The location is a bit sketchy - I mean I didn't know there were still kmarts in Phoenix...but aside from that the decor is typical to every cheap chain Mexican place around. The patio where we ate felt a bit like we were in prison, on metal benches with tarps covering the fence walls. That said - the food, drinks and service were all fantastic - and that's really all that matters! I get a bit cheesed out at huge restaurants where you can't even place where the restrooms are, but I totally understand that these are family style and meant to accommodate large groups. I may head back for happy hour, but I won't rush here with out of towners.
(2)
Lydia S.
The service was awful for lunch. They tended to their regulars but not to less frequent diners. My husband and I came for lunch. The food was good but not worth the 1 hour lack of service. The waitress brought our drinks and food to us quickly but not once did she come back to ask us how our food was or to refill our drinks. We sat there for at least 40 mins without seeing a sign of our waitress or our check. I had an enchilada to put in a to go box... by the time I got the box, (from another waitress) my enchilada was cold, hard, and molded to my plate! Anyways, finally another waitress came over after noting we were looking around, asking if we had paid (to be honest we could have walked out without paying but I'm not that type of person). We told her we hadn't received our check & had been waiting for a very long time. After a while she brought our check and it appeared our original waitress had closed our tab and forgot about us! And the original waitress didn't even come out to our table to apologize! After waiting so long I would at least hope for that. We paid, left no tip (I've only left no tip at a restaurant one time before and we eat out a lot), and left never to go back again. My family has eaten at this restaurant for years (I remember coming with my nana when I was 3-4 years old, so that's over 20 years ago) and I will not be continuing the tradition. At least act like you care about your customers and apologize for your crap service that delayed their day by an hour (and offering a discount or free dessert doesn't hurt). I understand getting slow service sometimes happens, but not the blatant disregard for customer service and lack of providing an amends for your mistake or inconvenience. Due to the hit or miss customer service, I don't recommend coming here. There are comparable Mexican restaurants in the area with much better service and courteous employees.
(1)
Ryan C.
I enjoyed my lunch here very much. A nice portion for a nice price. Chips were thin and crisp; warm and just the right saltiness. Salsa was pretty good, but mix regular and hot sauce for the best roasty flavor. I really enjoy service from more experienced servers. They're super friendly and you never see extra facial holes or anything like that. I love being called "Hon", too. 8^ ) Everything was clean and comfortable. Might be my most boring review ever.
(4)
Adam S.
I have been eating here since I was about two years old. The waiters are friendly and helpful and have all been working there for quite some time. Going into the restaurant is like going into a family's home and having dinner with them. The food is amazing and well priced. Their combo dinners are HUGE and I often can't finish them. They also have some of the best salsa in the world. Locally owned and operated. Try it.
(5)
Terry L.
My new favorite place! Food is wonderful, atmosphere nice. Our waitress was the best, very accommodating .. Very attentive to the kids in our party.
(5)
Jesse J.
Decent Mexican but far from Top Shelf. They are a bit overpriced for what you get as I got one taquito with beans and rice for $8. Salsa is a bit watery for my taste and not spicy enough. Rice and beans were good and that is more than a lot of Mexican places can say. Service was great I got a drink refill before I even asked for it and that means a lot to me.
(3)
Liz D.
Zero stars. Do not stop there, do not order. Do not waste your time or money. Filthy dirty carpet (what is the kitchen like?) The food is disgusting. Red hot plates....ice cold enchiladas...no flavor. Disgusting place. There is SO much good Mexican food in this area.....BUT NOT HERE!
(1)
Brenda B.
Meh....in a city like Phoenix , where fantastic Mexican food abounds , these guys really need to up their game. They survive off of happy hour, and the people who live near by. I have eaten here several times, thought it was some what over priced, and mediocre service. The only way I come here, is if I am dragged here by some one else.
(3)
Lyn H.
Lunch here often, good food, friendly staff, no complaints!
(4)
Wes N.
Meh, we weren't that impressed with our latest visit to Top Shelf. It's decent enough, but they don't have anything in particular that will keep me coming back for more or craving anything in particular from the place. The side of guac we got was also kinda crappy. Seemed like it was old or had some other prob. Maybe they made it in the morning and it didn't hold that well till the time we ate dinner there. On the positive side, no lard is injected or slathered on their refried beans, so the plethora of dishes that include beans are safe for vegetarian consumption.
(2)
Jennifer O.
I have to drop this place a star.... sad day. And it's not the food either.... I went here last night with a group of friends for karaoke and drinking. It was some of the worst karaoke I have ever experienced. First of all, it was deafeningly loud. I couldn't hear anyone talking over the ridiculous karaoke and sometimes (most times) that is made worse by the people singing. The main problem, though, was the guy who runs the karaoke was completely pompous and would sit there and sing songs while paying customers in the bar (like my table of 6) hadn't gotten to sing one in the hour we had been there. He obviously had people that he knew and would let them go repeatedly as we sat around and waited. He even started playing the wrong song for someone and when they complained he said 'uhh that's the number you put down' as if the customer was just so stupid for not just knowing all the karaoke CDs he had. Then he played the entire track with no one singing.... while we waited and he stuffed his face with chips. It's just so lame.... the guy acted like he was the king sh**, but really he was just a jerk and turned off a lot of customers that may come to the bar on a saturday night. We didn't eat... but the food is still really good from my other visits here and they did give us some chips and salsa while we were drinking. The drinks were fine, priced appropriately, but I wouldn't go back here again for drinks. I still would come here for food... yum. Chicken fajita burrito fundido FTW!
(3)
Lesa C.
Purchased a chicken taco salad to go. It was ready within 10 minutes. It came with chips and salsa! The hostess was very helpful. When she noticed I did not want dressing for the salad she included a second cup of salsa. Portions are large for the price. I gave only three stars because the shell was pre made, the chicken was salty and the salad mix had carrots and red cabbage in it (who does that?). I have eaten at this location before and probably will again. It was not fabulous, just ok.
(3)
Ashley L.
I have been eating here forever! Since I was a kid! The food is always good an the salsa is good but not the best I've ever had. The beans are eh. I would give it 5 stars but last time I went our waitress ignored us and we had to get up and find her when we needed something. Every other time the service was great. I have noticed the the staff gets a little older each year.
(4)
Carlos T.
Pretty standard run of the mill Tex Mex style Mexican food. I ate the shredded beef Chimi. Tasted Solid good beef. Also ate the Chicken fajitas. Not bad. Not amazing. But solid. Salsa on table was a typical mixed canned tomato with fresh onion a chili salsa. Not my favorite but didn't taste bad. My beer was NICE AND BIG. Prices were not cheap but not outrageous. In the end there is a sea of Mexican food in the Phoenix area. Are there better places out there? Of course. Are there worse. Of course. Waitress was nice. Place was clean and the Air Conditioner in the middle of 105 degree day was cool.. Overall a solid place to eat. But don't expect anything groundbreaking.
(3)
Joel L.
Sorry but I've had better burritos at Filiberto's at half the price and twice the size. $14 for a Burrito the size of a mini taco. You gotta be kidding me. The $7.60 Macho Margarita should be called Watered Down Fruity Margarita. The complimentary chips were so thin they break into little pieces as soon as you touch them. Very very disappointing. However I did like their salsa and the service was excellent.
(2)
Nicole P.
The food is average at best, as is the service. It is not overpriced for what you are served but if you love authentic Mexican food you might be disappointed if you find yourself here. After having eaten here 5 or so times in the past year, if I could give it 2.25 stars I would just to be nice. I imagine there may be a loyal group of people who would argue with me considering the large crowd that turns up for this place every Friday & Saturday night, but I have to be honest when I say I have never received anything that was delicious. I can say, however, that what I ate was edible, did not cause me to be ill and I have always left feeling full. I believe that having a 2nd glass of wine helps. A lot. My husband and I meet friends here for dinner from time to time who love to come here because it is their routine. They well are known by the servers and are always treated well as a result. I would never consider coming here other than to meet our friends who are very comfortable dining here.
