El Jacal Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Phoenix

Basics: Food was displeasing, service was terrible, completely short-staffed and pricing was entirely different from their website. I visited restaurant with two colleagues based on other reviews indicating this would be a good experience. We quickly recognized they were short staffed. One hostess who was also the only waitress. We sat and ordered our food despite our great dismay with the menu pricing, as their website was indicative of lesser pricing. $9.49 for chilaquiles on website was really $12.49. Tacos were $3.49 instead of $2.75, Horchata was $4.75 instead of $2.75. Chilaquiles choice was only red as they had no green salsa. Service was so slow we ran out of time for lunch and asked for our order to be prepared to-go. 3 other tables walked in and we watched them be served chips & salsa while we received NONE during nearly 45 minute wait time. We received our packaged food order and realized there were several missing toppings in the taco order and only one tiny container of sour cream (gor an extra charge of $1.50) for 4 tacos. The eggs on chilaquiles were over cooked when specified sunny-side up. The red salsa was runny and flavorless as well. The torta order came with no hot sauce and when asked for some, waitress asked what kind? Really? They had no green salsa hence red chilaquiles. The entire experience left me highly disconcerted as I was the one who picked this particular restaurant. We were ALL highly disappointed and dissatisfied with this location. This restaurant is in no way indicative of it's website, please do...

I visited this spot with my family for breakfast, craving some delicious chilaquiles. The ambiance was perfect for a family get-together, creating a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. Upon arrival, we were promptly greeted and told we could sit anywhere, which made the experience feel very laid-back. The customer service was outstanding—everyone was attentive, ensuring we had everything we needed. Our server frequently checked in, making sure we had no questions about the menu and offering refills on our water without us having to ask.

When the food arrived, the presentation was good, but unfortunately, the chilaquiles didn't meet expectations. They were a bit soggy for my taste, as I prefer mine on the crispier side. The potatoes were slightly cold and lacked seasoning, which could have elevated the dish. I chose to pair my chilaquiles with tinga, but the flavor was underwhelming—it didn’t have the depth or authenticity I was hoping for, and it didn’t taste like traditional tinga. As for the carne asada, the flavor was solid, but some parts were overcooked, which affected the overall experience.

Overall, while the service and ambiance were fantastic, the food didn’t quite live up to what I had hoped for, especially when it came to the chilaquiles...

I found this place online, looking for menudo. The place is really small, but clean. There were 2 tables with people and myself. The waitress took a while to come take my order. I started with a taco el pastor, and the corn tortilla was thin and broke while eating the taco. It could have been cooked on the grill a little more. The meat was large cuts of meat, and not freshly sliced from a trompo. It was dry. I also had a small side of beans that were pricey for the small amount. The waitress never came back to fill up my drink at all during the entire meal.

I then looked thru the menu and decided on a bowl of red Menudo. It came with tortillas, and onion, lime and cilantro to add. I must say it was very delicious, and on the salty side but tasty!! I would definitely come back for the menudo as a high recommendation. I can tell this is a popular breakfast on weekends, with lots of good items on the menu including pozole and menudo. I gave a 4 star review based on service and the el pastor. Hopefully I can raise it to a 5 on my next visit. Yes, i will be back...