out a second shrimp fajitas. Trying to be accommodating, he took the shrimp instead of asking for his original order. She knew that she had made a mistake in this but still charged him for the more expensive shrimp fajitas. Additionally, the chefs do not know how to portion equally as my husband had 5 shrimp in his fajitas and my friend that had ordered them on the other side of the table had close to 10. Thats a lot of extra shrimp. And the server did not even check in to make sure everything was ok. Finally, when were only half way through our meal, around 9:45, they started rolling down the metal window coverings. If we were there after closing time, which is I believe 11, I could understand, but there was still an hour and 15 minutes still left to service. We just felt so unwelcome and with every passing moment, we were becoming more and more irritated with the restaurant. I'm a Tucson native where Mexican food is not only delicious but there are plentiful options. I just moved to phoenix about 6 months ago and I have been not only disappointed with Manuel's but with every Mexican restaurant that I have found in Phoenix. Is there not even one that has decent food? My take on Manuel's is that if you're wanting expensive prices (12.95 for two tacos and a side of beans with a sour cream, kind of what might be considered a guac, and a tomatillo sauce condiments) with mediocre quality of food and irritating service, then this is the place for you. If not, well... you get the picture. Happy eating!
(2)Benny T.
I decided to try this place with my family and the service was GREAT! Sergio and J.P. were our servers and made sure that we had a good supply of drinks, chips and salsa. When our food came is when it went all down hill... the food was TERRIBLE, my 3 year old wouldn't even eat it, he eats everything. I had soup and the meat was HARD.... and well the broth was greasy. My g/f had the fiesta plate (she was sharing with our son) and there wasn't anything special about it at all, some of it tasted like plastic! The only reason I gave one star at all was the service, chips and salsa. We didn't end up paying and went and ate somewhere else. Such a disappointment this place was, and over priced too.
(1)David H.
One of the best Mexican restaurants I've been to. Service is consistently good, food is consistently good. I often order the 3 Amigos. The carne asada is excellent. Can't go wrong with this place. Been here at least 30 times.
(5)Korina A.
Decently good Mexicanesque food. I've enjoyed pretty much everything I've gotten here, except for the fish tacos. Right now, the carne picado is my favorite dish -- full of jalapeños and juicy marinated meat. In addition, their salsa is tasty and the chips are nice and light. It's near my house and always good. The dining room is cozy and well taken care of. When I'd rather just pick up dinner for the family, they have a handy pick up window out back. I really can't complain.
(3)Chukki S.
Everything about this place is average. The food, the service, the building, the prices, etc. Not sure what I can really write about. Nothing stands out. Picture your average Mexican family style restaurant. This is it.
(2)Steven T.
Amazing Mexican food done right for years. One of my favorite places. Green corn tamale, cheese enchilada, and chicken taco!
(5)Audrey W.
Our favorite place for Mexican food. We go about once a week and always have great service and great food. Very family friendly and the chips and salsa are the best!
(5)Benjamin S.
Great service and amazing food. Best chips and salsa! Fast place to eat lunch if you only have a short lunch break. Amazing desserts; flan, fried ice-cream, sopapillas and hot apple pie Ala mode. The hot apple pie Ala mode is probably the best dessert they serve; it comes with this sizzling sweet butter rum sauce and a huge scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Absolutely to die for!!
(5)Chuck H.
My trophy wife and I and a few of the offspring decided that we wanted to try out this Manuels. We picked Friday night at 6:30 and the place was packed with a 30 minute wait, but the staff moved the customers in and out very quickly and we were soon munching chips and salsa. The wife is very picky about salsa, not really liking any restaurant's offering that we have experienced in the last few years so imagine my surprise when I looked at the bowl of chips and there were only little pieces left. We had very prompt and attentive service, me and the wife splitting the order of pollo especial because one of my fellow yelpers recommended it and they were certainly correct. Everyone was delighted with their food,and we all scarfed the sopapillas afterwards.This is a great place to take your family to have someone else do the cooking and enjoy some wonderful Az style mexican food.
(5)Matt S.
This place seriously is the best Mexican food in Arizona (of all the places I have tried) I have been hearing about this place from my Father in Law, ranting and raving about it. He was not wrong. Huge portions and amazing fresh flavor. I could have drank the salsa it was so good. It was such good salsa I had them box up the left over salsa so I could take home and finish!! hahah I can't wait to go back and try more. I had the taco and enchilada plate with rice and beans. AMAZING. Seriously can't wait to go back and try more. Also was glad to hear they have a place in Mesa too (that's just a wee bit closer) Check out the picture of my plate. If that doesn't make your mouth water - you need to get checked out! Go try this place - even if its a little bit of a drive.
(5)Jordan W.
Hands down best mexican food in the valley great for the family get togethers bdays the whole thing is a great expierence!
(5)Brittanie M.
The best salsa I've ever had - and the only one I can actually eat by the chipful. The chips are always fresh and never stale. Service has always been fast and friendly. Prices are cheap, especially for lunch. I usually get the enchilada (ordered with no onions, green sauce) with rice and beans, all around $7. I could eat here everyday and never want for anything else.
(4)Nick V.
Went for breakfast a week or so ago. The staff was all polite and the place was clean and packed so we had high hopes. We had a cheese crisp, machacha and eggs and a chicken chimichanga with fundido sauce. All were ok but really greasy and bland for Mexican food. Next time we will go to one of the other local places, Valle Luna, Macayos, Top Shelf even Garcia's.
(3)Bruce D.
I have found that the quality of the food at many of the Mexican restaurants tends to vary depending on who is cooking that day and on what time of the day you come in for your meal. Some time the longer the sauce has simmered the better it is. I have never been disappointed with the food at this Manuel's. Salsa is always great and the meal is always tasty. I also consider their prices to be reasonable. I used to love Macayo's when I first got to the valley, but they have gone downhill. They seem to be too cost conscious. Someone also mentioned Top Shelf as being better. I found that to be totally bland. I pretty much like all the Manuel's, with the exception of the one over around Bell and 12th Ave. But, maybe I just had a few bad days there.
(4)BJ J.
Some of the best Mexican food in the valley. Everything is good, the food, the service and the atmosphere. The food is delivered quickly and I often leave there amazed at how little time I've actually spent there yet have never felt rushed by anyone. Love, the salsa, some of my other favorites are the pollo especial, steak picado and the rolled quesadilla.
(4)Thomas H.
Far and away better than....Garcia's, Top Shelf, Valle Luna Etc... The salsa is a little sweet with just the right amount of spicy "bite" to it. The best part is the "pollo especial" a chicken chimi covered in a spicy cream cheese sauce! My only gripe is that there isnt a location closer to me in the far west valley!
(5)Bell J.
No complaints
(4)Ryan N.
What can I say.... This is hands down one of the best places to eat! Visit probably once a week and always request the same waiter. Service is great, food is excellent, prices are perfect!
(5)Julie S.
My favorite Mexican place around. I would go there for the salsa alone, but everything is good. On weekends you can get breakfast, and I highly recommend the spinach and bacon omelet! During the week we like to go for the lunch special and everything is awesome. I especially like the green corn tamale, and the pollo especial.
(5)Travis M.
By far not my favorite place, but others seem to love it. Stopped here for dinner last night. Chips and salsa are average, prices are high. Best thing to me on the menu is the carne asada, but it costs about $17 for the meal so I don't get it often. Had the combo #2 and have to say I liked it. The beef taco was good, and the ground beef enchilada wasn't too bad either. Think the plate was about $10, and came with a side of rice, but no beans. They have made some changes to the decor since I was last there, but still think that the food is average at best. I will say that even as busy as they were, food came out pretty fast which is great when you have hungry kids. FYI - parking sucks.
