Cosmetically, this is definitely the nicer of the two El Farolitos. Unfortunately, looks can definitely be a little deceiving.
What I didn't like:
- Portions were definitely smaller than the other place.
- Prices were more expensive. I'm guessing that rent is higher for this high traffic location, so the customers feel it in the price. It's still cheap, but it feels like it's more than the other spot.
What I did like:
- They still have the two-for-$6 margarita happy hour. Yep, two goblets of whatever tequila infused fruit drink you want for only $6. They have a variety of beers and wines, too.
- They still have the house made tortilla chips and delicious spicy salsa.
- An actual menu (not a handwritten one.) It's much easier to read.
- Easy to get a table with little or no wait. For a Wednesday night, it was pretty dead with maybe two or three other tables besides us
What we had:
- Margaritas: For $3, I was thinking that one of these was going to be a baby sized portion. Nope, it came in a big glass and was freezing cold. There wasn't a ton of tequila in it, but you can't complain with the price. I got a mango one and it tasted like I was biting into the fruit without being too sweet. The peach was just as good.
- Flautas: I chose one chicken and one beef. The meat in both were overcooked and more like a jerky consistency. The outside was super crispy, but a little oily. To me, they were both lacking any real flavor and were sort of bland. The beans and rice were the same and still delicious.
- Huevos Rancheros: Wasn't a fan of the red sauce on top. It was a little too mild for me. The eggs were cooked great and there was a good amount of food.
Service was good and our waitress was quick with the drinks and the food.
I would prefer driving further to get the original and much better food in my opinion.
When this place had their soft opening, I was excited to give it a chance. I was disappointed by the very mediocre quality of the food. I won't go into too much detail since other reviewers have made similar comments about food quality.
I gave it a second chance recently and I had not seen any improvement. Matador is only down the street, and for a little more money, you get a huge bump in the quality of the food.
We were on our way to Wahoo's in downtown Fullerton, one of our favorite hangouts, when we spotted the sign for El Farolito Jr on a nearby building. Having had some very good meals at the senior El Farolito in old town Placentia, we decided to give it a try. And much like its older sibling, EFJ delivered a first-rate meal. I had the pollo ranchero plate, white meat chicken in a tomato-based sauce that was so good - not heavy at all, nor overly tomatoey nice and spicy, it really let the chicken shine through. David had the enchiladas verde which is his usual dish at El Farolito and said it was on the money. Chips and salsa were good, as always, and the service was if anything more friendly than El Farolito which is not an easy feat. These folks know how to run a restaurant or two.
Review Source:We really wanted Jr. to be as good as the original El Farolito but we were totally disappointed.
1. Margaritas were made with an inexpensive margarita mix. Â 1 star at best
2. Chips and salsa OK
3. Chili Relleno was sparingly stuffed with a yellow cheddar and topped with a very tomatoey sauce that kept coming back on me all evening
4. Enchilada was nothing more than horrible. Same awful yellow cheddar cheese and tomatoey sauce.
5. Service was not bad.
We will be happy to brave the crowds at the original location in Placentia. Â No comparison.
Wow! Â This restaurant was TERRIBLE at best. Â Dont even know where to start, but here it goes. Â I came here with a friend after church. I ordered a grilled chicken burrito and pork tamale. My friend ordered a chile relleno.
I have had better microwaved burritos from a supermarket. Â The tamale had a sour after taste.
My friends chile relleno came out with a soggy batter. Plate was hot, but food was cold. Â Which leads us to believe the food was pre-made and microwaved.
Avoid this restaurant at all cost!!!! Â Unless u like wasting money.....
Do yourself a favor if you see this restaurant and are thinking about eating here. Â Turn the car around and drive to the nearest Taco Bell! Â Trust me you will get more bang for your buck! Â I will give them this it was cheap, but not good. Â Couldn't even eat the tamale cuz it tasted so bad.
So I ordered the tester chile relleno... I threw in a milanese, because this place seemed quality enough to do a great job.
The chips that were delivered to the table were delicious and the salsa the perfect consistency with the right amount of spice.
I ate some steak and then devoured the chile relleno, it was great, maybe the best chile relleno ever.
After about four diet cokes I left and after eating enough food for two people, oops...
Went there for the first time tonight and had a very mixed experience. The food was very good and the service was awful. Â The problem with really bad service is it can have a bad impact on the food. For example, one person at our table had to sit while his food got cold because he needed utensils that the person waiting on us never brought. Had to go get them ourselves. They said they were short staffed but the wait staff also appears to be in desperate need of basic training. Â That said, the staff was very friendly and hopefully things will change because the food really was good.
