I met an old friend here for drinks on a Tuesday night. Happy hour starts at 4, so that's when we arrived. The place was mostly empty at this time, but slowly filled as it approached dinner time, signifying it is popular in the area. I would say I enjoyed the visit overall. My margarita was tasty, the chips and salsa were great, and the queso was fantastic. The downside was the service. We told the waiter, who asked us immediately upon arrival if we wanted drinks, that we needed a few minutes to look things over. It took him 10-15 minutes to return to us to take drink orders, which was crazy considering the restaurant was empty. He also barely checked on us throughout the evening, as we had to signal to someone else that we were out of chips. Like I said, I would return here for food and drinks as they were great, but the slow and inattentive service would make me choosy with the times of day I would go and who I would go with. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Jumbo Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This El Vaquero is bright, airy, and clean looking. The service was very attentive, with Mia being our main server but with three other ladies, all stopping by for check backs, food delivery, and check presentation. My brother and I both ordered the shrimp taco dinner ($15.95) that came with a choice of side. The tacos were good but could have been much better as there was just way too much salsa. All we could taste was salsa and it was a little sweet and oddly enough, it had broccoli in it. If they added one more shrimp and cut back to just a tablespoon of salsa on each taco, they would have given it a much more balanced flavor and texture profile. This was a bunt, not a grand slam... El Vaqueros are all pretty much the same, and this one is no different. Could have been 4 stars but ended up as 3. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Three Shrimp Taco Dinner. Too Much Salsa, Not Enough Shrimp. $15.99. - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Exactly what we were looking for. Prices are a bit high but what isn't these days. Staff were friendly, food was fast and delicious, and portion sizes were large. Plenty to take home for meal #2. Happy hour is Monday- Friday until 8 pm so that was a nice surprise! We did order a margarita with sugar and the server brought it out with salt, told us he made the mistake but still gave it to us... we ended up sending it back to have redone which was no biggie (the salt was also all through the marg, a huge glob at the bottom). Did think it was odd that he even served it to us when he knew it wasn't what we ordered. read more

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Picked here because it was close to the hotel and had a hankering for Mexican. Did not read reviews beforehand. Cute strip mall with a a smoothie King on on side and Dunkin on the other. Warm, inviting entry with a mural of Mariachi players on the back wall. Inside was very open and not many tables/booths. Kitchen was exposed which led to a lot of noise. Menu was the traditional. Ordered a steak/chicken/shrimp fajita and friend ordered steak tacos. I'm not a fan of street tacos but he said these were good. My fajita plate had a strong burning smell. Like old grease on fire smell. It was pretty gross. Vegetables had the flavor of the burnt plate. Meat was OK but pulled it off the plate once I realized everything was tasting of the plate. Wait staff and other restaurant workers were very nice. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Street tacos with steak - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I went to El Vaquero for Cinco De Mayo and they were serving on the special menu. I would need to go back as there are other menu items that I would like to try. Got myself a Watermelon Margarita and the Vallarta [sirloin steak, chicken and shrimp] Fajitas. The food taste average, but the patio seating compensate on that. read more

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Another solid Mexican restaurant! We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was pretty empty, so service was super fast. The chips and salsa were fresh and delicious, as expected. Not to mention, the chips are large! I ordered the San Jose tacos (tilapia) and was really surprised to see that not only was pineapple added to each, but it was purple! Yellow or purple, I must say the pineapple was a nice addition. I quite enjoyed it! I was pleasantly full after this meal. I'm sure I'll be back! read more

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Very delicious food and amazing service very accommodating, great overall experience I recommend!

Margaritas were awesome. Happy Hour pricing from 4-8pm! Chips and salsa were very good. My brother and I agreed that our entrees lacked flavor. The cheese used in my chicken quesadilla had a very weird creamy texture and I was not a fan. Service was fast and friendly though! read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Happy Hour Menu - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This was a mixed bag for me. The staff was super friendly and very efficient. The food came out SUPER quick...like 5 minutes after we ordered quick. I actually found that odd. I did see they were using pre packaged tortillas in the kitchen...and it sorta felt like quick serve? The restaurant is all hard surfaces and is crazy loud. You will have a hard time hearing the person sitting next to you. They have Happy Hour from 4-7 during the week. Be aware: they charge a la carte pricing for everything and they will show up on your bill.....chips, salsa, lettuce, tomato, hot sauce. Not sure I would rush back, but I wish the wonderful people working there much success. read more

