I support El Sol as a resident of Rodeo. However, you can tell things like it's canned refried beans in a small burrito. Sabor Latino is Pinole is much better and more flavorful. read more

I decided to visit El Sol even after reading the reviews on Yelp regarding the taste of the food. I figured that it would be worth giving a small local mom and pop business the benefit of the doubt and give them a chance to win me over with their Mexican food. When you enter El Sol you are asked to order at the counter and if you decide to eat there they bring your food to the table. After you place your order they give you a basket of homemade chips (without a liner; the basket was caked in old salt) and salsa (a bit spicy with lots of cilantro). The pricing is really great (less than $20/with tax and tip for two entrees) and they take AMEX. Their menu is fairly extensive, the restaurant is pretty clean and the ladies behind the counter are friendly. On my visit I decided to order two cheese enchiladas with rice and beans. I wanted black beans but they only serve refried pinto beans. Bummer. My dining partner ordered the " Mando Special" (carne asada and potatoes) dinner served with rice, beans and tortillas. The cheese enchiladas were made with cheddar and the top of the enchiladas and beans were covered in the same cheese. I think that this was the first time I've ever had enchiladas at an "authentic" Mexican restaurant with this type of cheese. It wasn't a bad thing, it was just different. The enchilada sauce was SO mild that it barely tasted like anything. I was so disappointed. The cheese enchiladas at Rubios (yes, the chain) are better than the ones at this place! The rice was really good and the beans were okay. The Mando Special was pretty tasty in comparison. It was basically chunks of potato sauteed in oil and mixed with pieces of carne asada and salsa. If I came back to this restaurant I would probably order the nachos as an entree (those looked pretty good) or the Mando Special....but I really left feeling disappointed with the overall taste of my meal, so I don't know when I'll be back. Obviously this is a common complaint for this place...and it's really too bad. read more

El Sol Restaurant & Catering - Two cheese enchiladas, rice and pinto beans - Mexican Near Me - Rodeo, California

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Our office of 6 all ordered today for a Birthday Lunch and everyone ordered something different as everyone dug in they were all raving & offering everyone to a taste... 2 minutes later you could hear a Pin Drop (minus the crunching of Fabulous chips) as we are all scarfing down Chalupa's, Wet Burritos, & Flautas. I did not get them today because I wanted to try the Chalupa but the Tamale's are one of my other Favorites. A must TRY, you will not be disappointed! I've got everyone addicted! read more

Never again! I only went here because it was convenient not because it was good. Haven't returned since September 10th. Firstly, the food isn't authentic, it's completely Americanized. Their carne asada is tacos is the only reason I would give the place a generous 1 star and not say zero. The beans are always hit or miss; either too salty or with none at all, none at all is fine because I can add my own. The cheese they add on top of the beans is also strange and does nothing great for flavor. Rice .....well I don't know, taste like air. I decided to try something different which was the Tamale plate which was the biggest mistake because the carne asada tacos seem to be the only good thing. Also, it cost $10 for one torn up Tamale drenched in flavorless sauce. read more

El Sol Restaurant & Catering - Never again! This is their Tamale plate (1 Tamale) smoother in bland enchilada(?) sauce, salty beans, rice & chips thrown about - Mexican Near Me - Rodeo, California

Reading a few of these reviews made me a bit nervous, since my bf used to come here a few years ago. Anyways, This place is pretty good, It was quiet when we went. i'd come back more off ... The cheese is sooo cheesyyyy i LOVE me some cheese! One thing too, i HATE left overs BUT this is was SO FREAKING GOOD the next day. This place definetly has my vote. Don't listen to the negative one's jst try it your self! I had the Meet & cheese enchiladas with a side of Shrimp Taco. 2 thumbs ups read more

El Sol Restaurant & Catering - Shrimp Taco's, Meat & Cheese Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Rodeo, California

