El Mariachi Authentic Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Wadena

If you want poorly made americanized Mexican food then this is the place for you. The salsa tastes like watery ketchup with cilantro. The food was terrible the cheese was watery and you get like ¾ cup of chicken and ¼ cup of salad for that price they were the smallest portions I've ever seen. Not that I was interested in more of the food. The bathrooms were dirty and have one wooden stall and 2 broken stalls that you slam shut and hope no one opens them. And one waiter kept attempting to carry way more than he was able and when he gave us our food he put one plate completely on top of the other and the bottom of the plate that was given to my husband had cheese and lettuce all over it and then he put it in front of him and the lettuce and cheese dripped on his lap. Then we watched him carry 5 plates on one arm to the table next to our and nearly dropped them all and dropped one plate down in front of one of them. Just take two trips. We had one server who was running up and down the place and was very quick and he was the one redeeming quality for us but other than that there wasn't anything I...

I had high hopes when I walked in, the atmosphere and beautiful artwork everywhere that was so symbolic of the Mexican restaurants I visited so often growing up in Texas. But I was easily fooled.

The salsa that was served tasted more like pizza sauce than salsa. My margarita tasted of only sweet and sour mix, when I asked if I'd accidentally been given a non-alcoholic margarita, I was then served a very, VERY strong margarita. I didn't dare send it back again so i drank it, slowly so as not to get lightheaded.

I ordered a beef enchilada and a tamal with rice and beans (combo #8), flavor was good but the refried beans were dry, dry so I had one bite and left them. My husband had the enchiladas supremas, said it was also ok but the bean enchilada and cheese enchilada were bland.

To end the meal I requested sopapillas, but made traditionally with honey, not the awful chocolate sauce and whip cream I see so often in MN. They were not the fluffy tortillas I had hoped for but giant tortilla chips, drenched in honey.

I left buzzed with a full stomach, but...

I was surprised that the food had little flavor. I'd like to try it again sometime, but I wasn't impressed.

UPDATE 8/12/22

Finally got a chance to eat inside, as last time was to go. Wow, I'm very disappointed. Perhaps it's the "authentic" nature and maybe my taste buds are just ill refined, but the food was not good. Not only was it bland again (which I initially assumed might have been a one off), but the overall experience was just lacking. The service was fine, but everything else was just not up to par. A variation of the same entre at other restaurants is what I was expecting, but this iteration was just not enjoyable. I find myself wanting to give the place another chance someday, maybe I just ordered the wrong thing? But at their prices, it's just not worth a roll of the dice if I'll get my money's worth or not. I likely won't return. But decide...