Delicious Mexican food! Visiting from Hawaii, we always talk about finding authentic Mexican food. I don't know what a chimichanga is and what Pollo means, but it's flavorful. The chimichangas came with rice and beans, and the beans were like a paste. It went well with the salsa, sour cream, and rice. The Pollo Monterrey came with thin chicken strips covered in mozzarella cheese and tender vegetables on the side. This was as authentic as we could get to real Mexican food. Highly recommended! read more

El Jimador - Pollo Monterrey - Mexican Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

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The food was so close to terrible. Burrito California was cold. Nachos were ok but not goods $8.49 for a side of rice and beans. Should have realized that's why the parking lot was empty Sat 8pm. read more

service was fast friendly. food was hot and prepared well. atmosphere was upbeat and lively

One thing is for certain, Bardstown has no shortage of restaurants. Among the local gems, are several Mexican restaurants. This particular one is my favorite Bardstown Mexican restaurant. So why only four stars you ask? They aren't consistent, and I've been overcharged on multiple occasions. Admittedly, I've been here countless times, so fluke experiences are bound to happen. The grilled beef that they put in the burritos,etc, is phenomenal. Literally the best beef that I've had from a Mexican restaurant. The beef chimichanga is also the best I've had anywhere! The house margaritas are strong and tasty, even on happy hour. On Wednesdays they offer $.50 chicken wings. Those used to be hearty, but they've shrunk over the months and I don't recommend them at all. read more

El Jimador - Double chimichanga - Mexican Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

I LOVED this spot. So... even though it's about 40 minutes away, it was sooooo good!! Yesss I grubbed on the Molcajete de Camaron and I was gonna have more to eat but like, it sooo much food! I couldn't even take it to go because I had a distillery tour booked. But it was one of the great ways to end my vacay. Also the tables were socially distanced, I just wish the customers were wearing masks on the way to their seats. One additional note: I ordered in Spanish and the waiter spoke Spanish to me in return and throughout the three times he checked on me. That's important because normally I am spoken back to in English. read more

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We stopped on our way down on a road trip. Food was good ,service was fast and friendly. Highly recommend.

When my husband and I moved to Bardstown every restaurant we were used to was too far away but we found this gem and we love it! Their menu is very big so it was overwhelming at first but you can never go wrong with the food you order from here! read more

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Good food, waiters/waitress is friendly, has the feel of an authentic Mexican restaurant.

Our favorite restaurant after moving into town. We have never been disappointed in our food service or the quality. The waiters are always prompt on refills and bringing our food out hot and delicious. The pollo chorizo is one of our favorites along with the fajitas. Always plenty of food for each meal and the price is fair. Good fresh flavor that's different from other Mexican restaurants. Will continue to enjoy our new favorite! Happy hour all day Thursday's read more

The food and service and El Jimador are HARD TO BEAT. Both are consistently top tier. We have been dining there for years. They are consistent and reasonably priced. read more

The best Mexican Restaurant in Bardstown Great food, drinks, staff, and atmosphere. Drink specials were also available!!!! read more

El Jimador - Cherry Margarita!!! - Mexican Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

I've had two meals here and don't care to go back. The atmosphere is full of cheerful color with the sports bar feel: big screens in all directions. Tortillas have added flavor if browned over a fire and theirs aren't. The rice and beans were bland: I tasted them as sides off my son's plate. There was White Rice in my Burrito instead of Spanish Rice. The Burrito was okay, covered with a thin white cheese sauce. Tortilla Chips were good but we mixed the hot and mild sauces together for a better flavor. Two items I wanted to order off the menu were not available at 3:30pm in the afternoon. I asked for lemon with my water and didn't get that either. I love Fried Ice Cream but I didn't care for theirs. My kids took me one time for Lunch and Dinner another time during a visit. They said they frequent this place because they have "the best" Hot Wings! Ironically the restaurant that boasts hot wings is next door. read more

Service, food and margaritas were excellent. Was our first visit and was curious after seeing the previous ratings but didn't take long to be glad we came. Will definitely be back. read more

Found a hair in my drink the last time I was there, food was cold, and service was terrible. To each there own opinion but I will not be going back if I can help it. read more

