AWFUL. overpriced. food was not good at all.. my boyfriend got chicken and steak fajitas and the meat was chewy and flavorless. I got the $18 coconut shrimp and it was 4 pieces.. we also got a $13.50 small cup of guac (pictured). As a side my boyfriend got their "famous" mashed potatoes... They were literally equivalent to frozen mashed potatoes you get at the grocery store. SOOO dissatisfied and disappointed. We will never come here again and recommend you don't waste your money here either. They straight up robbed us. Also decor was so offensive to Native Americans. Terrible. I wish I could rate 0 stars. read more

El Coyote - coconut shrimp - Tex-Mex Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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My husband and I are celebrating our anniversary today and thought it would be fun to try something new. Pretty sure someone recommended it to us a couple years ago but save your money. Their "famous" Mac & cheese was neon goo loaded with onions...the ratio may have been onions over noodles. My husband ordered the "famous" pork chops and offered me a bite...instant nausea. Took everything in me not to get sick. He ate a couple bites and couldn't choke down anymore. My prime rib was actually really good along with the mashed potatoes. I did forget to mention the weird tapioca like texture of the queso appetizer with chorizo (tasted more like barely seasoned ground Turkey). Our server and the prime rib are the only thing that brought this to 2 stars. She was very sweet and attentive. Unfortunately, that's not enough for s return visit. read more

Well...... Let me say I have wanted to try the prime rib at El Coyote for a couple of years. Needless to say this may be our last food visit. The mashed potatoes are awesome. After that it goes down hill, we frequently have prime rib at O'Charley's... The presentation the quality the color of a medium rare PR is far better at O'Charley's, do less on your menu EC then do what you do well. Instead of to much menu of average food. Want a Margarita then El Coyote is for you. The food again was average at best. So sad.. read more

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Just finished at El Coyote. Expectional as always. Nobody makes chops like EC. Everything perfect. Got there at 4:00 when it opened. Long line. Everyone was seated and served quickly. Our server, Raleigh, was fantastic. read more

From the poor food quality to our favorite waitress Alice being terminated after 30 years I'm not sure which is more a turn off! We have also witnessed one of the owners harshly reprimanding an employee in front of customers, my husband and I being 2 of them. That particular incident caused us not to return for quite a while. Once we met Alice we decided to return regardless of food quality. As we just learned of Alice's termination we will NEVER go back!! read more

This was our first time eating here and we weren't disappointed. Food and service were great. Atmosphere was funky and unique. We would definitely visit again read more

Update: we've been here countless times, last time crab cakes instead of the machaca, split Oscar steak again w the margarita and that was enough to roll us on out of there read more

Last time my wife and I ate at El Coyote was over 22 years ago. It was a "friend dinner" before we started dating. We decided to visit the restaurant again last night now that we have been married 22 years as a sentimental gesture towards our relationship. We arrived around 5pm, not busy at all. Only one other person at a table eating dinner and about 6-7 regulars at the bar. We ordered appetizers (crab stuffed mushrooms) as well as our meals. My wife ordered seafood enchiladas and I ordered the prime rib. Appetizer was good, no issues there. When our meals arrived, I couldn't help but notice a very pungent smell arriving with them. My wife and I both thought it was probably the seafood enchiladas, Mexican food with seafood mixing in would probably have a strong smell, right? Nope, it was the prime rib. So I tried a bite of the prime rib, still thinking the smell was from the Mexican seafood dish. The meat was obviously rancid. My wife and I both grabbed the plate and smelled it to agree that it was definitely bad. We told our server about the meat and she apologized asking what we would like to do. I asked to just get a comparable ribeye to replace it. Some time went by so my wife shared her meal with me and we told the server to just pack up the replacement steak to go. Our server finally came out with the replacement steak and said it was $20 more for the ribeye and they aren't going to charge us for the "up charge" for the inconvenience. She then said that the meat was definitely bad and that 3 other customers at the bar had ordered the prime rib and she had them change their order due to what I found. Told me "sorry you had to be the Guinea pig" Now I wasn't looking to get the meal for free but at a restaurant that charges between $32-$130 for their steak dinners, I would expect to at least have the rotten meat they served be taken off the bill! As well as, possibly the manager, to come out to the table and handle this unusual situation. Especially since there were only a few customers eating at this early hour. Never saw the manager. We didn't let this terrible meal ruin our evening because our night out was about reminiscing. We were just surprised at what unfolded. By the way, I opened the "take home replacement steak" the morning after and that smell hit me again. The ribeye had the same smell. I don't think it was rancid like the prime rib but possibly could have been on the same flat top or the onion straws that WERE on the rancid meat were put in our to go box?? Either way, I threw the ribeye away as well. read more

