El Rey Burrito Lounge

An absolutely phenomenal experience, maybe the time I spent on the West Coast hit the nostalgia but this place checked all the boxes (ignore the politics, San Diego is a fun town). Let's start with the vibe - cozy but a split of outdoor and indoor seating pairs well with a decorative style that takes you back to the 80s. The food - several different options from apps to platters to burritos to tacos. The house salsa has a unique flavor profile derived from Chile de Arbol. I went with the OG burrito with barbacoa as the special and the perfectly melted cheese compliments the slow cooked meat perfectly. The specials rotate daily and are worth checking out. The beer menu has a good selection of the usual suspects paired with some varieties sure to satisfy any pallete. Finally, service was TOP notch. Our server was Kyran and we received an answer to every question paired with recommendations that were spot on. Big take away is that the vibe is dope, the service is prime, and the food is satisfying.

I had really high hopes for this spot. Overall, it was definitely worth trying, but not sure I'd make it a point to go again. The atmosphere had a unique vibe, it's a smaller restaurant, not a lot of seating so a party of 5 had to wait about 40 minutes. Everyone was friendly, but the service was a little on the slow side. For the food, you are definitely not getting traditional Mexican food, but my burrito was tasty for the price. The beer list was rather extensive and they offer tequila flights.

I had a very different experience than most reviewers. First, the atmosphere is great. I loved the shady outside area to include koi fish, although there was an annoyingly loud outside fan. Second, our service was great in that it was fast and responsive. However, they brought out our main course when we had barely started on our appetizer, which meant our food was going to get cold. Our waitress said she would remake the food, which seemed highly wasteful and made me feel guilty. I’m not sure if she actually did remake it or if she just set it under a hot light. Unless a customer asks for items to be served together, it is terrible service to bring them this way. Finally, maybe it is because I grew up in Texas, but I don’t see this food as anything authentic or high end or even that great. The queso sounded good on paper but it had a weird texture and was more cheddary than queso blanco. The fajitas were also quite boring. Fajita meat should consist of skirt steak. The tortillas were also quite meh.

Fantastic, healthy meal. I was attracted to the fact that they have both tofu and tempeh as protein options. I ordered the Platter with tempeh and it was so good and healthy. It came with sweet potatoes, black beans, rice and guacamole. Yum!! Look how great it looks in that picture.

I visited El Rey yesterday before an event that was in the area. There was over an hour wait for the first available table but I got lucky and was able to grab two seats at the bar within 5 minutes. They serve one of the best margaritas I have ever had and they have a great drink menu. I ordered 2 street tacos, chips and queso and my only complaint was that I told them that I was allergic to onions and asked to make sure none would be included with my meal. They had onions in their pico de Gallo and were going to leave that off but forgot. It was a busy night so I just dealt with it and the sweet potato street taco was fabulous. I would not have waited an hour so I am glad I was able to sit at the bar, this is definitely one of the better places to eat in Montgomery.

Randomly in town and found this spot. Food was bomb! Service was great! Peach margarita was 10/10! Nachos could feed 3! Multiple tasty salsas. Entrance a bit hidden with trees but they have a funky light arrow situation by the entrance.

A staple of Old Cloverdale, the burrito lounge is a unique but high end take on Tex Mex. Lots of great drinks, and flavors. The rustic outdoor seating can be great at the right times but can occasionally disappoint depending on weather and lighting. This explains the flash needed to photograph my plate. Glad it's been successful for as long as it has and wish then many many more years

We had some fantastic food last weekend. Burrito, a mix of tacos, roasted corn, a mix of chips and dips, margaritas, and tres leches cake!! The bartender knows their stuff and everything was seasoned very well. My favorite was actually the sweet potato taco. It's so good and the goat cheese is a nice addition. Service was also really good as well.

Had dinner with some friends. Food was mediocre at best. One server was very rude. Hostess told us to go outside for a table and waitress lost her mind. Also got food poisoning. Had the fajita.

Seated outside, great service and atmosphere. Chips and sales is a bit pricey. Burrito was excellent. My wife's enchilada was chicken; the meet was dry and over seasoned. Other than that we had a great experience and enjoyed the food. We will be back!

