Fantastic chili verde and pastor taco. Super nice server. Authentic Mexican music and old school decor. I love this place!

Recently came here for lunch on my way back from the Indianapolis area. This place was absolutely dead for being in the middle of lunch time. Eventually more people came by but this place was a good restaurant. Prices were absolutely fair for what they're worth! I settled on the taco meal which are satisfying. Staff here was accommodating, complimentary chips and salsa featured though I wasn't a big fan of their salsa. Very quiet establishment as well. read more

I can no longer recommend El Rodeo after 15+ years of patronage. The prices are sky high, the service is slow, and the food quality is below average. The latest visit produced record wait time, burned steak, lukewarm food, and even the shredded chicken was suspect. We stopped for dinner at 7:00pm Sunday, not a busy time. Maybe a tough labor market is finally catching up to the Rodeo. This place isn't horrible but they have definitely slipped below three stars by my recent experiences. If you're an I-65 traveler in a pinch and hankering for quick bite on the road, roll the dice. If you're a local, there are better Mexican food options in town. read more

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Went here for my brother's birthday. It's his favorite Mexican restaurant in town. It was my first time here. Service was very good. Waiter was very friendly and food came out hot and in a timely manner. They did mess up my brother's order, but corrected it quickly. The food was good. They brought out a free ice cream dessert for my brother when they found out it was his birthday. Noticed that a lot of the patrons seemed to be regulars. I think that's always a good sign...lots of regulars who clearly enjoy the place, the service and the food. read more

My wife and I are visiting the area and wanted to check out some local restaurants. We were in the mood for some Mexican and were looking for something close to the hotel. We found this place and thought we'd give it a try. It wasn't bad at all, though after the first visit I'd probably have rated it 3.5 stars. When we got in, we waited a few minutes before being seated, and a few more minutes before drink orders were taken. We waited a few minutes more still to be given menus. After that, the waitress checked up on us often and my drink cup never went empty. I had the Pollo A La Plancha. The nacho cheese sauce was good, with a slight kick to it that was more spicy than I care for but most other people would say it had no heat to it at all (I'm not good with spicy, what can I say?). The dish tasted delicious overall, and the portions were very generous. The 3 tortillas I got on the side with my meal were a bit dried out and hard to eat, so I did not finish them. The chips and salsa - well, I explained about the heat earlier so I only slightly tasted the salsa on one chip, lol. I asked for a salt shaker and ate the rest of my chips plain with salt sprinkled on them (I do this at every Mexican restaurant we go to). I'd definitely go back, as there was a lot on the menu that I'd love to try. read more

El Rodeo - Pollo A La Plancha - Mexican Near Me - Lafayette, Indiana

Is the food amazing? YES. Will the margaritas do the trick? YES. Is the service good? Usually! But does this justify the insane price tag? I'm not sure. $85 (with tip) for a margarita and 2 entrees then 3% more if paying with credit card I am going broke but keep coming back read more

I started going to this location after the one on Beck Ln closed and I love it! While the prices are a little higher than anticipated, it is well worth it! read more

Food was nasty,my tortillas were hard,the margarita tasted like cheap Tequila and my food was salty. Don't waste your money. I end up paying over 90 dllrs por 2 adults and a child. Not whorth it. One more thing if you don't pay cash the will charge an extra fee. Turn around if you at looking at this review. read more

I like the restaurant. But exercise caution they are now charging to use your debit card. As a former restaurant owner this is completely unacceptable. It is a cost of doing business. read more

I had Carnitas tacos they had no flavor to the meat at all and the beans were very watery and bland. My husband had steak , chicken, and shrimp fajitas that had water at the bottom of his plate. I believe from the frozen shrimp. I cannot recommend this restaurant Service was very casual with no smiles. no ambience at all party streamers from a party store hanging from the roof. And $3.70 for a soda and they specify only one refill for free. read more

