I went to El Rodeo today to get some dinner and I received the worst service I have ever had. Our waiter never checked on us after we got our food (which was mediocre). To make things worse, we waited 30 minutes for our check when many tables who got to the restaurant after us had already left. My friends and I were totally forgotten about and we very upset we had to wait that long just to pay on top of the very long wait for food. This type of service and treatment is not tolerated for me. I will not be back for a very long time. If you don't want to wait half an hour just for the check alone, spend your money elsewhere (I recommend tacos rojas). read more

I used to love the steak fajitas from El Rodeo, but when my husband and I visited Friday night I was disappointed. The onions were not fully cooked and there appeared to be no seasoning at all. The most bland fajitas I've ever eaten. My husband's burritos didn't have all of the ingredients listed. Very sad. read more

When we lived in Roanoke El Rodeo was our family's Friday night tradition. We've been gone for four years, and were excited to stop in for lunch during our recent weekend visit. What a great feeling to be greeted by name by two of their servers! El Rodeo offers a nice house Margarita, but if you're seeking something with a little more kick, the Texas Margarita was created just for you. My favorite, always on the rocks, never fails to satisfy. The food is consistently flavorful and generously portioned. Start off with the complimentary chips - always fresh, never stale in my experience. My favorite dinner entrees include the Burrito California - a large burrito stuffed with beef and beans and covered in diced tomatoes, onions & cilantro and Tapatio - chicken breast stuffed with chorizo sausage and accompanied by beans and rice. The atmosphere is colorful and lively. On a nice evening enjoy dinner on their expansive patio offering stunning views of sunset over the Blue Ridge Mountains. This isn't gourmet, and its not snobbery. It's just good Mexican food in a fun environment. read more

Went here last night for my nieces HS graduation dinner. Sat on the outside patio. Had a great dinner. The food here is FANTASTIC! In addition to the salsa they bring with the tortilla chips, they also bring out this sort of spicy ranch dip. It was quite tasty. The service was a smidgen slow but the place was crowded so hey .... Plus it allowed to to use the word "smidgen." What lacked is zippiness was made up 10 fold in courtesy and professionalism by the staff. Yes, I can with good conscience, recommend this fine restaurant! read more

We have been to this place several times and the service is normally good. However the service tonight was nothing short of terrible. It started with us getting served chips as soon as we sat, as usual, however we waited close to 10 minutes just to have our drinks ordered. Our server was prompt with bring the drinks but i should have known our experience was about to turn for the worse when he asked my 11yr old daughter ordered her food and the server asked how old she was and said her drink wouldn't be free when she answered truthfully (11) with "our kids menu is for 10 and under so you can order the food but drinks won't be free." He failed to ask my daughters 10 yr old friend her age and charged us for her drink as well. When the food came one order was missing the side. And another came out completely wrong (burrito came with sauce and the wrong side). We informed the server we asked for no sauce on the burrito and fries for the side (rice came out originally). He was prompt with bringing both sides and bringing out a 2nd wrong order (there was a salsa on the burrito). I tell him the order is still wrong and was informed, "you need to say no sauce!" We did buddy! Once i get my receipt i go to the front to pay and talk to a manger. Several minutes later my wife, kid and friend walk to the front followed by our server. As I'm paying and leaving zero tip to reflect the stellar service my wife informs me he told her we needed to pay with him, and followed her to ensure i was paying. The manager did comp the messed up order but it want enough to make up for the overall experience. read more

I read in here that this was Americanized Mexican food. Hahaha! Did you not notice all the Mexicans working there. This food was decent but I had better. The portions were a lot more than I'm used to and prices were great. My family was surprised on how much cheese were on there dishes. They loved it. read more

Awesome food..horrible salsa. How does a Mexican place screw up salsa?? The service was decent. .we really didn't need much but at least they asked. read more