(3)Jackie L.
This was my second visit here-- my first visit was a few years ago, the last time I was in the Phoenix metro area. There are so many good Mexican places here that knowing which one(s) to visit can be a bit overwhelming, so I rely on the locals to give me tips. My sisters have lived in AZ since 1995 and this is one of their fave Mexican places in the West Valley. One thing I must comment on is their salsa. I LOVE THE SALSA AT MANUEL'S. I'm a fiend for good salsas and Manuel's has some of the best around, in my opinion. The food is fresh, decent Mexican, though pretty Americanized by my standards. It's served by friendly people. Gets busy here on weekend nights but definitely worth a visit.
(4)Josh K.
Seems like everyone else liked this place, but the service was terrible, the salsa was bland and watery, and the tamale was not that great. They got the refried beans and rice right, but how do you screw that up? Avoid this place for the weekend lunch - the service was literally nonexistent.
(2)Dave H.
Went there on a coupon from dealchicken.com and enjoyed it very much. We were there at lunch and were seated in the bar area quickly which was fine with us as it was a booth. The waiter was attentive and competent. I think some may not be too interested in being attentive since we were there on a coupon but that was not the case here. I had the machaca beef which was well seasoned and a huge portion that I was not able to finish (and I really skimped on the beans and rice because I could see how much beef there was!!). The salsa and chips were very good that was a chunky type which is my favorite but they also brought a hotter version which was a thinner concoction that we added to the large bowl of salsa. My wife had a lunch special combination which she also liked. The finale was when the waiter asked if we wanted anything else to finish off the $30 coupon and we were at $28 and I opted for the sopapilla;s which is a favorite and I expected 4 or 5 with some honey but it was a huge bowl with 20+ in it!!! We took almost all of them home and ate them for the next couple of days. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was just that I like to see things like barbacoa, adobada, etc on the menu also.
(4)Jerry R.
This is chain restaurant quality. Not very good Mexican food at all. And is very expensive for what you get.
(2)Bridget H.
It was pretty decent. Our service was great. The food was good. No complaints, but I also wasn't blown away. They did give me really fresh corn tortillas that were really good. I'll probably try the tacos next time.
(3)Phil H.
Good place for some decent Mexican food. It may be better, but I Mexican food seems to have a glass ceiling on how good it can be. I ordered the Taco Salad (aka: the not healthy salad), and it was very good. I also tried the fried ice cream, it was good, but somewhat disappointing. I will say the service was excellent.
(3)Mary L.
What else can I say?? We LOVE this restaurant!!! The chips are great as well as the salsa. I can't get enough of the Seafood enchilada. I haven't had anything bad in the 10 years I have been going to this restaurant. The service is good and everyone is friendly. What more can I ask for???
(4)Steve G.
Good chips and salsa!
(5)Heather Y.
I can't help but give this place 5 stars. The food is always great. I love their chips and salsa, some of the best I've ever had. I love their shredded beef tacos, their green chili con carne burrito, and their taco salads. It's affordable, casual mexican food. Very easy to make this place a regular restaurant to eat at.
(5)Mark T.
Great salsa. Great food. Great service and great prices. I could mainline their salsa.
(5)Cristina B.
My family and I gave this place a try last month and loved it! We've returned twice since and also loved their breakfast menu! Our daughter loves their street tacos. Fast service and we love the endless chips and salsa. We are from CA and so happy to have found this place for whenever we are in town!
(4)Craig S.
Not sure why I have not reviewed Manuel's. We have been eating with them for the past maybe10 or more years. We eat there at least once or twice a month. Why do we keep returning? 1. They are always very nice and make you feel they are glad you are there. 2. The food is good and you always get more than you should eat at one sitting.( We always take food home with us. 3. The food is priced reasonably. 4. They are a neighbor hood family owned business and I always try to support this type of business. 5. There is something on the menu for all tastes. (Some people that go with us like hamburgers.) When we go there is usually at least 6 people in our group. No one has ever complained about the quality of food. It has always been good. They have always treat us as a valued customer. I often recommend Manuel's to other people.
(5)Marcelo M.
So this place is meh I mean food is ok nothing amazing,chips are good. While on my visit here the power went out and just sitting in the dark for a good 10 minutes so not very pleasant visit hope this power comes on
(3)Trevor C.
I came here with my wife and daughter for some dinner. My wife and i have been here before so we figured it would be decent. The service was lackluster. The waiter took my wife's order and mine, but ignored the fact that I had my daughter with me. I had to chase him down to give him her order. Drinks ran low a few times and we had to ask for refills. Empty plates sat on the table until another waiter decided to clear them for us. The food was.... well, the chips and salsa were the stars of our meal. The chili relleno wrapped in an omelet was.... different. I can't recommend it though. My taco and tostada were overwhelmed by scallions. The sauce for my enchilada tasted exactly as if it had come from a Banquet microwave meal. My daughter barely ate any of her two mini tacos. My wife grabbed her leftovers since she wasn't interested in finishing her chili relleno and said "no wonder she didn't eat her tacos! These are terrible!" We were very disappointed with our meal. I could have gotten better food from a Rolando's at a better price.
(1)Shyler S.
Don't come here much. Food came out quick and pieces are great. If you want decent Mexican food and your in the area stop by.
(4)Val N.
We ate at Manuel's once about 15 years ago and have been addicted ever since. I was raised here in the Phx area and was used to 'real' mexican food and Manuel's is it! Great Chips and Salsa and Dinners. Service is great and friendly and have had no problems ever with the service or food.
(5)Shelby P.
I have always had good food and service here. I have been coming to this Manuel's for as long as I can remember. I love it!
(5)Christine D.
Great homestyle Mexican food. Excellent salsa. My favorite is Tuesday $6.99 special. Beef Taco, Cheese Enchilada and rice and beans. For an extra buck I get a chicken enchilada instead. Have been coming her for over 20 years and it's just as good!!!
(5)Debra G.
Great family owned restaurant with outstanding service by friendly people. My beef taco was filled with flavorful, tender meat and no gristle or fat. Enchilada sauce is creamy and delicious. All the right proportions of meat, lettuce, tomato and cheese. Great Gringo salsa, great flavor and not spicy. We'll be back!
(4)Steve P.
I will have to say that out of the "Hispanic Restaurants" this one is better. Better than macayos and better than don Rubens in my opinion. It's on and off for us as it was so good it almost put my wife into labor when she was pregnant lol. She had the fried ice cream after the chimi and we were both in sugar heaven. It just isn't consistent for us. Give it a go. Get the enchiladas or my favorite is the green tamale(it's sweet)
(3)Paula T.
This is my favorite restaurant! They have great shredded beef tacos, beans and salsa and are reasonably priced. I have been going here for 20 years and would highly recommend. They have a large selection of flavored margaritas as well. Every thing I have tried on the menu has not disappointed!
(5)Amy M.
We moved from the Glendale area 11 years ago. Whenever we come back into town, we try and make it here. We visited Sunday, August 30th around 3pm We were seated promptly It took a bit to get someone to take our drink orders . After that, the service was fine. If you go, get the Tortilla Soup. This is the best we have ever had and we have been to a LOT of places. They no longer serve just a carne asada plate, but have a plate with Carne asada. So I had orders that, was disappointed it didn't include beans, but I'm sure it said that on the menu and I just didn't notice it. Carne Asada was still good Food was great. Ambiance, not so much. It just seemed there were a lot of people running around for the 4 tables that were occupied. Dishes dropping, clattering
(3)Leslie H.
