El Sombrero is a GR classic. In high school this place introduced me to the "dry burrito". Living in GR my whole life I didn't realize that the "wet burrito" was a midwest invention. So I thought the dry version was exotic. Being poor teenagers my friends and I would go here for their 2 for Tuesday by one get one dry burritos . I don't think they do the BOGO anymore, but they still have a deal on Tuesday. They are made to order and HUGE too. One should be enough for most average appetites. El Sombrero isn't very authentic, but they do have good food. It is the Americanized Mexican food type. It is way better than the Taco Bells of the world. They do make their own salsa which isn't so bad at all. A little watery, but it has some good flavor.
(4)
Chris K.
This place holds nostalgic feelings for me. I remember my mom and I coming here and getting Bubbas every Thursday. The ownership has changed hands since then, but the food has remained pretty much the same. Tuesdays and Thursdays if they do buy one burrito get one half off! My go to is the rice and meat dry burrito. It's not on the menu, so you have to ask for it special. They'll usually get it wrong when I order it, but I'm always happy with whatever burrito I order. I would be happy to give them a four star rating, but like I mentioned before, they usually mess up my order. other than that I would give the food a four star rating.
(3)
Libbie B.
I have to agree with the other Yelp reviews about this place. When my husband and I head downtown to El Sombrero for 'take out' tacos, enchiladas or burritos is more out of habit than quest for authentic Mexican cuisine. We like the hot sauce and chips. Guacamole is good, too. The food is predictable in a comforting kind of way. There just isn't a lot of 'fiesta' in the flavor. Sometimes at the end of the day that is exactly what we are looking for. Easy and predictable...Three stars for keeping it consistent.
(3)
Holly D.
Never has tamales, they mine as well take them off the menu! And their burritos have no flavor
(2)
Orson B.
I'm tormented by this place. I've been going here about once a week for the past five years, but I get sucked in by the dry burrito. They used to have a buy one get one free deal on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I think that ended in the past few days. What I dislike is the fact they charge 50 cents for a tiny little cup of sour cream! That's like McDonald's charging extra for ketchup for your French fries. It's so petty to do that and I get angry every time I agree to it, but that dry burrito is a drug. They might as well install pay toilets and charge for napkins with this logic. I also hate their drive through audio alert. It's shrill and deafening and utterly obnoxious. If an F5 tornado was about to blow Grand Rapids off the map, you'd never hear the air raid siren if someone was at the drive through. Their menu is also hard to figure out and I usually feel they've tricked me by running up the bill because I can't figure out how to read their chaotic menu. I think it's the most confusing menu I've ever seen at any of the 1,000+ restaurants I've been to. The only reason I come is they are quick and I love the dry burrito. However, if you want good Mexican food and have extra time, go to El Granjero, right down the street about a mile.
(2)
Catrice T.
El Sombrero is still one of my favorite places to get a beef wet burrito. Prices have increased a bit, however they give generous portions. Also, try the warm chips..they put a delicious seasoning on them.
(3)
Anna G.
This little Mexican restaurant has been around since I was a little girl. "If it's not broke, don't fix it." I think El Sombrero lives by this philosophy. Delicious, fresh ingredients are used for tostadas, tacos, burritos and more. A fair price for the quality of food. Simple dining area, fast and friendly service and one of the best wet burritos you will find in Grand Rapids! Definitely, worth the drive to the North West side of Grand Rapids!
(4)
Jason W.
I have driven by this small place for years now and never stopped in. I now know why I neglected it, because its garbage wrapped in styrofoam. I had a taco with beef, a small bag of chips (like 20 chips) and chicken chili (which was pretty good) but the bill was $9. What? The taco did absolutely nothing for me it was bland as they come. I think the hot sauce was tomato puree with some red pepper flakes thrown in. Overall a very forgettable experience. Other then the chili this place is in line with Taco Bell.
(2)
Carla C.
Yuck. Don't go. Well that is if you like your food to taste like real food. We had the fajitas and chips. Maybe that was the problem; I don't know. Chicken tastes like artificial rubbery stuff, sauce tastes like tomato sauce and chips were stale and tastes like there was I can't believe it's not butter sprayed on them. Tacos were a little better. I love mexican, but I will never go here again.
(1)
Rob S.
If you've tasted Taco Boy, you've tasted El Sombrero. After eating, my belly was flipping by the time I got to the car. It won't kill you (maybe) but there are better places to go.
(2)
Christian H.