Huh. How have I not reviewed El Jimador until now? I must be off my game. Or I'm simply bored off my gourd and am going through my old check-ins and checking off all those places that I haven't yet reviewed. El Jimmie's is the popular Mexican restaurant to visit in Bardstown. There are others: El Camino Real and Rincon Mexicano are the other two so it's not like you couldn't fit in all three if you're going for el trifecta, but that's why you read these reviews, right? El Camino Real and El Jimador are sister restaurants so the menus are basically identical. I've only been to Rincon Mexicano once before and it didn't strike me as particularly memorable but it's fairly solid as Mexican food goes and it's located in the touristy downtown area so it has that going for it. The food is pretty good to great at all three, the serving sizes running a little larger at the first two, the prices very reasonable throughout. So, why is "the Jim" the popular one? Sheer size and atmosphere. Vibrant tropical colors and room enough to put several tables together, a staff that's willing to accommodate those big parties. They just need a regular mariachi band. There goes the one docked star (technically, it's 1-1/2 stars, mariachi bands are awesome, but I've been here enough to give them four.) And another one done. Check. read more

El Jimador - Mexican Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

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I have never had a bad experience with service or food here. The food is seasoned well and the portion sizes are quite generous. The atmosphere is festive with very colorful decor. I enjoy eating here and will continue when I visit Bardstown. read more

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The food was excellent and the service totally outstanding definitely will be going back. Portions are very good I really enjoyed eating here!! read more

My wife and I really just did not enjoy anything about this place, it was dirty, our food took forever, there were food items on my plate that appeared to have gone bad, and I got ill after eating my meal. The pico de gallo that came with my cool and dry fajitas was so old it was turning brown. Yuck. My wife's chimichanga was dripping with grease and came with some nasty looking and browning guacamole. Service was inattentive, and while waiting for our food I went to the restroom and couldn't believe it but the bathroom in this place was falling apart. The children's high chair we used for our son was filthy. Lots going wrong in this place for sure, it really didn't seem like they gave a damn at all. To top it all off I got ill after the meal. We won't be going back. read more

Man.... I am so sad to have been so disappointed by this place. :-( Please take into account when reading my review that this was based on only one visit to El Jimador. Here is the deal: I just moved here from California where the Mexican food was pretty darned AWESOME in my hometown. After work yesterday I realized how badly I'd been jonesin' for fresh tortilla chips, pico de gallo salsa and some quality Mexican food. The only thing remotely hitting that spot was the chips. The salsa was like semi-ketchupy-flavored & colored gush. Sometimes my respect for a Mexican eatery is defined by whether they have good pico de gallo or not... but I can't expect every place to serve up my favorite form of salsa, so I at least decide on the flavor of it. Some runny salsa is AMAZING and full of flavor. I was so famished by the time I got to El Jimador I downed the pooptastic salsa and chips anyway... and still had high hopes for my simple meal despite not digging it's precursor. I ordered the spinach quesadilla. I was so excited for the fresh greens, mushrooms and tasty cheese. My co-worker had told me on our carpool ride back to town from Louisville that the cheese at El Jimador was really nummy... so, being a pregnant & often-starving woman, the desire for awesome Mexican food grew deeper! But all my hopes for an amazing quesadilliary experience were dashed upon placing the first bite in my mouth! :-( The cheese tasted totally artificial, the mushrooms were super slimy (like they had been canned before cooked), the spinach was previously frozen... ugh. I took two bites and gave up. I hope that some of the other stuff on their menu is good. I mean, where in the hell in KY can I find some damned-good refried beans?? Guess I'll have to get my own butt in the kitchen, eh? The service I received was BITCHIN', though! I was seated super fast and my waiter, despite being encumbered by a picky party of 35, took my order and served my food FAST. After eating there, though, I realize why my husband says he does NOT like Mexican food (he had told me it was because he'd always eaten at the local restaurants and their food was not yummy... I had hoped he was mistaken!). I hope that you have a better time at El Jimador than I did. :-/ read more