(2)
Bart G.
Been coming here for years, but never have had the unbelievable service we had today. Amazing waitress. Extremely friendly. Had a great time and the food was excellent
(4)
Dez J.
Go there every week, for the last couple months. Service just gets worst and worst. We sat down with my boyfriends parents, who arrived before us. And it took the waitress 30 minutes to even realize we were there and order our drinks. When she arrived, you could just tell she hated her job and didn't want to be there. An hour goes by and finally our food came out, while all of us have been done with our drinks for quite some time now. I'm sorry but this restaurant goes down hill every single time we go there. By now we haven't even gone in for 2-3 weeks now. They need more HAPPY servers and another cook or something.
(2)
Samantha D.
So I went here...and ya know...it looks like a typical chain midwestern wanna be legit mexican place...but if you can embrace the kitchiness of the decor and the fact that all these indie restaurants in cenpho really want that honky tonk mix to take away from their pretentious regular 'im a starving-emo-distraught-artist that can afford to drop ten bucks on a bowl of oatmeal' crowd...this place just naturally has it... and the food wasn't quite authentic...but it was pretty good nonetheless...and i was in the mood for white wine (thankfully im not picky) but they skip the classy i'm only filling your glass 1/3 of the way deal...they give you the college pour...and i like it that way so if you're in the neighborhood and avoiding other chainy options...this is at least middle of the road...
(3)
Kara M.
Love the food, but the last 2 times I went to this location, the wait staff was incredibly rude. I've started going to the Mesa location instead. This location used to be my absolute favorite, but not anymore. :(
(3)
Matt C.
Food was good. Prices were average. Decor was out-dated. I got the chicken fajitas. It came with two small tortillas. I asked for more and received another two. When the bill came, I learned I was charged for the "extra" tortillas. Seriously?
(3)
Tim K.
Nice decor and a friendly staff greet you when you enter. Our service was good. The free nacho chips were light and not at all greasy. The food was the disappointment here. The beef in my combo plate was some kind of congealed mass. It wasn't ground beef as you would expect in a taco. It wasn't shredded beef either. Nothing seemed to have much flavor. Others at the table seemed to enjoy their meals. I just can't give this place an A-OK (3 stars).
(2)
MATTHEW S.
crappy food terrible service! the food sucked and the waiter was rude! dont go here unless you like to waste your money and hang out at a loud place! expensive food thats not worth it! ripp off they tried to sit me and my family in a 2 seat chair and we had 4 people! i had to ask 2 times for a booth and they were like trying to push the chairs on me! wth an
(1)
joshua g.
reasonable prices. family oriented.food just average. they got great karaoke entertainment............which is why i keep coming back. nothing negative i can say about the food but nothing special too about it. just AVERAGE........ i wont even dare go to this place if it didnt have karaoke cuz this place is DULL without karaoke. Well,maybe not if you come in big groups as this might offset the boredom. Karaoke nights are on Friday and Saturday only so take heed. Nice place for families as kids are allowed during karaoke and that is another reason why my group goes there with their respective families. My wish is they should start karaoke earlier than 8pm to offset the long rotation for singing. It is family oriented anyway so why not have karaoke start say at 5:30 or at least 6pm? This is honest unadulterated opinion.........
(3)
Anne B.
I've been going to Top Shelf restaurants since I used to go to the one in Mesa with my first husband in the 1980s. Always liked the food, and when they added the lite menu, I gravitated toward that. Mu husband and I have been to both of the westside ones. We stopped going to the one on 83rd Avenue when we got horrible service there. Tonight was Greenway and it was maybe worse. When we got there, there were two groups of four waiting to be seated. It was a little after 5 p.m. and a ton of open tables. I asked if there was a waiting list, and the hostess said yes. She said the wait would be 5-10 minutes, and we agreed to wait. We reasoned there was a shift change going on. After a few minutes, the first group of 4 was seated. We were standing near the cash register when another group of three arrived. My husband suggested we move aside so they could check in. They were standing by the cash register when a waitress approached the group of 3 with menus and volunteered to seat them, which she did. We turned to the group of 4 that was ahead of us and they were aghast. We complained to the hostess and she said of the waitress, "she's new." The new waitress came up and said that "he" didn't know there were people waiting ahead of the group of 3 and so he seated them. The woman with the group of 4 complained that they had been waiting, it was her husband's birthday and it was being ruined. They got seated, and we continued to wait. The waitress/hostess asked us if we wanted to sit in the bar. We said no, and so she seated us at a table, but no one waited on us. Someone took the drink order of the birthday group, but not us. Our menus were closed because we knew what we wanted, but we were ignored. Then I heard the waitress who seated the group of 3 ahead of everyone else take the food order of the group of 3. I could not stand it anymore. I gave my $5 coupon to the birthday group and we left. We will not be back. There is too much good Mexican food in the Phoenix area to ever go back and be treated like this again. Manuels, Garcia's, Macayo's, Parilla Suisa, the list goes on. I do not honestly know why anyone eats at Top Shelf anymore.
(2)
Pennie W.
This is my favorite place for Mexican food and have been going here for years. I usually order the same thing, so haven't tried everything on the menu. I don't know why, but the newer Top Shelf in Peoria just doesn't taste the same. The lunch menu is very reasonable and there's always coupons to be found in the flyers in the mail...although I think the prices are reasonable.
(5)
Wes S.
We never have to wait for a table. Service is always very friendly and fast. Beef tacos are the best. Tonight my wife and I were not super hungry and they split one dinner onto two plates....perfect. We keep coming back
(5)
Kylee A.
Ugh. Highly overpriced. $14 for one small burro? No. Service was great, beer was cold. Food...meh. I'd rather eat elsewhere. Won't be back.
(1)
Brian S.
Not sure why they don't have at least a 4 star rating. They have some of the best Mexican food around. I personally give them 5 stars!!!
(5)
Leslie M.
Stopped here to get some carry out food for the super bowl. Seated ourselves at the bar. Bartender came over and greeted us within a few minutes. We placed our order and decided to try one of their new prickly pear margaritas. They came with sugar on the rim instead of salt. I questioned the bartender about it since I really had wanted salt. She offered to get a new glass with salt instead. The drink was delicious! Definitely will come back for that. We wondered out on the patio while we waited. Overall atmosphere was nice. In addition to the patio and bar area, there seemed to be two other dining areas. One that had three large tv screens. We ordered a burrito with red and green sauce. Beef tacos with a side of rice, and a tostado dinner from the lite menu. Got our food within a reasonable amount of time, finished our yummy margaritas and headed home for the big kick-off. Everything was packaged well and looked delicious. The burrito was huge with plenty of sauce. The beef tacos were good and came with a generous helping of rice. I liked that they offered a variety of choices under their lite menu options. The tostada I ordered was topped with shredded chicken, lettuce, tomato and black olive. It came with a salad and three large wedges of cataloupe. There was also a bag with tortilla chips and salsa. The chips were good. The salsa was okay. Would have preferred a hotter salsa. Overall, good food and plenty of it! Will go there again.
(4)
Diana M.
First time here. So close to our home we will be back. Very friendly. Great atmosphere. Food was nothing spectacular but not gross either. Drinks had a generous pour.
(3)
Jennifer W.
Service was very good and I would go back for the lounge area. However I think the prices are a little high. I appreciated the lite menu with calories listed and ordered off of that. My lite dinner came with some delicious chilled sliced cantaloupe for the fruit side, but the salad was not very green. The salad had big white hunks of iceberg lettuce that I did not care to eat. My boyfriend got the chicken fundito and it was good. I would come back to try again because the salsas and service were very good, and maybe the salad side with the lite menu choices will get better.
