I've liked this place a lot on previous visits--I eat here once or twice a year when I'm passing through Socorro. This time the food was terrible. I ordered the chile relleno, and the batter coating the chile was heavy, greasy, and tasteless; the chiles themselves were really bland. I couldn't finish the meal.
I've had great luck in the past with the poblano relleno (filled with ground beef) and would ordinarily rate this place 4 or 5. This time was a 2, but with a boost to a 3 based on past encounters.
I have enjoyed fine New Mexican cuisine my whole life, this restaurant being a favorite; when they get it right. They have authentic menu options, very good service, nice atmosphere. The food is typically good, but more times than not the food is average. Quality of food usually depends on who is cooking at the time. I recommend this restaurant if you want a casual meal and good atmosphere.
Review Source:Great food! Great service! Cordial greeting... They let us choose out seat so upon reading the reviews, I chose the atrium in the back with the fountain. The atmosphere is comforting and I felt like I was transported to Mexico.
The service was friendly and prompt! We ordered the guacamole which came with chips (of course) and a bean dip that was warm and more than tasty. I also ordered the Adovada Burrito bathed with the Green Chile (came w/ perfect rice and pinto beans. The spices were authentic and just the right amount of burn. All of the dishes provided a lot of flavor so I had to order the flan. Again, nice presentation and the whipped cream "puffs" were a welcome touch.
The only bad mark was that they were short on some beer selections (the truck was making its delivery the next day).
Still give them  two thumbs up!
El Sombrero is OK, but there is better New Mex food in town. Â We eat there every couple of months when we get bored of eating at the other places all the time. Â I do think the Cheese Crisp (regular or with spinach) is quite good. Â It's only $5 and is enough for 2 at lunch (unless you are a Tech student, of course, and your stomach is a bottomless pit). The other items are ok but nothing special. Â The fried ice cream is alien fare, and I don't mean that in a good way. On the other hand, they give Tech students with ID a 20% discount, so that's a good reason to go. Â Service is friendly but fairly inattentive.
Review Source:We have been on the road for two weeks from California to D.C. and back and had our best meal of the trip at El Sombrero last night. We read the reviews and drove by the higher recommended Mexican restaurant downtown. Are you kidding? A Denny's style diner with lots of lights and zero atmosphere. After a quick drive by, we headed over to the restaurant we had spotted as we came off the freeway.
El Sombrero looks pretty authentic from the outside but inside, the decor is outstanding, especially the rear inside patio. Good use of colors, plants and lighting at night. We were already in a good mood after the good visuals but were really surprised when our food arrived. My steak burrito was excellent with a mix of black and pinto beans on the side along with rice. My wife's Lucy's Special was also excellent. Both might be a little too spicy for some but not hot enough for others. Probably a good amount for the average Mexican restaurant fan. Home made tortillas were as good as any I have tasted, even in Mexico.
Service was prompt and friendly with just an average wait for the food.
The only negatives were lack of tequila Margaritas with only the wine style offered plus the sopapillas were too heavy. We both would have preferred a lighter, more croissant style.
The Sombrero mixes southwestern style cooking with Zacatecas Mexican in an extensive menu.
I sure wish the El Sombrero were located in our home town in California.
Yelp's star rating sums this up nicely: "Meh. I've experienced better."
El Sombrero feels like a real city's chain Mexican restaurant that always has a 30 minute wait. You don't go there for the food, and in this case you certainly don't go there for the drinks (wine and beer only - what?!). It does work well for large groups, and they do serve all the Mexican staples you'd expect.
Now, don't get me wrong - the food wasn't bad. It just wasn't special, or particularly authentic. You could certainly do worse, but you can also do better. Then again, perhaps short of La Pasadita being open for dinner, El Sombrero may actually be your best option for a Mexican fix in Socorro. Go! Eat! Drink beer! Just don't expect to be blown away.
We went back to Socorro and went to look for a place that sold wine because that was the one thing our friend's mom really wanted. We found out that El Sombrero does just that, so off we went.
We immediately were seated, and ordered our drinks and cheese crisp. We then ordered our dinner. The cheese crisp was better than I remember; slathered with pico de gallo and they have added caramelized onions. Needless to say, delicious! No sooner had we finished our cheese crisp had the food arrived. At a friend's advice, I ordered the fish tacos. Normally I don't order fish, but my friend is more particular about fish than I am, so I took her advice. I was not disappointed. The tacos were served with this wonderful mango pico de gallo, and the fish was grilled and delicious.
It's greasy, but it's awesome.
We went here for dinner early one evening. Â The ambiance of the place was very nice. Â We were asked if we wanted to sit up front or in the back. Â Having never been there before (and not having read other reviews) I told the hostess to sit us where she thought was better. Â She took us to the back room which was like a big atrium with a water fountain in the center.
Our waiter was very friendly and patient, as we didn't really know what we wanted.
Laura got the huevos rancheros, which she had to blot the grease off the eggs with a napkin (as well as the tortilla), but other than that she enjoyed her meal.
I ordered the smothered chicken burrito which had fresh ingredients and was just enough to fill me up.
Before leaving to turn in our order, the waiter asked if we would like some chips and salsa, and we said yes - These were very good with homemade tortilla chips and a salsa that had a nice bite to it (Laura thought it was too spicy, but then again, she's a Tica and anything with a little spice is too hot for most Costa Ricans)
I was shocked when we received our bill that they actually charged us for the chips and salsa. Â I cannot remember a Mexican restaurant that I've ever had to pay for the chips and salsa - oh well.