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Stopped in here last night for dinner with my daughter and it had a name change since we were here last . It was called Adobe Agave and now it's El Vaquero. The food was ok , nothing special. The margaritas were good. Probably won't be back as there is so many Mexican restaurant to choose from . read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

this is the best el vaquero in all of Columbus. best food and service every time. clean and great atmosphere

New Restaurant Alert! Adobe Agave (where the old wine bistro used to be on 23)- has been on my list to try and I finally got to this past weekend!!! We started with the chorizo queso dip, several margaritas , and their salsa! They said they're known for their adobe bowls so we got the tres carnes and san pancho birria bowls which were very generous portions and tasty! Everything was excellent from the food and drinks to the service and atmosphere! Great experience and I can't wait to go back! read more

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I've been here twice now since the place opened somewhat recently, and I can say this place is my go-to for Mexican cuisine. The service is always really friendly and with a smile. The food ingredients taste fresh, and you get served quick! Yes, you have to pay for your chips and dip ($3.99 is the cheapest, depending on the dip you order) BUT I believe you do NOT pay for each time you order them; you just pay it once and you can request your chips / dip to be replenished (message me if I'm wrong). The first time I went with 3 others, I ordered the San Pancho Birria which is slow-cooked shredded beef serviced over rice. It came with onions and a stew / broth on the side. I loved this dish! The beef was juicy and very tender, just wish there a bit more presentation to this dish for the $15.99! Maybe like cilantro or limes to add more visual flavor as well! For dessert, I tried the Flan $4.99 (custard-like dessert), now this had an amazing presentation! This tasted even better than how it looked! It was really sweet, and decent size to share with someone else. The second time I came here was with a crowd of 10. This time I wanted to try something different and I tried the Pollo De Las Hiebas Finas ($15.99), which is a chicken breast with herbs & spices topped with grilled asparagus, zucchini, squash and melted queso. You get 2 sides with this, and I ordered rice and the pineapple coleslaw which is typically $2.99 by itself. Now this dish is what I'm talking about! Not only is it delicious, but it has everything you need (your protein, your veggies, carbs, sweet pineapple), a truly balanced dish. If you come here during Happy Hour. definitely get their Jumbo cocktails! They're between $8-$9, which is the same price as a regular cocktail like a mojito etc. read more

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This place was just opened in December and I have been seeing it as I drove by wondering what it had to offer. Located in a small strip mall type structure off of route 23 there isn't a lot of advertisement space. Hopefully they figure out how to get their name out there. I have to say that I was impressed by the quality of food. Everything was seasoned well, was warm and fresh getting to us, and food came out in a decent amount of time for something you could tell was being put together as ordered. There were some hiccups as they had an apprentice chef that was obviously still finding his way around but nothing that affected the quality of the food. Just playing and arranging. I will apologize however, for in the bustle of our food coming out in weird arrangements and being taken back to be replaced and fixing our order, I forgot to take pics before some things were half eaten. The guacamole is THE BEST guacamole me and my mother have had in a very long time. It was well salted, wasn't overpowered by lime, you could taste all the add ins individually, and the avocado was soft and creamy. Chicken and Beef were well seasoned and not dry. The rice was warm and fluffy and the refried beans were creamy as well. I will say of all the things we had the rice and beans were my least favorite as they were lacking some flavor but you aren't missing out on much when all the other things are so good. Just a heads up: chips and salsa ARE NOT included in your meal. They are $3.99 but I will admit that it is some of the better salsa that I have had from a Mexican place. It is more of chunky, pico style salsa than a ground mixture of tomato and spices. Overall, I would come back again. The create your own lunch combo was a decent deal and the food was pretty great. read more

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This is a brand new place we wanted to try. They have good lunch combos. We got two lunch combos, with 2 entrees and 2 sides each, to feed three adults and one child. It was a good amount of food. A couple complaints: No chips and salsa provided, at lunch, anyway. I'm used to a lot of Mexican places just bringing that out. Second, the refried beans and beef chimichanga were both a little spicy. I like to be warned about this. Fortunately the chicken quesadilla for my daughter was not spicy, but she normally loves refried beans and couldn't eat these. The black beans and pineapple cole slaw were both good. The food came out quickly and service was great. read more

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We like the Al Vasquero on 23. Large store and lots of parking. Have been there many times and never disappointed.