Went here with a large group. Unfortunately, they were really short-staffed, and from one person's food arriving to our last, it was almost a 45-minute difference. The location was nice, with a nice outdoor patio area. The parking was limited, so give yourself extra time to find a parking place. In my large group, the food received good reviews for all of the items except the tacos. I would consider trying again with a smaller group or on a night with enough staff to cover.,

The food, service, drinks. I love it here! I've never had a bad experience. Honestly, I'd go here just got drinks and appetizers. It's good to hangout with family or friends. I recommend their tequila flights. Also, send a round to the kitchen staff. They have good vegetarian options as well.

The food is subpar at best and the service was horrible. Our waitress kept checking in with all the other tables except for ours, for reasons I don't know, but we were the only ones who are deeper on the color spectrum if ya know what I mean!

Best Margaritas Hands down! El Camino & Nice are wonderful! Great Chips, Salsa, Gauc and Queso! Everything is wonderful!!

Cool 70's hipster vibe. Good house margaritas. The enchiladas were however a bit strange. They were not enchiladas at all. There was no enchilada sauce, and there was no filling wrapped by a tortilla as you would expect with an enchilada. It was a bunch of ingredients sitting on top of a dry corn tortilla, again, with no enchilada sauce. Bizarre, but still a cool vibe for drinks.

Nice place with a good vibe. Service was welcoming. Beans were delicious. Guacamole was so so good. Portions we're generou, enough for two.

El Rey Burrito Bar has a really cool and hip ambiance. It is dark and has cool decorations inside. The menu is typical mexican and tex-mex food. They have craft beers but we didn't have any. I went with a small group of 3 around 5:00pm on a saturday. It got pretty busy as dinnertime came, but it wasn't too noisy. The appetizer of nachos is great. I loved the cheesy dip and the salsa. The salsa had a mild spiciness and you could taste the peppers used in the salsa. The portions were really generous for the salsa and the cheese. They also gave us a refill of chips. I ordered pork pastor tacos on a corn tortilla. Overall I liked the two tacos. They did add carrots and a barbeque type sauce which added sweetness to the taco, and I did add spiciness with the hot sauce on the table, but it wasn't a traditional pork pastor. The pork chunks were more like slow cooked pork rather than slices of pork cut from a spit roast, so there wasn't too much of the smoky flavor in the taco. There was also no cilantro. I definitely do prefer the more mexican style of taco here but the tacos they had at El Rey were still good. I also got a side of rice which was decent and inexpensive. Overall I would come back again due to the good tacos and the low price point.

Very cool dark and quaint spot. Great music and locals to people watch! The food and drinks were just ok. It took quite a bit of time to get the one drink I ordered however the waitress comped me for this. I appreciate that. 5 stars because of the vibe-me and my friend enjoyed just sitting there listening to all the great music

Outstanding environment! Great food- amazing cocktails and warm, friendly service! I hope to make it back soon!

Great food!!! A bit too spicy for my taste buds, but recommend this restaurant. Friendly staff and nice atmosphere. Margaritas were delicious as well. The wait was about 45 minutes for an inside table but with that timeframe we were able to head over to Leroys for a nice cocktail in the meantime.

Used to be go to spot since I live in Cloverdale. They have recently updated to an online order system and do not take phone orders. That's fine except with the new online order system; to add any meat to a burrito (or any side) it's $8 rather than $3 listed on the printed menu.

Amazing vibe, service, and food. What a lovely place. Will be back regularly. Simply a wonderful dining experience.

What's to say? A great Mexi-fusion place in the heart of Montgomery! Food was great and drinks were solid (except: no Fireball? Or Jaeger? What is this, *RUSSIA*...? :D ). It was cool to see the cooks hustling while making the food, which was delicious (enchiladas = THE ASSIGNMENT!). Highly recommend!

It's nicely tucked away in Montgomery and I was pleasantly surprised to find a place like this here. It has a nice vibe here and you can choose to either sit inside the dining room or outside on the patio. Since there were no available seats inside, we sat on the patio. Being that we ate in the middle of the summer, it was really humid and my friends were being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Spray yourself with bug spray so you won't get bitten by those pesky insects! Aside from that, there is a large selection of beer and plenty of Mexican food to choose from. We ended up ordering the pork platter and the chicken quesidilla. The pork platter comes with 3 sauces and I chose salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. It also has black and refried beans, rice, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes. It's enough for 2 meals. Nothing too exceptional on the food but it's nice to do something different from the downtown area.

