The food here is outstanding! The nicest Mexican meal I've ever had! Superb service. We will definitely be returning here many times in the future! Brilliant!

Decent Mexican place with some room for improvement. We booked randomly into this restaurant on a Thursday evening, on the day bookings have to be made by calling the restaurant which went smoothly. We arrived and the place was PACKED which is so great to see! The cocktail list is really really extensive, special shoutout to the selection of tequilas you can choose from. The only thing that would make me even more happier would be some more mezcals on that list. I tried 3 different cocktails and all of them were delicious, my partner tried some sort of lemonade which he said was delicious. we ordered some chips and guac and it is absolutely true what they say, the guac is magnificent and a showstopper and good enough to just go for that! we also had the jalapeno poppers which were fine, although store bought. for mains I went with fajitas, half steak and half chicken. they arrived in a sizzling pan and looked delicious, but they were unfortunately the worst dish of the evening. my steak side was incredibly chewy, I don't know if it was because I got unlucky with the cut or it was cooked incorrectly. the chicken was cooked well but unfortunately pretty flavourless. I know it is also not the typical mexican way but I did not get any salad to put into my fajitas, "just" sauces which were all yummy. my partner had a lot more luck with his mains. he ordered the pork and steak tacos. I tried his steak tacos and they were absolutely delicious, no chewy steak in sight here! I absolutely would get those again. the pulled pork was juicy and basically overfilling the taco which was just perfect! they could've done with a bit more flavour too but were adequate. we also ordered some empanadas which were again store bought but good. we had no more room for desserts but they read nicely on the menu. our waitress did a stellar job and was very friendly, the restaurant was very busy but even though that was the case our food came quickly. we sat very close to the kitchen (and the toilets) which allowed us to spy at some other dishes which all looked interesting. I would definitely go again and order the steak tacos as well as try out some other things, but my fajitas were underwhelming.

We’ve been eating here for years, never once have we had a bad experience. Food is always on point, service is warm and friendly, great atmosphere and the staff are great with young kids too. Kids menu is ideal for little ones and the main menu is vast with huge variety. Tonight’s mains were duck enchiladas and spicy chicken loaded nachos, both were amazing. Tegan was excellent with our large table of 10 and very efficient and friendly. Would recommend El Guaca to anyone.

The food is delicious in here. Absolutely a gem of Maldon. There’s quick service and the portions are very generous! I had the chicken chimiganga and it was lovely. The drinks are a bit on the dear side but overall I would recommend a visit

The food was really nicely presented, tasted really good aswell. Great atmosphere felt quite holiday like if you didn't look out the window!! The staff were lovely, did forget our water, but it was very busy! I'd certainly go again.

I had been looking at various restaurants in Maldon when this caught my eye. With good online reviews already, I had high hopes. So off I strolled down the beautiful main high street and saw the welcome glow of a busy restaurant. The servers were friendly, informative, and importantly attentive with all of the patrons that evening, something I always notice and welcome seeing. The menu has a good stock of popular mexican dishes, and I was impressed by the offer of vegan and gluten-free food, with a good variety of options in both cases (however I am not vegan or gluten intolerant, so if you are, please check these options thoroughly before booking/deciding to go here as you might feel differently). The drinks menu also has a good variety, even having a gluten-free beer option and nice mocktails. I started with Nachos and Margarita. The drink was freshly made with a good amount of salt of the rim. The homemade guacamole was the star of this dish, truly delicious, and the nachos themselves nicely spiced. Normally, I'm used to nachos being drowed in melted cheese or smothered in sour cream. Thankfully, that was not the case here, with a perfectly balanced mixture of toppings!!! For the main I had a beef chimichanga and again everything was delicious, the meat was nicely spiced and tender. If you want more spice, two differently spiced and flavoured condiments are stocked at every table! Again, there was a perfect amount of rice to chimichanga filling, simply perfect. As I had enjoyed all of the food so far, I wanted to try a homemade desert, too. But being already quite full, I was initially hesitant. However, I was delighted to see smaller sized desserts with hot drinks as an available option, a very good idea, which I truly wish more restaurants did. I opted for the churros, and again, I wasn't disappointed. These came out hot and perfectly spiced with a little side of Dulce de leche. My filter coffee with a side of hot milk was well made and again a good compliment to the sweetness of the churros. All in all, I wholeheartedly recommend this place for anyone who wants delicious, well-made Mexican food, with a friendly atmosphere and lovely staff. Definitely visit if you're staying in Maldon!

Haven't visited for a few years, it met my expectations once again! Delicious food, great portions. The staff were friendly and welcoming. The menu is expansive with a whole vegan section. The bean chilli nachos were absolutely insane.

Had a great lunch here. The nachos to start with chilli were really good. We each had an enchilada for mains which was delicious. Cocktails and sangria were very good. Would definitely return.

We were visiting Maldon for a couple of days and found this great restaurant that offered vegan options. Food was really great so tasty and service excellent, definitely recommend!!

Nothing special! Maybe just my experience on this iccasion but did not impress me at all! Food, too average! I am not sure what I could recommend. The restaurant looks okay.