(3)
Lisa G.
I ONLY put stars on this review because I was with my friend who posted her bad review of this place and she checked 0 stars which made her review be on the back page and putting stars hopefully will allow this review to be read. I feel this review should be seen by anyone wanting to eat here. This is the exact review that won't show up unless you go to the last pages! "Hands down the WORST service I've ever had today!! A few friends went in after a baby shower to have lunch and not only did the waitress get over half of the orders wrong, she blamed US for ordering wrong! I'm sorry, but I dine out quite frequently and I know how to order. So after the waitress had argued with us for the third time, we walked out. WITHOUT having eaten any food. Now get this, 15 min later the police showed up at my door, with my young son and niece watching, and accused us of stealing alcoholic beverages!!! Our waitress should know that my husband nor I ordered ANYTHING alcoholic! They threatened to arrest my husband because he didn't know the names of the friends of friends who were there that didn't pay for said alcohol. This is absurd! And embarrassing when my neighbors are inquiring as to why the police are at my home! Save yourself some grief and skip this place!!!! Valle Luna is just down the street & their food is amazing!!"
(3)
Michelle S.
Hands down the WORST service I've ever had today!! A few friends went in after a baby shower to have lunch and not only did the waitress get over half of the orders wrong, she blamed US for ordering wrong! I'm sorry, but I dine out quite frequently and I know how to order. So after the waitress had argued with us for the third time, we walked out. WITHOUT having eaten any food. Now get this, 15 min later the police showed up at my door, with my young son and niece watching, and accused us of stealing alcoholic beverages!!! Our waitress should know that my husband nor I ordered ANYTHING alcoholic! They threatened to arrest my husband because he didn't know the names of the friends of friends who were there that didn't pay for said alcohol. This is absurd! And embarrassing when my neighbors are inquiring as to why the police are at my home! Save yourself some grief and skip this place!!!! Valle Luna is just down the street & their food is amazing!!
(1)
Joe S.
If you don't mind the bad attitudes of the staff the beer is cold! Unfortunately this place has not gotten any better in the last few years. They use to be the place to get good Mexican food, Margarita's and a cold Tecate from hosts that cared about your dining experience. Not so much now. In general the staff, including the manager(s) have no concept of nor a desire to provide a dining experience conducive to the culture the menu reflects. There is so much potential for this restaurant if the mindset of the staff can be changed or replaced. Maybe Discovery Channels will do a show on this place and help the owners turn it around. That's of course if they care. Good restaurants monitor what the public has to say and responds. N o evidnece of that here.
(2)
Anyanka B.
My daughter & I decided to go here (our 1st time) yesterday after our power went out on the hottest day of summer (114 degrees!) due to some downed power lines. SRP said it could possibly take 2 hours to repair & with our dinner not quite done cooking on the stove, we did not want to stay in the already hot house while the power was off. As we skirted out the door, the power came back on but we decided to go anyway. As we parked the car I realized I had forgotten something I wanted to bring to the restaurant. So strike 2 for me.... I wondered what could happen in the restaurant that would be strike 3. Happily... NOTHING! We were greeted promptly at the entrance & seated right away. There were a few other guests at other tables but soon after we were seated many people started showing up for dinner as well. Our waitress, Carol, came over pretty quickly & asked how we were. Without hesitation, I said, "Flustered!" She asked why so I explained what led to that feeling. Well, Carol was sweet & attentive & gave us a nice & very unexpected surprise which really made my night. We both had the nightly special: cheese enchilada, beef taco with rice & beans all for $7.95 each, which I thought was a great price. We both cleaned our plates & then decided to order the apple chimichanga for dessert. Out came a huge plate with 2 chimichangas filled with big slices of apples, & 2 scoops of ice cream. Yum! The food was good & filling & the prices of the other menu items seemed comparable to other restaurants. But what made it a really good night & got me over my flustered feeling was how friendly & caring Carol was. Thanks Carol! We'll be back!
(4)
Jeff M.
I got the Carne Asada taco dinner. Pretty good. Was still kind of hungry though. The house margarita was below average. Service was good. I'd go back to drink, but thought the food was pricey for the amount you get.
(3)
Cindy L.
Walked in at about 7:30, were seated immediately... But walked out at 7:43 after the group behind us who had just been sat down was being waited on, when had not been acknowledged in the least. No drink order, no "I'll be right with you", nothing. This was after walking into the ladies room, and noticing what I believe was a homeless woman in the small restroom with her clothing spread across the baby changing table, taking care of her hygiene needs.
(1)
Marcia G.
This is my very favorite Mexican food restaurant and it's so close. I know everyone who works there and that's great. The food is fabulous as is the service!
(5)
Lynette S.
Went there for lunch and had the hamburger chimichanga. The first bite tasted a little weird but i ate it anyways :) It was the only thing I had eaten all day. I came down with food poisening the next morning. I thought the manager would want to know but instead of offering good customer service she insinuated that it was not their food. No appology and very rude. Bad food...bad customer service.
(1)
Sara J.
I thought Top Shelf was good! As good as Macayo's or Valle Luna. Had the grilled fish tacos. Fish was good but was served as a typical taco with flour tortilla, tomato, lettuce and cheese. That was kind of a disappointment. Others in the party enjoyed their food and I really liked the rice and beans! Service was great!
(3)
Nick D.
Good food, nice relaxing authentic atmosphere. The staff is friendly. I like their chimichangas.
(4)
chris f.
Food was not bad and the prices were comparable. However some of the staff is not caring or courteous. Our waiter was a complete ass to my bfs daughter. Rolling his eyes and exuding hatred for his job when taking her order. We were in a hurry and left the table after 10+ minutes of waiting for the check. We stood at the hostess stand waiting for her to bring him back. He did not realize we were standing there when he looked with disgust at our table and then rolled his eyes severely annoyed before showing great surprise when he looked up at my bf standing in front of him. He was a dick! Besides him, good times
(3)
Monica O.
Was with group of my girlfriends on Sunday afternoon and they had mention going to Top Shelf for Sunday lunch, I had never been and thought ok cool lets go, I love trying new places out! When we walked in there was no hostess to greet us, we were standing around for about 8 minutes, then someone walked out with a to go order for another customer, I thought well ok she was busy with that order, but maybe someone should have let us know that someone was coming to take care of us and not just ignoring us. Got to our table, our waitress was Cindy, oh what a snarky lady she was. Chips and salsa were brought to the table, being my 1st time their I didn't know you had to ask for the hot stuff, the salsa brought to the table tasted like Pace Picante sauce to me, just flavored tomato sauce, but that's because I like heat baby! So when I found out about the hot stuff, oh yea I was in heaven! It had great flavor and heat. We placed our order, I ordered the lunch special, the El Pollo Grande, chicken burrito with green sauce, beans, and added rice to it and came with sour cream. It was taking a while for the food to come out and we didn't mind, but our chips did get eaten and we asked for a refill and our lovey waitress told us Ladies, don't forget your food is still coming in a condescending tone, we were kinda shocked and didn't know how to respond that, we just said well bring on the chip and more salsa please. The burrito was perfect, it was a great blend of green chili and chicken, Food was good, service was snarky, if in the area might come back and give it another try.
(3)
Bell J.
Very surprised at the low reviews. Food is very good and the service both times we have been there was exceptional.
(4)
Jonathan M.
