El Tio in South Tyneside

Love this place, best margaritas around.

4 of us ate here. All of us enjoyed the food with no complaints. The ribs I had were gorgeous. Fell off the bone and some delicious smokey sauce smothered on them. Their handcut chips were surprisingly good! Very tasty! Even the grilled corn cobs were exceptional. Drink are a little pricey, and not a huge selection, but the food more than made up for that. Great looking little place. Must be popular too because they had to turn away some walk-ins while we were there. We will be back again😊

Wife has wanted to return for a long time (she loves it), me not being someone who particular eats Mexican food, wasn't too fussed to go. However, I've now planned my next meal for when I return. Very tasty food, beef is so tender! Even sweet potato fries cooked to perfection. Acka. Our server was very polite, helpful and attentive and always smiling. Nothing was too much hassle. If your not sure about Mexican food, just try it anyway. Very nice!

Visited for a birthday meal. 2 people. 2 starters and 2 mains. Free bottle of bud between 4pm-7pm. Pina colada one of the best I've had. Food was delicious, full of taste and flavour and piping hot. Cash only or bank transfer, no card payments.

Lovely surroundings, music and staff. Felt like I was on holiday! We had nachos and jalapeño poppers to start, then Mexicano pizza and Chimichanga. All the food was delicious, particularly the Chimichanga! Could have done with a few more chips on the plate- that would be my only (very small) complaint. Heads up- they only accept cash or bank transfer, no card payments. Will definitely be back. 5 stars!

El Tio is one of my all time favourite restaurants in South Shields. The staff are very friendly, the food is amazing and the atmosphere and music is utter vibes. It makes me very happy. Very good prices too! I highly recommend the burritos & pasta. The garlic bread is lovely too. I’ve tried most items on the menu and everything is so delicious.

Fantastic food and great service.

Sorry to say, this has to be the most inauthentic Mexican food I have had in the UK. Really lovely service but abysmal food. This place has never seen enchiladas in its life. It was an onion and pepper filled flour tortilla with some cheese and sprinkles of kidney beans and choice meat drowning in what I can only describe as tomato soup. Enchiladas are multiple small corn tortillas, with choice of meat rolled inside, chilli sauce, cheese on top, maybe guacamole too. Very simple! Can’t say I would ever come back after eating here. Like I said it’s a lovely themed place and lovely service but that just doesn’t make up for the lack of food knowledge. You can serve this only to people who have never eaten Mexican food, hell even Tex Mex, ever in their lives.

I was the birthday boy last Thursday, I had the most perfect time and I thank all the staff for making it so perfect. The drinks the food everything! Thank you all once again

Came in for my nephews 18th birthday on 4th july Could not fault anything about the place I had pollo pepe with rice and it was out of this world Staff were amazing and could not do enough for the 22 of us I would highly recommend

Came in yesterday for a family celebration! There was about 25 of us in the party. Service was amazing, all staff were fantastic and made our celebration special. Food was beautiful! I had the Polo Tacino with chips. The sauce was divine! 10/10 will eat here again 😋

Was part of the family meal with Ken, no complaints my end of the 22 seat table. Had the chorizo burger, was mint. Meals are reasonable priced and sized. Maybe ken should have slept before reviewing.

Every time we visit the food is always first class, the staff are very pleasant and helpful and it's very relaxed.

Brilliant service and brilliant food, looked after 25 of us for my son's 18th. Last evening and was amazing food was brilliant and the staff were amazing thank you once again.

Lovely restaurant, beautiful food, waiter went above and beyond with their service, will definitely be back. Thanks again!

Staff were super helpful and friendly however the food wasn’t the best sadly. Not an overly authentic Mexican.

What a fantastic place, the food was perfect, I had the enchilada and my wife had the bruschetta chicken, the waiting staff could not do enough for you and the cocktails were spot on! I would definitely recommend this place, we will be returning in the near future.

What can I say, well the food here was amazing. It was our 1st visit here and I had tortillas with chill and salad. The flavours were outstanding. My hubby and son had slow cooked brisket and chips. Wedges with chilli for starter. I also had a pina colada which was the best I’ve ever tasted. The waiter was lovely and helpful and accommodating. We also spoke to the great chef and said how lovely our meal was. We definitely will be returning customers. Thanks so much x

Really nice restaurant and lovely staff and food will definitely be going again.

Excellent food given at table. My teenage kids and myself enjoyed the meal and friendly welcome from staff. Well worth a visit

This is always our go to place. Favourite place. Amazing staff fab food. Cannot rave about it enough.