We came for dinner 01/31/15 around 5 pm. The restaurant was busy but we were seated within 5 minutes of arrival . I had the best bowl of tortilla soup EVER !! It had grilled chicken , shredded cheese, fresh avocado, tortilla strips and an amazing , thick chicken broth . I'm posting a pic of it , but I'm warning you it won't do it justice .. My children ordered off the kiddo menu which was cheap( $5.55 each ) and the plates were each amazing . My son had the 2 mini tacos with rice and beans and he loved it . If you are in the mood for the best bowl of tortilla soup in the whole world .. Then you need to stop by here
(5)Coty S.
The average for this place seems about four stars. I concur. The service is pretty good but not extraordinary. The food is satisfying but not great. The price is fair. My gripe is that the food seemed burnt all around. Overall worth going but don't expect anything special.
(4)Brandon K.
Meh xican food. That's how I'd have to describe this. We were promptly seated. We were quickly attended to. Drinks ordered and they brought out chips and salsa quickly. The mild salsa was sweet. Wah. The spicy was really spicy. Mixed them together and it ended up working out. We ordered a cheese crisp. That came quick. It wasn't too substantial. The good deal was 3.75 margarita. I got a frozen one and id say it was worth it. For dinner, I got the pollo especial. This is their version of the chicken chimichanga with jalapeño cream cheese. You can get this, called various different names, at many different restaurants in the Phoenix metro area. There is a pretty good baseline to compare to. I don't remember the wait being anything annoying, so It must have come out in a reasonable amount of time. The food was annoying. For me, Arizona is a beacon of Mexican food hope. You should be able to bring your friends and family from out of state and have them taste what Mexican food should taste like. Just like every dick from New York or Chicago tells you how great their shitty pizza is, so shall an Arizonan blabber about the Mexican food. This food was not bragable . If this meal was typical of Manuel's, it will let you down. This pollo especial was very bland. Nothing stood out. Not the chicken. Not the jalapeño cream cheese, the beans, the rice, nada. I'll bet you can get the same flavors in Idaho or Nebraska, and that is just sad. So, to make a long story short, I'll be skipping Manuel's for the indefinite future. If you choose not to, I wish you good luck.
(2)Kevan G.
I for one do not understand how this place has 4 stars. Very slow service bland tasteless food served cold and that was every dish we received. Street tacos with chicken let me tell you what you do to make these go to Costco buy the cold drilled chicken and a bag of tortillas cut them into 2 inch circles throw the cold chicken and some brown shredded lettuce at it and you hVe Manuela chicken street tacos don't hear them up that would be to easy, now the soup, take all the leftovers of everyone's plates throw them in a bowl with meatballs and water but remember no heat. Again no clue why the high ratings this is close to the worst Mexican restaurant I have ever been to skip it
(1)Philip D.
I come here almost every weekend. Food never disappoints! Special 4th of July menu 1/2 off most items. Seriously this place is is pretty bomb.. Ask for Martin, best server ever!
(5)Justin B.
Been here multiple times for lunch . the place is never packed and always has a fresh server eager to take your order. Service when we came has always been outstanding . Only complaint is a little over priced food when compared to other Mexican resteraunts.
(3)Joseph M.
My first time to this local place. I had seen it driving by but didnt know anything about it. I won a gift certificate so decided to take julie to lunch today after a trip down to the capitol. Greeted and seated quickly. Its was just before noon on Monday but there were a few people already eating. Nice restaurant appearance wish. Usually i go to los dos molinos if i want Mexican food but pretty far from peoria. I use los dos here and especially in springerville for quality comparisons. We also like los hermanos in superior where we eat and take home a quart or two of green chili. (Another story!) We were attended to almost immediately by the servers. One brought menus the other chips and salsa. Asking if we also wanted the hot salsa (of course!). Salsa was immediately impressive. Cold and plenty of it with abundant warm yellow corn chips. The hot is served in a smaller bowl and is a thin red puree. Not screaming habanero stuff but somewhat spicier that the general chunky stuff. I wanted a beer so i chose bohemia. The waiter said the delivery just came and it wasn't very cold but he offered a cold glass which was perfect for that beer. I ordered the lunch special green corn tamale and julie ordered the chicken lunch special chimi. Both came with rice and beans. The chimi comes with guac and sour cream, just a little. That guac was as good as my homemade just outstanding. Could have eaten a lot more (as if i need it). Julie said the chicken chimi was the best she has had nearby. Big compliment from a new mexico gal. My tamale was covered with cheese and lettuce side. It had very little filling and the masa was the the sweetest I've tasted. Almost a dessert tamale. I prefer unsweet masa but perhaps the other tamales are regular. I admit to being a tamale snob but i wont order green corn again. But it was ok. Rice and cheesy bean sides were superior. I usually am not a fan of the rice but this stuff was very good. Beans ditto. Just an overall great lunch meal and at 8.95 who can complain. Good menu. Gets pricier at dinner of course but i want to try it. Prep and presentation superior. I recommend a try from you other foodies and would like to hear about it. Peeked in and they have a big nice bar area too. Gotta check that out too. 56th ave and peoria north side. Great service.
(5)Amy B.
Oh, Manuel's.... It is with much regret that I didn't write this sooner. For many years your Glendale location has been our go to favorite for celebrations, family dinners, date nights, and just because. Not sure why there has been such a downturn in your service and food in the last year. I keep returning with hope that these repeated disappointments were just a particular server or circumstances. Sadly I say, "No more." We will be finding a new go to favorite.
(1)Liane S.
My husband and I were originally going to go out to breakfast on a Sunday afternoon but everywhere was too busy. So that's how we ended up here. They greeted us quickly and we only had to wait 15 minutes for a table. The waiter was nice, however, he only refilled our drinks like once. Maybe he had too many tables? Because another table near us also had empty cups in front of them. Actually, most of the tables in the dining area we were in had empty glasses. There is a guy that walks around and fills chips only. He's pretty efficient with that. But can't he refill drinks too? Or help get to go boxes? It seemed like the waiter could have used more help than just filling bowls of chips. I ordered the chimichanga dinner with machaca beef. That's my favorite type of meat but this restaurant must not know how to make it. It was completely bland, boring and unappetizing. The beans and rice were pretty much the same! Yuck I'm pretty sure I won't be returning because the food was terrible and then overpriced to boot! Boo
(1)John W.
People beware! I found a piece of toothpick inside of one of the taquito's I ordered. Confronted the owner to bring it to everyones attention and said its pretty typical that would happen. My son was only two years old and he was eating. Owner of the restaurant is a heartless being and only cares about his money. Hope you get your bad karma hundred times fold.
(1)Cody V.
What a great place for lunch. Service is fast and efficient. We loved the hot salsa, so spicy. Would definitely bring a group here. Food was delicious. Dirty Martini made pretty good for being a Margarita type restaurant. The beans taste homemade and not from a can. Homemade tamales are delicious. Going to take a dozen home with me! Will be back.
(4)Kate H.
I eat here once a year or two. It is always good. Sometimes the wait can be a bit long because it is very popular. This is a great place for groups and because of this, it can be pretty noisy. Love their thin chips and good, spicy salsas. I ordered the street tacos and they were delicious. All of my dining partners were quite satisfied with their meals. Pretty decent prices, too.
(4)Tom J.
