El Carnicero

My friend and I went here for dinner the other day. I thought the drinks were excellent. We ordered some margaritas and the flavors were delicious! The food was good as well. I ordered the Barbacoa which was really good. I’m not usually a fan of Brussels sprouts so I was shocked when I actually enjoyed the overall dish. I’d def recommend coming here!

Not typical. Service and multiple staff work together at tables with main waiter. Courteous, upbeat and professional. Food came reasonably quick. Best was the guacamole. Delicious! Chips were thin and sweet, white corn it seemed for a nice change. Food presentation was great, but not so much taste. I had a flautas and the brussel sprouts were all burnt, leaving that taste to over power the rest of the meal even though I stopped eating them. My sweetheart, Jim, said his food was well prepared but the cilantro was too much in his dish. Had carrots that were sauce smothered and delicious. A small bottle of house made hot sauce was provided. The product was hot and very good.

Very cool vibes! Stopped for a quick drink and app and can’t say enough good things. The food was great and margs really hit the spot! I can’t wait to go back and order a full meal, I’ve heard great things about this place and look forward to my next visit! Update: dinner was outstanding!! From the drinks to the apps to the main dishes, I cannot say enough good things about this place! They’re quickly become one if not my top pick for Mexican in the entire country!! The margarita sampler was a great value and the guacamole sampler was as well. Cannot wait to go back next time I’m In town!!!

Was pleasantly surprised by this place! Visited on a packed Saturday night. Started out with the margarita flight and queso. The margarita flavors were interesting and decent sized. The queso was delicious but not the best I’ve had in Cleveland. What really sealed the deal were the entrees. We ordered the chicken tamale and the lamb enchiladas. Each bite was heaven. I didn’t want it to end. The mole on the enchiladas was so flavorful. The different sauces on the tamale went so well with the thick fluffy corn flavor. This place was a little pricey but so worth it.

Best tasting margarita I've had in years. The red bell pepper margarita finds just the right amount of sweetness. With chili lime along the rim. Guacamole, we tried three and the winner was the peppercorn. Seared tuna was still a little cold inside but otherwise perfection. Stellar service by Justin.

Great restaurant for all occasions. Spicy mango & cucumber margaritas are my favorite (as is the seasonal lenten fish fry). There is a small room available for reservation (10-14 people), or a large private backroom for events (30+ people), & the owner is very helpful in accommodating. Staff is friendly & welcoming. I've been going here for nearly 10 years & every experience has been perfect!

Thoroughly enjoyed the cocktail and food. The pollo taquitos had the perfect flavor. This would definitely be a good to meal for me. A perfect place to end a long work week with the best drinks and food!

This was such a good dining experience! You can judge an authentic Mexican restaurant by their mole and El Carnicero delivers. Their mole is deeply dark and wonderfully delicious. I like that the menu offered authentic Mexican staple foods with a unique twist. This is not your typical neighborhood Mexican quick in-and-out joint. The decor was amazing. Really enjoyed El Carnicero and am looking forward to making my way to their sister restaurant, Momocho, in the near future. Pro tip: If you’re dining alone or with one other, sit near the window at the front entrance. This small counter will give you a discount on your total bill! This is a fantastic concept!

Ordered a tequila the bartender recommended which was extremely good with a heavy pour. For the price I would've been upset if the shot just came in a normal glass. Only wish was that lime would've been preferred than orange slices.

Busy Friday night, A friend and I sat down at the bar. Ordered the margs and I can't remember what I had to eat. Service was ok, once they realized we wanted to order food came out quick. Took at least 10 mins to get menus and order drinks at the bar. This is what I take a star off for. Maybe the servers had some tough customers earlier in the night but still no excuse for the attitude they gave us. Overall I would go back. Good date spot, drinks with friends or a family meal. I'd rather go on an off day. Too loud for my taste on Friday. Versatile restaurant in a good location.

Lovedddddddd this place. Of all the things, the margarita flight was superb. I got a spicy mango, red bell pepper and blood orange. They were all a perfect amount of sweet (not overly sweet) and just well balanced. We also ordered the Buffalo chicken nachos which were excellent and a very reasonable size to share with 1 or 2 others. We also got carnitas. Yummmmy. Will be back next time I come to Cleveland!