If you havnt been it's a must- go- to to try😋 food gorgeous 👌 staff just lovely, been a few times and always spot on 🙌 Mexican themed reasturant but they also do steaks, chicken dishes etc. pizza, pasta and home made chips if preffered, good menu!!! & Lovely atmosphere 👏👏👏👏

Visited El Tio with my partner for the first time tonight. Excellent service, tasty and well presented food with lovely surroundings. Would definitely be coming again.

Really great service and amazing food, recommend it to anyone who wants a mexican

El tio is the best restaurant and good prices also good staffand amzaing food❤️

The food here is excellent, the prices are very reasonable and the staff are really friendly

Went early all ok should have gone with a mexican dish .had ribs nothing special high price for what I had.

Wow I am totally amazed by the service here my food got here just in time! and here is a place I must come back to ! I am definitely bringing the rest of my family!

Amazing food. Amazing service. I always eat here, over going else where when I visit south Sheilds. Made to feel welcome

Nice place, prompt and friendly service, enjoyable food and overall experience

Walked in without a booking and although very busy they had us seated and happy with our night out. Lovely meals and wine, very attentive staff and nice atmosphere! We'll definitely go again!

Cozy, friendly & welcoming staff. Food was nice too.

incredible experience highly recommended to share with family and friends... I applaud the waiters for their 5-star service ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Had nachos as starter was expecting fresh but they came out of a packet , had mussels but were dry with no sauce . The rest our party enjoyed their food so maybe it was just what I ahd ordered. Presentation was nice

An absolutely amazing place we have been multiple times and each time we come here the food, service, atmosphere and price is unbeatable within South Shields, I couldn’t recommend here enough to people!

Always a friendly welcome, followed up by great food. A nice atmosphere. We'll be back!

Absolutely blown away by this hidden gem, visiting family in Sunderland came across this place while looking for somewhere to eat, service was fantastic, food was incredible and flavourful. We had beef tacos, chilli quesadillas, chicken quesadillas & garlic bread with cheese. When a family member asked for profiteroles and they weren’t available we were offered Churros as an alternative and they were to die for. Will definitely be returning on our next visit.

The food was really delicious , absolutely loved the chilli enchiladas and the taco very beautiful flavours and taste. The burritos was also a must try.

Love this place we visit here all the time the staff are amazing and the food is delicious 😋 atmosphere and music is great too great for families

We travelled up from teesside(45 mins) for a date night and we could not fault the place food was excellent service was excellent atmosphere was excellent and price was excellent aswell(both had 3 courses and was less than 33 each) the 2 gentleman( 1 server and the owner we did catch there names) who attended to us were brilliant defo coming back

Fantastic food and service. Had the beef burrito and was gorgeous. Unfortunately didn't realise until asking for the bill it was cash only. Don't carry cash and panic set in... Got sorted but just for reference CASH ONLY!

What a lovely intermediate restaurant with fantastic atmosphere. The service was spectacular and the food delicious.

Enjoyed going here after Great North Run. Had a good choice of Mexican food. Staff were really friendly and welcoming, good prices - would recommended.

A fantastic meal, our son tried something new and the service was amazing!

We visited tonight and it did not disappoint! We started with 2 Piña Colada’s and had Nachos for our starter. For mains we shared a selection of the Chimichanga’s, Enchiladas and Quesadillas. Every single mouthful was a different flavour really took our taste buds for a ride! Would definitely recommend giving this small business a try, you won’t be disappointed! Staff were excellent and hospitable throughout!

The best service, collected to go- best food in South Shields! Always fast service and so friendly. Look forward to eating here!

Atmospheric Mexican vibesdelicious Latin American food and pizzeria too. We had chargrilled corn on the cob,followed by chicken Burritos,filled to the brim with mexican rice and red beans and seafood Pizza. Friendl,efficient service.

Absolutely amazing night at El Tio, we had a party of 22 people and it was perfect. The food was Superb, with so many different dishes served and everyone enjoyed every single one of them. Thanks to the hardworking staff, great service, friendy and helpful. Great atmosphere of course with Mexican hats and music. Its an excellent place to celebrate or just get together, My husband & I often go so it's great for couples too so we highly reccomend a visit 🙌

Food was delicious, staff were pleasant and attentive, atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable. Would definitely recommend and will visit again.

