Gecko Grill

Family owned feel! Complimentary appetizers of tortilla chips, green salsa (has a hot honey-like taste), red salsa, and black bean dip. Refills of that cost extra but it's one of the best appetizers I've been offered. I ordered the small menudo soup, it was huge (like 4 servings). The pork stomach was bite sized, chewy, supple. Not too fatty either. Waiting to be seated took a while as they were busy. Once seated, service was great! Very knowledgeable.Want to come back.

The good? The portions here are decent for a second meal or sharing between two people and the chips paired with the house salsa and queso dip are fire! The outdoor patio area is very nice and lit up with string lights, a beautiful water fountain, and had a vibe like the movie Coco with the cute colorful flags strung across. The not so good? Prices are rather steep considering this is in Arizona. I was expecting to get a lofty-sized Gecko Burro (which is basically a wet burrito with carne asada) for around $15 max but it was closer to $20. And, their horchata was NOT GOOD. It was watered down and not creamy as I was hoping it would be.The food came out rather fast but that was also expected since it was the day after Thanksgiving and there was maybe two other parties there besides ours. I probably would come back just for the chips and salsa/queso dip but other than that, I'm unfortunately going to pass on here.

Update: Wow..terrible!My wife and I, feeling nostalgic, decided to give this place another try. We thought, "It couldn't get worse, right?" Well, we were wrong. While the service was incredible--our server was an absolute gem--everything else was a disaster. Aside from the hot sauce (which you have to specially request), the food was barely edible. To top it off, I was shocked at how high the prices have become for such poor quality.We should've known something was off when we arrived at 5 p.m. and were the only ones there. By 5:45, only three other tables had been seated.Beer: Barely cold, with a nasty tap taste that overpowered everything. It was supposed to be DosXX, but honestly, it could've been Keystone for all I could tell.Mexican Pizza: This was the real low point. My wife and I are still gagging at the thought of it. The tortilla was soggy, the cheese wasn't melted, and it was smothered in green sauce with chewy bits of "Carne Asada." It looked and tasted like something a college student might throw together using three-week-old leftovers, trying to pass it off as a meal.I feel bad for the server, who was wonderful but stuck working in a place that serves inedible food. The only decent things were the bean dip and the hot sauce--and those are free. Save your money and avoid paying for the rest of the garbage. What a waste of $38

I stopped in for lunch and I absolutely enjoyed the place. Great food and the service was excellent. The patio was very nice.

I've seen this spot pop up a few times and have heard decent things about it. When I checked the menu I saw the Chicken Mango Quesadilla and have been wanting to try it...tonight I had my shot so I took it!This is a sit-down spot. I was greeted quickly and taken to my table. The staff were very friendly. After I placed my order I saw my first robot "dish taker-awayer" thing (I don't know what to call it!). Technology....whaddya gonna do, I'm a right? The Chicken Mango Quesadilla was good. I got a great tip from a friend to ask for green salsa which isn't advertised anywhere, it made a big difference. My favorite combination was dunking the quesadilla in the bean dip for the chips, THEN into the salsa...that's the money shot! On a scale of 1 - 10, I'd go back again and maybe try something else....the prices are a little steep ($20 for a quesadilla) but the overall experience wasn't bad. I left full and satisfied which is the goal :)

First time at this restaurant, and I was very happy to sit down to lunch with my husband this weekend. Chips and salsa were brought out immediately as our server Marta quickly greeted us, asked how we're doing, and what we'd like to drink. I ordered the signature Gecko Margarita on the rocks with salt on the rim, and it was delicious (and brought out so fast, I had barely picked up the menu). The tequila has a nice kick, but doesn't overpower the flavor at all. It went down very smoothly, and I was definitely tempted to get another!The verde salsa was unexpectedly sweet, but in a good way that really enhanced my experience and expectations. The salsa tasted very fresh and paired well with the tortilla chips (which were also made well). The red sauce is okay but it's a bit on the mild side for me. Still good, but I'd have liked a spicy option. My husband ordered the crab rellano and loved it. One of the first things he noticed and mentioned is that it's real crab and not imitation. His favorite sides are always beans and rice, and I have to agree the sides were good here too. It's hard to mess up beans and rice; it maybe isn't the most glamorous item on a menu, but it's a wonderful staple to any Latinx dish. I ordered the seafood chimichanga and couldn't believe it had pineapple in it. I love pineapple but I really should pay more attention. It was a wonderful surprise because it was sweeter than I expected for seafood, but amusing and delicious. They must use cream cheese because the texture is so gooey and rich and guaranteed to send me into a cheesy goodness coma. I also liked the bar's setup outside. I wish I could have taken more photos, but I don't want to photograph people because that's weird, but there's a fountain off to one side and the bar straight ahead as you walk in. The bar is gated off, and shaded tents are set up so patrons can enjoy the beautiful spring weather without the sun directly in their faces.Great experience and service. Definitely recommend!

Good food! Pretty standard Mexican fare, staff is really fast and does a good job. Dining room can be cramped but the ambiance isn't bad, definitely a bit of an "Americanized" Mexican restaurant. I recommend their Horchatas and the Mini Chimis. Overall, a solid spot with good food and service.

The service was really, really great. Everyone was enthusiastic and friendly. The restaurant was clean and fun, decor-wise. The food was also good, although cheaper alternatives of comparative quality exist.

4.25 stars. Really solid spot. Not authentic necessarily but multiple really good dishes. Spinach Enchiladas, fish tacos, salmon tacos are some favorites of mine. My wife likes Arroz con Pollo. Can get tacos as a lettuce wrap (pic included of salmon mango lettuce wrap taco). Absolute best thing here is the chips and bean dip (free although refills on bean dip are extra. Sooo good. A lot of the menu though is solid but nothing to write home about. Service is very good. There is another sister chain called Moreno's with the same identical menu but come here to Gecko. The other chain has consistency issues both with service and quality.

Jory was our waiter and was excellent!!!we will return because of him and the food was the best!!!!!