El ARBOL Review

Great tacos and warm environment to eat. Great service ask for Britney. She made the impromptu date night I had with my beautiful wife a wonderful experience!

We ve been here a few times and the food is excellent. We got the trio, chicken quesadilla, and the rice bowl with chicken. One of our bottles of beer was warm and the server was very nice about it and got a new one right away. Will definitely continue coming back!

Super new atmosphere and the food was fast and delicious. The takeout window is also awesome to get a quick bite and walk to the park.

Never had coleslaw on tostadas before. Not a fan. My wife and I agreed we prefer taco bell at half the price

First time visiting. Felt and tasted authentic. Nice staff & really really tasty food! I will be coming back to this restaurant

What kind of Mexican joint doesn't have fajitas or wet burritos.

Looks good and its trendy new. Seems interesting but I don't eat out. They have a carry out window that's busy.

Went here today for a late lunch and was extremely happy with the food. I had the elote and the Chopped Salad w/ chicken. Both were absolutely amazing and good sized portions. Everything was fresh and seasoned perfectly. I can't wait to come back next time to try the tacos!

Food is just mediocre and prices high. Wouldn't come back.

Great selection of southewest options. I especially loved the chicken taco!

I tried several times to order from there during this period of being closed and today was the last time. The girl who answered the phone was annoyed by my call and said I need to place my order online. I explained I could not find the item I wanted do I called. She put me on hold twice then said she was too busy with orders she would try to find someone there to help me. I hung up and will not try to eat there again. So sad.

Amazing food here! Love what they have done with the place.

Great tacos and margaritas. House salsa is quite tasty.

Great concept, bad service

Too many kids (21 and under) are running the place. The kitchen, from what i was able to see, were a bunch of highschool students. Not many adults to guide the employees if they messed up, which reflected to quality of my food. Taco undercooked, the pineapple was served raw, and i ordered cooked onion, i received raw onion. The next time i came i ordered a fish taco for my mom which was on a keto diet, so she couldn t eat the shell. So the people who prepared my food threw the fish in a bowl, but it in a to-go box that barely even closed, threw it in a bag, and said here you go. I tried to pay for my food, and the girl didn t even know how to work the cash register.

Maybe it's the fact that you are in downtown Brighton but I came out from the city hoping to find a cheap little place for tacos or some tequila like in the city and this wasn't it. Honestly, the tacos were alright. Nothing wrong with them but everything is 2 dollars to expensive. A 35 dollar meal was 80 and the additional 2 dollar charge for flavors of the margaritas and the very bland nachos for 8. I wouldn't go back but I don't have the cash for it

Love it here! Always great drinks and new interesting tacos to try! I go here 2-3 times a week.

Don't eat here if you want Tex-Mex and you want all your food to taste like refried beans. I've been twice now and have tried different things each time. Everything about this restaurant is amazing! The food is like a party in my mouth, and everyone should be coming!

Disappointed in the food..menue needs more information. Salsa too hot with chips a milder one should be available.we order the chips and salsa and was not told it was hot. Couldn't eat them. I expected the tacos to be hard shell they were soft served with only a fork. Finally ate the meat on the chips. Hardly any cheese on them. Won't be back.

Best Mexican restaurant in Brighton/Howell. The shrimp tacos were phenomenal. Good service.

We've just been here once and had a really good experience. The servers were pleasant, the atmosphere is great and all of our food came out correct and with an appropriate wait time. It wasn't too busy when we went, so that probably helps. It's a little pricey - I would have felt better if everything was a dollar less.

We had 6 different tacos - buffalo chicken, chorizo, some chicken one, shrimp, fish, and pork. My favorite was the shrimp; my wife's was the chorizo. I thought the pork was okay, the chicken was good, but a little dry. The piece of fish was huge - it could have been half the size and still would have been okay. It desperately needed more sauce or something else. It was just basically fish and cabbage.

We also ordered churros, which were a major disappointment. They were bad. So I've had plenty of churros in my time and they should be crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Usually they will be either a long stick or a tear drop shape. These were hard and dense and looked like a mangled bit of fried dough. They definitely need to rethink these. The best part of this dessert was the chocolate sauce, which was the consistency of drinking chocolate (not hot chocolate for those who haven't had drinking chocolate) and tasted good.

