Review El Comal - Lethbridge

Authentic Mexican cooking from scratch. ❤ Maria pumps out a wide variety of delicious authentic dishes that keep people coming back. All her sauces are made fresh in-house and her home made hot sauce is out of this world! Portions are generous and prices reasonable. Great value for your restaurant dollar!

Great atmosphere, friendly staff. With all the beautiful Mexican decor would love to see a touch more colour on my plate. A slice of line or cilantro garnish? My food had excellent flavour and was unique. Thank you!

My food was good, but the atmosphere in the restraunt is a little outdated and over the top. The server was very nice. I would not recommend the house dressing, as it was mainly just a pool of vinegar.

I am not quite sure what it's meant to be, but its not Mexican food, 100%. We give it a shot cuz it was closer to our hotel. The ingredients are different as is the flavour compared to real Mexican cuisine. It's like a Latino place yes, but not Mexican, the rice was plain, the enchiladas and the tortillas bland and tasteless, like soggy reheat tortillas, far from what we expected on entering as the look and feel is not too bad, but, the food, well, honestly, it's poor. I know it because I'm Mexican!! Is a shame because I was very excited to try some Mexican food but nothing like a real one.

Service is ok but defiantly food is excellent! Not so many choice of real Mexican food in Lethbridge. If you wanna try good Mexican here, go to El Comal!!! Their Chicken dishes are awesome. Huge portion size with reasonable prices and good taste! I love their design and decoration of this restaurant too! Very relaxed and cozy!

Decided to give this place a shot based on its proximity to my hotel and after reading some of the reviews... Possibly some of the worst mexican food I've ever had. It was a cute little place and the server was super nice, so I really wish I could post something positive - but - I cannot. I got a refill on my fountain drink and was billed for it (guess I should have asked, but at $3.25 I'd assume that the a refill was included) the refill price was still worth it to wash down what seemed like reheated ingredients and the soggiest tortilla shell I've encountered above sea level. Super bland sauce and the burrito had less cheese than a single kraft slice. The soup seemed like some sort of dish water with veggies in it from last week... My stomach and wallet both agree and they are not amused.

The Fiesta Mejicana was tasty, but the bean soup was the best part of our visit. If given the chance, I'd go back to Lethbridge just to try more dishes here.

Very good, I definitely had enough food but my gf was still a little hungry after. Looking forward to coming back.

A colleague and I stumbled upon this restaurant and wow, what a little gem. I love the family owned feel. The food was excellent and very authentic. I will definitely come back when I am in Lethbridge!

Not authentic Mexican food at all. Very poor quality food and bad service on top of that. First of all the chips they served us were clearly bought chips, I've never been to a Mexican restaurant that did not make their own tortilla chips so very disappointed. The refried beans also tasted like they were from a can. Also I ordered the carne Asada burrito and they served me some sort of ground beef, when I complained about it and requested what I ordered (since carne Asada is traditionally strip steak) they just said that's how they do it and did not care that I was not satisfied. Why would they charge more than the ground beef I have no idea. Portions were huge but the food was nothing special. Best to avoid if you actually enjoy Meixcan food.

Eh. Food is alright, but not great. Service is poor, and they don't give you left overs. Kind of odd. Would rather go to cafe verde. This place does offer more variety than other mexican places here, but it's just not great.

Good sized portions. We were there for supper on the weekend, left very full and satisfied; the atmosphere was comfortable, service was friendly, attentive and quick.<br/><br/>Started with mexican beer and nachos. The nachos have refried beans which makes them soo much more amazing, but will get soggy if you cant finish them all (we couldn't). My man had the enchiladas *with shredded beef* and I had the mexican combination - 2 enchiladas and tostada.<br/><br/>He loved the enchiladas, I thought they were good, filling, the sauce was tasty and at 'half spicy' we could add hot sauce to them. The shredded beef was a great choice (not sure why pork isn't anywhere on the menu??) but the ground beef in my tostada was watery and bland. The waiter had recommended the chimichanga option with my enchiladas and I should have listened to him.  Our starter salads were standard iceberg salads but were well done and enjoyable. <br/><br/>Overall, the food was good, a bit plain, but filling. We didn't need to start with nachos as there was too much in our meals to finish. Want to go back again to try the burritos and the steak fajitas.

I have been to the El Comal a couple of times now and have yet to be impressed. Other than the large portion sizes the flavours of the food just aren't that great. It's also been extremely slow service each time I've been in despite the fact that there's almost no one in the place. The prices are reasonable for most items but I can't get over the bland food and service levels.Honestly not sure how the place manages to survive.

Awesome Food!!!. We eat lunch at El Comal at least once a week and absolutely love the food. Maria and her staff are amazing and get us out of there in good time. This is easily one of the best Mexican restaurants that we have ever visited and would recommend to everyone.

Absolutely amazing.. Maria is excellent at what she does! Her cooking is to die for, yum. Service may not always be the best, but for food this good I could careless.

