El Norteño

I almost hate to give this wonderful restaurant a review for fear that it’ll become too popular. The food is terrific and authentic. The menu is somewhat limited, but who cares when everything is so tasty? There is enclosed outdoor seating. I’ve seen that large groups have been accommodated inside. The service ids always good.

It’s easy to overlook– old signage, darkened windows. Very old-​school décor. The three sisters who run this place moved here in the 1980’s from Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, Mexico, to start this restaurant. Clemen or Rufina will greet and serve you. Estela will cook for you. Their grandma taught her to cook.
In a city full of Latin-​American options, you can find just about anything you want. What you will find here is what I would call Northern Mexican comfort food. Not too spicy, decent portions, pleasant food. To get your mouth burned off, or to sample Chilled Monkey Brains, or for an extensive drink menu, shop elsewhere. To be full and happy and well-​cared for, come here.
Particular culinary strengths– You must order their flan. They do it the right way. Smooth, creamy and uniform, with lovely sugar sauce. Theirs sets the standard. Their tortilla chips are thick and freshly fried. Their salsa is very flavorful and not too hot. Their veggie chimichanga is generous and satisfying. If you ask for lemonade, it is fresh.
I have tried their Enchiladas too, and they are great. I just wish there had been more on the plate.
In warmer months, their patio is just amazing, and I sometimes come just for that. Beautiful, with dappled shade, and fairly insulated from the noise of Lake Street. A real refuge.
This place deserves a spot on your orbit– a peacful place to pause and recharge. Try it.

I haven’t had the food here in years. I always thought compared to the local competition, food was ok, but expensive and small portions.
This review is for their Flan.
It is amazing. It’s creamy, thick and richly flavored. Best I’ve had anywhere.

Bad service they took for EVER to get my food when I had finally gotten my enchiladas (just ok) I found a long White hair and as far as I know I still don’t have grey hair I will not be coming back ever and that so call horchata water by 5 year old daughter can make a better water then this lemonade water (just ok). They had the nerve to charge my for the enchiladas suisa wtf???

Overall: Blah.
I was craving Mexican so my lady and I picked this place for its generally positive reviews and proximity to my house. I had a busy workday and missed lunch– so I was ready to seriously mow down by the time we arrived to the patio.
Service: S-​L-​O-​W. We waited a good 15 minutes to get our waters and chips and had to wait another 15 to give our drink/​food orders. I get its a smaller operation but there was one waitress for about 15 – 20 tables. From when we sat down, we waited around 45 minutes to get our margaritas and probably 90 for our food. Hire more help.
Actual food: Meh. I ate most of mine because I was famished, but it was pretty pedestrian. Definitely not worth the ridiculous wait.
I will not be returning.

Find some real food elsewhere. Chips were stale store bought. Asked for chile verde but the didn’t have it. Really? So had shredded beef that was salty and anything but generous. The tostadas were a smear of store bought refined beans on stale hard tortillas and a little lettuce on top. Truly the worst mex food we have ever eaten. And the service was slow.

Wait, are we all eating at the same place? I wanted to love this place, I really did. It’s a cute little family– owned and operated restaurant with a beautiful patio, friendly (though inattentive) servers, and obviously very fresh ingredients. Unfortunately, none of that could make up for the underwhelming food.
My lunch took 40 minutes to arrive which I realize is probably atypical since my server came to apologize after about 30 minutes. No biggie really; I spent years as a server and realize that stuff happens and I was in no rush. However, when it did come, my food was unforgivably under-​seasoned and everything tasted bland which is a big, fat bummer since there is no salt, pepper, or hot sauce on the tables.
I will be rooting for this place to improve on its recipes. It truly has all the makings of a great Mexican restaurant, but it just really misses the mark.

This patio is bomb.
Come here for the patio, stay for the kind service, but… expect very average Mexican food. I feel bad. I want to love this place, but the burrito I got and the enchiladas my husband got were so standard. Maybe they have a specialty that we should have gotten?
Sigh. With all the great Mexican options in the TC, I doubt I’ll be back, unless its for a drink on their lovely patio.

Rufina and her family continue to out-​do themselves. They’ve have created a welcoming atmosphere; they prepare and cheerfully serve excellent, authentic Mexican dishes and all for a reasonable price. Go try them out. You won’t regret it.

