El Bravo Mexican Food

Great food, great service, and great price. This hit the spot while waiting for my car to be done in the shop. Cute atmosphere, and really enjoyed the nice little touch of the after meal cookie.

Ordered takeout and was pleased with how fast my order was ready. I grew up on the Navajo rez and I'm pretty impressed with the quality of theirs. It was fresh, fluffy, and not at all greasy so you know their oil is changed regularly. The taco salad was hefty so good, my guy done woofed it down, so I wasn't able to grab a pic.. the dessert sopas were delicious, fluffy, and perfectly sweet. The dessert chimi was amazing and kinda like a Spanish twist on the smores. 🤤🤤🤤

The food was definitely tasty but I could tell my experience was hampered by choosing takeout. The Mexican style tacos which is somewhere between a soft taco and a hard shell taco were so soggy by the time I got home they just split right away and the tortilla became a waterlogged mess, but the meat inside was delicious. Both beef and pork. However the chimichanga enchi style was awesome. No complaints. The rice was also extremely tender and fluffy. Almost cloud like. Will definitely come back because the opportunity for a 5 star experience is here.

Addicted to this place. First and foremost, the food is bomb (definitely try a popover - their spin on fry bread). Lots of recognitions back to 1996 (AZ Republic, Phoenix Magazine, etc) incorporated into their clean, sparse decor. Open, impeccably-tidy kitchen where you see the magic happening. Award-winning tamales (apparently, but I can’t stop eating the popovers and cheese crisps to try them). A neighborhood gem for sure!

Local family owned. Was frequented by Doc Severensen, Gov Rose Mofford, Gov Jan Brewer,& other famous people. The owners are great. Good, is good, they also make tortilla cookies.

Place is adorable, staff helpful & knowledgeable. Offer of chips or cheese crisp, as you are seated, is *not* complimentary for either. Salsa is fresh and tasty. Enchilada and mole sauces are quite good Downside: no fajitas for keto diners, no classic 2 enchiladas+1 taco combo (tostadas just aren't good substitutes when you want tacos). Ground beef taco meat was soggy and not much flavor other than salt. Overall, we felt the offerings were overpriced for the value. This is a beloved restaurant in the neighborhood and has been around for a long time. So far nothing we tried seemed to match that sentiment, but we would try it again and order something different in hope for appreciating something we missed.

Nice little spot for some good Mexican food. All food was like how nana makes it. One item that stood out was the rice. Im extremely hard to please when it comes to rice. This rice was the most flavorful and cooked perfectly I've ever had ever. Only thing I would change is a spicier salsa for the chips but I do like my salsa spicy spicy.

A pleasant surprise, dropped in while visiting relatives in Phoenix. Had the chicken mole and it was the best ever, the red mole base, wonderful flavors, fresh tortillas, a must for anyone that likes mole. Highly recommend this restaurant.

The best family run and operated traditional Mexican food in north Phx. Quiet and VERY clean small restaurant without alot of hoopla. Seeet and simple decor. A restaurant where you can have a conversation. No LOUD music here. Tamales. taco's, enchiladas so good.

I really enjoyed this place. Had a margarita to start and it was good. The chimichanga with shredded beef was so yummy and very filling. My husband got a combo and liked his beef taco, bean torta and tamale. The inside is cute and fairly larger than expected. At the end we got a sugar covered fried tortilla which was so yummy.

The best family owned. Doc Severensen would go here, the mayors,the govs. It has amazing foods. Family is great

Food was really good and well priced, but service was very slow. Seemed to only be one person working roughly 10 tables.

I've been eating at El Bravo since the 80s. The red chile Carmen and her ladies made was simply the best I've ever had. The new owner promised he and his wife would not change that recipe and kept that promise for a few years. Recently, they've changed the type of beef used for their red chile. They've switched to a cubed beef cut rather than shredded beef. Everything else about the burro was on point, the homemade tortillas, the red chile sauce, but the meat was awful. If not, they will have lost my family and my business.

