El Gordo Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Paradise Valley

After several visits (at least five), it’s clear this new location has serious problems. Cleanliness is the biggest issue—tables are constantly dirty, the salsa bar is always a mess, and flies are everywhere. Today, there was moldy lettuce in our tacos and stuff floating in my water, likely from the ice machine.

The Higley location—literally in the back of a gas station—is excellent. It’s clean, consistent, and reliable. This new spot is only a few months old, and it already feels neglected and poorly run by comparison.

The service here is rough. One time, the person helping us didn’t know the specials—I had to go outside and point to the sign. It usually takes several tries to get the order right, and communication can be frustrating. The tacos are even served differently here, with cheese and lettuce just dumped on top instead of inside, making them messier and harder to eat.

Another big red flag: I’ve never seen the same staff twice. It’s always someone new. That kind of turnover shows, especially in how disorganized things are. We even watched employees walk in and out while on their phones, handling money and food without washing their hands.

The green salsa was so oily and off that we said something—and the staff admitted they knew it wasn’t right but left it out anyway. That’s not just lazy, it’s dangerous.

The final straw: my wife and I both got sick after eating here. We’ll be filing a formal complaint with Maricopa County Health Department for improper food handling and food safety violations.

This place could be great, like their other locations—but until they clean it up and get consistent, it's not...

I got hooked on el Gordo based on finding the Mesa location and going there on a weekly basis. I then discovered this location which is a shorter drive and have tried it several times. This location unfortunately does not compare and needs some improvements. When the food is good, it’s great! But the food is so inconsistent. I went tonight and the green salsa was prepared improperly and was completely split and oily. We mentioned it to the staff and they knew there was an issue, but still left it out in the salsa bar. The tacos were also not prepared correctly. They were undercooked resulting in a chewing and unpleasant taste and texture. Inedible just as the salsa was. We also ordered a drink from the fridge and it was warm when we got it.

Aside from the food, this location is always dirty. The floor are never swept, tables are also was dirty, and even the trash bins have food all over the front despite the fact that there usually aren’t many people in there so not sure what staff is doing.

I write this in hopes that they can make some improvements because I think it could be just as good as the Mesa location which is amazing! I will not be visiting this location again due to the unreliability in food and lack of cleanliness in...

First time trying this place, went to Via De Ventura location in Scottsdale. The cashier was nice , I paid $12 + a $2 tip for an Arizona burrito. The description sounded like it was going to be a huge filling burrito, I was super hungry and pissed because It was the skinniest smallest $14 burrito that I have ever ordered!! I felt ripped off and wanted my money back. The meat was diced way too small and all the pico and onions were at the bottom in one spot, what kind of Mexican doesn’t know how to make a proper burrito ??!! It’s no differ than Filiberto’s , will never go there again ! They’re Over priced and the food sucks!! If you want real tacos that taste way better tacos chiwas is way better and you get what...