OK food in a beautiful setting. If you can stand the noise of cars rushing by on Hiway 4, set outside.

Average food and below average service, and to top it off 20% gratuity for groups of 6 for that kind of service!

went there with my Mother and wife,ordered,it took an hour to get our food,everyone sitting around us waited for ever to get any food,ordered chile rellenos plate,the chiles were from a can,so authentic they were not,not worth the wait nor money,next time we will go to Snowshoe Brewery down the street, read more

It's a very basic place with delicious food and pretty large portions. So far, it's the best place we have tried in Arnold. I had the chicken in a tomatillo sauce with rice, beans, and corn tortillas and it was awesome. My husband got the pork in tomatillo sauce (while also made from tomatillos, it was thicker and had a great, layered flavor) which he really enjoyed. My six year enjoyed some chicken strips and fries--there are options in anyone in your group doesn't want a Mexican entree. I unknowingly left my cashmere scarf on the booth seat. We will likely go a second time. Good, prompt service. The cherry on top: our server came running out to our car as we were about to pull out of the lot and returned my scarf to me. My scarf was headed to lost and found pergutory if it were not for our keen eyed server. read more

Plenty of parking. Never a long wait. Food is always good. I've enjoyed several good meals here. Salsa is hotter than I prefer, but tasty. Horchata is very good. Last time they were out of it. Sadly, this will likely not be a "feel good experience for you", but you will leave full and satisfied. The problem is that the owner has a bad attitude, is impatient and not warm, and not apologetic if his cook sends out the wrong food. His service is impersonal, grouchy, and inpatient. This sort of ruins the experience of dining out and if there were more choices in town, we would likely go elsewhere. Love the outdoor deck so we can sit outside. Wish they served real margaritas, but sadly they do not. No complaints about food, you will enjoy it, just be prepared... I will return, and hope you will try it, but wish the owner was a happier person. read more

Take out was ready in 10 minutes. Best deal in town at 20 bucks for chili verde dinner and single chicken enchilada verde. Both with rice and beans. I have been there before on the run. Never disappointed. read more

You won't be disappointed! Breakfast items served all day. Wet burritos to die for. Garlic Shrimp not for the faint of heart and if you are on a date should be shared (I'm sure I wreak of garlic for two days after I eat it but I don't care!) Always friendly, always fast, home style atmosphere is comfortable if you're just out of the woods in hiking boots and shorts. We meet once a week for dinner and get really bummed if we can't make it in. Muy fantástico! read more

Unlike some other reviewers, my experience here was great. Best Rellanos in the motherlode. Steak Mexicana was excellent as was the carne asada. Beans are a little bland and the salsa is tasty but a little too runny. Rice is good. Great service.....had dinner out on the deck- very pleasant. read more

We love El Vaquero, and we eat there quit often, as we live in Arnold full time. We have brought many guests there, and celebrated birthdays and anniversarys there, too. The atmosphere is casual, warm and cozy, and the waitstaff is kind, low key and extremely accommodating. Gabriel exudes charm and old school grace, and Luz is sweet and kind, dedicated to making every diner feel at home. Monica has THE BEST SoCal/NorCal accent, and she never forgets a face. These people make up, hands down, the best waitstaff in Arnold. They are restaurant professionals in every sense of the word. The new owners rescued our community from what had been a very poor restaurant,"Pablitos". I think it's important to make that point, because the execrable Pablitos was in the same spot as the new El Vaquero. The "new" owners completely revamped and refurbished the old, tired, dirty and rundown Pablitos. The restaurant itself is in sort of an odd little corner of town- please, don't let that put you off! The owners have done a lot with the space, with very little to start out with, and a lot of plain old hard work. The cozy dining area boasts tile floors, comfortable custom made booths and tables, vivid paint washed artfully on the walls, large, clean, well-kept restrooms, a casual but comfortably spacious deck, and every square inch of the dining area is kept scrupulously clean. The waitstaff keeps a very good handle on things, despite the bustling atmosphere and tight space. El Vaquero is almost always packed, especially on holiday weekends, so get there early (before 6:00, if you can!). We've never had to wait for more than 15 minutes or so for a free table. We often order to go, and the food is always carefully packed, and ready in just a few minutes. The food is DELICIOUS-generous portions, always fresh, always beautifully presented on spotlessly clean, hot plates by a deeply professional and accommodating waitstaff. The pollo en crema is outstanding, with its thick, rich sauce and succulent chicken breast. I often order the chile colorado a la carte, in a big bowl with just a few fresh tortillas on the side. The beef chile colorado is simmered in a rich, spicy red sauce, and the meat is tender and moist. In the summer, I order the large dinner salad, with strips of juicy marinated chicken on top of tender greens. If you like hot salsa, ask for the special "hot stuff"- it's nutty, spicy, hot, thick- and amazing! The iced tea is fresh and the horchata is sweet and creamy, never grainy. El Vaquero offers a full line of Jarritos sodas, for non-alcoholic drinkers, as well as commonly offered soft drinks. There's beer and wine, too. The restaurant is kid friendly. I just really feel like we're lucky to have this excellent little grub spot in our town! read more

The food here is always excellent and fresh. Not a lot of frills but I'm not going there for garnish. I'm going there for tasty food. They deliver on this. Alfonso the owner is super friendly and you can often find him singing loudly in the kitchen with his employees. The female waitstaff is excellent and the men are a bit quiet but the food is always great. read more

Excellent food and friendly service. A little slow but it was busy - it was a lovely evening and we enjoyed the patio. Always good!

Poor service. Swatted flies throughout the meal. Be sure to watch your bill. Ours came itemized (we were a group) which showed the total without tip added, but when they rang up the group's credit cards, the totals had tip already figured in. They didn't mention this, and were apparently looking for a double-tip. Food was marginal at best. We won't be back. read more

....FOOD is good, but service is TERRIBLE. We have a cabin up in Arnold and we had some co-workers staying there who happened to be from Guatemala. As their little girl was in the restroom, the server threw out her food. She returned to the table only to have nothing to eat! The server said they were taking too long at the table anyways, and they were busy. My co-worker was presented with a bill for the five in his party and he rightly subtracted out his daughter's portion, as she wasn't even asked if she wanted to take it home, nor had the chance to eat it. The owner then said--oh, we expect **our people** (don't know exact words--but it meant people of hispanic descent) to try to get out of paying. WOW!!! Not good. You should be able to relax and enjoy your meal, especially in a vacation town like Arnold....and to be treated with such prejudice--just wow. I agree with Kelly M.'s review. read more

understaffed and terrible service. no one came to check on us or refill our drinks before receiving dinner. we asked for another basket of chips when our dinner finally came and the waitress had the audacity to say it would be $2.50 after we waited over an hour for our food. disappointed. food was bland. read more

From the second we arrived to this place we were treated very poorly. It took 30 minutes for them to ask us what we wanted to drink, and an hour and a half later and we still did not get our food. When we kindly asked what was taking so long, a waitress told us that we have been complaining since we walked in (false) and told us to speak to the owner. The owner told us if we weren't happy to wait then we can leave. So, we left. We didn't get to taste the food so I can't rate that but the service sucks. Your customer should always come first. People should know that working in a restaurant you will sometimes deal with impatient and rude customers...we were not rude to them at all. They were very rude. Also, when we asked for guacamole they told us that they have to save their guac for people's plates and that we couldn't have any. I mean come on... how rude. What Mexican restaurant doesn't serve you guacamole??? read more