Since Yelp cuts off my reviews, be sure to read the full review here: bit.ly/h9pmFj [Excerpt Taken From Full Review] The Food: Ahh the food. Top Shelf has some pretty authentic, delicious Mexican food. I have ordered a number of things there - from an al a carte burrito, to the taco salad, a chimi, the plain chicken sandwich, to the mini-chimis. Everything we've ordered has come out to specification and has been quite delicious, but since this is a Mexican food restaurant, I think it's best to start with the chips and salsa. The chips and salsa at Top Shelf are pretty darn good. Not too chunky, not too runny, their corn chips are fried fresh and are usually served very hot. They also have a pretty tasty hot salsa available at no charge upon request. The best salsa I usually have consists of mixing the mild with the hot and coming up with my own concoction, but it's all pretty good - and being free makes it that much sweeter. For this visit, I had the shredded beef (machaca) burrito, al a carte. This actually sounds like a fairly lonesome order. A burrito arriving alone on a plate with only a few shreds of lettuce to keep it company...I can see how that might be misleading. But let's get something straight: This is not some Taco Bell burrito. This is a real burrito. This burrito weighs a good 2lbs and is stuffed full of spicy, delicious machaca beef. It's hot and juicy and each bite is overflowing with flavor. I usually jokingly refer to it as a "protein tube" because of all the beef in it. Top Shelf usually offers to prepare the burro in a number of ways including fundido style, with sour cream, deep fried (chimi style), but I usually just get it plain. I like it that way. My wife ordered the "mini chimi" platter. The MC platter can be ordered with either beef or chicken, but almost everyone I know, including my wife, usually gets the "half and half" style which combines 4 chicken and 4 beef. The MCs are delicious, but pretty standard. They are deep fried, smothered with cheese, tomatoes, and green onions, and served with beans and sour cream for dipping. Each bite is piping hot and goes well with the sauces, plain, or even with the salsa. I'd like to mention that Top Shelf does not charge extra for the beans and sour cream to dip in. That's important to note because another local Mexican food place (Manuel's) actually charged us $1.75 for a side of sour cream to dip our mini chimis in. This is usually "Ok" but we were never notified that ordering this sour cream came at nearly a $2 cost.
(4)
Justin F.
Carol served me. I had a great experience. The chili reallno was the bomb and the Long Island was off the chain. Perfect service.
(5)
Erick B.
Top Shelf has decent mexican food but they are a bit more expensive and don't offer the same value as say Garcia's. I have been there at least 3-5 times over the years and I have always left happy but I am about not having to spend too much money if I don't have to especially If I can get the same food and service ( Garcia's ) for a little cheaper. If you live in the area give Top Shelf a try. They have good food and service. They are just not my favorite.
(3)
carl g.
Service was cool. Beer was icy. Sadly, the food left much to be desired. Ordered a carne asada burrito. The meat was horrible and chewy. I returned it and simply asked for one beef and one chicken taco. Beef taco was "ok". The chicken tasted like it was boiled, shredded and thrown i. Zero flavor. Service was good though. I gave up on the food, had one more cold beer and left.
(1)
Carmelo W.
Decent food, we had very good service. I'd definitely come here again.
(4)
Jessica S.
I love the food here. The salsa is pretty good too. My family and I go out to eat on Fridays so our daughter can hear the Mexican guy singing with his guitar. She loves it. I usually get the queso chimi as it's awesome.
(4)
Vern G.
Tiffany never brought my water. I asked seven times. I was only here for karaoke.
(1)
Cyndi K.
I went in for karaoke on two different nights, Friday had some interesting characters and was very entertaining. There were fewer people on Saturday, but it was still fun with my group of friends, and we were able to get through the rotation pretty quickly. On Saturday, I had the MLF margarita and shared an order of spinach artichoke dip. Both were good; I would order them again if I went back. Service at Top Shelf is terrible. Our waitress on Saturday told us there wasn't a drink menu, even though I ordered from one on Friday. She seemed genuinely confused by our requests for a pitcher of margaritas for the table, and brought two glasses for the four of us. Then, she had to consult with her manager to figure out what the pitcher options were. We waited about a half an hour for her to come back for my drink order, and walked past us several times. Finally, we literally had to yell at her to get her attention. When it came time for the tab, we planned ahead, knowing it could take 20 minutes for her to come back. Friday's service was slightly better, but not by much. On neither night was the bar area packed with people. I was happy with the value for my money; a 17 oz margarita was $6, I assume that at a bar, a small margarita would cost close to the same.
(3)
Alicia M.
Finally good Mexican food. Loved the spicy salsa and skinny margaritas. My new go to for good burros
(4)
Alex B.
Optimally I'd only rate it 3.5 stars, but our server was so friggin nice. We've come here about 5 times now in the last year. Usually when we get there the hostess, who's always different, seems either high or just totally spaced out. Unfortunately that sets the tone for how things are to pan out from then on. I can't tell if they want their servers to wear whatever they please, but there were two of them walking around half naked and the bus boy looked like he just got out of bed. As far as the service itself, Angelita was so nice. It was like being served by mom. Now we did have to wait a bit but no longer than 5 minutes. The food was good, but I also have to put it this way, it's Mexican food. If anyone has high expectations of Mexican then you're probably also writing critiques of Mcdonalds. Tortilla,cheese, meat... Taco, chimichanga, enchilada, burrito, taquito... slap some rice and beans on the side. I don't think I've had ever Mexican and been like, "WOW, HOLY CRAP THIS IS THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD I'VE EVER HAD!!!!" and I don't think I ever will. It's not like it's gourmet. Overall, I'd recommend this. I personally came out here from North Carolina and it really does remind me of a few of the Mexican restaurants I used to haunt.
(4)
Kristi R.
We went to Top Shelf because we had a coupon from our Entertainment book for a buy one, get one free entree. When we got to the restaurant, we hung out in the waiting area for a few minutes before the hostess came to seat us, but we enjoyed looking at the fish tank while we waited. Our waitress was nice and kept our drinks filled and the food was pretty good, but maybe a little pricey for the portions. When the bill came, we gave the waitress our coupon. She brought back the bill and our kid's meal was the one given to us free. When we asked, she said she tried to give us the second adult entree as the free meal, but the manager wouldn't let her. She then had the manager come talk to us, but he wouldn't budge on the matter. I have never been to a restaurant that considers a kid's meal to be an entree. It seems this company is more concerned with making a couple bucks than good service that brings back return customers.
(2)
Steve E.
Hadn't eaten at a Top Shelf for several years. Happened upon this one and I'm glad I did. Starting with the chips and salsa, they were both fresh and tasty. My waiter, Dave, was very helpful and quick. The food (chicken tacos with beans and rice) were also fresh and very good. Maybe not the best ever place for Mexican food, but it certainly is well above average. Good prices for the portions, too.
(4)
Daren C.
Are you sure this is a chain? The staff is awesome the food is great. The prices are reasonable. Sounds like a mom n pop type place to me. I still am a fan of the Pollo Fundito... wife tried the shredded beef one and it was good but not as good as the chicken.
(4)
laura b.
i like this restaurant for their lunch prices and atmosphere. the restaurant is decorated nicely, but i love the bar area. the bar area is separate and has alot of tables and booths and 2 walls of plasmas. it is not just a bar. it's a great place to sit and watch sports and have drinks and food. the full menu is offered in the bar area. so, if you want a full meal and/or drinks during any kind of sports game, the bar area is the place to sit. they offer an inexpensive lunch menu. i think it's around $6.50 for a large lunch. there's different options. you can also use the buy one get one free coupons that are in the entertainment book for the lunch specials making it really cheap. if you just want drinks, you can still get chips and salsa for free. i think the food is a good quality and is similar to macayos or garcias. good all around place. they are also building a large smokers patio with outdoor dining. it should be close to completion.
(4)
Antiquity S.
The food is wonderful here. One of my top 10 favorite Mexican food restaurants. I highly recommend it. Chimis are awesome here. So are the margaritas!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : 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 : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No 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.