I am still dreaming about this dinner! We enjoyed El Carnicero on the weekend for a large family dinner. I could not get over the TALL high chair. Seems silly to be excited about, but how cool, first time seeing that! It made our lives easier with two babies joining us at a high top. The menu had such a great variety and our server, Marcus, had so many great reccomendatoins! We tried the Guacamole Trio; tradicional, goat cheese, and pineapple. They were all mouth watering and unique- they were quickly gobbled up. A majority of us ordered the Margarita Trio. The pomegranate and blood orange were crowd pleasers. For my meal I devoured the Chile Poblano Relleno, it was the best chile relleno I have ever had in my life! I wish I ordered two! It is always nice to find a tasty vegetarian option. My table ordered almost every entree on the menu and it did not disappoint. Everyone was very happy and very full after dinner. The atmosphere was very cool. The menu was flavorful. The staff was beyond attentive and friendly. Overall this experience was top notch and I highly recommend trying El Carnicero! Next time we are in town this will be the first place we go. Thank you for an amazing experience !

We were delighted with our dining experience. The flight of margaritas was a great way to kick off a scrumptious meal. We chose the carrots elote as an appetizer and what a mouth memorable encounter this was. The carrots are roasted to be super tender, the flavors of butter, garlic, crema and cheese were perfect. For the main course we got the taquitos, machaca and carnitas respectively. Portions are very generous. Guacamole was fresh and superb. Will definitely be back!!

Not your traditional Mexican, no refried beans, or pinto's, just black beans. Also, just white steamed rice offered. We were a party of 7, and I say 5 were pleased with their choices. One meal sent back, too spicy. The carnitas were excellent! Everyone enjoyed the chips and salsa! Good atmosphere, very busy, service would be rated good. Beware of hazard in parking lot, missing grate, almost broke an ankle. Reported to management.

We went here for my sister's bday dinner! We had the large room in the back and the service was incredible. The staff was attentive and all the food came out perfect, for over 15 guests. The food was also amazing, most of us ordered the enchiladas and they were great! Great flavor And a great potion! I wish the menu was a little bigger, it's very limited

Great decor and vibe!!! Pretty basic drinks, have to pay for your chips and salsa apps.... Lit if you're a hipster in Lakewood. For sure go here and see for yourself.... Does have marg flights :) the same as Momocho but Nacho Libre themed! So fun with friends :) mostly gluten free choices!!!

Food, chefs kiss. Service, hospitality, ordering, private party, event, planning, timing, all things is definitely 2 stars. The food and drinks were amazing but we booked incredibly in advance for a company offsite for a private meal (and paid for it) but it ended up being a 4-hour conundrum with ordering and service - we didn't receive drinks or a server for about 45min-1 hour, we didn't get appetizer orders for another 45min-1 hour, and we didn't get dinner orders for a third 45min-1 hour. Appears the town local folks get priority and paying groups from out of town get the de-priority! Cerne Asada was good, my bourbon had specks and drifter plots in it. I'd give a second shot, maybe. The team worked so hard for this event! Just so curious as to what happened!

El Carn always gets it right! Year after year I order for summer party and everyone is so happy. Food is spot on every time. Thanks again Eric and crew! Anna

Dined with friends at El Carnicero in Lakewood, the sister restaurant of Momocho in Ohio City. I had Potato el Royal and Little Tacos with Pollo, my friends had Carne Asada. The Pollo tasted so delicious and loved this space because it's bigger than Momocho and can hold bigger groups. Less intimate but the food is badass! Of course, the margarita trio flight was perfect as always- Honey Ginger, Hibiscus, and Cucumber (refreshing). ________________ #roamingcle #roamingcleveland

Every time you come to El Carnicero, you are guaranteed a good time and amazing food. This time around we met the owner of the restaurant which was such a treat. He treated our party so well and was so amazingly nice. Drink wise, the margaritas are so fresh and you can tell it's made in house. The food is fresh and delicious as well. The inside of the restaurant is all wrestling themed and even had masks up for purchase which is so unique! A must place to go visit!

