We were looking for a place close to the Waunakee Ice Arena and decided to give El Charro a try. What a pleasant surprise. Got seated immediately and offered drink selection. Chips and salsa followed. The menu typical of a Mexican restaurant but noticed they had an interesting sauces and presentations. Wifey went simple with the chicken tacos. They were nicely prepared and came hot to the table. I had the enchilada plate, three enchiladas, rice and a salad. There was a chicken enchilada with green chili sauce, cheese enchilada with a cream sauce and a beef enchilada with a mole sauce. All of them were delicious and came hot to the table. The rice had corn kernels and a flavorful seasoning. We really liked the place. Staff were friendly and the food presentation was superb. Highly recommend without any reservations. We look forward to returning soon. read more

Usually seated quickly, even if it seems pretty busy. Service is always solid. Located in an awkward place but honestly I'm not turned off because there's plenty of parking. Tacos are always solid. Consistent. I wish they had better sauces - I feel like the one they have is a bit too Smokey and would prefer a verde. read more

El Charro Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Waunakee, Wisconsin

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Okay, we love the restaurant overall but the last two visits were disappointing. The food is great but the service is not so good. Today was just like this.... Seated and chips and salsa came out immediately. Waters then ordered. Food comes out pretty quick. Then you never see the waiter again. Unable to request a soda refill. Today, like last time, after we were done eating I had to walk in, from the outside eating area, to get some to go cartons and request the check. I registered a concern and got a smile with a sorry. Yes I'm going to give it another try. read more

Had dinner there with a friend. When dinner was over waitress asked if I was finished - i said yes. She asked if I wanted a to-go container, I replied yes. She took my plate (which was almost an entire dinner) and returned with the an empty to-go container. I asked where my dinner was and she stated it was thrown away as I said I was done. I asked why I would need a to-go container if she thought I told her to throw away - she replied, for my side of beans that I never mentioned. No apology. No credit on my bill. When I mentioned to manager/owner - he said he was aware. Again, no apology. He said I told the waitress I was done. He asked "what would you like me to do about it?" He ended up taking my bill and after 10 min returned with a new bill - charged me for the chips and salsa that came to table without being ordered and charged almost full amount. Won't be back. read more

Cadillac marg was excellent. Nachos grande a big poo as there was just a few spots of cheese sauce. I do not recommend if your are looking for the sauce. read more

El Charro Mexican Grill - Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Waunakee, Wisconsin

We go here regularly and lately each visit is worse than the last. The quality has degraded significantly and the waitstaff is underwhelming too. Last visit we got the fajitas and they were literally burnt. I can imagine serving something like this to anyone really. When I mentioned it they said sorry and walked away. There aren't many options for Mexican food locally but try to find a different one bc el charro ain't it. read more

El Charro Mexican Grill - Burnt and stringy "fajitas" - Mexican Near Me - Waunakee, Wisconsin

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Great food and amazing people! Always try a different food when we go. The quesadilla fajita is my go to.

The service & food beyond expectations Benny is The Best Owner! Very concerned about every patrons experience. Other owners could learn a thing or two from him. Would recommend this place to anyone! El Charro's is very clean & inviting read more

Great authentic Mexican restaurant. Service is always great and the food is excellent. Me and my family have eaten there many times. I'm

Love this place. Food is always fantastic and prices are very fair. Highly recommend.

If you need a quick and delicious place for lunch in Waunakee during the workday, this is it! Service is fast and friendly. Lots of Mexican dishes that are tasty. I love the spring shrimp and the street style tacos. A lovely patio for outdoor seating with shade from the sun.. Need to go back for happy hour margaritas! read more

El Charro Mexican Grill - Spring shrimp - Mexican Near Me - Waunakee, Wisconsin

Went for lunch 3-22-22. Restaurant was not busy, only 3/4 tables. Ordered the lunch fajitas. And then I got a work out! Every single peice of fajita steak was gristle. Not the kind you can chew with a few extra bites, I'm talking Hans & Franz here to pump your jaw up! Honestly I don't know how it's possible to get that much gristle in one plate unless you used trimmings from a larger cut of beef. Which is what I suspect... I wanted to like this place but just cannot recommend going vs. other options. The Pico was missing cilantro, 90% tomatoes, 8% onions, 2% jalapeño. That is not good Pico recipe. Salsa tasted mostly of tomato, little else. Zero spice. Rice was great! Who knew? Service was neutral, little slow to get drink order in, but ok after that. I don't leave a lot of reviews... But when I do, the place is really awesome... or really disappointing. I only tried the fajitas, their other food may be great. Salsa & Pico will still be.."Made in New York city!" read more

Ordered three times now and all three times the food was fantastic! Will definitely order again soon.

