El Picante Mexican Grill in Bedford

I like the food, I have ordered from here numerous times trying their different food and I have had authentic Mexican food in different countries and in the states. Things that I think they could improve on: Salsa - the salsa doesn't taste pleasant and is very bitter. I have always avoided using them, they need to improve their ingredients because the taste is very bad and doesn't taste authentic to any Mex inspired salsa. Burritos - while these don't taste bad, the burrito balance is very different to a traditional Mexican burrito. It has its own take on it which is okay but to make this taste improve they should make it closer to the real thing. The carne asada burrito was also very far from meeting any mark of that of a proper Mexican burrito and didn't taste as pleasant to eat. Overall: salsa and burritos could be better, especially the salsa

Food was great. Service was lovely. Polite people, definitely best Mexican restaurant in Bedford

Attended tonight and the service was phenomenal!! Very attentive young lady and helped massively with the birthday cake for my granddaughter and great food and drinks quick service. First time trying and will not be the last Thank you El-Picante.

One of the best Mexican food I have tired so far!!! We ordered the Golden cassava fries for starters which was so good 10/10 but I personally found it very difficult to distinguish just normal potatoes fries to the cassava fries.But regardless, they were 10/10! Next we had chilli con carne with stake, another 10/10 the steak was a-bit on the tough side but we loved it still, and the portion was huge! Overall the food was freshly made and it tasted so authentic! I will definitely be coming back again to try this restaurant! Bonus point also would be the affordability!

I did scheduled ordered to be delivered by 8:30 which was 20 mints late. Food came but was too much salty. We put in bin

STAPLE IN FOOD. My family ordered from here as we love their food. A family member bit into their food and chewed on an open staple. We put in a complaint with Deliveroo and got a refund. This is dangerous and when I called the restaurant they offered a refund and said they would inform the kitchen staff. If my family member hadn’t have noticed it could’ve been serious. Very upset as enjoy their food a lot

Quisiera expresar mi preocupación con respecto a una experiencia angustiosa que tuve con su restaurante el sábado 7 de diciembre. Mi esposa y yo pedimos una comida para llevar con la expectativa de disfrutar de una experiencia gastronómica segura y satisfactoria. Lamentablemente, esto distó mucho de la realidad que encontramos. Mi esposa, que tiene alergia al gluten, pidió las fajitas de pollo chispeante, mientras que yo opté por los tacos de cacao. Al llevar la comida a casa, mi esposa descubrió que sus tortillas de maíz estaban mal cocidas, por lo que decidió comer solo el pollo y dejó las tortillas a un lado. Procedí a comer mis tacos, que parecían estar bien en ese momento. Lamentablemente, esa noche, tanto mi esposa como yo nos sentimos gravemente mal, experimentando diarrea severa y, en mi caso, fiebre también. El malestar persistió durante todo el fin de semana. El lunes intenté contactar a su restaurante para reportar este incidente y no recibí respuesta hasta que finalmente hablé con la gerente, Elie S, el jueves siguiente. Durante nuestra conversación, me descorazonó la falta de empatía y comprensión con respecto a mi situación. En lugar de abordar mis preocupaciones sobre la intoxicación alimentaria que experimentamos después de consumir las comidas de su restaurante, Elie cuestionó si había llevado una muestra de heces a mi médico de cabecera para su análisis. Me sorprendió esta sugerencia; me pareció inapropiada e irrelevante dada la clara relación de causa y efecto entre su comida y nuestra repentina enfermedad. Además, Elie propuso la posibilidad de que yo haya contraído norovirus, a pesar de mi clara indicación de que nuestros síntomas se manifestaron inmediatamente después de comer sus alimentos. Esta respuesta se sintió desdeñosa y socavó mi integridad como cliente. Me consterna que me hicieran sentir como si estuviera buscando una comida gratis en lugar de abordar un problema de salud serio. Es esencial poner este asunto en su conocimiento, no solo por mi bien, sino también para advertir a otros clientes potenciales. Es preocupante pensar que las quejas pueden caer en oídos sordos, ya que parece que su establecimiento no está interesado en hacerse responsable de la salud y la seguridad de sus clientes. Ahora me veo obligado a contactar a mi autoridad local para asegurarme de que están al tanto de este incidente y pueden llevar a cabo su propia investigación sobre sus prácticas de seguridad alimentaria. Espero sinceramente que se tome en serio esta denuncia y que realice las mejoras necesarias para evitar futuros incidentes. Espero con interés su pronta respuesta sobre la forma en que planea abordar esta cuestión. Sinceramente Rav