El Carnicero was a delicious twist on traditional Mexican! Absolutely did not disappoint! We wanted to order online but I'm glad we ate at the restaurant. The atmosphere was fun and colorful with full bars and tons of tequila options. We started with the chorizo queso and it had just a little kick not too much, but the flavor was so great, we also ordered two different kinds of Taquitos the citrus carnitas was so good with the jalapeño cream. The Machaca had a unique taste. Both were so good, I'd absolutely get both again. The service was fantastic and our server was extremely helpful and attentive. Everything had a full taste and making our own tacos was so fun! They had great margarita flavors and rim flavors. We tried the spicy mango margarita and the ginger one. Would absolutely return to try other flavors and explore more of the tequila options. Absolute must try!

So the margaritas are good. But it was a horrible experience when my wife has a goat cheese aversion and ordered Chile rellano and was supposed to be Gouda cheese but had goat cheese in it. We politely mentioned this and the waitress joked saying they have a new guy in the kitchen they need to "get rid of " and offered her to choose a new entree. So I have no problem with goat cheese so my wife asked the waitress can he just have it instead of it just being thrown away. The waitress said sure My wife got some sushi grade tuna bc a TON of their entrees have goat cheese and the waitress said that would be the safest option. That was not very good was tuna with rice with guac on it ?? A weird take for a Mexican restaurant Well when the bill came we were surprised to see BOTH Chile rellanos were on our tab. We asked why and she said "well your husband ate it " We said so ok that is true but we asked and we sure didn't intend to order two of those for one sitting and our experience usually is if a meal is not up to par that's not on the customer ? And he didn't even eat the whole thing ??? And maybe you should have said our policy is to take back to kitchen. Be up front and say sure you can eat it but it will stay on your tab. We would have said no thanks take it back and dump it then. We don't ever really send back food but this seemed crazy to us So the server said I can ask the manager , we said yes please , which she did and she tells me the manager said you ate it so we aren't taking it off. We had a couple rounds of margs plus appetizers plus the suboptimal tuna dish so it's not like without including the second Chile rellano the bill was small , far from it. The meals and margs are NOT cheap. With service like that and a manager who didn't even come over to discuss with us , no thanks , never again. AVOID

Cannot even tell you how good the food and atmosphere are. Not a long wait, excellent service, delicious drinks. Definitely get the 3 guacamole appetizer!! Barbicoa was amazing, blue corn enchiladas, carne asada, and flautas. Loved it all

Nice seared tuna entree they easily subbed Brussels sprouts for instead o rice. Mine and the other entrees were all in large portion but were expensive ($21 for mine but it was a large tuna steak). Sadly all margaritas and cocktails are pre made so no sugar can be held. The only exception was the craft marg which I was able to get with jalapeños and as a mezcalrita, so customization is definitely possible. Very busy on Friday evening. Wait was one hour for 8 people.

Amazing staff, great team work, awesome food!! Little wait and fast service! Would definitely visit again!!

I have actually been to this location a couple of times. I do like their happy hour menu which went until 7. We went their fish fry tonight. The fish fry was decent. I would not say it was the best I had because I have had a lot better for half the price. It took so long for our food to come out which was insane. I mean 45 mins for fish? The huge plus that I realized about this place was that it was family friendly so you can bring kids here. I did love that the bathroom was super clean which is the main reason why I am giving this place 4 stars and not 3 stars. It was a baby friendly bathroom which means there was a changing station for babies which I have not seen in a lot of locations. I do plan on visiting again especially since I work down the street.

AMAZING-- absolutely kicking myself for not trying El Carnicero sooner. Went early on a Friday night for happy hour and had no issue getting a table. Service was fantastic too. We tried the crab guac and queso-- both were amazing with so much flavor. Since taquitos were only $12 for happy hour, we tried both the carnitas and machacha.. the carnitas were to die for, def my favorite. Also had the ginger and blood orange marg and both were phenomenal.. we will be back ASAP!

This place gets busy and there is a reason for it at the food here is so good and authentic that it's well worth the weight. The pricing here is also very fair for the quality of the food. You are getting the guacamole and housemates hot sauce is to try for sure.

