El Cortez

Updated review. Not sure if it was just the night of the week but this visit has totally changed my idea of the establishment. Aside from the food being overpriced and quantities small. We were seated. Waiter took a while to get to us but managed to get our menus and water pretty quick. Ordered food and drinks. No napkins or cutlery. Food arrived in 10 minutes. Drinks took about 35 minutes to show up. No check in from waitrr after receiving food. No toilet paper in the bathrooms. Bathrooms were completely trashed. This place got ghetto. Classiest thing about this place is the high prices.

This place has a Bar atmosphere rather then a dine in. You will need to shout at your table mates to conversate.
We had a large group and the Waitress took great care of us without getting flustered.
The food is okay but nothing to write home about. Nachos had cheap liquid cheese as opposed to real cheese. The tacos also seemed small but they are filling. I would suggest going on taco night to avoid feeling like you over paid for the food. Just remember to tip the waitress if she's good to you

I love El Cortez! Amazing Tequla selection with a really cool vibe. I don't always want meat so I highly recommend the Street Corn to start and the Bean and Cheese Tacos, super filling! If you want meat get the Red Chorizo Taco de la Case or the Braised Short Rib Birria Quesatacos! Of course you must finish with a Churro!

The staff is literally holding the place together with duct tape.

If you have a bigger group, they automatically add 18% tip, then give you the small bill with no details, and the debit machine asks you to further tip! So you're tipping on a tip! That's so shady!

Food was okay, but pretty expensive for the small size and service wasn't that great either; although Rhea was extremely helpful.

Ps. Can't the restaurant own more than one glass of the same type? I know some of us ordered the same drink and not two of the beverages had matching glassware.

Edit: Just spoke to some friends, buy more glassware! If you provide water bottles on the table, you have to provide glasses for people to enjoy that water! Waitress does not have to be snobby when different people ask the same question (her response.no clean glasses for her to bring to the table). After all, she got an automatic 18% tip (ignoring the fact the debit machine asks for another tip on top of it!)

Overall ok but El Cortez added a gratuity without telling me. Doesn't say in their online QR menu. And the machine asked for another tip. So I tipped twice. Come on El Cortez do better.

Drinks were really good, amazing atmosphere. We went there for happy hour, we suggest the pastor taco and the bean and cheese taco. The carnitas taco on the other hand was a little dry, we'd recommend some sauce to make it more moist.

Had a great time. Had a cozy feeling. The Bartender Lucas was amazing and took care of everything. Tried roughly 4 different tequilas.they were all great!

So amazing! The food was delicious and affordable (not to mention perfect portion sizes) and plenty of virgin drinks to choose from if you don't drink alchohol! The staff were all lovely, and the service was quick. The ceviche is to die for, and the Mexican street corn is the best I've ever had. The churros were also SO fresh and delicious, I'd definitely reccomend to anyone looking for good Mexican food!

No mention of 18 plus requirements after 10 pm or take out restrictions on their website.

Adding to say that I did in fact visit the restaurant. I came from Ellerslie and when I got there was told they could not seat the minors who were joining. When I asked if we could have our food to go instead I was told there was a no take out policy in effect for Saturday nights. If this information had been available on the website, I would not have come down to the restaurant. Thanks!

Me and my friend Alec had an amazing time here! Kae is the best server ever! We love her! Definitely coming back to see her!

Planned a private gathering there with a drag performance. Staff were helpful, energetic, and kind. Had a great time! And felt COVID safe:)

Great ambiance but okay food. I am vegetarian so may be my veggie ones can be off but other might be good. Overall nice place to chill and njy ambiance

5 stars to the bartender with black hair! I believe her name is Camy. She gave great service, fast with the cocktails and even gave me a lesson on tequila. Definitely coming back to elcortez. Also the queso tacos are to die for

Food was good and the vibe was nice. Loved the music and this place felt very Toronto-esque but I feel the portions were smaller than expected for the cost.

Excellent cocktails, delicious food, great service, and some of the coolest bathrooms I've ever been in. Definitely a must visit on Whyte. Chill ambience and decor with great music makes this the perfect place to kick it with some friends.

