El Cazador, Missoula MT

BEWARE: Hidden fees lie ahead…

The enchiladas were good, the chips and salsa are always good, the guacamole was bland and had too much lettuce, the service was slow, and they charged us an %18 fee for having 5 people. Normally the guacamole is pretty good there, but they use lettuce as a filler and that was all I could taste today.

I have seen places add that fee for large groups, usually 8+ adults, but never for a group of 5, and one of the five was a 5 year old. I mean, come on, they included a 5 year old. Honestly, I can't see how it is legal for them to add that fee without warning. Also, the waitress is the one who misses out when they do that. Her tip would have been $5 more than what she received from that egregious fee and I guarantee that I will be going somewhere else the next time I have a group of 5 people. It will probably be a long time before I go back after today's experience.
Perhaps one day restaurants will figure that out.

I went here when I was having a mental breakdown. Staff was really nice. Very comforting place to be in not to mention the food was amazing!

If you want Authentic Mexican food if you are from the West Coast this is definitely not the spot
Very bland very little flavor
I took one bite of the Pork Tostada that was really all I could handle

The enchiladas very little flavor.

Guacamole was OK definitely should have added maybe a hint of lime and a little salt to bring out the flavor

After a Experience at the Montana club where we had a large group for a birthday dinner and they refused to seat me because they “didn’t have enough chairs” but clearly had open chairs at the bar… I was please to have a birthday dinner for a friend at El Cazador where we had a large group with multiple friends showing up and they promptly brought over tables and chairs to get everyone seated. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE and the food was absolutely tremendous. Highly recommend El Cazador!

Good food and even better service! Always a great dining experience at El Cazador! So glad we got one on this side of town ️

The customer service has always been top notch. The menu has a multitude of choices for those who enjoy variety. The The mole enchiladas de Pollo is outstanding. The chips and salsa you get when they seat you is most excellent.

Maybe it was an off night.but we have been looking for a place to make our go-to for Mexican food and had high hopes. Was not busy but the server was distracted and not helpful with our first-timer questions. I ended up with a dish I couldnt eat (after asking to order something sans tomatoes) still got tomato sauce. But by the time she came back to check everyone else was practically done with their dishes. Took it for a lunch for the hubby.
The beans were pretty good, and I'd probably just order a bean chalupa if friends wanted to go here. The rest of the dishes ordered were just so-so. Meat was bland and rice dry. Maybe an off day? It would take some major convincing for me to go find out.

The service was excellent and the main dish was great! We both got an enchiladas combination plate. However the chips and salsa was just to spicy!

Don’t waste your time going anywhere else in Missoula. If you’re in the area and want the best Mexican food in Montana this is it hands-down. The pricing is realistic unlike some other Mexican restaurants in the area, portions are great, food is authentic, friendly family run business. I don’t live in the area anymore but when I’m down this way this is the first stop

Seriously so impressed with this little place! I’m fairly certain it’s a three generation staff working here and they’re so so nice. I couldn’t have enjoyed the food more. I got a pork quesadilla and when they brought it out I was shocked because it was the size of a pizza! And OH MY GOSH it was good! Everyone at my table was jealous and stealing bites. The rice was out of this world. Just all around so so good. They are busy and not heavily staffed but you can see them working hard so it was easy for us to be patient. Can’t recommend this place more!

Poor service. Waited forever to even put in an order. Food was bland as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if their chicken was out of a can

Honestly I have never had Mexican food taste this bland it looks great but idk what sauce was used but it has no flavor for the price it is not worth it very sad I just moved here and love Mexican and this was a sad day for my tummy

Iv always loved this location so much! The new owners are very nice. The food and horchata is amazing! I just wish I could add more to a smothered burrito then meat and cheese

Fantastic restaurant with the best enchiladas and margaritas in town. The staff are always friendly and welcoming. Great place for a family dinner as well, kids love the quesadillas.

Went here twice in a week. Order different food. AMAZING BOTH TIMES. Employees and owners are kind. Made us feel like family. Thank you.

We used to go to a great Mexican place close to the house in St. Louis, and since this is close to home in Missoula we thought we'd give it a shot.
Definitely not disappointed. Being in the restaurant industry myself I could tell that they were operating somewhat short-staffed but this in no way negatively impacted our visit. We were sat immediately, our order was taken promptly (for both starter and our main course), chips and salsa hit the table quickly (really good, but the salsa was a bit thin for my tastes, and I am iffy about cilantro. But I requested something a LOT hotter, which did the trick. Minor quibble.), and our food arrived less than ten minutes after we ordered.
Our server was super friendly and attentive, and I wish that I had asked her name to give her props here, but I tend not to do that when I go out, largely because of my experiences with people asking for my name over the years. People can and will be jerks. 'Nuff said.
The decor was a bit sparse, but they're new, so that's understandable, especially in the covid-19 era. BUT the place was clean and organized, and the' facilities' were well maintained.
I could ramble on, but suffice it to say that we'll return. Great food, quick service, friendly staff.pretty much everything you look for when going out to eat.
Recommended.

The food was very authentic and good! You could tell everything was fresh made, down to simple items like the rice and beans. However, we were a little disappointed to find they had no queso, or margaritas (they did have virgin margaritas). However, the amazing food and very nice server made up for it!