The next stop on our tour through Front Royal took us to El Maguey, a Mexican restaurant serving up plenty of authentic Mexican dishes. The staff was so friendly and accommodating, and this, along with the delicious dishes, made our trip really special.
Price 💲💲out of 5
Like with pretty much every other Mexican restaurant in the area, the prices at El Maguey are reasonable. Another very large menu, but no dish had an unreasonable price. The portion sizes are more than generous here, so you are definitely getting plenty of value no matter what options you choose.
Ambience 🧑🍳🧑🍳🧑🍳🧑🍳🧑🍳 out of 5
Mexican restaurants sure take pride in their heritage. I don’t think I have been to one yet where the decor, art, and even the tables and chairs aren’t decorated to the nines. El Maguey is no exception, as every detail was carefully crafted, all the way down to the overhead lamps at each table. As soon as you walk in, you feel like you are entering into the most epic fiesta.
Food 🥩🥩🥩🥩 out of 5
We got to try a decent amount of menu items, and we went for some dishes we hadn’t sampled yet at other Mexican restaurants in the area:
Texas Fries – wow, what an incredible dish! This massive, and I mean massive, portion of fries was smothered in grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, chorizo, pico, queso, and sour cream. What a fantastic start.
Maguey’s Dip – I love when restaurants have their own signature dish that is uniquely theirs, so we had to try the Maguey’s Dip. A mix of queso, chorizo, beans, and pico, this was the perfect dipping sauce for the tableside chips.
Pina Loca – I’m sure you have had your fair share of fajitas in your life, but have you ever had a sizzling plate of fajitas served in a halved pineapple? The tropical burst of the pineapple elevated this dish so nicely.
Huevos Con Chorizo – Moy was so excited to see this dish, as he said it reminded him of Saturday mornings when his family would eat this for breakfast. It wasn’t my favorite dish, but that is because scrambled eggs haven’t seemed appealing to me in a while.
Al Pastor Tacos – while Birria will always be my favorite type of tacos, Al Pastor is a close second. These were so crispy and I loved the addition of the grilled pineapples. Pineapple maybe doesn’t belong on pizzas, but it definitely belongs in tacos.
Patricio Burrito – another dish specific to just this restaurant, the Patricio Burrito was the size of my forearm, and it was packed with grilled steak, chicken, shrimp, chorizo, rice, beans, guac, lettuce, and sour cream, and topped with queso, salsa verde, pico, and avocado. Make sure you bring a friend or two if you order this.
Grilled Trio – can’t choose which protein to try? Get the grilled trio, which comes with grilled strips of carne asada, chicken, shrimp, and chorizo. Served under a bed of grilled veggies, this dish gives you a sample of their best proteins.
Molcajete – my all time favorite Mexican dish, Maguey’s did not disappoint. I loved the presentation of this, with strips of beef and chicken hanging over the side, along with a beautifully peeled jalapeno. Such a decadent and filling dish.
Experience ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5
El Maguey’s is one of the places where as soon as you walk in, you know you are going to be in for a good time. The staff is so friendly and fun to be around, none of the dishes disappoint, and the entire restaurant is just a really awesome vibe. I will definitely be back!