El Gallo

Nice restaurant! First time eating here…the service was great, the food was awesome! I was also surprised at how busy this restaurant was for a Friday evening!

Really enjoyed lunch here. I had Ground Beef and a Cheese Verde Enchiladas. A House Margarita and chips and salsa. All was excellent can't wait to bring my Wife here! Thank you

Food is delicious and simple, but what really makes this place special is the family-owned atmosphere and the service is absolutely the best out of any restaurant I’ve been to. Not only that, but they are so quick to bring out food that you’ll already have chips and salsa at your table when you’re sitting down right after arrival. After ordering it never fails that the food always arrives no more than 10 minutes.

Pamela and I we travel full time in our RV and we visit lot of restaurants. This El Gallo belongs to our top group restaurants, with the best food and great friendly service. I only wish I wrote down the name of the gentleman server....he was very nice. We will visit again. Thank you, Pamela and Michael

The carne asada is the best in Houston! I have been going to this restaurant for 40+ years. It is consistent high quality food, friendly and efficient service, etc.

I've been coming here for years. Great little Tex-Mex joint. Friendly staff and good food for a fair price.

El Gallo has the very best tasting Mexican food I've ever had! They have the best service and the best prices as well. Try it and see!

I love this place and have been coming here for literally 15 years. This is the patron combo but you can also get sopapillas and all kinds of stuff. The portions are enormous and reasonably priced

I stumbled upon this hidden gem one spring afternoon and wow what a surprise! The place is super neat the staff are ridiculously friendly and you get greeted like a VIP the moment you walk in. I went for lunch and had their flautas with rice and a margarita. The flautas were perfectly crispy and fresh the rice was actually tasty and the queso was absolutely dreamy. And the margarita, do not be fooled, it sneaks up on you faster than you realize. Lunch was a win and I am already planning my return to try the rest of the menu.

This is our family's go to restaurant for fajitas! There was a time when I didn't appreciate Mexican food because I thought they were expensive, and they can easily be made at home. Thus, for the longest time we didn't eat at Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurants because I was making dishes like tacos, enchiladas, and fajitas at home. I thought I was doing a fabulous job until we went to El Gallo one date night and ordered the chicken/steak fajitas and was BLOWN AWAY! I was like, wow, this is totally BETTER than what I make at home. There is just something about fresh fajitas that are coming to your table sizzling hot with warm tortillas and all the fixings. It hits differently and just tastes SO DELICIOUS! I am usually a very saucy person and prefer chicken over steak. However, let me tell you that I do NOT need to add any type of sauce/salsa/queso to the meal when making my taco. The meat, beans, veggies, rice, and everything just comes together so nicely that it's already flavorful on its own. Also, their steak is pretty good! I still prefer chicken, but man, they can grill a good fajita steak. When we order the chicken/steak fajitas for two, it comes with a lot of food that is enough to feed our family of 4 (includes two little boys) with no leftovers. It comes with 6 tortillas, and they do charge you for extra. For under $40, I think the meal is worth it because it feeds my entire family, and it comes with so many toppings/sides. After making all the fixings and sides at home, I appreciate this meal so much more! I don't really care for the free chips and salsa too much because I've had better at other restaurants, but that's probably a good thing or else I would eat too much and regret it later. lol The waiter Thomas is the BEST! (: He is extremely friendly and amazing. He has great customer service and treats you like family. The restaurant is tucked away and seems sketchy because of the location, but it's definitely worth a try!

I have been going to this place since the early 80's. The food is amazing and the prices are amazing!! My kids take their kids there! Generations of satisfaction!! Good People, great service. Try it and you will appreciate the service and dedication to bringing food and family together!! A hidden gem... it is!

Stopped in for dinner last week, and loved it! Queso was traditional and tasty! The chips were thin and crisp! I loved the chalupas and beans! Excellent iced tea and Splenda! Frozen margarita had a great flavor. Wait staff was lively. The inside reminds me of an old school texmex in a tiny town. Comfortable. At 5:30 on a Friday night, it was filling up with regulars!

It's all good, never disappointed, great food, friendly people, fair prices. My favorite Mexican restaurant

The food was delicious. Even as to go. The place itself was relaxed and the employees were friendly and attentive

The food is always great here and the service is too !!! We have been to both locations and it has been consistent. Love their queso and grilled chicken. They don't have sweet tea though.... Maybe they will look into that. You will have a nice dinner and treated well. So go and enjoy some great Mexican food. The ambiance is a family friendly establishment.