Calgary Visitor. Working here, craving some authentic Mexican. I should have paid attention to the reviews.<br/>Absolutely horrible. I had the shredded beef enchiladas and my girlfriend had the steak fajitas.<br/>The beef on both our meals came from the same over-cooked inside round roast. Very tough and chewy.<br/>The "steak" on her fajitas was not steak, as mentioned, and was cut into strips the size of fettuccini noodles.<br/>Taco Bell would have been better. Stay away.

Worst mexican food ever. Biggest waist of money!!!! The fish tacos were done on flour tortillas fail and the fish looked and tasted like fish cat food the caso fundeto was a sloppy mess and chips were from a bag. To top it off they only had 2 types of tequila.. taco time is better and taco time is crap.

NEVER DISAPPOINTED!!. Food is absolutely delicious, fast and a good price.She makes everything from scratch!! Been to Cafe Verde across the street and it is like Taco Bell compared to this place. Love the owner - so friendly and fun to talk too!

Food was delicious! I love Mexican and this place was a pleasant surprise! Especially since it's in lethbridge. But the service was terrible. It seemed to be WAY understaffed so it could have been the just day we went but the waitress only came out twice to see us (get orders and bring food) and we had to go searching for somone in order to pay. We didn't even get a chance to order dessert because she never came around again. Overall it's worth trying but be prepared for not the best service

First time here.. We all left very full ! The service was friendly and quick. The Guacamole was awesome. Will come again.

Never had a bad meal here. Polo Rachero was tried tonight and it was so tasty. Definitely will be back.

My wife and I can't get enough of the authentic home style food. The fundidos and margaritas are the best in the city. If you can eat the Mexican combination you won't be hungry for a while. It's one of the true gems in the city. Maria and her staff is what an authentic Mexican restaurant is. If you can't handle authentic food cooked from scratch, then you best be staying with your preservative filled chain restaurants.

Just like everyone else has said very over priced and mediocre foo at best. I'm a big fan of Mexican food and I will not be back here. And the service was lack luster and lazy.

I can not believe the place is still in business. The most disgusting food I've ever been served. The place is a joke, a real bad joke!

This place is a joke and its funny to see someone associated with the restaurant trying to hate on people who are leaving negative reviews. Food is terrible, taste like microwaveable Mexican food with bagged veggies. Please close forever.

It's Ok. Seen this place last time I was in town so decided to give it a try. The décor and atmosphere where nice not sure about the service cause I was the only one there at the time, it was only 3, but got my food pretty quick. All the meals are priced around 15 to 20 which is not bad considering the portions are massive needed a nap afterwards. Taste wise was ok not authentic but have not found a truly authentic Mexican joint in Canada yet. I got the Pollo Asado the sauce was decent with the perfect amount of heat, don't like looking like a ran a marathon at the table. The bean soup that came with it was delicious. All in all I would go back to try it again.

I could have been the ticket man at Fulham Railway.. I'm sorry all these whingers particularly the herberts from Milwaukee complaining about vegetables in a Vegetarian Burritto, being from Millwaukee you probably expected cheese and lots of it!!!.You are a buffoon. Has a vegetarian, not a vegan I will eat animal by products your complaining about paying for food that is a little overpriced. Thats because your paying for quality.

The food was equivalent to street vendors and the presentation was the same. The food tasted good but a little expensive for what you recieve.

Awsome place! This is a great restaurant,good food and large portions! I love it

Overpriced. Food was alright, nothing special. Don't know what kind of exchange rate they're using from Peso but it is ridiculously priced for what you get, especially in Lethbridge. It wasn't very busy at all and i never see a full parking lot when i drive by. The biggest wonder is how they have survived as a business.

HORRIBLE!!! The food had .... HORRIBLE!!!<br/><br/>The food had no flavour or any kind of seasoning, over priced for the crappy food and service. When I complained to the owner that the meat was not good and that the rice was dry and crunchy she gave me attitude and then told me that everyone else liked it. She didn't apologized or did anything about it. NEVER GOING BACK! And I'm telling ALL my friends NOT to go there!!

El Comal must have improved since the other reviews were posted. The service was terrific--prompt and polite. The food was really good. The last time I ate Mexican food was in New York, and it was a 10. This was close.

I tried it twice. Neither time was memorable. The food wasn't very good. It was edible, but forgetable. There isn't enough spice or flavour to the food as I expect from Mexican.

This place is garbage. I don't even know where to being. I have been here twice in the four years I've lived in Lethbridge. Once, immediately after moving from Milwaukee, where is a huge Latino influence in cuisine. I honestly cried during the meal it was so horrendous. The chips with the con queso dip were worse than old Dutch brand chips and were stale. They didn't know what a regular margarita in the on the rocks was. Two years later my husband and I gave it another go. I went for a safe bet-vegetarian burrito. Little did I know that the California Spring Mix Medly of vegetables would be inside. No lie, there was cauliflur, broccoli and carrots in my burrito. I just laughed. Seriously. I make more authentic Mexican cuisine in my house. No joke. Do not go here. My husband even just chimed in that Taco Time is more authentic Mexican food than what we experienced.

We love this restaurant and will drive over an hour just to eat here. Used to have bad service but they hired new staff. Food is awesome. I have never been disappointed and i try something new everytime Kids eat for 3 bucks too! Maria is the owner her mom is a server and speaks almost no English and the cooks are authentic mexicanos.