Jessica W.
The location is a bit sketchy - I mean I didn't know there were still kmarts in Phoenix...but aside from that the decor is typical to every cheap chain Mexican place around. The patio where we ate felt a bit like we were in prison, on metal benches with tarps covering the fence walls. That said - the food, drinks and service were all fantastic - and that's really all that matters! I get a bit cheesed out at huge restaurants where you can't even place where the restrooms are, but I totally understand that these are family style and meant to accommodate large groups. I may head back for happy hour, but I won't rush here with out of towners.
(2)Lydia S.
The service was awful for lunch. They tended to their regulars but not to less frequent diners. My husband and I came for lunch. The food was good but not worth the 1 hour lack of service. The waitress brought our drinks and food to us quickly but not once did she come back to ask us how our food was or to refill our drinks. We sat there for at least 40 mins without seeing a sign of our waitress or our check. I had an enchilada to put in a to go box... by the time I got the box, (from another waitress) my enchilada was cold, hard, and molded to my plate! Anyways, finally another waitress came over after noting we were looking around, asking if we had paid (to be honest we could have walked out without paying but I'm not that type of person). We told her we hadn't received our check & had been waiting for a very long time. After a while she brought our check and it appeared our original waitress had closed our tab and forgot about us! And the original waitress didn't even come out to our table to apologize! After waiting so long I would at least hope for that. We paid, left no tip (I've only left no tip at a restaurant one time before and we eat out a lot), and left never to go back again. My family has eaten at this restaurant for years (I remember coming with my nana when I was 3-4 years old, so that's over 20 years ago) and I will not be continuing the tradition. At least act like you care about your customers and apologize for your crap service that delayed their day by an hour (and offering a discount or free dessert doesn't hurt). I understand getting slow service sometimes happens, but not the blatant disregard for customer service and lack of providing an amends for your mistake or inconvenience. Due to the hit or miss customer service, I don't recommend coming here. There are comparable Mexican restaurants in the area with much better service and courteous employees.
(1)Ryan C.
I enjoyed my lunch here very much. A nice portion for a nice price. Chips were thin and crisp; warm and just the right saltiness. Salsa was pretty good, but mix regular and hot sauce for the best roasty flavor. I really enjoy service from more experienced servers. They're super friendly and you never see extra facial holes or anything like that. I love being called "Hon", too. 8^ ) Everything was clean and comfortable. Might be my most boring review ever.
(4)Adam S.
I have been eating here since I was about two years old. The waiters are friendly and helpful and have all been working there for quite some time. Going into the restaurant is like going into a family's home and having dinner with them. The food is amazing and well priced. Their combo dinners are HUGE and I often can't finish them. They also have some of the best salsa in the world. Locally owned and operated. Try it.
(5)Terry L.
My new favorite place! Food is wonderful, atmosphere nice. Our waitress was the best, very accommodating .. Very attentive to the kids in our party.
(5)Jesse J.
Decent Mexican but far from Top Shelf. They are a bit overpriced for what you get as I got one taquito with beans and rice for $8. Salsa is a bit watery for my taste and not spicy enough. Rice and beans were good and that is more than a lot of Mexican places can say. Service was great I got a drink refill before I even asked for it and that means a lot to me.
(3)Liz D.
Zero stars. Do not stop there, do not order. Do not waste your time or money. Filthy dirty carpet (what is the kitchen like?) The food is disgusting. Red hot plates....ice cold enchiladas...no flavor. Disgusting place. There is SO much good Mexican food in this area.....BUT NOT HERE!
(1)Brenda B.
Meh....in a city like Phoenix , where fantastic Mexican food abounds , these guys really need to up their game. They survive off of happy hour, and the people who live near by. I have eaten here several times, thought it was some what over priced, and mediocre service. The only way I come here, is if I am dragged here by some one else.
(3)Lyn H.
Lunch here often, good food, friendly staff, no complaints!
(4)Wes N.
Meh, we weren't that impressed with our latest visit to Top Shelf. It's decent enough, but they don't have anything in particular that will keep me coming back for more or craving anything in particular from the place. The side of guac we got was also kinda crappy. Seemed like it was old or had some other prob. Maybe they made it in the morning and it didn't hold that well till the time we ate dinner there. On the positive side, no lard is injected or slathered on their refried beans, so the plethora of dishes that include beans are safe for vegetarian consumption.
(2)Jennifer O.
I have to drop this place a star.... sad day. And it's not the food either.... I went here last night with a group of friends for karaoke and drinking. It was some of the worst karaoke I have ever experienced. First of all, it was deafeningly loud. I couldn't hear anyone talking over the ridiculous karaoke and sometimes (most times) that is made worse by the people singing. The main problem, though, was the guy who runs the karaoke was completely pompous and would sit there and sing songs while paying customers in the bar (like my table of 6) hadn't gotten to sing one in the hour we had been there. He obviously had people that he knew and would let them go repeatedly as we sat around and waited. He even started playing the wrong song for someone and when they complained he said 'uhh that's the number you put down' as if the customer was just so stupid for not just knowing all the karaoke CDs he had. Then he played the entire track with no one singing.... while we waited and he stuffed his face with chips. It's just so lame.... the guy acted like he was the king sh**, but really he was just a jerk and turned off a lot of customers that may come to the bar on a saturday night. We didn't eat... but the food is still really good from my other visits here and they did give us some chips and salsa while we were drinking. The drinks were fine, priced appropriately, but I wouldn't go back here again for drinks. I still would come here for food... yum. Chicken fajita burrito fundido FTW!
(3)Lesa C.
Purchased a chicken taco salad to go. It was ready within 10 minutes. It came with chips and salsa! The hostess was very helpful. When she noticed I did not want dressing for the salad she included a second cup of salsa. Portions are large for the price. I gave only three stars because the shell was pre made, the chicken was salty and the salad mix had carrots and red cabbage in it (who does that?). I have eaten at this location before and probably will again. It was not fabulous, just ok.
(3)Ashley L.
I have been eating here forever! Since I was a kid! The food is always good an the salsa is good but not the best I've ever had. The beans are eh. I would give it 5 stars but last time I went our waitress ignored us and we had to get up and find her when we needed something. Every other time the service was great. I have noticed the the staff gets a little older each year.
(4)Carlos T.
Pretty standard run of the mill Tex Mex style Mexican food. I ate the shredded beef Chimi. Tasted Solid good beef. Also ate the Chicken fajitas. Not bad. Not amazing. But solid. Salsa on table was a typical mixed canned tomato with fresh onion a chili salsa. Not my favorite but didn't taste bad. My beer was NICE AND BIG. Prices were not cheap but not outrageous. In the end there is a sea of Mexican food in the Phoenix area. Are there better places out there? Of course. Are there worse. Of course. Waitress was nice. Place was clean and the Air Conditioner in the middle of 105 degree day was cool.. Overall a solid place to eat. But don't expect anything groundbreaking.
(3)Joel L.
Sorry but I've had better burritos at Filiberto's at half the price and twice the size. $14 for a Burrito the size of a mini taco. You gotta be kidding me. The $7.60 Macho Margarita should be called Watered Down Fruity Margarita. The complimentary chips were so thin they break into little pieces as soon as you touch them. Very very disappointing. However I did like their salsa and the service was excellent.
(2)Nicole P.
The food is average at best, as is the service. It is not overpriced for what you are served but if you love authentic Mexican food you might be disappointed if you find yourself here. After having eaten here 5 or so times in the past year, if I could give it 2.25 stars I would just to be nice. I imagine there may be a loyal group of people who would argue with me considering the large crowd that turns up for this place every Friday & Saturday night, but I have to be honest when I say I have never received anything that was delicious. I can say, however, that what I ate was edible, did not cause me to be ill and I have always left feeling full. I believe that having a 2nd glass of wine helps. A lot. My husband and I meet friends here for dinner from time to time who love to come here because it is their routine. They well are known by the servers and are always treated well as a result. I would never consider coming here other than to meet our friends who are very comfortable dining here.