Food was good and server friendly. Friend and I split an app and ordered tacos separately. Food came out in a reasonable amount of time. I also ordered some tacos to take home and they timed my takeout perfectly.
I want to talk about their leche cake they make in-house though:
1. The cake looks light like sponge cake but is actually savory and thick
2. Cream is airy and light which complements the sweetness of the cake
3. Sauce plated around the cake adds a cooler sweetness, adding more dimension to the overall flavor
It was overall very fun to eat and I would've taken one home for later but I wasn't heading there straight after haha
Atmosphere was also very chill

Their patio at the back offers a great atmosphere for drinks and dining. Menu items are plenty enough to share with other people. I recommend the crunchy queso fries for starters!
We also ordered Carnitas, Carne Asada and Suadero but the taste is a little bland

Food and drinks were delicious! Service was wonderful! The atmosphere was enjoyable to be in. Only thing are the portion sizes for food are small for the price. Otherwise, I loved El Cortez. Ps- the staff knows their tequila

Our food and drinks were all good, and prices seemed pretty fair! The queso fries were especially good, and I really loved my tacos. Only complaint was that the service was slow and food took quite a while to arrive, but otherwise it was a good experience. Our server was very friendly.

Loved it! Impeccable service and food was amazing as well as very affordable.
Drinks are all interesting and the alcohol is very well balanced. Love it when you actually can taste it.
The blood orange & mango Margarita with the tajin rim was absolutely delicious! I ordered a second one.
Nothing negative to say about our experience.

Okay for starters, the waitress with the split dye buzz cut hair (her hair being coloured pink and blue) was an amazing waitress and she was so wonderful and cheerful (and beautiful like my god) Second, the churros were so amazing (a little bit on the oily side but thats what I expected)

Lastly,
Other than the 2 bonuses,
It was terrible. Personally not coming back. The one dish we got was too dry where as the other dish was too oily and the singular tortilla fell apart within seconds. The chilli fries a friend of mine got said it was good, but didn't agree with his body. My dish that was too dry had handfuls of cilantro and wasn't a good addition as it was supposed to be garnish.
The service was great, the food was garbage and the murals/music in my opinion was culture appropriation and over sexualized.

The tacos were great I loved em.
But the music was way too loud.
Had to yell at my girlfriend and the waitress just to figure out the the order and make the order but the waitress was really nice and helpful. So 4 stars.

It was our first time at El Cortez, they were closed for a while during the pandemic. We sat on the back patio and the atmosphere and decor were great, as was our pitcher of red sangria. Unfortunately it seemed all of the food we ate - 2 orders of tacos and a queso dip appetizer - had very little taste. I'm not sure where all the seasoning went but we were disappointed after looking forward to a new mexican spot. For now, I would only recommend for the atmosphere and drinks.

Came here with a party of 3. Venue is very nice, great space for hosting large groups and very nice themed decor. Our food was unfortunately not as amazing as we had hoped. Our appetizer, crunchy queso fries was bursting with flavour and fun, and our mock tails were superb. After that everything was less and less appealing, most dishes lacked seasoning and salt. Was disappointed by the lack of flavour and spice for a Mexican restaurant.

We were there with a party of 14 and it was 30 degrees great and the servers had to go up and down stairs to get to us and they were AMAZING! And attentive. It was a great experience. The food is authentically Mexican and tasty. I wish they had a little more options on the menu for food and deserts.

Got a great basement dance floor, but the food i tried wasn't the best and a bit overpriced

(original was a 3 star review, thought i had put 4 stars)

Wicked chill spot, great music, amazing food and the customer service on point. Definately worth checking it out, and the patio is huge n real hipp.

If you care about food don't go here. If you want to feel hip and trendy then go here. I totally don't understand the appeal of this place. I've been three times and it's always a disappointment. Unfortunately I go with the group. You leave feeling hungry because portions are on the smaller side. There's nothing special here that you couldn't cook at home. Being seated next to a speaker that makes it louder than a nightclub is also totally unappealing. If this is what Prairie folk think it's cool, then they should never travel.

I highly recommend El Cortez! Their food and drinks are delicious, service was excellent, and the overall atmosphere is amazing.

We wanted to try something other than the same old wing night so came here for a taco Tuesday and were not disappointed. The tacos with the brisket were amazing and prices are all fair. Took off one star only because the powers that be only scheduled one girl for the entire floor. We will definitely be going back soon

I don't recommend this restaurant. First of all they don't sanitize the tables. I know this because we were seated at a table that had food from the last customer on it. That put my safety at risk as I'm immune compromised.

Secondly we booked for a special 18th birthday. We were told there would be a Churro birthday dessert but in fact there were no desserts available including churros.

The menu online is not the actual menu at the restaurant which was not explained.

We went on a Sunday at 6 pm. It was super quiet but they ran out of many items we wanted to order like mussels, Mexican street corn - 2 of our favorites. Some drink choices were also not available. A very special occasion was ruined. I called the manager to discuss this very politely because I didn't want to do a negative review. He promised to investigate and get back to me but he didn't. So I will now review everywhere I can find. So disappointed. Do not dine here!

