Food and service were both great! Wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. The chimichanga was fantastic.

still 5 stars for me....we have lived here for over 2 years now and this place is consistently amazing. I have always been a creature of habit and tend to order the same thing. well...I changed it up and tried their la compuesta with chile verde...OMG! my new favorite oh and they do a really nice sangria read more

We've been coming to Arnold regularly for 10 years but we hadn't been in here to eat here for some time. We were thrilled ! The food was EXCELLENT, starting with the salsa & chips. My wife had the Bob's specials and I had the shrimp enchilada. Both plates were really tasty and the portions were more than enough. We're so happy we stopped in again and we're looking forward to coming back soon. Get in here and support this local joint, you won't be disappointed !! read more

El Vaquero Authentic Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Arnold, California

We've been here a few times now and the food has been great. Hats off to the cooks. I usually give this place 5 stars because I've had nothing but great food and great service. This time however we had a server who wasn't on top of his game. I didn't get his name, but he was a taller guy. He just didn't seem like he was in a great mood and seemed as though he didn't want to be there. He brought us our check without asking us if we wanted dessert (which we did) and then when I said we wanted dessert his response was "what do you want." Not the most friendly way to phrase that question when you're a server. read more

Really bad food and service. We got a takeout order while we were visiting Arnold this weekend and got food from here based on a recommendation. More than 50% of the food had to be trashed unfortunately. The order was made way ahead of time but when we went to pickup we learned they didn't start making the order yet. Ok, no problem. It was a large order for 8 people. We waited and paid extra for some hot salsas to be added. However when we got home, hungry and excited to eat, we realized: food containers were not labeled with the food items - had to cut thru the food items to find out which were veg and which had meat; hot salsas we paid for were not there; food was just overall disappointing in flavor, freshness, looks. We ordered veggie plates, fish tacos (don't know what kind of grilled fish was in it, it had a weird flavor and didn't feel freshly cooked), veg and meat wet burritos (the only one that got one positive review from our party was the spicy chicken wet burrito). They also use refried beans and have a heavy hand on the cheese. Also their takeout containers are styrofoam - environmental enemy and generally known to be toxic especially when in contact with heated items. Not a fan, will not come back and will not recommend. read more

Great locals place offering traditional Mexican cuisine at a reasonable price. Enjoyed the shrimp taco combo plate but had to wait a few minutes to get a table so plan to arrive early to get a table. read more

So so good!! Food came out fast, very polite staff, very very good food. Highly recommend the enchiladas and chicken fajitas read more

El Vaquero Authentic Mexican - 2 Enchiladas & chicken fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Arnold, California

The one waitress we had was rude and intentionally disrespectful. She sighs while taking orders as if we are wasting her time. Her demeanor is one that should be kept behind the scenes and not associating with the public. She speaks poorly of customers she thinks cannot understand Spanish. There are other choices in restaurants in this area. Avoid this rude establishment. read more

Always a staple of ours. Food is authentic and the staff is friendly. Great place to eat outdoors.

I'm really glad we tried this restaurant again it's so convenient and not sure if Cooke changed ownership changed but whatever it is is definitely working for them. I have been to the restaurant a handful of times since my last review and not only is the service 1000 times better, but the food was excellent each time. read more

Buyer beware they charge a surcharge if you don't pay with cash mine came to $7 and they don't let you know this when you're ordering your meal The food was decent but I just don't like being taken advantage of read more

Overall pretty good. The chips come warm and are really good with the salsa and coleslaw type mix that they bring with it. The service is friendly, but was a little slow at times (took a while to bring soda, even after we reminded them one time, chips refill was slow). Overall the service was good. We got a variety of different things and everyone liked their food and the food is priced fairly. There is a ton of variety on the menu, so you should be able to get almost anything you would want. I've been here twice and will be back again. read more

El Vaquero Authentic Mexican - Carnitas plate, served with carnitas 13.95 - Mexican Near Me - Arnold, California

Food is amazing. We will definitely go back. The sauces are so good. Bob's special is a hit too.

We ordered takeout. Everything was good but the guacamole and chips were the best. The sauce on my enchiladas was just OK but still good.

My sister lives in the area, and has recommended this restaurant several times over the years. We finally stayed close enough to try it. The service was slow, and it didn't feel like they cared about their customers. That being said, they were responsive to us when we got their attention, and the food was very, very tasty!! I would recommend going when you aren't is a rush to do anything else, and know it will be a wait with average service but the food will make up for it! read more

We had El Vaquero cater our wedding and it was AMAZING! Service and food were both incredible. Our guests raved it was the best wedding food they'd ever had! Would 1000% recommend their catering! Thank you El Vaquero for my making our wedding perfect!!!! read more

we have been coming to this delicious place for a while. Food is really good, nice big servings, affordably priced, excellent service. They have excellent flan too. We will always come back. read more

The service & atmosphere was fair however, the food was dry, overcooked rice; the enchiladas sauce tasted like "tomato" without any spice.

