Delicious food with warm service and all at a reasonable price. Will definitely recommend.

My partner and I picked El Gusto to celebrate our nine year anniversary and I’m happy to report we’re both really pleased that we did.

I booked a few days ahead for a Sunday evening. I didn’t catch the name of the person who took the call, but he was friendly and professional without being stuffy or pretentious. No worries there.

When we arrived we were greeted warmly, seated promptly and served within moments of our arrival. We were given complimentary tortilla chips with salsa, as well as sangria. I especially loved the sangria, unfortunately the better half was driving and I don’t like to drink without company – otherwise I would have happily ordered a few pitchers. Maybe next time we’ll use a cab instead.

We ordered the Combinacion Grande to share, which we both loved. The portions are more than enough for two people (indeed, we struggled to finish it) and I particularly enjoyed the tasty chimichanga – a new favourite! I was surprised and pleased to learn two margaritas of our choosing – classic, strawberry, pineapple or passionfruit – were included with our meal and was particularly impressed with the passionfruit version. Our dessert was a mouth-watering chocolate cake which we both enjoyed sharing as the perfect end to a memorable meal.

The food is lovely, the ambiance is warm and inviting, the staff are very friendly and accommodating. I’ll happily recommend El Gusto Mexican Cantina to my family and friends from now on. Enjoy.

We were visiting from Auckland and went with local friends to El Gusto Mexican Cantina. There were 4 adults and 4 children, the staff were very welcoming when we arrived even though we did not have a reservation. Everyone from the receptionist, waitress, kitchen staff were very pleasant and inviting. Bonus for us was on a Sunday they were offering kids eat free and their meals were very big, our children ranged in age from 4yrs – 10yrs. We had the Combinacion Grande to share which was a big meal, the Chimichanga was very tasty. Upon arrival they gave us a complimentary shooter and corn chips. Definitely recommend and would return when back in Palmerston North.

My husband and I were excited to finally see a Mexican Restaurant here in lil ol Palmy and the experience as well as the authentic mexican food exceeded our expectations.
My husband is from the US where he has enjoyed plenty of authentic Mexican food and El Gusto definitley get a 10 from us. Warm,Inviting,Welcoming,Courteous,Helpful,Friendly Atmosphere and Staff + Great Food made our experience dinning in as a family with young children well worthwhile. 1 of our new favourite places to dine for Palmy!! Well done El Gusto.

Ok, the first time I saw the name of this place, I about fell out of my chair laughing. I mean, a Mexican cantina in NZ?? Seriously?? I am an American, who happened to work for roughly 6 years in Mexican restaurants over the years, so I have a pretty good idea of what “authentic” is when it comes to Mexican cuisine. I had previously Googled the place, and had read the reviews and was not prepared to give them much of a rating at first. Well, my husband and I ate there last night and I have to tell you, it was excellent. I gave it a 9 out of a possible 10. We had the tres salsas for starters, their Pico de Gallo was perfect, their tomato-based salsa was piquant and tasty, their guacamole was just like Mama used to make! The issue I had with the food was a little too much mole and sour cream on the enchiladas, and due to not being able to acquire Masa Harina here, it’s pretty difficult to have plentiful corn tortillas. In spite of that, their food is very authentic, you get plenty of it, the atmosphere is quite ambient and festive, and I loved the music! The employees there really work to make the whole dining experience memorable, and they are simply delightful. I did mention to management that they should really consider opening for lunch, between 10am and 2pm, which would boost their popularity and their customer base. I highly recommend that people try this restaurant!! It is a little pricey, but taken into consideration that this is NZ, not the US, plus what they have to import, the prices are reasonable, and well worth it!!

I was reading the reviews and were surprised how different people thought about the authenticity of El Gusto. Personally we lived in Palmy for only couple of months and there are not too many real authentic places in town, and we found the prices of the food here are real high. We were in the US before and I never liked the Mexican food there – the only place that offers real good Mexican is in Texas!

We walked in El Gusto without much expectation. To our surprise, the food was so good, I had the Chili con Carne, my partner had Enchiladas, we also had the ceviche, two deserts, and the sangria. Food was served very fast, waitresses were nice and helpful (I can tell they are really working hard to make the diners happy). Our plates were completely clean by the time we were done and we are planning on going back soon, it is worthwhile for us to hire the babysitter so we can enjoy ourselves there, can’t say that for most other restaurants in town.

The prices are still reasonable for what you get… Many other restaurants in Palmy charge the same amount of money for dinner but the food are not nearly as good IMO. I would like to spend less for dinner but their pricing isn’t a problem for us. I used to go to Mexico City for work couple of times a year and that’s when I discovered Mexican food was really really good, unlike the Mexican food in the US at all. I am not an expert to tell how they decorate their restaurant and what they use in the chips but my taste buds tell me their food is the closest thing to those I had in Mexico City and just happy El Gusto is in Palmy.

The only problem we had when we dined there was there’s an extra main added to our bill and we didn’t realize until after we got in our car, we went back and squared away with the manager without any issue. I am sure they will fix those errors being still a new restaurant. I hope El Gusto will continue to strive for its quality in the future and we won’t be disappointed when we go back.