I am writing to formally express my concern regarding a distressing experience I had with your restaurant on Saturday, December 7th. My wife and I ordered a takeaway meal with the expectation of enjoying a safe and satisfying dining experience. Unfortunately, this was far from the reality we encountered. My wife, who has a gluten allergy, ordered the Sizzling Chicken Fajitas, while I opted for the Barbacoa Tacos. Upon bringing the food home, my wife discovered that her corn tortillas were undercooked, so she decided to eat only the chicken and left the tortillas aside. I proceeded to eat my tacos, which appeared to be fine at the time. Regrettably, that evening, both my wife and I became seriously unwell, experiencing severe diarrhoea and, in my case, a fever as well. The discomfort persisted throughout the entire weekend. On Monday, I attempted to contact your restaurant to report this incident and received no response until I finally spoke with the manager, Elie S, the following Thursday. During our conversation, I was disheartened by the lack of empathy and understanding regarding my situation. Instead of addressing my concerns about the food poisoning we experienced after consuming your restaurant's meals, Elie questioned whether I had taken a stool sample to my GP for analysis. I was taken aback by this suggestion; it seemed inappropriate and irrelevant given the clear cause-and-effect relationship between your food and our sudden illness. Furthermore, Elie proposed the possibility that I may have contracted norovirus, despite my clear indication that our symptoms manifested immediately after eating your food. This response felt dismissive and undermined my integrity as a customer. I am dismayed that I was made to feel as though I was seeking a free meal rather than addressing a serious health concern. It is essential to bring this matter to your attention, not only for my sake but also to warn other potential customers. It is concerning to think that complaints may fall on deaf ears, as it seems your establishment is not interested in taking responsibility for the health and safety of your patrons. I am now compelled to contact my local authority to ensure they are aware of this incident and can conduct their own investigation into your food safety practices. I sincerely hope that you will take this complaint seriously and that you will make the necessary improvements to prevent future incidents. I look forward to your prompt response regarding how you plan to address this issue. Sincerely Rav

Excellent all round and good value

La comida era muy sabrosa en un ambiente relajado. El personal también era muy amable y tenía tiempo para charlar. Asegúrate de dejar espacio para los churros

Staff are super friendly and if one of you has a birthday, they bring them a piece of cake and sing Happy Birthday in Spanish while the birthday person gets to wear a sombrero. The food is delicious and the portions are generous so go on an empty stomach

The chilli is amazing probably the best I've ever tasted anywhere prices were good so make your way and enjoy.

Lovely people; great food; bargain prices. This place is my home from home

Just had the nicest chicken fajitas in a long time. Excellent service from the waitress looking forward to going again.

Get the Barbacoa, it’s delicious! Looks like th ey make their own tacos too. We’ve had a few Uber eats from them and they’re always really good. Not a scrap of food left

We spent £50 on 2 meals was not worth it at all the last time I ate here was it good this time was not I regret coming and WILL NOT AGAIN I ordered a beef burrito 95% rice did not get enough meat for the price Way to much money for the quality and portion sizes DO NOT RECOMMEND 1 bit Service was not bad at all But I could of got a lot better food at pepe’s for £20

We went here again the another night. Food is always tasty and plenty of it. Service was good and staff are friendly and it's reasonably priced too.Slowly working our way through the menu. Would definitely recommend.

I’ve been to many countries and tried Mexican cuisine and nowhere comes close to the quality and taste of el picante’s food. Living in Bedford a few years ago, I’d frequent them every week. Sadly since moving away I don’t get the opportunity anymore but when I visit, it’s my go to. Generous portion sizes, incredible flavour and authentic decor inside. This is my favourite restaurant by far.

What a gem, lovely staff team, great place

Very friendly people service was excellent 👍

Excelente! Todo fue fantástico. Yo no como Guacamole y Manuel dijo que no había probado el suyo, así que me compró algunos para probar y Wow, ¿qué puedo decir que estaba delicioso y nada como lo que normalmente obtienes. Sin duda volveremos y lo recomendaría encarecidamente.

