El Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Mankato

I've been eating at El Mazatlan since I was old enough to eat solid food. It consistently remains to be the best tasting Mexican food I've ever had in the State of Minnesota, and I've tried nearly every Mexican restaurant I can find. Usually, when I eat at Mazatlan, I try to pick a new dish I haven't had before, but the absolute best dish I've had is the "Pollo Norteño" (English: Northern Chicken) which is comprised of 2 perfectly seasoned and cooked chicken breasts, topped with queso blanco, pineapple slices, and shrimp. And of course, it comes with a plate of rice, lettuce, beans, and tortillas so you can make your own tacos out of it.

I've heard complaints about people waiting a long time for their food, and I can't agree with those. Even when it's an incredibly busy Friday and the place is packed, the servers still somehow manage to get you your food in under 20 minutes, which is nothing short of astonishing and bewildering.

I also always get the horchata. For a while, the horchata had free refills, which just added to the top of the long list of reasons why El Mazatlan is the best Mexican restaurant in Minnesota, but I cannot recall if the refills were free last time I went. Perfectly understandable if they aren't anymore! The horchata is a perfect blend of creamy, cinnamon deliciousness and pairs perfectly with any Mexican dish.

The weakest dish El Mazatlan has is likely their enchiladas. The enchiladas are not bad in any way, but when you have a fine selection of Mexican dishes, the enchiladas just seem like a poor choice, being that they have a soft and delicious exterior with a somewhat bland interior. If you REALLY like enchiladas, then they're perfect! But I highly recommend choosing one of the countless fantastic dishes, sure to make you feel like you're in the heart of Mexico being pampered by the...

Wow! Great experience this evening! So I travel a ton and love Mexican cuisine - especially chili verde. Well, tonight, I'm sitting in my hotel thinking about dinner, and I randomly picked out this place called El Mazatlan. I'm so glad I did! Even though they were really busy, I was greeted and welcomed at the door and immediately given a seat. I started off with the tortilla soup. It was wonderful and served with freshly sliced avocado, hot out of the frier tortilla strips, and a lime wedge. What a great treat! It was sooo tasty. Then I got my chili verde. I thought most chili verdes were basically the same. Boy, was I wrong. This was by far the best chili verde I've ever tried. There was a perfect tangyness to the verde sauce that I'd never experienced before. Let's just say that even though I was full, I couldn't stop eating. As it turns out, I'm taking some home on my shirt...Oops. Oh well. If the food wasn't enough, the service was top-notch. This was definitely not what I was expecting - I'm so happy I found this gem. In Mankato, Minnesota, of all places, I found my favorite Mexican restaurant. I hate I have to leave tomorrow, but I hope my work brings me back soon. Whatever you guys are doing, please keep it up! Thanks for a stellar evening and...

I'm writing this review immediately after visiting it. I am angry. Food was good. The company that I had was good. The service was subpar. We arrived inbetween lunch and supper rush and it wasn't very busy. I believe we got the bartender as a waiter because of it. Initially service was good. After our meal arrived and Maztlan became busy, our waiter / bartender disappeared. It took forever to get our check. I had planned to pay in cash. My friend had planned to pay with card. We had both our checks out in plain site. No one took them. A table near us with a waiter got their check after us, paid and left before us. We had to ask a passing waiter to help. He took both checks without asking did I want change as should be expected. Never assume the tip. My friend got his receipt back to sign, no one acknowledged me. I asked for the manager. The manager seemed to be sympathetic and reassured me they would talk to the waiter. Not entirely certain she understood the complete story. Go their to expect good food. Be on guard to ensure you waiter or waitress provides service.

Update: Maztlan took my review serious. I have since returned and I was happy with the food...