The Chicken Fajita salad is delicious! Prices are really low and I love their Sangria. Nice family owned place, outdoor sitting is great read more

Food is okay, but the service is atrocious! You get one half basket of chips they give you by hand without gloves and any additional basket is $3.00! Unbelievable! Its the only thing open on Mondays and the worst possible place you can go! read more

Ate here twice in one weekend. Good food,good service one night,good food,so so service the next. Food is super amazing. Great flavors. I had the sopes the first night and they were yummy. read more

See all

Good food, exactly what you'd want from your Mexican food. We eat here whenever we visit Arnold and it's consistently good. Would recommend for any of your Mexican food cravings when in the area! read more

We've lived in Arnold for five years and are so grateful to have such a wonderful restaurant that has served our community consistently and without fail. Can't wait for it to be warm enough to sit on their deck and enjoy a great meal with friends again after this long winter. I especially love their enchiladas, chile relleño, and flan! read more

Awesome! My first time, was visiting with friends and had lunch here. I had the vegetarian quesadillas and it was delicious!!! Service was also great, with a friendly staff and clean establishment. Their chips and salsa were yummy, as well as the guacamole . Yum, a must try. read more

Man I love this restaurant. It's my go to spot when we hit the cabin. I really love their enchiladas and taquitos. I've never had a bad meal here. Give it a try. read more

The nachos were delicious. The fish tacos were the best we've ever had. The coffee was amazing. Coming back! read more

I really don't know what was better here-- the delicious food or the outstanding service from Dio. I have never ever been treated better at a restaurant. We asked for things constantly and had annoying intricate orders that Dio handled with ease. He was so sweet and honest it made the experience 10x better. The food was exactly like Dio's service. With the chips and salsa you'll also get this mixture of jalapeños, cabbage and tomatoes I think that tasted like pure heaven. I ordered a vegan chimichanga and instead of meat they packed it with extra veggies which made it sooo much better. To drink I had a sangria that was bomb (see attached pic). This will definitely be somewhere we come back to whenever we're in the Arnold area. Thank you Dio for being so great. CLOSED ON TUESDAYS read more

See all

Great food and the portions are humungous! I recommend super burrito and especially chicken mole. This is truly authentic food served by the nicest people you'll ever meet. read more

Very inconsistent, I am regular loyal customer, but this order was terrible, about 35% of the orders were fat. Most likely I won't order again. read more

Great spot to fill up after a day a Bear Valley. My kid and I were STARVING after boarding all day and we walked from our room at Timberline Lodge. We've been here before and food is always tasty and comes out nice and hot. Big platters! We were nervous at first because the Italian place we planned to eat at the night before we cancelled because none of the staff were wearing masks when we walked in. We walked into Vaquero and greeted by masked staff and server, and were offered patio which was perfect on a warm March evening. Great service, great food and very affordable. read more

El Vaquero Authentic Mexican - Patio - Mexican Near Me - Arnold, California

Food is amazing. Service is great and we are a bit chaotic with 3 kids. We love going here any time we are up in the mountains. Highly recommend "Bob's Special!" read more

Bad food, ok service. I have never had Mexican food have less flavor than this. Multiple dishes with very little flavor, cold food or sauces etc. Got churros because we thought that would be hard to screw up but we were wrong. The worst churros ever, cold & hard with bad flavor like they were frozen then microwaved. Disappointing read more

We've been frequenting El Vaquero since we bought our cabin here in Arnold 2 years ago. Not gonna lie, this place is one of the best Mexican restaurants we've been to and we're from the Bay Area, living near the Mission District which is famous for their Latin cuisine. We love their burrito gigante, chimichanga, taquito, enchiladas, and chips with guac and they are always on point. The staff I've interacted with are always friendly. I hope they are able to stay afloat during this trying time, we've been ordering takeout every time we come up to show our support. Keep up the good work!! read more

It is a wonderful family run place. Great stop for some mexican food with attentive service.

My husband and I have been limiting going out to eat due the high costs. However, after a day of raking pine needles we deserved a treat. What a pleasant surprise to see reasonable prices and GREAT food. We both ordered a three piece combo plate and each item was tasty. Between the two of us we had tacos, taquitos, enchiladas and burittos. Our server was prompt and friendly. read more

Authentic Mexican food with great quality and taste . The outdoor seating is great .. excellent place to relax . They serve Michelada as well . Enjoyed lunch out here read more

Worst Mexican food take out ever!! Soggy Chimichanga Chili Colorado should have red sauce, not the watery green stuff. As you can see by the photo, the sauce all poured out if the flimsy container!! Don't bother with this place!! Go to Giant Burger across the street they are amazing! read more

El Vaquero Authentic Mexican - Chimichanga with Chili Colorado - Mexican Near Me - Arnold, California

When we don't want to cook at our cabin we either come here or the lube room depending on what we feel like eating. They have good food and great drinks. Arnold doesn't have much but the few spots that stay have really great food. We hope this joint stays open for our family outings in the future. read more

I have been coming to this restaurant for many years. It is my go to spot when up in the mountains. Great price. Atmosphere. Parking. But last time we ate here it was just not the same. I know foot traffic is hard to come by in Arnold. It is seasonal and Makes it hard for restaurants to survive. But putting that aside, quality can still exist. The quality just didn't match what I have had here before. Felt more like fake cheese being microwaved. Small portions for the salsa which also could be re-invented. I don't want this place to fail. read more

Really good and fresh chorizo! Service staff is friendly. Really good alternative to all the other offerings in Murphy's. read more