The portions are huge and I could only eat about half of my burrito but it was So delicious. The service is a little slow but they were pretty busy when we went so I don't think it's that big of a deal. Very cute spot with good margs!

Very disappointing. Carpet old & gross. Queso with ground beef was watery like soup. Servers unimpressive and lazy. Horrible, actually. Never again. They haven't even claimed this Yelp page. Not sure why the owners haven't claimed their Yelp page, so they can respond to customers comments.

I finally made it to this long time mini chain tex-mex spot after driving by both of their locations for many years. I figure if they can stay in business since 1971, they must do something right. This location smells musty on the inside and you'll notice it as soon as you step inside. Their first test on food is the chips and salsa. These were pretty good and the sauce is runny and fairly spicy for a restaurant. Its more an orange-ish red in color than red, like many other restaurants. I tried the beef fajitas of course. Their fajitas are about $18 for one and you save only $1 dollar by ordering for 2. Their lunch menu doesn't have either beef or chicken fajitas. The closest they have is fajitas al carbon. The fajitas are somewhat lacking in presentation. No sizzling platter with steam coming to the table. They just give you a plate with a metal section that fits on the plate that holds the fajitas. Their cheese is fancy shredded, which not many Mexican restaurants do and they place it on the plate with rice and beans. Other than presentation, their fajitas were tasty, plentiful and I would come back to order them for sure. Overall, I would give them a 3.5, but with the processed cheese in the quesadillas, and the musty interior odor, I have to drop it to a 3. I also added a cheese quesadilla and this was somewhat sad for real cheese enthusiasts. The cheese inside is probably processed or a mix of real and processed. The cheese didn't really melt during the entire meal, which other than taste was a tell-tale sign.

I. LOVE. EL GALLO. I have been coming to this exact location since I was 15 y/o and I'm in my early 30's now. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is soooo good. I usually get the Taco Al Carbon with queso on top and it's to die for, the chicken soup, to die for, the soft chicken tacos, to die for, the margaritas, to die for, the queso, sooooooooooooooo good! Hahah! I sincerely love this place! Everyone is so kind, friendly, and ready to feed you! Lol! Looks can be deceiving for sure but if you're in the C-Y-P, you HAVE to check it out! 12/10

A longtime Cypress favorite! it's good to see familiar faces at El Gallo- manager Hector, waiters and regular customers! Feels like home! Enchiladas and fajitas are my favorites! Taco meat tasty! Has a "room" for small groups to be separated. Separate checks no problem! never disappoints!

I have been coming back to Cypress for over 40 years to eat here. I love their cheese. I come back for it, crave it. I don't know what it is, but their cheese is just different. I have never found better cheese and beef enchiladas, beans and rice. Never. They are the best, always consistent, good texture and flavor. The same guys have a worked there for years. The same pics on the walls--I like that. The sameness is what makes El Gallo special. I am almost 55 now. I was in 8th grade when we moved to Cypress and started coming to El Gallo regularly. I have since travelled All over Texas eating Mexican food. There are fancier places, sure. But when you ask me where I really want to eat more than anywhere else, El Gallo is my first choice.

Visited my go-to Mexican spot tonight. The Tex-Mex Especial is one of my favorite menu items. The food and service did not disappoint.

One of my favorite Houston gems! Always come here and it never fails. But fan of Al carbon tacos, definitely get an order of grilled onions and peppers on the side "Chile's toreados". Big portions, welcoming staff and cozy place

Service is top notch. I like the enchiladas the best. Quesadillas were ok but not as good as the enchiladas. Prices are very affordable

Very good local Mexican restaurant and and they give you big portions. Also the best margarita I've had in a long time.

Was not impressed at all. When we arrived our waiter was quick to rush us while ordering. I mean he was actually grabbing the menu while we were still looking at the menu. We got an app of their signature dip with spicy meat. It was luke warm and when asked to reheat it, the dip came out with the entree's. Well I didn't need it anymore. The enchiladas we're good and so was the fajita meat. The only problem I have with this place is the service. Our waiter was a downer. The whole experience was ruined due to his lack of service to the customers. When we asked for the check he simply walked away from us while we were still asking questions to him. When we asked for a to-go box he quickly disappeared. What's wrong with this picture? I was very disappointed.

First time here in about 20 years. The quest, chips, and salsa are as perfect as I remembered!

