El Indio

Delicious food! Service was pretty good. Everything was fair priced… BEST MARGARITAS IN STL!

1. Food: 4 stars. Great chips and salsa.
2. Service: 4 stars.
3. Interior: 2 stars. Was really cold one day there at lunch, which makes it uncomfortable; and the interior itself is not great.
4. Exterior: 1 – 2 stars (sadly).
That said, I’m giving it 4 stars, because I don’t want the stars to be a deterrent. The food is much better than I had expected. It is not a place you want to take someone to impress, or have a nicer meal. If you just want some lunch or dinner, it’s good. (Best Mexican I’ve had in STL so far.)

Great Mexican food. We go here all the time and you will find the staff very friendly. Try the chicken soup when the weather gets cooler!

Great place with fresh food and great service. I almost gave this place 4 stars, but I will explain that later in the review.
We came here for sunday dinner. Upon walking in we were immediately seated and promptly visited by our waitress who brought us chips and salsa. She took our drink order and upon reviewing the menu ordered the chunky guacamole. Upon receiving our drinks we ordered a pick 3 with beef enchiladas, chicken quesidilla, and two chicken flautas. Also, an order of 3 Ala cart tacos.
Our food was delicious and I will upload some pics. The one error was that they initially brought out 1 flauta not the two listed on the menu. This almost cost them the 5^th star, but the recognition and response made up for it. Also we were constantly attended to by our server and manager.
I would say that this is the best Mexican food west of grand Blvd. This place gives the feeling of a larger family run establishment. Very attentive and fresh fried taco shells and warm tortilla chips. 4 refills of my soda and a fairly quick turn around make this a great spot.

Here again for what I call Taco Tuesdays, delicious beef or chicken tacos for a buck! Great authentic Mexican food and employees. 90% of the menu is prepared fresh to order and all is served piping hot. Good to cheap pricing for very tasty food, and very friendly staff even if they don’t all speak fluent English. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu!

Eat here at least once a week, as my territory for work is in the area. Food is good. Margaritas are better. Very friendly staff and $ 1 tacos on Tuesday. Olé.

Our favorite restaurant for years! We’ve sent friends as well and never a bad review! Staff are a little cranky at times but the food is always awesome. Authentic Mexican with authentic prices. Aside from the strange tabletops the décor is homey as well, and you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. The green enchiladas are top notch, and they will put fresh avocado on anything for you. We eat here at least once every week.

I’ve been here a couple of times now and I feel comfortable enough to give this place a review. First of all, I wish the name was bigger on their sign because I had a little bit of a difficulty figuring out what the name of the restaurant is before going in and trying it out. But that’s not a big deal, there are ways to find out.
The place serves chunky salsa which I love. I wish it was a bit more spicy but I can live with what they have. I find it quite flavorful on its own and I love chunky salsa to begin with. The first time I ordered some grilled chicken, steak, and shrimp special (can’t remember what it’s called) but it was served with some Mexican rice and some sautéed peppers and onions. That was actually quite good and I was really surprised by how quickly they prepared my food!
The second time, I tried their carnitas which was really tender and flavorful. That was served with Mexican rice and well-​seasoned sautéed onions. I didn’t even eat it with the flour tortillas, I just devoured the food all on its own. It was that good. I’ve had carnitas in several other Mexican places around the area but they didn’t make it like they do in El Indio.
Also, watch their specials board which is located more towards the back of the restaurant because they have some amazing drink specials as well. Overall, I like this place. It’s not pricey, it has good food, good service, and good specials.

I really love their chips and salsa! Super fresh. I came on Friday night when it was slammed and the manager was running around making sure all of the guests were taken care of.

Authentic Mexican food. That’s a topic for debate. El Indio claims to serve authentic Mexican cuisine, but if you read the reviews, you’ll find mixed opinions regarding its authenticity.
I’m from Texas, and I have no problem admitting that when I’m craving Mexican, I’m actually craving Tex-​Mex. Oh, dear. There’s another controversial term: Tex-​Mex.
I’m not Rick Bayless. (Obviously.) I’m not an expert on Mexican food. I just know what I like. Some of my favorite Mexican (ish) dishes include nachos, fajitas, chile con queso, cheese enchiladas, beef and/​or pork tamales, guacamole, and chili con carne. I like my food spicy, and my cheese to be cheddar. I’d say I’m from Texas, yes.
I’m not going to argue about El Indio’s authenticity. I’m not that passionate, and as mentioned, I’m no expert. However, on one of my last visits, I noticed the menu had a disclaimer. I wish I had taken a picture, but it said something like «We serve authentic Mexican food, which is not spicy. We offer salsa/​sauces at the table so that you may adjust the heat to your preference.» I’m paraphrasing there, but for anyone claiming that the food is bland (that would include me), there’s the response.
Here are my thoughts/​comments on El Indio:
–Food–
Complimentary chips and salsa are served at the table. The salsa is a bit chunky. I prefer a puréed salsa, but that’s just me. The salsa has a good flavor but is not spicy to me. However, when other people find things to be spicy, I rarely do. Even when Mexican food is ridiculously spicy, I kind of enjoy it.
Their menu is available on their website. Like menus at other Mexican establishments, I find it to be a tad overwhelming. It goes on and on with what seems like an infinite amount of possibilities. For example, under their «Burritos & Enchiladas» section, they have seven different burrito dishes. Seven! And for most of those burritos, you get a choice of meat. Oh, the possibilities!
I haven’t had anything particularly spicy here, but the food has been good. Not great, not bad. Just good. There’s nothing wrong with that. On my last visit, I ordered chicken chilaquiles from the lunch menu, described as «corn tortillas cooked with shredded chicken [or beef tips], smothered with cheese and red sauce. Served with rice, beans and a Mexican salad.» The Mexican salad consisted of lettuce and dabs of guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo. The only thing I really did not care for was the rice. It contained peas and carrots, and there wasn’t much else going on there.
–Service–
Service is fine here. Like the food, it’s neither fantastic nor terrible.
–Décor–
What should I say here? The interior is a bit. .. kitschy? Eclectic? I don’t have a problem with the way they’ve decorated, but another reviewer seemed quite displeased with her table that was topped with a picture of dogs in hats. Come on! Those dogs are friggin’ adorable. They’re wearing hats, for cryin’ out loud! On my last visit, my table had a Cardinals theme. Hello? Awesome!
–Overall–
This isn’t my favorite Mexican restaurant, but I’d certainly return. Both the food and service are good, and one day, I hope to sit at that cute canine table.