P.S. I like that they import the hot sauce from Mexico.

A friend and I went here for dinner about a week or so ago for something a little different and we loved it!!!
We were offered complementary sangrias on seating which were incredible, we ended up ordering a pitcher of the stuff!
We started with the quesadillas de queso. They were stuffed with cheese and delicious. Different to my experience of quesadillas, but I didn’t care as they were great with the salsa.
I had the chicken chimichanga and my friend had the Beef burrito. Both arrived very fast. Barely had to wait! We were both satisfied and stuffed by the time we finished our plates. As full as we were, we couldn’t stop eating!
A really lovely waitress came over and offered us hot sauces.
After signing a wee contract, 8 extremely hot sauces were delivered in a little wooden box which my friend and I had a lot of fun with. We were sad to not be able to fit a dessert in, but el gusto fed us very well. There was a small function on in the middle of the restaurant, including a piñata, despite this, the atmosphere was great, if not better from the excitement of the piñata. Great staff, great food, great atmosphere!

Muy bien. If I wasnt a poor student I would order the chimichangas every night. Good service too.

My partner and I decided to get takeaway from El Gusto and were rather disappointed when we opened it up at home. My partner asked for his meal to be extra spicy, and even though we specified our own meal, I ended up with the spicy meal which I couldn’t even finish.
Aside from that, we realised we could easily have made the exact same meal ourselves for a fraction of the price; I expected more for $24 per meal.

The restaurant looked spacious and inviting, and the staff were friendly, but food quality was severely lacking.

I don’t normally do these reviews, but we were over the moon with our visit last weekend that I decided to write this. A group of us went in for dinner and were warmly welcomed. The ladies had margaritas and the boys tried the chili beers (when in Rome….), just to get us in the mood of the place. We all had entrees and mains which were great tasting as well as good value. The ceviche was amazing, as was my chicken Chimichangas. I love hot food, and the waiter brought us over a box with about 10 different hot sauces to try….bloody good!! Not sure whether everyone gets them but we were given a complimentary sangria to try which was yummy. Its not something we would have normally tried, however we all ended up ordering them, and stayed on them for the rest of the night! Not many of us had desserts as we were fairly full, but the ones that did thought they were great, especially the churros and the coconut balls. I definitely recommend heading to El Gusto. Was a fun night out, staff were great, and we will definitely be back. Its great to have another restaurant option for Palmy

I’ve been to many places right from dreadful to top-notch. Not usually the 1 to complaint because I know how bad the staff could feel after receiving it, been there. But in this case the experience could only be described as mediocre! Sure the service was great shame I can’t say the same for the food. No side plates when diners are sharing a dish, chicken that was dry & flavourless and watery guacamole with too much raw garlic and way too acidic. Sorry guys but the food’s beyond dreadful.

As a authentic Mexican who was looking forward to her first authentic meal in a while, I was very disappointed. The burritos and enchiladas were virtually identical in appearance and very bland with none of the passion that Mexican food should have. The guacamole looked and tasted like it had been defrosted. And whatever the “tortilla chips” were made of, it certanly wasn’t masa. and last but not least, there should be a serape on the floor not a mat from the Warehouse. 2 stars.

I can say most of the stuff isn’t authentic Mexican, so was disappointed. If you go in as someone who hasn’t had genuine Mexican, however, you will be satisfied as the food tastes great and the staff are very friendly. However, if you’re after true Mexican and know your stuff, you’re better off to try somewhere else.

Despite mexican cuisine being in my top 5 favourite foods, I can’t say I can vouch for authenticity. But of all the mexican restaraunts I have been to, and there have been quite a few, El Gusto comes out on top.

Although my favourite meal of quesidilla’s weren’t offered as a main, the burrito’s I got were delicioso, and my partner thought the same of his. Complimentary sangria and house made tortilla chips were also welcome. And the customer service was second to none!

While not giving into temptation and trialling a few, their selection of tequila’s was also quite exceptional.

Wishing you the best of success El Gusto, our experience was fantástico and we will definitely be returning!

Delicious food. I’m no connisseur of Mexican, but it seemed interesting, flavourful, a little spicy, filling.
Friendly, quick service – pragmatic too, he warned us that a big table was about to be served, and we could get in ahead.
Some pretty good Sangria – the best I’ve found in Palmy yet!
Palmerston North has a wider variety of food than you’d expect for it’s size, but there are some notable gaps, and most restaurants westernise their menus more than I’d like… this seems to have struck a better balance

I’m not one for writing reviews – People get paid for it but wanted to share my 1st of many visits…

Having worked in hospitality for years, I’m super picky and critical when I dine out – I’m a big believer that great service can be a saviour of average food but is hard to save crap service with great food. El Gusto’s hit the mark for me on all fronts.

Arrival – Prompt reception, Inviting and welcoming, especially with the spanish greeting. Can’t say I’ve been to any other international restaurant in Palmy where they greet their customers with their national greeting.

Décor / Seating – I’ve been to the old Cobb n Co and you can tell that the building is the same but they’ve done a pretty bang up job. Love the REAL candles throughout the restaurant, warm and inviting and totally inline with the mexican theme. We also noticed the coat hooks, Kids Corner with a Wii! Authentic hot sauces on the table.