We love this restaurant. My family has been dining here for over 30 years. The food is delicious! The service is quick and friendly at this cozy, neighborhood spot!

I love the customer service here, prices are great and the margaritas are tasty. Wish they were open on Sunday's but nonetheless we love El Gallo's

I have been going to El Gallo all of my life. I have loved it always. Management made a recipe change years ago to save money. After a few people said it wasn't as good, they promptly changed back to the original. I have always appreciated that. The place is big enough to fit a lot of people but still feels cozy.

Wonderful food. Been coming here since the mid 1950s. Service fell off for a while in the early 1960s but since about 1965, no one can compete with El Gallo.

If you are looking for Houston's best fajitas, where you can taste the grill in the sizzle of the steak and the servings are large enough you always take some home, then this is your place! El Gallo is our Monday night hole-in-the-wall. We're at the point that we don't even order anymore, Thomas' only question for us is 'Steak or Chicken?' The margaritas are strong and flavorful, the queso is thick and hot, and the service is *always* spot on. Don't let the empty tables in the first part of the week scare you- this place is HOPPING on Friday and Saturday nights.

Food was okay and only had one server during lunch crowd. Very bland for Mexican food.

Really loved this place! Recommended by a friend. Ate the cheese enchilada which has a nice flavor; also loved the chalupa and flauta. Frozen margarita was tasty too. All that for just at $21

This restaurant is the sister restaurant of the same name on Gessner that I have eaten at. There, I had the chicken fajitas about a year ago and it was good. Recently I had dinner here one weekday night and ordered a dinner they had on special that night, pechuga poblano. The chips and salsa came out and was followed by the entree about 10-15 minutes later. The chicken breast covered by the poblanos and sauce was good. I enjoyed it and would order it again. Table service was also good. El Gallo has been in Houstin for a long time and offers good food at reasonable prices. I think of it as a 3.5 level of restaurant.

My fav Tex mex restaurant. Been going here over 3 decades and the waiters know my favorites. Always friendly, fast, good service. And the food is tasty!! We miss Ernesto so much and always think of him when we dine here. When we have guests visit, we always take them to El Gallo.

The food is good but don't go for the margaritas. Excellent charro beans and fajitas/pico. The frozen margaritas were terrible...way too sweet like they had too much triple sec and not competitively priced.

Could've sworn we checked the reviews months ago, and this place had great ratings. But today I'm seeing, after we already ate there, that the reviews have taken a downward turn. Pretty much matches what we saw today. Walked in, excited to try this place. The man at the desk wasn't on the phone or busy. But he waved us away and said to sit anywhere. It was clear our walking in annoyed him. So, we sat. But we should've left right then. We ordered taco salads. They were small bowls of lettuce with very little in the way of toppings. Very disappointing. And very bland. We shared a taco plate. The shells were so thin that when you picked them up they fell apart before you could take a bite. So, about that taco plate: during our meal, a woman who wasn't our waitress came rushing up and put her hand on only that plate of food we were still finishing and tried to take it. She didn't try to take the other plates we were done with, and had piled up near the end of the table for them. She wanted only the one plate we weren't done with. It was shocking and all we could do after telling her to leave it was to laugh. There was a momentary push and pull game over the plate and then she sighed heavily as she got the requested take home container. We still don't understand what she was doing. She had to reach over all of the plates that we were done with to try for this one full plate. And she was moving faster than anyone else in the entire place. She hadn't come near us before that for anything. Our experience was strange to say the least. The workers, all except for our waiter, were lazy and rude. Almost positive it was as simple as this: We were not the correct kind of people to be eating there. If that's not it, they sure did make it seem that way. Wouldn't fight to eat there again anyway. It wasn't good.

El Gallo has been my go to Mexican Restaurant for almost 40 years. I have watched many others come and go over the years. El Gallo has always maintained the same high quality ingredients and terrific service. Keep up the Great Work! The family owns 2 El Gallo locations as well as Guadalajara and Escalantes.

Had a taco al carbon with beef, nothing spectacular. We were waited on right away and the bill was dropped off not long after the plates were put on the table. Quick and easy lunch but prices were a little high for what we got and for the quality. I probably won't go back.

