El Desperado in Sutton

Eaten here many times over the years & surprised at the mixed reviews, went recently for the first time in a while & remembered why we used to frequent it so often, good fresh cooked food, fajitas are lovely, swordfish is excellent the starters of nachos, calamari & stuffed potato skins were very good, tasty, plentiful & filling. The beers are cold & the cocktails are decent value. IMO the restaurant itself could do with a spruce up but can’t fault the food or service at all. Go try….

We have eaten here several times and had good food. Yesterday we had a meal with friends and two of us ordered the spinach and ricotta empanada's. Both were semi frozen in the middle but cooked in other areas. Very disappointing. The rest of the meal was fine but it was spoiled by the subpar starters. Not sure whether we will return. I was planning to celebrate a big birthday there with a large group but now I will go elsewhere.

Great place to visit. Food is delicious and service is great. All our orders were ready very quickly. Very cosy atmosphere and welcoming staff.

This is our family’s absolute favourite! The food and drinks are both amazing and the service is always excellent too. I had strawberry margarita’s and chicken fajita’s and they were both delicious. Their portion sizes are very good and we always end up full and satisfied. At the end of the meal I asked if they did blue light card discount- they informed me they didn’t but instead gave all six of us a free drink! What a lovely gesture! I would definitely recommend and think it’s amazing for both families and adult groups.

Ordered online a delivery. Food arrived early. Beef Burrito with rice & salad + Nachos with sour cream & avocado. I thought it might be too much to eat, but I found it was just the right amount. Everything tasted delicious and was presented well. All food was at its correct temperature. I would order again from El Desperado and hope to next time have a sit down meal. I did think it was just a tad expensive, but worth it.

We used to eat here until about 4 years ago when it went down hill. As it had been a while we decided to give it another try and we were very pleased to find the restaurant is now excellent with good service and lovely food. No more sticky tables and menus. I hope to go back soon.

Visited with a small group of friends. Booked by the website which was quite easy and received confirmation. Just want to mention Jess in particular. Her service was fantastic and she was so bubbly and friendly. Made the evening even more fun. Highly recommend El Desperado and will be returning soon

Food was 20 minutes late. It was all either cold or lukewarm and I have been charged £2.45 for a pot of coleslaw that was the size of an egg cup. See picture which is next to a baby’s bottle for context.

We came here a couple of years ago before lockdown and what a great place had great food dancing sombrero. Food still great but no dancing or party atmosphere just background music so we were a little disappointed with that side of it

Visited this restaurant earlier this week, had a fabulous meal, loved the authentic decor. Food was really nice and the service was great - didn’t catch the waitresses name but it was her first shift and she was brilliant already! Didn’t even have to ask for much she was constantly asking if we wanted more drinks or anything else. Good value for money! Would return more often but we were visiting the area on holiday.

I've eaten here a few times and always enjoyed the ambience and quality of food. Our table was booked for 7:30 it wasn't too busy when we arrived and the staff were really attentive. We ordered a yummy cocktail each, and had just finished ordering our main meals when a table of 6 came in. Now I'm not a killjoy and I'm up for everyone having a good time but this crowd was so loud even before they'd consumed any alcohol that I just couldn't hear a word my friend was saying to me when we tried to talk. Soon enough the attentive staff realised they were going to make more money off the table of six and pretty much ignored us, forgot our second round cocktails and after taking our main course away didn't even bother coming back to ask us if we'd like desert. Instead walking past us on three occasions to serve the 6. I asked for the bill, requested the service charge be removed and left as quickly as possible. I hadn't seen my friend in a few weeks or been out for a meal in a while and was really looking forward to a nice catch up on a lovely warm sunny evening, the doors open on the front of the restaurant made a really nice atmosphere and yet we left so disappointed with our experience tonight we oth agreed we won't be going back anytime soon.

I was recommended this amazing Mexican restaurant by a friend who knows CHEAM well. Unknowing what to expect, the restaurant was a lovely surprise. Just opposite the bus stop was this bright and colourful Mexican restaurant with instagrammable decor. You are greeted with beautiful colourful guitars, a rainbow array of glass jugs a vibrant ceiling with lots of things to see and latin music in the background. The menu has a good offering of fajitas, enchiladas and burritos as well as drinks and dessert. As I was dining alone, I went for the beef quesadilla and the ribs and wings combo. The quesadilla was really satisfying filled with refried beans and quality minced beef chilli. Finished off with the ribs and wings which are also recommended because the meat simply comes off the bones and the meat is marinated in a lovely smokey BBQ sauce that is tangy and punchy without being too sweet. Overall, I would definitely recommend this place for fun night out with great food!