The owner is so kind. Fun ambiance and great food. It's one of Montgomery's little gems.

Wanted to love it.....cool look and location. So dark inside you can't quite see the menu (maybe we are old). Chips tasted like store bought. The quesadilla had bland steak that was dry and the cheese did not match up. The portion is also small for $13 with no sides included. Maybe just caught a bad night.

Terrible service, was told the wait would be 30-45 mins. Ended up waiting almost an hour which was no big deal but then when we asked the hostess if they had possible seating outside for our 8 month olds stroller because they had no high chairs they seemed very frustrated and after finally getting seated we waited another 15 minutes for a waiter to even acknowledge us and then was told by our waiter that no one told him we were outside. After finally ordering, the margarita came out with absolutely no alcohol and the tacos (chicken and steak) and cheese dip came out almost literally ice cold. I feel as though the frustrations from having to accommodate the stroller/baby led to this but this is just my opinion. My wife and I felt as though we were being judged/picked on for having three young children and needing extra assistance. We won't be back if this is how they treat their customers (been going here almost 12 years.)

I had a shrimp burrito it was very tasty.Great place there is not a sign on the road to see where your going but great spot .

Not kid friendly. No changing stations or high chairs for children. When we approached the staff their rebuttal was "our owner doesn't want high chairs and we've operated like this for 20+ years" Food is ok. Overpriced. Will not be back.

Lovely waitress - Becky! Awesome food. Our first time and we will definitely be back. Such amazing atmosphere and you can taste how fresh all the ingredients are and the people!!! Gem in Montgomery. Like no other. Highly recommend

If you're looking for a cool place to grab drinks that has a nice vibe - this is your spot. If you're looking for a good meal, keep going. Came here with my husband super excited because the vibe had us hooked - the outdoor patio is killer. We ordered chips and salsa/guac, a couple tacos each, and a quesadilla. Salsa - fine, better than the guac Guac - seemed like it came from a can, super disappointing. Chips - were mostly all sad broken pieces. Don't be sad chips, I'll still eat you! But seriously if you're charging for chips, shouldn't you give full chips and not chip bits? Taco - spare rib special - the meat was flavorful. Everything else was a hard pass. Also, we paid extra for the "pickled jalapeños" and these also appeared to be from a can and certainly didn't appear to be pickled. Taco - steak - just okay. Wouldn't order again. Quesadilla - waste of money. Weird cheese selection on it as well. Almost seemed like pizza cheese. We didn't even eat half of it. The quesadilla came with sides of rice and beans. The black beans were...interesting. Very aromatic. We couldn't decide if it was fennel or something else. The first few bites were fine but we couldn't really get past that. The rice was nice and it's something I would order again. Last, our check was messed up and we were charged for an extra side of beans. We were in a hurry so chose to not argue it - but make sure you check yours so you are charged properly. Will return for drinks but not the food.

I've already spoken about how much I love El Rey's sister bar, Leroy's. So the good part is that El Rey is kinda like Leroy's: hipster and casual, with a good beer menu. But the bad part is that El Rey is not like Leroy's: Service is so slow and not very friendly. But the other good part is you can get decent "new" mexican food for an ok price in the cutest neighborhood in Montgomery. So the bottom line is: you should go to El Rey while you're in Montgomery, just make sure you also go next door.

The food is average. The ingredients are very fresh, and the presentation is pretty good. The problem is with the seasoning, or lack thereof. Everything kind of tastes exactly the same. My wife loves the place, and I've tried four or five different items, and none of it really seems to be seasoned properly (especially the steak, super bland). The service is usually good, but this is not a place you can drop in for a quick bite to eat. Long wait times every time we have eaten there. NO HIGHCHAIRS. Found that out this evening, but thankfully we had a stroller with us or our 8 mo old would have been a handful. To sum up, the atmosphere is nice, especially the outdoor area. There are tons of beer options, and the margaritas are great. The food is just so disappointing, and even after about 10 visits, totally forgettable. If my wife did not like this place, I would never go back.