Menu is impeccable, decor & ambiance are truly One of a Kind, just like the Awesome staff! Best place in town for Taco Tuesdays or Tequila Thursday!

Really great chicken tacos. They let me take the cilantro out which is nice cause sometimes that's not an option. They also didn't kick us out when we realized it was closing time. Our server was also really attentive.

Expensive food. It's good. But paying close to $20 for 3 little tacos with tip included is insane. Tasty drinks and cool patio out back however.

First time here & I totally see why people love it! Delicious well-prepared food; warm and welcoming staff; and ample seafood options!

Waitress with short blonde hair was an absolute Legend! Keep on dancing in your garage. Thanks for making our night so enjoyable.

Such an awesome vibe to this tequila bar. In the basement its very intimate with low lighting, currently under construction but the feeling in this bar is sexy af

Great Tacos with corn tortilla option. Patio was dog friendly with street art making an almost Berlin vibe to the place. Knowledgeable staff for their extensive Tequila/Mezcal selection.

The margaritas and cauliflower fundido were really great but we were left disappointed by the tacos that were a little lacking in taste. The restaurant atmosphere is unique with a good vibe even during COVID times.

Food tasted fairly bland by itself, relying on any accompanying sauces to give it any sort of life. Portion sizes were all out of wack, some plates giving you three tacos and some two. Micheladas tasted horrible, with way too much Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. But hey, the pico de gallo was pretty good and fresh!

El Cortez is not what you expect. You go in thinking of food that you've been wanting, and it is completely different. Very expensive for cheap food that isn't even Spanish. Just names on randon items and that's it. I don't recommend it all.

If you have no idea of a spanish food you can go to El Cortez, they mix all the Mexican plates and try to put differents names on it, creating a big confusion for the costumer, cheap plates expensive price

They had a busy Monday, busier than they expected so our food took over an hour to get to the table. The servers were great. Margaritas were great. Food was meh. Also expensive for what you get. The atmosphere was awesome. We went down to take a look at the tequila bar, it was awesome! I would definately go back for drinks, probably not for food.

The place looks good, washroom are not the best, the basement lights are poor but the experience for me was like staying in a pirate ship.kind of mysterious.

This place has a great vibe. I liked the eclectic Mexican decor. Not just your standard pinatas and sombreros and tile work. Its a good place to chill, yet still feel like you're out somewhere interesting having a night out. I liked the Tequila selection and definitely will go back when I have time to try more.

Fun ambiance (not the tacky "Mexican commercial" you get elsewhere). The tacos taste pretty authentic, and the drinks are delicious. The portions will look small but the quality is great and they'll be enough if you also get an appy to share.

Tasty mexican food, but very small portions for the price. A bit inconsistent with serving sizes, to boot - my friend and I ordered the exact some brunch dish and got drastically different amounts of the side (tater tots). There's better options out there, but decent Mexican for Whyte area.

Being a vegetarian, I was not sure of options available. But voila! I was in for a surprise! The cauliflower was delicious to start with and then there was more, don't forget to add some hot sauces they have, just in case! The tequila based cocktails are a must try, personally I like the Classic Margarita. Not to forget, great staff and some good music!

The taco portions were comedically small, they should have been on the appetizer list and the flavour was not impressive by any means, very bland pork.also the quesadillas were nothing like what you'd expect a quesadilla to be.very very heavy, geeasy dish with flavourless chicken that tasted almost as if it had been steamed it was that bland.the thick cheese only made it worse.considering all this it was quite expensive and not worth it.i was more satisfied by the McDonald's i ate later that night.service was fine, atmosphere is cool, but that's not what i came for, leaving the entire experience with zero redeemable qualities.

One visit and I doubt I'd go back. Just not a good value and the staff didn't try very hard. Service was adequate but I stated we were first timers and I had a vegetarian with me and got "crickets. "
I want to give this place more stars, I really do but all the staff need to be schooled in how to cater to 40 somethings? Come on. We got their "chips and dip" or nacho platter substitute and the dip was only half to three quarters full and it ran out well before the chips did. LAME.

If you are going to jack the price of brews to survivie on Whyte have some redeeming quality somewhere on your menu. A bright special or great, proactive staff comes to mind. Cool art and tequila choices that break the back as well as the bank? Pass.

Only complaint is that when this place is busy, the ambient noise is very loud and that willale it difficult to have conversations with your company. Otherwise fantastic.