Whoops - sorry no photos again! That is because I was so focused and ate the food up as soon as it was delivered. And the margaritas - kiss my fingers- yummy! My favorite is the spicy mango, but all of them are pretty good. Happy hour at the bar has a few discounts with excellent service. The space is super cool with all the Mexican wresting decor. We ordered some typical salsa and had the mushroom taquitos. Omg the best mushrooms around!! They need to bottle up Their marinade and sell it - so feakin good! So check them out, I know they pay their staff well too so bonus because they have staff so your food will get to you dash and hot.

Great Mexican restaurant. My only complaints is for the limited Parking and they get super busy. Other than that, it great.

We've been loving El Carnicero for years and after our last takeout meal, felt it was worth a review. We ordered the queso (I usually have to order the amazing guac, but decided to switch it up) and it was totally worth it. Smooth and creamy as it should be with homemade chips. We also had the tamale and flauta and loved them both. Our kids had the chicken tenders with rice and agreed that they're the best chicken tenders they've ever had. We may need to bring them there to eat next time so they can see the Mexican wrestling masks Their fish fry during lent is my favorite too. Keep it up, El Carnicero!

Service at el carnicero is always top notch! Not pictured is our mocktails, which were unfortunately very underwhelming and lacked flavor, resulting in in the 4 stars. However, food was great as always and will still definitely return (just not during dry January!).

Enjoyed a nice takeout dinner from El Carnicero Lakewood Park on the Solstice Steps. I believe it's the Lakewood equivalent of Momocho (in Ohio City) and while the menu is slightly different, they still have the same delicious Mexican cuisine. I had their machacha (braised beef brisket) taquitos which came with guacamole. They were tasty and I'd definitely order this dish again! But I'd probably choose to eat indoors - the machacha had much of its drippings/oils so when I tried to assemble the taquitos, I ended up having to sacrifice both arms (down to the elbows). And unfortunately, the restaurant did not pack us any napkins or utensils. Another type of taquitos with a more manageable protein (such as the shrimp) would be a better choice for an outdoor picnic.

Had a private party of 12 recently, and it was a huge risk because I had never been there. The service was speedy, considering how big our party was, and very intuitive to our schedule last but not least the food was excellent. I personally saw everyone finish their food which never happens. I had the mohawke tacos which were sublime might I add the slow roasted beef tacos had a flavorful, chocolatey, smoky herb be savory bliss infused. The freshly made tortillas were the size of street tacos so you build your own. They were fabulous highly recommend.

We're not from the area, but any time we're in town visiting my sister, we make a point of going to El Carnicero. Some things we love: 1. The food! There are so many great options for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Their cauliflower tamales never disappoint and their chile rellenos is the best I've ever had. Everything else we've tried has been delightful as well. We often like to order several dishes amongst the group to share. Each item is always flavorful and totally different from one another. I also highly recommend getting at least one guacamole, if not a trio of them! (The goat cheese one is amazing!) 2. The drinks are fantastic. Margarita flights are the best and I've never seen them anywhere else. Why have one great flavor when you can have three?! There isn't a bad flavor on the menu, but I particularly like the spicy mango and the honey ginger. 3. The ambience is eclectic and cozy, with mismatched chairs and lots of decor paying homage to Mexican wrestling. The lighting is warm and there's plenty of tables with room for bigger groups. My tip - make sure if you do have a group and are coming at a typically busy time (Friday or Saturday night) that you're ready for a wait. I've actually made a point to recommend El Carnicero to friends traveling through the Cleveland area. Cannot recommend enough!

How have we never been here?! This is a mod mex restaurant in Lakewood Ohio. They just re-opened after Covid shit downs and we went right away. We got the empanadas and charred tomato salsa to start. The empanadas was cooked to perfection, full of flavor, and covered in a delicious green sauce. The salsa was unique and delicious, love the smoky flavor. I got the seared tuna with rice. It was amazing. Love the guac with it, added a good flavor to the fish. Tuna was perfectly cooked and again, great flavor. Great place for drinks and dinner. Go, and go now!

Top notch! The food, tequila, and staff are all excellent. Highly recommend the Carne Asada, Crab Guacamole, and Cantera tequila. Don't pay attention to Henry's review. He's clueless.

