El Mezcal Mexican Grill

This place used to be called El Sol, and I hadn’t been back in about three years—since the El Sol days. Honestly, coming back after so long made me think of that “look how they massacred my boy” scene from The Godfather. I don’t know what happened to this place, but it genuinely made me sad, because the food used to be really good, with great vibes and service. When I sat down, the first thing I noticed was the seating: scratched up and torn, like an old bus seat that’s been through history. Not a great first impression. The chips were also way too oily. For the food, I tried enchiladas (chicken and beef) and tacos. Both meats felt low quality: you can tell with just one bite. The beef tasted weird to me, and while the chicken was okay, it still didn’t feel like the quality I remembered. The tacos didn’t taste authentic to me either, and I didn’t even finish the one with the beef filling. I really wanted this experience to go well, and I gave El Mezcal every chance to hit me with the same magic El Sol used to have, but it just didn’t. They’ll need to improve a lot to get back to the level El Sol was at.

Came here after a college visit and go glad we did. They were quick and kind. My husband ordered chicken enchiladas and taco. I think he really liked it since it was gone quickly! I ordered 2 street tacos; one carne asada and one al pastor, and both were very good. My daughter ordered the enchiladas suizas, which was really good! We'll be visiting again next time we go to Cape Girardeau.

El Sol has the best salsa I’ve ever had at a Mexican restaurant. They do $1 tacos on Tuesday that are good but a little dry. However, they are cheaper and way better than Taco Bell. The other items on their menu are great as well. I haven’t had anything I didn’t like there. Recommend the margarita! They recently added $2 street tacos to their taco Tuesday option. My wife and I loved the steak. Chicken option was a bit bland. I think they do a pork version but we didn’t try it. Pics are of one of my chicken tacos. I added queso on top. The other is a kid’s chicken cheese and rice. Update: added pictures of chicken and steak street tacos.

Visiting from Colorado, and I must say this place exceeded my expectations on every level! Food was amazing, especially their queso fundido! Their Potato Chip Nachos are so delicious, I ordered them as my main entree. The drink specials are the best, with the best margarita and beer prices in town!!! Definitely will be returning! Great staff, thank you for great service!!

Great food, enjoyable experience, possible that they just didn’t have enough clientele for lunch that day, but it felt a little rushed. Would recommend if you are in town!

10 of us Saturday with no reservations got good quick tasty service Dessert first meant we tried all of them with the Xango deep fried cheesecake the favorite Only issue was the Sol dip was so liquidy that the thin chips turned mushy.

This place is exactly average Missouri style Mexican food. It's not bad in any way it's just kind of missing the spice, the flavor, any real authentic Mexican influence. Definitely a "queso cheese" spot. I will say dos Equis on draft... The highlight of my visit.

Love this place. Portions were good sized and food had great taste. Salsa super fresh and crispy thin chips. Priced well. Will be back.

Sadly I forgot to get a photo of my food, but it was delicious! I liked the salsa here and the chips were crispy, thin and salty which are my favorite kind. We shared the queso and I had the chicken fajitas. Really good. The restaurant was clean and the service was quick and friendly. I would eat here again.

Went for local restaurant after the Eclipse and found El Sol. Right near the Old Town but good parking around the side. Wonderful service and food. Food photos in the menu lok exactly like what they served us. Would definitely go back if I lived 5 hours closer!

I've been going here for years, when I was in college, and every time I come back down to visit. The food and drinks are great, it comes out quickly, they're extremely affordable, and the service is incredible. I came in town for the eclipse and left my glasses at the table when I left. They went as far as mailing them back to me in another town. If that doesn't show how they treat their customers, then I don't know what does! I will be going here for a long time and always recommend it to everyone.

I do not live in Cape, but I do spend a lot of time here. My keto version of El Sol was a very good experience. I looked them up before deciding to drive here and was excited to see happy hour specials. I picked my half off appetizer and hit the road. My half off queso fundido was amazing. It could have been my meal! I had no idea when I ordered it, how big it was going to come out. Honestly my main entree was very lackluster in comparison, so. I'm not even going to mention it. Definitely get the queso fundido and if you happen to be there by yourself like I was, you need no other food, I promise! Also, service was great too!