Horrible service. Food was good but your not leaving full. Party of 10. Squished us all into a booth. Asked if we can be moved to the opposite side where a party of 10 would fit comfortably, waitress says no we are going to be separating tables for smaller parties. We were there for an hour and half and in that time they didn't seat a single party on that side. The server was just lazy to clean and move us. Food was good, but the serving sizes are as small as an appetizer. Server brought out the incorrect order, when asked to fix she instead told us we had made the mistake and now have to pay for the wrong order. Manager came out and decided to charge us half instead of just fixing the order. It was our twin cousins bday so waitress said 2 shots are on us.manager pretty much said pay for the wrong order or the two shots. What great deal he gave us right. Over all the service sucked. Wouldn't go there again.even the club down stairs is lame.

Waited a full hour and a half for four tacos. Waiter never checked in on us and and didn't even acknowledge that the food was late. Worst service ever! Server was Casey-Ann

Forgot the drink order and served food first after a long wait.

Served the app at the same time as the main.

Wrong sauce with the enchiladas.

Add to that an unpleasant altercation between staff and a customer that continues right outside the door making it unpleasant, and unsafe, for customers to come and go for a few minutes.

The chorizo and mushroom tacos were a bit like a mushy homogenous filling was spooned into the shell and served. Not much texture.

Really cool and authentic Mexican place. Super busy on Tuesdays for tacos, 1- 2 hour wait. 4 of us had gone for tacos, they were good, home made tortillas.we all got different kinds and we liked them except one friend gotten a beef kind and couldn't finish it.

This restaurant appears to be managed by toxic white males who have culturally appropriated everything they present. Mixed with Snoop Dog and Tupac on the stereo. Toxic jarring graphic images on the video displays (why these video loops? !) Managers "on duty" appeared to be the Mohawk/beard dude with all the rings and another guy with suit jacket dark hair short beard. They both anxiously paced around with no acknowledgment to customers and even worse was their interactions with the female staff. They never said "thanks" or "pardon me" as they pushed their way around. Saw staff members having to fake smile to them. Toxic BS. Be more creative when you open a restaurant and be compassionate and caring when you operate it.

Food - price to be expected. Quality ok. UPDATE: My partner and I both felt sick after eating for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Washrooms - marginally graphic images of women on men's washroom walls.

Staff - seemingly ignorant to what's going on in 2018.

Really liked the decor and vibe of El Cortez and the Queso Fundito was awesome but that's about it. The rest of our meal and dessert was ok and the service was slow, I probably wouldn't go back

Good beers. Some terrific tequila and cocktails. Mexican beer including Modelo, Sol, Corona for that Spanish flavour. Well paired local craft beer as well for craft lovers. Try the Guac during happy hour and enjoy a properly chunky and smooth dip.

This place used to be amazing. I feel as if they got too busy or just cheap.the tacos used to be hearty and with the price. Now they are the size of a one bite brownie!

I thought the atmosphere was pretty cool. The lighting and decor were really interesting! But if you're going to be fed, you're going to have a bad time. The portions for the tacos are incredibly tiny, although they do taste pretty great. For the price, the tacos were not worth it. I feel like I could find the same quality and quantity of taco in a food truck for a much, much lower price. The bathrooms were cool though!

I don't even understand what is going on with the theme and the name of this place. Way to over priced and the food isn't even authentic. Feels like a cheap cookie cutter replica of latino culture.

Cool little spot for hanging with friends. Love the eclectic decoration and the unique atmosphere. There's a lower level for more space and shows. A patio for outdoor is also welcome. The server I had was very outgoing and friendly! Very welcome to have someone who enjoys helping. The prices are a little are high for certain food items.

To check out more food/places in Calgary search #foodvity on Iinstagram.

Really cool decorations but it's Just like how I took the pictures, doesnt worth my time for a better pic.portion is really small and we just don't like it.

If you wanna check out the food pic, search #foodvity on instagram b/c I have deleted the pictures in my phone

Cool decor, ok service, but I just think its over priced. I love tequila and yet I don't love the cocktails menu, seems like they try and get fancy with ingredients and forget to make them taste good.

Very expensive, the food portions are crazy small. Extremely loud to the point where you can't even communicate with the waiters. I was there yesterday and asked for a beer and I got some sort of tequila drink. I'm not sure what's so good about that place.
Never going back there again. Not worth the money.

Lined up yesterday. Saw lots of free, cleaned tables, yet kept telling us we had to wait for a table. After about 15 minutes and no one coming up to see us, people in front of us left. We waited a little longer and noticed those that got seated earlier were just getting their water and looked frustrated. We eventually left as well, as did others. Gave it a 3 because the food and atmosphere looked good. Would have liked to taste it.