GREAT food and service. Very accommodating for my large group. It gets busy on weekend nights, so plan accordingly for a wait and/or a tough time to find parking. Worth it! Their margaritas are creative and delicious.

We stopped in for a late lunch and was not at all disappointed to discover it was happy hour! We started out with roasted tomato salsa, bacon guacamole and chips. All was fantastic (especially the guacamole, yum) The special was tacitos served fajita (build your own) style, with your choice of meat for $12. My hubby and I split an order, we chose the shredded beef. All the food was great! Flavors were perfect, served piping hot and delicious. Portions were large, even with sharing we still took home a good "doggie" bag. (My lunch) also our server was fantastic, nice and attentive and knew just the right suggestions. Also the beer was icy cold, and only $3! Oh yes, we will be back.

I have been here and Momocho several times and I am never disappointed! Food, ambiance, and service are all A+

Great restaurant for all occasions. Spicy mango & cucumber margaritas are my favorite (as is the seasonal lenten fish fry). There is a small room available for reservation (10-14 people), or a large private backroom for events (30+ people), & the owner is very helpful in accommodating. Staff is friendly & welcoming. I've been going here for nearly 10 years & every experience has been perfect!

We stopped in on an early Saturday evening and were seated immediately. Parking was a challenge as the Lakewood Food Truck Park is nearby. We had to walk a few blocks but it was so worth it! I started with a pineapple margarita which was amazing. For appetizers the guacamole with crab is out of this world! For my entree I had the Barbicoa: Glazed pork shoulder, smoked pork belly, creamy corn masa grits, fried brussels sprouts and pickled onions. Easily one of the best dishes I've had this year. I took one star off for the second round of chips we asked for that were super salty but otherwise this place is solid!

Very tasty, well presented food. Service was excellent. Delighted one could order a small margarita - most unique and appreciated

Although we have been here before, we specifically came tonight to try the Lenten Fish Fry. We arrived at 6 pm and it was packed but we were able to squeeze two seats in at the bar. I had a pomegranate margarita and my husband had the drink special that was a mixture of blackberry purée, jalapeño, vanilla and simple syrup. I really enjoyed the margarita. My husband thought his drink was just ok. We shared a bowl of queso that was incredible but we ate all the chips and had to ask for more three times before someone brought them out. Apparently you have to order these from the kitchen and the servers can't just go back and get some. We both ordered the fish fry with extra hush puppies. The fish was phenomenal. It was perch fried in Dos Equis beer batter. The meal came with four pieces that were extremely crispy, light, and with minimum grease. They also came with a large portion of fries covered with chimichurri and queso Fresca and a hush puppy and chipotle-limon tartar sauce. Our server - the bartender - wasn't very personable and didn't check on us very often but to be fair, they were pretty slammed. The food was good but the drinks were a bit pricey. I wish they had the fish option all the time. It was delicious.

It's tough for me to explain, in words, my love for this place. The spicy mango margarita might be the best specialty margarita I've ever had in my life. The chiltomate salsa is deep, smoky and delicious. The flavors of all the taquitos are authentic and bright especially the brisket. But it's more than the food. So many of the same workers have been there for years. The service is great and the owner seems to be a genuinely great dude. Can't imagine anyone would leave this place disappointed. If someone I know asks me where to eat on the west side of Cleveland I always will respond with El Carcinero.

Best in CLE! Same owner as Momochos. Huge horshoe shapped bar makes for a great atmosphere. Food and drinks are very creative and tasty.

I wanted a casual place for a rehearsal dinner where people could sit or walk around and visit. I live in another state and booked site unseen for close to 40 people. Eric, chef and owner responded immediately via email, offered to send video of the bar area and was fully transparent of prices etc. I chose to serve appetizers with a taco bar and a limited drink menu. The food was amazing! The service was incredible! The bar tender worked his butt off! The private bar space was perfect, (pictures don't do it justice). All the leftovers were boxed up for the happy couple to have for all the out of town guests staying with them that didn't make dinner. Everyone left full and happy. I am so grateful I'm a Food Network junkie and stumbled upon this gem of a place accidentally watching TV on my couch in Colorado! Thank you El Carnicero!!! Can't wait to visit again with a smaller crowd.

