El Sombrero

i have been coming here since last year but i noticed that the food is just not as good as before. i hope they bring back the old quality. more

This used to be my favorite place to eat but recently new owners took over. The food is horrible now, the service is horrible and will not go back again. We waited an hour for our food while others that were seated after us and ordered the same food as us got served before us. It was my husbands birthday and we ended up having to get the food to go due to me having to go to school. And in addition, we weren't even offered an apology and ended up paying total price for an awful experience. I will miss this place greatly. more

This wasn't our first visit here, but it was the BEST dining experience I've had here. more

I love this place! It is hands down my favorite Mexican Food. I love the laid back atmosphere and will recomend this place to anyone. Totally worth the trip and prices are very reasonable. more

Dont be fooled by the worn outside appearence, the food was fantastic. the service was prompt and courteous, with a great family atmosphere. more

We are originally from Tucson, AZ and just relocated to Spokane. Since arriving this winter we have been trying all the mexican restaurants in town and found El Sombrero to serve the most authentic Mexican food. Their machaca was excellent (though I missed the egg that is typical of Machaca in the SW). Though I prefer chunkier salsa- this type of Salsa is the same that is served at a few of the best restaurants in Tucson (i.e. El Charro), so it wasn't entirely off putting. The margarita is by far the best in Spokane- the only one that tasted like it was a real margarita and not the premixed stuff that seems to abound up in the NW. Of course Mexican in the NW is never going to compare to that found in the SW- we will definitely be returning to El Sombrero and are very happy we finally found a good Mexican restaurant in Spokane. Update 12/2011: Initially I posted a good-fair review of El Sombrero in April of 2011. However the last two to three visits were increasingly less appetizing. Our final visit was the worst, the service was poor, the chips cold, and the food subpar. I had chilaquiles a couple times previously and this time it was just a soggy mess. We used to go so I could get a decent margarita and my husband could get a great chimichanga. However, this time the margarita tasted like those you get anyplace else in Spokane- the gross pre-mixed variety- and the chimi was stuffed with beans and very little meat. I don't know if they hired a new cook who isn't sure what to do with Mexican fare, but it was extremely disappoionting, and we haven't been back since. more

I would not eat here again if you gave me a 75% off coupon. Your prices are high and food quality poor.Salsa is like a paste. sure its out of a jar. chips are not home made they are out of a bag and cold. food is microwaved, but the bottle of pacifico was cold and good. more

First time going to the El Sombrero. I had the shrimp burrito, and it was great. Apparently the recipe is from Mexico City. The service was courteous, prompt and friendly. The restaurant is locally owned and community oriented, supporting the local schools by offering specials to student/athletes recognized by the schools. more

We have been going to El Sombrero since Ray owned it! A couple of our favorites are the crisp Tacos and The Matador with shredded beef and green sauce. We are there at least once a week!! more

I've been going here for Mexican since I can remember. The green sauce is unbelievable and they have hands down, the best enchiladas ever. I could eat here daily. more

The El Sombrero has had the honor of serving the Spokane area for more than 3 decades. In March of 1976, Ray Rodriques and Benny Baca started this restaurant in this location in north Spokane. The recipes used today were developed from old family recipes. The excellent flavor of the food is a result of using the best and freshest ingredients possible. NO additional fat is added and the food is prepared daily in our own kitchens. more

This was the first time I've eaten here and I loved it. It was the best Chile Relleno I've ever eaten. Staff was wonderful and the margarita was awesome. I guess they make everything from scratch there including their own margarita mix. more

We have been going here for many years. The staff is always smiling and very friendly. more

This was by far the worst Mexican food I have ever had in my life. I had the #2 combination plate. All it accomplished was making me want to go #2 as quickly as possible to get rid of it! There was some kind of ground beef in the chili relleno, the ""green"" sauce which covered absolutely everything was tasteless and actually a bit more gray than green, the burrito was terrible, the cheese enchilada was done with a flour tortilla making it tasteless. Even the refried beans were awful! Never again. If it wasn't for the cute kid serving, I probably would have asked for my money back. Also, another family came in and ordered the ""super nachos."" I could tell they were made with a combination of Doritos (probably an off brand Dorito look alike) and the tasteless chips they serve with their hot catsup. Yuck, yuck and more yuck. Pros: None. Cons: Everything! more

this is easily one of the worst mexican places I've ever been to. absolutely no effort was expended to make quality food. the salsa was a joke , like thick tomato paste with cayenne added. the chips (how hard is it to get good chips), were salty and otherwise tasteless. I would be embarrassed to offer up this poor quality of fare to anyone visiting me (except my mother-in-law). A Mexican TV dinner would be better. Pros: no trouble getting a table. Cons: worse than taco time more

The whole family went. Had such a great selection of ""High country"" Mexican foods and several unique items. The Tacos were hard shell and the best I had eaten. My wife had the Tequila Shrimp burrito and was astounded. Took half home and had it on Saturday. Questioned the consistancy of the taco sauces and was informed that they make the sauce ""medium"" because the customers use one of the hot sauces offered from Mexico, Belize, Hawaii and other areas of the U.S., to spice up their chips. Chips were very fresh and warm. Pros: Large portions, Realistic prices, Fast service Cons: Too many customers, although they work fast to save the wait more

I've been there twice in the last three weeks and I've been telling all my friends about it. El Sombrero is a great little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Both of my meals (and those of my friends) have been great. I tried the Tequila Shrimp Burrito, which sounded kind of gross, but it was tasty!! If you want something big, get the Matador. It's one of the biggest burritos I've ever had and tastes wonderful. Pros: Great food, fun atmosphere Cons: Service is a little slow, not sure if it's self seating or wait to be seated... more

Truly the worst Mexican meal I havve ever eaten. The chips were stale and salsa tasted like a tin can. The waitress was surly and did not even attempt to make up for the horrible food. The cheese was placed on every item and just made the dishes extra gooey and gross.Do yourself a favor and skip this one. The only good thing about this resturant was that they allowed you to leave. Pros: They let you leave Cons: Everything more