We used to love this place. The value has gotten awful though. All the portions have shrank significantly while prices seem to have risen as well. The $12.95 entree salad is the size of an elementary school side salad. The burrito California is the size of a Taco Bell taco. They fill the plate with a full can of refried beans instead. They've even gotten stingy with the chips. The to go bags used to be stuffed. Now, they're similar to a bag of chips from the store (50% air). read more

I was in town for business and was told by my trainer to check this place out. A couple of coworkers and I decided to dine for dinner on a Wednesday evening. It wasn't busy which was nice. They also have happy hour until 7pm which includes their jumbo margaritas and some other drinks. The happy hour is for drinks only. I ordered the Mangonada Jumbo Margarita and the Birria tacos with a side of rice. The tacos were lacking flavor. My coworkers had the enchiladas and Al pastor tacos and said they were great. I know it's hard to find good Birria tacos so next time I'm in town I'll try something else on the menu to see if it was what I ordered. I really enjoyed the margarita! read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Jumbo Mangonada Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I'm sorry, any time a restaurant charges for carbonate water it gives me a bad taste in my mouth because it's a money grab. This place charged me $3.00 for a "coke" when I didn't order any coke but rather water that is carbonated. Just a turn off. Service was ok. I enjoyed that there was a patio on a nice night but the continuous trucks on 23 made it less enjoyable. Definitely won't be back. read more

Stay away from El Vaquero in Shawnee Hills, twice I went there and within one week, my visa was hacked into and I talked with other people, that had the same thing happen to them! read more

I cannot deny the fact that every time I go to an authentic Mexican restaurant I order a Steak Fajita Quesadilla. Majority of the Mexican restaurants I go to don't have this as an actual menu item, but they always make it for me. Here it was made just perfect, very simple but perfect. I went here for dinner with my boyfriends family, we ordered a pitcher of margarita and we ate tons of chips and cheese. It's very clean and quiet in the restaurant, the bathrooms are also really nice and clean. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I ordered Pollo a la Diabla chicken as I have many times in El Vaquero restaurants in Columbus and Delaware, OH. When I picked it up, the receipt confirmed it was Pollo a la Diabla. I get it home and this was what they gave me. I have no idea what it is, but if you've had the dish I ordere at any of their other locations, this isn't it! Very disappointing. Make sure you open the takeout boxes before leaving to ensure you're getting what you actually ordered. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Mystery dish. Not the Pollo a la Diabla I ordered if you've had it at any other El Vaquero location. - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I have been wanting to try this "new" Mexican restaurant and today was the day. Stopped in for lunch and I must say this has to be just about, if not  the cleanest restaurant I have ever been. But to my surprise, with it being lunch time the place was almost totally empty except for 4 other people. I ordered the Chorizo bowl with a side of refried beans strictly because of the name. But WOW what a dish. I thought they forgot the side of beans, but no, they were literally in the bottom of the bowl with the rest of the ingredients piled on top. Served with 3 tortillas. I will definitely go back read more

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One of the worst El Vaquero experiences I've ever had. No manager on duty. Only 2 people serving. One of the 2 was also making the drinks, which were not good at all. The Mules were missing the ginger beer, all sour mix. We ordered frozen Piña coladas, received them on the rocks, when we approached the server about the wrong order he told us, "no...that's what you ordered" and refused to fix it. They gave us the wrong food for 2 of our orders and didn't fix it or refund it on our checks cause the "manager was not on duty." They also placed us as a table under a air conditioning vent that was missing the deflector, so it blasted on us and our food the entire experience. Again, no help from anyone working. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - The vent blasting cold air on our food/us vs the vents above other tables. - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Really enjoyed this place. We had a beautiful day, and they have a nice sized patio. They have frozen and on the rocks Margaritas. The frozen peach was amazing. I also tried the Blue one, didn't have as much flavor as the Mango. The Chicken Fajitas were fresh and came with classic sides. My husband loved his Carne Bowl. He really loved that they had different flavored bowls and not just tacos/burritos or something just stuffed in a wrap. Defiantly something different to try out. Service was friendly and efficient. read more

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Soo good ! Authentic food and great quality . A great selection of hand crafted cocktails too! read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - San Pancho Birria Bowl - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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My husband and I drove by the Adobe Agave sign for weeks and weeks waiting for the opening. Since then we find ourselves there at least once a week. Lately, I've taken to meeting friends and colleagues there for lunch meetings, because the staff is so present and accommodating! The usual staffing and service hiccups that hit most places in the beginning missed this place far and wide. I never worry about scheduling a meet-up there, because the staff is so patient and flexible. And the food doesn't disappoint either! I've had the birria bowl, the enchiladas, the chimichangas, the tacos, the margaritas, the palomas, and nearly all of the dips, and there is not one thing lacking. It's an atmosphere of wanting to make sure you leave happy, and if that was the owner's goal, they hit the mark and then some. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Happy Hour jumbo margarita. Lime, on the rocks. - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

