Absolutely disgusting. Cheapest, driest, most bland ingredients ever. I asked the waitress what was in the "el tenampa" burrito and she had no idea. Turns out the ingredients were dried out rice, refried beans, and dry chicken. The place is filthy and the menu had food all over it. I was starving and still couldn't finish my plate. I tried to make myself feel better about my experience at this dump by telling myself I just gave $10 to a bum.
(1)
Francisco G.
Did brunch here this morning, breakfast is served all day apparently. This is a Mex-American blend menu. Long breakfast menu is nearly all typical American, then at the bottom they list Mexican Breakfast # one, two and three (uno, dos y tres) . Might go Mexican next time, but today went with my usual ham omelet with home fries and rye toast plus coffee. Generous size and done just right at $7.49 before tip. Two American waitresses, recognized mine from the late St Pete Diner, a pleasant lady who reloaded my cup twice. Their decor is definitely different, with colorful Mexican sombreros hanging on one wall, while a wall-sized painting depicting a matador waving his red cape at a bull on another side. Statues of Native Americans scattered around. Plastic fruit clusters hang from the ceiling, along with vintage light fixtures. TV on Fox News 13, good choice. Large dining area with central group tables and booth tables along two walls. Cashier by front door with business card rack. Newspaper available to all. Good food and good service with a unique personality.
(4)
Danielle O.
I love el tenampa! They have home style Mexican breakfasts that are super cheap but taste great! They also have regular breakfast items as well. Large menu.
(5)
Marie L. H.
Ewwww never again !!! Hope they fix their food .I like to see businesses do well. but wanted to call some food network and send them one master chef like Ramsey to come in gut the place and help them with their menu .Its too late for me but save your self.Servers were sweet and attentive . I wont go back until I read they had an overhaul.
(1)
Daniel K.
This is an authentic Mexican restaurant, not a taco bell or a Casita Taqueria, it's not a cuban restaurant or puerto rican, this is a Mexican restaurant. I know that many Americans are not very culturally equipped...I know because I read your silly reviews and you have NO idea where you are or what is GOOD or BAD. Come here if you like good Mexican food, come here if you like nice people, come here to get educated!! :) Go ahead and try something different, you might be surprised if you just open your mind and shut your mouth. Fixing the world one slap at a time.
(4)
John N.
This restaurant must be a bit "bi-polar?" I've heard many locals rave about their breakfast here. But in the PM hours, this place claims to be a Mexican restaurant. So I happened to be in the area in the PM and stopped by to try their Mexican fare. It was bad.....really, really bad. It pains me to give a 1-star review here but their "Mexican" food totally deserved it. I just ordered 3 simple gringo, Tex-Mex tacos, meaning ground beef, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. I also ordered a side dish of refried beans. How can you mess that up? The taco meat was tasteless and seemed like just boiled, ground beef. The refried beans were even worse. They were lukewarm and tasted heavy of just stale cooking oil? It was almost like the cook here took a pot of yesterday's dried-out refried beans, and tried to bring them back to life with a heavy dose of stale oil? Gag-worthy! It had an aftertaste of old potato! Just one bite for me and never again. Simple "La Costena" brand canned refried's are far better! My 100% Anglo Mother regularly made better "Tex-Mex" food in the mid-1970's with just shelf-bought Ortega and Old El Paso products! Seriously... Please listen to the many praises of your breakfast menu and consider adapting? The Fates may be sending you a clear message? Ditch the half-hearted Tex-Mex fare and go FULL breakfast menu, all-the-time? It sounds like you have things half-right. I do wish you luck on the other 50%!
(1)
Jason K.