Linda Mendoza in the last week At my first visit i had a very nice delicious meal but my second visit was not that well i had order flautas and i could only eat one so the other one i took home as my left over the first flauta was very delicious but the next day i decide to eat my leftovers and i heated up my meal in the microwave and as i was eating my flauta i felt something hard i stopped chewing and what was in my chicken was half of a toothpick and i said wtf then i cut up my flauta and found another one and at that point i stopped eating i couldnt eat anymore afraid that i would find more what if i would of swallow that omg my thoughts were scarying me . Please be careful when you eat flautas there.

We were not expecting our meal to be as expensive as it was. El Gallo does NOT have a website with its most recent menu on it. Everything we ordered was $3-5 more than it was last year. So all of the photographs of their menu that are online are incorrect. The food quality did not go up, though. They forgot the lettuce, pico and shredded cheese that comes with the fajitas. The puff that comes with the El Patron plate was soggy. The flauta was not crispy either. It was very disappointing for what we paid.

From the moment I walked in I knew this place was going to be basic. But my wife said it had good reviews so we went. No one brought us to our table and the place smelled like old carpet. The chips and salsa were not good and the server extremely rude. I had cheese enchiladas which I do not recommend. Perhaps other items on the menu might be good but the ambiance and service are subpar.

I have been coming here my entire life as well as my family. My mom used to eat here when she was pregnant with me and I ate here when I was pregnant with my daughter. I'm 35 now and still coming to eat here. The salsa is so good , as well as the queso. I usually order the Uno A , which comes with a beef crispy taco , guacamole salad, a queso puff, and a cheese enchilada. I'd love to get my hands on the salsa recipe.

Oh their food was super good! It had been years since I've been here. I've had high hopes this last visit, but man, that quickly was a letdown. As soon as my boyfriend and I sat down at our table, a gentleman who looked like the manager was at the register counting the money. Everything was cool until he took OFF his mask to sneeze all over the counter. He then proceeded to take care of a couple who was ready to pay. It was completely unsanitary and ruined my whole experience there. He didn't bother to sanitize afterwards but continued his way and let others touch. The other employees didn't know so they touched the counter he sneezed on and touched all of our table. That was the last straw, I will not be returning to El Gallo anymore for this reason. Until they enforce the COVID-19 safety precautions for everyone, then maybe.

Fajitas are excellent here! Charro beans as well. It literally took them 90 seconds to bring out the steaming skillet of beef fajitas, very impressive. The salsas were also pretty good, and spicy.

One of the best and most recognized restaurants in Cypress- feeding generations of families and supporting the community. Friendly faces, good customer service and great food at reasonable price. There are plenty of options and one can never go wrong with the Chicken Fajitas or Quesadillas!

This place draws a pretty good crowd of regulars. Friendly waitstaff, etc. Very clean place, I was hit with a smell of cleaner when I walked in at 5 PM on a Friday. It wasn't very busy at that time but by the time we left, the place was packed. The salsa, if you can call it that, is SO weird! It was just like a big bowl of runny hot sauce, and an odd taste. I pawed thru the salsa with my fork to see if there was anything recognizable in it. I found a couple of shards of tomato, but there they were few and far between. It seems like whatever salsa they have, they put thru the blender. In fact, to refill, they bring out a giant pitcher and pour it - it pours like a super thin milkshake. Our first bowl of chips was entirely made up of little broken pieces. The second bowl was better, with whole, complete chips. They were pretty good actually. The queso was another oddity. It was a strange light yellow and looked like fake cheese. It could have been powdered cheese as it was a little gritty. I was pleasantly surprised with my tacos al carbon order. I had one beef and one chicken. The beef had a nice rich smoky flavor and was tender. The chicken was moist and grilled. The charro beans were okay, the rice was fluffy and tasty and you get plenty of it. There were a lot of 'repeat offenders' as I call the regulars. Lots of families with small children and a couple of large groups. If they had better salsa, I would be back. As it is now though....no.

Food is great,service is excellent.They have big plates at fair prices.Our waters checked up on us often and were very nice.And from the jump welcomed my family with a warm and happy welcome.

I really love the design of this place more than the food even though the food is pretty delicious alone. This is the second time I have dined at this restaurant and I still had a great time with the staff, food, and experience. The chef/owner is always coming around the tables, conversing with the customers and making sure we have everything we need and I find that very professional that the owner is taking his time and expressing that he actually cares about what his customers think. One of my favorite Mexican restaurants to dine in while visiting Texas. They have a great selection on the menu and the prices are affordable. I'm not sure how long they have been in business but they are doing very well and doing it right. Food is heavy but a great treat!