Food was excellent!! There menu is good, varied, and explains the ingredients for dishes. The Service was very good. Since we were these at 4:15 in the afternoon, there was only a few customers. However. By the time we left, it was getting busy. It's off the beaten path, but we'll worth the visit. They have "Specials" every night of the week. Monday night is "$2 Margarita Night." . Every table/booth is well spaced so you're not crowded or overwhelmed by others! We would definitely recommend it for travelers looking for a casual place to have a great meal & recharge! Cerviche.

Margaritas are great with many different flavors! Try the double cheese stack burrito with queso poured on top if you're feeling brave!

It's been a while since we had been in, at least 6 months I'm sure, even then it wasn't great like it had been a year ago even. Sunday night there were 2 servers and 5 tables. Our server was terrible at best. He took our drink order, 2 waters and 2 of the same blue sky margaritas. We waited 20 min for drinks, even the water. During the 20 min wait we asked twice for chips and salsa. We ordered our food when the drinks came, still no chips and salsa. When our food came out, that is when we finally got chips and salsa. Food was barely warm, most of my chicken tasted like shrimp. The chicken and cheese didn't come with the tortillas, we had to ask for them. The fajita nachos has literally 2 bell pepers in the entire dish and barely any cheese. This was my favorite place to eat for a few years but it has gone down hill so bad we would have been better off going to Taco bell. Sure would have been a lot cheeper too.

We visit El Sol every time we visit from Atlanta. It is my FAVORITE Mexican restaurant anywhere. They have a huge variety of flavored margaritas which are delicious. They have a huge menu and everything is delicious. I have a severe gluten allergy and every time We visit they pan fry a special batch of GF chips which no restaurant ever does for me. We live in north Atlanta with a massive amount of great restaurants. Unfortunately I've not found one in Atlanta that I like better than El Sol. If they had one where we live I'd eat there every week.

A little cut above the rest of the Mexican joints here in Cape! Table side guacamole is the best made fresh in front of you and even has Pomegranate in it. Texture is a little thick and substantial. Mango margaritas rule here. Thick and sweet and pack a punch like Chuck Liddell. One reason they are so good is the fact that all of the owners have worked in other Mexican places and then partnered up to form this place. Full bar, outside seating and meeting rooms upstairs.

The food was cold , the drinks where watered down, the waiter he was some young kid so rude got the order wrong 3 times, then lied about what we told him we got , the place is not kid friendly at all , how can some place not be kid friendly and call them self's a family restaurant.

I would give zero stars if I could. Our waiter made the RUDEST suggestive look at one of my friends based on what she ordered. Then the manager (Richard) and the waiter proceeded to tell my friend they were sorry she FELT like that's how it came off. The manager did pay for our meal, however, that doesn't change what happened. My friends and I will never be eating here again and that waiter should be fired. He knows what he did.

Awesome Happy Hour Prices and food are fab. Frozen Margaritas have such a kick! queso fundido :) amazing

Margarita Mondays are the move. Not many things in life are as nice as a $2, 16oz marg.

El Sol restaurant located next to the SEMO University campus is a good place to get your Mexican food fix in Cape G. Big thumbs up for tableside guacamole, a rarity in the Cape G area! I liked the Vaquero special with shrimp, chicken, and steak bathed in cheesy awesomeness! The service is efficient. I was not sure if they would be able to keep up with the crowds considering the restaurant just opened a couple of months ago, but the staff did well. The ambiance is lively and bustling. The restaurant has been packed these couple of weeks during prime dining hours. Be prepared to park farther and bundle up!

Wow!! The service was incredible. Our waitress was Sierra and she was excellent in giving recommendations and just overall being a great server. The food was amazing and I can't wait to eat my leftovers! 10/10 would recommend. definitely coming back.

We used to go there every Sunday and sometimes invite our cousins so including babies that was twenty-one people!They always gave us enough seating and we didn't need to sit at different tables.The food came in a ten to twenty-five minute wait and tasted amazing

No salt on chips, queso is just hot milk, waited 45 minutes for some below average mexican food, then it comes out on a child's plate, should've went to taco bell instead

If you're looking for the same crappy "Mexican food" of SEMO, you've found it! Just say no to Mexican food in this region. It's awful.