We will probably be back at some point, but based on the price point we won't be back that often.

Amazing layers of flavor! Fun and casual atmosphere. Not your typical Mexican food.

Tasty food that hits the spot when you want Mexican. Plus, margaritas!!! Friday night displayed a lively atmosphere here.

I guess it is unfair to leave a review because I have not eaten there yet, but, it seems that if I want one steak, chicken, & pork taco, it is going to cost $14!!!!
That's outrageous! If they are true street style tacos, which they appear to be, they can't have more than .75 - 1.0 oz. of meat, possibly less. I understand the costs of running a business, but this just seems outrageous gouging because people in Brighton just don't know any better.....

We were greeted by a happy hostess when we waked in. The amazing service continued from there. Horchata to start, the perfect combo of sweet and cinnamon. The elote was fantastic. Followed by a torta. Wow, what a torta couldn't have dreamed it any better. They offer fresh jalapenos, great addition for those who aren't a fan of pickled jalapeno.

The walk up window is also a great idea. I got cauliflower tacos there the other night they were amazing.

Fantastic tacos and the window service is very convenient. Very excited to try out more of the menu!

Great place for a quick afternoon lunch. The quesadilla with carne asada is amazing!

This place is great! Different enough options to be intriguing but not too off-the-wall so you aren't sure if something sounds good. Also a good number of options, not too many so you're totally overwhelmed, but not too few.
The elotes are very good, they use chipotle mayo which spices it up nicely. The pickled jalapenos are really good too, I always get a side for $1 extra to dump on all my food.
One of the only places I've been to that offers chips with salsa, queso, AND guacamole as a single appetizer. So good!

5 of us went here to try it out. Very disappointing. Not one of us enjoyed our meal. No flavor and way over priced. Will not be returning. I make better food at home

My go to place for lunch. The food is a great value for the quality of ingredients. 10/10 would recommend

Not worth the price. They don't have much of a selection?
$17 for a margarita in a small glass because
I wanted patron? What?

Always on point!! I've been 6 times since opening and I've been amazed every time. But what really made me write this review was the carryout during the pandemic... usually carry out is sub par from most places. Just not as good as normal. But this meal was absolutely fabulous!! So freaking good. Mahi tacos, chicken tinga tacos... so good. And the quest is perfect too.

They have the best guacamole food is good margaritas great . Britney has been our server a few times and she's the best

This was my first time going here for dinner. Nice bar on the main floor with some seating. The 2nd floor is the main floor for eating. I had the Rice Bowl with pulled pork and of course a cold Beverage. I would definitely go back. Thank you keep up the good work.

Fast service great food the shrimp tacos are off the hook along with the corn. Great place to eat great vibes and great wait staff

We had a great experience. The food was good. Our server was attentive. And what they did with the old Yum Yum Tree space is a total joy aesthetically.

So glad to have this in Brighton! We ordered take out so we were in and out quickly but they did a great job remodeling the building inside and out. Looking forward to our next visit where we will dine in. Food was fantastic, we ordered 3/4s of the menu to sample and enjoyed everything.

Found it to be pricey and the corn shells fried in heavy grease... Just was not for us... Food did have good presentation.

Sangria was awesome! Everyone tried different tacos and loved them!
(Although a few of the tacos came out cold - others were hot. Probably a combination of being new and busy. Not a deal breaker though.)
Chips, salsa, queso, and guac are a must have starter.

The tacos come out family style on platters so make sure to remember what you ordered!

This place was BUSY. 1hr wait on a Wednesday, but they have a text message wait list. Make sure to grab a drink menu from the host to get drinks while you wait!

Sooo authentic, yet still tastes fantastic for an American! Luv it!

We have been 2 times now. Our first visit was as a family the food and drinks were tasty and plentyful. Our teens liked the carne asada for the spicy flavor. Small details were addressed immediately and the staff were attentive. From that trip we recommend the dip trio, sangria and al pastor and chorizo tacos. This weekend we went with friends and I tried the Paloma cocktail and shrimp taco. The churros were great and the chocolate sauce yummy. An easy meal out that doesn't break the bank.

Pricey for small portions but a really cool place to eat in downtown Brighton

Best taco's ever and the staff and owner are awesome, everything on the menu is great and the specials are always great.