Manuel's is one of the best Mexican restaurants in the Valley. We found it when they started in their 32nd street location. They continue to grow and they are very consistent. Not sure why some folks have a hard time giving this place a good review. I've been to multiple locations and they are all excellent. The margaritas are great and all of the food is great. The Pollo Especial is excellent, but my favorite is the Fiesta Platter. I always suggest this restaurant to folks going to Arizona.
(5)Christal B.
We love this place! Our "date night" always consist of Margaritas & this is the spot!!!
(5)Chad W.
This is my favorite place to get Machaca con huevos! It is the best in town. The chips and salsa is really good. The service is great. I always look forward to coming here on random Sundays.
(5)Amanda W.
If your looking for great chips and not spicy salsa this is a good place to go, other than that meh, have had better Mexican food elsewhere. We had a party of 10 and all ordered different selections. The Mexican pizza is 2 fried burro tortillas with space beans, ground taco meat and lots if cheese topped with a sprinkle of chopped tomatoes and green onions. You could probably make a healthier version at home by baking it. As for entrees, the carnitas are a total miss. It was basically your DIY pork roast minus any seasoning from the crock pot but shredded, reheated and dry. The tampiquena was average. Small piece of carne asada, well flavored but I would suggest have it cooked med. rare. The cheese enchilada was decent, good mole sauce but doubtful homemade. The carne picada was interesting. Think of fajitas diced up and plated with a side of rice and beans. The steak is pre-cut and tossed with diced green peppers, tomato and onion then sautéed. The seafood enchilada looked okay, but is chopped shrimp and imitation crab smoothered with a cream sauce and baked with a mound of cheese. The menu reads exactly what get. Most was flavorless and a disappointment. Basically American version of Mexican substance.
(3)Beth H.
I visit this place every time I'm in town. The green corn tamales are delicious! One of my very favorite meals! Yum!
(4)David R.
This is a pretty good spot for Mexican food in Peoria. We mostly come here for breakfast because their chorizo con huevos is awesome! I've had the machaca too and it's equally delicious. Sat and Sun breakfast from 8a-2p. The chips are yummy and the salsa is tasty; not hot.
(4)Jenn W.
I was in the area for a meeting and had time for a quick lunch. Found it on Yelp and decided to give it a try. I was greeted and seated quickly. Chips and salsa were pretty good - had a chicken chimichanga, which was good. Prices were reasonable. The service was mediocre - the server was working really hard, but it seemed like he may have been responsible for a few too many tables. It took a bit of time to get refills and the check, but it wasn't a huge deal. I am from New Mexico, so Mexican food in Arizona is always a bit different, but this is definitely a solid choice for some decent food. I would return if in the area again.
(4)Sara G.
This is by far my favorite local Mexican restaurant. The chips and salsa are to die for! And that's my number one criteria for a Mexican restaurant. They also have specials everyday of the week.
(5)Tim B.
I enjoy going to Manuels. I had never been to this location until last night. It is clean, the food is delicious, the service is friendly. The prices are on par with other comparable mexican food places. My GF smashed her food quickly and was thoroughly satisfied. She told me to give them 5 stars. I told her to get her own Yelp account LOL. I give them 4 stars. They lost the fifth star because I felt like the menu was pretty limited. What they did have on the menu sounded really good, but I felt like I was lacking options. I tried the chicken fajitas. They were indeed good, but I was expecting more trim to come with my sizzling skillet. The skillet itself was delicious; chicken, onions, bell peppers, half tomato, and cilantro (on the stems?)...But on the side, just two tortillas, green sauce, guac, and sour cream. I am used to other places also giving me some shredded cheese, lettuce, and maybe pico de gayo. It was good, and that is their design. I guess I just care for a more vibrant fajita. Oh yeah and this is the kind of place that gives you rice "OR" beans, but not both (most meals)...I think there's something screwed up with that. Anybody want a Jelly sandwich? Peanutbutter is available if you order it seperate. None the less, I was full, and my lady was pleased. I will certainly go back anytime. Popos is still king.
(4)Sanford R.
I was pleased with my first visit to Manuel's Mexican Restaurant! The chips and salsa were addictive and the waiters did an excellent job of giving us more when we ran out. The food came out really fast after we ordered it which surprised us. The cheese crisp was quite good! I liked our tacos and our chimichangas as well. The service was good for the most part. The only criticism I have is that it does seem a bit more expensive than it should be, but they served a good meal nonetheless.
(4)Judy M.
We are here all the time. We sometimes blow in late and announce to our waiter that we are really pushed for time. They just smile and accommodate us. Our food comes out piping hot, perfect and within an amazingly short time. Their cheese crisp is the best in town, as is their tortilla soup. My husband's favorite is the "E" (he says, "E for Excellence.") It's a chicken chimi, basically. They also make a really nice chicken taquito, ... you get four presented in a mini flour taco shell on a bed of lettuce. Yum! The service is friendly and I would suggest this restaurant to anyone who loves good Mex Tex.
(5)Coty S.
The average for this place seems about four stars. I concur. The service is pretty good but not extraordinary. The food is satisfying but not great. The price is fair. My gripe is that the food seemed burnt all around. Overall worth going but don't expect anything special.
(4)Amanda W.
If your looking for great chips and not spicy salsa this is a good place to go, other than that meh, have had better Mexican food elsewhere. We had a party of 10 and all ordered different selections. The Mexican pizza is 2 fried burro tortillas with space beans, ground taco meat and lots if cheese topped with a sprinkle of chopped tomatoes and green onions. You could probably make a healthier version at home by baking it. As for entrees, the carnitas are a total miss. It was basically your DIY pork roast minus any seasoning from the crock pot but shredded, reheated and dry. The tampiquena was average. Small piece of carne asada, well flavored but I would suggest have it cooked med. rare. The cheese enchilada was decent, good mole sauce but doubtful homemade. The carne picada was interesting. Think of fajitas diced up and plated with a side of rice and beans. The steak is pre-cut and tossed with diced green peppers, tomato and onion then sautéed. The seafood enchilada looked okay, but is chopped shrimp and imitation crab smoothered with a cream sauce and baked with a mound of cheese. The menu reads exactly what get. Most was flavorless and a disappointment. Basically American version of Mexican substance.
(3)Tatiana Y.
Cold Blue Moon is the best after shopping under 106 outside! Manuel's has bug bar.... Not many Mexican restaurants have bars. Nice menu ..... I need cold drink ONLY!
(5)Mark G.
Great authentic Mexican food at a reasonable price. Free chips and salsa too. Oh and they have delicious margaritas. Very friendly.
(4)Sarah W.
Great family owned business where food always tastes good and you are always greeted with a smile
(5)S. Rose M.
Come here everyone and then, my bf loves the enchiladas, they are good but not my favorite. The servers are always nice and the food is fast!
(3)Beth H.
Patio seating is great. Waiters are awesome. Food is middle of the road. It's a good place to go with it being close to my family's home. Fiesta platter is huge and great for two to share. Specials are a good value and plenty of food if you aren't picky. It's the go-to place for sit down mexican when we are in town.
(4)David R.
This is a pretty good spot for Mexican food in Peoria. We mostly come here for breakfast because their chorizo con huevos is awesome! I've had the machaca too and it's equally delicious. Sat and Sun breakfast from 8a-2p. The chips are yummy and the salsa is tasty; not hot.
(4)Jenn W.