My family and I have come here on and off for years and it's our go to for Mexican food when we don't feel like cooking! I ordered the '"super" vegetarian burrito which had rice, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, re-fried beans.....I think that was it? (I didn't get cheese) Even though I was really hungry, the burrito was difficult to finish because of how much they pack in there. The quality and quantity is definitely worth the price which I believe was 5.75? I also ordered the large "plain" quesadilla and split it. I recently started eating quesadillas again after not eating them for almost five years and I gotta say, what happened to quesadillas??? Every restaurant I've tried has strange ones that I can't believe I ever enjoyed. Disregard this; I think I just dislike contemporary quesadillas. And we got chips and salsa, too! The salsa was pretty watery, but I don't remember the past instances of salsa being this watery, so maybe it was a one time thing. I DO like the chips but I don't know how to describe them without me sounding like I don't? The taste reminds me of gasoline but that is probably from a strange connotation I created a looong time ago. So disregard that comparison as well....The salsa wasn't spicy but then again I ate the "mild" kind, but I was expecting some kind of kick. TLDR; The quality of food is consistent and I would recommend this place for anyone in the East Bay. The people that own it and work there are nice! And the pictures in the restaurant and the overall interior design is tops. read more

El Sol Restaurant & Catering - The menu is so colorful and pretty :) (sorry about the quality!) - Mexican Near Me - Rodeo, California

The guy that works in there has a real bad attitude all the time. Very sad! He needs customer service training or something. His body language tells it all too. He doesn't hide it. read more

Wifey and I visited here today. I felt that the food was a little bland but the wife liked it and we got out of there with change for our $20. I like spicy food and we had just had some excellent food at a Mexican place in Healdsburg (see my other post) so maybe my buds got spoiled there. I will come back. Nice to see a business stick around for so many years. I need to start bringing my Daves Insanity sauce along with me when I go out to eat. That stuff will fix up any meal so the food burns twice. read more

My family has been stopping here for generations, literally. Food is still on par and authentic. Real chips, not stuff you pick up from Costco. Best enchilada sauce with the best flavor. To each their own but definitely give this place a try. I would have posted photos but we ate it all way too quick! read more

That was a very good burrito! But I'm sorry that I can only rate this business a 3. The big guy that takes your order made me feel like he could care less if I were there or not. Not friendly at all and I'm not basing my assessment on a one time visit. So that tells you that I can overlook his apathetic attitude for the quality of the food. He may be the owner or manager. I'm not sure but don't expect the "great to see you. Thanks for coming in" greeting from him. read more

The food is decent, but the dude who works there cheats you. I just ordered guacamole and chips and a side of salsa and he charged me 15. And some change! I think he is Josephine, the owners son! When the girl is ringing me up for the exact same thing it is always less! Cheaters! Beware! read more

I have always loved El Sol, however the last few times I've gotten Chile Verde Super burritos from there they have been FULL of rice and barely anything else, OR Very Very dry. I'm not sure if the owners are aware. It seems their kids are running the place, so I don't know if the kids are also doing the cooking. I do realize it's difficult during these trying times, but other restaurants during Covid have not changed their flavors so there's no excuse. read more

I need everyone who keeps saying this place is "Soooo Good, tastes like old school La Perla" to just STOP IT, bc that is a lie from the pits of hell! Growing up in Richmond, going to La Perla was always a treat! The seasoned potatoes with ground beef, cheese and sour cream oooh! I kept hearing and reading that this place is owned by the relatives of the La Perla family. Folks SWORE it was the same... nostalgic deliciousness they said... you HAVE to try it, they insisted! YEAH, RIGHT! I call B.S. times 12! None of it had seasoning... scarcely browned potatoes without a lick of salt, pepper or a prayer the meat was grey and mushy and tasteless like they rinsed it over and over in hot water after barely cooking it... They covered it all in cheese and sour cream and it STILL didn't help. It was SHAMEFUL! I had to apologize to my son for taking him there, pumping it up as something nostalgic and delicious from my childhood....NOT! I bought a taco and that wasn't good either. How do you mess up a taco?? Poorly cooked carnitas with a weird after taste, cold tortilla.... Just dreadful! THIS AIN'T IT!! They have messed up the family name and recipes. . Don't sell that filth in the La Perla name, just DON'T. read more

My fav is the tacos or the chalupa! Delicious every time. Staff are amazing and the place is always clean. Prices are fair and there's usually leftovers to take home because they have UH-MAY-ZING chips and salsa. The bean dip is so good too. Two thumbs up, every time :). read more

Not sure what's going on here but when you order through Door Dash you get a completely different experience. My tacos were short on the meat. Usually it is very generous portions. When you walk in for pick up they give you chips and hot sauce. Got neither. Tacos needed hot sauce. Wasn't made with love. Will think twice before I order from here again. read more

I went here yesterday and got food, one hour later my start having loose watery stools. It's still happening, not sure if the food was contaminated or what. I will never go back here again. I've had at least 50 toilet episodes. read more