As a disclaimer, I'm from Texas. So I have really high standards for Mexican food. But even from my Hoosier Spouse's perspective, it Was Not Good. We ended up here after realizing that the sushi place down the road had closed. We were hungry, it was there. Match made in heaven? We walked in, and immediately I turned to their dessert section. It's not a good sign when I see that their sopapillas are served crunchy. Sopapillas are soft pillows of deliciousness, sugar, and honey. They have no crunch. Spouse got chicken fajitas, and I got a couple of taquitos. The food came fairly quickly. The taquitos, much to my dismay and surprise, weren't good. They used dark meat chicken (which I'm sure is fine for some people, but not for me), it wasn't shredded or anything, was excessively cooked, and didn't come with any kind of beans as a side. Spouse said that his fajitas were equally not great - basically, they just cooked the ever-loving-daylights out of it. At least the Diet Coke was good? read more

Been going here for years and it has gotten progressively worst and prices increased way beyond inflation. Dinner $18-20 for Mexican!?!? Then, they charge you $3 for sour cream, extra for second basket of chips and 3% for using a credit card. I also often get charged for items we did not receive. Then, the last couple times, I have gotten severely sick afterwards. I would definitely not recommend, this place has gone way downhill! I am no longer a customer!! read more

My parents and I ordered takeout here while passing through the area. The taco salads were huge and delicious. We got chicken, ground beef, and steak. The meat was tender and tasty, the veggies were fresh and plentiful, and the taco shell was crispy and savory. Plus, the time from placing the order until pickup was pretty short--only about 20 minutes! read more

The only reason El Rodeo gets 3 stars is because they have a great location by a lot of the hotels in Lafayette (right off 26 and the frontage road) so it is an easy walk/drive and they have an awesome MONSTER margarita that is not to be missed! The food is totally forgettable. Unseasoned ground beef. Over cheesed. Tomato sauce labeled as red sauce. They have no idea what a chile relleno is (I got cheese over pepper slices and beef). I think the management is banking on the fact that they don't get a lot of people who eat real Mex in Lafayette, IN. This isn't even Americanized Mex, it is cheesy, unseasoned, bland food. Go for the margs (which were awesome and huge for a good price) - eat somewhere else! read more

El Rodeo - Giant Frozen Marg - Mexican Near Me - Lafayette, Indiana

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Negative: the manager came over to tell us there is only one refill of soda and my husband already had 2. Awkward and uncomfortable to feel like you did something wrong and be scolded for wanting more to drink. Positive: Nachos rodeo are delicious (steak,shrimp, chicken--white cheese, yum!) I guess we will order them to go in the future. :( read more

Not even worth the 2 stars but I guess I feel bad? We had fajitas ($13 99 each), which came with 3 small corn-sized flour tortillas. Want 3 more? That'll cost you another $3.18 with no mention that its costs more. We did not have our waters or drinks refilled. Our waiter actually rolled his eyes when we asked for more salsa. Whatever. It was 7pm on a Sunday and there were only 3 other couples there. There's a reason for that. read more

I've never received poor service here, they are incredibly fast and kind and the food is TO DIE FOR. I've been a regular customer since I was a child, hands down my favorite restaurant in the area! read more

Hands down our favorite Mexican spot. Margaritas are THE BEST. The staff there is so friendly and helpful. They have become friends! read more

Acapulco was delicious and the Burrito Roqueta had a wonderful shredded pork filling covered with a cheese sauce and tomatillos sauce. Lunch special was definitely filling. Waiter and waitress checked on us multiple times, great service! read more

Food was good, but very bland. Needed to add salt to get some flavor. They've always charged for extra salsa, but now they surprise you with adding on a 3% charge for using a credit card!! Last time I'll be here. read more

Good food and service and atmosphere. Options for all tastes and preferences. Good location just off the interstate.

I will post in very few words, stay away. Very slow service, extremely expensive for Mexican and expect to pay 3% more if you don't have cash!!!!! Good was just ok!! read more

Excellent service for a party of 15 as a walk in. Food was great and portions were good sized. Salsa was awesome.