Hard to continue justifying the price to quality ratio. There is just so much better food coming out of other places in Cincinnati for El Coyote to continue as it has always been. I genuinely like the food, but it's 20% more costly than it's worth. Even the marg recipe seems to have changed. They came out green the last time we were there (like...skittle green). That ain't right. Sour cream coming out in a plastic cup for a 25 dollar dish? That ain't right. To top it off, I have witnessed the owner being needlessly rude to guests. Serving staff is generally very good, so that's not a concern. We used to go almost every Friday night. That money is being spent in OTR now. read more

Recently, we had a large party of 13, at the El Coyote. We all arrived together and were seated at about 6:15pm. We ordered drinks and appetizers and were asked about 10 times if we were ready to order dinner right when we had appetizers delivered. We felt kind of rushed. After we had gotten our dinners delivered, our server started asking how we were doing the checks. Again feeling very rushed! Once we told her, she promptly brought checks to us and asked if we would be finished by 7:30 because they had another large party after us that was coming in. So 13 people were served appetizers, ate dinner and paid out in less than an hour and half! We've never been chased out of a restaurant! It was very annoying and not relaxing at all. POV do not take a large party to El Coyote! The food was pretty good, so unfortunate that it wasn't really enjoyed! read more

Had dinner at El Coyote last night. Probably won't be going back anytime soon. I have been a customer for many years and all I can say is the quality is down and the prices have gone way up. Each time I have gone to EC in the past few years I keep hoping the food will be better. I think if Anderson had more restaurants to choose from EC would be more likely to get their food and prices inline. The steak was good but not worth $27.00 (cheapest on menu) nothing special. All the sides are just so so. My husband and I had the sour cream enchiladas $46.00. He had one filled with pork and one with chicken. I had one filled with ground beef and one filled with chicken. The meat was flavorless and we both had to scrape off the sour cream/ Philly cheese sauce off the top. Again not that good for the price. Had two margaritas each ($6.each), very good margaritas. Really liked the half & half. Our server was great. She was very attentive to our table. read more

I have been here many times. Always consistent. Good food. I enjoy the southwestern choices as they are more homemade it seems and not so processed. Great sides as well. NY strip is wonderful. A little dated, but very good. read more

I mean, this is a mediocre, extremely overpriced restaurant. I came here about a week ago for the first time and I probably will not be returning. Chips and salsa were great, but that's about the only thing that was great throughout my entire experience. I ordered a chicken burrito and it was something I could get a taco bell. $18 for a tiny tortilla filled with chicken is absolutely ridiculous in my opinion. If you like overpriced food this is the place for you!!! read more

Excellent margaritas and the pork chop dinner is to die for. And the single pork cop dinner is $5 off on Tuesdays

I think I'm giving El Coyote 3 stars based on good memories from the past. If I'm being fair, my recent visit was 2 stars. Chips and salsa are decent. Pork chop dinner on Tuesday for $12.99 is probably worth it. My pork chop was a little overdone. The "sauteed mushrooms" were clearly not sauteed. The can was opened, they were mildly warmed and then served. Bleh. The texas toast isn't even as good as I remember it. The onion straws were tough and chewy - who knows when those things were made. Service was fine, but nothing special. I'm sad, because I have great memories of this place. The 1 and 2 star reviews here are consistent with my experience. Please, El Coyote, figure out how to bring back what made this a formerly great place to eat. read more

Will not return. This place used to be a family favorite that never disappointed. Unfortunately, it's gone down hill and no longer meets our expectations. The mushrooms used to be a favorite but now they taste like they came from a can (and $9 for a small side). The chips were bitter and gross. Overall, it's bland, thoughtless, overpriced food. Our server was good. There are so many better options in the area. read more

We had a party of 8, and had an awesome experience. We arrived before our reservation, but our table was ready and our server was so great. He offered us chips and queso and margaritas. It was the perfect balance of tending to our needs and letting us carry on with our conversation. The ambiance was perfect, the fireplace was going, and some great music playing softly in the background. The food was impeccable, steak Oscar style, salmon, jumbo coconut shrimp, phenomenal mashed potatoes. And leave room for dessert, the 6" high cheesecake or homemade banana cream pie will be sure to please! read more

Terrible food and overpriced meals. Decor is old. The tortilla chips were round like you get with nacho cheese at a concession stand. Waitress was great. Food was terrible. read more

First I want to say I've been eating at El Coyote since 1983, when I was 6. We were friends with the original owner, Tom Mcclanahan. This restaurant has had its ups and downs as does any establishment that goes through management changes. I went last night with my partner for his birthday and admittedly I was nervous because I read a lot of bad reviews in the recent months. Well let me tell you, our meals were DELICIOUS and the service was outstanding. I had the sour cream chicken enchilada and my partner had the chop. Our server was Laura. I am excited that I still tasted the food as it's been prepared the same way for 40 years. We're looking forward to going back. read more

Food is always great but service has really taken a dive and become inattentive. I recommend take-out.