The horchata is bomb! Ordered a vegetarian burrito with extra sour cream/cheese. It all came up to 16 dollars which I guess is okay considering the extras. The burrito was okay, I rarely eat them so I'm not sure how good a basic burrito is supposed to be‍ read more

El Sol Restaurant & Catering - Horchata - Mexican Near Me - Rodeo, California

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The best Mexican food out our way. We almost always get the chicken wet burrito with their homemade sauce. I only wish they had a large taco salad (dinner size) like the taqueria that was next to Fernandez park at one time. Tall shell with shredded romaine lettuce and whatever you wanted in it. Great for weight watching if you use black beans and gilled chicken. I never added sour cream but they would always put fresh avocado on if you wanted. We don't care for the taco chips lately. They are very thick. read more

Called yesterday, to make sure they were open. I placed my order (cheese enchilada plate, 2 pork tacos, and a side of hot sauce) and said I'd be there in 15 minutes. When I arrived, the young lady made my order fresh instead of letting it sit and get cold from the time I ordered. Only took a few minutes. Best of all, everything was delicious! So glad I made the trip again. read more

Two stars for the friendly staff. The food, two words...NO FLAVOR! Ok, carry on.

Zero stars would be given if possible. As a first time customer I'm extremely disappointed with their service. On Christmas Eve the restaurant was closed but was open for pick up for catering orders. We put in an order for New Year's Eve a week in advance and sadly they closed the restaurant and failed to inform us that our order was canceled. We thought they would be closed but open for pick ups but I guess not. So basically we wasted our time and our money. Terrible business just lost a potential customer and as the saying goes, one lost customer means losing another 10 when they tell their friends and family. Overall, maybe the foods good if we ever get to try it. All they had to do was call us to let us know they couldn't do the order. What a waste. read more

The food here is borderline disgusting. I've tasted puke that had better flavor than this food. The seasoning was bland, food lukewarm, and service was slow. The employees were friendly, but that didn't make up for everything else. I ordered the enchilada and chile relleno combination plate. Not much too it except melted cheese and bland sauce. The beans tasted homemade, but were lacking in flavor, as well. Overall, I was expecting more and was quite disappointed in my experience. read more

Love that they're a small, family run business surviving in a small town that most people don't know about. But maybe because of that I excuse them for only having re-fried beans, no other type of beans, not much seasonings, and limited offerings. I've never hated their food, heck we resign ourselves to El Sol burritos about once a month, but I don't make a point of going there if I don't have to. Their burritos are huge and I will say that I've saved one star for their "wet" sauce, it's really the only thing there that has good flavoring. FABULOUS STUFF! I ALWAYS ask for the chicken burrito to be wet, that way I get a huge burrito that tastes good too. read more

This is my favorite place in Rodeo lol. Considering it's only but so big. I love their burritos, especially their prawn burrito, the prawns are HUGE!! So delicious and all authentic Mexican food!! Their wet burritos are also really good!!! I always have to stop by here if I'm in the area. Try them. Oohhh yeah and GREAT customer service too! read more

El Sol Restaurant & Catering - Mexican Near Me - Rodeo, California

I've never ate at this restaurant and so this review is based on the chicken enchilada casserole that my family always orders for our family parties. The enchilada casserole is so delicious and every time we have it at our parties it's always the first dish to go! read more

so el sol is a nice place but it just doesnt spark my taste buds, i feel like its very bland and unsavory, its also a little exspensive i feel like for the quality, you might feel differnt and love the place so go check it out anyways The owners are amazing though, they do so much for the community and are very sweet to everyone read more

My aunt, uncle and cousins now live elsewhere but spent decades residing in Pinole. They ALWAYS make it a point to dine at El Sol when they're back in town. That's how I got turned on to El Sol. It's home-cooked Mexican food with a friendly staff and a loyal clientele. A great find. Cozy, welcoming atmosphere. You order at the counter, and they'll bring the food to you. My favorite off the menu would be the enchilada and chili relleno combo. It comes with rice and beans. The enchilada sauce has an excellent consistency, spiciness, and flavor. Combine that with all the melted cheeses, seasoned beef, chili, and scoop it up with the crispy chips. That's what I'm talking about! read more