(2)Bart G.
Been coming here for years, but never have had the unbelievable service we had today. Amazing waitress. Extremely friendly. Had a great time and the food was excellent
(4)Dez J.
Go there every week, for the last couple months. Service just gets worst and worst. We sat down with my boyfriends parents, who arrived before us. And it took the waitress 30 minutes to even realize we were there and order our drinks. When she arrived, you could just tell she hated her job and didn't want to be there. An hour goes by and finally our food came out, while all of us have been done with our drinks for quite some time now. I'm sorry but this restaurant goes down hill every single time we go there. By now we haven't even gone in for 2-3 weeks now. They need more HAPPY servers and another cook or something.
(2)Samantha D.
So I went here...and ya know...it looks like a typical chain midwestern wanna be legit mexican place...but if you can embrace the kitchiness of the decor and the fact that all these indie restaurants in cenpho really want that honky tonk mix to take away from their pretentious regular 'im a starving-emo-distraught-artist that can afford to drop ten bucks on a bowl of oatmeal' crowd...this place just naturally has it... and the food wasn't quite authentic...but it was pretty good nonetheless...and i was in the mood for white wine (thankfully im not picky) but they skip the classy i'm only filling your glass 1/3 of the way deal...they give you the college pour...and i like it that way so if you're in the neighborhood and avoiding other chainy options...this is at least middle of the road...
(3)Kara M.
Love the food, but the last 2 times I went to this location, the wait staff was incredibly rude. I've started going to the Mesa location instead. This location used to be my absolute favorite, but not anymore. :(
(3)Matt C.
Food was good. Prices were average. Decor was out-dated. I got the chicken fajitas. It came with two small tortillas. I asked for more and received another two. When the bill came, I learned I was charged for the "extra" tortillas. Seriously?
(3)Tim K.
Nice decor and a friendly staff greet you when you enter. Our service was good. The free nacho chips were light and not at all greasy. The food was the disappointment here. The beef in my combo plate was some kind of congealed mass. It wasn't ground beef as you would expect in a taco. It wasn't shredded beef either. Nothing seemed to have much flavor. Others at the table seemed to enjoy their meals. I just can't give this place an A-OK (3 stars).
(2)MATTHEW S.
crappy food terrible service! the food sucked and the waiter was rude! dont go here unless you like to waste your money and hang out at a loud place! expensive food thats not worth it! ripp off they tried to sit me and my family in a 2 seat chair and we had 4 people! i had to ask 2 times for a booth and they were like trying to push the chairs on me! wth an
(1)joshua g.
reasonable prices. family oriented.food just average. they got great karaoke entertainment............which is why i keep coming back. nothing negative i can say about the food but nothing special too about it. just AVERAGE........ i wont even dare go to this place if it didnt have karaoke cuz this place is DULL without karaoke. Well,maybe not if you come in big groups as this might offset the boredom. Karaoke nights are on Friday and Saturday only so take heed. Nice place for families as kids are allowed during karaoke and that is another reason why my group goes there with their respective families. My wish is they should start karaoke earlier than 8pm to offset the long rotation for singing. It is family oriented anyway so why not have karaoke start say at 5:30 or at least 6pm? This is honest unadulterated opinion.........
(3)Anne B.
I've been going to Top Shelf restaurants since I used to go to the one in Mesa with my first husband in the 1980s. Always liked the food, and when they added the lite menu, I gravitated toward that. Mu husband and I have been to both of the westside ones. We stopped going to the one on 83rd Avenue when we got horrible service there. Tonight was Greenway and it was maybe worse. When we got there, there were two groups of four waiting to be seated. It was a little after 5 p.m. and a ton of open tables. I asked if there was a waiting list, and the hostess said yes. She said the wait would be 5-10 minutes, and we agreed to wait. We reasoned there was a shift change going on. After a few minutes, the first group of 4 was seated. We were standing near the cash register when another group of three arrived. My husband suggested we move aside so they could check in. They were standing by the cash register when a waitress approached the group of 3 with menus and volunteered to seat them, which she did. We turned to the group of 4 that was ahead of us and they were aghast. We complained to the hostess and she said of the waitress, "she's new." The new waitress came up and said that "he" didn't know there were people waiting ahead of the group of 3 and so he seated them. The woman with the group of 4 complained that they had been waiting, it was her husband's birthday and it was being ruined. They got seated, and we continued to wait. The waitress/hostess asked us if we wanted to sit in the bar. We said no, and so she seated us at a table, but no one waited on us. Someone took the drink order of the birthday group, but not us. Our menus were closed because we knew what we wanted, but we were ignored. Then I heard the waitress who seated the group of 3 ahead of everyone else take the food order of the group of 3. I could not stand it anymore. I gave my $5 coupon to the birthday group and we left. We will not be back. There is too much good Mexican food in the Phoenix area to ever go back and be treated like this again. Manuels, Garcia's, Macayo's, Parilla Suisa, the list goes on. I do not honestly know why anyone eats at Top Shelf anymore.
(2)Pennie W.
This is my favorite place for Mexican food and have been going here for years. I usually order the same thing, so haven't tried everything on the menu. I don't know why, but the newer Top Shelf in Peoria just doesn't taste the same. The lunch menu is very reasonable and there's always coupons to be found in the flyers in the mail...although I think the prices are reasonable.
(5)Wes S.
We never have to wait for a table. Service is always very friendly and fast. Beef tacos are the best. Tonight my wife and I were not super hungry and they split one dinner onto two plates....perfect. We keep coming back
(5)Kylee A.
Ugh. Highly overpriced. $14 for one small burro? No. Service was great, beer was cold. Food...meh. I'd rather eat elsewhere. Won't be back.
(1)Brian S.
Not sure why they don't have at least a 4 star rating. They have some of the best Mexican food around. I personally give them 5 stars!!!
(5)Leslie M.
Stopped here to get some carry out food for the super bowl. Seated ourselves at the bar. Bartender came over and greeted us within a few minutes. We placed our order and decided to try one of their new prickly pear margaritas. They came with sugar on the rim instead of salt. I questioned the bartender about it since I really had wanted salt. She offered to get a new glass with salt instead. The drink was delicious! Definitely will come back for that. We wondered out on the patio while we waited. Overall atmosphere was nice. In addition to the patio and bar area, there seemed to be two other dining areas. One that had three large tv screens. We ordered a burrito with red and green sauce. Beef tacos with a side of rice, and a tostado dinner from the lite menu. Got our food within a reasonable amount of time, finished our yummy margaritas and headed home for the big kick-off. Everything was packaged well and looked delicious. The burrito was huge with plenty of sauce. The beef tacos were good and came with a generous helping of rice. I liked that they offered a variety of choices under their lite menu options. The tostada I ordered was topped with shredded chicken, lettuce, tomato and black olive. It came with a salad and three large wedges of cataloupe. There was also a bag with tortilla chips and salsa. The chips were good. The salsa was okay. Would have preferred a hotter salsa. Overall, good food and plenty of it! Will go there again.
(4)Diana M.
First time here. So close to our home we will be back. Very friendly. Great atmosphere. Food was nothing spectacular but not gross either. Drinks had a generous pour.
(3)Jennifer W.