Pretty Good. Good food, decent price, very good service! I got my appetizer very quickly and my meal arrived just as I finished it. The food was fresh, very flavorful and was a good sized portion. The server was friendly and helpful. I will eat here again!

What Do You Expect in Alberta?. We love eating Mexican food when we travel south of the border. We have tried every Mexican restaurant in Calgary and Southern Alberta, and we haven't eaten any that we would recommend. Unfortunately El Comal is no exception. The owner tries really hard and the food is ok, but it just isn't authentic. I don't know who reviewed the prices on this restaurant, but they are under $15.00 a plate. All the meals are served with a salad, and the house dressing is a vinaigrette that isn't bad. The burritos are the best item on the menu - fresh, very large and reasonably priced - but not authentic Mexican food. If you order any of the specialty meals that are served with vegetables, just be warned they will be parboiled before they are grilled. The service is slow - but has been better in the last few months. My pet peeve - the waitresses do not handle the money, so you have to wait for the owner to come from the back of the restaurant to pay your bill, and it is sometimes quite a wait.

Terrible food, terrible service.. Being a huge fan of mexican food in actual Mexico[ no, not all-inclusive resorts which are americanized], the lady and I hit them up shortly after moving to town and were quickly disappointed by the flavourless, stale food which seemed watery. The african[?] waiter seemed more interested in hitting on the ladies at another table than doing his job. <br/>I gave this place an optimistic 2nd chance with my new lady several months later: the same guy that was my waiter the first time [I think] was the cook...The owner [?][older hispanic lady] was our waitress. There was only1 other couple eating. Again the service was lacking, although friendly and the food was SOGGY, with stale, even browning vegetables and FLAVOURLESS. <br/>Even if the food was good it would still be a little too expensive, but it wasn't good.<br/>IMO the best Mexican food in Alberta is @ Las Palmeras in Red Deer. They are a family run and owned for at least 2 generations . I eat there whenever I drive through for almost 20 years now.

El comal. This is a tasty little mexican restaurant that has a delicious lunch special (burrito) comes with soup or salad for under $10 bucks. The place has really improved over the years and is definitely worth a second chance.

Not bad at all. Service was friendly, food wasn't bad - but not great either. I had the beef enchiladas at $13 and asked for them spicy. They were good, but spicy they were not. Starter salad came with dressing in a single-serve packet and the sides looked like they'd been waiting for me a while. I'd go back again though.

Stunningly bad. Really? The fajita vegetables came straight out of a Panda Express stir-fry combo. Chicken very dry, canned salsa, too expensive, crappy service - just unbelievably bad.

Ideal Family Restaurant. I have no idea why El Comal has any negative reviews.<br/><br/>The food is delicious, fresh, and made to your liking. I have no idea how three people can spend $70 in food. A burrito--which is gigantic--costs about $11, and I often have to pack part of it for home.<br/><br/>For young kids, you can't find more reasonably-priced food. Where else can you get a kid's meal for $3? Most restaurants charge $8+ for garbage food, sugary deserts, and sweet drinks. At El Comal, our kids, often picky eaters, devour the entire quesadilla, beans, and rice, all of which are fresh and delicious.<br/><br/>Honestly, I have no idea why people are complaining about this restaurant: it is well-priced, with large portions. More importantly, the food is delicious.

El Crappo. Being the only Mexican choice in Lethbridge, I couldn't get to El Comal fast enough when we moved here. We went, and it was so pricy, I couldn't believe it. $70 for 2 adults, one teen, and the food was just, totally not worth it. <br/><br/>The server complained the entire time about how he lost his job and couldn't relocate, and it was obvious he knew next to nothing about Mexican food. <br/><br/>Our taco salads didn't come with salsa or sour cream, and while we added it on, the quality of our salad left alot to be desired. When they wanted to put italian salad dressing on my taco salad, I knew that it was going to be a bumpy ride.<br/><br/>My daughter's tacos were soggy, and the nachos were stale. <br/><br/>I hate giving terrible reviews, but honestly, from our limited, never to be repeated experience with El Comal, I'm never very surprised when I drive by and the parking lot is empty.<br/><br/>Avoid it.

A great little place to have a quiet meal. I have been to El Comal several times over the last few years and i've always enjoyed it. The service isn't great but the atmosphere is nice and you can enjoy a quiet conversation with your friends/family. I think the food is great too, they bring your table some soup and salad to start and the entrees are delicious. I usually go with the same people and we all enjoy our food when we eat there.

Good food. Well priced. Our family likes El Comal. The portions are large, the food is well prepared and it is very reasonably priced. The chicken mole is delicious as are the enchiladas. It is hard to get a tamale any where and they are wonderful. The owner makes a great shaken margarita. Don't forget the desserts -- they are delicious

Horrible!!! It looks Mexican but has NO flavor!!

Hmm. Having no other choice for mexican food in this city I do go here but the service is terrible and the meals are really over priced for the quality of food that you get. if there was another mexican restaurant in this city I would gladly go there instead if they had just a little better service and better food. mainly it is overpriced bland mexican "like" food I would not say it is real mexican food.