Been a few times to El Tio and the service and atmosphere has always been impeccable and amazing, tonight visit was fabulous, had the platter of meats etc and it was just cooked to perfection, loved it and my personal favourite now guys... you've got to Try it please ..honestly 👌. Good vibe, professional staff ...fab food 🙌

The restaurant staff are very welcoming and the restaurant has great ambience. Loved the music and the sombreros however we were not as taken by the food. The food was bland and sauces from a bottle. We still had a good time there.

Came here for the first time new years eve and have been back on 3 more occasions. The food is so tasty and the portions are massive. The waiter Akram is so attentive and makes a delicious margarita. The staff are so friendly and accommodating. You can even wear a sombrero. This is our new favorite restaurant.

El tios. Where do I start... the hats!! They have Mexican sombreros and awesome margaritas - the food is great too. I live in South Shields and it’s one of the few places I go. The staff are great, the food is yummy and the prices are great. Burgers, pizzas, tacos, fajitas, seafood all available :)

Friendly staff and great food we thoroughly enjoyed it tonite, only the 2nd time we visited and will defo visit again.

Came here for my step dads birthday with the family. The food was hyper good, the service on pointe and environment amazing. 10/10 would recommend to a friend

We loved this place. Atmosphere was excellent, you felt like you were on holiday. The staff are fab and food was nice. We are definitely going back. Kids loved the hats.

Excellent.. Great service ..fab staff xx

Excellent staff Excellent quality food 👌

Excellent food and great service and thoroughly enjoyed our time there we highly recommend

Attentive service, didn't have to wait ages despite not ordering starters (it wasn't busy when we ordered..was full by the time we left). Good sized portions with good flavours. No space for dessert.

Excellent can't wait to come back

I had food delivered as an early birthday meal. It was lovely!! Very impressed!! Quesadilla and burrito that both came with a small salad, triple dip and chips. Really nice!! Would try again.

Second visit and really do love the food and atmosphere in here. Perfect for everyone

Found this place by chance as the restaurant we intended to go to was full. I am so glad we did as food was fantastic and waitress was lovely couldnt do enough for us . I had the brisket and it has to of been the best brisket i have had would certainly recommend .

Exlent food good service. 2nd time their. And my new go to place. Highly recommended. Give it a try you won't be disappointed!!!!

Absolutely gorgeous meal lovely friendly staff.. kids loved it also.. was a lovely surprise when they brought cake and sparklers out for my grand daughter birthday.. we will certainly be back soon

Great food and service the waiter went above an beyond to ensure we had a great experience. The Mexican pizza and chicken chorizo pasta was delicious, but I did get food envy when the sizzling steaks were brought out for another customer the smell was divine! The rum cheesecake was the best cheesecake I've tasted. Fantastic cocktails too. The food is great value for money I will definitely visit again.

Fantastic food. Home made chips. Well worth a visit

Great place, lovely authentic decor

Great food and excellent service been about 5 times now when in South shields

Really nice place and the staff were amazing. But the food wasn't great; sorry. However the staff tried to make amends but it wasn't the same

We visited and got some food with family. It was a bit quiet but it was a really lovely atmosphere and great food.

Beautiful freshly prepared food . Full of flavour . Staff were very friendly and welcoming .Great service . The flavours of the food were authentic and so tasty . I had a side dish as a starter of avocado and bean salad followed by beef fajitas. My family members various menu items everything was amazing highly recommended.

Popped in on a Sunday afternoon for food with the family. They had a specials menu which was great value. My son can be quite a fussy eater but they catered for his requirements with no hesitation. Our food was plentiful and very tasty. We would recommend trying this place.

Had a lovely meal there last night food was delicious, staff are so lovely and friendly, would highly recommend going can't wait to go back🥰

Great atmosphere and deco very friendly staff excellent Mexican restaurant feel - there is even sombrero hats on the tables that you can wear if you like!The menu prices were very good they have a lunch menu 12-3 which offers 2 courses for £5.99 and 3 courses for £7.99. You can also get a hot drink with cake for £2.99. They also have an all day everyday menu with some excellent choices at a great price.Good quality home cooked food service with a smile. We will return.

Great restaurant with proper Mexican feel to the place with decor and sombrero hats to make the feeling even more realistic. Staff very friendly throughout and the food was delicious with fantastic flavours with good size portions to fill your boots.

Was here on 20/8/2021 was amazing food and the staff were outstanding, service was absolutely 💯 would highly recommend look forward to coming again. Thank you xx

Lovely food and great service at a decent price. Would recommend :)

Amazing place . Top 5 Star and good prices

About time Shields had a Mexican restaurant. The food and the portions were perfect. The staff were attentive. Subtle background music. Had a really lovely night.