Lovely place. Clean, staff is great. The food is so delicious and fresh. You have a proper full plate.

What a wonderful experience. Food was deliciously tasty, staff helpful and friendly. Thank you guys...

5 stars all the way . Carlos is a amazing host. The food is amazing and made with love .

The service and the atmosphere was brilliant. We were there for a birthday and we brought a birthday cake with us. They were very accommodating as most places don't allow this. The drinks were great and the food looked amazing however it lacked flavour. The was the only problem. I had a mixed meat sizzling fajita and my friend had the beef buritio and they were both tasteless like some seasoning was needed. The chicken wings I had hardly had any sauce on them for smokey Chipotle wings. Sorry we tried the food before taking pictures.

walked in to be met with a smile from the nanager and he asked us to wait a moment so he could rearrange some furniture to fit us on one table had a laugh great service food was very enjoyable 😊

Magnificent service, very familiar. Dismembered burrito, both very tasty and enjoyable dishes, original and very delicious beers.

Absolutely incredible. Went here to celebrate getting a good bonus with work this evening and it didn’t disappoint. Will be back!

Phenomenal everything to the point

Very nice place with great food, vibes and friendly atmosphere at a great price. Very authentic cuisine. Great tasting dishes.

love the food here, service is super 💖

We had so much fun in our first visit, from the food to the atmosphere and how enjoyable everything was. Even though it was our first time as I said before we knew it was going to be good, we used to buy food from the El Picante when it was a street food vendor, so no surprises here. We had a thorough look at the menu and we decided to go for nachos to share for a start, delicious and generous plate for two. I went for a classic chili con carne, and my wife had a chicken fajita. I fooled my self thinking I was to be able to have a second, churrasco with pork, and I ended up asking to take the food home, lesson learned 😅. They have a very nice selection of beers of which we tried two, both light and refreshing, recommended. The ice on the cake was a shot of tequila after we had both a portion of pistachio and chocolate cake. I have no qualms recommending this place, looking forward to pay another visit.

Very friendly socialable interpersonal service and that is key 🔑.. Food very sumptuous filling and creative. Amazing Nachos, Steak burrito and savoury tasty King prawn fajitas. Great value for money and independent restaurant tucked away.. Will def return especially weekends when busy buzzing as limited Mexican food in Bedford and free evening Sunday parking across road.

Best mexican in bedford! the owners were amazing!! really good prices and tasteful grub!

Best mexican i have had in years.I have not had good mexican like this since i was in California. Definitely want to come back sometime. Although staff seemed a little busy this place made for a such a nice meal out.Lovely atmosphere to have a nice meal out.Even the bathroom was lovely and clean

It's not just "Mexican food"; it's a fiesta of authenticity, warmth, and memories. Step inside, and vibrant decor transports you south of the border. The aroma? A symphony of sizzling meats, tangy salsas, and spices dancing on your senses. Each bite echoes this: guac's vibrant freshness, smoky whispers in the carne asada, and the mole poblano's rich tapestry of tradition.

Amazing food full of flavour, great cocktails, very friendly staff! Highly recommend it!!!

Nice Friday afternoon meal, amazing food and staff very friendly. Made a nice change and will definitely be back for more! ;)

Really enjoyed the food, it was quick, fresh and yummy! Staff were nice and friendly! Will definitely visit again soon!

Great little find! This small but cosy place was lovely. Food was great, good portions, tasty and value for money. Staff very attentive and friendly.

Worst mexican food we've ever had. Tasteless full of grease, really stodgy asked for corn tortillas but what we got I have no idea what they were!!! Wine very poor. Restaurant was cold. Waitress tried to rectify meal after we complained and offered to have another one cooked for us I declined husband took up the offer but basically same as the first one.

The food was very, very tasty. The staff were really nice. The price was good.

Hired the 1st floor function room for a celebration The only downside was the temperature in the room unfortunately was cold all night despite the tiny heater which kept being switched off by staff !!

Used the function room upstairs, and party buffet deal. Excellent service, and facilities (DJ & light setup) All our guests had a great time. 😀

My family and I love to eat here, the food is consistently delicious and great value for money. Because the food is so good, I got Picante to cater my 40th birthday party at different venue and everyone raved about the food after, and all the food went! On top on that, the service was exceptional..they went over and above to make sure the food was set up correctly and we had everything we needed. I know its not the most glamorous location in Bedford but the food and service is 'excellente!'