Been coming here with my family since i was a baby, so the owners know me very well. All I can say is every time I come here I am still amazed at how delicious everything is. The 3 sisters who own the place know how to cook AUTHENTIC Mexican food just like it was made right at home. I love this place as well as those who own it and their scrumptious food. Would recommend to anyone looking for a place to surpass all other Mexican food you’ve tried before.

My guy and I decided to check this place out for Saturday «linner»…you know, when you wake up too late to even really call your first meal «brunch» and instead have a lunch/​dinner hybrid? That. I’m not sure how busy this place typically gets since we did come at such an off-​time, but there were a few other tables (including out on the patio) so I’m assuming they get pretty solid business.
They don’t have a full bar, just wine and beer, so I decided to try the wine margarita. It was affordable but mostly just tasted like white wine with a salted rim so I would probably skip this and get a Negra Modelo or something net time around. Still, I appreciate that they offered *something* in lieu of a typical tequila margarita!
Your first basket of chips and salsa are complimentary and it’s around $ 3 for refills. We never wound up needing a refill as we ordered guacamole as an appetizer and were nearing full by the time our entrees arrived! I will say that the salsa was very bland and the guacamole could’ve used something as well… lime, garlic, maybe jalapenos? Just something to give it more flavor. Still, they were a pretty standard way to start the meal and I know not everyone appreciates spice the way I do.
For our meals, J got a chimichanga and I went with the veggie fajitas. Prices are fair for the amount of food you receive, and these plates far surpassed the appetizers in flavor! Plus, I requested hot sauce and the bland guac/​salsa was completely forgiven. That hot sauce was SO GOOD. Habanero peppers and deliciousness. I doused my plate in it and cried tears of joy and heat. The fajitas come with flour tortillas but I would assume they’d sub corn if you asked (I should have asked!). There was a great mix of veggies including a variety of bell peppers, mushrooms, potato, etc. plus refried beans, lettuce, rice, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa. I scraped the cheese/​sour cream onto J’s plate and all was well with the world!
There were several other veggie items on the menu that I’d love to come try, and I am so glad I requested the hot sauce because it totally turned the meal around for me. I look forward to coming back and scoring a spot on their nice patio this summer.

Delicious authentic Mexican food! I love their burritos especially mole! Wonderful owners and to think they have been there almost 19 years!

you know I have only been here once that’s back in like 2012 I think I went on a date here and it was super cute and good and I still remember it. It left a mark with me I always said ill go back but always forget to because its such a small cozy place. I remember I got enchiladas super good the staff was nice and the place was super clean I remember that. I think its a store to in there actually you can get Mexican goods if im not mistaken! its a nice place to wine down if you don’t like loud Mexican restaurants (I know we can get loud and ghetto lol im Mexican I know lol)
I need to remember to come back

No bar, so don’t come here looking for a margarita. They do have a small selection of what is gringos would call «Mexican beers».
The burrito I settled on had 3 different kinds of meat and was topped with melted cheese, plus lettuce and tomato. I enjoyed it and would order it again. The beans were especially good, as were the chips (you can tell they fry their own), salsa, and simple but fresh guacamole that they charge «market price» for. Says so on the menu. About an avocado’s worth for $.49 today.
I found the food and service more like eating at a friend’s house, which I dig. I asked one of the gals working how long they have owned the place, and apparently it’s nearly 20 years. You can’t make it that long without doing something right. This should be a 3.5 star review but since that’s not allowed I’m rounding up to 4 because of this paragraph.
As some other reviewers have suggested, it’s not amazing enough to drive to the neighborhood for, but it’s certainly good enough to stop if you find yourself nearby.

Our whole family loves this restaurant. We’ve been going here for years and the food is always fantastic and the service is always friendly. The back patio is beautiful in the summer, it’s one of my favorite places to be on a summer evening. It’s a relaxed atmosphere nothing over the top just good home made dishes made with love and attention to detail. The weekends are busy so be prepared to visit with your fellow dinners and snack on home made chips and salsa for a bit. Don’t let yourself get restless it’s worth the wait.