Stopped in for a weekday dinner with my son. Have not been here in many years. Quickly seated, we shared a cheese and chili cheese quesadilla. We each had an enchilada, mine was a shredded beef. Food was very good as was the service. Great family owned business that is not a chain.

This place never disappoints!! The salsa is so fresh and the food is unbelievably delicious. It feels like I'm at a friend's house and the food is coming from their kitchen, made with love! The whole place is always kept very clean and service is prompt. Do not pass this place up!!

Original owners sold the restaurant. Same name, same recipes.... Food is fresh & delicious.

There is a new owner now. The menu is the same, except for the prices. This place is unreasonably expensive now. I will not be back. I have been going here for 18 years. The food didn't taste the same to me. The taste was just a bit off.

Best Indian fried bread on earth. Very nice people that work there. Same waiters for a long time.

I have so sick of "designer" and "fusion" Tacos and wanted the real deal. Now, understand, my "real deal" is ground beef tacos in a hard shell. This place has them in spades along with more traditional tacos. The owner of is great, service is great. I have a beef tamale and a chicken and green corn tamale to take home and can't wait until I am hungry again to eat them.

Both the green beef and steak burros were delicious! Both would be ordered again. The red salsa that came with tasted great and had just the right amount of heat. I will be back for sure. Looked like a nice mom and pop place inside. Burros were ready quick.

My favorite Mexican food restaurant in town. I especially love their chorizo, they're awesome tortillas and their sour cream chicken enchiladas.

Best flour tortillas in Phoenix Burritos are so good here. Co workers are friendly Best chorizo in town. Salsa is amazing as well.

I have been a customer since 1996. I moved to Florida I but every time I visit Phoenix my first stop is El Bravo. Hard to beat their home cooked meal. The quality is always the same, it's truly the best Mexican food in town. Our family favourite

First time here and we literally live down the street! Boy have we been missing out. Amazing food! Great service!! Mom & Pop family owned! The real deal!! We had the stacked cheese enchiladas with an egg on top. We also had the Fried Popover with beans and cheese. Yes we were bad and didn't stay vegan for this meal but oh my goodness was it ever worth it!!! We had the chips and salsa to start. They bring you a Pico de Gallo style and a hotter pato style with chips for $1.50. Loved the hotter style sauce, so good. With the check they bring you some cinnamon crisps that are delicious and we could have eaten a dozen!!! Can't wait to come back and try some new things. Love supporting local and family owned.

The green corn veg tamale is one of the best I've ever had. I've made tamales and grew up next door to the Magdalenos, who made great tamales. They are a neighborhood staple, a family joint. A quick snack is a handmade corn tortilla quesadilla. ¡Muy Sabrosa! Great service. Ambience Good enough. Not fancy, not too expensive.

My friend loves this place so she took me here!! I like this place it's like old school mom & pop location. You can tell they've been around for quite sometime. I ordered the enchilada plate done 50/50 green & red sauce. The enchiladas were great, I liked the red ones the best!! I haven't got a chance to try anything else on the menu but I definitely wouldn't mind! They have pozole & chimichanga enchiladas, both of which I was also tempted to try. So many good Mexican places in town it's hard to pick which ones to try. Pick this one if you're in the mood for enchiladas or chimichangas. This isn't your typical Mexican place offering tacos (I don't think tacos are on the menu). This place offers a few selections that they specialize in. Any place that makes the test of time usually does it for a reason & is worth checking out. I would recommend this place & would be happy to return!! Happy eating

Best Mexican food I've had since moving to AZ. The green Chile sauce is amazing! This was recommended to us from Samantha Ponders Instagram post.

This place is a joke. We had the #5, a chili relleno (al la carte!, pazole soup and an iced tea.....$60 with tip! They're under new ownership and the new owner thinks they can take advantage of people with $$$. We'll never return and will let all our neighbors know as well. Robbery!

