El Nopal Mexican Cuisine is a casual dining restaurant chain in the US specializing in authentic Mexican food, serving lunch and dinner.
El Nopal Mexican Cuisine was founded in October 1993. It is a family-owned business whose founders come from San Jose de la Paz, Jalisco, Mexico, a village known for their restaurateurs, whose residents have opened more than 700 restaurants in the US and Mexico.
The origins of the El Nopal name comes from the father of one of the founders, who had a bar in San Jose, also named El Nopal. Nopales is a Mexican cacti that’s famous for being an exotic ingredient in many Mexican dishes.
Most of El Nopal’s locations are in Louisville, Kentucky, but they have expanded to Southern Indiana, where they have 11 locations as of 2023 and one location in North Indiana.
The restaurant offers a family-friendly, fast-casual dining atmosphere, where food is made/prepared only after a customer makes an order. Some locations also feature a bar, serving signature Mexican cocktails.
For more information on El Nopal Mexican Cuisine and its menu, please visit the official website.
What Makes El Nopal Different?
El Nopal sets itself apart from other Mexican restaurants in Kentucky and Indiana by offering authentic Mexican food that comes from the private recipes of the founders. The menu consists of signature genuine Mexican food, but also a few items that only come from handed-down recipes.
The restaurants also use fresh and high-quality ingredients and they are never pre-cooked. Food is only prepared once a customer places an order, which means they are always fresh and hot, which is how they are supposed to be served, according to the restaurant.
The overall vibe of the interiors is also genuinely Mexican, giving customers a fun and lively dining experience each time they visit any El Nopal location.
And lastly, the El Nopal menu is large and diverse, which means there’s something for everybody, from kids to teens, adults to seniors. There’s seafood, pork, beef, chicken, vegetables, desserts, and even Margaritas.
El Nopal is one of the best places to find authentic Mexican cuisine in Kentucky and Southern Indiana.
El Nopal has a large menu with many different categories. Here are the menu categories on the El Nopal menu:
- A La Carta
- Appetizers
- Beverages
- Burritos
- Combinaciones
- Dinner
- Vegetarian
- Seafood
- Lunch
- Desserts
- Nachos
- Tacos
- Sides
- Fajitas
- Specialties
- Kid’s Meals
The restaurant serves general Mexican cuisine staples like chimichangas, nachos with different kinds of toppings, tacos with different kinds of meats, as well as different kinds of burritos, and fajitas. But more than the basic Mexican staples, they also serve a wide range of different seafood and steak, pork, and chicken tenders.
They also have pizza for kids, a vegetarian menu, and even fried ice cream for desserts. On Mondays and Wednesdays, El Nopal features a Margarita special, where customers get promo prices and special deals from the bar.
With an extensive menu, El Nopal is the perfect family-friendly Mexican restaurant in Kentucky and Indiana, serving every Mexican dish people have known to love, and so much more.
With an extensive menu, it can get easy to get lost in all the options available to you at El Nopal. If you want to get the most out of your El Nopal visit, however, here are some of the most popular items on their menu:
This item features a grilled steak that has been marinated in El Napol’s secret spices and seasoning.
Of course, you need to get a taste of Nopales when you visit El Nopal and this is the best item on the menu for that. It is made with chicken or steak nopal, chorizo, banana pepper, chambray grilled onions, shrimp, black beans, and queso panela.
This is seasoned pork chunks that are deep fried until crisp, served with rice, beans, tomatillo sauce, and 4 tortillas.
This features 2 kinds of meat, where you choose between chicken, or beef, and a bean enchilada. It is topped with green tomatillo sauce and shredded cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and served with beans.
Other popular items on the menu include a Salmon and Shrimp Platter, Tacos de Carne Asada, Tilapia Salad, Tacos de Carnitas, Sopapillas, and Pollo Veracruzano.
Yes, there is a designated Vegetarian Menu at El Nopal. All the ingredients for the items are listed on the menu, so vegans or vegetarians won’t have any trouble choosing the items that match their preferences and needs.
The Vegetarian Menu has a list of 7 items, which are labeled from A to G. Each letter corresponds to a different menu item, featuring different Mexican food options that don’t have meat. Some of the items do contain cheese, so if you’re vegan, you can ask the crew to remove them before serving your order.
Some examples of the Vegetarian menu items include:
- Bean Burrito, which has cheese, lettuce, and tomato
- Chile Relleno
- Cheese Enchilada
- Vegetable Salad
As a family-friendly restaurant, El Nopal offers a designated Kid’s Menu for children ages 12 and under. The menu includes the following:
- Burrito, rice, and beans
- Enchilada, rice, and beans
- Taco, rice, and beans
- Burrito and taco
- Cheese quesadilla and rice
- Chicken nuggets and fries
- Pizza (cheese or pepperoni)
- Fiesta burger and fries
- Chicken tenders and fries (3 pieces)
- ½ Chicken breast, fries, or rice
Kids’ meals do not come with a drink, so you'd have to order them separately.
What are the Operating Hours of El Nopal?
El Nopal serves lunch and dinner, and they typically open from 11 am to 10 pm from Monday to Thursday, 11 am to 1030pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 am to 9 pm on Sundays.
Please check with the El Nopal restaurant near you to confirm operating hours.
Does El Nopal Offer Delivery?
Yes, El Nopal Mexican Cuisine offers takeout and delivery.
Customers can also call the nearest El Nopal restaurant to their location and place their orders over the phone. They can have their orders delivered to their home or they can also pick them up at the restaurant.
El Nopal also has an app where you can view the menu and place your order for pick-up or delivery. You can also use third-party delivery apps that offer the El Nopal menu. You can check Ubereats, Doordash, Seamless, Grubhub, or Postmates to confirm if they offer El Nopal in your location.