El Jalisco Seminole Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Seminole

Friends invited us to join them for lunch yesterday. Lucky us! We were told that this location was previously a Perkins - what a fantastic transformation. Ample seating, nice size bar with friendly, knowledgeable and professional staff.

We started with the 2 for 1 margaritas that El Jalisco is famous for. I ordered the house margarita but there is a wide variety of top shelf margaritas to choose from. Delicious. There is also a wide variety of Mexican draft beers (2 for 1) - something for everyone.

We started with chips & salsa. Our friends ordered verde and guacamole to nibble (well, maybe we didn't nibble) on too while we decided what to order from the expansive lunch menu.

My guy decided on the LSP 1 Fajitas with steak (choice of steak, chicken or shrimp) and said it was the best he ever had. In addition to the peppers and onions, there was mushrooms and squash to make your fajita.

My friend ordered a LSP 26 Enchiladas: 2 Enchiladas (beef or chicken) served with rice and beans. She the ordered the beef and raved how tender and tasty they were.

My other friend ordered the LSP 5 - Chile relleno and a taco served with rice and beans. He decided on the beef and requested Mexican brown gravy on the side. He said the batter was thicker and the poblano was flatter than usual but that he still enjoyed it.

I also opted for the Chile rellano with a chicken taco. My Chile relleno was with cheese (by request) and absolutely tasty. I too thought that the batter was thick, maybe a bit too much, but no complaints. The refried beans and rice were good too.

The server's timing was spot on. Not in your face and there when we wanted something. The manager stopped by to check on us. Oh, our friends had met the bartender once before and she too stopped to say hi!

The menu has a wide selection of appetizers, soups & salads, seafood, a grilled menu, desserts and their 'Favorites'. If you're hungry for burritos, quesadillas or combos, there is a wide variety. The sides and a la carte menu is huge. Oh, and a vegetarian menu!

El Jalisco is in a small strip mall with ample parking and was an easy in and...

We've been eating here for a few years. We come here often. The food, the people, the cleanliness and atmosphere is consistently very good. It's one of our comfort food places. I feel that, of all of the local Mexican restaurants in the area, I get the best value for my Mexican Food dollars here.

They have the typical Tex Mex stuff which is pretty solid. But more importantly they also have some dishes that fall outside of the realm of the typical Tex Mex type of food. Things like the Adobe Chicken, anything A La Creme, Pollo Asado, anything with the Chipotle Sauce, Tarasca Soup (my favorite) ... Of course there is the more extravagant El J's Poblano Relleno served in a scorching hot volcanic rock bowl. And the Pina Loca is very tasty and fun.

Today we had the Tableside Guac for the first time. Our server, Rolando, scooped out the avocado, added the chopped tomato, red onion and cilantro and mixed in a bowl. His hand mixing was perfect for us. I don't like a guac that seems to have spent 20 minutes in a blender. This had some nice avocado chunks, but it was smooth enough to scoop with a chip. We asked for our chopped jalapeno on the side.

Of course, there is the complimentary starter of chips and salsa. The chips are always fresh. Always. The salsa is just the right dipping consistency. Not too much of a tomato taste, definitely nice infusion of cilantro and jalapeno. I'm not sure but I think that there's cumin in it? The only downside is we can't stop eating them once we start.

Today I had the Chicken Mole and Karen had the Carnitas Burrito. The mole sauce was very good. It had an earthy taste and was silky smooth. The shredded pork in the burrito (smothered in crema) was very tasty. Good mix of rice, beans and corn.

The rice and beans sides and small lettuce/tomato toppings are good and provide a reliable supporting role to the main dish.

Finally, we love the 2 For 1 draft and Margarita special. I like the Modelo Especial served in 16+ oz...

So i went through all the reviews to see what the needy people were saying.. and here is my review

If you can’t afford to go out to eat. DONT GO. Cook at home!! Go to fast food. Go elsewhere instead of complaining about prices. EVERYTHING in the world is going up. If you can’t afford it.. like I said stay home or go to fast food. I’m good w the prices. Lunch specials ARE GREAT!!

They just opened maybe 3 weeks ago. MAYBE they didn’t expect the outcome they have and they just aren’t prepared. Give them a chance before you come on here and give a bad review. Let them get established and be able to prepare for the future. It’s a common courtesy. Have any of you opened a business? Then you should know… if not.. then you really don’t know the trials and tribulations.

My personal experience - AMAZING. I have ordered here on their lunch specials 3 times so far with my co workers. It did not disappoint!! The fajitas are sooo good. And a lot of people are saying “paper thin” but it’s different steak than you get at “chilis”… it’s common at most Spanish places. Full of flavor. Everyone loved it here. We keep ordering!! Even the salsa.. BOMB!

I know my review may seem harsh to those that don’t have a backbone.. however.. I’m just speaking the truth. Starting a business is hard but eventually you get the hang of it. I ask others to give it a chance more than once or twice. I know it will get there!! Pricing wise.. like come on. Anywhere you go is the same. Chipotle was the sameeee price for 5 of us as this place was .. chipotle !! Which is “fast food”. You can barely go to Wendy’s without spending over $10 per meal now a days.

All I’m saying is.. give it a chance. I LOVED IT!! We will continue to come here for...