Atmosphere / Service – We arrived when it was pretty busy, lucky we booked. Pretty attentive waitress considering she had 3 big tables and us – Is easy to forget the small tables sometimes. our Waitress Carolina also added to the warm welcoming atmosphere, prompt,very attentive, non intrusive, professional, informative and helpful on menu knowledge, hearing a spanish accent from Carolina and knowing the chef is south american also appeals. The mexican music & candles everywhere truly set off a great ambiance – Works wheter your having a romantic dinner for 2 or out with a big rowdy group.

FOOD – Complimentary Tortilla chips & Salsa was a nice touch. The shrimp cocktail was divine, the three dips were awesome – Beware, the salsa is quite spicy, we had to order an extra bowl of guacamole! We didn’t really know what to order so our waitress suggested the sharer plate – Good choice! The Chimichanga was awesome – Always wanted to see what they were about! The mexican rice recipe must have changed as a mate said it had veges in it last time. I’ve personally never eaten black beans but we ate them with the dishes and enjoyed them so thats saying something.

Dessert – We got the tortilla loca with the sharer and have mixed reviews – I loved the tequilla sauce,raspberry and icecream and chantilly but did not like the tortilla with it, on the other hand my wife was the total opposite – was a fan of the tortilla but isn’t a fan of tequila!

Sangria – 1st time we’ve tried it so if we hadn’t tasted the complimentary sample I wouldn’t have ordered one, now its my fav cocktail.

I had a great time. As far as value for money goes, you can’t get any better! We had 2 entrees, the sharer plate, shared the dessert, and had 4 margaritas all for just over $120 and walked out full! Bargain in my books. Was good to see the staff having fun too. Definately reccommend to all.

Sorry for the novel:)

If you are hungry make sure you choose well because there is so much inconsistancy between meals. I ordered fish (with a Mexican name) and it was priced at $23. What a shock I received when it finally arrived on my table, ONE HOUR after we were seated (and they weren’t even busy)….this tiny piece….. of what looked like steamed fish with some dry bland rice. It hardly qualified for an entree size! I immediately sent it back and ordered something else which was a reasonable size.
Another member of our party also comlained to us about the size of his meal,(something different from mine) it also was pathetic for a main course. They apologised to me and accepted responsibility but it didn’t change the ‘spoil evening’ factor.We had a wonderful waitress who couldn’t do enough for us, but she forgot to come back and see if anyone wanted desserts, so we all decided to waive it. I for one won’t be going back, I would rather spend my money elsewhere.

I am writing this review because I am super stoked that a proper Mexican has come to palmy. When I say that it is proper I say this because the Chef is south american and you can tell the effort that has gone into this place because of the menu. Me and the boys met up there last night to have a quick tester on the food. The nachos I had were really great. The chilli beer I had was great and the waitresses are really friendly and hot.
I recommend this place to anyone and I know good food I used to at Claridges. M.

Original review Sept. 2011: While I like the restaurant and want it to succeed there are some things I’d like to see changed, which is why I’m writing this review. Like most Americans, I’m in love with Mexican food and have always thought a Mexican restaurant would do very well here. Finally one came! I went on opening night a week ago and again last night. The positives: The staff are super friendly!!! The atmosphere and music is nice. The margaritas are GREAT!!! I will continue to go there just for these. The meat fillings are very tasty as are the range of salsas. They serve homemade chips and the tacos are crunchy. The negatives: The rice that comes with every meal is extremely bland. The guacamole, while tasty, is not green and therefore doesn’t seem like guacamole- there is a high cream to avocado ratio I think. The chips and enchiladas have wheat in them (i.e. not the standard pure corn). There is little to no enchilada sauce on the enchiladas. Normally Mexican food is drowned in sauces and cheese but not here- regardless of the dish. If I eat there again I will order extra salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, and enchilada sauce (which would make the meal too expensive). Most Americans would complain about the prices because Mexican food is usually so cheap, but I understand we are in NZ and I would just be grateful to have yummy Mexican food. The restaurant is under the impression that Kiwis don’t like a “red plate” (i.e. Mexican rice which is red due to tomatoes, pinto beans, enchiladas or burritos covered in red sauce) but in Wellington there are at least 2 places that do real Mexican food (red plates and all) and are quite successful. Positive additions to the menu here would be: Green sauce (tomatillo); chile rellenos. Muchas gracias!

Update Jan 2012: I wrote the past review last year when restaurant opened. Have gone back sporadically and didn’t find anything different. However, during my visit last night I spoke with the staff beforehand and told them I liked my food spicy and saucy, and boy did they deliver! My friends loved their chicken tacos and veggie enchiladas. My beef enchilada was spicy and swimming in deep red enchilada sauce, with plenty of cheese, sour cream, and jalapenos on top. I was in heaven!! I still wish their chips/tacos were pure corn, but the rice has improved (has some color and taste) as has the guacamole (greener, chunkier, tangier). No chile rellenos yet but I’ll be patient. And maybe there will even be some green (tomatillo) sauce one day… Thanks El Gusto!