Food is very bland. Chips were crisp but salsa was very bland and had no heat or cilantro. Beef burro was meaty but masa did not have any flavor. Enchilada. Was bland. If you like American style you will like it. Lorraine retiredand in 2021.

We've been coming here for over 40 years. The food is always fresh and delicious. In Phoenix you have some of the best options for Mexican food, and El Bravo is always on that list.

Yum yum yum Yummy so yummy Love this little hole in the wall Best Flautas ever ! not dryed out.

Food is okay , price is outrageous. One , just ONE taco is 5.75 and 3$ on "taco tuesday" most combos are 28-25$. Waited about 30 minutes for our food and it came out cold. Gross.

So I've eaten at this place a way more than I'd like to admit considering I just found it a week ago. It's cheap mexican food that tastes homemade and its amazing. Its not fancy and so simple, yet so good. Its just one of those places that are just GOOD but your not really sure why. Very welcoming, and the ladies there all seem happy enough to serve you. The lady in the back that cooks is SOOOO CUTE. She reminds me of a really loving mom that just wants to cook for you and is so sweet. I love her already even though she doesn't know who the heck i am. I love this place I really do. I actually probably love it too much id eat here almost everyday. I know there are limits and they are probably tired of seeing my face. But I can't help it, I'm in love with it. Chips and salsa are simple. Light chips but holds the salsa. Salsa is good. Flavor is decent and heat is leaning more towards the middle. Paired together makes an addicting combo. They do charge for it which makes me a little sad but its cheap so its not too bad. Rice and beans are A+++. AGAIN very simple but yet so good. I could eat that fluffy rice for daysssss. Ground beef tacos are really good. Shell is very light so taking it to-go would not be wise as it gets soggy quick. Tamales are good as well. The red sauce goes great with it and adds just the right amount of flavor. PLEASE if you come here order desert. The chocolate chimis are a great finish to the meal. Although they give you a free little treat with the check I myself am greedy and want more. These are filled with chocolate and marshmellow.. I mean.. crispy and gooey. Again this is not anything fancy but its good homemade food. Something you find if you went to a friends house and the mom was just a really good cook! I love you El Bravo, thank you for filling my tummy with a smile.

Little space ran by some very new nice people. Chips were stale but the salsa was tasty. The food was good and nice size portions.

I am never disappointed in their food, we have been going there for over 30 years! The Machacca Burris and the chicken green corn tamales are my favorites

Limited menu, crazy expensive, food isn't great. They charge for chips and salsa, so opted instead for guac & chips and for $8.95 received a tiny ramekin of grocery store guac, the pulpy, bright green slime that they sell in a tub, and a basket of chips. I asked if it was made in house or if it was from Costco and the server smiled and shrugged. She brought out a squirt bottle of hot sauce and asked if I'd like that instead. I said no thanks. Also had the stacked enchilada, which was ok, but not worth it at $14.95, which seems like a lot for three corn tortillas with cheese and sauce and an egg...no meat, no rice, no beans. It was like something you might make quick in the microwave at home. When the bill came the $8.95 guac was still on the check, even though I had told her it wasn't good and it was still sitting on the table mostly untouched. This is Phoenix AZ. There are so many great Mexican restaurants. This isn't one of them.

I pass here all the time finally decided to stop in I should have kept driving Places nice inside That was only good thing Our server was the owner I think she was nice but but not very attentive Ask her what the best thing on the menu is she told me the green chili burrito so I ordered that She brought out the chips and salsa The salsa was weird it tasted like cinnamon And I believe I did ask her and she told me they did put cinnamon in their salsa She brought up the green chili burrito And what kind of slimy I dug in All it tasteswhat are they used to thickening with It was super bland No spice And left a weird aftertaste And definitely won't go back here

Adding a photo of the green chicken enchilada. Still enjoy El Bravo. Love the green chile cheese crisp. The margaritas are a great deal from 4-6pm for $4.