See all

Y'all, don't add an 18% gratuity when it's two people and your servers are rude to you. If they literally throw things at you, haha, no. We understand you live off of tips, we really and truly do, but to have a mandatory 18% tip when the waiter is rude, rolls his eyes at you, and acts like you're the biggest inconvenience in his life. If you're gonna make the customer pay that ridiculous tip, at least make sure the food is halfway decent, and doesn't make them throw up in your bathroom ‍ used to love this place. Not so much now tho Edit- I didn't hear this, but the waiter told my boyfriend "thanks, don't come back". Wasn't planning on it, bud. read more

We have been coming to El Rodeo for 20 years and it is clearly going downhill. Meal today was horrible. My order of Cancun came with chopped up onions all over it which it never has. He dropped off food and disappeared. We could not get the waiter's attention for over 20 minutes so everyone else had finished their meals while I sat. When I told him it had onions all over it and I can't eat onions, he said " what do you want me to do?" No apology and definitely did not care - just acted annoyed. I told him to take it off the bill because by then everyone else was done eating and it was too late to get it redone. He smirked and walked away leaving our beverages still empty. My husband had ordered another beer when we got our food and never got it. This is the third time in a row over the past 2 months with poor food and horrible service. read more

Love el rodeo! Great service.. Typical Mexican... But the arroz a la mexicana with chicken hits the spot. I love the queso, and the mango jumbo margs are delish. If you are looking for a quick and good place to eat dinner, el rodeo is perfect. My family goes at least once a week and more often when the whole family is in town. read more

El Rodeo - #11 combo and arroz a la mexicana con pollo - Mexican Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

See all

After reading all these reviews I suggest that this place shuts down and calls it a day. It is very obvious they do not care about putting out quality food or taking care of their customers. read more

I highly recommend this Mexican restaurant for great food. I've eaten here only once l loved the service the food was just plain excellent. Support the local businesses, you won't be disappointed with this one. read more

El Rodeo - Mexican Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

See all

I will never trash a restaurant without giving them a second chance, however NO second chance here! My wife, friend and I go in for a dinner on a Tuesday night and am promptly seated, we order drinks and I order a premium tequila (Don Julio 1942 @ $20) shot for my wife, perhaps foolish, however it's a sipper. The waiter returns with a silver tequila and I explain that it's not DJ 1942, he proceeds to tell me it's the silver DJ1942, I call bullshit they don't make a DJ1942 silver and he argues that they do, I proceed to tell him I'm a fine tuned tequila drinking machine and I know my tequilas, well he doesn't return it and keeps it on the bill. Now most would get a manager, I said screw it, we drank the cheap silver tequila, ate our meal, the food is good actually very well prepared and quick to serve. However they lost my and my friends business by trying to pull a fast one over on this well tuned tequila drinking Cowboy. You get two stars for prompt good good, you lose additional stars for trying to cheat and lie to me, I can't stand a thief, especially over $20! Check your bill! Buena Suerte! Precaución! read more

Ordered takeout and it looked like they had just scraped the scraps off of done in plates into a to go container. Couldn't even tell if it was what we ordered. You'd think they would have mastered take out by now. read more

friendly staff. if you're on a budget just order s chalupa or a tostada instead of an entree.

The food is awesome here. By far one of the best Mexican restaurant in the area. Really beautiful setting as well.

We had to ask for everything!~ We had to ask to be seated! We had to ask for a menu! We had to ask for our drinks! We had to ask to order! We had to ask for 1 refill! We had to ask for the check! We will not have to be ask to come back! Food was not that great for BAD service! We have never been to a Mexican restaurant with such bad service! Not use to this! Our visit was May 12, 2018 time 5:45 pm! read more

