Reviews for El Triunfo, Northfield, MN 55057 (2024)

06/17/2018 - Teddy
I've debated writing this review because El Triunfo is a family-owned establishment, but our experience was disturbing enough that I feel compelled to counter some of these positive reviews.

El Triunfo is dirty and poorly maintained. The tables look like they've never been wiped off. If the food and service were good, that might be tolerable, but nothing about this place is good. We waited 30+ minutes for our food (an enchilada and a quesadilla) and they forgot our appetizer. When the food finally arrived, it was cold and confusing. The quesadilla was clearly microwaved -- the tortilla was still white -- and it was just a tortilla with partially melted cheese, nothing on the side. The enchilada was even worse. When you hear enchilada, you probably envision some sort of tortilla filled with meat, sauce, and cheese, right? Well, what we got were some cold, chewy chunks of pork -- no tortilla, no sauce, no cheese.

We tried to give our meals a chance, but the food was inedible. My boyfriend was disgusted by his chewy, reheated pork chunks and I was disgusted that I paid almost ten dollars for a microwaved tortilla and some shredded cheese. We decided to ask for a refund and eat elsewhere.

Well, the young woman at the register insisted that she didn't know how to give a refund (a lie). She said that because we'd taken a couple bites to try our food, they couldn't give our money back. Um, how would we figure out the food was bad if we didn't try it? The whole dang family argued with my boyfriend for a VERY long time and only half-agreed to refund our money when I said I'd be writing a review.

We exited the restaurant and got in our car. As we were driving away, the male owner ran out of the restaurant and started yelling at us about the fact that we'd taken a few sips of our sodas while waiting for the food we requested a refund for. He accused us of stealing, even though we'd paid for everything upfront and weren't even convinced we were getting a refund for our uneaten meals. The man's daughter ran out behind him, rushed up to our window, and begged me not to write a bad review. Ummm. What?

We drove away disgusted and ended up eating at Taco Bell that night, where both the food and the service were miraculously superior to El Triunfo's.

Watch out for this place! I have no idea how they're still in business or why their reviews are so positive. Maybe being from big cities means our standards for Mexican food are higher? I'm really not sure. This family is beyond unprofessional and their immediate display of aggression was alarming, to say the least. We're new to the area and our experience here put a terrible taste in our mouths. Pun intended.

Find somewhere less toxic to eat.... like the local Taco Bell, sadly.