Nestled in the heart of New London, Wisconsin, El Tequila Mexican Restaurant Cantina stands as a vibrant beacon of authentic Mexican culinary tradition. Located conveniently at 208 N Water St, this establishment is more than just a place to eat; it is an immersive experience designed to transport guests straight to the lively streets and warm kitchens of Mexico. From the moment you step through the doors, the air is filled with the tantalizing aromas of slow-cooked meats, freshly prepared salsas, and the unmistakable scent of corn tortillas being pressed to perfection. We pride ourselves on maintaining the integrity of traditional recipes while providing a welcoming, contemporary atmosphere that appeals to families, friends, and solo diners alike.
Our commitment goes beyond just serving food; it is about fostering community and celebrating the rich tapestry of Mexican culture through flavor and hospitality. Whether you are seeking a quick, satisfying lunch or planning an evening celebration, El Tequila offers a diverse menu crafted with high-quality ingredients sourced with care. We understand that dining out is an occasion, and our dedicated team works tirelessly to ensure every visit meets and exceeds your expectations for both taste and service. Discover why El Tequila has become a cherished local favorite in the New London area.
Key Highlights of the El Tequila Experience
Authentic Flavor Profiles: At the core of El Tequila is an unwavering dedication to genuine Mexican cuisine. Our chefs utilize time-honored techniques passed down through generations, ensuring that every dish, from the simplest side of refried beans to the most complex mole sauce, delivers an authentic taste experience. We focus on balancing fresh herbs, vibrant spices, and slow cooking methods to achieve depth and complexity in every bite. This commitment to tradition makes our offerings distinct and memorable.
Vibrant and Welcoming Atmosphere: The Cantina environment is intentionally designed to be energetic, colorful, and inviting. We strive to create a space where conversation flows easily and guests feel instantly relaxed. The decor reflects the lively spirit of Mexico, providing a perfect backdrop for everything from casual weeknight dinners to special weekend gatherings. It is a place where the music is lively, the service is warm, and the spirit of celebration is always present.
Diverse Menu Selection: Our menu is thoughtfully curated to showcase the breadth of Mexican gastronomy. We offer a wide array of options catering to various preferences, including classic favorites like sizzling fajitas, richly flavored enchiladas, and expertly prepared tacos. Beyond the staples, we feature regional specialties that allow diners to explore lesser-known but equally delicious facets of Mexican cooking. Vegetarians and those with specific dietary considerations will also find satisfying and flavorful choices prepared with the same level of care.
Dedicated Customer Focus: Service at El Tequila is paramount. We believe that exceptional food must be paired with attentive and friendly service. Our staff is trained not only in the menu details but also in providing genuine hospitality. We aim to anticipate your needs, offer thoughtful recommendations, and ensure a seamless dining experience from the moment you are seated until you depart. Your satisfaction is the measure of our success.
Savoring the Moment in New London
El Tequila Mexican Restaurant Cantina is proud to be a part of the New London community at 208 N Water St. We invite you to step away from the everyday and immerse yourself in a culinary journey that celebrates flavor, culture, and connection. Whether you are a long-time enthusiast of Mexican food or new to exploring its depths, we are confident that our dedication to quality ingredients and authentic preparation will leave a lasting, positive impression. Join us soon to discover your new favorite dish and experience the true warmth of a Mexican cantina right here in Wisconsin.
Amenities and More
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Service options
Takeaway
Dine-in
Delivery
Highlights
Fast service
Great beer selection
Great cocktails
Serves local specialty
Sport
Popular for
Lunch
Dinner
Solo dining
Offerings
Alcohol
Beer
Cocktails
Coffee
Comfort food
Happy-hour drinks
Happy-hour food
Healthy options
Late-night food
Quick bite
Small plates
Spirits
Vegetarian options
Wine
Dining options
Lunch
Dinner
Dessert
Seating
Table service
Amenities
Bar on site
Toilet
Atmosphere
Casual
Cosy
Trendy
Crowd
Family friendly
Groups
Tourists
University students
Planning
Accepts reservations
Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
NFC mobile payments
Credit cards
Children
Good for kids
High chairs
Kids' menu
Parking
Free of charge street parking
Free parking lot
Plenty of parking
Pets
Dogs allowed outside
Menus
Photos
Reviews El Tequila Mexican Restaurant Cantina
Darlene K
21-12-2025
The food here was great!! So flavorful ! I'll be back. Well worth driving to New London. 6 in our group and every single person loved their meal. Waiters were very attentive yet casual. Everything in the interior is so colorful and cozy. It was easy for me to give it 5 stars.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Burrito, Chicken Fajitas w Shrimp Fajitas
Jessica Freeman
12-12-2025
Went with a group for my mom's birthday. Everyone ordered something different & said it was delicious! When they found it it was her birthday, the waitstaff came with a sombrero and a shot of tequila & sang to her.
