El Sombrero

Food came out fast and our server was attentive… I got the carne Asada and requested for it to be med rare, it came out super dry and tough. Rice and beans have good flavor

Super fast service, spicy salsa with warm fresh chips, tasty alcoholic beverages and you can’t beat cheap yummy authentic Mexican food. Will go again next time I’m in the area.

Overall one of the better Mexican choices for me so far in Gainesville.
The good:
1 Thicker nacho chips than average
2. Fresh tacos and ingredients
3. A little cheaper than others in area
4. Open til 10:00
The bad:
1. Marginal service
2. Sauce tasted funny to me
Suprisingly good overall. Best so far in Gainesville for me as far as price and freshness. I would recommend it.

Honestly, this is Mexican food for people who don’t like real Mexican food. The atmosphere is cliché and the food is bland and gringo-​ized. Try Rio Balsas or Puebloes. Better food at comparable prices. Why people still go to El Sombrero I do not understand. They’re not even cheap anymore.

When Margaritas come from the old Kool Aide machine pre mixed and you order a Texas style on the rocks… then you need to ask yourself, is it a top shelve Tequila? The staff has become too complacent with the name of the store or might I say reputation. All of these stores are good for post ballgame eating, post church or just a quick meal. The bar area’s are a joke in all stores except for the one on Browns Bridge Rd.
The owners are no longer visible leaving the manager to snooze on the job. The staff slacks off when the owners are not visible.
I can order the same plate three different times and it will look the same every time. They have become more cost effective by providing very small bags for to go chips and small containers of salsa. It seems to me the bothers are not visible enough.

Great place to eat. Nice staff, and the food is good quality. Very reasonable prices for what you get. Plenty of parking. Definitely will be back.

El Som gets 5 stars because it is so so close to my heart. I think I can say this institution is the one place I have been eating at since I was a child. It never disappoints. The menu is huge so anyone can find a dish to fit their fancy. I look forward to going back to GA just to eat at El Som. A few of my favorite dishes are:
Shrimp burrito
Tacos carnitas
Acapulco cheese steak
Taco salad
Guac and cheese dip to start
and of course their salsa!
If you are in the area (or any area that has an El Som) you must try it!

I’d give this a 3 ½ star rating if I could.
Despite their recent price increases, this is still probably my favorite sit-​down Mexican restaurant in Gainesville. The salsa with the complimentary salsa and chips is miles above some of their other competitors in Gainesville. At least it occasionally has a bit of a bite to it instead of tasting like tomato paste with onions and a jalapeño added.
The quality of the food varies drastically, depending on what you order from their diverse menu. I usually get the Tacos De Pollo Asado which are currently $ 8.25 for 3 corn tortilla tacos filled with a good amount of delicious grilled chicken and served with a bowl of cilantro/​diced onion mix and a bowl of sauce (despite what the menu says, what type you get tends to vary as either a red sauce or tomatillo based sauce). It’s reminiscent of what I’ve had off of taco trucks in Texas, only a bit larger. With the free chips and salsa, this is quite filling, although not the most consistent.
Service varies from mediocre to good, but the food is generally good enough to keep me coming back. With a soda or cheap beer and tip, expect to spend somewhere between $ 10 – 15, but it is possible to eat cheaply here if you want… it just might be a slightly more Americanized version of the menu item at the lower price.