The dishes served up at this place are unbelievable and unbeatable. I cannot rave enough about the enchiladas and the sauces. We are big fans of the location in Verona and wanted to swing by here to see if the meals were just as delicious or if it was maybe because of the cooks over in Verona. It has nothing to do with the cooks/chefs own flare. It is the recipes. It's gotta be. The consistency between the places is great and appreciated. The location is a bit odd - we drove through corn fields and suddenly happened upon a housing sub-division community with this smack dap in front of it. Side note - if we lived within walking distance of this place we would be done for. It was busy when we walked in for lunch but we were seated right away. When we left seating was limited and most were seating outside in the heat just to avoid waiting for an inside table. The service is average. Our waiter seemed to be whizzing here and there and everywhere and after taking our drink order he provided us with someone else's bill and credit card to sign (oops!) But, not a deal breaker just a sign of how quickly things move there during the lunch hour on a weekend...so be prepared! Full disclosure, we stop at El Charro every time we are headed back from the lake house. I can't see that changing any time soon. read more

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Solid Mexican grill place. Really good tamales. Nice decor. Good place to be. They sometimes have live mariachi. The service can be hit or miss at times. For instance, was in there tonight and got drinks promptly...and then the server didn't return for 33 minutes. read more

First off, my husband said the was food amazing! I feel the need to post this so they'll change their business practices. My husband and business associates visited this place for lunch. Their food was amazing! Some of the best Mexican food in Madison according to everyone. However, their chips had a piece of gum in it. They informed the waitstaff and she was very embarrassed. She got them a new chip basket. However, no one ate any more chips. This won't deter me from trying this place since my husband loved his enchiladas. But I hope they don't recycle the chips!! read more

Always perfect! Food is always quick, hot, and consistent. I go here every two weeks and it's always awesome.

Traveled to this adorable gem while traveling the back roads of Wisconsin. This meal was absolutely phenomenal. The char on the shrimp and vegetables just kept you wanting for more. Seasoned perfectly. Portions are plentiful. And, the service was wonderful. Thank you and keep up the great work! read more

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Julio took good care of us! Salsa is always great and portions generous. Loved the pork carnitas.

Food was great! Notice of progress was helpful. More than I expected with chips and salsa. Fabulous .

Not only was the service warm and attentive, the kitchen even did all of my crazy modifications to my meal to make it paleo and yummy! Rock on! read more

El Charro is the most superior mexican restaurant in the area. I love El Charro. Guacamole is fantastic. There was even a mariachi band. Our server Julio was fantastic and super kind. Our food also came out very quickly. Thank you El Charro and Julio! read more

We were so thrilled that this place opened in Waunakee since we don't have much to choose from, especially good Mexican. It did not disappoint! I got two pork tacos - the meat was GREAT and flavorful which of course is the most important part of the taco. In terms of the other toppings and the fact that it was two hard corn shells...I was a little sad. I do think this dish should have 3 tacos and a choice of soft or hard (and flour or corn). I didn't ask about these choices - I suppose maybe I could have gotten soft shells. My husband and father in law each had a burrito and they were MASSIVE and really tasty. They both brought home leftovers. Overall everything was good enough that we'll definitely come back! read more

El Charro Mexican Grill - Giant burritos!! - Mexican Near Me - Waunakee, Wisconsin

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Both dine in and takeout experiences have bee positive with the exception of having fruit flies in the bar area on several visits. This needs attention. Food is always been consistent and delicious. Generous servings read more

Excellent food excellent service. The place is very clean. It also has outdoor seating. Left extremely stuffed. Will be back again! read more

WHERE DO I BEGIN? Service was phenomenal right off the bat even for it being middle of lunch rush! Food has literally left me speechless we got the fancy Guacamole to start and it's better then I've ever had before. Coming from someone who's family owns their own Mexican restaurant. Both our main courses were soo perfect I wish I'd of taken before photos but sorry camera didn't eat first!! 10/10 definitely coming here once and week and when my parents come to town!! read more

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Good service, food is consistent. Great neighborhood place. Portions are huge. My son loves the shrimp tacos.