Excellent food. I have been eating here since they opened when I was in grade school. My favorite is the Cheese & Onion Enchiladas. Love the Chips and Salsa too. We order those every time we get takeout. Floutas and shredded beef tacos are both delicious. As are there Tamales. I'm partial to the Green Corn Vegetable. The bean and cheese burritos are a must. Moved up North after college and I would buy a half dozen to take with me and freeze.

We have been coming here since I was a kid. They have always been so wonderful. Not only are they super nice (never mind when mama would yell in the back, she's still the best) but they also take really good care of their restaurant. You can tell they take pride in all that they do. I hope you don't believe so you will have to come try it for yourself. Btw. If I could live off the salsa I would. Lol.

The sewage / pipes smell in this place was so bad that I could barely stay here long enough to eat!

A little gem that reminds me of home in San Antonio Texas. Plates back home are served with Spanish rice and beans and are HUGE! This was our first visit to El Bravo and it was excellent! My foodie half and I shared a chimichanga. It was so freaking good! The shredded beef was tender and the crispy was of the tortilla was on point! I loooooved the beans. One plate was enough to share but no judgement for those that down one by themselves. Our server was sweet but forgot a few requests for more chips and water but nothing to get all fussy about. If you're planning to visit come hungry. I can't wait to go back and try something new!

My parents have brought me here since I was born. It hasn't changed a bit. The hospitality is great, the atmosphere is warm and comfortable, the food is nostalgic and flavorful. The prices have gone up since back then, which is completely understandable and a sign of the times. Also, I miss the little gashapon machines from when I was a kid. Overall, I couldn't recommend this place more. (You've got to have the cinnamon sugar chips, those things are no joke).

Good little hole in the wall, Mexican food restaurant in the heart of Phoenix. If you want simple Mexican food without the hassle of going to a restaurant, this is your place. Quick and convenient, and been around for over 20 years.

First time trying this restaurant. I had read reviews of the pozole being good but wasn't expecting it to be this amazing!! Huge amounts of pork and the flavor is amazing and it comes with a homemade tortilla.. I will definitely be coming back again and again for this but also look forward to trying other menu options!

This used to be one of the best Mexican food restaurants. We've been eating here for over 20 years. Unfortunately, with the new ownership, the food is no where near as good as it used to be and prices like everywhere have really gone up. Used to be the best cheese crisp in town, now terrible. Bean and cheese burrito enchilada style used be great, now not so much. Chicken recipe in the chicken tacos has changed and doesn't taste good anymore. Flour shells for tacos have changed and aren't as good anymore. Chips and salsa are still good. I feel really bad leaving this review, but I'm hoping someone at the restaurant will read this and go back to the original recipes. We've been loyal customers for years and don't know how many more chances we can give El Bravo. Keep hoping the next time will be better

This hole in the wall place had obviously been there since dirt. The interior is obviously old but quaint with tables and booths and photos of famous Arizona politicians. A friend of mine suggested we go there for lunch. The food was excellent (chicken mole), the service was great. I got to see into the kitchen and the chefs looked older and exceptionally experienced. I like that. I reeled at the check when it arrived and now understand that this place is more like $$$ instead of $$. the prices are my only knock on this fine, authentic, Mexican food experience.

This place is yummy!!! I drive by it on my way home from work and checked it out on Yelp and it has wonderful reviews so we had to give it a shot. I got the #5 because it seemed like that was a customer fave. The masses aren't wrong. A warm gooey enchilada and perfectly made chicken tamale. The best part of this meal besides how delicious it was was that I didn't feel like I just ate a sodium bomb like most Mexican food without lacking in all the things you expect from a good Mexican meal. Cheesy and comforting. We will be back!!!

