El Charro Cafe — Restaurant in Yuma

I've lived in Yuma for about 3 years full time , went to El Charro based on a neighbors recommendation., with my 12 yr old son. Loved the chips and homemade salsa , you can tell they make them fresh in house and are served still warm to the table . Salsa was not overly spicy I could taste every ingredient of cilantro , onion etc. I took a side home I enjoyed it so much . The service timing left something to be desired, it took a while to be greeted and for her to check back on us after we received out food Being our first visit we has some questions that by the time she came back it was to late to get the answers we needed . I ordered the a la cart Flautas with green enchilada sauce , the sauce was not what i expected at all nor was it green... But, The flavor was amazing! had whole stewed tomatos and peppers and onion in it i couldn't get enough was delicious to say the least. However not a good idea to be served on Flauta which are served crispy , the sause drowned them and they were soggy. Next time sauce on the side. Loved that the Beers came with an ice cold frozen mug , Beans and rice were authentic and full of homemade flavor ( I judge every Mexican Resteraunt on their beans and rice ) Found pricing to be a little high on entrees for the area and competition.

The only complaint I have, which i was not happy about, is that the server did not inform us that gratuity was included , I didn't see it written on the menu , theres no notation of it on their website online. Auto Gratuity I found surprising because there were only 2 of us dining , she ran my card table side I asked for a copy of a receipt and imagine my surprise upon my review later in the evening. Im a retired Bartender and am a generous tipper anyways but I don't appreciate those type of business practices of uniforming the customer. Especially in a community of seniors who are on a fixed budget seems untrustworthy not to make this known.

Will I be back? Yes Will i recommend ? Yes , but...

We drive between Tucson (where we live) and San Diego (,where our sailboat slip is) often and Yuma is our gas, food and rest point oasis. We have tried many different eating choices over the years and El Charro Cafe is the very best one we've found, period, by a long shot.

First off, it feels like one has stepped into a small restaurant in a small town off the beaten path in Mexico immediately when one opens the front door. The decor is clean but no frills. Everyone is relaxed, friendly, talkative and unpretentious. All customers and staff are friends, even when meeting for the first time.

They've been in business since 1949 so you know they're good. How good? The food is all natural ingredients and prepared to order. Big potions. DELICIOUS! I asked for seconds on the salsa that was tangy and fresh. As good as it gets and I'm an expert as I love good salsa

I asked for coffee in the late afternoon and our waitress said "I'll make you a fresh pot!", which she promptly did and then kept giving me refills and smiling and making conversation as she did do. We felt like family before we left.

Their prices are very reasonable and they have an excellent tequila bar menu too (we were very tempted 🫣). Again, what one expects with a small cafe (they're not all that small) in a small Mexican town that's been in operation for over 75 years.

They were pretty busy at 3 on a Wednesday afternoon. I wonder what it's like at meal times? The good news is they have plenty of patched and stripped parking. I didn't ask about reservations or takeout.

Biotin line, do make it a point to check out El Charro Cafe (not affiliated with restaurants by the same name in Tucson) if authentic Baja Mexico style (I think, as this where I've spent much time - I didn't ask) is appealing. You'll be repeat customers like...

This was our first time dining here, and it had come highly recommended by the family members whom we went with.

We don't recommended it, and the family members who suggested it probably won't be back either.

The service was insanely slow. We waited over half an hour for our first meals to arrive. Two of which had to be returned because they were barely warm. By the time we all got our meals, some in our party were almost done eating. We weren't even offered drink refills until near the end of our meal.

The food was mediocre at best. I had a Chile Relleno (at least I think there was one under the piles of bland sauce). The rice and beans (refried) were serviceable, and the shredded beef in the "folded" taco (a local term for crispy taco?) was mostly flavorless and was overpowered by the lettuce. The taco shell, which I am assuming, was house-made, was tough, and had no crispness whatsoever.

The chips were decent, and the salsas were tasty (if VERY mild). The giant flour tortillas were fun but, meh.

Overall the food was very bland. I understand that this area has a large winter population of folks who may not be used to spicy food, but this so-called Mexican food has been so "dumbed down" that it has lost any resemblance to the spicy foods you can find elsewhere in the southwest (maybe even in Yuma)

Again, we won't be back. If you are looking for good Mexican food in the Yuma area, I suggest asking a few locals (and not the wintertime variety). That's our plan.

UPDATE: 2/2024 I added one star (originally 2-stars) due to the response I received from the El Charro management, and their desire to make this right. Sadly, I left Yuma shortly after leaving this review so I was not able to return. I will consider reaching out next time I am in...