You literally couldn't pay me to eat this watered down garbage. Not even the margaritas are good. The male servers/cooks are pigs who try to hit on everyone and then act horribly when you shut them down. This place is only open because the college kids can afford it and drink underage.

Not the best experience. Good things: the service was great (and only reason for the 2 stars). Bad things: the food seems like it was cafeteria grade, not very fresh, and possibly microwaved. I ordered a margarita, and it was the sweetest and most watered down I have ever had. I had a few sips and that was it. I could not stomach it. I won't be back. :(

Love this Mexican restaurant! Salsa is on point, thin crisp tortilla chips, good happy hour specials, and a great downtown location! Only con to this place is how loud it gets when they super busy on weekend nights.

College students, welcome. Families are not. I came here on a Sunday afternoon with a group of 6 in a mostly empty restaurant. We were seated against the wall, far away from any other person around. Our waiter refused to look us in our eyes and often would approach us from behind instead of from the front. Unacceptable.

Parking was a little bit of a pain but the food was good. Drinks were strong. Hats off to the bartender that kept out party going.

Finally. A decent & authentic taste of Mexico. Good food & drink. Enjoyed greatly. Flavorful & well prepared.

After a negative experience, I would love to say this restaurant has succeeded in their qualities of good people and good food! Well done.

Food was at our table super fast. No wait time literally from the time I walked in. The food was delicious. Service was great. There was parking up front.

One of my favorite spots for mexican food. The decor is really cool, the food is always good. I'm pretty easy going & don't tend to gripe much, so like most of the businesses I frequent, I'm typically well taken care of from start to finish.

I ordered the cerviche. It was very good. I will go back again! I was very pleased with the service and the food.

I love this restaurant it's so good love there food staff is friendly and good there guacamole is amazing and so is the salsa and cheese dip

Worst experience ever waitress threw silver ware at me and didn't bring correct drinks , took 30 minutes to order ! And was very dirty !!!!!!! Would love to find a decent restaurant around this area

I came again and I had way better food and So Sols. Because of their Costumer Service director. It was way better this time.

I love coming here, but the service is hit and miss! I have been coming here for three years and the food is always great but sometimes (even when the entire place is empty) it takes forever to be served.

This place sucks the chips are paper thin and the margaritas taste like pee. One waitress in particular sucks.

Great food and atmosphere. They make a great table side guacamole. I would recommend this place to anyone .

Bartender Angel was horrible. Order came out wrong. Enchilada sauce wasn't had a funky taste, my guest agreed. Took forever to get the check and we sat right next to the bar where the machine was. He stood around or lingered. Didn't ask for SEMO id even though it is right across the street from the university. I handed my id to him but the person I was with was getting his out and he walked away. When asked getting the check if he could apply it he told us to go see the manager up front. I called to speak with the manager and he acted like it was no big deal that we should have come up front instead of the bartender fixing the issue. The parking lot has objects sticking out of it. Bad for walking and driving on. Prices are hiked, although you'd think to draw students they would be competitive. Horrible. I won't be back. Won't recommend it.

My favorite Mexican restaurant in town. The food is always fresh. They're house margarita is superb and the table side guacamole is so fresh.

The server brought me the wrong drink, so I asked if he would take it back and bring me the drink I had requested. He did so. When I was finished with my requested drink 30 min later, he brought me the wrong drink he had originally brought me and said it was free since he made a mistake. I had some of the drink, it was good but not my first choice and it had been sitting on the bar for 30 min. When the server brought the bill he asked if my husband was a "good man". Then he said that we could have the drink he brought me free or we could pay for it since I drank some of it. This put us in an awkward position, that I do not hope for when out to eat. We could have said no and not paid, but I figured the restaurant would require the server to pay for the drink out of his own pocket, if we hadn't. I worked as a server through college, we made mistakes, but we were never required to pay for them. To me, this is not a great way to treat your employees and it puts the customer in a bad situation. For this reason, I will never return for fear I will end up in the predicament again.