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Group size
5-8 people
Wait time
No wait
Vegetarian offerings
Vegetarian menu or section
Parking space
Somewhat difficult to find parking
Parking options
Free parking lot, Free street parking
Wheelchair accessibility
The entrance we went in was not wheelchair accessible. I don't know if there are other public entrances.
Jennifer Slomski
07-12-2025
Not the best. Just go to El Patron down the street. Food was eh, waiter messed up my order and it was $20 more than at el patron. Granted it was in a heat wave but they barely had their AC on either. Totally waste of money for a night out. We were all miserable.
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$20–30
Wait time
No wait
Seating type
Indoor dining area, Bar area
Amanda Schucknecht
26-11-2025
Ordered from here for the first time last week and I can tell you with 100% certainty we will NOT do that again! Ordered 4 chimichangas and 2 large queso's and the bill came to $92. I asked why it was so high and he said because the queso was $22 each. Math wasn't mathin and I was exhausted and hungry, so I ran my card and left. Chimichangas were dry and burnt and the queso was extremely runny. For sure the worst Mexican we have ever had. After checking my account today, it appears they took it upon themselves to add a tip to the bill because I was charged almost $4 more than the receipt I signed.
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jenni Repinski
09-11-2025
The food was amazing!! Our service wasn't the best, however, we did show up a little less than an hour before closing (and made sure that we were ready to leave on time.) The quality of the food means that we will go back, and hopefully the service will be better next time.
Lynda Geiger
04-11-2025
A Mexican/American dinner out. Wanted a burrito and margarita with some fresh chips with salsa and cheese dip. Found exactly what we were looking for. Ordered a 33 oz drink to share between two of us. I am not sure it had alcohol in it as neither of us felt as though it contain alcohol. But it was a refreshing $11 drink to go with our meal. The food was fresh and delicious. Staff was nice. Server went on break during our visit. I had to go looking for our bill so we could pay to leave. No major issues or problems. We enjoy the decor and cleanliness of the restaurant. We hope to return again.
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 5
Noise level
Quiet, easy to talk
Wait time
No wait
Parking options
Free street parking
Bones Jones
25-10-2025
Very good food!! service was excellent
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Aaron Pankow
24-10-2025
The food was awesome. Service was quick and friendly. Ask for the chef's hot sauce. It is so good. Thank you for the hospitality
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Noise level
Moderate noise
Group size
3-4 people
Wait time
No wait
Jack Loftus
29-09-2025
It was a pretty basic Mexican restaurant with all the usual stuff in place.
Start with the getting seated, chips and salsa show up. Drink order is taken and menu presented etc..
I ordered the Fajita mix which had all the good stuff like steak , chicken and shrimp with onions and bell peppers.
Where some of the air came out of the tires was the second plate which consisted of the rice, beans, lettuce, sour cream, Gaucamole and Pico de gallo.
Several of these items were not as fresh as they could of bean and flavors were off because of this.
All in all a decent meal but the front of the restaurant needs to be renovated to look newer, cleaner and modern.
It seemed old dated, cluttered and bad lighting. Reminded me if a bad dive bar from the 80's.
This place looked like a 100 other Mexican restaurants I have eaten in previously and pretty forgettable.
Candice Holmes
27-09-2025
Used to love this place.. now not so much. There tamales used to be our favorite seems like they just gave up on there really really good food. Also could be a chef thing. Several months ago the food was absolutely delicious. In recent weeks/months not so much.. I usually dont leave reviews if it's not a good review. El tequila was our go to. Not so much now..
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 2
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 3
Special events
No special event
Wait time
No wait
Jeanine VanDenzen
21-09-2025
I was just passing through and stopped here. My food was fast and hot. Really enjoyed my meal. I will be back.
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Noise level
Quiet, easy to talk
Seating type
Booth seating
Tammy L
09-09-2025
Fajitas were best outside of Texas! Beef was tender and flavorful. Margaritas were very good, strong enough.
Salsa was on the spicy side but very good.
Service was Excellante!
We will be back soon.
Daniel Roeder
26-08-2025
Stopped in during a car show. Food was excellent.