My office and I frequent this tiny hole in the wall Mexican restaurant. This is the type of place that if you drove by too quickly, you would miss it. El Tenampa is located in a run down strip center. The exterior and the interior are a little dated. The food is pretty good. I have sampled a few items off the menu. The menu is as varied as colors in the rainbow. Its not often that you find tacos, Philly cheese steaks, and eggs on the same menu! All of the food is above average, and all of it dirt cheap. I often chose the Cindy Lee, which is a full breakfast that includes 2 eggs, ham, home fries, and biscuits and gravy all for around $7-8. The portions are huge and i have never been able to finish the dang thing. Lastly, the service has always been friendly and knowledgeable reminiscent of the bygone diner era.
(3)
Amy S.
If I could I would give it zero stars. This place is just gross.
(1)
Bethany M.
Unique little spot that cant decide if it wants to be a Mexican restaurant or a breakfast diner. We snuck in 40 minutes before closing and decided to have lunch. I was pleased to find vegetarian chimichangas on the menu! A big one stuffed with veggies and heaping piles of tasty rice and refried beans (which Im not sure were vegetarian or not, forgot to ask) came out and it was pretty good! My husband and I agreed that we want to come back for breakfast.
(4)
Thomas W.
Short review: A Mexican Restaurant w/ a Greek Diner Menu To explain the above, I wanted Mexican but could have also ordered a burger, or spaghetti or some other random offerings. When I left, my attitude towards what we were just served was "meh." I see all the other reviews that mention breakfast and I guess I missed the best meal of the day because we had lunch. The complimentary basket of chips and salsa was just as you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant, nothing more, nothing less. The salsa itself was good, but we added a bit of hot sauce to kick it up. For starters the Nacho's con Carne (pictured) were just blah. A few store-bought chips with generic nacho cheese and ground beef flavored with packet seasoning that you buy at the grocery store. It was so obvious. What happened to the lettuce, shredded cheese, onions, etc that are so common on nachos? I've had better nachos at the movie theater. I ordered off of the a la carte Mexican menu and requested two tacos but with pork instead of beef or chicken (gotta always try the pork at a Spanish place). Admittedly, the taco's themselves were very good. The pork was chunked and covered with cilantro and onions on a homemade? corn tortilla (pictured). This was their saving grace to me. A "Mexican" place that can't make taco's is a waste of everyone's time. The refried beans and rice tasted and looked like they had been under a hot-lamp for hours. I was there with another adult and a child (6), we all had non-alcoholic drinks and the total was $24; not bad. Overall, I'd say, if you're not looking for anything too exciting and cheap, try it out. The service was very nice and accommodating and the atmosphere was kitschy, bordering on divey.
(3)
Sheila B.
El Tenampa is in my neighborhood, so I visit at least once or twice a month. It's unique because it has multiple personalities.. let me explain: they serve diner style breakfasts with great coffee, but they also serve 'real' Mexican breakfast dishes. My BF is from Mexico and when he craves Chorizo con Huevos with tortillas I can order up Chocolate Chip pancakes and we're both happy! They have the regular diner style lunches and a whole list of Tex-Mex and Mexican dishes. Hands down the best refried beans in St. Pete or Tampa. There's no way these beans ever saw the inside of a can... The service is always great. There was one surly waitress when we first started going there, but she got put out to pasture. Nice place, nice crowd for breakfast, but never a line or wait. Great prices. I think they are only open for dinner Thur-Sat till around 8. Other days they close about 2pm.
(4)
J M.
Went for lunch and the place wasn't very clean. Ordered chips and salsa and there was two fries in the basket and my beef enchilada was chewy meat. Will not return again, was not authentic mexican food at all.
(1)
Jay S.
This is a neighborhood meeting place! St Pete's finest (firetruck and cops) gathers here for breakfast. Typical egg and bacon place, own by a Mexican man who also make the best enchilada in town. This is no Ihop, more like your mothers dinning room. My server, I called her grandma, kept coffee coming..come see a happy breakfast place on weekends. Oh yes prices are very good, since St Pete pays there finest next to minimum, a place we can afford. I may had given up St Pete's secret, so please enjoy the place!
