El Tequila Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Faribault

El Tequila is one of my most favorite places to eat- authentic Mexican food. It's about 45 minutes from the cities, would I drive there to just eat there? Probably not, but if I happened to be in the area, I would definitely make my way there, even for take out.

The exterior is a dated orange building sitting on the side of Lyndale Ave amongst unkept tall grass, a little dilapidated but don't let that turn you away. Once inside you're greeted by familiar faces of the family that keeps the operation going, the smell of freshly cook tortilla chips and more orange walls reminiscent of a Hacienda, decorated with traditional art and pottery.

Once sat, complimentary chips and salsa are bought to the table. Pro-tip: ask for seconds. The salsa is made in house, a liquid salsa consistency married together with chunks of onions, cilantro and tomatoes creating this robust umami flavor of goodness! I have drank the salsa before, it's okay. On to the rest of the food, I highly recommend the Molcajete and Burrito de Asada. The Molcajete is for someone who can't decide on their protein (so why not, have it all?); it is a mix of chicken, beef, pork and shrimp comes out sizzling hot in a Molcajete served with rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream and tortilla. It's essentially a DIY burrito/taco/wrap- what could go wrong? Burrito de Asada is also served with rice, lettuce, salsa and sour cream; pro-trip: ask to "spice it up" for an extra kick or on the side if unsure about spicy levels.

The Faribault location is the better location so I've heard from those in the area. Highly recommend if you're in the area.

Photo cr. to parents- I'm always busy eating...

My husband and I drove 52 miles to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at El Tequila, It was super busy, which we knew it would be considering the date. Our wait was only about 20 minutes or so and then Alex apologized for the wait. Everyone is so welcoming. Warm tortilla chips and delicious homemade salsa accompanied our drinks before dinner. Great margaritas! Our food arrived very quickly. My hubby ordered the chimichanga, Hot, crispy and delicious with generous trimmings. I ordered my usual steak fajitas which never disappoint. A generous portion of tender and flavorful steak with perfectly cooked onions and green peppers (contrary to an earlier reviewer). With generous portions of guacamole, sour cream, fresh lettuce, refried beans and rice. El Tequila’s steak fajitas are my gold standard whenever I eat at any other Mexican restaurant. Even when the staff were as busy as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs, the service was top notch and the food hot and delicious. Great people making great food. You will not be...

I have loved this restaurant since the day before they opened. My family was their first customers and will always remain customers. Their food is so consistently) flavorful and the service is top notch! All the servers are bilingual and don't make you feel silly if you can't pronounce your order. They ALWAYS says thank you for the business, but in the most genuine manner. I love that they have warm, fresh chips and awesome salsa as an automatic starter, at no charge, even though I've gladly paid for jars of that salsa to take home. It's perfectly authentic without feeling foreign. I feel as though southern Minnesota won the jackpot in tex-mex cuisine with this place....