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El Sol De Tala Mexican Restaurante Y Cantina
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
12 reviews for El Sol De Tala Mexican Restaurante Y Cantina
El Sol is the best Mexican restaurant I've found in Indy and one of the best restaurants in the city period. The guacamole is delicious and freshly made to order. The beans, rice and salad that accompany the entrees are incredibly tasty. I've only had vegetarian dishes there, but all have been excellent (my carnivorous friends have lauded the meaty offerings). The service is friendly and fast. You never have to wait for a table and the space can accommodate large groups. The only reason El Sol doesn't get five stars is the margaritas are your run-of-the-mill mix kind. I'm not sure why a restaurant that gets it right in every other way wouldn't serve a better margarita.
(The reviewers who call this restaurant a "hole in the wall" or decry the neighborhood as scary are exaggerating. The interior atmosphere is spacious and warm and I've never had a problem in the area during scores of visits.)
Over the years I have eaten here a few times. They closed down for awhile but they are back and better than ever, with the original owners.
This is where you go for authentic Mexican food in Indy. It's as good as Hacienda's if not better. All of the dishes are reasonably priced and is much better than any of the chain crap you might find around town. This is where you go to get satisfied for a decent price.
Now a warning to visitors. I was a paramedic in this district for 10 years. The area is crime ridden. I have been on over 100 shootings within a 4 block area of the restaurant. Hookers walk the street, bums panhandle. Do not bring your pretty, expensive, Mercedes and parade around in jewelry. If you dress like a NORMAL person, you'll be fine. If you don't, you could become a statistic.
The real deal no fooling around Mexican food, in Indianapolis IN. by a mile!!! The place is full of Mexican items not from Pier One! Next comes the food it's not border food or Tex Mex, Cal Mex, or what ever Mex you put in front of it.
The menu is full real food from all over Mexico, thing that most places don't even try to make! I can tell you one thing you must remember when ordering,DO NOT PICK ANYTHING YOU HAVE EATEN BEFORE!! Try something new you have never eaten or heard of before! One of the thing you can find here are street foods from the big cities along with some out of the way places.If not you may be missing a real treat and a quick trip down south!
One thing to be advised the neighborhood is not the best, but be smart and fit in with your surroundings and you will be alright the trip is worth the food here!!!!!
Remember to eat well and live well! And please no chains!
Best mexican food in the city. The new updates are fantastic. When you order guac, they go to the guac bar and make it fresh in front of you. Omg so good. Also.....the queso is amazing, but quite honestly, I love all forms of queso and would love to be lathered in it naked. Wait just kidding. Kinda.
Moving on.
They make their carnitas meat in plantain (sp?) husks so it has an amazing fruity taste. Their meals are just a little bit different than what you'd traditionally think as mexican, but that's just because I'm used to aweful americanized mexican food. This place is freaking authentic. The neighborhood is less than desired, but who cares...that's usually where the best hidden restaurants are anyway. Go right now. Seriously.
This is definitely a hole in the wall, but it will surprise you with the quality of the food. First of all, this is not the burrito beans and rice chain type mexican food. It is more sophisticated food with moles sauces and the like, lots of mayan influence, and a nod to sophisticated authentic dishes, but yet the place it is not pretentious nor overly expensive at all. In fact it does not cost more than eating at a run of the mill chain place. The menu is modest, but everything is tasty. I love the chicken mole and the fact that they make the guacamole (best in town) when you order. The service is excellent. Don't be off put by the location, this place has a loyal bohemian crowd that has been eating here for years. Besides how many restaurants do you go to that have a stuffed burro in the foyer.
I have a hard time reviewing Mexican restaurants because I compare everything to how my mom makes it. El Sol is decent- I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there, especially considering its location but I'm glad I tried it out. Their chips were pretty tasty but the highlight was their salsa, which was flavorful without being too spicy. My co-diners loved the queso but I thought it was just ok- nothing to write home about. I had the chicken mole which was fine but I thought kind of lacked the richness that a mole sauce should have. The chicken also appeared to be seasoned and then the mole put on top, and maybe the seasoning overpowered the mole. Regardless, it wasn't the best mole I've ever had, but it wasn't the worst either.