Terrible service. Mediocre food. Wont be going back. Don't waste your time or money here.

Absolutely love this place!! Great strong gold margaritas !! Coconut shrimp is delicious. Can't go wrong with enchiladas Houston or Dallas. Not a fan of the quesadillas but that's just me. Service is always good. Love when the patio is open. Best of all it's not a chain !! read more

Food was overpriced for the quality and service was subpar at best. Restaurant was dark and decor didn't make sense. This place was a let down to say the least. read more

We came for dinner recently with a relative that suggest it. It was our first time there for food. We were not really sure what to expect but it was good. Our server was very good so that is always a plus. The salsa and cheese dip we started with were tasty and we enjoyed them. The chips were a bit of a let down though. I had a single pork chop and the wife had chimichangas. My pork chop had good flavor and was cooked well. The wife's was good she said but not really a mexican flavor. All in all it was a good dinner and we will be back to try some other things. read more

Paid way too much for fajitas that were not good. Chicken was basically a grilled whole breast, not even cut up, and vegetables were raw. My husband ordered the chicken chimichanga and it only had like 2 tiny pieces of chicken in it (mostly beans). It was hard, like it was straight from the freezer to a toaster oven. This place isn't what it used to be. If they were short staffed I would have understood if they couldn't seat us. Won't be going back. read more

I would do battle with a pack of wild mountain lions inside of a handicapped stall at a local McDonalds with my hands zip tied behind my back and a shake weight super glued to my forehead as my only weapon just to get a chance to eat those pork chops again. read more

Mixed feelings on El Coyote. The whole experience was kind of a roller coaster of good and bad. Our server was wonderfully friendly. The ambiance was forgettable. Parts of our meal were fantastically delicious and other parts were incredibly bad. The prices are HIGH, so don't come here expecting your typical $10 platter overflowing with crunchy/cheesy/greasy Mexican food goodness. Three dinners with 1 Margi cost about $83 before tip. The spouse ordered stuffed peppers and Mac and cheese and he loved it. The salsa was great, chips were bad. My juicy, thick-cut grilled pork chops were phenomenal while the green beans were canned, baby food-green and equally tasteless and mushy. Our daughter was indifferent to her smallish portion of chicken fajitas. But then the frozen margarita was one of the best I have ever tasted...?! Inconsistent food quality but lovely service; high prices but convenient location...we may be back. read more

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This is going to be a very bias review because I am from Southern California, so you've been warned. So we came to El Coyote for my boyfriend's mom's birthday because we wanted to take her out and all that jazz. This place was definitely popular because it was packed. So this place is a Tex-Mex joint and I thought this was pretty okay. I will say I've experienced better.. and they're also really expensive.. $15 bucks for a quesadilla??? Say what?? -__- I had ordered the steak fajitas and I'm used to seeing fajitas on a sizzling skillet plate and this just came on the plate covered in melted cheese.. also.. the steak weren't cut in slices, but they were fairly large chucks of meat which was difficult to eat when you're trying to make a taco out of it. Also, my boyfriend's brother and I ordered the same thing and we both agreed that the steak tasted like it was marinated in A1 sauce.. different. Anyway.. the service was nice and quick. read more

I just picked up a 1 pork chop dinner wnd menu says 21 they charged 25.50. For us to pickup?? I want to know why???