Large indoor dinning area with a small outdoor patio overlooking the back alley and river front.
Carol Ann
13-08-2025
Stopped here while on vacation. Food was good. We thought they would have a better selection of Mexican beer. However, they did push the Margaritas, which we don't drink. Server was very friendly and attentive, and our food was served hot. We had to wait for quite a bit for our check, though, when we were done with our meals.
Food: 4
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 5
Sandy Carmody
04-08-2025
Great food, large menu, Friendly Staff, great drinkd
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Reservation
Reservations not required
Amber Anderson
02-08-2025
Great food. Very friendly staff. Festive atmosphere.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Holly Wood
30-07-2025
The food was awful no seasoning it tasted like blah… won’t return ever…
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 1
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 2
Noise level
Quiet, easy to talk
Wait time
No wait
Seating type
Booth seating
Sarah Vepraskas
16-07-2025
Food was wonderful and hot, great kids menu options (both American and Mexican), it also came out very quick. Our server was so friendly and attentive. Will definitely stop again!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Chips and Salsa, Taco, Tacos with Beans and Rice
Kid-friendliness
Colorful tables with animals and kids menu with tacos, quesadillas, hot dogs/fries, chicken tenders, etc.
Juan Cruz
27-06-2025
I had the Mar Y Tierra. Stuffed. The food was so good I ordered a togo.
Meal type…
More
Peter H
15-06-2025
Had the lunch Chimichanga. The chimichanga it’s self was bland. The beef was tender but there was little flavor, no vegetables, and no cheese. What saved it was the cheese sauce on top. The rice and beans were good. I feel like the quality is there and perhaps I didn’t get a good dish. I would still come back and try more.
David Hoffman
13-06-2025
Went for dinner. I got burrito, which came with rice and beans. Wife got combo plate with taco, tostada, and chile relleno.
Food came promptly, and was hot and quite good. The complimentary chips and … More
Matt Biersack
09-06-2025
Service was great and quick. The burrito and margaritas were delicious.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Burrito, Cheese Dip
Edward McGill
06-06-2025
Had the Molcajete for dinner and it is amazing. I highly recommend it. It has enough food for 2. I also had the giant size Pina Colada margarita and a top shelf regular size margarita. Both were fantastic.
Debra Steinbach
31-05-2025
Wonderful serving staff, no waiting, great selection & prices. Food is hot and fresh comes quickly. Family friendly and well worth the drive from the Fox Valley. We will be going back.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Rice and Beans, Burrito, Fried Ice Cream
Kid-friendliness
Were lots of families there with young kids
Juan Cruz
02-05-2025
I had the Mar Y Tierra. Stuffed. The food was so good I ordered a togo.
Meal type
Dinner
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Group size
3-4 people
Wait time
No wait
A “Liam” A
27-04-2025
This place was fan-damn-tastic! The molcajete was incredible. The service was literally an example of what service should be. The wait staff was attentive smiling and just genuinely helpful. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this place. I was just passing through and accidentally found it. Glad I did. Def recommended.
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Noise level
Quiet, easy to talk
Group size
3-4 people
Recommendation for vegetarians
Highly recommend
Parking space
Plenty of parking
Parking options
Free street parking
Steven Bodoh
04-04-2025
The El Tequila in New London is a great place for tasty Mexican food served quickly. (Muy rapido!) The staff provides great service and we sat right down without waiting. The portions were good, and the food was hot. Will go again. Hasta la vista!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Bryghton
05-03-2025
Amazing food. Always clean. Staff is friendly. And food comes out the quickest I've ever seen for a sit down restaurant. About 5 minutes. Love everything about that place. Definitely go on a birthday because you will be in for a treat!😁
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$1–10
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Burrito, Chips and Salsa, Taco, Enchilada
Dietary restrictions
Has the corn tortillas for gluten free people.
Parking space
Somewhat difficult to find parking
Parking options
Free street parking
Parking
Just as many as Jolly Rodgers. 5 in store front. Would recommend parking on the street of the bank or movie theater.
JakeNotFromStateFarm
15-02-2025
The food was outstanding. The servers when they came by were also very nice. Very recommendable restaurant. If you go to New London, this is a great stop. More
Ella Pick (QwickSilver)
28-01-2025
Alcohol is watered down! Jumbo margarita with premium tequila on an empty stomach, zero buzz. But the food & service was good.
Meal type
Lunch
Food: 4
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 2
Reviews El Tequila Mexican Restaurant Cantina