Burrito's are my go to at El Picante but I just tried the Barbacoa Tacos and they were so incredibly tasty... Tender meat, succulent broth and tasty salsa. Get some in before they're gone! No photos to share with this review as there's nothing left. 😁

Diana was my server and she was amazing, super sweet, friendly and attentive she made my experience at this restaurant so much better!! I’m from Mexico and was missing home and she made us feel like we were back at home! Definitely coming back here again and the food was delicious! Thank you Diana!

Really lovely food, friendly staff and quick attentive service

We really enjoyed our lunch here today. Very clean place. Fresh lovely food. Definitely coming back.

Really nice food. Will come back!

Great Service, delicious Mexican food and the cocktails are great too.

My favourite food in bedford. I can't stop eating burritos! Very friendly people too, can't recommend more highly.

Incredible food. Friendly staff. Can't say enough how great it is here. Had takeaways and meals in and never a problem

Awesome food, great people and family oriented. Real diamond in the dirt. The staff could not do enough to make it a happy and memorable experience. Big thanks to Adolfo and Jose for making our dinner experience one to remember. They do some awesome cocktails too!!

Amazing atmosphere! Greeted straight away by very friendly guests, authentic feel. Food was amazing and well priced for portion sizes.

Fantastic Mexican restaurant, wonderful food

My brother and I are regular eaters of the restaurant, like 3,4 times a wk eaters. 2 wks ago, I took my 5 year old daughter in and asked to use the toilet. The guy behind the counter said no. I replied that all the public ones are closed and she's desperate. He said, "Well.... I can't help you. After a couple of minutes of pleadings with him, he said I have to buy something and pay for it first. I said OK. But u need to pay now, I said before she can use the toilet? He said yes. I paid £11 after telling him to just make anything that would cover the cost of my 5 year old using the toilet for a wee. A wee, which didn't happen because she already wet herself by him refusing her access to the facilities and telling me I have to buy and pay upfront for something first. Never again. And I will be letting my followers know of this.

Kept coming up on my timeline, so had to visit when passing. Sharing nachos and jalapeno poppers were great. Will come back for a meal.

First visit tonight, been meaning to go for a while. It was a very relaxed and jovial atmosphere. Everything was excellent: the staff were so nice and helpful and the food was absolutely wonderful. The dishes we had were all amazingly tasty and perfectly prepared. This is genuinely our new favourite restaurant and I'm already looking forward to going back

I got a delivery, which was 15 minutes later than the expected delivery time. Food turned up luke warm and tasted pretty average. I ordered a quesdilla and nachos to share. The nachos were £12 and was half a shop bought bag of crisps shop bough pre grated mozzarella cheese on top, the mince and chicken again were Luke warm. Extremely disappointed at the lack of effort put in for a 'Mexican' restaurant. I expected home made not shop bought as I could have done better myself for less than £5.

Got takeaway for dinner but went in to order & the restaurant is really clean, the staff are very helpful also. The food was amazing, only thing I would tweak a bit is make the large burritos a bit bigger but it’s still very tasty. The fajitas, churros & empanadas are great also. I had some cocktails & they were perfect ! Would definitely visit & recommend for authentic Mexican Cuisine 😊

Looked for a place to eat , find this little gem had been recommended, decided to give it a try , fantastic food nice and fresh , wasn’t a long wait as unfortunately no one was in the restaurant, but I would recommend this restaurant to everyone

The food was delicious and the staff were very welcoming. Would highly recommend.

My husband is an regular customer there and has always said lovely things about this place. Today i went there for the first time and instantly the service was amazing. The men at the front were very friendly and helpful very bubbly an helped me to understand their menu properly with no rush!

Be carefully with daughter girl friends or women especially if they had few drinks the staff like to take them upstairs to callum ......they all aware though !!!empty flat mattress on the floor ....be aware!!!!!!

