El Chingon

One of the best Mexican restaurants in the city. Service is awesome.Food is outstanding.Cemitas are the best.Carlos has also done collaborations with other chefs that were memorable.This place is cute and it's a don't miss experience.

Cannot wait to return to this spot-- the hype is REAL! BYO, friendly service, and great specials (we loved the soft shell crab cemita and squid ink tortilla shrimp tacos). Prices are on the higher end, but we left full and with a taco leftover. Interior is casual and the atmosphere is lively. They don't take reservations, but we were able to get seated (as a party of two) right away during dinner service on a Friday. Seems like it could be a challenge for group seating, but it's definitely worth the wait.

My friend and I came here for dinner one rainy night before an event. We both were excited to try this place after it being on our list for awhile. The decor inside is very cute and vibrant. This place takes no reservations but we were able to snag a table for two.My friend and I order the elote appetizer and two cemitas (hers was mushroom and mine was al pastor).The elote appetizer was okay. I felt like it did lack flavor and it was overpriced ($8!) for a corn cob split in half.We got our cemitas and dug in. My al pastor cemitas was a little dry. I felt it needed some sauce to cut the dryness. It was good but it needed more seasoning as well. With it being al pastor I expected to see more pineapple slices with the meat but I got two tiny slices on top of my pork. My friend said her mushroom cemita needed more flavoring as well. Overall we both thought the food experience was underwhelming. It was also expensive ($17-18 for a cemitas) but mid tasting food.

Fun, Lively free chips & salsa girls working are all hot try!! Order double to get a Popsicles

My friend and I came to check out El Chingon last night as it's been on both of our lists for a while! We came on a Wednesday night without reservations and were seated immediately. The ambiance is very cute and clean, I loved the decor in the restaurant and bathroom, and service was very timely, sweet and friendly. The food didn't hit for me though, left something to be desired. I was very excited to try their cemitas and I appreciate homemade bread so much. The menu on the website is slightly out of date, cemitas run for $18 vs $17 now FYI. I tried the portobello milanese Clasica. It was so bland.. it really needed some heavy dose of seasonings and salt, and the papalo aioli it was allegedly served with, really had no flavor. The textures of the sandwich were great though, nice bread, creamy avocado, crispy portobello milanese - just... so bland, was honestly surprised how flavorless it was. My friend said she felt the same about her al pastor cemitas, and also wished there were a bit more than 2 tiny sliced pineapples on her sandwich.We also shared the $8 elote, which was okay but I'd recommend the $5 elote at alma del mar - the corn seemed fresher and I liked the seasonings more.Overall I had a very mid experience, but I would consider returning to try other items if I was in the neighborhood.

Absolutely delicious food here in a cozy setting. The inside area is a little cramped and they have outdoor seating too. They are usually very busy as the food is great. Had birria cemita and it was large and tasty. Good consome as well. Horchata tasty as usual. Thanks

Absolutely worth the hype! Some of the best Mexican food I've had in Philly. We came to celebrate my friends birthday and got two pitchers of the Jamaica and traditional mixes to have with the mezcal we brought. Love the BYOT concept they have. We shared the ceviche tropical and loved it, and almost all of us ordered the shrimp tacos special. The tacos were divine, with squid ink tortillas and a cheese crust around the shrimp. The shrimp themselves were deliciously marinated. Hoping this becomes a regular menu item! Would 100% go back, and the service was very friendly.

This place is absolutely fantastic. Such a cute space and down-to-earth approach despite the unbelievably good food. The servers were super nice, knowledgeable, attentive. Loved the vibe. But the food was best of all - we got a few different tacos plus a cemita and it was all so so good. Will absolutely be back!!!Only real downside is the $$$ but it's worth it

So good, finally got in on our third try, its pretty small inside so in the winter months when the outdoor seating isnt open its even more difficult to get a table. We had tried on a Friday evening and then on a Tuesday (but the week of Thanksgiving) and both times they werent taking any more names. I would try and come earlier in the evening or be prepared to wait/ have a backup plan if you can not get in. That being said it is worth the wait or eating at a less popular time! When we finally scored a table I was with my parents and boyfriend. We came around 530 on a Sunday and found parking easily outside, didnt have to wait at all. My mom had looked it up online so she knew to BYOB. You can order homemade mixers and they brought out glasses with salted rims which was a real table pleaser! I had the horchata and it was really one of the best I have ever had! Super creamy, and cool, with that touch of cinnamon. The place is decorated very nicely, modern trendy, but still felt like the right vibe for the place. I had heard amazing things about the birria tacos so I ordered them for all of us to share and they were a real hit at the table, super tender and gooey cheese coming out! My dad liked them so much he got another order as his meal and my mom loved the beef to much she tried the birria cemita. They make the cemita rolls in house so the sandwiches' are really fresh and kind of above the level of your standard sandwich. I got the pollo cemita and the chicken was thin and crispy and it had really good chipotle peppers right on the sandwich. My boyfriend got the fish tacos, which he really enjoyed, said they were fresh and flavorful. We shared the pappas and they had tajin on them and were super fresh and crispy, wishing I had a few for lunch right now :)In comparison to other places with such hype its a really great deal pricewise! They are on the delivery apps so since I live in south philly I think I will try to get delivery one of these weekends when its still cold and dreary out!

El Chingon was written about in The NY Times last October on one of their 25 best restaurants lists - that title is well deserved. The restaurant is tucked away in a corner but it should not be missed. The exterior is bright and inviting and the interior is warm and well decorated. Service was excellent and the food came out quickly. We shared the guacamole tatemado which was smokey and creamy, the chicken meatballs with nopales and homemade sourdough tortillas, and three types of tacos, skirt steak, chorizo and cheese, and mushroom. The tortillas were soft and fresh, the tacos were huge, and the fillings were incredibly tasty. We all agreed the mushroom taco was the star of the three, and the salsas and habanero cream complimented everything nicely. It is BYOB but don't skip their special drinks - I had a mango lime seltzer drink that we're still talking about.