I'm sad that I'm forced to even give this restaurant any stars. I have had many bad experiences with this restaurant but was holding out on giving them a bad review but today was just too much. I kept coming back hoping they would improved and I like supporting local businesses but no more! Today I tried to order the Tamale ($4.95 - comes with Enchilada sauce and cheese). The older Mexican lady insist that she would charge me extra for the sauce and cheese). I told her that the printed menu states that it comes with it. She then said "I don't know why it's there but I have to charge you $2.00 more". So of course, I took my business elsewhere. Plus the food isn't that great. It is overpriced and NOT authentic. Please avoid. read more

Been coming here for 25 years. Still just as good today! Chicken burrito is all I know

To the lady working the counter tonight, yes the heavy set one, if you hate your job so much please do us all a favor and QUIT! it's apparent working in the service industry is not for you. Being nice is not expected, but being straight up rude is just ridiculous! read more

I love the authentic Mexican food I get when dining at El Sol. It is one of my favorite restaurants, from the potato's and beef, to there enchiladas they never disappoint, and they always greet you with a pleasant smile, I can't wait to go back. read more

I think the old reviews of tasteless food were taken into account by the restaurant, and they tried to improve lack of flavor with the addition of salt, not a little, but, a lot of it. Carnitas Platillo - Carnitas mixed with a lot of Salsa and god knows what else, could not taste the Carnitas. Too salty Carne Asada- Bland, dry,overcooked,tasteless. too Salty. Chips- caked with Salt- Guacamole- Again,mixed with a lot of Salsa Cilantro and lime- could not taste the Avocado. Rice and beans OK- but covered with Cheddar cheese- weird, only Mexican restaurant I have ever been to that uses Cheddar, not Mexican Queso. Not recommended, drive to Richmond for authentic. Did not even take a" to go" box even though we left most of the food on the plate. read more

Used to love this place as a kid, but as I've gotten older it has gone downhill. Final straw was the other day- posted business hours say they are open until 8pm, went down at 6:45 to get a bite to eat and the doors were locked. I could see and hear employees inside, but they would not let anyone in. Bummer. read more

I am definitely going out on a limb here but I have been a fan of El Sol for ever!! I grew up in the area and decided to take my husband and a few of his friends here recently. I hadn't been there is a few years since i haven't lived in the area but it hasn't changed! (which to me, was a good thing!) I had what I ALWAYS used to get there: a beef taco and a beef enchilada plate. TOTALLY DELICIOUS!! Everything tastes homemade and the boys alike, loved it. They each had 3 street tacos (and were only able to finish 2). The place is reasonably priced ($40 for 4 of us). negatives: No A/C positives: reasonably priced, authentic taste it's going to remain a childhood favorite of mine. read more

Worst super burrito I've ever had. When I hear super burrito I think guacamole, onion, tomato, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and a sauce. I had the chicken super burrito, and the only thing it had in it was beans, rice, little pathetic pieces of lettuce, and bland chicken. I was very disappointed and underwhelmed. The burrito was super dry, and after finding out the cost (someone else bought it), it was definitely not worth the money. And there was no way I was going to pay for extras that should have been in it (assuming that's the case) for an already $11.50 burrito. I usually will buy burritos in SF being that's where I work, and I can get a proper super burrito for less. There was nothing special about this burrito to be able to call it a super burrito, and should have been called a bean and rice burrito instead. On top of that, after finishing the burrito bc I wasn't going to waste it no matter how much I disliked it, it made me feel sick. I will not be coming here again. read more

The food was really good and my steak tacos didn't have any gristle on them at all really. Which is kinda rare to find now a days. I would have given this place 5 stars but the guy at the counter (May 26th, 145 pm) was super annoyed and rude when my girlfriend asked for chips. He rolled his eyes and everything. We still don't know why because we are very polite. Either way the food was good at least. read more

I came here with some friends from work. I ordered the Chili Verdi Super Burrito. It was huge and tasted great. We got free chips and salsa with our meals. This is a decent place with fast lunch service. The dining room has great decor. read more

Edible, that's about it! Our first time here we ordered a carne asada burrito, carnitas plate and cheese quesadilla. The best thing, the quesadilla. The carnitas, beans and rice ALL bland and clearly reheated and not fresh. Really bummed!! May try his place once more out of convenience, but only once more. read more

The veggie burritos are amazing here. I often call orders in and pickup with little to no wait time. Everyone is super friendly and customer service is clearly a priority here. I would recommend El Sol if you are in a hurry and want well made Mexican food. read more

Yummy food! Great quality for food price. Glad I found somewhere near by that i like! Thank you el sol keep up the good work