Childhood favorite and still my favorite as an adult! Love the enchiladas and queso. Service is spot on, as well!

It had been a while since I visited this restaurant. It has been here for at least the 23 years I lived in this part of town, but with so many dining options in the area, I have often overlooked this place. Not anymore! I re-discovered this place on the evening of Cinco de Mayo, and I was thrilled when they told me over the phone that there would be about a twenty or thirty minute wait. (What? Friday evening at 7pm) Other restaurants I called had 1 or 2 hour waits, and I was hungry. The hostess was gracious and said she would put my name on the wait list so we headed over straight away. When we arrived, there were people waiting outside. We were disappointed that there was no bar to wait at, but my wife was able order her a margarita from the wait station. On the rocks and deceptively strong, it hit the spot. Although very crowded, the three young hostesses were operating like a well oiled machine and I had even seen them bussing some tables. They also were apoligizing about everyone's wait and were extremely polite. A definite positive to our dining experience. We were seated about 35 minutes from the time I made the phone call so we were extremely happy. Since they were crowded, we ordered straight away. I ordered the daily special of chicken fajitas with poblano peppers. The chicken was properly seasoned and tender. The poblano pepper rings and the melted cheese on the hot plate gave my tacos a great flavor profile and texture. (5 stars) It was also great right off the platter. My wife ordered a combo meal. She appeared to enjoy the chalupa the best (she called it a taco salad with the crispy lettuce and pico on top), but there was so much food with plenty to take home. The cheese enchilada was great the next day. Her plate was standard fare for the area (4 stars), but I am looking forward to trying other special items that use fresh ingredients. Despite it being busy, service was pretty good. Everything came out in reasonable time, and management checked on us a couple of time. I really got an impression that they appreciated our business as we were thanked a few times. I will be supporting this local family business.

Yummy cheesy enchiladas and delicious stuffed bell pepper dish topped with eggs! They provided outstanding customer service! Highly recommended!

I struggled a little with my decision on this place. Some of the food was really good, like the carne asada. Very tender and an exceptional flavor. The charro beans and rice were better than average. However, with the good comes the bad. We ordered the "El Gallo" dip, and it came out luke warm. I asked if they could reheat it, which they did. Ernesto brought it back out piping hot, but it was so runny it was like water. None the less, the flavor was that of taco meat and can chili mixed with cheese. My partner had the enchiladas and they were decently good. So not a total bust, but could use some improvement on some food items. What was a complete fail was the lack of attentiveness from most of the staff. There was one Waitress who was on point and always kept our drinks full. Although, full meant brining a styrofoam cup from the back with soda to refill them. A little strange to see, I must admit. Ernesto came across as pushy as he seemed too busy to actually interact with patrons. He was all business, and kind of rushed the experience. Before we received the check I asked Ernesto for a to-go box. We sat patiently waiting as he took others orders. We paid the check, card was brought back. Yet still no to-go box. I counted 7 employees standing 15 feet away right by the boxes. To no avail, I had to get up and ask again for a box. Although there were a few good things about this establishment, I cannot say that any of them were enough to bring me back. Maybe if I strictly wanted enchiladas or fajita meat. That's a big maybe.

El Gallo has been a favorite of my family for over 10 years. We come here whenever we're in the mood for a quick and easy Tex-Mex meal. What really draws us here is the salsa and queso. I know the salsa can be hit-or-miss depending on the person, but we absolutely love it and can't get enough! Often times, we order a liter of the stuff to take home. The queso is just as great, if not better. Usually, we end up filling up on chips and dips before the food even comes out, and that's fine with us since the entrées really aren't what we come here for. They're basic and do the job but nothing to write home about. Based on the awesome dips and so-so entrées, I'd give this place a 3 star review. But what really makes it deserving of more is the fantastic service. They're quick with refills, willing to adapt any entrée to your needs, and always friendly!

A new favorite Mexican restaurant! I love their salsa and the queso dip. I had the beef chalupas for lunch. I can tell the refried beans were homemade - not canned. Delicious!

This is my husband's favorite Tex-Mex in Houston. It's been around over 40 years and his dad used to come here when he was younger!! The staff is very welcoming and kind - makes us feel so happy to be there. We came today for my husband's birthday. I tried the stuffed peppers this time and it was really delicious! Their queso is also always yummy! We definitely recommend this place