I was in the area for a meeting and had time for a quick lunch. Found it on Yelp and decided to give it a try. I was greeted and seated quickly. Chips and salsa were pretty good - had a chicken chimichanga, which was good. Prices were reasonable. The service was mediocre - the server was working really hard, but it seemed like he may have been responsible for a few too many tables. It took a bit of time to get refills and the check, but it wasn't a huge deal. I am from New Mexico, so Mexican food in Arizona is always a bit different, but this is definitely a solid choice for some decent food. I would return if in the area again.
(4)Cristina B.
My family and I gave this place a try last month and loved it! We've returned twice since and also loved their breakfast menu! Our daughter loves their street tacos. Fast service and we love the endless chips and salsa. We are from CA and so happy to have found this place for whenever we are in town!
(4)Beth H.
I visit this place every time I'm in town. The green corn tamales are delicious! One of my very favorite meals! Yum!
(4)Craig S.
Not sure why I have not reviewed Manuel's. We have been eating with them for the past maybe10 or more years. We eat there at least once or twice a month. Why do we keep returning? 1. They are always very nice and make you feel they are glad you are there. 2. The food is good and you always get more than you should eat at one sitting.( We always take food home with us. 3. The food is priced reasonably. 4. They are a neighbor hood family owned business and I always try to support this type of business. 5. There is something on the menu for all tastes. (Some people that go with us like hamburgers.) When we go there is usually at least 6 people in our group. No one has ever complained about the quality of food. It has always been good. They have always treat us as a valued customer. I often recommend Manuel's to other people.
(5)Marcelo M.
So this place is meh I mean food is ok nothing amazing,chips are good. While on my visit here the power went out and just sitting in the dark for a good 10 minutes so not very pleasant visit hope this power comes on
(3)Sarah W.
Great family owned business where food always tastes good and you are always greeted with a smile
(5)S. Rose M.
Come here everyone and then, my bf loves the enchiladas, they are good but not my favorite. The servers are always nice and the food is fast!
(3)Beth H.
Patio seating is great. Waiters are awesome. Food is middle of the road. It's a good place to go with it being close to my family's home. Fiesta platter is huge and great for two to share. Specials are a good value and plenty of food if you aren't picky. It's the go-to place for sit down mexican when we are in town.
(4)Mark G.
Great authentic Mexican food at a reasonable price. Free chips and salsa too. Oh and they have delicious margaritas. Very friendly.
(4)Paula T.
This is my favorite restaurant! They have great shredded beef tacos, beans and salsa and are reasonably priced. I have been going here for 20 years and would highly recommend. They have a large selection of flavored margaritas as well. Every thing I have tried on the menu has not disappointed!
(5)Tatiana Y.
Cold Blue Moon is the best after shopping under 106 outside! Manuel's has bug bar.... Not many Mexican restaurants have bars. Nice menu ..... I need cold drink ONLY!
(5)Trevor C.
I came here with my wife and daughter for some dinner. My wife and i have been here before so we figured it would be decent. The service was lackluster. The waiter took my wife's order and mine, but ignored the fact that I had my daughter with me. I had to chase him down to give him her order. Drinks ran low a few times and we had to ask for refills. Empty plates sat on the table until another waiter decided to clear them for us. The food was.... well, the chips and salsa were the stars of our meal. The chili relleno wrapped in an omelet was.... different. I can't recommend it though. My taco and tostada were overwhelmed by scallions. The sauce for my enchilada tasted exactly as if it had come from a Banquet microwave meal. My daughter barely ate any of her two mini tacos. My wife grabbed her leftovers since she wasn't interested in finishing her chili relleno and said "no wonder she didn't eat her tacos! These are terrible!" We were very disappointed with our meal. I could have gotten better food from a Rolando's at a better price.
(1)Shyler S.
Don't come here much. Food came out quick and pieces are great. If you want decent Mexican food and your in the area stop by.
(4)Val N.
We ate at Manuel's once about 15 years ago and have been addicted ever since. I was raised here in the Phx area and was used to 'real' mexican food and Manuel's is it! Great Chips and Salsa and Dinners. Service is great and friendly and have had no problems ever with the service or food.
(5)Shelby P.
I have always had good food and service here. I have been coming to this Manuel's for as long as I can remember. I love it!
(5)Christine D.
Great homestyle Mexican food. Excellent salsa. My favorite is Tuesday $6.99 special. Beef Taco, Cheese Enchilada and rice and beans. For an extra buck I get a chicken enchilada instead. Have been coming her for over 20 years and it's just as good!!!
(5)Debra G.
Great family owned restaurant with outstanding service by friendly people. My beef taco was filled with flavorful, tender meat and no gristle or fat. Enchilada sauce is creamy and delicious. All the right proportions of meat, lettuce, tomato and cheese. Great Gringo salsa, great flavor and not spicy. We'll be back!
(4)Steve P.
I will have to say that out of the "Hispanic Restaurants" this one is better. Better than macayos and better than don Rubens in my opinion. It's on and off for us as it was so good it almost put my wife into labor when she was pregnant lol. She had the fried ice cream after the chimi and we were both in sugar heaven. It just isn't consistent for us. Give it a go. Get the enchiladas or my favorite is the green tamale(it's sweet)
(3)Sara G.
This is by far my favorite local Mexican restaurant. The chips and salsa are to die for! And that's my number one criteria for a Mexican restaurant. They also have specials everyday of the week.
(5)Tim B.
I enjoy going to Manuels. I had never been to this location until last night. It is clean, the food is delicious, the service is friendly. The prices are on par with other comparable mexican food places. My GF smashed her food quickly and was thoroughly satisfied. She told me to give them 5 stars. I told her to get her own Yelp account LOL. I give them 4 stars. They lost the fifth star because I felt like the menu was pretty limited. What they did have on the menu sounded really good, but I felt like I was lacking options. I tried the chicken fajitas. They were indeed good, but I was expecting more trim to come with my sizzling skillet. The skillet itself was delicious; chicken, onions, bell peppers, half tomato, and cilantro (on the stems?)...But on the side, just two tortillas, green sauce, guac, and sour cream. I am used to other places also giving me some shredded cheese, lettuce, and maybe pico de gayo. It was good, and that is their design. I guess I just care for a more vibrant fajita. Oh yeah and this is the kind of place that gives you rice "OR" beans, but not both (most meals)...I think there's something screwed up with that. Anybody want a Jelly sandwich? Peanutbutter is available if you order it seperate. None the less, I was full, and my lady was pleased. I will certainly go back anytime. Popos is still king.
(4)Sanford R.
I was pleased with my first visit to Manuel's Mexican Restaurant! The chips and salsa were addictive and the waiters did an excellent job of giving us more when we ran out. The food came out really fast after we ordered it which surprised us. The cheese crisp was quite good! I liked our tacos and our chimichangas as well. The service was good for the most part. The only criticism I have is that it does seem a bit more expensive than it should be, but they served a good meal nonetheless.
(4)Judy M.
We are here all the time. We sometimes blow in late and announce to our waiter that we are really pushed for time. They just smile and accommodate us. Our food comes out piping hot, perfect and within an amazingly short time. Their cheese crisp is the best in town, as is their tortilla soup. My husband's favorite is the "E" (he says, "E for Excellence.") It's a chicken chimi, basically. They also make a really nice chicken taquito, ... you get four presented in a mini flour taco shell on a bed of lettuce. Yum! The service is friendly and I would suggest this restaurant to anyone who loves good Mex Tex.
(5)Audrey W.
Our favorite place for Mexican food. We go about once a week and always have great service and great food. Very family friendly and the chips and salsa are the best!