Review Source:It's hard to find a place that cooks with lard these days. Most restaurants switched over in the 80s to using vegetable oils or even worse, shortening. Lard is a natural food that has been used for thousands of years.
Just Google Lard vs. Vegetable Oil, then point and laugh at the ignorant, follow like sheep, uninformed reviewers who don't know how to enjoy their relatively short life. Sit back, have a margarita, laugh with friends, and have a tasty dish made with lard.
I've been a big fan of the original El Farolito for DECADES... Today, I decided to try the El Farolito Jr in Fullerton.
Ordered the beef machaca & heuvos rancheros. Menu stated Heuvos Rancheros came w/ a hard fried torilla under the egg. Unfortunately it didn't. The tortilla under the egg was just soft. Definately not authentic. Short cut all the way. Secondly, the machaca's beef was dark, hard and chewy. It seemed it was cooked yesterday and reheated. The rice was hard. This El Farolito Jr definately in no way compares to the Orginal one in Placentia. They claimed they order from the same vendors, yes, but the quality of prepartion is not the same. The fat was still left on the meat also.
I barely tasted the machaca and sent the machaca back. I didn't want another one. The waitress talked to the other staff pointing their fingers at us. (way to go on making us feel so unwelcome.) When we got the check they charged us for the machaca I returned. Â No. No. No. My husband talked to the server. 1. I only tasted the food. 2. The server took the whole dish back to the kitchen since I didn't want it. There was no way they were going to charge me for old bad food.
**I definately would NOT RECOMMEND anyone here.**
Make the drive and go to the Original El Farolito. There is a reason why this one does not get packed like the original one in Placentia. People know good food, and you cannot just use the name and expect the same quality.
The place looks nicer than any other  farolito i have  been too . The food is the same as any Mexican food place re-fried beans will always  give you heart burn . They have 2 for $6 margaritas and $4.50 big beers .. and late night happy hour .the only thing i didn't like was that the girl bartender had friends/relatives sitting on a table near the bar and instead of her waiting for them to pick their drinks from the bar she was yelling out their names after a  while it got really annoying. beside that the bartenders and cocktail waitress r friendly and polite
Review Source:I had my doubts going in because I'm very peculiar when it comes to Mexican food, but i have to say it was quite delicious. I enjoyed speaking to the waitress who guided through the menu and recommended I get the farolito burrito with carne asada and it was one of the biggest I've ever had. It was flavorful in every bite. I will definitely be returning again.
Review Source:Great food. Came here with a co-worker yesterday, who had previously gone to the original El Farolito and raved about it... he wasn't sure if the new one would be as good. He claims that it was just as good, just in a better part of Orange County.
This location is very clean and has a bit of an upscale vibe to it... well appreciated.
Overall, food was great and service was fantastic. Definitely will be coming back.
I came here with a buddy of mine thinking it was going to be a run of the mill mexican resturante. Â As I walked in the place looked really fancy and upscale. Â I did not know what to order and the servers were great and very helpful. Â I had the enchillads and they were really tasty. Â I'm not sure if its their signature dish, but it was really good.
The complimentary chips and salsa were really good. Â The salsa was really spicy for me, but I couldnt stop eating it because it was so flavorful.
The portions is pretty good and got me full which says alot. Â Overall I recommend this place! Give it try when you are in DTF (Downtown Fullerton).
Wonderful! Great food in a not so special location. The location of this restaurant is in an office building just off Harbor Blvd. I guess they got it cheap because entering El Farolito Jr. is a bit confusing and underwhelming. Once inside, it all changes. The dark wood accents makes for a warm and inviting contrast to the cold cement feeling of the entryway. It simply lifts your senses to accept the wonderful aroma of the meal you are about to partake in. Great food. Fantastic service. In fact my girlfriend and I think the food here in the downtown Fullerton location is better than the original in Placentia. If it were not for the confusing entry experience, El Jr would get 5 stars in our book!
Review Source:This place is amazing!! The best mexican food around and super cheap!  Forget El Torito, this place blows them out of the water, at 1/2 the cost.  The servers and hosts are very friendly as well.  We went  here for my dad's birthday and there were 7 of us.  5 of us got drinks and the bill came out to $80..Needless to say the server got a good tip! Everything is amazing.  The only suggestion to them is to change up their salsa.  Needs a little more flavor to it.  But other than that awesome place!
Review Source:Seems like watered down americanized mexican food. Â Not sure if it's the same owner from El Farolito from Placentia, CA.
Not vegetarian friendly. Â Pretty much everything has lard in it. Â Even the chips.
The only thing I was able to eat ceviche, chile relleno with broiled beans.
The owner offered me to come back and if I order in advance, will make a batch of vegetarian rice and chips.