Some of the best Mexican food in Lakewood. The service is somewhat quick if you're there on a week day, and food is just straight up amazing! I usually get the flautas, which are like egg rolls with brussel sprouts and pickled veggies on top. The dish is vegetarian, which I am not, but is still my favorite dish of the restaurant. Make sure to visit this place at least once, because it's awesome.

2nd time around here exceeded our first experience attentive staff, good foods, good peeps equals satisfied belly...NUFF SAID

El Carnicero was delicious!!! We ordered carryout on a weeknight - the online ordering and pickup processes were simple. We chose the traditional guac, carrot "elote," blue corn enchiladas, butternut squash flautas, and to-go lime margaritas for good measure. Flavors were creative and everything was sooo good! The portions were decent as well; my husband and I both had a full dinner with lunch leftovers the next day. This was our first time trying this spot, and we were very impressed! We don't live in the area, but El Carnicero has definitely earned a spot on our "must-get" list for when we're near Cleveland.

What a great spot in Lakewood! I came here with a couple of friends from Columbus and they had a great time also. We all did the margarita flights and tried each others flavors. They were delicious and refreshing to enjoy after a long day. I did not order food, but the girls loved the meals they had. I did try their guac with goat cheese (who would have thought??) and it was simply amazing. Glad we finally visited here, excited to walk here in the summer & visit all the spots close to them too!

Oh my! As a self proclaimed Mexican food aficionado I was skeptical when my fiancé suggested he take me to a "new" (to us) restaurant. We arrived in time for their fantastic happy hour, and I thoroughly enjoyed my frozen Paloma. The pulled pork nachos with Gouda queso were flavorful We both had taquitos for dinner and WOW they were absolutely delicious! What more could you want? Stellar service, great happy hour and amazing foods! I can't wait to go back.

Gotta start with the guacamole sampler or the salsa sampler then any main entree choice from there is excellent! I can never decide which to order but am never disappointed!

Didn't know this gem was here. Comparable to momocho in terms consistency and quality

I have been coming here since it opened and I am truly a big fan. This mod mex restaurant offers such unique dishes on a variety of classic mexican plates. My absolutely must when I go is any of their guacs and their pork belly. I say this with confidence, their pork belly is the best I have had. Ever. Period. In terms of the drinks, they offer delicious margaritas that are the kind where you can actually taste the tequila, and they aren't the frozen premade mixtured drinks. They are so delicious and I never know what flavor to get so I always get the sampler so I can have a bit of each! Looking for a place for a party? This might be your ideal location. They have half the restaurant set up so that it can be closed off for about 50 people with it's own bar. The only negative I have to say about this place are the chairs are uncomfortable. That is it, which I say makes this place a win!

We had a great time at El Carnicero! We had margarita flights, the guacamole sampler, and flauta with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts. I liked the creativity of the flavors, and that everything tasted fresh. Margarita Sampler: spicy mango (loved the marg, didn't like the lime chili salt rim), hibiscus flower (really refreshing, great with a sugar rim), and blood orange (tasted a little too sticky). Guacamole Sampler: goat cheese, pecorino (definitely on the sweet side), and crab (my favorite! There were lumps of crab which I loved). Flautas: very crispy on the outside, oozing with flavor on the inside. The sauce was amazing, and the brussel sprouts was cooked perfectly. I liked that there was such a great vegetarian option, especially one so flavorful. The reason for the 4 star is the service was a little slow at first. We had to wait 15 minutes between ordering guac and seeing the server again. However, the food was excellent, and I would definitely go back!

I came here on a cold, wintry night with friends for my first time, and I have to say, I was very happy. Walls covered in Mexican Wrestling Masks, the atmosphere warm and comfortable, we settled in for a really tasty variety of great food. One of my favorite appetizers are tiny, roasted peppers served with dipping sauces of great variety. In addition, the dishes, from the poblanos to the steaks, were all really wonderful, fresh and tasty. Parking is plentiful in the side lot, and the neighborhoods a decent one. Our service was outstanding. So, overall, the next time I'm looking tasty and spicey, I'm heading down to Lakewood for El Carnicero!