The food is incredible. Birria is my favorite thing here, hands down. The enchiladas are also divine. Big margs, tasty too! The service is great, all are so nice. They even helped me get my Grammy inside (she's on a walker, it kept getting caught on the rug). Love this place. read more

The food was so BAD we couldn't eat it!!!! When they first open on Olentangy Road the food was so good!!

This place has become one of my favorites. The food is always on point with a lot of menu items. Their jumbo margaritas are top notch. Service is constantly excellent and the kitchen has the food ready very quickly. read more

So, for the options in the area probably a 5 star, in general 3. Salsa is great, guacamole average. The premium margarita is good, definitely above average. The nachos came without jalapeños- disappointing- bit the shrimp quesadilla was solid. Over priced for the quality, but again...for the area, pretty good. read more

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This used to be our favorite place to go. They have become completely unreliable and inconsistent. We order from here 1-2x a week. The staff rarely answer the phone. The store hours are never accurate as the employees will just leave early whenever they want. This happens at random times weekly. Store was supposed to be open and it was 2 hours before close, the host said I'm sorry all the cooks left for the night. This has become common. The food quality has increasingly changed also. Takeout was prepped a certain way and now you will get lettuce on top of your rice or guac on top of your beans. It is random. Their food is fantastic when it's fresh and prepared how it used to be. But this location is lacking quality management. For the cost of food the service and food quality has diminished significantly. Sad to see our favorite place to go falling apart. read more

We went for lunch today. Open Monday! The food was fantastic. Great murals too! We shared a meal and had cheese and chips and were full. We went early so it wasn't busy yet. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Murals are fun too! - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Can't wait to eat here again! Beautiful, clean, and friendly atmosphere with healthy fresh food. The Premium Margarita was the best that I have ever had. I would go back again for that alone. Wish that I lived a little closer to the restaurant...I would enjoy going there for lunch and dinner every week, multiple times a week. If you are health conscious, and enjoy freshly prepared food, try a variety of dishes and discover your favorite. I highly recommend! read more

Excellent! We have been there twice so far. Food, drinks, atmosphere are all great! Oder the Jumbo margarita and you will love it. Prices are very good. Service is friendly and quick. Chicken Chimichanga wonderful! Chicken Quesadilla wonderful. Place is new and fresh. Big space. Food is fresh and Hot. Will go back often. read more

This is a great locally owned Mexican restaurant. The staff is always friendly and I've thoroughly enjoyed every meal I've ordered. I love their outside seating option and they have a nice selection of tequilas! Highly recommend! read more

Excellent service and very flavorful food, I had the lunch burrito it's rice and black beans . It was delicious. Waiter said they are focused on fresh. We would definitely go back read more

Tried this new local Mexican restaurant, which just opened 2 months ago. Never had a chance to try their sister restaurant, Agave. I had the Pollo Tlaxcala $16.99 (you can see a picture and their menu here: https://orderonline.bistroux.com/carryout?name=elvaqueroWorthington#menuCategory_5922 I typically stick to burritos, enchiladas or tacos but decided to try this instead. It was a very tasty combo of ingredients and very filling. Wife had the chile relleno combo which was a good size and loaded with picadillo. She liked the rice but the beans were just ok. Also had the cheese dip which was good. Nice homemade chips and a good table salsa(wasn't charged a la carte as others mentioned but maybe it was because they only had drinks and not a meal). I don't typically give 5 stars unless it knocks my socks off. We will definitely be back as I want to try other menu items. read more

What a cool spot! Great service, delicious food, and a nice atmosphere. We tried Adobe Agave for the first time for lunch today and look forward to returning-- not just because we enjoyed it, but because I am particularly eager to explore the cocktail menu... read more

First time here and hope to be back soon. Lunch portions were nice-sized, tasted great and the staff was friendly. Chips and salsa aren't free, but that's fine. Others have ruined free chips and salsa at some Mexican restaurants. You, who order water with lemon, eat seven baskets of chips, but purchase a kid's meal to split, then leave a 10% tip. You know who you are. read more