(4)
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Address :1800 16th St N
Saint Petersburg, FL, 33704
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Divey, Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Wesley B.
Absolutely disgusting. Cheapest, driest, most bland ingredients ever. I asked the waitress what was in the "el tenampa" burrito and she had no idea. Turns out the ingredients were dried out rice, refried beans, and dry chicken. The place is filthy and the menu had food all over it. I was starving and still couldn't finish my plate. I tried to make myself feel better about my experience at this dump by telling myself I just gave $10 to a bum.
(1)Francisco G.
Did brunch here this morning, breakfast is served all day apparently. This is a Mex-American blend menu. Long breakfast menu is nearly all typical American, then at the bottom they list Mexican Breakfast # one, two and three (uno, dos y tres) . Might go Mexican next time, but today went with my usual ham omelet with home fries and rye toast plus coffee. Generous size and done just right at $7.49 before tip. Two American waitresses, recognized mine from the late St Pete Diner, a pleasant lady who reloaded my cup twice. Their decor is definitely different, with colorful Mexican sombreros hanging on one wall, while a wall-sized painting depicting a matador waving his red cape at a bull on another side. Statues of Native Americans scattered around. Plastic fruit clusters hang from the ceiling, along with vintage light fixtures. TV on Fox News 13, good choice. Large dining area with central group tables and booth tables along two walls. Cashier by front door with business card rack. Newspaper available to all. Good food and good service with a unique personality.
(4)Danielle O.
I love el tenampa! They have home style Mexican breakfasts that are super cheap but taste great! They also have regular breakfast items as well. Large menu.
(5)Marie L. H.
Ewwww never again !!! Hope they fix their food .I like to see businesses do well. but wanted to call some food network and send them one master chef like Ramsey to come in gut the place and help them with their menu .Its too late for me but save your self.Servers were sweet and attentive . I wont go back until I read they had an overhaul.
(1)Daniel K.
This is an authentic Mexican restaurant, not a taco bell or a Casita Taqueria, it's not a cuban restaurant or puerto rican, this is a Mexican restaurant. I know that many Americans are not very culturally equipped...I know because I read your silly reviews and you have NO idea where you are or what is GOOD or BAD. Come here if you like good Mexican food, come here if you like nice people, come here to get educated!! :) Go ahead and try something different, you might be surprised if you just open your mind and shut your mouth. Fixing the world one slap at a time.
(4)John N.
This restaurant must be a bit "bi-polar?" I've heard many locals rave about their breakfast here. But in the PM hours, this place claims to be a Mexican restaurant. So I happened to be in the area in the PM and stopped by to try their Mexican fare. It was bad.....really, really bad. It pains me to give a 1-star review here but their "Mexican" food totally deserved it. I just ordered 3 simple gringo, Tex-Mex tacos, meaning ground beef, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. I also ordered a side dish of refried beans. How can you mess that up? The taco meat was tasteless and seemed like just boiled, ground beef. The refried beans were even worse. They were lukewarm and tasted heavy of just stale cooking oil? It was almost like the cook here took a pot of yesterday's dried-out refried beans, and tried to bring them back to life with a heavy dose of stale oil? Gag-worthy! It had an aftertaste of old potato! Just one bite for me and never again. Simple "La Costena" brand canned refried's are far better! My 100% Anglo Mother regularly made better "Tex-Mex" food in the mid-1970's with just shelf-bought Ortega and Old El Paso products! Seriously... Please listen to the many praises of your breakfast menu and consider adapting? The Fates may be sending you a clear message? Ditch the half-hearted Tex-Mex fare and go FULL breakfast menu, all-the-time? It sounds like you have things half-right. I do wish you luck on the other 50%!
(1)Jason K.