Food is delish, atmosphere is delish, playlist is delish, and drinks are smooth and strong. What more can you ask for

It took some time for them to work out the kinks, as with every new restaurant, but, the food is great and the staff is friendly. They are accommodating to families and I really appreciate that.

Great Tacos! Restaurant has two floors and a walk-up taco window in downtown Brighton. Reasonably priced and fast service even on a Friday night. A great addition to the restaurants in downtown. There chipped tri is a great start to a meal!

My kind of tacos!! Awesome addition to downtown Brighton. Thank you for having plant based options like the roasted cauliflower tacos they are amazing! Really awesome atmosphere and great decor, very fun place to go for a mexican meal

Not sure how you could give this less than 5 stars. The tacos are freakin amazing. My taste buds are still on a high.

Great pricing for the portions I thought. Staff is very caring.

All of the food was great! We got the trio & chips, tacos (chorizo and chicken tinga), chicharrones (great lime salt seasoning), & the torta. We never get dessert but ended up getting the churros with a chocolate dipping sauce (nice hint of orange in the chocolate sauce). The spicy margarita was amazing- so glad I had a DD tonight. Well worth the wait!

Great staff, food, drinks and environment. Good Times

This was our family dinner for the night, wanted to experience the new restaurant claiming the Authentic Mexican food and its fine eatery. Lets just say, I gave it one star for the courteous waitress staff who served us, even thought it was a long wait. The food on the other-hand was NO where near Authentic Street Mexican tacos! Spanish rice was more of a Minced Pork Rice mix or rice out of box of flavored Uncle Ben's rice. Which left a very bad after taste. The chorizzo rice bowl, was not chorizzo at all. The Baja tacos had no flavor and could of been a dried up fish sticks, the Al Pastor tacos was a flavor pork meat, but you can only taste the pineapples mixed in it. The Chicken Tinga was covered with the cheese. I would say the Meat choices were not cooked or seasoned well at all and didn't have any flavor. Taco and rice bowls were basically covered with the toppings only to taste.
I probably would say the best things to get from El Arbol, is probably Chips, cheese sauce and drinks. I don't drink Alcohol, but I am sure the alcohol was probably better. Nothing Authentic at all! We spent about $150. there, some of us got sick after too. The atmosphere and the decor has a nice feel, but the food is not something you DEFINATELY DON'T want to experience!!! Trust me, I lived close to TJ my whole childhood and those are not Authentic Street tacos!!

Yummy and great customer service!!!!! Will be back many times!

Been here a few times and it's always good, but our most recent visit was phenomenal! Food was delicious as usual but our server Michelle really sealed the deal. She anticipated all of our needs and never left us asking for anything or wondering where she was. We will be back!

Very good and interesting food! It's great to find something original to try.

We went to El Arbol Taqueria for a Birthday dinner the owner, Lauren,
was extremely rude when we asked for a particular food item that I saw
on their website. She replied back when we showed her the picture on line, and laughed at us stating that's not even the correct restaurant, it was very embarrassing. I went on again and looked and saw the same meal that someone else reviewed about so I'm not sure why she was so rude.
The waitress was very nice and polite. After leaving I forgot my cell and the owners husband was actually rude and stated I saved your cell for you luckily.

This place is visually stunning, inside and out!

If you ever went to this space when it was the former establishment, your mind will be blown! It's so open and flows incredibly well. It's rather astounding, considering that the bar area is so large downstairs. Yes. Downstairs. It's two stories oh, and the upstairs, two is decorated beautifully and doesn't feel the least bit cramped or crowded.

Both the hostess and server we're incredibly polite and personable. Having been in the service industry for so long, I always value a great wait staff. And this place has it!

The food was delicious! My daughter and I split the trio dip sampler. It came with salsa, guacamole, both of which were amazing and quite authentic to the taste. It also came with queso. The queso was the only entree / appetizer item that I wasn't totally crazy about. It tasted quite a lot like a Velveeta dip. Still tasty, but not as unique or authentic as I would have hoped.

My daughter, age 7, ordered the beef taco, which came with rice. She thought the taco is one of the best she has ever had! She wasn't crazy about the rice, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think it's just not quite the kind of thing that most little kids would be crazy about.