This is tex-mex not authentic latino/mexican food. I tried this place with my friend who wanted to investigate some Mexican within walking distance of downtown. If it was snowing out I wouldn't have agreed to it, but during this pleasant weather that walk did some good. One arriving the place seemed pretty quaint and very much a local staple of the neighborhood. The wait staff was friendly, though during lunch time seemed like they could have used a little more help. I enjoyed the fact that this place looked very family run, I did not enjoy the fact that every time someone pulled up at the drive through window to place an order a near fire alarm sound would go off as if there was an air raid coming. The food wasn't bad. The beef was a bit dry and the chicken was pretty tasty. They seem to ration the toppings a bit (very few tomatos if any) but they seem to compensate by giving you what appears to be homemade hot sauce (tomato base). As stated the staff was very friendly and very busy. I would not oppose eating here again, but I wouldn't cut off 2 lanes of traffic to get there if you know what i mean?
(3)
Danielle J.
We used to love El Sombrero years ago. Every once in a while we would get a hankering for some non-Taco Bell Americanized Mexican food. The dry burritos haven't changed, we still enjoy these. However, they've changed their chips from what we considered "crack chips" with a bizarre but tasty buttery seasoning on them. They were light and crispy. Now they're hard and generic. They also used to make their own guacamole, but they've changed that too - pre packaged. It's such an obvious un-appealing flavor. Probably won't go out of our way to stop here anymore.
(2)
Staci R.
Went here today first time, only got a chicken taco and it was very nasty. I opened it up and noticed they use the cubed pre-cooked chicken in a bag..gross!! The sauce wasn't all that great to me either, somewhat bland and seemed like a canned sauce. What was my first experience will be my last..:(
(1)
Amy M.
I was heading to the East side of the state to spend some time with friends & they asked me to bring some burrito's from here. This was the 1st time I have eaten aanyhing from El Sombrero. They made the 3 burritos very quickly & when I told them I was heading out on a 2+ hour drive the girl was very helpful & offered to package items separately so that my lettuce & tomatoes would remain fresh when I re-heated the food. My friends were thrilled & after seeing all the items they have I can't wait to go back & try more! Tues is buy 1 get 1 free dry burrito day, will have to take advantage of that soon!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Has TV : No Waiter Service : 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.
Adam G.
El Sombrero is a GR classic. In high school this place introduced me to the "dry burrito". Living in GR my whole life I didn't realize that the "wet burrito" was a midwest invention. So I thought the dry version was exotic. Being poor teenagers my friends and I would go here for their 2 for Tuesday by one get one dry burritos . I don't think they do the BOGO anymore, but they still have a deal on Tuesday. They are made to order and HUGE too. One should be enough for most average appetites. El Sombrero isn't very authentic, but they do have good food. It is the Americanized Mexican food type. It is way better than the Taco Bells of the world. They do make their own salsa which isn't so bad at all. A little watery, but it has some good flavor.
(4)Chris K.
This place holds nostalgic feelings for me. I remember my mom and I coming here and getting Bubbas every Thursday. The ownership has changed hands since then, but the food has remained pretty much the same. Tuesdays and Thursdays if they do buy one burrito get one half off! My go to is the rice and meat dry burrito. It's not on the menu, so you have to ask for it special. They'll usually get it wrong when I order it, but I'm always happy with whatever burrito I order. I would be happy to give them a four star rating, but like I mentioned before, they usually mess up my order. other than that I would give the food a four star rating.
(3)Libbie B.
I have to agree with the other Yelp reviews about this place. When my husband and I head downtown to El Sombrero for 'take out' tacos, enchiladas or burritos is more out of habit than quest for authentic Mexican cuisine. We like the hot sauce and chips. Guacamole is good, too. The food is predictable in a comforting kind of way. There just isn't a lot of 'fiesta' in the flavor. Sometimes at the end of the day that is exactly what we are looking for. Easy and predictable...Three stars for keeping it consistent.
(3)Holly D.
Never has tamales, they mine as well take them off the menu! And their burritos have no flavor
(2)Orson B.