If I could give zero stars, I would. Terrible food, terrible service. My order was incorrect, missing half of what I ordered, but I was charged regular price. When I made a comment about my ticket that they had given me a 10% Tuesday discount on at first, he went back and gave me a two dollar discount for the lunch special, but no longer did I get the 10% Tuesday discount. When I talked to the manager about it as I was paying, he told me to make sure I read the menu right. He gladly took my money with no apologies about getting the order wrong or removing the 10% Tuesday discount that all consumers get because it's Tuesday since he had to give me a discount for missing half of my order. Terrible is an understatement. I could care less about the money. The overall issue is the neglect to acknowledge their mistake, then the robbery by them over a couple of dollars. What a shame. read more

Excellent. (This review based on one visit.) Good: Fast, friendly service; large portions; and a large menu selection. Bad: Not an eye catching place when driving by. While true, this obviously is not a big issue. It's the only "bad" thing I could come up with. The decor and atmosphere inside feels like that of a chain restaurant. It looked very nice with lots of vibrantly painted woodwork, included the very tables under my elbows. I describe the look at Mex-Tropical. From kids to grannies, anyone of any age should feel comfortable eating here. The menu offered tons of choices which is good because it was easy for everyone in my party to find something we each liked. Our server came to the table four times before we had all decided! The servings were huge! My partner and I tried a special (everything in it but the kitchen sink!) fajita for two for about 20 bucks. We were served with what we felt like was a fajita for FOUR! It tasted great and we enjoyed much of it the next day. The next time I am in the Bardstown area again, I will most likely eat here again because there was other things on the menu I want to try. read more

I went here for lunch with a group of six. Place easily handled our group by pushing two tables together. The decor is vibrant and brightly colored, with very cool chairs with fairly intricate carvings on the backs. I ordered the speedy Gonzales off of their lunch specials menu for under six bucks, and the remainder of the lunch menu was reasonably priced. Food was good although I left a little hungry. Their salsa for the complimentary chips could also have been a lot better. I had to drop a full star for the salsa. read more

I don't think it's a stretch to say El Jimador isn't just the best Mexican food in Bardstown, it could very well be our best restaurant. I've been here several times. You know what keeps me coming back? Fresh food! I don't feel like I eating something that's been previously frozen. (Which is a big deal in a district teeming with "home style cookin'" establishments.) I do believe the service leaves something to be desired; this can lead to sometimes inconsistent quality. Still, the place is clean and the food is pretty wonderful. Drinks are always cold and there's a decent beer selection. Next time you're in town, give this place a shot. You'll be glad you did. read more

We've eaten at a lot of Mexican Restaurants but this has to be the worse. Nothing Mexican about the food. Waited for 15 minutes before someone came to take drink orders, then another 1 minutes to place food order. One person had chicken and broccoli, with the chicken being dried out, and the broccoli, had to be frozen with no taste. I had the spinach quesadilla with mushrooms, it was okay nothing to write home about. The waitress skipped some people for drinks. ordered queso cheese sauce gave it to the wrong person. Not a pleasant dining experience! read more

I'd call this the best restaurant in Bardstown. The food was moderately priced, very large, and served FAST! Our waiters were very attentive. I am not a hugely picky mexican restaurant goer and sometimes attend places like chilis. The salsa was very thin and also mild, which I call an artistic choice. We could have spiced it up withone of 5 hot sauces offered, but I can't handle too much spice. We also ordered guacamole to go with our chips, which was convincingly not from a can (as opposed to the horrible stuff they serve at the chilis to go in the DTW airport). I hd shrimp, rice and beans (all great) and my husband had enchiladas (his plate was clean). We also enjoyed dessert. We sat outside, but I thought the decor inside was very fun. read more

If you have ever actually had Mexican food just don't stop here. It was Cinco de Mayo and we are Texans, we thought how bad can cheese enchiladas, margaritas and chips be? The answer is bad, we left and went to Taco Bell. read more

The decor and atmosphere are great! The food is weak. The service is weak. I watched the manager greet a customer at the bar and take his drink order while the manager was looking at his cell phone. Bad management = bad employees. And, the dishwasher came and sat at the bar during his break to watch TV. Really?? read more

We have eaten here several times and have always had wonderful service and food but I just have to brag on them tonight. We were in there for dinner and they were slammed. They warned us when we were seated that we may have to wait a little longer for our food but we immediately were served chips and salsa and our drinks. Every employee was working their butt off to make sure customers were accomodated. We even saw bartenders serving and taking orders. We may have waited 15 minutes for our food and it came out hot and was delicious. Great experience and I highly recommend!!! read more

