Taqueria El Jalapeño — Restaurant in Madison

We went on a Sunday at 11:30 pm and only about 5 tables were taken in the restaurant.

This was my first time here and came by recommendations on Madison foodie groups on Facebook and my nephews recommendations. Here is what I found.

Quick service. Seemed to be 5 waitstaff with very little customers it should be. Drink orders were taken right away and the chips and salsa were delivered immediately.

Loved the crisp fresh taste of the chips. Unusually do not like very runny salsa, but this salsa here had just the right amount of taste (heat) that made it taste very well. I still like Loredo’s salsa better, but this one was now my #2 salsa.

I chose the chimichanga by recommendation of my nephew who eats here a lot. In fact, he recommended about 6 things. As the picture shows, you get two six inch chimichanga’s with your choice of meat and I went with ground beef. The presentation was nice, the rice and beans were plentiful compliments for them, but it lacked any taste at all! It was quite bland to the point where the deep fried crust actually had more flavor than the meat inside.

With that, I ended up asking for another salsa and poured that on the chimichanga making it much better. I have never had meat with absolutely no taste.

My dining partners order a ground beef burrito and again, she stated it had no flavor at all and would not get it again. The other guest, my nephew order the steak burrito and said it was very good. Possibly different seasoning on the steak than ground beef?

One dining partner ordered the guacamole appetizer and it never arrived as the dinners were presented. She asked where it was and they apologized and quickly made it and brought it out.

The problem with the appetizer was that the chips were arranged in two rings ( circles) on a small plate. Between the circles they plopped down guacamole in a circle so that every chip got guacamole on them whether you liked it or not.

The problem with this presentation on such a small plate made it look like you received very little guacamole . Also, we were hoping the cooks wore gloves when arranging the chips in the circle pattern. A better way to present this would have been to have the guacamole in a dish and get a basket of chips. This is not that fancy of a place to arrange the chips on a plate.

The guacamole was flavorful and full of zest, it was just the presentation was something to be desired.

A few of the heating/air conditioning vents definitely need to be vacuumed clean. Be careful as you sit at a booth as they have a glass slab on the top of table that moves way too easily.

I would come back to try something else sometime to give this place another try. Hopefully I will get a more tasteful meal.

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Great family-owned restaurant that serves authentic Mexican food for a great price.

We went here on a whim because they were one of the few sit-down restaurants that serve food after 9pm. We were able to be seated immediately and served promptly.

The booths are HUGE and very comfortably fit 3-4 adults on each side. Each table/booth is unique with beautiful designs and bright colors (see photos).

They have a smaller menu but they do great with all the dishes offered. This menu specifically has the most traditional/authentic Mexican dishes of any of the restaurants in the area.

Their chips and salsa are delicious. You are served a mild red salsa with a bottle of spicy salsa to add if you so choose.

We ordered the Chicken Enchilada dinner and 3 tacos al a carte (pescado, camarón and al pastor) with a side of rice and beans.

The food was satiating and satisfying. My partner specifically could not stop raving about the al pastor taco. They said it was the best they've had and would get that next time we come.

If you want to save some money, bring cash because they charge a $1 fee for using credit/debit cards.

There are not many options for vegtarians on the menu so I would not recommend this restaurant if you require those dietary needs.

There is plenty of parking in the free parking lot outside the restaurant. They also have a great...

I intentionally ordered the things on the menu that are not found at your average Mexican restaurant and was not disappointed with the quality and tastiness of their tacos. I got four types: cabeza (beef head meat, mostly cheek), tripas dorados (fried intestines), buche (pork stomach), and saudero (thinly sliced meat -pork belly in this case, I think). They're served double wrapped in a soft corn tortilla with diced onions and cilantro. I added a drizzle of Chile de arbol salsa and a squeeze of lime. The tripas dorados was honestly the best of four great tacos. Lightly crisp, a little salty (in a good way) with no off-putting aroma or funkiness. I finished it in the bites. All of the other cuts were braised until tender and flavorful. Chips came before the meal and nice, simple, tomato, onion, and cilantro. The guacamole was fresh and tasty as well. The kids cleared their plates (chicken tacos) which is not typical, so they definitely enjoyed it. Plenty of vegetarian options, but might be a little tougher to find vegan friendly choices. Service was quick and friendly, but you need to go to the register to settle up after you're done. I've been here several times before and always had great meals. Highly recommend Taqueria El Jalapeno for a casual family dinner with options for the adventurous and the not so...