Vegetarians, planet lovers, and progressives: Beware. The menu offers a variety of authentic Mexican food with a taste that might transport you back to the "ranchero" days in pre-midcentury countrysides of Mexico. Sounds rustic, romantic, even adventurous to try. It is both traditional and exotic as more and more restaurants move away from one of Mexico's long-admired ingredients. That traditional ingredient, however, that pervades El Farolito Jr's  entire menu is animal fat- the byproduct of overgrazing, deforestation, large-scale air and water pollution, wildlife displacement, escalated top-predator hunting, and public water and energy theft --Not to mention the main contributor to the malady of the very people El Farotio Jr represents as it is widely known that many Latinos suffer from obesity and diabetes.
The beans, the rice, the chile relleno, even the chips are cooked in lard. There is not one dish listed on the menu "sin manteca." The young server was sympathetic to my needs and used his best creativity to piece together a thin, dry burrito with beans "de la hoya", fajitas, guacamole, and lettuce.
The burrito that came back had refried beens, which the knowledgeable server warned me about. I hate sending food back to the kitchen, but I could not eat it.
I was impressed with the server's concern for my vegetarianism as it appeared that he must have had to persuade and teach the kitchen about this "new wave" in healthy, earth-conscious people. He lost me, though, when the check came. $6.25 for a deflated burrito. OK, I'll pay that; it's kind of my fault for being a vegetarian. But he charged me a DOLLAR EXTRA for two splats of guacamole despite the fact that I essentially paid for lard-cooked rice and some kind of meat-salsa that I didn't eat.
In a distant world back in time, before human overpopulation and the lethargy-inducing wave of industrialization, El Farolito Jr would have been just the ticket. The cows would graze their own little pastures, and the customers would burn off the fat the next day. But times have changed, El Farolito Sr. Maybe you, señor, can stay the same: allow the nostalgic menu in your original Placentia restaurant to stand still like a crumbling burro-drawn cart in front of leaning rancho gates.  But let Jr in Fullerton roll with the times, set him free to discover responsible, ethical ways of taking from the land, and broaden his customer base while at it..
What a difference from El Farolito (Senior) in Placentia. Does not have that authentic feel as the original but still in a great location, Downtown Fullerton, with a clean atmosphere. I came here with my boyfriend and best friend for lunch and the experience was pleasant.
The staff was very kind. When our orders came out, mine came out wrong and they went to have it fixed quick. Our server was super nice, checking up on us at the right times. Although the food tasted a bit more healthy than at the original Farolitos which is both good and bad, in my opinion, i'd still come back for brunch and some drinks!
We just had a Christmas party catered by El Farolito Jr. & they knocked it out of the park!
It was outstanding, everyone loved the food! We placed our order with Charlie and he covered all the bases & made sure that he was there when I picked up the order to double-check it for accuracy before it went out the door. El Farolito Jr. exceeded our expectations with the food & the service. We couldn't be happier with the experience.
Eh, good but probably wouldn't go back. The chile relleno was pretty good, but the chips and salsa are literally cut and fried corn tortillas and the flour tortillas come from a bag - nothing to get excited over.
Other than what I had, the atmosphere is nice and the huge window in front is a nice bonus.
Loving this place right now. Â Food is awesome and the service is a plus. Â I suggest the green sauce on your burrito. Â Damn I want to get one right now just writing this. Â Anyways this is the only El farolito I will come to because the scenery is nice and the service is good!!! Â Unlike the Placentia location. Â Horrible service there.... Â Best place in downtown Fullerton no doubt. Â Keep it up...
Review Source:It's been a long time since I've enjoyed Mexican food at a restaurant. Generally, my complaint is that the quality of ingredients is substandard (I'm really picky about meat) or the flavors are too tame for my palate.
El Farolito Jr. meets my criteria for high quality ingredients and flavorful food. I'm usually wary of ordering carnitas enchiladas, because I can't see what's inside, but the carnitas was very good. My wife had sopes, both beef and chicken. The beef looked great. She said the chicken was good, but didn't go well in a sope. The salsa is fresh and delicious.
The Fullerton location uses the same type of seating as Placentia. It's a little crowded and the noise level is high. For this, I bumped my rating down to four stars from five.
Parking in downtown Fullerton is never easy, but it's a nice area for a short walk. And if you visit Farolito on a Thursday, you can hit the Farmer's Market afterward to pick up some fresh fruit for dessert.
After 1 visit, I'd say Farolito adds a good Mex option in the area but it didn't knock our socks off. Â The carnitas was very greasy and dried out. Â The restaurant, which has a bar area, is very loud and you need to talk at an elevated level in order to be heard. Â Service was very good and staff was very attentive.