Always pass by this place but never went in. Big mistake! Flavorless food, unappealing décor and unfriendly staff.
Beef taco — the ground beef had no flavor, hard taco was wet and soft
Chicken quesadilla — overly cheesy, barely tasted the chicken, very wet (juice running out of it)
Mexican rice — dry and flavorless
Refried beans — no bad, the only good thing

Parking lot was crowded at 7 PM. Inside was crowded with staff hustling serving customers. We were seated within 5 minutes.
Tuesday is $ 1 taco night but they don’t advertise it, ask your waiter. My wife got three hard chicken tacos and said they were good.
I got the California burrito. It didn’t quite match the picture in the menu, it was smaller with fewer slices of avocado. However it was pretty good.

Love this place. Great chips, salsa, and queso. Very casual. Highly recommend the quesadilla fajita.

I wouldn’t recommend this place to my worst enemy. First and foremost, the décor is utterly appalling– our table today was the movie poster for Twilight. Next, our waitress never came by, so we were frequently out of drinks and whatnot. They messed up 3 of our 4 orders, so we had a lot of food being sent back. I would give them zero stars if that was an option.

I love this place! $ 2 margaritas and $ 1 tacos on Monday/​Tuesday! The tacos are great for only being a buck! Either pulled chicken or ground beef, hard or soft corn/​flour tortillas. The margaritas are simple but very good and often very strong! I’ve gone there with a small group and a over 20+ either way the service is usually fast and they are very patient splitting the ticket at the front desk. The décor is unique; we often end up sitting at the Twilight table or the Unicorn table… It’s a small place but they’ll bring together tables in the back if they can for larger groups. I’ve been here 15+ times and have never been disappointed. Check it out!

Nacho Mama’s can suck it!
El Indio is a fantastic local gem in rock hill. Great specials throughout the week and very authentic traditional Sonoran dishes.
Trust me I grew up in San Diego, I know my Mexican food, you will not be disappointed.

Been to El Indio twice — on a Monday and on a Tuesday. Both nights boast of dollar tacos. Tuesday is $ 2 margaritas. My hubs and I can eat 3 tacos each and get a drink (plus the complimentary chips&salsa) for under $ 15 (including tax and tip) — bargain!
I thoroughly enjoy the tacos; they’re aren’t chinsy with the fillings. I also think the salsa tastes great and margaritas are the perfect strength. Service for the tacos is always fast — I guess they know what the crowd is there for. Can’t say I’ve tried other menu items though.
You may not want to go there on a first date or take out-​of-​town guests there if you’re looking to REALLY IMPRESS. It’s very casual (in fact, I’ve been in gym attire both times I’ve been). Yes, the décor of the joint is what I would call «festively tacky» but you’re not there for interior décor!
Keep the food cheap and the service fast and friendly!

Probably more like 3.75 stars. Very basic Mexican joint in old
pizza place. The food, chips, salsa, margaritas, and service are consistently good.

One of the most authentic Mexican restaurants in town. Excellent margaritas and the food ain’t half bad. As long as a very casual attitude towards interior decorating and presentation don’t bother you. This is NOT a fancy place. No way.
All the dishes, wooden bowls, etc. are beat to heck. The booths are home-​made of plywood, with charred accents applied by propane torch, and no more comfortable for a tall person than the back seat of a Mini Cooper. The bathrooms… eek. Also I keep forgetting to check their food safety rating sticker from the Health Department. Or do they even have one? If you want shiny cleanliness and a lovely interior, go to Milagro. If you want the El Indio experience, sit down, order a couple drinks and have at it.
Servers are all great, to my knowledge, and tend to yell stuff at each other across the much too brightly lit dining room. Big old menu with a lot of stuff on it. Cheap, good, come and get it, city people.
Tip: If you had two years of high school Spanish, don’t charge in trying to speak it to these folks. They know it better than you and it won’t take long before everyone in earshot gets to watch you furiously pedaling back to English.

For traditional Mexican food, this is my favorite place. Authentic tastes, great selection, and awesome prices. The El Indio dip is awesome… but filling.
Not a fancy Mexican restaurant but just straight good food and friendly service.