I'm tormented by this place. I've been going here about once a week for the past five years, but I get sucked in by the dry burrito. They used to have a buy one get one free deal on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I think that ended in the past few days. What I dislike is the fact they charge 50 cents for a tiny little cup of sour cream! That's like McDonald's charging extra for ketchup for your French fries. It's so petty to do that and I get angry every time I agree to it, but that dry burrito is a drug. They might as well install pay toilets and charge for napkins with this logic. I also hate their drive through audio alert. It's shrill and deafening and utterly obnoxious. If an F5 tornado was about to blow Grand Rapids off the map, you'd never hear the air raid siren if someone was at the drive through. Their menu is also hard to figure out and I usually feel they've tricked me by running up the bill because I can't figure out how to read their chaotic menu. I think it's the most confusing menu I've ever seen at any of the 1,000+ restaurants I've been to. The only reason I come is they are quick and I love the dry burrito. However, if you want good Mexican food and have extra time, go to El Granjero, right down the street about a mile.
(2)Catrice T.
El Sombrero is still one of my favorite places to get a beef wet burrito. Prices have increased a bit, however they give generous portions. Also, try the warm chips..they put a delicious seasoning on them.
(3)Anna G.
This little Mexican restaurant has been around since I was a little girl. "If it's not broke, don't fix it." I think El Sombrero lives by this philosophy. Delicious, fresh ingredients are used for tostadas, tacos, burritos and more. A fair price for the quality of food. Simple dining area, fast and friendly service and one of the best wet burritos you will find in Grand Rapids! Definitely, worth the drive to the North West side of Grand Rapids!
(4)Jason W.
I have driven by this small place for years now and never stopped in. I now know why I neglected it, because its garbage wrapped in styrofoam. I had a taco with beef, a small bag of chips (like 20 chips) and chicken chili (which was pretty good) but the bill was $9. What? The taco did absolutely nothing for me it was bland as they come. I think the hot sauce was tomato puree with some red pepper flakes thrown in. Overall a very forgettable experience. Other then the chili this place is in line with Taco Bell.
(2)Carla C.
Yuck. Don't go. Well that is if you like your food to taste like real food. We had the fajitas and chips. Maybe that was the problem; I don't know. Chicken tastes like artificial rubbery stuff, sauce tastes like tomato sauce and chips were stale and tastes like there was I can't believe it's not butter sprayed on them. Tacos were a little better. I love mexican, but I will never go here again.
(1)Rob S.
If you've tasted Taco Boy, you've tasted El Sombrero. After eating, my belly was flipping by the time I got to the car. It won't kill you (maybe) but there are better places to go.
(2)Christian H.
This is tex-mex not authentic latino/mexican food. I tried this place with my friend who wanted to investigate some Mexican within walking distance of downtown. If it was snowing out I wouldn't have agreed to it, but during this pleasant weather that walk did some good. One arriving the place seemed pretty quaint and very much a local staple of the neighborhood. The wait staff was friendly, though during lunch time seemed like they could have used a little more help. I enjoyed the fact that this place looked very family run, I did not enjoy the fact that every time someone pulled up at the drive through window to place an order a near fire alarm sound would go off as if there was an air raid coming. The food wasn't bad. The beef was a bit dry and the chicken was pretty tasty. They seem to ration the toppings a bit (very few tomatos if any) but they seem to compensate by giving you what appears to be homemade hot sauce (tomato base). As stated the staff was very friendly and very busy. I would not oppose eating here again, but I wouldn't cut off 2 lanes of traffic to get there if you know what i mean?
(3)Danielle J.
We used to love El Sombrero years ago. Every once in a while we would get a hankering for some non-Taco Bell Americanized Mexican food. The dry burritos haven't changed, we still enjoy these. However, they've changed their chips from what we considered "crack chips" with a bizarre but tasty buttery seasoning on them. They were light and crispy. Now they're hard and generic. They also used to make their own guacamole, but they've changed that too - pre packaged. It's such an obvious un-appealing flavor. Probably won't go out of our way to stop here anymore.
(2)Staci R.
Went here today first time, only got a chicken taco and it was very nasty. I opened it up and noticed they use the cubed pre-cooked chicken in a bag..gross!! The sauce wasn't all that great to me either, somewhat bland and seemed like a canned sauce. What was my first experience will be my last..:(
(1)Amy M.
I was heading to the East side of the state to spend some time with friends & they asked me to bring some burrito's from here. This was the 1st time I have eaten aanyhing from El Sombrero. They made the 3 burritos very quickly & when I told them I was heading out on a 2+ hour drive the girl was very helpful & offered to package items separately so that my lettuce & tomatoes would remain fresh when I re-heated the food. My friends were thrilled & after seeing all the items they have I can't wait to go back & try more! Tues is buy 1 get 1 free dry burrito day, will have to take advantage of that soon!
(3)