Terrible service, waited one hour for cold starter’s. Then another hour and twenty minutes for a T Bone Steak, that wasn’t a T Bone Steak and was so tough and fatty it couldn’t be eaten. Sent it back an still got charged for it. Waste of time and money!!!

Took the wife for a well earned evening out. Great food, great attentive service, I had a t bone steak, really succulent. Couldn’t fault the place.

What can it say… 1. Overpriced “Tear and share garlic bread” more like frozen slices from sainsburys. This was the first disappointment. Then come the mains … a £17.50 build your own fajita which would’ve had more flavour if I’d stayed home and bought an old el paso kit for a fraction of the price. If there was one good… well the meat in the burrito was nice, not Mexican flavoured at all but still nice. Sadly though, accompanying the burrito was uncle Bens microwaveable rice.. and that isn’t an exaggeration. We all know uncle bens rice. Quesadilla was nice. Not worth the price though. But then again none of it was worth the price. Huge disappointment and I really wouldn’t recommend to anyone.

We popped in for a birthday meal for my wife. Wow, it wasn't just a burrito, it was a work of art with perfect flavours! Brilliant place on a vibrant street.

We went there as a family for my grandad’s birthday meal and they had really nice food that was full of flavour. They let us keep the sombrero and a few maracas which was nice but the was one problem…There was no allergen menu! Which was not good and there wasn’t even ingredients on the packaging of the wraps so that wasn’t very good so my mum just had to chance it😬

We ordered a meal online at around 7.45 this evening, however the food didn’t arrive until 10pm in that time we called 32 times only find the phone constantly engaged so couldn’t either find out where it was or cancel it! When the food did finally arrive it was a shambles there wasn’t any coleslaw which We had ordered and 2 portions of chips which we had only ordered 1 of, the chips were also cold, nachos cold and soggy, we received an order of rice and nachos which we hadn’t ordered which was also inedible. This was in a nutshell awful, I will be trying to contact the restaurant tomorrow to get my money back as I think paying £60.15 for this is unacceptable.

We just turned up on a Saturday evening and made to feel welcome immediately, food was beautiful waitress was brill we are definitely going again thank you for making our evening so enjoyable

Went there with my family and the food was great and the stuff where lovely and can’t wait to go back

Food horrible, waiters didn’t pay any attention to us when trying to get there attention, no one could understand us and we are English

I was there with my friends food was delicious and cocktails was amazing I will be back definitely!!

We have eaten both in the restaurant and had many takeaways in the past. Haven’t had one for a while so thought we would treat ourselves. Never again. Food portion sizes have hugely decreased, whereas prices haven’t. Quality of food definitely not how it used...

Would not use this place again. The service and food portions are terrible. My wife and I tonight ordered a two course meal for £40 When it turned up 20 mins later than expected I had to put my glasses on to find my food......

Between 4 we had what tasted like ribs from the supermarket in the bag what you microwave, tasteless chips which you had to ask for some salt nasty cheap flavour burger and fatty fajitas. Not to mention the £6.50 weak cocktails and £4 bottles of...

Visited last night, food was good but service was appalling, waited ages to be served. 2nd round of drinks never arrived, bill took so long we almost walked out. Social distancing forget it, restaurant was packed. Bill was hand written so we could not check...

It's such a shame when you're really looking forward to a meal and it's not what you expected. Mexican food when done properly can be one of my favorite experiences and i can't understand how Desperados can fail to hit the mark on what is...

Based on my review of three stars, i found this restaurant to be average unfortunately. I set quite high expectations when I go to a Mexican restaurant because I love the cocktails but on this occasion I can’t say that the cocktails was the wow...

Really enjoyed the atmosphere, the food was delicious , half price cocktails and the team that work there were really attentive to us All evening.

Been before to the restaurant and it was good! So we thought it would be nice to order from there during lockdown. Terrible decision. The food was very poorly packed, so when it arrived it was a complete mess and it went everywhere (which we...