Fantastic authentic Mexican food from a family-​owned establishment. I am told that it is run by 3 sisters; 2 that handle front of the house operations and 1 that takes care of the kitchen details. We were blessed to have a great weather night for dinner out on the back patio. Nestled among flowers and vines, the patio is a sweet retreat with enjoyable ambiance that makes Lake Street feel like it is miles, rather than steps, away. Our companions were hip to all of this and invited us out for a try. I ordered the Norteno enchiladas and my wife had the trio enchiladas. Well, she had a little and I finished all of mine AND half of hers, plus a Pacifico and Negra Modelo. The flavors were fantastic – not too spicy, but enough heat to let you know that they know what they’re doing. Definitely not the bland Minnesota-​fied Mexican food that runs rampant in this region. I cannot wait to go back and try something new. Tell a friend, tell a stranger; this is the place to go for great eats!

YUM! I am still dreaming of the black bean burrito I had last night. MUST TRY!

Best patio in the Twin Cities. The patio is so great because it is not on a busy street and is surrounded with beautiful plants. Inside is ok, a little divvy. The food is delicious and the portion sizes are reasonable so you don’t feel bloated like you sometimes do coming out of a Mexican restaurant. They don’t serve hard liquor but they do have a delicious wine margarita well as a fine selection of beer and wine. The staff is what really makes this place. They treat everyone like family and are so wonderfully welcoming.

Sometimes, only good Mexican food will suffice for a meal on short notice (and only a short distance away). For me this is that place.
Their chicken and rice soup is very tasty and satisfying and it reminded me a lot of the soups I ate while living with a family in Mexico City.
The pork tamales were o.k.
I always love their rice and beans.
The women working there are friendly and pleasant. They also cheerfully indulge my practice of the Spanish language.

This is one of Minneapolis’s hidden gems. Not really hidden– right smack dab on east lake. This is all the more reasons why it is good there are more business’s coming to East Lake Street– more people will find El Norteno. Family run by the same adorable family as who started it– they make everything in-​house, the salsa is fantastic, the Guac to die for– the Tamales– and beans are fantastic. I am a vegetarian and I am always very happy. This is really good authentic food. Check it out.

Underwhelming would be the operative word. I had the Norteno tacos which were pretty tasty (what isn’t with bacon in it?). My wife had enchiladas (one cheese, one steak), with a red sauce. These were the meh portion of the meal. Just not very flavorful.
The patio is, however, very nice – and will only get nicer as spring/​summer truly arrive. I will give it another shot.
I’m still looking for the killer mexican restaurant here in the twin cities. My work takes me to San Antonio occasionally. If could find something half as good as what’s available there I’d be happy.

If it wasn’t for Unilocal I would have never found out that this tasty restaurant existed, so thanks! I have driven down Lake so many times without ever realizing El Norteno was just sitting there waiting for me to come try their food.
I have been here twice and both times sat in the cute patio section. Their rice and beans are nom nom tasty. When it comes to Mexican food, this is what matters most to me. Chips and salsa are good, too.
The service is always exceptional. The people are super friendly. I will be back again and again :)

I am a HUGE fan of the patio! I don’t come often, but I love that the patio is off the street and I do feel as if I am transported to Mexico.
I am always annoyed at myself when I eat 2 or 3 baskets of the chips at other restaurants — so I welcome the restraint imposed by a fee on the 2^nd!
Just had dinner with the family here… the best we all decided was the shrimp fajitas! We’re all going to order them next time!

Great neighborhood Mexican restaurant. Delicious enough to stop in if you’re in the area, but probably not enough to come into the area to stop in. Know what I’m sayin’
This place is a 5 minute walk from my house, so my wife and I stop in here often for a bite of tasty Mexican.
Chips & Salsa: Free, as it should be at every legit Mexican restaurant. However, you do have to pay for the second round of chips and salsa, which is a little nickel and dimeish. chips are tasty. Salsa is yummy. Not the best I ever had, but pretty good.
Entrees:
They have everything you’d expect out of a traditional Mexican restaurant. My wife loves the Chimichanga (I think it’s pretty tasty too). I usually opt for one of the combination platters to get a little taste of all the things i love.
Food ranges from tacos, enchiladas, chili releno, buros, etc. to more entrée style dishes.
The beans are some of the best we’ve ever come across. My wife has some Mexican heritage and makes the absolute best, but El Nortenos beans are really tasty. Probably because you can see the old Mexican lady stirring the pot when you walk in.
It also has an outdoor patio, which is nice during the summer.
All this being said, it is expensive versus what you expect to pay for such Mexican food. I think some of it may be to cover the costs of the idle space for the Mexican grocery that never happened.
I’ll keep coming back as long as I’m in the area, but won’t return to the area to go back.