The food was amazing, we were very pleasantly surprised. Not from the area but this restaurant was recommended to us. We originally sat outside but moved to the bar after a family with screaming children sat next to us. While the food was amazing, one of the female bartenders was very rude and stand-offish. Would come back for the food, but that employee needs an attitude check.

Worst experience ever. Been here many times before. Tonight brought our kids and their friends for birthday celebration. A male employee went to our underage girls and told them not to stand on the toilet in the bathroom. After my husband and I finally figured out what was happening, we questioned the restaurant. We were told it would be handled, as the man went to our UNDERAGE girls instead of us. They did not stand on the toilet. one of our girls said I'll stand on the toilet if I have to in response to a bug she saw. Come to the parents, not the young girls. you scared them and they didn't want to eat, much less speak after that. next thing we know we stand up to leave after spending $200, and some "general manager" person attacks us saying we are welcome back with open arms, but need to learn how to conduct ourselves and that our table said somethings we shouldn't have. when I tried to ask her what was said, she literally ran away into the kitchen. we left and will not be back. i called after we left, but was hung up on numerous times. our waiter was great, but we won't be back. so sad. we've always loved El Rey's.

I've been coming to El Rey for years and it's still my favorite place in Montgomery. My husband and I eat here once a week. The burritos are the best- period. My husband also really likes the platters and we both love the queso dip. Oh, and you can't go wrong with their margaritas. Finally, check out the taco specials! I've seen complaints about wait for a table. First of all, know that you are going to a smaller, popular place and plan accordingly. Leroy's bar is just down the alley and El Rey will call you when your table is ready. Just got a drink at Leroy's? They will give you a to-go cup. Yes, sometimes the food takes a while because they are usually slammed. But they will make that up to you- we recently got a free PITCHER of margaritas for our wait. If you are someone who wants to shove food in your face as fast as possible then leave, don't come here. The environment is relaxed and fun and we would like to keep it that way.

Came here for a special occasion on a Saturday night. They were very busy but managed to get our large party seated in about 40 minutes. The service was quick and very solid throughout the dinner. I shared a pitcher of margaritas with a friend. The margaritas were definitely good and not a bad price for how much was in the pitcher. I tried a friend's raspberry margarita and I actually liked it better than the lime I got. We shared the trio of dips which had salsa, queso, and guacamole. The salsa was nothing special. I enjoyed the guacamole the most. The queso tasted like Rotel which isn't bad but not the traditional queso you think of. I had the barbacoa quesadilla for my entree. It was seasoned very well and had great tasting beef. It didn't come with sour cream and they charged me for asking for a side of it. I felt that a creaminess was needed so I think it should come with it at no extra charge. Overall a cool place to grab some food or drinks.

The restaurant is a cool looking place. Except way to dark can't see menus. Service was Good. But the food is not it, made my family have a sick feel in there stomachs. I don't know if we got the wrong items off the menu or if it's just the place in general.

Experts say that when it comes to Mexican food, El Rey does not come even close to good, or authentic. Despite this, business is booming and they had people waiting out the door on a Wednesday night. Could people be so desperate? Yes I guess we were. At least they seated us. And at least they turned on the heat lamps outside, after two requests. The burrito came, wrapped sadly in tin foil, sitting by itself on a plate. Not really relished, it left partly uneaten. And that concludes the story of the sad steak burrito. And I will be going to the taco truck in Birmingham to satisfy all future Mexican food cravings.

Had an excellent take out experience. Malditos were super spicy but delicious. Same with the pastor quesadilla, but mostly because I added green chilies to it which are added heat. Rice is just meh but I'm not a rice fan in general so draw your own conclusion. Same with the beans. They were good... for beans. I happily let my share of those go to enjoy the sweet potato side dish which we added goat cheese to. Superb! Order the tres leches for dessert and even though I only had a few bites, they were just the perfect touch to the end of spicy meal. A+++ for takeout food late on a Saturday night. Wait was minimal and staff was friendly. Glad to have this spot in the neighborhood!

