Top Shelf Mexican Food & Cantina

The bartender left our party sitting at the table in the cantina until we moved up to the bar and then proceeded to card my daughter in law. Which made her day but besides that the service was crappy and the people that sat down in the booth we were in got their order taken before we did even after we moved up to the bar. He took 2 orders of patrons that came in a good 15 minutes behind us before he even asked if we were going to order food. If you're not a regular good luck getting service at the bar.

My Fiancee and I came here for Cinco De Mayo. I had stopped coming after my last review and with a bad ridiculous dinner I once ordered. However, I figured let's give it another try.We both had taco salads, chicken and beef, which were actually very good and good sized portions. If you go, then these are a definite try.The salsa, that comes with the complimentary chips, is just tomatoey. There is something about it. If it's homemade, I'd say get a new recipe and let someone else make it. Then, my Fiancee unwraps the paper napkin from the utensils and her fork has old food on it. Okay, so salsa and cleaning dishes seem to be the issue?Then there is a young lady walking around giving out free tshirts and other items, for Cinco De Mayo. My Fiancee frequents this place more than I have with her friends. We were in a booth in the bar area. My Fiancee really wanted a T-shirt and called for the young lady, when suddenly this curt round annoying woman in a cowboy hat rushes to her and directs her to only give the tshirts to her regulars. Obviously this umpta lumpta didn't go to business school, because handing out tshirts to prospective customers is a great idea. Just bad customer service. She did come back and give us beer koozies.

So disappointed in my basic order of two chicken tacos, rice and beans. The taco shells were well overdone and practically burnt. Everything was tasteless and bland. We won't be going back.

The building is pretty with a Spanish Mexican hacienda vibe. Plenty of parking spots. Bar, out door and dining seating options. Service is fast and friendly.Food is always delicious I often get the chills relleno combo #4. The beens are really good too. Price is average for a seating restaurant.

I don't understand all the negative reviews. Top Shelf in Peoria was fun for us. The facility is massive, and it was busy on a Thurday evening. Everyone was having a good time. The bartender was friendly and attentive even though she was super busy. This is a simple Mexican restaurant making margaritas. The bartending is basic, and the cocktail pours were measured. The prices are very low to match. The food is very good, in my opinion. It's not trendy or imaginative, but it's hearty and made with quality ingredients. We enjoy the green chile with pork and beef. Sometimes you want some warm Mexican food and a drink. This is it.

We come here ALL of the time and have since we moved up here 4 years ago. Nothing super duper special, food is good but not grand yet very consistent in its quality, drinks are always good and so is service. The patio is marvelous and we LOVE sitting outside, the ambiance is nice and the kids love the koi pond. I don't really enjoy sitting inside however, it's dated and a little run down. But I'm compelled to leave a review for the first time in almost four years because our server tonight absolutely slayed!! We had a young lady named Tatum who also had a large what looked like maybe an engagement party or something. But anyways she made certain we were taken care of at every turn and even though I could tell she was extremely busy it didn't feel like it at all. It's been a long time since we've had service this good just about anywhere so I wanted to say something!!

The food was good and came out really fast. The service was amazing. Our waitress was super nice . The atmosphere was nice and plenty of parking. The patio is really cute.

Wish I could leave zero stars for this horrible experience. First off, let's start with some positives - they are well staffed, in a good location with ample parking, our waitress was all smiles and left us with a good impression, and the restaurant has a cute ambiance with hand painted decor. That's all that I can say is good about this place. The moment we walked in we saw at least 4 hostesses chatting about at the welcoming stand. They asked where we wanted to be seated so I told them that we wanted restaurant side seating so she brought us back, to a booth that was filthy (plates stacked up, food spilled all over, booth seat cushion torn) but instead of directing us to another one of the many open booths she had us stand there so she could get a towel and throw all the food from the table onto the ground. After we were sat our waitress came over promptly to begin the transaction and asked what beverages we would like. We looked over the large menu and decided on a frozen margarita (blended smoothie type) which was very tasty. Now comes the food portion...The waitress brought chips and salsa right away - the chips were greasy and stale, the salsa was way too watery but tasted fresh. Upon looking at the menu we found the food was WAY overpriced (we're talking $11 for a bowl of Queso for chips, $17.95 for a Chimichanga, etc), very bland/flavorless, and actually left us with FOOD POISONING. We had the Mini Appetizer Platter which consisted of way over cooked/far too crispy flavorless Tostadas, mini Tacos, and mini chimis with Beef/Pork/or Chicken. I called the location after a long night of projectile vomiting to let the manager know but he was incessant that due to it not being at least 24 hours since we had eaten there that it wasn't from them (even though the CDC clearly states that foodborn illnesses occur anywhere from 30 minutes to 8 hours after eating)... NOT impressed and will never be returning to a Top Shelf location again.

Let's start with their A+ kitchen score!!!! Very few restaurants participate in ratings anymore! Those that used to - no longer do because their kitchens get busted for lack of care, cleanliness or concern!!! KUDOS Top Shelf!!! It matters to me that the kitchen is meeting standards!!! It makes NO sense to me!! For getting some negative reviews, I will say that this place is PACKED on a regular basis!!! I often wonder who the "people" are who are posting negative reviews, based on how many "other" Mexican restaurants are in the area. Maybe a push to get them elsewhere, such as the nearby competitors?? We have been going to Top Shelf for, I think, a couple of decades (since it opened)!! We LOVE Top Shelf!!! We have never had a bad experience or bad food!!!

The food was good. We loved the cheesecrisp and shredded beef enchiladas. The service was excellent. We had a wonderful waitress she has long blonde hair in a ponytail. She was sweet and attentive.