Lovely food. Good atmosphere

Excellent service, good food and great price really enjoyed it.

This is the must go to place in South Shields. Great atmosphere, amazing staff and the food is delicious. I cannot wait for my next visit. It makes the journey from Newcastle more than worth it. Fantastic restaurant. Easy 5 stars

Great service! When we finished our drinks the waiter gave us each a free glass of water with ice (without us asking) which was very mindful of our thirst, and while it may not be much physically, is still a great show of customer orientation. The food was also traditionally Mexican as well as tasty and modern. The food I had wasn't too spicy but it had just the perfect amount of flavour to be memorable.

Outstanding food. Highly recommend the smoked platter. We shared it between 3 of us and it was delicious. Starters were delicious and beautifully presented meat fell off the bone, favours amazing. Tequila Olmeca was delicious. Service was impeccable. So friendly and chatty. We will be back very soon!

Went for our sons 16th birthday tonight after lovih this place lasf month and it did not disappoint. Food is simply amazing, fresh and hot. Manager is such a lovely friendly person. 100% recommend. Thank you El Tio x

Delicious food and friendly staff

Very tasty and good size portions, staff were lovely and welcoming. Can’t wait to come back here!

We visited el too during a few days trip to South Shields. On a Monday night the restaurant was quiet, but the atmosphere was welcoming. The service was brilliant with attentive staff. We had the mushroom starter which was amazing and full of flavour. We both had the quesadillas, chicken for me and beef for my husband. Both came with potato wedges and side salad. The beef was a pulled brisket and both were very moist, packed with flavour and very filling. We would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Well what can I see but Yes Yes Yes the most amazingly Mexican food I've had the beef Quesadillas and started with the mushrooms just amazing the beef just melted in the mouth and the atmosphere/staff great

Lovely and very well decorated restaurant, which gives that Latin feel from the outset. The food is excellent. Good size portions and very well presented. The pricing is very reasonable and the staff are wonderful people, who could not do enough to make our evening enjoyable. Very highly recommended and we will certainly become regular visitors.

Visited for a meal with my husband and received amazing food in a lovely setting with the friendliest staff. Nothing is too much trouble for them and we had a fabulous night. We had the sharing platter which was cooked to perfection and there was so much we were not able to eat it all. An added lovely touch was sombreros to wear.

A wonderful atmosphere and delicious food, combined with friendly staff and an excellent location.

Food service & staff were excellent highly recommended 👍👍👍

Staff were really friendly and amazing food. Really nice atmosphere.

It was my 1st time at El Tio. I usually go for Indian when on Ocean Road as there's such a large selection, but thought I'd try something different for a change. The menu in the window looked like they served good food. I got the garlic bread roll starter and my friend got the potato skin starter. While he enjoyed the potato skin starter and hoped the main would be as good, I wasn't overly keen on the garlic bread rolls, but it was edible without complaint, just bad choice by me really. For the main my friend chose the ribs and rice and I chose steak with hot and spicy sauce and potato wedges, which I asked for medium rare. We asked for onion ring side order too. The flavour of both the rice and the ribs were nice, but they were both very dry. The ribs had plenty of sauce on them, but it was the meat itself that was dry as opposed to the meal. The flavour of my steak was lovely and it was a lovely cut of meat, however it was cooked well done. My friend complained on my behalf and the steak was swiftly taken away and a fresh one cooked. The second one came out and it was cooked to perfection and the flavour still lovely, however this time the cut of meat was terrible and it was surrounded by a layer of outer fat that you could chew on forever. Also, the sauce on the second steak was different to the sauce that was on the first. It was supposed to be a hot and spicy sauce on both, which I did get with the first, but the second was more of a tomato spaghetti bolognese based sauce. Very disappointing. The onion rings were also very disappointing as they were very soggy and stodgy with no flavour to them. The service was very good and the waiters very nice. We did get a free special coffee each at the end of our meals. It's a shame it wasn't as nice as we'd hoped and don't think it'll be next on my list of Ocean Road visits, although I / we will possibly go again and order something different next time.

This is my second " Just Eats" take away in a week, prompt delivery, warm on arrival, large portions, good quality, well worth a try.

We had a take away meal for 5 people delivered in under an hour and costing just under £30 everyone was blown away with the quality of their meal and the quantity of food per head we will definitely be ordering from here again

Good portions but more Indian type spice than Mexican