Just ordered a delivery as we cannot go out and it is my birthday. Food arrived on time but was lukewarm and items were missing. Not a cheap meal either. Phoned to complain and just told “ sorry” and offered money off next order! I...

Literally just left this restaurant for lunch and what a great time! If you love your cocktails and want your money’s worth then this is the place to go! It’s half price cocktails on Tuesdays and you can feel the strength they still put into...

I love Mexican resturants like this which take an easy going and simple approach to food and drinks. Visited during the day but looks like a fun night spot.

Came here on a Thursday night with my fiancé, had booked for 8pm but we were early, which was no problem! Friendly waitress and had the perfect balance of attentiveness and not being overbearing :) Food was amazing!! I had chicken fajitas and my partner...

We had a large booking (25) for a works end of term do. We were so impressed with the amazing service we received throughout the night. All of our meals arrived together. All delicious, and the portions were huge. Once the food was served the...

Visited last night , staff are very friendly and go out of their way to make sure you have an enjoyable evening , food was delicious and reasonably priced , would 100% recommend !

I was here with 11 friends for a birthday celebration. Staff were very attentive throughout the evening and nothing was too much trouble. Food was a good standard and fiesta menu which we opted for was good value. When service finished, the lights went down...

Visited Saturday had chilli nachos to start with, when the waitress asked if everything was okay we commented that there was not hardly any chilli on nachos,waitress went away and came back and said would we like some more.Said no as it would spoil our...

Just came back from having dinner here. Food was bland and tasteless. Very expensive for what it was. £80 for 2 soft drinks, 2 small starters, 2 kids meals and three mains(fajjitas and 2 x burritos) The rice we were served was very clearly the...

Fab get together for our sisters birthday . Perfect young atmosphere and it made a special occasion . The staff were happy and attentive , nothing was too much trouble . The set menu was great value for money and we all had a Sombrero...

Booked table for my sister's birthday and what a great decision. Service was fantastic , so friendly and welcoming . We chose from the fiesta menu with free sombrero and tequila shot . We all agreed the food was excellent . Fresh and tasty ....

We have been here a few times over the last couple of years and never been disappointed. Prices aren't cheap but you get good portions, and the service is good. The Mexican theme is maintained throughout the menu and the venue. We will definitely return.

My family have been to the El Desperado a number of times over the last 5-6 years. It's where we go when we get fed up with going to one of the many Italian places in the area. Food is always good and service is...

Came with a group of about 20. The drinks and food took a long time to arrive despite friendly service. We were really crammed into a small space on a hot night. The mains were quite good once we got them although the sangria was...

We had a return visit here after a break of a couple of years. It looks the part but the tables and menus were sticky, the staff were miserable, the food was patchy (watery chilli, lumpy gucamole) and prices were high (£6.50 per cocktail). I...

A group of 12 of us went to El Desperado for a night out. They had a special deal: £19.95 for a start and main (desserts available @ £3.99). This also included a free Tequila shot or Tequila beer AND a free sombrero! They have...

Best place by far to eat Mexican food in south west London Great value for money Great staff Family friendly Amazing selection of cocktails 🍹 And best of all you get to wear these extremely big hats 🎩😂😎

Disappointing. Came here about 6 years ago and it was very average and unfortunately nothing has changed. The staff seem a bit nervous and not very confident, the food is very hit and miss and the decor is tacky. The tables are squished very close...

Had dinner here with a group of friends last night and it was the perfect venue. Most of us chose from the £20 menu that included a shot, a straw sombrero hat, a starter and mains. My starter was chilli nachos and they were tasty,...

Far too loud, same tacky music played night after night, month after month. Staff work hard but the food is only average and the drinks overpriced. Will not be returning.

Went for the first time last night and really enjoyed it. The food was plentiful and very hot. Drinks were not overpriced. Only negative was that a table for two was too small when having fajitas as no room for all the dishes. Will definitely...

The drinks here are my favourite thing with lots of variety of cocktails and shots. The food is hit and miss, I've had steak which I find is usually over done and the chips are very soggy. Others in our group enjoyed the ribs which...

Ordered a bottle of the house white wine wasn't as good as the last time we had it, different name altogether tasted like a cheap country wine ... had the garlic mushrooms to start nothing special ,and the tex an beef chilli with crispy tortillas...