If this were a place in Los Angeles, hipsters galore would probably flock here. But wait, we're in Montgomery Alabama...but you know what....the wait here is pretty ridiculous if you're with a group of 6 or more. Come around 7pm on a Tuesday and expect to wait at least an hour...or more! I think they could totally expand and/or add a few more tables near their entrance to accomodate more customers. There are 2 servers for this entire place so like everyone says, service can be a bit slow. Because of this, I dock 1 star. On with the food. Seriously...who charges for nachos? I guess I've been spoiled by many other restaurants that serve nachos and salsa for free, but to pay $5 for the basic seems a bit steep. The burritos here are $11 and up. Now that Chipotle has opened up, I doubt I'll ever find myself coming here for a burrito. I got the chicken platter twice now and I think it's the best thing on their menu. They have an interesting collection of things on there like black and pinto beans, guacamole, rice, sour cream, some other things and the chicken. A lot of the food seem kind of heavy, and after stuffing my face with nachos, I never seem to be able to finish my plate off. I know El Rey uses some quality ingredients compared to other places, so I'm on board with that. However, due to price being on the higher end, I dock another star. The beer selection here is definitely worth mentioning. For a small establishment they have quite an impressive array of local and microbrews. Since you're going to be spending a lot of time waiting to order and get your food, might as well order a few cold ones and enjoy the many pretty women that seem to come to this place. The margaritas are pretty decent. Bottom line: Expensive food, long wait, good beer. I spend an average of $30 every time I come here, which to me, seems like a lot of money for "Mexican" food. I'll be back only if I'm going to be hanging out with friends but would probably divert to Chipotle from now on.

Looking for a good Mexican dinner in a casual setting that doesn't make you feel like you're a member of a construction crew on a lunch break? Look no further. Good neighborhood atmosphere. Street parking. Seating was adequate but expect to wait during peak hours. Staff was both friendly and accommodating for a large(r) group of 10. Portion size was generous and well worth the price. I tried a shredded beef burrito which was perfect without any other sides to fill the space. Give it a try. I'll probably see you there.

Come here for the appetizers. The nachos and the chips and queso are very good. But the entrees leave a bit to be desired. The quesadillas are too cheesy and too big, and the enchiladas don't resemble what I normally think of as an enchilada. The beans and rice side dishes are ok. My major complaint is service. My party waited a long time just to get a table and then took forever to get our entrees and drinks.

The only thing good here was the pitcher of sangria! We ordered the dip trio which was extremely bland and the queso just tasted like microwaved velvetta. We also had the steak fajitas with rice and beans. The beans looked crusty like they had been sitting out and nothing on the plate had any flavor. The tortillas were store bought and they were still the best thing on the plate...

My boyfriend & I eat here at least once a week. It's our favorite restaurant in Montgomery! Amazing food, friendly and knowledgeable staff, funky atmosphere. The food is always hot, fresh, and consistently tasty. El Rey is my first food recommendation to anyone visiting the area!

This review is for 6/30/14 I'm in love with the roasted vegetable enchilada, which are the best that I have ever had. Instead of lots of cheese like a standard enchilada, this one is loaded with roasted carrots, potatoes , onions, green peppers, and red pepper. I was excited to come back and enjoy my meal on the patio. As expected the place was packed with people, but the wait was less than ten minutes. Once we were seated, my dining companion and I were promptly asked for our drink orders. I order Coke and he ordered a ginger beer, which was extremely tasty. In addition, we order chips and three dips--- pineapple salsa, queso del rey, and guacamole. The pineapple salsa was spicy and sweet. Since the chucks of pineapples were so huge, it was awkward to put it on the flat tortilla. Regardless, it was still awesome. The queso del rey was nice, but it wasn't a stand-out. The guacamole was my absolute favorite, which is rare. I loved the garlic and cumin that was added. I attempted to order the beloved roasted vegetable enchiladas, but my server told me that it was unavailable, but I can order the roasted vegetable quesadilla. I was heart- broken, and reluctantly, I ordered the quesadillas, and I was happy again. It had the same magic as the enchiladas, just cheaper. The black beans (which can be made vegan), and the oven roasted basmati rice was perfect compliments to the entrée. My dining companion ordered the steak quesadilla. He stated that the steak was great, but since it was taken out of the skillet and put on the quesadilla, the juices didn't have time to run off the meat. His quesadilla was really soggy, so he ate the meat and left the tortilla. Overall, the experience and food was great. This is a spot that I will visit each and every time I visit Montgomery.