(5)Benjamin S.
Great service and amazing food. Best chips and salsa! Fast place to eat lunch if you only have a short lunch break. Amazing desserts; flan, fried ice-cream, sopapillas and hot apple pie Ala mode. The hot apple pie Ala mode is probably the best dessert they serve; it comes with this sizzling sweet butter rum sauce and a huge scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Absolutely to die for!!
(5)Chuck H.
My trophy wife and I and a few of the offspring decided that we wanted to try out this Manuels. We picked Friday night at 6:30 and the place was packed with a 30 minute wait, but the staff moved the customers in and out very quickly and we were soon munching chips and salsa. The wife is very picky about salsa, not really liking any restaurant's offering that we have experienced in the last few years so imagine my surprise when I looked at the bowl of chips and there were only little pieces left. We had very prompt and attentive service, me and the wife splitting the order of pollo especial because one of my fellow yelpers recommended it and they were certainly correct. Everyone was delighted with their food,and we all scarfed the sopapillas afterwards.This is a great place to take your family to have someone else do the cooking and enjoy some wonderful Az style mexican food.
(5)Matt S.
This place seriously is the best Mexican food in Arizona (of all the places I have tried) I have been hearing about this place from my Father in Law, ranting and raving about it. He was not wrong. Huge portions and amazing fresh flavor. I could have drank the salsa it was so good. It was such good salsa I had them box up the left over salsa so I could take home and finish!! hahah I can't wait to go back and try more. I had the taco and enchilada plate with rice and beans. AMAZING. Seriously can't wait to go back and try more. Also was glad to hear they have a place in Mesa too (that's just a wee bit closer) Check out the picture of my plate. If that doesn't make your mouth water - you need to get checked out! Go try this place - even if its a little bit of a drive.
(5)Jordan W.
Hands down best mexican food in the valley great for the family get togethers bdays the whole thing is a great expierence!
(5)Brittanie M.
The best salsa I've ever had - and the only one I can actually eat by the chipful. The chips are always fresh and never stale. Service has always been fast and friendly. Prices are cheap, especially for lunch. I usually get the enchilada (ordered with no onions, green sauce) with rice and beans, all around $7. I could eat here everyday and never want for anything else.
(4)Nick V.
Went for breakfast a week or so ago. The staff was all polite and the place was clean and packed so we had high hopes. We had a cheese crisp, machacha and eggs and a chicken chimichanga with fundido sauce. All were ok but really greasy and bland for Mexican food. Next time we will go to one of the other local places, Valle Luna, Macayos, Top Shelf even Garcia's.
(3)Bruce D.
I have found that the quality of the food at many of the Mexican restaurants tends to vary depending on who is cooking that day and on what time of the day you come in for your meal. Some time the longer the sauce has simmered the better it is. I have never been disappointed with the food at this Manuel's. Salsa is always great and the meal is always tasty. I also consider their prices to be reasonable. I used to love Macayo's when I first got to the valley, but they have gone downhill. They seem to be too cost conscious. Someone also mentioned Top Shelf as being better. I found that to be totally bland. I pretty much like all the Manuel's, with the exception of the one over around Bell and 12th Ave. But, maybe I just had a few bad days there.
(4)BJ J.
Some of the best Mexican food in the valley. Everything is good, the food, the service and the atmosphere. The food is delivered quickly and I often leave there amazed at how little time I've actually spent there yet have never felt rushed by anyone. Love, the salsa, some of my other favorites are the pollo especial, steak picado and the rolled quesadilla.
(4)Thomas H.
Far and away better than....Garcia's, Top Shelf, Valle Luna Etc... The salsa is a little sweet with just the right amount of spicy "bite" to it. The best part is the "pollo especial" a chicken chimi covered in a spicy cream cheese sauce! My only gripe is that there isnt a location closer to me in the far west valley!
(5)Bell J.
No complaints
(4)Ryan N.
What can I say.... This is hands down one of the best places to eat! Visit probably once a week and always request the same waiter. Service is great, food is excellent, prices are perfect!
(5)Julie S.
My favorite Mexican place around. I would go there for the salsa alone, but everything is good. On weekends you can get breakfast, and I highly recommend the spinach and bacon omelet! During the week we like to go for the lunch special and everything is awesome. I especially like the green corn tamale, and the pollo especial.
(5)Travis M.
By far not my favorite place, but others seem to love it. Stopped here for dinner last night. Chips and salsa are average, prices are high. Best thing to me on the menu is the carne asada, but it costs about $17 for the meal so I don't get it often. Had the combo #2 and have to say I liked it. The beef taco was good, and the ground beef enchilada wasn't too bad either. Think the plate was about $10, and came with a side of rice, but no beans. They have made some changes to the decor since I was last there, but still think that the food is average at best. I will say that even as busy as they were, food came out pretty fast which is great when you have hungry kids. FYI - parking sucks.
(3)Jackie L.
This was my second visit here-- my first visit was a few years ago, the last time I was in the Phoenix metro area. There are so many good Mexican places here that knowing which one(s) to visit can be a bit overwhelming, so I rely on the locals to give me tips. My sisters have lived in AZ since 1995 and this is one of their fave Mexican places in the West Valley. One thing I must comment on is their salsa. I LOVE THE SALSA AT MANUEL'S. I'm a fiend for good salsas and Manuel's has some of the best around, in my opinion. The food is fresh, decent Mexican, though pretty Americanized by my standards. It's served by friendly people. Gets busy here on weekend nights but definitely worth a visit.
(4)Josh K.
Seems like everyone else liked this place, but the service was terrible, the salsa was bland and watery, and the tamale was not that great. They got the refried beans and rice right, but how do you screw that up? Avoid this place for the weekend lunch - the service was literally nonexistent.
(2)Samantha B.
There was a time in my life when I was coming here every week with my mom. I probably still would be if we lived here, but we moved from Peoria in 2005. (Yeah, I've been going for years and it's always been consistently good.) But even though it's been a several years since we were regulars, our server Andrew still remembers us and can bring us our drinks before we even order. They've got the salsa down. I could eat a bucket of the stuff. I don't know what makes it so special, but it's my favorite salsa ever. Perfectly thin, crispy chips that aren't greasy. And they aren't stingy with refills. My favorite item (my favorite food, PERIOD) is the Pollo Especial. Shredded chicken and green chiles fried in a tortilla, then smothered in jalapeno cream cheese and cheddar. Sounds simple, but anytime I've gotten a similar item elsewhere, it doesn't hit the mark. If you get this at dinner it's a lot of food. The lunch sized version suits me just fine. Can't say how their dessert is. I've always been too full to try.
(4)Michelle T.