El Jimador - Yummy top shelf margarita - Mexican Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

It had been over a year since we had visited this restaurant, but we were very pleased with our experience tonight. I had one of the specialties of the house, a 12" tortilla wrapped around chicken, onions, black beans, sour cream & guacamole, all covered with a light cheese sauce. Admittedly, I asked them to delete the mushrooms & white rice that is normally included & add the guacamole, a request that didn't faze them at all. So many restaurants won't adjust their items or, if they do, act as though it's a huge imposition. These guys were very amenable & our order still came out quickly & accurately. Hubby had the 2 chicken burrito dinner along with a plate of refried beans, which he polished off quickly. The tortilla chips were warm & crisp. For us, one of the major make-or-break issues is the quality of the salsa; theirs was chunky with tomatoes & tasted as though it was made in-house. After the xangos, with too much whipped topping, we wondered why we had stayed away so long. We certainly don't intend to wait long before returning! Service was excellent & though we prefer a little quieter atmosphere, it was obvious the birthday celebrants were thoroughly enjoying themselves & that was nice! Great dinner & great time! read more

El Jimador - Mexican Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

Came here for lunch with my coworkers. Food so-so. Had the jimador fajitas with no rice or beans. The beef and chicken was very dry. Never saw our waiter again until he came to give us the check. Had to ask the manager for water refill. read more

I want to start by saying that I never give a bad review based on one visit. The last two times we ate here was a bad experience. The waitress acted like she was pissed off to be there both times and the food was not good. I ordered the steak Monterey with vegetables and jasmine rice both times. This time when my plate arrive something smelled bad on the plate and it was the steak. That ruined the dinner for both of us and earned them the lowest rating I can give. Also, check the restaurant score where you walk in because it is low some months. There are other Mexican restaurants in town so you have other options. Watch for my reviews on them. read more

As my tastes have changed, I'll say it's a great place to go for a group if you're stuck in Bardstown, however, I'll go out of my way to go to better places in Louisville. read more

OMG this place is great! Everyone's friendly,fast,cheap,lots of food.Very clean and spacious. We have eating here 4 or 5 times. Never disappointed. read more

Based on yelp reviews we ate here...OMG...what kind of mexican food do these people eat? This place is horrible! Everything is bland! The salsa taste like tomato sauce...wow!!! read more

After attempting to eat dinner with my family tonight, we complained to our waitress about our food. My husband ordered the nachos Marino's and my daughter ordered a cheese quesadilla. The nachos had burnt pieces throughout his plate, which made everything taste burnt, and my daughter's quesadilla wasn't even crunchy, it was soaked in oil. Needless to say, when we got our ticket there was no adjustment at all. When i went to the counter to pay i asked to speak to the manager. I was told he was busy and a server came up to talk to me. When i told him of the situation he refused to make an adjustment and told me that my husband had eaten more than half of his meal. I replied, no sir he did not. He went to the kitchen and came back and said, he would take that meal off but he shouldnt because half was eaten. I once again stated, no it was not half eaten, and I told him, thats ok, we would not be back. I couldnt believe after being patrons since this place opened that this guy was calling me a lier and treating me so unprofessionally. After i told gim we wouldn't be back, he replied, "that's fine, good." WOW! What poor food, poor service and poor management! read more

I'm from San Diego and I give this place my stamp of approval. Good Mexican food in Kentucky...amazing! The enchiladas were great.

This seems to be more Americanized, is that a word, than many Mexican restaurants. The food is good but much more bland than I prefer. The tomato salsa tastes good but was so mild and did not have onions or peppers that I could find. Very bland. The chips were warm, a real plus. Good service and good Margarita. If you want good faux Mexican this is a good place to eat. read more

El Jimmys is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Bardstown. The food there is good and affordable. The service is usually really quick and very friendly. The Vaca Bandida is a very simple dish but it is so delicious. Grilled beef, cheese sauce, refried beans, and tortillas hits the spot every time. The only reason this place doesn't get a fifth star is because there have been times when the service wasn't great or an order was messed up, but that is a rare occurrence. read more

Good Mexican food at a good price. Great margaritas. Fast service and a fun atmosphere.

Best Mexican Food in Bardstown, never a wait and always very friendly!