Service was very good and I would go back for the lounge area. However I think the prices are a little high. I appreciated the lite menu with calories listed and ordered off of that. My lite dinner came with some delicious chilled sliced cantaloupe for the fruit side, but the salad was not very green. The salad had big white hunks of iceberg lettuce that I did not care to eat. My boyfriend got the chicken fundito and it was good. I would come back to try again because the salsas and service were very good, and maybe the salad side with the lite menu choices will get better.
(3)Lisa G.
I ONLY put stars on this review because I was with my friend who posted her bad review of this place and she checked 0 stars which made her review be on the back page and putting stars hopefully will allow this review to be read. I feel this review should be seen by anyone wanting to eat here. This is the exact review that won't show up unless you go to the last pages! "Hands down the WORST service I've ever had today!! A few friends went in after a baby shower to have lunch and not only did the waitress get over half of the orders wrong, she blamed US for ordering wrong! I'm sorry, but I dine out quite frequently and I know how to order. So after the waitress had argued with us for the third time, we walked out. WITHOUT having eaten any food. Now get this, 15 min later the police showed up at my door, with my young son and niece watching, and accused us of stealing alcoholic beverages!!! Our waitress should know that my husband nor I ordered ANYTHING alcoholic! They threatened to arrest my husband because he didn't know the names of the friends of friends who were there that didn't pay for said alcohol. This is absurd! And embarrassing when my neighbors are inquiring as to why the police are at my home! Save yourself some grief and skip this place!!!! Valle Luna is just down the street & their food is amazing!!"
(3)Michelle S.
Hands down the WORST service I've ever had today!! A few friends went in after a baby shower to have lunch and not only did the waitress get over half of the orders wrong, she blamed US for ordering wrong! I'm sorry, but I dine out quite frequently and I know how to order. So after the waitress had argued with us for the third time, we walked out. WITHOUT having eaten any food. Now get this, 15 min later the police showed up at my door, with my young son and niece watching, and accused us of stealing alcoholic beverages!!! Our waitress should know that my husband nor I ordered ANYTHING alcoholic! They threatened to arrest my husband because he didn't know the names of the friends of friends who were there that didn't pay for said alcohol. This is absurd! And embarrassing when my neighbors are inquiring as to why the police are at my home! Save yourself some grief and skip this place!!!! Valle Luna is just down the street & their food is amazing!!
(1)Joe S.
If you don't mind the bad attitudes of the staff the beer is cold! Unfortunately this place has not gotten any better in the last few years. They use to be the place to get good Mexican food, Margarita's and a cold Tecate from hosts that cared about your dining experience. Not so much now. In general the staff, including the manager(s) have no concept of nor a desire to provide a dining experience conducive to the culture the menu reflects. There is so much potential for this restaurant if the mindset of the staff can be changed or replaced. Maybe Discovery Channels will do a show on this place and help the owners turn it around. That's of course if they care. Good restaurants monitor what the public has to say and responds. N o evidnece of that here.
(2)Anyanka B.
My daughter & I decided to go here (our 1st time) yesterday after our power went out on the hottest day of summer (114 degrees!) due to some downed power lines. SRP said it could possibly take 2 hours to repair & with our dinner not quite done cooking on the stove, we did not want to stay in the already hot house while the power was off. As we skirted out the door, the power came back on but we decided to go anyway. As we parked the car I realized I had forgotten something I wanted to bring to the restaurant. So strike 2 for me.... I wondered what could happen in the restaurant that would be strike 3. Happily... NOTHING! We were greeted promptly at the entrance & seated right away. There were a few other guests at other tables but soon after we were seated many people started showing up for dinner as well. Our waitress, Carol, came over pretty quickly & asked how we were. Without hesitation, I said, "Flustered!" She asked why so I explained what led to that feeling. Well, Carol was sweet & attentive & gave us a nice & very unexpected surprise which really made my night. We both had the nightly special: cheese enchilada, beef taco with rice & beans all for $7.95 each, which I thought was a great price. We both cleaned our plates & then decided to order the apple chimichanga for dessert. Out came a huge plate with 2 chimichangas filled with big slices of apples, & 2 scoops of ice cream. Yum! The food was good & filling & the prices of the other menu items seemed comparable to other restaurants. But what made it a really good night & got me over my flustered feeling was how friendly & caring Carol was. Thanks Carol! We'll be back!
(4)Jeff M.
I got the Carne Asada taco dinner. Pretty good. Was still kind of hungry though. The house margarita was below average. Service was good. I'd go back to drink, but thought the food was pricey for the amount you get.
(3)Cindy L.
Walked in at about 7:30, were seated immediately... But walked out at 7:43 after the group behind us who had just been sat down was being waited on, when had not been acknowledged in the least. No drink order, no "I'll be right with you", nothing. This was after walking into the ladies room, and noticing what I believe was a homeless woman in the small restroom with her clothing spread across the baby changing table, taking care of her hygiene needs.
(1)Marcia G.
This is my very favorite Mexican food restaurant and it's so close. I know everyone who works there and that's great. The food is fabulous as is the service!
(5)Lynette S.
Went there for lunch and had the hamburger chimichanga. The first bite tasted a little weird but i ate it anyways :) It was the only thing I had eaten all day. I came down with food poisening the next morning. I thought the manager would want to know but instead of offering good customer service she insinuated that it was not their food. No appology and very rude. Bad food...bad customer service.
(1)Sara J.
I thought Top Shelf was good! As good as Macayo's or Valle Luna. Had the grilled fish tacos. Fish was good but was served as a typical taco with flour tortilla, tomato, lettuce and cheese. That was kind of a disappointment. Others in the party enjoyed their food and I really liked the rice and beans! Service was great!
(3)Nick D.
Good food, nice relaxing authentic atmosphere. The staff is friendly. I like their chimichangas.
(4)chris f.
Food was not bad and the prices were comparable. However some of the staff is not caring or courteous. Our waiter was a complete ass to my bfs daughter. Rolling his eyes and exuding hatred for his job when taking her order. We were in a hurry and left the table after 10+ minutes of waiting for the check. We stood at the hostess stand waiting for her to bring him back. He did not realize we were standing there when he looked with disgust at our table and then rolled his eyes severely annoyed before showing great surprise when he looked up at my bf standing in front of him. He was a dick! Besides him, good times
(3)Monica O.
Was with group of my girlfriends on Sunday afternoon and they had mention going to Top Shelf for Sunday lunch, I had never been and thought ok cool lets go, I love trying new places out! When we walked in there was no hostess to greet us, we were standing around for about 8 minutes, then someone walked out with a to go order for another customer, I thought well ok she was busy with that order, but maybe someone should have let us know that someone was coming to take care of us and not just ignoring us. Got to our table, our waitress was Cindy, oh what a snarky lady she was. Chips and salsa were brought to the table, being my 1st time their I didn't know you had to ask for the hot stuff, the salsa brought to the table tasted like Pace Picante sauce to me, just flavored tomato sauce, but that's because I like heat baby! So when I found out about the hot stuff, oh yea I was in heaven! It had great flavor and heat. We placed our order, I ordered the lunch special, the El Pollo Grande, chicken burrito with green sauce, beans, and added rice to it and came with sour cream. It was taking a while for the food to come out and we didn't mind, but our chips did get eaten and we asked for a refill and our lovey waitress told us Ladies, don't forget your food is still coming in a condescending tone, we were kinda shocked and didn't know how to respond that, we just said well bring on the chip and more salsa please. The burrito was perfect, it was a great blend of green chili and chicken, Food was good, service was snarky, if in the area might come back and give it another try.
(3)Bell J.
Very surprised at the low reviews. Food is very good and the service both times we have been there was exceptional.
(4)Jonathan M.