We were made feel part of the El Picante family from the moment we arrived. Mario and Manuel were amazing waitors, the food was fantastic and very reasonable, the atmosphere lively and I could not have wished for a better family meal visiting from Ireland! Nachos, fajitas, chicken wings, burrito, all were divine and all accompanied by the beaming friendly smiles of Mario! The staff take the time to chat to customers and really make you feel relaxed and taken care of. We will be back 😀

Wow, what a surprise. It’s been a while since we’ve not eaten mexican food this good. It might not look like a place you’d go in when looking from the outside, but please do. The burritos are amazing. ¡Muchas gracias!

Great food and even better tequila. Mario was the perfect host, extremely knowledgeable about tequila. Had a very interesting conversation on it. I think you should do a Tequila tasting evening and showcase how real tequila tastes and that it’s equal to gin or better. Tequila is the next big thing to hit the U.K. Throw away your outdated concepts of the worm and salt/lime and try have a try of proper Tequila

You want authentic Mexican food with the most friendliest people waiting you, then this is the little gem in Bedford to visit! We’ve been here a few times and every time the food is on point! Not only that the staff are extremely helpful and friendly. Even when they are so busy they always have time to chat and laugh with you. It’s a family vibe restaurant and the food is delicious. They provide different types of sauces, from the mildest to the ones that’ll blow your mind and make you sweat! Take it from me I highly recommend this gem in Bedford and go as a couple or as a group because the vibe is catered for all!

Amazing food. Best burritos and margarita I have ever had. Our 2 year old loved this place so much, he was jamming to the music. The staff was very entertaining with him. It was a lovely experience. Thank you! Will definitely come back!

Apologies for saying the music is too loud . Wrong place ! No music at El Pcante.

The food is amazing, and the people working there are lovely. I love the way the restaurant looks inside. 😁

Well… Being the UK national, we assume we do not have the best Mexican food available in the UK, because of course, we are not in America. America is intertwined beautifully with its Mexican and Hispanic neighbours and their contributions as Americans themselves to a thriving food culture… I was surprised to find the best Mexican food in El Picante to be so darn good!!! It’s definitely not “traditional” and that’s fine, it’s the modern age; it ought not to be. The melody of flavours in the food here are gorgeous! The decor and aesthetic of the space, it’s all charming enough and gritty enough. Maybe a bit too “hip” for its own good, but tame enough to not feel out of place amongst the air of cool vibes… I went to other restaurants providing Mexican food while visiting London but their food are hardly a five star 3 course. However, this is a great Mexican restaurant with super friendly staff and fabulous food. The staff were lovely, helpfully discussing the vegan menu for one of our friend who is a vegetarian. The drinks were also amazing. We will come back.

Have been a few times now and never a bad experience. Burrito is huge and really tasty. Wife, who is a veggie, loves their 3-bean and halloumi options. Good price and friendly service.

This was probably one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had! Very warm atmosphere, and our waiter Mario was very kind and attentive. The food was amazing. Everything was cooked fresh and was extremely flavourful. Me and my 3 friends had the best time and will definitely be coming back!

I've been eating at El Picante for years and they come highly recommended! The food is absolutely delicious, with a great variety of traditional Mexican dishes and some unique twists on classic favorites. The atmosphere is vibrant and welcoming, with colorful decor and very friendly staff. The prices are excellent for the quality and quantity of the food you're served. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a Mexican restaurant in Bedfordshire.

We had around 14 of us and the service was great most meals came out at the same time. Enjoyed by everyone

Beautiful atmosphere upon arrival, the host was amazing great character. My eyes are bigger then my belly so I have my take out bag of goodies 😊. Thanks Mario at El Picante, we will be back.✌️

A lovely authentic restaurant! Both me and my partner have been to central/south America and we always come here when we miss that stage of our lives! Service was great, food was great, staff was AMAZING! Will be coming back again!

Great Food, great service & Great cocktails! This place is a real gem in bedford.

I didn't expect to find that good place with Mexican food in this area! Lovely atmosphere and service and so tasty food. For sure I'll be back! I recommend to all who want to try Mexican food.

I used to love this place, but sadly it has gone down hill, and I wont waist my money again. For the price you pay you would expect more meat, esspecially as I added extra beef but could not find any at all. It is a shame becuase the flavours are nice but unfortunately not worth the price.

Lovely cozy place.....we loved Mother's day lunch. Thank you.