Stay away. Second visit and I don't think the place has been cleaned since the last time I was here, four months ago. I returned last week with my daughter and it was just awful. First of all, the floor was dirty. And I mean DIRTY. There was crap and food and pieces of napkin all over the place and we got there at 12:15. I can't believe all of it was from Sunday's lunch service. We were seated in the bar and I noted that El Sol has added about 5 more giant tvs with blaring sound. Our table appeared to be clean, but the menus were not. My daughter wanted to leave right away, and we should have. Instead, we ordered our food and then regretted it. My daughter ordered nachos and they were soggy and flavorless. I ordered a combo with a taco, rice, and beans. It was just terrible. We were near the back door and there were flies everywhere. Stay away!

This is the best Mexican restaurant in Cape Girardeau. It is conveniently located right next to campus for SEMO students. The table side guacamole is AMAZING!! I cannot remember the name of what I order but it is steak, chicken, shrimp and pineapple served in a half of a pineapple. It's fantastic!

Good food, bad service! One of the Managers is very unfriendly! They have raised their prices in the past 6 months. The kitchen is filthy

SOL disappointing. We were there on Friday the 20th at 5:30. It was busy but we got seated right away. The waiter got our order promptly and the food came out on time. The fajita combo double was very generous portion and side was your usual canned rice and refries. The guacamole was decent. So OK, what was wrong? The flavor. There must have been a Gringo in the kitchen. Everything lacked chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt, cilantro and every other spice. Nothing was spicy. Oh you could taste the vegetables and see maybe spice on the chicken. But where's the Mex???? My wife is Mexican and she KNOWS how to cook it. We go out to eat only if we are in Cape. So we try out new places. Surely someone could have got their Abuela in there.

This is one of the best Mexican restaurants I have ever been to. The food is amazing, the service was wonderful and the perfect margarita was the best I have ever had! You have to try this! So amazing!!

Worst food ever! Only gave it a star because It wouldn't let me add a review without it. Not to mention the service was terrible. First off we ordered an el sol dip. Did we ever get it? Nope so bad from the start. Then we got our food and holy moly! Taco Bell would be better than this. The food was bland and generic. No taste and not real Mexican food by any means. Why any one would ever eat this and enjoy it is beyond me. Oh and don't get me started on the drinks. The top shelf margarita was decent. The skinny tasted like lime juice straight out of the lime juice green bulb. No agave in that for sure. Worst place ever I will never ever go won't even look that way! Not Mexican by any means. Go to Muy bueno if you want real food!

Best Mexican restaurant in Cape! Love the table-side guacamole and the food is really good. Like the choice of black beans or refried beans (black!).

We work at SEMO and eat here often throughout the week. Their made-in-front-of-you guac is AMAZING! Husband loves the chicken soup and I love Diann's favorite. They have some different types of Mexican cuisine, rather than your typical menu. The wait staff and management are awesome, and they are wonderful about supporting community organizations (IE: REDHAWKS!). A go-to spot for us!!!

I was not happy. The sauce for the chips tasted like the fridge with a side smell of spoilage. My Margarita was watered down and tasted like canned juice. I ordered the seafood nachos and the smell hit me before it reached the table. It was the bad and I mean bad seafood smell. I did taste it and wished I had not. I reordered what my husband had a steak vaquero. The meat was ok but I bent my fork trying to cut it. The onions and mushrooms with it were just ok. The foil wrapped flour tortilla was pasty and inedible. The pasty cheese topped chips were soggy and greasy. I now do not feel well and will never eat here again. If I could give less than one star I would!

By far, my favorite Mexican restaurant in Southeast Missouri. Great food, great atmosphere! The only negative to this place is the parking. Very difficult to find a place to park on busy weekend nights! The food is fantastic, though.

Fair at best. Very bland for Mexican. Lack of complexity and spice in general. Guacamole pretty good but meal went down rapidly after that. VERY noisy. Probably won't go back.

My wife and I were visiting family in town and this was the only place open late. So we ordered our food to go and ate back at our hotel. I had the mole rojo and it tasted fine but a couple of hours later I woke up in a cold sweat and people know the rest.i got sick all night long and couldn't sleep. I called my mother who is a doctor and told her my symptoms and she said that it was food poisoning. I will never eat at this place ever again. Thanks for keeping me up all night in pain.