Macarios Grill — Restaurant in Indio

I can go here and eat just the chips and salsa all night, every night. Our family used to be a big fan of LA Piñatas, RIP, and their chips and salsa taste identical! They have yummy mole enchiladas 😋!!! Waiters are also awesome!

UPDATE My initial review stands for that time period which I wrote it for. I still enjoy the food, especially the chicken Ricardo burrito. Unfortunately, there are some aspects of eating here that become tiresome to put up with. First and foremost inconsistencies with quality control. Various bowls and cups are used for meals that do not remain consistent in size from visit to visit. The drinking cups are also different in size, with sometimes a difference of 2 ounces. In addition, I've gotten double side of beans on my plate that has been served in two seperate cups, and sometimes in a large boat bowl. Again, you'll get more beans from the two cups serving option than the boat.

The issue we dealt with tonight with our sever was plain petty. The environment was clean and not a busy night.

This restaurant charges for refills after two free refills, no other Mexican restaurant we visit in the valley does so. Tonight my father's two cups of soda were so full of ice, because the waiter didn't give my dad the time to state he wanted no ice in his second refill. At the conclusion of dinner he combined both cups of ice left from his two drinks and it filled an entire cup. When my mom asked for no ice in her soda the waiter brought a small water cup with soda, which was clearly smaller in size, instead of refilling the cup she had with only soda as asked.

When the food came out my dad's a la cart beans on the plate were under served, unlike past experiences where the beans were fully served across the plate. When my father made the waiter aware of the beans, he chose to begin to fix it by picking up the plate to take it back. But, then stopped handed it back to my dad and rebutted that the serving of beans was the same because it was one single ladel/spoon that they serve for the a la cart beans. So, even if he had taken it back it would come back the same.

Which brings me to my final point, the waiters often have no problem arguing with their customers. My initial review just doesnt hold up in this aspect. Through out our last two years dining here, loyally might I add, we've had inconsistant service that spans from wonderful to poor, such as tonight. As a customer, who comes and drops $80 to $100 on average 3 to 6 times a month when is this type of service no longer worth it? They often will even get fed up with us and ignore us, so drinks go unfilled altogether. Tonight, I never even had my ice tea refilled a second time because the waiter was clearly irritated by our requests, so he would walk past our table without looking in our direction and just disappear.

When you nickel and dime customers for something like a third soda refill, from a customer perspective would you not want to make your two free refills worth it by asking for the second without ice? Also quality control is needed to properly execute such charging practices. Use the same drinking cups all of the time and choose what side of bowls to use for a double side, so customers can't complain about being under and over served across various visits. I dont go to starbucks and order a grande, but depending on the server luck out and occasionally get a venti. Then when we as customers request to fix the issue are viewed as the problem. Other baffeling costs include, a side of sour cream, which is in a dipping sauce container $3-4. Side of lettuce $1.50. Lastly, on average prices here are $3 to 4 more dollars a plate than other Mexican restaurants.

The issues tonight had an easy fix, but the waiter made the decision not to. As though his pocket would be directly affected from serving a regular glass of soda without ice and 4 more table...

This place was busy, and it looked fun. We walked in to see live guitar, and we're thinking we made a good choice. Then we couldn't be seated in the area with the guitar even though there were several open tables that remained open throughout our stay. The hostess told me there wasn't a server for those tables.

We ended up getting seated in the bar area at a drafty table. Our server was not prompt, but when we asked why we couldn't sit in the room with the music she was very accommodating and moved us to one of the vacant tables. Then she came back, apologized, and said we had to move back into the other room because this table was reserved. We moved, but nobody ever sat at that table while we were there, and it was definitely not the quickest Mexican restaurant I have been to. And I love Mexican food, and my home town is full of Mexican restaurants.

We got our margaritas, and they were tasty and also served in a really cool glass. Things were looking up. The waitress even brought us some guacamole for making us sit in the drafty corner while there were at least three empty tables in the room with the guitar player.

It took a while longer than I'm accustomed to for the food to arrive, and after the server dropped my food off she never returned to our table. This was unfortunate because my chicken mole was very lackluster. Basically a scoop of steamed shredded chicken with sauce poured on top. I've been eating chicken mole for thirty years, and this was disappointing. My wife's pork was crispy and tasty, but I didn't eat mine. Finally i flagged down a staff member to get my server.

He must've been the owner, because he was kind of rude. When he asked if everything was okay i told him i did not like my plate. He then had the audacity to ask why i waited so long to say anything. I told him that my server never returned after dropping it off, which was true. Then she came back and was full of excuses but at that point everything was over and we were ready to leave.

Great atmosphere here, but between the seating, the food and the service I wouldn't risk eating here. I've worked in restaurants as a host, cashier, server, and bartender at small family joints and large corporate operations so I know how it works. My experience shouldn't have ended in disappointment as there were numerous opportunities for things to work out. I am left with the impression that these folks don't understand...

If you’re looking for a local gem with flavor, energy, and heart—Macario’s Bar and Grill in Indio is it!

We stopped by on a Monday and were blown away by the buffet featuring handmade tortillas and some of the best menudo I’ve ever had. Perfect for kicking off the week! They also offer incredible daily summer specials like mole enchiladas and the steak and shrimp molcajete—flavor-packed and beautifully presented.

Don’t miss their daily happy hour from 1–6pm, located inside the vibrant Macario’s Grill Cantina. With 7 TVs, it’s the perfect spot to catch a game while enjoying breaded fish tacos, stuffed shrimp, octopus chiles güeritos, or the insanely good carnitas burger and fries. Whether you’re grabbing a beer with friends or bringing a date, the vibe is dynamic and welcoming.

Planning an event? Their banquet room seats up to 60 people and even has a TV for meetings or watching the big game—perfect for family gatherings or private parties.

To top it all off, they had live music the night we visited, which made the evening feel extra special. Huge shoutout to our bartender Chris, who was friendly, attentive, and made the experience even better.

Can’t wait to go...