El Bravo Mexican food will fall into my "Is that place still there?" series! We used to eat lunch at least twice a month for fhree years in a row (circa 2004 -2007) and it was delicious! notoriously there would be a timeframe when tables weren't bussed...the only reason why for not a fifth star but otherwise completely consistent delicious reliable Mexican food in a timely fashion and at a fair price. Back then - you order at the little counter window where you could see everyone hard at work making things from scratch, you pay and then sit at a table and they would bring it out to you. (I'm looking forward to seeing if it's still somewhat the same ... some good things have to stay the same right?!!) Cute, favorite "hole in the wall" and I'm going to check them out again, making a special effort to support local businesses during COVID craziness. I just called and they're open in the dining room every other table and marked accordingly, and they do take credit cards.

I'd like to offer a bit of constructive criticism and I hope it won't be received in a hurtful manner. I've been a regular patron of El Bravo since they first opened decades ago. My daughters who are 37 and 40 respectfully cut their teeth on the wonderfully flavorful and consistent food you've provided for so long coupled with always friendly service. Since management has changed however, the food and service have declined. I'm not basing this on just one experience, but five in as many months. Our last dining experience consisted of weak watered-down pico de gallo, undrinkable margaritas, stale and bitter chips, and deep fried entrees where the oil used was rancid. The smell of the rancid frying oil permeated the air of the restaurant. I offer this in hopes management will be able to review and make changes to return to the quality the previous management established and consistently maintained. We have loved El Bravo and are grieved at the prospect that it might not ever be the same. May God bless your continued endeavors!

Better than I expected El Bravo Mexican Food is a family-run business. The menu offers a large selection of the usual Mexican fare - tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tamales, rice and beans. On this visit we had the red and green chili burritos, the cheese filled sour cream enchiladas, refried beans and rice. All our entrres were good, but nothing special. There's a charge for chips and salsa. El Bravo offers a good selection of beer options. Nothing was "bad" but unfortunately nothing was "special".

This place has went extremely down hill. The beans tasted like they were from a can, the shredded beef and chicken tacos had NO flavor. Nothing about this place taste authentic. We spent $52 plus tip on two meals, one drink and a kids meal. The only reason for 2 star vs 1 was because the server was nice. We sat next to the kitchen and they used the microwave multiple times. I honestly don't know how this place has better then a 2 star, also they're only accepting cash and chips and salsa are not included. I will not be returning.

Overall, I really nice experience. I ordered the chimichanga and while there was no option to switch out the meat it was still pretty decent. The chimichanga itself is OK (the meat doesn't have much taste to it). The sauce on top of it were amazing. The rice and beans were also very tasty and the salsas given were fantastic. I would definitely order from here again.

Got a small stock of burritos to freeze with this CV19 thing going on but the girls ate thru the bean and cheese quick, still have a couple 3way the wife and I eat. So with the world going carry out I tripled my normal order so I don't have to go out as much and still get the best burritos when I want them. Got a stock of tamales too, green corn and cheese is the best.

Mexican food needs to be 2 things: Physically hot (bubbling hot from the oven) and various degrees of spicey hot from spices. The food here is neither. It is always a bad sign when you see 2 microwave ovens in A Mexican restaurant. Secondly, a Mexican restaurant should have waves of heat coming from the kitchen, this restaurant did not. The food was frozen meal bland. The hot sauce was more than uninspired, it was tasteless and like tap water diluted. The meals took 31 minutes from order to service in a dining room half filled. The food seemed less cooked and more assembled. It tasted like all the food was ground through a food processor, preshaped and premade. There was no texture or little smell to the food, I believed you could slurp the food. It was not cheap or wholesome just bland and tasted like a flat beer. I began to wonder how much of the ingredients were cooked on the premises or perhaps came prepackaged from another source. Don't know. Prices were mostly $11.00 to $15.00.

My coworker said "that's ridiculous" when he ate his taco. He had pork and chicken. I had chicken burro amd cheese crisp. My other coworker loved her taco salad. The salsa is really good. I love this place. I've had it several times, and I'm glad my coworkers love it too. We work down the street and will make this a regular lunch place. The salsa is so good, mild low spiciness and flavorful. I love this place.

Salsa is so fresh and spicy! Indian bread with cheese and beans is tasty. #4 beef combo is a must..