El Mariachi Mexican Grill & Bar — Restaurant in Ionia

I wanted to try El Mariachi since their move to Main Street recently. I initially went early on a Friday afternoon (I got out of work early that day) and I was seated and told I would have a 90 minute wait for food. I couldn’t wait and had to leave as I had an appointment later on. I went back early this Saturday afternoon, was seated right away and had a very reasonable wait for service and food. I ordered the Fiesta Nachos with Al Pastor (marinated pork) for $12.49. I was brought a large plate with wonderfully presented nachos. The Al Pastor was very good, but the tortilla chips were commercially made and not homemade, which was highly disappointing, especially for that price. The other 3 nacho selections on the menu advertised “our homemade chips,” so I assumed my nachos would also have homemade chips but they were not (nor were the free chips they served with salsa as an appetizer after you’re seated). I ate a good portion of the nachos but was too full to finish and was provided a to-go container and a small container of salsa to take with it. I also ordered a Gordita a la carte to go ($3.75), filled with beans cheese and your choice of meat (I chose barbacoa - marinated shredded beef) to eat later for supper with my leftover nachos (I haven’t eaten that yet). I don’t remember my server’s name but she was excellent and highly personable (I tipped her over 20%)!!! I look forward to going again. I think I’ll order the barbacoa chimichanga next time ($11.99), although my server highly recommended the Carne Asada plate (#1 under Platillos, for $13.99). I think I’ll stay clear of ordering the nachos again unless/until they switch to homemade chips, which I highly recommend they do, or change their menus to reflect their use of commercially made chips, which is why I only gave...

Decided to try for the first time and I must say we should have just went to taco bell. The drinks we ordered were salty Kool aid and not made right. Ordered a burrito with sauted onions, wife had the Carne asada, daughter the chicken fajita, and son a taco. let me just say what in the actual hell. the burrito was Diablo fire and not supposed to be. the onions and everything not sauted and raw and took a bite and spit it out. my wifes Carne had no flavor and the rice looked twice heated in a microwave. my son's poor taco was a shell on a plate with taco bell meat and a sprinkle of cheese. daughters quesadilla was all cheese and grease with the fajita chicken that tasted like the meat you get at meijers in the bag. should have taken pictures as no one would believe this. I advise to make other plans if you even get the idea to try it. never have I ever experienced this poor quality, poor effort. The lack of care or concern on the food brought out or cooked is extremely alarming. Also we paid full price for all of this and I gave a $12 tip as it wasn't the poor girls fault. $90 for the tab and the food was left on the table. so no. not looking for handouts or money off the bill. we paid the full tab and just want it to be known you should be ashamed of yourself and I hope things change because this place will end up...

Me and my mother decided to treat ourselves to take-out from this restaurant today, we spent 31 bucks on this food to treat ourselves even though we had a limited budget to begin with. Now let me tell you, I ordered Carne Asada with a side of beans and rice, and what I got was not worth more than maybe 5 bucks. A tiny overdone steak so tough I had to use scissors to cut it up, and the scissors couldn’t even cut through some parts, it was so tough I was left chewing for minutes just trying to get through the bite I had taken.

14 bucks for a thin little steak and 4 small corn tortillas, you could find better value just buying oven ready tacos at Walmart, or some chimichangas.

For the past hour I’ve been exclaiming in outrage “31 bucks?!?!” in pure disbelief over how much we’d paid for such mediocre food. For 31 bucks we could’ve gotten a huge delicious 18 inch pizza and breadsticks, or an absolute bucketload of food from Taco Bell that would’ve tasted 10x better than anything I just ate.

My mother was happy with her food though so I’ll give it a 2, despite the proportions...