El Nopal

This was the worst Mexican food I’ve ever had. The salsa was very bland — all I tasted was tomato. No spice at all. I ordered a burrito stuffed with mashed potatoes. I’ve had this at other Mexican restaurants and always loved it. Again, no taste at all. The potatoes tasted like they were barely cooked. Some were actually mashed and some were still whole chunks. I requested a red sauce instead of queso. It was the only thing that had some taste to it — but it was sweet! Obviously not expected from a traditional red sauce.
The staff were all very nice. The restaurant was clean and bright. I just wish the food would have been even somewhat good.

We were on a camping trip at nearby General Butler State Park (which I will also have to review) when the inevitable happened in July… heavy rain and storms! So what do you do when you are in a pop-​up camper and it’s pouring down rain? You go find a Mexican joint to gorge yourself on of course! El Nopal is a chain like many regional Mexican restaurants. We had 4 adults and 3 kids in our group and were accommodated without any problems. I ordered the carnitas dinner which was very tasty, but entirely too big, although I guess that’s a good value. The kids meals were insanely large. Unless your kids are over the age of 10 or has a tapeworm, I’d recommend they split one of these meals.

Had the quesadilla stuffed with fajita steak. It was a generous size with a large browned tortilla holding plenty of contents including grilled onions and bell peppers. They chose to use Monterrey Jack for the cheese inside this quesadilla, and I know some people are good with this combination of cheese/​meat, but i personally would’ve preferred a Mexican blend or even mozzarella for this type of quesadilla. The issue for me was that it resembled the flavors of a cheese steak more than a caramello, particularly because of mixing Monterrey jack with grilled steak. The tortilla chips are a poor starter here compared to other Mexican places in Carrolton, but other than that the meal was fine and I plan to return to try the enchiladas.

My wife and I were headed down south for vacation and we looked on our GPS for a Mexican restaurant. The GPS found this great Mexican restaurant for us! The restaurant is very bright at night which was very appealing. We were greeted warmly when we walked in, and had our drinks served right away.
The food: The chips and salsa was very good. They give you hot and mild salsas to dip. I ordered the Chicken Nachos and they were delicious! It was a huge plate, and several times I wanted to stop eating, but I couldn’t since it was so good! My wife had some enchiladas and loved them!
The waiters were very quick and friendly!
I would definitely recommend this restaurant!

I visit Carrollton often, and this is a good stand-​by for dinner. On a nice night, we asked if we could sit out in the patio area, even though no one was sitting out there at the time. They said yes with no hesitation, and our table was ready 30 seconds after we sat down —
great service, great (very fresh) guacamole!

El Nopal is a Mexican restaurant chain (although I’m not sure how far their tethers stretch), however don’t let the word «chain» scare you off. Their food is not bad!
They may not be the best, 4-​star Michelin restaurant, but on the other side of the scale, they aren’t Taco Bell either. It’s a good, middle-​of-​the-​road place to eat. They do make their salsa, guacamole, beans, and cheese fresh in-​house. While their salsa and guac isn’t the best I’ve eaten, they’re pretty tasty. Two choices of salsa on-​table, mild or hot. Perhaps they blend the salsa a bit much for me. It’s more of a purée than any chunkiness, and a little generic… but hey, it’s freshly made and tastes okay. Arguably better than most store-​bought, but I wouldn’t make a special trip just for the salsa.
If you read my review of «The Real Enchilada», Nopal’s beans do not hold a candle to Real’s. Although they aren’t bad. Tolerable would be my best description… granted I’m biased. I’ll eat a few bites of them, but make no attempt to finish them.
Don’t let my frequent check-​ins trick you. El Nopal is not my favorite Mexican restaurant, I happen to work right across the street. Having said that though…
They may not be the best, but the food is fresh, tasty and filling. Pretty big dinner portions too. If El Nopal’s food weren’t any good, I wouldn’t be eating here. In an area surrounded by fast food, they’re a decent alternative. I may like other places better, but I still like El Nopal.

This is a chain restaurant from a group located in Kentucky & Indiana. The staff is Mexican, the menu has more seafood items than the typical Mexican restaurant. A good stop if you heading down I-​71 South.