One of the best meals we've had out in a while, food was exceptional, the steak buttery and cooked to perfection. All the dishes delicious and perfectly presented. Service impeccable attentive without being overbearing. Nicely decorated, clean and fresh. Not a single fault, we had a great time!

Food is always delicious and cooked perfectly. Staff are friendly and polite. Genuinely some of the best nachos I’ve ever eaten. We were so sad when Colchester then Clacton closed so we’ve been to both Maldon and Newmarket to fill the el guaca shaped hole in our hearts and they are both great. Honestly, it is a little pricey but worth it for a treat in my opinion

Amazing experience! The best ribs I’ve ever had. A lot of GF and vegan options. I’m very happy. Pleasant environment and friendly staff. I’ll be back for sure!

Nice food and friendly service. Very good vegan options on the menu.

Absolutely amazing experience. Food couldn’t be more flavorous. Ribs and fried sweet potato are top quality and vegan and gluten-free nachos with guaca mole is a joke. Delicious. Staff is very efficient and kind. Couldn’t have dessert as I was about going home rolling.

First experience in this restaurant. Mexican cuisine. The food was good. The best part was the appetizer Nachos. We were a group of 5. We ordered nachos as appetizers and the main course was mexican paella, meat paella, king prawn sizzler, chicken sizzler and kids menu. Tummy satisfied. Price per person was £20-£45 depending on the drinks you add with your meal. I enjoyed everything from the service to the food. The only drawback was the noise which was uncomfortable but it was not the restaurant's fault. Recommended.

Really enjoyed the food here last night. Had a mix of meat and vegan dishes between the four of us. All were very good. One of the cocktails we ordered was just full of ice, so not the margarita that was expected, but otherwise everything was very enjoyable.

Been to this restaurant several times for both dining in and take out. The dining experience; amazing food, good atmosphere, which we were greeted with sombreros and they do some decent cocktails too. Staff are friendly and food is reasonably priced for the quality. Restaurant seemed very clean. My 2nd experience was a take out. Once again the food was amazing. Only negative feedback I've got is the portion of chips we had were a little on the cold side. Other than that highly recommend this place and is definitely a favourite place to go and dine.

Free parking in the town after 6pm, service very prompt, super selection of cocktails. The pineapple prawns are epic and not had them or seen them anywhere else. The southwest spring rolls were also very good. Had the chicken poblano for my main course which the chicken was grilled with peppers (not spicy) and a smokey sauce with cheese melted over the top. (I've added a photo of it with this review). It's was amazing and it came with fries.

El Guaca is hands down the best Mexican Restaurant I've been to. Staying in London, I've tried many Mexican restaurants but I cannot find something close to the food El Guaca Chef's make. Their pricing is also very reasonable which is so worth my time travelling to this place to have a good meal. I've visited 3 times already and cannot get enough of their famous guacamole. A must have when you go there. Although I wish they do serve bigger portions when ordering that. I also recommend trying their chipotle chicken Enchilada which is packed with flavour. The vibe of the place is always bustling and you can ask to wear a sombrero (Mexican Hat) to get the entire Mexican feeling whilst dining. Just for some fun. Overall an excellent place and would highly recommend

Had a lovely evening with friends. We have been many times and the food is always very good. Our friends aren't local so it was their first visit, they loved the food and the buzzy atmosphere.

Service was good. They slowly got more busy as the evening went on. The food was tasty. We had nachos sharer, then for mains enchiladas and my other half had a mixed grill. We both really enjoyed our meal. The mixed grill had loads of meat on it.

First time to this restaurant recommended to us. Extremely busy (partyof 20 arrived just after us) but despite that the service was excellent even to discussing and recommending dishes that we would like. The food was both tasty and generous. It seemed that for every menu item there is a possible vegetarian option. Thoroughly recommend to all

Honestly kinda disappointed, paid 10.50 for tacos but didn't receive any of the toppings bar the meat. After walking 10 minutes back to the hotel I couldn't really be arsed walking back to fix the order. Meat was cooked well, service was good. As a former chef I'm disappointed that someone isn't bothered to throw veg and fresh herbs into tacos, but I do also understand staffing issues in hospitality. I'll give benefit of the doubt, I would like to try it again.

It was my first visit here but the friend I was with has been here before and sung its praises very well. It had a very well stocked menu, so much so I had a dilemma on what to order! The quality of the food matched the expectations given to me by my friend. The staff were extremely friendly and chatty which I liked and I felt added to the experience. The only thing I disliked was the service charge, this is a personal bug bear of mine. A tip should be earned not enforced!

Good choice of food and drinks, nice Mexican features and feel to the place and the food was served hot and promptly, we had nachos ,tacos, fajitas

A great find. Extensive menu without compromising on quality. Also many options for Vegan patrons. Food was so good, kids loved everything they had. Good kids menu options. As for desserts.... phenomenal just like the service and the whole atmosphere of the restaurant.

Nice and friendly staff. Good can quickly and was nice. There were only three Vegan desserts and two were deep fried, so not my cup of tea.