The two stars as defined by Yelp as "Meh. I've experienced better" is a great definer. In fact, I would amend it to say "I've experienced A LOT A LOT A LOT A LOT better." To establish my credibility, I must first say that I had been in the food service industry for almost 10 years (highschool and college) and so I've worked low end and high end and I think after experiencing different levels of the food industry, I know what I'm talking about. Additionally, as a food service worker, I would have appreciated a guest like me letting the restaurant know if there was something amiss. However, there was so much wrong with last nights dinner that I could have had an hour long talk with the manager about the millions of things that needed to be done to fix the quality of the restaurant and in particular, Manuel's service. So, I'm sure you're wanting to hear about the restaurant. I came in with a larger group around 8:15. I called ahead to let them know we were coming. We had a range of people that I thought were coming - between 10 and 13. They were busy and part of their restaurant (the bar portion) was closed due to renovations, so this already busy restaurant had limited capacity. No problem. My group was relaxed and flexible. We had nowhere to be and the bartender made us a couple of drinks while we waited. (He was probably the best part of the night.) As we waited in the front room, a hostess in a very rude voice asked if we had any idea of the real total of our party yet. She claimed that it would change our waiting time (which was of little importance to us) and said, "you only have 7 people here right now, how many more are going to show up?" I calmly told her at least 10 and we'll squeeze together if we need to add more, no problem. I don't know if she was having a rough night, but it was just her attitude, tone, and the fact that she did not approach us to have the conversation but rather stood by and hung on the seating podium that really irritated me. Once we were seated (around 8:45 or so), we grubbed on some chips and salsa. I must give a kudos to Manuels for this, the chips and salsa are tasty. Its a shame that the same quality did not extend to the rest of our meal. Around 9:20 or so, we hear this terrible clanging of silverware behind us. All of the servers had decided to roll their silver right behind us. So, for a half an hour, we got to listen to people rustling, quite loudly, silverware as they did their side work. Ugh, annoying. When our food came out, our orders were wrong. If it had been one or two, then we would have changed it .... but... if we had all complained, pretty much every dish would have been taken back to the kitchen. At least on my side of the table, my tacos came out on the wrong tortillas, they were greasy, and the quality of the beef is very very fatty, oily, and tough to chew through. My friend also ordered two fish tacos, also presented on the wrong tortillas, and the fish were in large fillets that did not span the length of the tortilla, so you were eating at some portions just pico and tortilla... kinda weird. The server also got my husbands order wrong (he ordered the chicken fajitas) and she brought out a second shrimp fajitas. Trying to be accommodating, he took the shrimp instead of asking for his original order. She knew that she had made a mistake in this but still charged him for the more expensive shrimp fajitas. Additionally, the chefs do not know how to portion equally as my husband had 5 shrimp in his fajitas and my friend that had ordered them on the other side of the table had close to 10. Thats a lot of extra shrimp. And the server did not even check in to make sure everything was ok. Finally, when were only half way through our meal, around 9:45, they started rolling down the metal window coverings. If we were there after closing time, which is I believe 11, I could understand, but there was still an hour and 15 minutes still left to service. We just felt so unwelcome and with every passing moment, we were becoming more and more irritated with the restaurant. I'm a Tucson native where Mexican food is not only delicious but there are plentiful options. I just moved to phoenix about 6 months ago and I have been not only disappointed with Manuel's but with every Mexican restaurant that I have found in Phoenix. Is there not even one that has decent food? My take on Manuel's is that if you're wanting expensive prices (12.95 for two tacos and a side of beans with a sour cream, kind of what might be considered a guac, and a tomatillo sauce condiments) with mediocre quality of food and irritating service, then this is the place for you. If not, well... you get the picture. Happy eating!
(2)Benny T.
I decided to try this place with my family and the service was GREAT! Sergio and J.P. were our servers and made sure that we had a good supply of drinks, chips and salsa. When our food came is when it went all down hill... the food was TERRIBLE, my 3 year old wouldn't even eat it, he eats everything. I had soup and the meat was HARD.... and well the broth was greasy. My g/f had the fiesta plate (she was sharing with our son) and there wasn't anything special about it at all, some of it tasted like plastic! The only reason I gave one star at all was the service, chips and salsa. We didn't end up paying and went and ate somewhere else. Such a disappointment this place was, and over priced too.
(1)David H.
One of the best Mexican restaurants I've been to. Service is consistently good, food is consistently good. I often order the 3 Amigos. The carne asada is excellent. Can't go wrong with this place. Been here at least 30 times.
(5)Korina A.
Decently good Mexicanesque food. I've enjoyed pretty much everything I've gotten here, except for the fish tacos. Right now, the carne picado is my favorite dish -- full of jalapeños and juicy marinated meat. In addition, their salsa is tasty and the chips are nice and light. It's near my house and always good. The dining room is cozy and well taken care of. When I'd rather just pick up dinner for the family, they have a handy pick up window out back. I really can't complain.
(3)Chukki S.
Everything about this place is average. The food, the service, the building, the prices, etc. Not sure what I can really write about. Nothing stands out. Picture your average Mexican family style restaurant. This is it.
(2)Steven T.
Amazing Mexican food done right for years. One of my favorite places. Green corn tamale, cheese enchilada, and chicken taco!
(5)Dave H.
Went there on a coupon from dealchicken.com and enjoyed it very much. We were there at lunch and were seated in the bar area quickly which was fine with us as it was a booth. The waiter was attentive and competent. I think some may not be too interested in being attentive since we were there on a coupon but that was not the case here. I had the machaca beef which was well seasoned and a huge portion that I was not able to finish (and I really skimped on the beans and rice because I could see how much beef there was!!). The salsa and chips were very good that was a chunky type which is my favorite but they also brought a hotter version which was a thinner concoction that we added to the large bowl of salsa. My wife had a lunch special combination which she also liked. The finale was when the waiter asked if we wanted anything else to finish off the $30 coupon and we were at $28 and I opted for the sopapilla;s which is a favorite and I expected 4 or 5 with some honey but it was a huge bowl with 20+ in it!!! We took almost all of them home and ate them for the next couple of days. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was just that I like to see things like barbacoa, adobada, etc on the menu also.
(4)Jerry R.
This is chain restaurant quality. Not very good Mexican food at all. And is very expensive for what you get.
(2)Bridget H.
It was pretty decent. Our service was great. The food was good. No complaints, but I also wasn't blown away. They did give me really fresh corn tortillas that were really good. I'll probably try the tacos next time.
(3)Phil H.
Good place for some decent Mexican food. It may be better, but I Mexican food seems to have a glass ceiling on how good it can be. I ordered the Taco Salad (aka: the not healthy salad), and it was very good. I also tried the fried ice cream, it was good, but somewhat disappointing. I will say the service was excellent.
(3)Mary L.
What else can I say?? We LOVE this restaurant!!! The chips are great as well as the salsa. I can't get enough of the Seafood enchilada. I haven't had anything bad in the 10 years I have been going to this restaurant. The service is good and everyone is friendly. What more can I ask for???
(4)Steve G.
Good chips and salsa!
(5)Heather Y.
I can't help but give this place 5 stars. The food is always great. I love their chips and salsa, some of the best I've ever had. I love their shredded beef tacos, their green chili con carne burrito, and their taco salads. It's affordable, casual mexican food. Very easy to make this place a regular restaurant to eat at.
(5)Amy M.
We moved from the Glendale area 11 years ago. Whenever we come back into town, we try and make it here. We visited Sunday, August 30th around 3pm We were seated promptly It took a bit to get someone to take our drink orders . After that, the service was fine. If you go, get the Tortilla Soup. This is the best we have ever had and we have been to a LOT of places. They no longer serve just a carne asada plate, but have a plate with Carne asada. So I had orders that, was disappointed it didn't include beans, but I'm sure it said that on the menu and I just didn't notice it. Carne Asada was still good Food was great. Ambiance, not so much. It just seemed there were a lot of people running around for the 4 tables that were occupied. Dishes dropping, clattering
(3)Brandon K.
