El Nopal Mexican Restaurant, Crittenden Dr — Restaurant in Louisville

If I could give no stars I would! We stopped by to have a few margaritas and was surprised how we were treated. We recently visited El Nopal on Crittenden Drive with high hopes for an enjoyable margarita and chips, but unfortunately, that was not the case. As a fine dining server myself, I was appalled by the unprofessionalism displayed by the bartender.

The bartender's demeanor was not only rude but also included offensive comments muttered under his breath, which were particularly disturbing given their racial nature. It became evident that he was unaware that I could understand Spanish, as he made inappropriate remarks about myself and my companions.

To add to the disappointment, the bartender neglected to provide basic service, failing to return for refills and chips. When questioned, he asserted that he only caters to those who tip. Why were we stereotyped off the bat??? Excuse me but tipping is meant to be a gesture of appreciation for good service, not a prerequisite!!! What service did he provide to earn a tip?? Oh, maybe when he slammed the drinks in front of us with disgust. That earned a tip.

Upon addressing the issue with the manager, I was met with a passive response. The lack of a proactive approach in addressing such behavior was disheartening, and it reflected poorly on the establishment as a whole.

It is sad to witness such poor staff conduct and service in a place where patrons are expected to feel welcomed and valued. The overall atmosphere and treatment we experienced may explain why the restaurant appeared noticeably empty during our visit.

In a city with numerous dining options, I would strongly advise considering alternatives to El Nopal on Crittenden Drive. Discrimination and disrespectful behavior have no place in any establishment, and it is my hope that sharing this experience will encourage positive change within the restaurant.

Potential patrons of color should be aware of the issues I encountered before deciding where to spend their money. I also plan to share this review on other platforms to ensure that others are informed about the unprofessionalism displayed during my visit. I sincerely hope that El Nopal takes steps to address these concerns and works towards creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment for...

The food is a lot, my plan was to eat dinner tonight and have enough for lunch tomorrow. There is enough for that…but I’ll need to really season it up though, there was hardly any spices or seasonings used. The refried beans were flat and bland and the Mexican style rice had no taste, and some of it was dry and crunchy.

The taste of the well seasoned griddle/grill they must have kind of made up for it-there’s nothing like a well seasoned cooking surface.

But there wasn’t even salt and pepper on the tables, just two bottles of hot sauce. I didn’t bother asking for them because my food didn’t need salt and pepper, it needed more Mexican spices and seasonings.

The server was kind, and attentive. And did a good job.

But here’s what happened that caused me to only give three stars: I placed my bill on top of my to go box, placed my HALF finished drink on the other side of it-between my box and the napkin dispenser-along with my glass of FRESH ice water he had JUST brought me seconds before because I asked for it, put my dirty dishes in a neat pile at the edge of the table, and got up and went to the bathroom. It was a LONG way back there too. 🙄 When I got back no less than 5 mins later, the table was clean and all that was left was my to go box and the check.

I paid an UNREASONABLE $10 for that little 16 oz glass that was more ice than drink, and I only drank half of it, I was coming back to enjoy the other half-because it was a really good Mojito-and relax a little before checking into my hotel.

I said, “I wasn’t done with my drink!” No one offered me a discount, no one offered another small drink (because I did drink half of the one I had and was going to finish). No. Just add up my bill and charge me full price for the drink I wasn’t given the opportunity to finish.

They just poured MY MONEY down the drain just because I got up to use the restroom.

Here’s my suggestion-Make it a policy to NOT CLEAN THE TABLE if the check is still sitting on it.

Side note: While I was in the restroom I had decided to enjoy an order Sopapilla for dessert while I FINISHED MY DRINK. But nope, that didn’t happen, because I’m not going to give these people any more...

The entrance to this location is very confusing as it shares a front entrance with an italian restaurant. There is no clear signage for El Nopal. The italian restaurant employees pointed out where to go. There was no problem being seated we were there for a late lunch. To begin with, their menu takes forever to look at. It's about five pages long, running front to back. It's impossible to see it all. Our waiter was friendly and made sure we had everything. When they brought our chip's and salsa the salsa was in little plastic bottles. We had to dump into tiny bowls. Could not figure out the point of that. Our food came fast and was blazing hot. More like a hot mess! It was truly disgusting. I had all beef enchilada, burrito and a tostada. The whole plate was swimming in sauce. Heaping portions of greasy ground beef. I never saw the bottom of my tostada, it just disintegrated into mush, like the rest of the plate. I won't...