Look, if you're looking for authentic Mexican food I would suggest a couple of other restaurants in Roanoke before I would suggest El Rodeo. With that being said, this does not mean that their food isn't delicious! Yes it's your typical "Americanized" Mexican cuisine, but it's still delicious. It's ignorant and rude to write bad reviews simply because their food is catering to the majority of Americans and not your bougie tastebuds. Their salsa isn't chunky and straight out of a jar from Kroger despite what some have said. In fact it's probably the least chunky salsa I've ever had in my life and one of the best! The chips are made in house and are always fresh. You're immediately given chips, salsa, and a nice white sauce as soon as you're seated and your food arrives very shortly after you've ordered it. I've been eating at El Rodeo for more than 20 years and I have yet to be disappointed by the food or the service. Their consistency is amazing. I can appreciate an authentic Mexican meal as much as anyone but when I'm craving some good ole American Mexican food this is my go to! Don't listen to the haters. read more

Ordered through fetch. Was completely disappointed. Chimichanga was not fried. (Served soft unless order fried per manager when I called.) Thats not a chimichanga by defintion then. Chile relleno was smothered in cheese and only had a small piece of a pepper in the container. Chalupa was flat and covered by a layer of beans and lettuce, had to scrap a knife to the bottom of the container to find the tortilla after speaking to manager. Overall I don't recommend this place. I regret making this my first mexican restaurant choice after moving to Roanoke. There are better hole in the wall places on Williamson rd. read more

See all

Went there last night and was surprised by the he new menus. As I opened them I was like wooo some new stuff the have taken a step up. Well it was sad when I found the had cranked there prices up and removed items for a more streamline money grab dining experience. Well they took the prices off of the beverages all right well our waiter had no idea what any of the current prices were. And had to leave every time I asked what the price was. After the second time. I was like sorry that's the one I won't ask any more.. ok what size I was like what's the difference in price he didn't know. I get a small not knowing that for pennies I can get the large. My very hot and bothered date doesn't like my cheap antics by this point. She is giving me quite the evil eye. She then removes the hot sauce from my side of the table and would not give it back. Well I had to diffuse this situation fast. I laid down fully in the booth and started batting her legs as if I was a lion or puma or another larger sized feline. At a few swipes at her legs the waiter returns me still halfway under the table doing my thing. We order some more of there usual slop. It's okay nothing great. The drinks hit the table and my date feels like she miss spoke about the size of her south of the border lime beverage. Well it appears the sizes have changed the medium is now in a small water glass. The slop was ehhhh I should have manned up and got the now very expensive steak or pork taco plates but I don't always feel like doing that. It's why I go to El rods cheap slop decent price. There pushing it. Lunch still looks affordable ish. Well we didn't see very much of the waiter.... I wonder why.... Well theres other newer spots in town to get a less sloppy version of texmex... It's pricey but now much more appealing for a night out. read more

Service was excellent, with the restaurant 1/3 full. I had the chicken fajitas which were OK. They didn't sizzle on the way to the table. The decor is extreme with outside seating as well. read more

Went here on a week night a couple of weeks ago and it was by far the best Mexican food that I have had here, arroz con pollo & steak tacos as well as margaritas were all really tasty, we had a coupon (on the back of brambleton kroger receipt) but will be going back here coupon or not! read more

Great atmosphere but that's all. Seated outside which was nice. Waiter took awhile to greet us. Menus were dirty with food on several pages. Waiter took drink order then took awhile again to take our order. We both ordered the grilled chicken fajita burrito. Yuck! Does chicken have gristle? It was rubbery. It was so bad. The rice was over cooked. The waiter did take care of refills without being asked. I won't return on my next trip thru Roanoke. read more

I've suffered this place long enough. I was willing to put up with the mediocre food and the less than stellar service because it was a fast, fun place to go with the family. No more. Tonight's experience was terrible. I refuse to wait 40 minutes for food that just isn't that good, and when the wrong food arrives and the waiter shows no interest, well, that's unacceptable. My wife never got the chips she asked for, my stepson got beef tacos though he doesn't eat beef and asked at least twice for chicken, and my food arrived cold. My other stepson's food as also wrong, but at least for him it didn't matter so much. I'm done. read more