Review Source:This place just opened and I am so glad my sister and I decided to come in. I've wanted to go to El Farolito (Sr?) in Placentia for awhile now, and having this smaller location in Fullerton is perfect. The food is very good. Best Mexican I have ever had, no, but very much worth 4 stars. The prices were outstanding. Very reasonable, dare I say cheap? The place was clean and the service was outstanding.Very nice interior. They even had some TVs so you can watch the game. I will definitely be back. Welcome to the neighborhood, El Farolito!
P.S. Best chips and salsa. Delicious.
Jr in Fullerton is enough like the placentia location food wise with better service and AC. The wait staff was attentive and knowledgable and the atmosphere was 10 steps above the original location.
Prices literally cannot be beat and the food will blow other mexican places in downtown Fullerton out of the water. I will be coming here again and again.
Recently opened, I give them props for keeping the prices consistant with their other locations.  This location is perfect for the college crowd because its so freaking cheap.  You can easily dine for $10/person.  The ambiance is trendy with lots of flat screen TV playing sports, makes it a great social spot.  Their homemade salsa is fresh and robust.  The tortilla chips were warm and made fresh.  Their staple rice and beans were flavorful.  I'm sure depending on which dish you try it could be hit or miss but at these prices, I was able to try a few dishes.  Their ceviche is served with saltin crakers but I prefer eatting it with the tortilla chips. The second dish I tried was the steak fajitas which is was not server on the traditional cast iron skillet.  It was slightly under season but perfect when topped with the salsa.  I would like to come back for  brunch & happy hour.
Review Source:I am so excited El Farolito Jr opened in this location. I love the original El Farolito location, but this one is so much closer.
Before I went I checked the yelp reviews and was a little put off by the low average, but its a new restaurant so decided to give it a try anyways. I think some of the kinks mentioned in the other reviews are starting to be worked out.
The food was good. I had a carnitas wet burrito and it was delicious and huge.
The service was very good and the atmosphere is nice. They didn't do much in the way of remolding (it basically looks the same as it did when it was Lizarran), but they really didn't need to do much. I love the way the windows open along the one side of the restaurant.
Dinner for 2 with two margaritas was under $30
We are fans of the original location in Placentia and go there fairly often. Â We were excited to see the new restaurant in DTF. Â Went there on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. Â Chips and salsa were the same. Â Ordered our usual tacos. Â My order was fine, my husband's a la carte taco order was wrong. Â I had finished my food before his two tacos arrived.
Atmosphere is nice, restaurant is stylish and clean. Â I enjoy the prompt greeting and seating (unlike El Matador, where I have walked out because I sat for 20 minutes and no one acknowledged I was even there!). Â I like the open air feeling and the fact that you can sit in the area that opens to the street or back away from the street. Â The bar is a nice addition.
I attribute the service glitches to the restaurant being new and will go back and give it a second chance.
Follow up: Â We have returned several times since our initial visit. Â We have been pleased with the service and food. Â Love the atmosphere.
It has been years since I have visited the original El Farolito in Placentia and I was glad to see they opened a new location in DTF. My friend and I stopped in tonight to have dinner.
Our server was good, she was friendly, quick, and checked on us a few times. I liked her a lot.
The chips brought out to us before our meal were very greasy, too greasy for me to each more than a couple. The salsa was pretty good.
I went with a combo of two soft tacos - one fish, one shredded beef. The fish was good, but it was covered in Tartar Sauce, which I like, but thought it was odd. Especially at a Mexican place. I don't think "Mexican food" when I think Tartar Sauce. Good nonetheless. My shredded beef taco fell apart down the middle as soon as I picked it up, so I just ate it with a fork. The beef had a nice flavor, but was too dry for me.
The rice and beans were just okay, the rice was a little dry so I added salsa to it and I liked it better after doing that.
Dinner for the two of us, including one margarita, was $27 after tax and tip. Not bad. I may come back, but it's definitely not one of my new favorite places.
My husband and I ate at El Farolito jr. of Fullerton and it was the most disgusting food I have ever paid for. Greasy disgusting beef. The chicken smelled moldy. The chips were stale. The rice was mushy. They had no drink menu. When asked if they made a skinny margarita. ( With just lime juice, tequila, triple sec) The waitress came back and said they make it with margarita mix, tequila, triple sec. Um... yeah, that's just a margarita. The service was beyond terrible. All the servers are wandering around like their feet are stuck in glue and they have the comprehension of a 2 year old. There was a bus boy that seemed utterly confused at the skill of clearing tables.
By far the worst dining experience I can ever remember having. There didn't seem to be a manager or anyone in charge. I cannot stress how bad this was, but let me put it this way, my husband will eat almost anything but his plate was left with almost all the food on it.
DO NOT GO EAT THERE! Stick with the awesome one in Placentia.
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