Since Yelp cuts off my reviews, be sure to read the full review here: bit.ly/h9pmFj [Excerpt Taken From Full Review] The Food: Ahh the food. Top Shelf has some pretty authentic, delicious Mexican food. I have ordered a number of things there - from an al a carte burrito, to the taco salad, a chimi, the plain chicken sandwich, to the mini-chimis. Everything we've ordered has come out to specification and has been quite delicious, but since this is a Mexican food restaurant, I think it's best to start with the chips and salsa. The chips and salsa at Top Shelf are pretty darn good. Not too chunky, not too runny, their corn chips are fried fresh and are usually served very hot. They also have a pretty tasty hot salsa available at no charge upon request. The best salsa I usually have consists of mixing the mild with the hot and coming up with my own concoction, but it's all pretty good - and being free makes it that much sweeter. For this visit, I had the shredded beef (machaca) burrito, al a carte. This actually sounds like a fairly lonesome order. A burrito arriving alone on a plate with only a few shreds of lettuce to keep it company...I can see how that might be misleading. But let's get something straight: This is not some Taco Bell burrito. This is a real burrito. This burrito weighs a good 2lbs and is stuffed full of spicy, delicious machaca beef. It's hot and juicy and each bite is overflowing with flavor. I usually jokingly refer to it as a "protein tube" because of all the beef in it. Top Shelf usually offers to prepare the burro in a number of ways including fundido style, with sour cream, deep fried (chimi style), but I usually just get it plain. I like it that way. My wife ordered the "mini chimi" platter. The MC platter can be ordered with either beef or chicken, but almost everyone I know, including my wife, usually gets the "half and half" style which combines 4 chicken and 4 beef. The MCs are delicious, but pretty standard. They are deep fried, smothered with cheese, tomatoes, and green onions, and served with beans and sour cream for dipping. Each bite is piping hot and goes well with the sauces, plain, or even with the salsa. I'd like to mention that Top Shelf does not charge extra for the beans and sour cream to dip in. That's important to note because another local Mexican food place (Manuel's) actually charged us $1.75 for a side of sour cream to dip our mini chimis in. This is usually "Ok" but we were never notified that ordering this sour cream came at nearly a $2 cost.
(4)Justin F.
Carol served me. I had a great experience. The chili reallno was the bomb and the Long Island was off the chain. Perfect service.
(5)Erick B.
Top Shelf has decent mexican food but they are a bit more expensive and don't offer the same value as say Garcia's. I have been there at least 3-5 times over the years and I have always left happy but I am about not having to spend too much money if I don't have to especially If I can get the same food and service ( Garcia's ) for a little cheaper. If you live in the area give Top Shelf a try. They have good food and service. They are just not my favorite.
(3)carl g.
Service was cool. Beer was icy. Sadly, the food left much to be desired. Ordered a carne asada burrito. The meat was horrible and chewy. I returned it and simply asked for one beef and one chicken taco. Beef taco was "ok". The chicken tasted like it was boiled, shredded and thrown i. Zero flavor. Service was good though. I gave up on the food, had one more cold beer and left.
(1)Carmelo W.
Decent food, we had very good service. I'd definitely come here again.
(4)Jessica S.
I love the food here. The salsa is pretty good too. My family and I go out to eat on Fridays so our daughter can hear the Mexican guy singing with his guitar. She loves it. I usually get the queso chimi as it's awesome.
(4)Vern G.
Tiffany never brought my water. I asked seven times. I was only here for karaoke.
(1)Cyndi K.
I went in for karaoke on two different nights, Friday had some interesting characters and was very entertaining. There were fewer people on Saturday, but it was still fun with my group of friends, and we were able to get through the rotation pretty quickly. On Saturday, I had the MLF margarita and shared an order of spinach artichoke dip. Both were good; I would order them again if I went back. Service at Top Shelf is terrible. Our waitress on Saturday told us there wasn't a drink menu, even though I ordered from one on Friday. She seemed genuinely confused by our requests for a pitcher of margaritas for the table, and brought two glasses for the four of us. Then, she had to consult with her manager to figure out what the pitcher options were. We waited about a half an hour for her to come back for my drink order, and walked past us several times. Finally, we literally had to yell at her to get her attention. When it came time for the tab, we planned ahead, knowing it could take 20 minutes for her to come back. Friday's service was slightly better, but not by much. On neither night was the bar area packed with people. I was happy with the value for my money; a 17 oz margarita was $6, I assume that at a bar, a small margarita would cost close to the same.
(3)Alicia M.
Finally good Mexican food. Loved the spicy salsa and skinny margaritas. My new go to for good burros
(4)Alex B.
Optimally I'd only rate it 3.5 stars, but our server was so friggin nice. We've come here about 5 times now in the last year. Usually when we get there the hostess, who's always different, seems either high or just totally spaced out. Unfortunately that sets the tone for how things are to pan out from then on. I can't tell if they want their servers to wear whatever they please, but there were two of them walking around half naked and the bus boy looked like he just got out of bed. As far as the service itself, Angelita was so nice. It was like being served by mom. Now we did have to wait a bit but no longer than 5 minutes. The food was good, but I also have to put it this way, it's Mexican food. If anyone has high expectations of Mexican then you're probably also writing critiques of Mcdonalds. Tortilla,cheese, meat... Taco, chimichanga, enchilada, burrito, taquito... slap some rice and beans on the side. I don't think I've had ever Mexican and been like, "WOW, HOLY CRAP THIS IS THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD I'VE EVER HAD!!!!" and I don't think I ever will. It's not like it's gourmet. Overall, I'd recommend this. I personally came out here from North Carolina and it really does remind me of a few of the Mexican restaurants I used to haunt.
(4)Kristi R.
We went to Top Shelf because we had a coupon from our Entertainment book for a buy one, get one free entree. When we got to the restaurant, we hung out in the waiting area for a few minutes before the hostess came to seat us, but we enjoyed looking at the fish tank while we waited. Our waitress was nice and kept our drinks filled and the food was pretty good, but maybe a little pricey for the portions. When the bill came, we gave the waitress our coupon. She brought back the bill and our kid's meal was the one given to us free. When we asked, she said she tried to give us the second adult entree as the free meal, but the manager wouldn't let her. She then had the manager come talk to us, but he wouldn't budge on the matter. I have never been to a restaurant that considers a kid's meal to be an entree. It seems this company is more concerned with making a couple bucks than good service that brings back return customers.
(2)Steve E.
Hadn't eaten at a Top Shelf for several years. Happened upon this one and I'm glad I did. Starting with the chips and salsa, they were both fresh and tasty. My waiter, Dave, was very helpful and quick. The food (chicken tacos with beans and rice) were also fresh and very good. Maybe not the best ever place for Mexican food, but it certainly is well above average. Good prices for the portions, too.
(4)Daren C.
Are you sure this is a chain? The staff is awesome the food is great. The prices are reasonable. Sounds like a mom n pop type place to me. I still am a fan of the Pollo Fundito... wife tried the shredded beef one and it was good but not as good as the chicken.
(4)laura b.
i like this restaurant for their lunch prices and atmosphere. the restaurant is decorated nicely, but i love the bar area. the bar area is separate and has alot of tables and booths and 2 walls of plasmas. it is not just a bar. it's a great place to sit and watch sports and have drinks and food. the full menu is offered in the bar area. so, if you want a full meal and/or drinks during any kind of sports game, the bar area is the place to sit. they offer an inexpensive lunch menu. i think it's around $6.50 for a large lunch. there's different options. you can also use the buy one get one free coupons that are in the entertainment book for the lunch specials making it really cheap. if you just want drinks, you can still get chips and salsa for free. i think the food is a good quality and is similar to macayos or garcias. good all around place. they are also building a large smokers patio with outdoor dining. it should be close to completion.
(4)Antiquity S.
The food is wonderful here. One of my top 10 favorite Mexican food restaurants. I highly recommend it. Chimis are awesome here. So are the margaritas!
(5)