I ate a Fred Flinstone steak! This Tex-Mex place has been around for some time. The last time I went to this restaurant was 1996 so I was interested what had changed. I only remember the steak. We ordered the a couple of appetizers (Machacha and Queso Dips). Machacha dip is their yummy mashed potatoes, shredded pork, and cheese - you add some of the Queso dip and you have some really yummy stuff). I was really full from the appetizers when my steak arrived. I ordered the bone in Ribeye steak. This steak was better than any Ruth Chris, Cameron Mitchell, etc... steak I have ever had. The steak melted in your mouth. The rib bone was approximately 16 inches long (reminded me a gigantic lamb chop). My sides were their famous mashed potatoes and macaroni (their macaroni with Queso Sauce) We ordered the Mt. Carmel Beer - A micro brew beer. The meal was great. Service - Awesome - our waitress Janie - we very engaging and sufferred through our Shennanigans the entire nite. Food - Phenonemal - I highly recommend the steaks. Atmosphere - This place is crazy busy. Be prepared to wait if you did not call ahead. A high recommend. read more

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Used to be one of the best steak places but since the passing of the founder owner I doubt they follow all his "rules" that made this place consistently great like "1. paying the meat man cash...which got the same quality cuts as meat as a ruby restaurant." 2. Casual - Was the first Cincy steak house to go casual 3. Focus on Steak & Potato, not really a Tex Mex focus 4. Pay the cook 25% more than he/she is worth 5. Get only the best servers. These were Tom's 5 rules that made this the busiest restaurant in the city in years past. Not the 5 star it used to be. I would ONLY get the filet and no other cut. read more

We recently met on the patio with a dozen friends for Margarita Monday. The half price Margaritas were absolutely delicious. I got the Sangria Twister. I also tried the popular Machaca Dip. I love love their mash potatoes. And then tried their Con queso cheese dip. This dip is probably the best one I've ever tried. The server was really really good at serving. I know, I know, I keep using double words in this review. It's because saying it once just doesn't express how I feel about it. It's double good. Everything was perfect! Thank you El Coyote! read more

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Still keeping my 2* review, but I reluctantly went again last night to help a friend with a gift certificate. I opted for one of their signature Pork Chops, seeing if they were better than their Tex-Mex options. Yes. It was better. My friends went with the steaks, also signature items, and said items come with a cost. So, my advice to you: if you want a steak or pork chops, go to El Coyote. If you want Tex-Mex, go anywhere else. You'll drop $30-$50 each on the steaks/drinks. If you want their signature items, that's how to go. Anything else, go elsewhere. read more

El Coyote - Pork Chops, Mac&Cheese - Tex-Mex Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Disappointed in the fajitas. They tasted fine but the presentation is very poor. The peppers are cut very large and you are given 2 large chicken breasts. It would be nice to have it all sliced thinly and cooked so it would be easier to put in a tortilla and eaten. read more

Some of the most overpriced, poor quality food I've ever had. Growing up, this place used to be one of my favorites. I hadn't been back in a few years and no wonder I never went back. The quality of food was awful for how much you have to pay for it. Terribly disappointed in my experience and don't plan on coming back ever. read more

El Coyote is a staple over in Anderson Twp. The fresh salsa and the hot chips alone are delicious enough for the trip. As an east-sider for nearly all of my life I've been going to El Coyote since I was a kid and my parents took my brother and I. My favorite dish is the filet, but pretty much anything on the menu is fantastic. Oh, and if you ask nicely you can buy some homemade salsa to go! read more

El Coyote - Yum! - Tex-Mex Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We were at Coyote this evening. We spent over $200. Tipped over $50. We were told we could not order another half pitcher of Margaritas because our check had been closed out. We were told Our table had another reservation in 35 minute. Really???? 3 people to drink 1 more margarita in 35 minutes... our server was busy most of time flirting with another sever who "was really from Costa Rico " The owners Daughter who is related to us came over 2 times to visit complaining about business. Not understanding why it's been down.... the quality has decreased while the prices have increased. I love El-coyote... but its real hard to recommend a place that kicks out paying customers. read more

We sat at a high top bar table on a Saturday night. The waitress was intoxicated. She was slurring her words, she kept bumping into us, she was dropping things and was laughing loudly (e.g. at herself when she tried to speak in a different accent). It made us really uncomfortable for the entire meal. As for the food, I had the $15 quesadilla and it was your typical 8" - medium tortilla (for $15 you'd think it would be the large tortilla). I had the shredded pork and it made it so greasy that I couldn't pick up the slice quesadilla, as it was too soggy. I had to eat with a fork/knife. Someone needs to have a talk with the waitress. I have two stars (verses one), as my beer was cold and my husband's carne asada, though expensive, was good and cooked properly. read more

Tried the half rack of ribs and wow very tinder fall off the bone! House salad is great as usual same with the mashed potatoes definitely a great meal. read more

Service was impeccable...ordered burritos, salmon, steak,, & enchiladas & of course the greatest Margs of all time! Originally from NKY moved outta state for 8 years....came back to visit, and got to experience and have the same great pleasure many years later! P.S. The owner even came over to make sure everything was great!! Definitely recommend read more