The restaurant itself is pretty big, and they accommodate large parties nicely. We were a party of 7 and had no problem getting a table on a Saturday night at 7:30. Our server was attentive and friendly and gets a star just for putting up with how loud and obnoxious we were!
Overall it was decent and I'm glad I tried it, but I probably won't be heading back anytime soon.
Good/solid Mexican food - definitely one of the best that this city has to offer (although unfortunately that doesn't say much). I visited last week - my first time since they reopened the Washington St location. What a great improvement! They have many authentic items on the menu (lamb wrapped in grape leaves, chicken mole) - as well as the standard fares you see at all the other Mexican joints around town. The service was spot-on. This will definitely be at the top of my list when craving Mexican food.
This has to be the best Mexican restaurant I have ever been to. I would know, I'm from Texas and I've grown up eating Mexican and Tex-Mex all of my life. I swear that I must have been fed the stuff as a baby because I can't even remember a time when I wasn't eating something that was from south of the border. So when I went to El Sol I thought that sure it might not be a decent place to find Mexican food considering that it's located in Indiana of all places. I didn't expect much out of the place...and that's a misconception that I'm sure a lot of people make.
It's located in what some (okay yes pretty much everyone) would consider a not-so-great part of town, on a pretty dark street, and the sign is rather dimly lit so you really have to know what your looking for to even find it. But man-o-man is it worth the hunt once you step inside! It's like walking back home. You step in and the smell of sizzling onions and peppers great you. The place is bright and colorful...it makes ya think that you're walking into a fiesta!
From the moment I sat down I felt like I was back home in Texas talking to some of my moms friends from Mexico. My mother would converse in her limited Spanish with our waitress as if they had known each other all of their lives. As they laughed and teased each other about being stuck in Indy I would look over the lengthy menu and try to find just one dish rather than just tell our server to just get me one of everything.
The salsa is hot. Yes, they really use spices and don't just serve you a bowl of diced tomatoes with some onions thrown in there for decoration! What a novel idea. The food is out of this world good. I'm not even going to try to explain to you how great it really is. You're just going to have to try it for yourself if you are even going to start to fully understand where I'm coming from.
UPDATED 7-25-08
Ok, so El Sol has good food. I wouldn't ever dispute that. BUT, the following things have recently made me have misgivings about this restaurant:
1. The East Washington location was closed for a long time. Renovations. I think it had to do with health department issues. See my next comment.
2. One of the last times I was there, (summer 2006), I saw a cockroach on the wall in the entryway. EEEEWWWW!!!
3. Their margaritas are potent - I was always under the impression that they were made by hand. However, last summer I saw them pouring my margarita - from a premixed bottle that is available from your favorite Costco location or local liquor store. Talk about being ripped off - so I can't bear to order margaritas from El Sol anymore.
Since El Sol's Washington Street location wasn't open for so long, I made another good find with Adobo Grill's location on the northside. That place frickin' rocks. It's pricy, but delicious!!!
Best guacamole ever. Entrees are huge, enough for two. There are many usual offerings compared to most Mexican restaurants in the area.
Cool ambience as well. Although, it is in the hood for sure. I wouldn't go there at night alone.
I cannot imagine prefering Adobo Grill ( A CHAIN RESTAURANT full of yuppies ) to this.
Best Mexican food I've had...great guacamole. I loved their fajitas. The restaurant is huge, but barely anyone was their...which was a little awkward. It's hard to find and is on the south side..but it's delicious. (:
I would give the food a 7 out of 10, but it's worth going for the margaritas. Rare to find coconut or banana margaritas -- both EXCELLENT.