ROADSIDE DISH I was heading back to Chicago from Kentucky and I needed a lunch break. I wasn't looking for fast food but something a little more special. I hit my Magellan GPS button to search for food five miles ahead and El Rodeo appeared. Yes I still use my Magellan. It was a present from my wife like 14 years ago and it goes on every trip. She still works great and it wouldn't be a road trip without Maggie. I was intrigued with this location because it wasn't going to show up on the big blue advertising road signs along the highway. I quickly checked the yelp reviews and I knew that this was going to be my lunch stop. The restaurant is located in a strip mall right next to the highway. It's totally an easy off and easy on when driving, which is important when road tripping. They have two pages of lunch specials available from 11 to 3, Monday through Saturday, so plan your lunch pit stop accordingly plus you're going to find something you like because the selection is huge. After looking over the menu I decided to start with the Authentic Chicken & Rice Soup and then move on to the Burrito Loco stuffed with chicken and steak, grilled onions, beans and lettuce with sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, tomatillo sauce and rice. I told the chef to bring my soup first as a starter. The waiter obviously didn't understand me and brought me both of my dishes at the same time. That's okay. It's not fine dinning in here. I was hoping to enjoy a first and second course. Look at me getting all fancy on the road. The burrito was really good. It had great flavors and the quality of meat was very good too. I would totally order this again. The soup was totally homemade but the chef served it with about two inches of grease floating on top. On a good note the soup was made in house unfortunately the chef didn't skim the fat off the top. I hate sending food back because it's them food waste. I actually ate the soup with a fork. I skimmed it myself and used the fork to let all the oil roll back into the bowl. When I was done eating I wanted to make sure the waiter told the chef about this. The evidence was in the bowl. I could probably use that oil to deep fry some chips. I wasn't looking for anything for free. I was very happy to know that they do cook from scratch here. The waiter told the manager and then the manager apologized to me when I was checking out at the front counter. I told him not to worry. He basically took off my tax as an apology which was like $1.86 or something. I didn't ask for it but it was a thoughtful gesture. I must also warn diners about the chips. You get one basket and one salsa for free and if you want an extra salsa it's $1 or an extra chip basket it's $1. I'm glad my girls weren't with me because three people eating a single basket of chips and a half full salsa bowl doesn't go very far in our family. I did get to enjoy the whole basket by myself, so that made me really happy. I am glad I found this place and I would eat here again. The service was good and the food was made from scratch. It's location next to the expressway also made it easy to jump off and get back on the road quickly. I'll be back next time I'm passing through read more

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Had late lunch with hubby there today. It was my first time. I had the steak and cheese burrito. Steak was cut up very small and dry. Nothing but this steak chopped up and rolled inside a giant flour tortilla with a drizzle of cheese sauce over it. The rice was mushy, tasteless and overcooked. I ordered a strawberry margarita. They brought me the house margarita. Instead of making me a strawberry one correctly, they put a splash of strawberry mix on top of the house margarita and brought it back out to me. It also tasted like there was vodka instead of tequila in it. To top it off, the charge for a strawberry margarita--the small 16 ounce one-- was $9.29!!! Avoid this place! Bad experience all the way around! read more

If you want Mexican food, drowned in white cheese and American style, this is the place for you. Chips and salsa are great, but service is often hit or miss. The chili relleno I had was a chili stuffed with beef and drowned in queso. They do have a great chili verde, but you just have to know what to order! Stray away from the combo platters. Try something new and different. You might have better luck! read more

Service is amazing, very attentive. Local place. Food was just average. Selections average.

