El Palenque

Fresh hot Mexican food! Also, this is a GreenHills original! It's been there for years!

Went in for a lunch this week. Inedible. The beef stank of fish. Then asked for just simple chips with beef and the beef must have been two weeks or more old. Nauseating. First the beef in a dish was rank and stank , like the two meats had been mixed together and old and then the beef was disgusting. And, since they also didn't put any tomatoes or any other garnishes on it was overpowering to see and smell how rank the meats were. Metro should condemn them . We walked by a storage room and it was filthy. Left and paid only for flat , cokes. Never eat here, or do at your own risk of getting food poisoning. Though I will add the poor waitress was very nice and seemed to be absolutely as frustrated as we were .

Meh. Food was passable, service mediocre, prices high. Best thing I can say is their iceberg lettuce was fresh. Don't waste your time trying to find this place.

Average service, bland overpriced food. A mediocre meal that would have cost $15 anywhere else was over $40. I'm struggling to find positive things to say about this place. Nashville fails hard when it comes to Mexican food. This is just another name on that list.

Amazing straight up authentic! We come from ELA and it all good come down and enjoy the best Mexican meals ....

This my favorite restaurant in Nashville. This is what you wish every Mexican restaurant would be. The food is fantastic! And it is prepared and served by a family that has prepared these dishes from their home land for generations.

Ordered to go. Had the burrito asada as usual. It was tasty. I don't usually give out 5 stars but the food at this place was good!

Excellent quality. The chicken soup is superb. I also had the shrimp quesadilla and the cheese dip with chorizo. So yummy!

Every time we order to go or eat in person we receive the same great experience!

No Bueno all the Way-No

Food was OK. Maybe even good. Service was horrendous start to finish. Hadn't been to El Palenque in a few years and, desperate for some good, honest Tenn-Mex, thought we'd give this Nashville staple another try Friday night. Walked in at 6:00 on a Friday and sat immediately. That was red flag #1. There was a sign that said "please wait to be seated" but the staff person/possibly manager behind the register indicated with an unaffected flap of his hand that we could just seat ourselves. Though the restaurant was at 50% capacity...maybe....the service was slow and our waitress would have rather been anywhere else, doing literally anything else. Just seemed thoroughly bothered by our presence.

My go-to dish comes smothered in whatever that basic red sauce is so I always ask if I can get an alternative. My favorite is the green salsa, a.k.a., "verde." When I ordered, I asked, "could I get verde instead of the red sauce?" She replied and I quote, "you want green instead of red?" "Yes," I replied.

Imagine my surprise when the bill came and there was a $2.00 charge for my sauce. It was good but not 15% of my entree good. I was bothered by this enough that I thought when we stopped to pay and the man behind the register asked "how was everything?" that I would share.

Well, he didn't ask. In fact, he said nothing. Not. One. Word. No "how was everything?" or "thanks for coming in" or "get the hell out of here." Nothing. It went from rude to just bizarre. Not in a hurry to go back and it will get pushed to the back of the virtual food Rolodex until, a few years from now, we're desperate for good (or just different) Mexican and wind up there again.

But, for now, let me save you a trip.