El Charolais

Best Mexican food around. The owner is there often and loves to make sure everyone is happy. Price has a large range so there is something for everyone. Highly recommend. Salsa is awesome. love the carne asada, pollo a paria, or basically any fajita/​burrito/​get it all!

This is the best Mexican restaurant in Johnson city… That being said it’s still a 2 for me. I’ve eaten too much good Mexican in Florida and Texas, you just really don’t get any great Mexican up here. The chicken is almost dry, beans from a can, salsa from a can, nothing is spicy. They can do some items gluten free which is great for people with allergies.

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in the TriCities! I almost always get the huevos con chorizo. Sooo good. I would have given five stars if their guac was better. It tastes like mix guac junk, get some real guac!

El Charolais has excellent food! The flavors are great, and the kitchen lays out the perfect spiciness when the menu says it’s spicy and perfect non (or limited) spiciness when the menu does not specify. The _​huge_​menu is full of expected standards and many more items I don’t often see, and there are loads of combinations available. (Starting at the combination page on the back of the menu may be a time-​saver, with all the amazing things to look through.) The drinks menu includes GIANT beers. Across the board, the prices that I registered seemed to be excellent — $ 7 – 12 for most entrees.
El Charolais is a good sized place with three dining rooms in various levels of brightness: a bright one done up mostly in yellows with mainly smaller tables, a dimmer one done up mostly I reds with mainly larger tables, and a darker bar area. The staff is friendly, efficient, and patient. I would definitely return!

There really is no better place to order from a full menu Mexican restaurant in Johnson City. The staff from the owner, servers to the bartenders are all there to make sure you have a really enjoyable meal and a great atmosphere.
All meals come with free chips and salsa. The salsa is made fresh everyday and is the perfect start to any meal at El Chaolais. The location on State of Franklin near ETSU is my favorite. They have grown over time and never skipped a beat with the quality of food and service.
Prices are to be praised. The whole menu is very reasonable price wise considering that it is all made fresh to order. The variety is all you could ask for — from traditional to pork to seafood dishes. On the back of the menu is an order by the numbers which has a very wide variety of choices. The speciality burritos are really something special and should be considered if you are leaning that way.
The full bar has anything you could imagine but the speciality margaritas are really delicious and go perfectly with anything you are ordering.
Lunchtime specials everyday for under $ 5 you should ask about if you are there. They change daily and are worth considering. Also if you have a lighter appetite the ceviche tostada is really excellent and fresh made.
This place is truly one you will enjoy over and over again. Very family friendly as well.

THIS IS NOT TEX-​MEX!
Actually, I’m not sure what it is. The chips and salsa (though a tad mild) were fairly authentic but it went downhill from there.
The house tequila in my margarita was as smooth as a gravel road. Make sure to ask for an upgrade and pay the extra.
The red sauce on my beef burrito and chili relleno tasted strongly of ketchup instead of a sauce with the appropriate Mexican seasonings. The beef was equally lacking in spice. In its own way it was kind of tasty, but Southwestern it was not — perhaps a Deep South version, with the fire and flavor taken out of it.
Southwesterners, look elsewhere for your Tex-​Mex fix.

Wow! We are from NC and came to Johnson city to visit some waterfalls… This restaurant has real authentic food! Strongly recommend it! Too bad we live far from it!

Always a great choice! Freshest ingredients with good flavor. Good drink specials on Mon & Wed then Tues & Thurs.

Suggested by a local family member, this restaurant was a haven for this traveling NM family. Everything from the décor to the guacamole was reminiscent of home. Our family was seated quickly and asked for our drink preferences. They brought out the chips and salsa, and we ordered guacamole.
The food was flavorful, and the service was excellent. The Supreme Salad was a little much for my son, both in size and spice, but otherwise, our meals were beyond satisfactory.
The server kept our tea full, and made sure we were well taken care of. The salsa was flavorful and the guacamole was fresh and tasted of garlic (yum).
I especially enjoyed the décor in the restroom: bright Iime, brightening the room considerably.

The best… seriously best Mexican food I ever have had. Consistent on how delicious each meal I have had over 3 years. My favorite is the Pollo Loco and there is nothing I can say but Yummy. This is a place to take family, guest or a date. Sometimes they are a little busy but that’s good news since that alone says something about how great this place is. Worth the wait if any.

Good service and food was good. Salsa was more flavorful than many other Mexican places I frequent. Fajitas were sizzling and good, but could have used a bit more spice, just a little bland.

To eat here was a blessing.
— Very friendly service
— Wide array of options (nice authentic dishes. Not just listing of different dinner combinations)
— Atmosphere was exciting and energetic (pleasant Latin American music playing in background)
— Food was good quality
Looking forward to my next visit!

Ok, there just wasn’t any good Mexican food in Tri Cities until El Charolais (née El Torito) opened. The staff are very friendly, and the food is excellent. My favorite dish is «Jaliciense» which is grilled ch