Meh xican food. That's how I'd have to describe this. We were promptly seated. We were quickly attended to. Drinks ordered and they brought out chips and salsa quickly. The mild salsa was sweet. Wah. The spicy was really spicy. Mixed them together and it ended up working out. We ordered a cheese crisp. That came quick. It wasn't too substantial. The good deal was 3.75 margarita. I got a frozen one and id say it was worth it. For dinner, I got the pollo especial. This is their version of the chicken chimichanga with jalapeño cream cheese. You can get this, called various different names, at many different restaurants in the Phoenix metro area. There is a pretty good baseline to compare to. I don't remember the wait being anything annoying, so It must have come out in a reasonable amount of time. The food was annoying. For me, Arizona is a beacon of Mexican food hope. You should be able to bring your friends and family from out of state and have them taste what Mexican food should taste like. Just like every dick from New York or Chicago tells you how great their shitty pizza is, so shall an Arizonan blabber about the Mexican food. This food was not bragable . If this meal was typical of Manuel's, it will let you down. This pollo especial was very bland. Nothing stood out. Not the chicken. Not the jalapeño cream cheese, the beans, the rice, nada. I'll bet you can get the same flavors in Idaho or Nebraska, and that is just sad. So, to make a long story short, I'll be skipping Manuel's for the indefinite future. If you choose not to, I wish you good luck.
(2)Kevan G.
I for one do not understand how this place has 4 stars. Very slow service bland tasteless food served cold and that was every dish we received. Street tacos with chicken let me tell you what you do to make these go to Costco buy the cold drilled chicken and a bag of tortillas cut them into 2 inch circles throw the cold chicken and some brown shredded lettuce at it and you hVe Manuela chicken street tacos don't hear them up that would be to easy, now the soup, take all the leftovers of everyone's plates throw them in a bowl with meatballs and water but remember no heat. Again no clue why the high ratings this is close to the worst Mexican restaurant I have ever been to skip it
(1)Philip D.
I come here almost every weekend. Food never disappoints! Special 4th of July menu 1/2 off most items. Seriously this place is is pretty bomb.. Ask for Martin, best server ever!
(5)Justin B.
Been here multiple times for lunch . the place is never packed and always has a fresh server eager to take your order. Service when we came has always been outstanding . Only complaint is a little over priced food when compared to other Mexican resteraunts.
(3)Leslie H.
We came for dinner 01/31/15 around 5 pm. The restaurant was busy but we were seated within 5 minutes of arrival . I had the best bowl of tortilla soup EVER !! It had grilled chicken , shredded cheese, fresh avocado, tortilla strips and an amazing , thick chicken broth . I'm posting a pic of it , but I'm warning you it won't do it justice .. My children ordered off the kiddo menu which was cheap( $5.55 each ) and the plates were each amazing . My son had the 2 mini tacos with rice and beans and he loved it . If you are in the mood for the best bowl of tortilla soup in the whole world .. Then you need to stop by here
(5)Joseph M.
My first time to this local place. I had seen it driving by but didnt know anything about it. I won a gift certificate so decided to take julie to lunch today after a trip down to the capitol. Greeted and seated quickly. Its was just before noon on Monday but there were a few people already eating. Nice restaurant appearance wish. Usually i go to los dos molinos if i want Mexican food but pretty far from peoria. I use los dos here and especially in springerville for quality comparisons. We also like los hermanos in superior where we eat and take home a quart or two of green chili. (Another story!) We were attended to almost immediately by the servers. One brought menus the other chips and salsa. Asking if we also wanted the hot salsa (of course!). Salsa was immediately impressive. Cold and plenty of it with abundant warm yellow corn chips. The hot is served in a smaller bowl and is a thin red puree. Not screaming habanero stuff but somewhat spicier that the general chunky stuff. I wanted a beer so i chose bohemia. The waiter said the delivery just came and it wasn't very cold but he offered a cold glass which was perfect for that beer. I ordered the lunch special green corn tamale and julie ordered the chicken lunch special chimi. Both came with rice and beans. The chimi comes with guac and sour cream, just a little. That guac was as good as my homemade just outstanding. Could have eaten a lot more (as if i need it). Julie said the chicken chimi was the best she has had nearby. Big compliment from a new mexico gal. My tamale was covered with cheese and lettuce side. It had very little filling and the masa was the the sweetest I've tasted. Almost a dessert tamale. I prefer unsweet masa but perhaps the other tamales are regular. I admit to being a tamale snob but i wont order green corn again. But it was ok. Rice and cheesy bean sides were superior. I usually am not a fan of the rice but this stuff was very good. Beans ditto. Just an overall great lunch meal and at 8.95 who can complain. Good menu. Gets pricier at dinner of course but i want to try it. Prep and presentation superior. I recommend a try from you other foodies and would like to hear about it. Peeked in and they have a big nice bar area too. Gotta check that out too. 56th ave and peoria north side. Great service.
(5)Amy B.
Oh, Manuel's.... It is with much regret that I didn't write this sooner. For many years your Glendale location has been our go to favorite for celebrations, family dinners, date nights, and just because. Not sure why there has been such a downturn in your service and food in the last year. I keep returning with hope that these repeated disappointments were just a particular server or circumstances. Sadly I say, "No more." We will be finding a new go to favorite.
(1)Liane S.
My husband and I were originally going to go out to breakfast on a Sunday afternoon but everywhere was too busy. So that's how we ended up here. They greeted us quickly and we only had to wait 15 minutes for a table. The waiter was nice, however, he only refilled our drinks like once. Maybe he had too many tables? Because another table near us also had empty cups in front of them. Actually, most of the tables in the dining area we were in had empty glasses. There is a guy that walks around and fills chips only. He's pretty efficient with that. But can't he refill drinks too? Or help get to go boxes? It seemed like the waiter could have used more help than just filling bowls of chips. I ordered the chimichanga dinner with machaca beef. That's my favorite type of meat but this restaurant must not know how to make it. It was completely bland, boring and unappetizing. The beans and rice were pretty much the same! Yuck I'm pretty sure I won't be returning because the food was terrible and then overpriced to boot! Boo
(1)John W.
People beware! I found a piece of toothpick inside of one of the taquito's I ordered. Confronted the owner to bring it to everyones attention and said its pretty typical that would happen. My son was only two years old and he was eating. Owner of the restaurant is a heartless being and only cares about his money. Hope you get your bad karma hundred times fold.
(1)Cody V.
What a great place for lunch. Service is fast and efficient. We loved the hot salsa, so spicy. Would definitely bring a group here. Food was delicious. Dirty Martini made pretty good for being a Margarita type restaurant. The beans taste homemade and not from a can. Homemade tamales are delicious. Going to take a dozen home with me! Will be back.
(4)Kate H.
I eat here once a year or two. It is always good. Sometimes the wait can be a bit long because it is very popular. This is a great place for groups and because of this, it can be pretty noisy. Love their thin chips and good, spicy salsas. I ordered the street tacos and they were delicious. All of my dining partners were quite satisfied with their meals. Pretty decent prices, too.
(4)Tom J.
Manuel's is one of the best Mexican restaurants in the Valley. We found it when they started in their 32nd street location. They continue to grow and they are very consistent. Not sure why some folks have a hard time giving this place a good review. I've been to multiple locations and they are all excellent. The margaritas are great and all of the food is great. The Pollo Especial is excellent, but my favorite is the Fiesta Platter. I always suggest this restaurant to folks going to Arizona.
(5)Christal B.
We love this place! Our "date night" always consist of Margaritas & this is the spot!!!
(5)Chad W.
This is my favorite place to get Machaca con huevos! It is the best in town. The chips and salsa is really good. The service is great. I always look forward to coming here on random Sundays.
(5)Mark T.
Great salsa. Great food. Great service and great prices. I could mainline their salsa.
(5)