We recently had a great lunch at El Rodeo on Electric Road in Roanoke. The service was prompt & friendly and the beer was nice and cold. Each of our entree's was delicious with ample proportions that we had leftovers to take home with us. Our waiter was particularly attentive to getting our 3 year granddaughter's order just right. He was equally attentive to the table next to us which consisted of three Moms having lunch out with a total of their four young children. Great food at a great price, in a colorful, cheery atmosphere!. read more

Slow service and an inattentive waiter made last night's dining experience less than desirable. Will go there again but it will be quite a while before I do. Plenty of other restaurants in town. read more

Every time we travel from NY we make sure we stop here! LOVE the food and authentic flavor

We ordered to-go. Do NOT order the fajita taco salad. You will get a tortilla filled with slop. See picture. My husband's food was ok and my son's rice and beans were a generous portion. He didn't like the beans like he does Abuelo's but he really likes the rice. He only picked at the taco. We won't be coming here again. read more

El Rodeo - Fajita taco salad. Ten points if you can guess what's in it. - Mexican Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Really fantastic enchiladas. Great mole sauce and the service is always fast and friendly.

Great food! We had the California verde burrito and tapatio and they were both excellent. The total cost for meal was $27.93, yet they gave us a lot of food. Tapatio was a chicken dish and came with beans. The service was excellent. The restaurant is located on a hill, but have to take a side road to get to it. read more

Starting with stale bagged tortilla chips and discount salsa from a jar, it progressed to stale tortillas, unseasoned meat, canned sauces, and everything covered in a blanket of Jack cheese. The high point was a nice selection of Mexican beers and what looked like Texas-sized Margaritas served on a nice deck with a beautiful sunset. You really need to be very drunk to choke down this food. It makes Taco Bell look like gourmet Mexican food. In a word, the food is pure "DRECK". read more

0 really. I'm used to bad va Mexican food. But this is a joke. Enchiladas with flour tortillas uhm that's a burrito like the one next to it. Last I checked chile relennos had chile in them not a pile of meat. Also, huevos rancheros ordered over easy coming out as huevos con chorizo. Not so good. This place wouldn't last one day in tx. Shame as it has a great location. read more

The fun starts when you walk in the door and see the eye-popping Mexican-themed carved and painted furniture - bright flowers, cactus, etc. I love the fresh tortilla chips with both salsa and a spicy ranch dressing alongside, which are brought out immediately. The food is pretty good Tex-Mex style, with generous portions and plenty of variety. My favorite is a dish of three enchiladas smothered in a cheesy sauce with rice and creamy refried beans. The flan for dessert is decent, too. The place is busy almost every night of the week - I recommend going a bit early. read more

Found this by accident while playing softball in the area. The service was good, able to accommodate our large group with ease. The chips and salsa were hot and fresh, the margaritas were well maid and refreshing. Dinner was served quickly and everyone enjoyed it, orders ranged from burritos to taco salad and we were all thrilled. We will eat here again! Inexpensive too!!! read more

Food was delicious and service was fast. Best Mexican food I have had in a long time. We will definitely come back the next time we are in town. read more

Been coming here for a long time, always a delight. Staff is friendly and great and the food is yummy and cheap.

For a Mexican restaurant in roanoke it always deliver the taste and a great place to hang out.

I used to live in Southern California and I really miss good Mexican food. I ate here and it was pretty decent. It is the closest I have seen to real mexican food. It wasn't that expensive either. read more

What a great restaurant! We have been going here for years and every time we are more than satisfied. I often order Arroz a la Mexicana which is SO good and I recommend you try it. The attentive and friendly staff, delicious food, and fun atmosphere make El Rodeo one of my all time favorites! read more

We weren't sure where to go, so we picked somewhere that would have something everyone would like. El Rodeo is basically the same everywhere. The food hit the spot that night, but it was nothing that I've never seen before. The building is much larger than I thought and the outdoor seating looks like it would be nice during the summer months. read more