Super friendly staff and delicious food. My boomer mom complained about something to the waitress (as if she cooked your food. Come on mom) so I apologized to her. She was so sweet and said it was ok, she gets that occasionally. read more

This is authentic Latin cuisine. My second time at this restaurant, because the food is fantastic! Just one little mistake with one of the orders, but we ate it anyway. Great, fast service. We'll be returning often! read more

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Came for dinner on Sat night. The wait was about 30 minutes but once we were seated service was fast. Chips and salsa were good, and they brought refills. I had the steak, chicken and shrimp fajitas. They were well seasoned and generous. Beans, rice and salad were also good. The margaritas were huge. Dining area itself was small and it was pretty loud, but we were sitting next to the kitchen and pick up window which could be why. The hostess said they're adding a bar area, and hopefully more seating too. Prices were reasonable, although I wouldn't order as large of a margarita next time. We would come back. read more

El Charro Mexican Grill - Steak, chicken and shrimp fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Waunakee, Wisconsin

Me and my girl got 2 different drinks, both equally loved both of them, she got the steak burrito i got the chicken, shrimp pineapple dish and we more then satisfied. Both of us were full but our waiter asked for desert where we usually call it quits but had to see what they were talking about and OMG those Churros Smacked!! All around fantastic experience will be coming back to try something new next time!!! read more

El Charro Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Waunakee, Wisconsin

Great service and amazing food. Lots of options to select from, you can't go wrong here.

Great neighborhood Mexican restaurant. Better than most Mexican restaurants I have been to. A really friendly waitstaff and the food options are strong. Really love their burritos and enchiladas. I'd put it just behind Ancho Agave... Chicken Enchiladas Shrimp Chimichanga Street Style Tacos read more

So glad we found this place. Recently moved from Ann Arbor area 3 years ago and have been searching for a good Mexican joint. Found one! The food was awesome, quesadilla and huevos rancheros were so delicious. We will be back weekly. read more

Food is average at best, our waiter didnt write anything down while we ordered and my food came out wrong which was off putting. it was also weird because I saw the waiters all also serving people at the bar so its hard to say exactly who is doing what. the margaritas are huge which is good. I would go back just for a drink and chips, but not a full meal. its expensive for what you get. I had one of the combos - enchilada and taco, enchilada had bland chicken inside and the taco was just meat, lettuce and cheese. this is my second time there and I just dont think it will ever be the first choice when deciding what to eat for dinner. read more

We came in for lunch on a Friday. It was warm and humid and my first impression was that it felt even warmer inside than it did outside. So we sat outside. I ordered the spinach and chicken enchiladas and they were quite tasty. The poblano sauce was on point, and it was clear that they had baked the plate in the oven based on it's scalding temperature. I would describe the chips and salsa as pretty average - they must have been tasty because we plowed through a basket like they were a challenge to be conquered. Overall I would have given them a solid 4 stars, but with no apparent A/C I had to dock a star for that. Hopefully it was just on the fritz on the day we dined there. I'll check back in later in the solid and update accordingly. read more

A block off Highway 113 and north of Hwy 19 in Savannah Village this lovely Mexican restaurant opened last fall/winter. I happen to walk past it daily for work and smile at the cheerful staff members arriving for work late morning and then smell the amazing aroma once the restaurant is open and they are cooking. The negative: space is limited. That's not their fault, they just work in a small part of a building shared with other businesses. However, they used the small space to their advantage and did do a really good job spacing tables. Our party of six was comfortable and seating was immediate. Pros: the food was really good. You can order your food mild (me!) or hot (most of my family!). Service was wonderful. The staff is there filling water, refilling drinks, checking to make sure nothing is needed or just giving a friendly smile. I felt at home there and the staff seemed to genuinely want a good experience. When I forgot our to-go container a staff member followed us to the lot and made sure we got it. Ample parking. It was easy for us to park. Not to mention traffic is light there so it is also easy exit and entry. In short-go check it out! read more

We just moved into the neighborhood and decided to give El Charro a try! Delicious meal. Super quick service. Plenty of food. Fantastic house margarita! We will definitely be frequent flyers! I recommend the beef chimichangas and the fajitas! read more

El Charro Mexican Grill - Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Waunakee, Wisconsin

We were passing thru town and were looking for a good Mexican Restaurant. We found this restaurant on Yelp with 4 stars. The 3 of us ordered 2 #2's( 1 taco with beef and 1 burrito with beef, with rice and beans). We additionally ordered some fresh guacamole. A Bloody Mary and a strawberry colada. They could not figure out what a strawberry colada was. They had pina coladas and strawberry margaritas but couldn't figure out the strawberry colada. Oh well. Then our food came and both orders of food came with chicken not ground beef. I appreciate the healthy choice but I'd rather get what I ordered. The people were pleasant and the atmosphere was delightful. Perhaps just an Off day. read more

We love our Mexican food, so we wanted to give them a try! Price is average, but the food wasn't up to the standard we are used to. I ordered chimichangas and my husband got a mixture of enchilada with burrito. He couldn't tell which was supposed to be which, because they were the exact same. And my chimichanga wasn't deep fried? So essentially it was just a burrito. Salsa was on point though!!! read more