I've been to this restaurant a number of times and it's always been very good. It can get busy so it pays to book. The service is good as is the food. You get a lot of large groups on the weekends so can be...

I wasn't expecting gourmet food here but il honestly the food they are serving up here is food you can get from a pound store....I ordered a bacon cheese burger and it honestly was a rustlers microwave burger!! It had grill marks on the meat...

We went here for my partners birthday with some friends and had a blast. Massive portion sizes so you will never go hungry, the cocktails and sangria were amazing. I have never had a bad meal in there yet.

Big portions of lovely food and reasonable variety. Plenty of drink options with cocktails and a selection of wines, beers and spirits. Great service and very good night out with friends or family. A reliable place to go and eat.

We have been eating at this restaurant every month for the past 2 years and the food is consistently top notch. The staff are excellent and the Tuesday 2 for 1 cocktails are awesome !

Went here to eat a while ago for my friend's birthday. A few of us, including me got the beef burrito which was dissapointing. It tasted more like a lasagna than a burrito, the inside seemed to just be bolognese. If you wanted salsa with...

Our first visit to this restaurant we were pleasently surprised the service was good and the food was excellent, enormous portions though, should share a starter to leave room for the main course. We will be returning!

Just celebrated my Daughters 21st here. Staff were very friendly and let us decorate table with balloons and banners. Food was good, massive portions so had to take a doggy bag home ! Great value for money, fiesta menu, 2 course meal, drink and sombrero,...

Brilliant food and friendly staff and good service. I REALLY would go there again. Nice people who run it

Went in a small group and sadly won't be going back. Food was very average and possibly frozen/ microwaved. Didn't feel very Mexican 😓

We arrived without a reservation on a friday night. Every table in this small restaurant was occupied but since it wasn´t too cold the owner asked us if we would be fine to eat outside. He brought a table and chairs and we ordered food...

Visited on a Saturday evening, as part of a group of 11. First - The negatives. Have to agree with other reviews, it IS quite cramped. Felt as though I was constantly going to elbow the person sitting next to me. Was quite hot when...

Me and my family went last night (7th March), and we thoroughly enjoyed it! There were four of us and we shared two starters between us! And then me and my sister had the chicken fajitas and my mum and dad had the burritos! The...

Very nice food, great atmosphere, food was excellent and portions were massive. Music and the dancing was good fun, will return sometime in the near future

Well at the El Desperado it was the chicken wings. 55 minutes after they were first ordered! I wouldn’t have minded a long wait it the restaurant hadn’t telephoned 15 minutes before the booking to make sure we were going to turn up on time!!...

booked a table for 8 people, on a Saturday night, squashed onto table for 6! - given a free drink for the inconvenience. 3 other large (14+) tables already seated with another couple of tables of less that 10. waited over an hour for our...

Went to El Desperado for the first time tonight with a group of people. The T-Bone steak I had was very dry, chewy, and over done. The level of noise extremely high & 80's music. Although people ordered different food, most dishes looked like the...

Met here on a Wednesday night for a nice evening out meeting up with friends to catch up for a chat. The food was good but as soon as we put our empty glass down it was taken away and the plates it was like...

I love this place a restaurant with a vibe The staff really make you feel at home and cater to your requirements Drinks are varied and great , Now need some where to calibrate this is it The boss loves a party and will turn...

I have been to this little Mexican cantina on a number of occasions as a couple and with a group of friends. Regardless the food on offer has been outstanding. The restaurant itself doesn't look anything from outside really and you may be forgiven for...

Came here for my birthday, we were a party of 17 people. The service was great, drinks and food came quickly. They gave everyone a free drink at the end and gave the kids free maracas to take home. Would definitely recommend!

I've been here a couple of times now, and the food is lovely and the staff are all very friendly. Portion sizes are big, good value for money.

I've been here a couple of times and i really love it. The food is amazing and the atmosphere is incredible. The staff are very helpful and never disappoint in providing a good time. We did the limbo and the whole restaurant got up and...

The perfect chilled out restaurant you can go to and be greeted with lovely smiling and friendly faces. The staff is always helpful and always looking to serve you with their best cuisine and lovely cocktails. They do cocktail nights (not sure what day). Have...