I was also shocked at the price of the sangria Laura ordered - $5.00 per glass!
All in all it wasn't a bad dining experience, however, I'm sure there is better out there.
We spent four days in Socorro and enjoyed the food enough to eat here three times.
No doubt about it, the chicken enchiladas in a house-made rolled tortillas were the best I've ever had. The first time I ordered them with red a chili sauce. The chicken pieces were moist and flavorful. The sauce was made with New Mexican chilies and the taste and texture is very different than the more common Tex-Mex sauce. As good has these were, the chicken enchiladas with a cream poblano sauce were even better; I ordered them twice. This sauce is made from a blend of poplano chilies, mushrooms, garlic, cilantro and heavy cream. They were filled with the same tasty chicken in the rolled tortilla, and the dish was heavenly.
The interior is attractive; the covered patio with a fountain is a very pleasant place to dine.
Checking out mapquest it appears that the drive here is only 1144 miles and would take me about 17 hours if I just don't take any side trips along the way. I might not make it in time for lunch, but if stayed overnight I could eat here twice before I drove home. The food would be worth the trip!
Horrible service, mediocre food. Â What a disappointment. Â Nine of my good friends and I stopped by in Jan 2012. Â I recommended the place based on a previous visit, but what a mistake. Â This time we were not allowed in the area we requested, had to keep trying to find our wait staff and finally just got up and got our own items. Â The food was not worth the reasonable cost. Â We got the distinct feeling the waiter was not happy we were not ordering alcoholic drinks, thus he figured he would get a smaller tip? Â To add more insult to our visit, we were charged a mandatory 20% tip. Â When we objected, we were told it was company policy. Â Find somewhere else to eat.
Review Source:The only reason this was given one star is that I cannot give it no stars.
First, this was recommended by a local and let me say that the food was not bad, really, for basic mexican fare. Â The experience was horrible because of the service and the antics and histrionics of the server/manager/owner?. Â This man, (long dark ponytailed hair) spilled a beer on my husbands lap and didn't even bother to apologize. Â Â He constantly told us to 'hurry up' because he was so busy elsewhere in the restaurant.. He as much as tossed food and condiments on the table. Â We were there with friends and when we went to pay the bill, we asked to spit the check in half on two different credit cards (a practice that is readily accepted and almost all restaurants) this man went ballistic! Â Claiming again at how busy he was and how he didn't have time to split a check. Â He literally threw a pen at my husband to sign the slip. Â Needless to say, he received no tip.
I suspect that things went from bad to worse on this evening for this man(staff calling in sick, etc), Â but to take it out on customers seems counter productive. Â I ran into two people from that evening that were local and were also appalled at his behavior - had left him no tip because it was so bad.
I would skip this place. Â Anyone that acts like that does not deserve to have his restaurant patronized.
This is my new favorite place to eat in Socorro. Â I was here twice last week with my co-worker. Â The sopapillas are AMAZING! Â The food was really good. Â The first time I got #7, Lupe's enchilada plate with 3 flat enchiladas. Â The second time I got the stuffed sopapilla. Â Both were delicious. Â I like the patio seating in the back, it is indoors but there is a fountain, a high ceiling, and skylights that give it a relaxing feeling. Â The beers are reasonably priced. Â The green chili was really good, it got me. Â I will definitely be back next time I am in Socorro.
It closes at 9.
I always stop here when I go to Socorro. Â Most of the food is good, but the chicken mole enchilada is the best. Â
I don't recommend the margaritas. Â I think they make them with wine instead of tequila. Â
Service is OK.
Atmosphere is fun. Â The garden room around the fountain is our favorite spot to sit.
Um, yes. Â That's the only word to describe this place. Â Friendly staff, cool seating in the back room that features a sunlight and a fountain. Â You can get a giant plate of food for $8, and it comes with sopapillas and honey. Â Service tends to be slower if they are busy, but it's worth the wait.
Review Source:I liked it. It's Socorro, people, it's a certain of tex mex but in New Mexico. They might disagree but whatever. My brother used to work so we got the hook-up on some nachos and I tried the stuffed pupusa like thing. It was filled with tomato, meat, cheese and topped with sour cream, salsa, guacamole and a hefty side of rice and beans.
It was yummy, we caught up with some of his old co-workers. Â good night.
The atmosphere really gets you about this place: most of the seating is in a verdant courtyard with flowers, vines, and a fountain. Â You feel like you're eating in a greenhouse. Â Their red and green sauces had enough spice and the waitress was happy enough to keep bringing our party seven more chips without charging us. Â Really charming place.
Review Source:Well I'm from SF, so am new to New Mex food. Â I was favorably impressed with the fresh ingredients and flavorful entrees we had while passing through Socorro. Â I am used to Mission district so-so burritos, so I am raving about the place. Â The service was a little standoffish but hey, I left there feeling satisfied.
Review Source:Several local people told me that this is the best mexican restaurant in town. Â I went there, and I felt that it was OK but not above normal. The atmosphere is nice and the place is clean, but the food is rather ordinary. Â With my meal, I ordered a margarita and it might as well have been lemonade.
Review Source:
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