I am writing this review solely because of how much I enjoy the chopo meal at this restaurant. It is delicious and everyone would love it if they tried it read more

After a trip to Indianapolis, my friends and I were starving on our way back to Lafayette. One of my friends suggested El Rodeo, saying it was one of the best Mexican restaurants in the area. We arrived at about 8PM and were immediately seated. We started with chips and salsa, and we ordered queso. The queso tasted great, but it didn't appear to have been warmed very much. I would have preferred it been served warmer. I ordered the pollo supremo, a dish with a cream sauce, mushrooms, and grilled onion over chicken. It was served with rice and tortillas as well as lettuce/tomato. This dish made up for the mediocre queso - it was amazing. I love grilled onions, and these were no exception. The sauce was incredibly savory, and the chicken was cooked well. I absolutely would eat this dish again. The portion size was perfect for the price, and I definitely did not leave hungry. Price is typical for this kind of Mexican restaurant - definitely not too expensive. I was impressed. The interior had plenty of seating and there was a good amount of space between each table. Overall, I would definitely recommend El Rodeo to anyone looking for a good Mexican restaurant in the area. read more

Food would present and taste much better if you could see it under the glob of cheese provided On top of each of our orders. The enchiladas were completely masked by the globs of cheese all over the top. A waste of product (cheese) and very poor presentation for a restaurant. read more

This restaurant has so much potential but failed to live up to the positive reviews we read prior to dining. Pros: Kind service, attentive host, waiter and friendly greeting upon entering. The restaurant was clean. Chips and salsa were brought to our table quickly. Cons: this was a biggy for my wife and daughter. They both thought the refried beans tasted of fish. I tried it and sure enough, as of a fish oil or fish ingredient was added. We live fish, but the taste with the beans was not working. The toilet is covered with aluminum foil. I'm hopeful no the taste was a one off. read more

El Rodeo - Wasn't sure if they were keeping it warm or looking for better reception. - Mexican Near Me - Lafayette, Indiana

Picked El Rodeo because of the convenient location to 65 (and because we wanted Mexican food). The whole experience was very good. Our server was great. She was attentive, even though the restaurant was busy, and made sure we had everything we needed. The food and house margarita were good, too. We had a big group of people and all ordered something different--fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, etc. I would eat here again! read more

Visited today for lunch. Service was friendly and quick and there was a medium sized crowd. I ordered a chicken quesadilla with just chicken and cheese. I don't get sides because i really don't like any of them. When it comes to Mexican food, I usually keep it simple. The chicken was cooked right and my quesadilla was very full. The complimentary chips were salted just right and the salsa had a hotness/bite to it that i had not experienced here before. It was a welcome surprise. read more

Service here is impeccable. Food is delicious. Great stop if you are traveling 65 near Lafayette, Indiana (Purdue)

First time visit. The place was clean and service was prompt. There were lots of menu options. All 4 of us enjoyed our selections. I will be back, this place jumped to first place in my Mexican food choices. read more

Great meal! Traveling to Chicago and stopped for Sunday lunch. Got a vegetable fajitas platter and hubby got a combination 5 plate. Very fast service, packed some home. Tasty and generous, flavorful and cheerfully served. Very inexpensive, too. We'll be back. read more

Stopped in here from out of town. Best steak burrito I've had one a looooong time! Everything else was good. I'll be back for sure!

Well this is California food it's MEXICAN food and it reminds me of a place in Mexico that I used to eat at every time I visited and it was great the service was good and the food was extremely good!!!!! Yes the walls are lime green but who cares about that when the food is this good?! I know I would prefer better food then atmosphere! The chorizo ques was great nice not to spicy Mexican sausage, the soft shell taco melted into my mouth and the rice and burrito topped it all off for a great food experience! I could eat the taco's from here any day all day every day! YUM! read more

El Rodeo - Mexican Near Me - Lafayette, Indiana

Food was mediocre and service was slow - the server actually forgot about us for a while and admitted to it. But the monster margarita was truly monstrous and only like $9.99 and had a huge amount of alcohol in it, judging by the way I felt afterward. I got a "fried" chmichanga, which is how chimi's should always be, and it was definitely a little bland. But it was a good amount, so I guess that was good. read more

The food was amazing and was hot. But the waiters and cooks were super racist! I speak fluent Spanish and did not enjoy everything the waiter would say when walking away. He would come back smiling so big like he didn't say anything. They are not worth going to! read more