Since we had ordered the trio, I only ordered one taco. The chicken taco. And it was fan-freaking-tastic! Loved it! I'm not honestly sure how I was supposed to eat it? It came open face with a fork and no knife. So I assumed I did right by picking it up? LOL! A little bit messy, but so tasty! And, since I had the salsa, guacamole, and queso, I was able to mix up every bite, as well as incorporate the tortilla chips.

Following our meal, we ordered the churros. They came with a chocolate sauce that, again, my seven-year-old wasn't too fond of. Probably because it is not too sweet. Which is fine with me! However, neither of us liked the churros themselves. They had the taste of ordinary, low-quality cake donuts with cinnamon sugar. Granted, they were warm, which is always a bonus! But, overall, I cannot recommend them.

Being a Friday, I made sure to go directly after school. We arrived about 4:30 pm and were promptly seated. When we left about 50 minutes later, there was already a wait. Just a heads up for anyone thinking they might drop in for a quick bite during dinner hours.

The prices are about what one would expect. Maybe a little bit higher. Most of the tacos are $4- $6 each, and of the rest of the menu main items looked to be anywhere between $4 & $10, with some variation. However, you get what you pay for it as far as quality!

One of the most unique offerings is the walkup Taco window. Weather permitting, there is a limited menu that can be ordered at a walk-up take out window. I'm pretty sure that all of their tacos are offered, as well as bottled water and chips and salsa. If you are familiar with the Brighton area, you will recognize the value of this convenience. I can't wait to try it myself!

I had very high hopes and my expectations weren't met. Service was great, friendly hostess (even with an hour wait), server was efficient and on top of small issues. It seems that all of the reviews stating that there wasn't enough flavor/spice has caused them to alter some things and go overboard with the spice. We are a family of spicy food eaters and the shrimp taco was completely over the top just hot, not flavorful. The roasted cauliflower wasn't roasted, it was more like blanched. My husband is one of those rare cilantro haters and ordered the chorizo taco, which is the only taco without cilantro on the menu, but it was brought to the table topped with cilantro. I think consistency is lacking at this point. I realize it's new and there are some kinks to work out.

This place feels like it was created with love. The portion size is perfect, and the food is satisfying without being heavy. I ordered the tostadas and they were DELICIOUS. Very flavorful and still felt healthy. My husband ordered 2 different tacos and thought they were both great as well. The food came out very quickly and efficiently. We will definitely be coming back.

I really like the flavor of all the tacos, except the carne asada was lacking in comparison with the others, especially the shrimp, chicken, and pork. The shrimp ceviche was surprisingly my favorite, although my husband argues that it shouldn t be labeled ceviche if it s cooked in advance of diving into citrus. He s spent more time eating authentic Mexican than I have. I would ve given 5 stars if we had gotten the fish taco we ordered and paid for. I m assuming it would ve be yummy, but it s always disappointing to try takeout at a place for the first time and get ripped off. People, this is why old ladies check every box and demand refunds. I don t want to be her. Do better.

Amazing Taco's. Ingredients were fresh and everything I had was seasoned perfectly

Wait was well worth it! Everything was delicious from the tacos to the nachos to the margaritas. The wait staff was friendly.

My husband grew up in Southern California and I lived there some years, so we were excited to try El Arbol to finally get some Baja style Mexican here in the area. The fish tacos and chips/guac were pretty decent, but the prices just aren't justified. $24 for 2 fish tacos, chips/gauc, and two fountain drinks. Tacos that size are $3 tops at any taco shop in So Cal (even Rubio's). We may go back once in a while when we need a fix, but definitely won't be back for a while. They're charging way too much and the patrons of Brighton just don't know any better.

The food was great... They put a spin on Mexican food... Thats the only way I can describe this please... Fantastic!!

The BEST tacos in town. Super fresh, great bar selection, decor & service. 5 stars

quite disappointed
food was nothing special, order was incorrect and a very limited menu.

Great horchata. The tacos were very good. Price was about what I expected for individual tacos but was a bit pricey for just chips and salsa. We'll definitely be back though

The server was very friendly but the food was not authentic mexican food.

The chorizo tacos are the best!! Great flavor with just the right amount of spice for me.

Amazing food, friendly staff and warm, cozy atmosphere. I've had most of the variety of tacos and the charizo is my favorite. I would like to see coke in a glass bottle in the future on the drink menu.

Good food, good service, good location. Cool building.

I've been to this place 3 times and the food has been delicious every time.