We went to this restaurant for a night out and really enjoyed the food. Decent portions and lovely atmosphere. Had one of their cocktails and the alcohol content was definitely generous!

Local to where I live I have been here a few times for celebrations and have loved the food served. Flavours and portion sizes and great and service was great. Would definitely come again!

We came here for a family celebration - it is a local favourite of ours. The food is always tasty, the portions are generous, the atmosphere is fun. The drinks menu is large including plenty of tasty cocktails, beers and sangria. The La Fiesta menu...

Been twice now and both times didn't wow me, second time I went I had the ribs, I love ribs .....not these ribs they were extremely fatty and huge! Portion size was far too big its quality not quantity that counts. I will visit again...

Worst Mexican I have ever had vegetable fajitas resembled vegetable curry and was cold the wraps tasted doughy, one of the children with us had pizza it did not look cooked and tasted awful. Despite reading bad reviews we though we would give this place...

We've visited 3 times mid week and it has always been busy with a good atmosphere. The staff are friendly and attentive without bring over bearing. The menu is wide with vegetarian options too. A great evening and we will be returning as I need...

We went on a week night when it was quite, however the atmosphere was still lovely. The cocktails were amazing, and were served very quickly. The food was very tasty, its not exactly gourmet, but it is tasty comfort food. It was well priced, will...

Good atmosphere,place was full. Sevice was ok,waitress was smiling but took while to get more drinks Food was extremely average.pork was well overdone. Whatever happened to the old big thick pork chops?

Was here for a work Xmas do last night. We had a lot of fun with the free sombreros and limbo competition! However the service was a little slow and the dishes were served in a haphazard sort of way with people ending up eating...

We went here for my friends 25th and the food was just amazing, I had the tropical BBQ chicken skewers with mango salsa, it was just delicious! The drinks are really good too, we tried quite a few, the red wine sangria is awesome. The...

we visit el desperado last night with my family ,can say everything was perfect,staff,service,very testy cocktails and of course test of delicious fajitas ,we enjoyed and we will definitely visit desperados again.

Me and some family and friends were there for my hen do last night. There was one other large group and a couple of smaller tables occupied, the restaurant was certainly not too busy. The food was nice and tasty, I can't fault that. However,...

Very dark, crowded and noisy. Food wasn't anything special, I enjoyed the cocktails. Was too noisy for us as we couldn't hear each other talk, but would be good for a party evening. We weren't offered our inclusive tequila slammer either.

Brilliant always have a great time, food, atmosphere and service are very good, would recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants a really fun night out.

This is one restaurant that is definitely worth visiting in North Cheam. The food is Mexican and there is a good selection of meat,chicken and fish dishes and a wide choice of starters. We had steak and they were cooked just as we requested and...

Ok not a la carte and service unusually quick and slightly chaotic but will defiantly go here again. Our first experience and to be honest for a local place stuck on a busy junction a great surprise once inside tacky yes but you forget where...

We were a work group of 32. Thought party menu was very reasonably prices - £22 for 3 courses, including shot of tequila and he all important free sombrero!! Great party atmosphere and dance floor afterwards. Also love the props - cactus, maraccas and guitars!!...

We have just got home from here. Table of 4. Within 4 minutes of sitting down we were asked three times what we wanted to drink. The food came out straight away and we got the impression they wanted us to hurry. The bill arrived...

Love it here, one of our favourite mexicans. The menu is extensive, everything is really nice, from the swordfish to the fajitas. We've been here loads for birthdays, family and couples meals its always good. my only gripe if a small one would be it's...

This place is honestly disgusting. Before going I understood I wouldn't be getting freshly made, authentic, Mexican food. I knew it was more of a fun, themed restaurant. My god......I was left shocked at how bad it actually was. We ordered food, within 2 mins...

Lovely restaurant best Mexican themed place in uk food and service fantastic also mind blowing cocktails we had great time last night thanks owner he was very friendly defo we will come back

I came here with friends last friday. We had the set menu, which was very good value for money. It included a drink and a sombrero! The food was excellent, the cocktails yummy, the service very attentive and at about 10o'clock they had everybody dancing....

Been here a few times for friends birthdays, great food, great atmosphere and we've always had a great time. Bit on the expensive side but always happy to support local restaurants. Highly recommended.