This is a discrete sit-down restaurant by the Capri Theatre in Old Cloverdale. I knew this place was nearby but didn't notice it until I saw all the people sitting outside under the trees on the patio one day while I was about to leave Cafe Louisa. Cute nice size restaurant. Look for the arrow lit with bright colorful lights and you're in the right place. They have a decent size drink menu and their dinner menu is larger than I expected... includes appetizers, burritos, quesadillas...anyone can find something they like here.

The food was not great at all. Asked for a queso and received cold rotell dip from Walmart. The tacos were horrible cold chunks of meat with some sauce on it. Please don't even get me started on the black beans that tasted like spaghetti. Oh I forgot to mention I thought I walked in to a strip club. No where near what a Mexican restaurant should be like.

Neat retro vibe restaurant to escape chain food in Montgomery. Really creative drink selections and awesome customer service. The queso and guacamole with home made chips are super delicious. We ordered the pork enchilada and steak platter. Both dishes were somewhat dry and lacking flavor. Recommend going there for apps and drinks then bounce to another restaurant.

This is a funky little restaurant with great tex-mex style food. Great food, friendly bartenders and great ambiance. I'll be back for sure. Love the eclectic decorating of the place!

Holy crap. Close this place down. The enchilada must have sat under the Warner lamp for at lest an hour before I got it. Seating took 45 minutes for an outdoor seating. Then I quickly ordered and the flavor of the enchilada lots sets like a bowl of dog food. Actually dog food might taste better. I didn't know that the entire meal is supposed to taste like. I just told the waitress that it tastes like it sat under a lamp for an hour and she agreed. "It probably did." Close this place down so a real restaurant can take over this space.

Great food. This place is hidden away and a true gem. The enchiladas are great and I love the margaritas! They have a great beer selection of craft beers and a wonderful outdoor area.

The salsa had the consistency of drying cement. The food was horrible it was so dark in there I couldn't even tell what I was eating. I got the pork enchiladas, I did not see or taste any tortilla. It was like a hot steaming mess with some sweet potatoes mixed in. I wish I saved 50 bucks and went to taco bell.

One of my favorites in the Gump. Fresh food, cool atmosphere, nice beer selection, and good cocktails. I love eating in Old Cloverdale and El Rey is my go to place. The dining room is very dark and can get pretty loud during dinner service but the patio offers a somewhat quieter option if the weather permits. Warning: some hipsters think it's cool to be a little rude and indifferent; especially those that host in burrito lounges.

Honestly, I've gotten a few things at El Rey, and for the price none of it has really wowed me. Except the margaritas, of course. I tend to come here pretty often (hello, aforementioned margaritas!) and I think the place is more about the vibe than the food honestly, but I wish they had just a bit cheaper food or that they switched up the menu a bit. The one thing i LOVE here is the harissa salsa, and they just raised the price on it! What a bummer. I don't recommend the 10 inch grilled tacos- they really aren't that difference from the quesadillas, and the one I got was pretty bland. Still, you can't beat sitting on their porch or outside next to the small fish pond with some drinks on a spring evening.

If you come to El Rey's and don't get the Pork Pastor (in any form), Kale Salad and Queso, YOU'RE WRONG. Their Hibiscus Marg is pretty tasty too although a bit overpriced for the size. One of the only tasty and unique restaurants in MGM (all the others happen to be in Cloverdale too)! Super funky vibe reminiscent of a small ski-town dive bar, love!

El Rey's (affectionally known to some as Hippie Burrito ) is one of the coolest places in Montgomery to get some excellent food and just the right splash of youthful style and attitude. When I go, I usually have one of their extremely tasty (and huge) burritos. Best burritos that I have ever had (sorry Moe's) without a doubt. Everything tastes so fresh and tasty...no microwaves...no freezers...organic and mostly local stuff. And to wash that burrito goodness down, they have a AWESOME selection of beers. The Delirium Tremens was excellent (yes that's a pink elephant..you haven't had too many)! And no review of El Rey's would be complete without mentioning: the decor. Oh the songs that have sung about the sconces. :) Artsy, hip and no apologies. It has definitely grown on me...have the Lucky Buddha candle to prove it. If you are looking for something different, delicious, and a welcome change to most of the places in Montgomery...look no further.