El Compadre Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Magnolia

This review is based on my only experience at this restaurant so far. Not a bad place to eat, just not outstanding either. Decent food, ok service. I have definitely been to worse places than this.

We tried this restaurant for the first time today. We ordered Queso Fundido for the appetizer and beef fajitas for the entree. The chips and salsa was good. The place wasn't packed, but wasn't empty either. I think we were the 8th table/booth when we sat down. The queso fundido wasn't bad. Pretty oily, but had a decent flavor. It came on a sizzling plate like fajitas typically do, along with a pack of three flour tortillas. I still prefer queso over refried beans as an appetizer but it was something to try.

The fajitas were ok. The meat was tender and I'm pretty sure it wasn't skirt steak. It had a more sirloin steak-like texture than skirt steak fajita meat normally has. The plate came out on a typical cast iron skillet on top of a wooden holder. But the meat and vegetables didn't have any char on them. That crisp outside to the meat and veggies makes fajitas what they are, in my opinion. Unlike the queso fundido, neither of our orders of beef fajitas arrived on a sizzling plate. They weren't cold or anything, it just was not what I'm used to getting at a restaurant. They tasted good though. Different without the char, but good.

Our service was very good in the beginning with drink refills and taking our orders. The waiter was polite and accommodating. For some reason we only saw him one more time after the entrees were brought out. We both ran out of drinks well before we were done eating. We could have used a refill and some additional napkins. Fajitas require more than one napkin each. I think the guy had to transition to doing other restaurant business instead of waiting on us. Understandable, but kind of a bummer for us.

All in all it was a positive experience with good food and the service tapering off to be a little short. The pricing was reasonable as well. We didn't get a ticket at the table and eventually decided to just walk to the front to pay. If you haven't eaten here it's a good place...

Ugh, where do I even begin with this disastrous experience at what I can only assume is a culinary black hole masquerading as a restaurant? We specifically ordered vegan dishes, and what arrived at our table? Beef. Actual, undeniably beef. It's like they actively went out of their way to ignore our dietary restrictions, which isn't just inconvenient, it's frankly insulting. And the service? Don't even get me started. Our server seemed utterly disinterested in our existence, let alone our order. Getting their attention was an Olympic sport, and when we finally managed to point out the egregious error with our food, we were met with a shrug that could curdle milk. No apology, no urgency, just a blank stare. To top it all off, the entire atmosphere felt dingy and unwelcoming. It's hard to enjoy a meal (even if it were the correct one) when you feel like you're dining in a poorly lit storage closet. Honestly, this was one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. If you have any dietary restrictions, or if you simply value being treated with a modicum of respect, steer clear of this place. You'd be better off eating a microwave dinner in the comfort of your own home. Zero stars just isn't an option, unfortunately. Consider this a resounding thumbs down and a strong recommendation to take your money and your...

This place was wonderful. I was in Magnolia to see family and El Compadre was across the street from my hotel. I went in not expecting much, as restaurants seem to be nothing but a disappointment these days, but I was pleasantly surprised! We loved it so much we ate here both nights we were in town. The service was some of the best I've had in awhile. The portion sizes were very generous. Pricing was fair. I feel like most places these days barely give you what you pay for, but not here. We had chili rellenos, tacos, cheese dip, fajitas, rice, beans, etc. Also got some tacos to bring back to the hotel. It was all really wonderful. The service was extremely attentive. I have no desire to find another place to eat. Anytime I'm in Magnolia, this will be my place. I highly recommend you...