Food was amazing, big portions, cozy atmosphere and super friendly staff 👌 definitely will come back soon ☺️ P.S. very nice beer 👍🏼

Amazing place, had been wanting to try here for a long time. First of all- completely unexpected, but THE COCKTAILS WERE AMAZING! Worth going just for drinks. May look a bit unassuming being where it is next to the bus station, but the food was amazing- think I went for an enchilada, we also had some other starters. Owners were really funny and service was with a smile. Prices pretty reasonable I thought. Will definitely be going again. Highly recommended.

Expensive. I used to be a regular but since the quality and quantity has dropped. It's a shame because when I tried to talk to them about this they were very defensive. Overall I will not be going back any more.

staff is very helpful and kind, the food is amazing and the bathrooms are very clean, overall a great place to have a filling meal for under £15

Delicious food and the service was also good

Review of function room 🥳 14/01/2023 I had my 21st birthday celebrations at the function room upstairs at El Picante. As part of the hire you receive a 'build your own burrito' buffet at £16 per adult and £8 per child (for a Saturday night) The staff were more than happy to anwser any questions I had, provide an hour of set up time as well as sort music. On the night, The food and drinks were brilliant. My family really enjoyed the variety of food on the buffet and the choice of drinks. Manuel was our party host and kept the event lively and fun. He really made the event special for me and my family. ❤️ Everytime I have been I have been welcomed with a warm smile and friendly atmosphere. I highly recommend a visit!

Met up with a friend for dinner here, and we were lucky to get a table without booking on a Friday night. Our server was a friendly guy who really made us laugh (sadly I forgot to get his name). The food was amazing - I went with something I knew (sizzling fajitas) but next time (and there will definitely be a next time) I'm going to be more adventurous, as there is just so much choice on the menu. Great food, fast service, easy to reach location - we will be back soon.

Review of function room 🥳 14/01/2023 I had my 21st birthday celebrations at the function room upstairs at El Picante. As part of the hire you receive a 'build your own burrito' buffet at £16 per adult and £8 per child (for a Saturday night) The staff were more than happy to anwser any questions I had, provide an hour of set up time as well as sort music. On the night, The food and drinks were brilliant. My family really enjoyed the variety of food on the buffet and the choice of drinks. Manuel was our party host and kept the event lively and fun. Everytime I have been I have been welcomed with a warm smile and friendly atmosphere. I highly recommend a visit!

Been coming here a number of years, I've never had anything bad from the menu. The food is exceptional and the staff are lovely.

We had lunch here and tried the Nachos and Tachos, food was delicious, staff were friendly and prices were reasonable. Can't really fault this venue

I have eaten takeaways from here often, but never been in the restaurant before. What a great place. Lovely atmosphere with friendly happy staff and genuine music and ambiance. Prices were extremely reasonable. My friends, who did not know the restaurant loved it too. We will definitely be going back

The food was as good as it always is I would recommend this place to everyone

Have used El Picante several times in the last 3 months for takeaway through Uber Eats. The food is generally very good and tasty. Have had the chilli con carne, chicken burrito, chicken roja and calamari. It is not the cheapest takeaway but at the moment which takeaways aren't. My only gripe was in the most recent order... we ordered two orders of calamari and received two boxes with only 4 small pieces in each. That's £1.50 per ring which is pretty ridiculous. Otherwise mains are good and very filling.

I ordered my first take away from here and it was the best take away I've ever had. Everything was unbelievably nice. Me and my girlfiend just booked a table for a meal right after it and the customer service was the funniest experience ever had he was brilliant. Can't wait to eat put of here already. Thanks Jake & Amanda

Best restaurant I have ever been too. Brilliant service, main Man Emmanuel is amazing so down to earth great laugh no awkward atmosphere at all, fun definitely a laugh. Went for my birthday and even got a cake and a sombrero and was sang happy birthday too loved it. The food was spectacular great choice of soft drinks & alcoholic drinks, cocktails & mocktails. I’m so glad I went here, I am definitely going again. Thankyou for a lovely time.

We went for lunch here as we fancied something different . The food was lovely but I would say slightly over priced.however The service was excellent and nothing was to much trouble and a big thank you . The owner was very honest and happy with a sense of humour which makes a refreshing change nowadays so thank you for making our visit lovely . Many thanks

Awesome Mexican food nice family run business with tasty food