My office and I frequent this tiny hole in the wall Mexican restaurant. This is the type of place that if you drove by too quickly, you would miss it. El Tenampa is located in a run down strip center. The exterior and the interior are a little dated. The food is pretty good. I have sampled a few items off the menu. The menu is as varied as colors in the rainbow. Its not often that you find tacos, Philly cheese steaks, and eggs on the same menu! All of the food is above average, and all of it dirt cheap. I often chose the Cindy Lee, which is a full breakfast that includes 2 eggs, ham, home fries, and biscuits and gravy all for around $7-8. The portions are huge and i have never been able to finish the dang thing. Lastly, the service has always been friendly and knowledgeable reminiscent of the bygone diner era.
(3)Amy S.
If I could I would give it zero stars. This place is just gross.
(1)Bethany M.
Unique little spot that cant decide if it wants to be a Mexican restaurant or a breakfast diner. We snuck in 40 minutes before closing and decided to have lunch. I was pleased to find vegetarian chimichangas on the menu! A big one stuffed with veggies and heaping piles of tasty rice and refried beans (which Im not sure were vegetarian or not, forgot to ask) came out and it was pretty good! My husband and I agreed that we want to come back for breakfast.
(4)Thomas W.
Short review: A Mexican Restaurant w/ a Greek Diner Menu To explain the above, I wanted Mexican but could have also ordered a burger, or spaghetti or some other random offerings. When I left, my attitude towards what we were just served was "meh." I see all the other reviews that mention breakfast and I guess I missed the best meal of the day because we had lunch. The complimentary basket of chips and salsa was just as you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant, nothing more, nothing less. The salsa itself was good, but we added a bit of hot sauce to kick it up. For starters the Nacho's con Carne (pictured) were just blah. A few store-bought chips with generic nacho cheese and ground beef flavored with packet seasoning that you buy at the grocery store. It was so obvious. What happened to the lettuce, shredded cheese, onions, etc that are so common on nachos? I've had better nachos at the movie theater. I ordered off of the a la carte Mexican menu and requested two tacos but with pork instead of beef or chicken (gotta always try the pork at a Spanish place). Admittedly, the taco's themselves were very good. The pork was chunked and covered with cilantro and onions on a homemade? corn tortilla (pictured). This was their saving grace to me. A "Mexican" place that can't make taco's is a waste of everyone's time. The refried beans and rice tasted and looked like they had been under a hot-lamp for hours. I was there with another adult and a child (6), we all had non-alcoholic drinks and the total was $24; not bad. Overall, I'd say, if you're not looking for anything too exciting and cheap, try it out. The service was very nice and accommodating and the atmosphere was kitschy, bordering on divey.
(3)Sheila B.
El Tenampa is in my neighborhood, so I visit at least once or twice a month. It's unique because it has multiple personalities.. let me explain: they serve diner style breakfasts with great coffee, but they also serve 'real' Mexican breakfast dishes. My BF is from Mexico and when he craves Chorizo con Huevos with tortillas I can order up Chocolate Chip pancakes and we're both happy! They have the regular diner style lunches and a whole list of Tex-Mex and Mexican dishes. Hands down the best refried beans in St. Pete or Tampa. There's no way these beans ever saw the inside of a can... The service is always great. There was one surly waitress when we first started going there, but she got put out to pasture. Nice place, nice crowd for breakfast, but never a line or wait. Great prices. I think they are only open for dinner Thur-Sat till around 8. Other days they close about 2pm.
(4)J M.
Went for lunch and the place wasn't very clean. Ordered chips and salsa and there was two fries in the basket and my beef enchilada was chewy meat. Will not return again, was not authentic mexican food at all.
(1)Jay S.
This is a neighborhood meeting place! St Pete's finest (firetruck and cops) gathers here for breakfast. Typical egg and bacon place, own by a Mexican man who also make the best enchilada in town. This is no Ihop, more like your mothers dinning room. My server, I called her grandma, kept coffee coming..come see a happy breakfast place on weekends. Oh yes prices are very good, since St Pete pays there finest next to minimum, a place we can afford. I may had given up St Pete's secret, so please enjoy the place!
(4)