Love this place! We celebrated my friend's bday here last Sunday and had the best time. Food was great, prices are reasonable, and they are very kid friendly. My son was able to get corn dogs and fries and they even brought him free ice cream after his meal. There are various deals for kids throughout the week so we will definitely be back for that. The staff came out to sing to my friend and it was super fun. Definitely recommend! read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Staff singing happy bday - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

The food is great but they're doing a surcharge for credit cards now. Nothing makes me angrier than that! Shame on you and your greediness, El Vaquero. I'll just go to Taco Bell next time. read more

Updated booths/refreshed interior since last time we were in and honestly not sure when that was! Fresh food and attentive service. Enjoyed our time. Appreciate the vegan offerings. read more

Tried the new quesabirria tacos from El Vaquero, which were basically Birria tacos with cheese! I especially liked how there were lots of onions and cilantro in the dipping sauce. You could choose from a number of sides so I chose the guac salad to get some greens in. If you're seriously hungry for some meat then the carne asada is a great option as well! It came sizzling hot with grilled pepper and onions, as well as beans, salad, and tortillas for wrapping! Free chips are always a plus and I liked how the chips were not too salty. The lime margarita was slightly strong but was missing the salt rim. They have happy hour from 4-8pm so definitely would be good if you like their drinks! They also have taco deals on Mondays and Tuesdays. Service was quick although a bit brisk and there was lots of indoor and outdoor seating. read more

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I have come to this restaurant often over the years and I have no complaints. It is spacious and perfect for large groups. The prices are fair and the food is great. The staff are attentive and friendly. On my most recent visit, I had the pozole which is really tasty albeit a little small. But overall, great food and great service and a nice friendly environment. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Bowl of 83. Pozole Soup - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

El Vaquero is a classic Mexican restaurant, with an extensive menu of both food and drinks. We had the burrito California and las Marias. The mole sauce on las marias was delicious! We enjoyed the chips and salsa provided to the table as well, though wish the salsa was a little thicker/chunkier. The portion sizes were big and the prices were very reasonable. Our service was good and the restaurant had great ambiance with plenty of space/seating. I found it very interesting how they have a happy hour that is basically all day after lunch! Will definitely visit El Vaquero again, especially in the summer when the patio is open! read more

The food quality is pretty good. Although their prices are quite expensive. I don't drink alcohol. So I ordered a Sprite. After I finish my Sprite, I saw they had cherry Coke my favorite so I asked the waiter if I could have a cherry Coke next he brought it. They charged me another $3.49. my wife and I eat out five days a week. I've never had any other restaurant do that. Oh well live and learn. read more

Yum! Always delicious and always wonderful service. They also have happy hour every day from 4-8 which means great prices on beer and margaritas. We ordered a California burrito and Pollo nayarit. Portions sizes were generous and the cheese on the Pollo nayarit was incredible! read more

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

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Don't flirt with customers. Did not appreciate this welcome from the host. Beyond that, this El Vaquero has a very large menu, with a large number of options for every meat choice as well as a sizable vegetarian menu. Many dishes include a choice of "side," but it took us several minutes to finally find that these choices are just rice, beans, and guacamole salad. Skip this paragraph if you don't want an unappetizing TMI: This food made us all pretty gassy afterward. I am a huge fan and regular consumer of Mexican food and did not have anything spicy, though I'm good with spice anyway. We all had different dishes and protein choices and not all of us ate beans. I almost never get gassy. I don't know what caused it, but this isn't normal. The food in general was not great, not worth the cost. I wish I thought to take a photo or ask the server to throw it away, but the verde hot sauce I almost used was moldy on the rim and in the cap. I created a combo of a hard beef taco and chile relleno. I should have expected a combo taco to be Americanized, but it was just meat, cheese, and lettuce. The beef was greasy and salty as heck, with a stale hard shell. The chile relleno was good for what I could eat, but the end was burnt? gone bad? idk but it was uncuttable to the point I thought it was the stem at first. A fourth of it was also not deseeded. Other than that, I appreciated that they didn't over batter the pepper, because that's something I see at a lot at other places, which causes it to be too spongey. My friends both got different vegetarian dishes, which they thought were okay but also not worth the price or aftermath. Between the service and the food, I will definitely not be returning to this location. It has better locations. The only thing it has going for it is the decor and size of the menu. read more

I came in here kinda hungry and left VERY full. This place was popping since it was around peak dinner time, yet we were seated immediately. Maybe 30 seconds passed before chips and salsa were in front of us and another 30 seconds until our waiter got our drinks. Our food was brought out so fast too!! I couldn't believe it considering how busy it was. Kudos to the quick staff! I ordered the El Vaquero Bowl, which was good but more soupy than I was expecting. The cheese in the sauce was pretty pronounced. It came with tortillas, but I didn't feel the need to use them. I probably wouldn't order it again, but it definitely filled me up! The serving size and prices here are pretty hard to beat. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - 26. El Vaquero Bowl - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

The food was spot on. The customer service is very persistent and quick. I'm extremely impressed and would recommend to anyone in consideration of this place read more

My usual El Vaquero is the one off of Olentangy River Rd... but this El Vaq off of 161 can be more convenient for us when we have shopping to do off of Sawmill Rd. This location is cleaner, less busy, and overall easier to eat at... but the one thing that keeps them from being our preferred El Vaquero is their salsa. I can't quite put my finger on why exactly, but the salsa here is not the same as the salsa at the Olentangy or Riverside Dr El Vaquero. It's definitely inferior. Tonight especially, the salsa seemed watered down. Really a bummer.... you'd think they'd have the same salsa across all locations. read more

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

What a great Mexican restaurant! All of the food is delicious and everybody that's been is always raving about this place. The service is amazing and the workers are all very kind. The atmosphere of this establishment is very calm and kid friendly. read more

The food was fine. I just wish we could order a fave and get what we were expecting. The queso fundido with chorizo used to come sizzling hot, and this time it came in a bowl with some oil on top that I would not identify as chorizo fat. My spinach enchiladas were described as being topped with cheese sauce, and what came was a drizzle on some dry tortillas. It was fine. We'll be back, but maybe not soon. read more

I went today with my sister-in-law and we had an issue. We notified our waiter of the issue and instantly, their manager, Javier, was on his way to our table. He was eager to help fix our problem, and willing to do whatever it took to keep us as loyal customers. We spoke with him for about 20 minutes and found out he is not just an amazing manager, but an amazing person. I would recommend this location to anyone in the area looking for good food with phenomenal service! read more

I hate to do this but what a terrible service. Our server was so disconnected, not even polite. We asked her questions about the menu and her responses were not friendly or helpful, the worst one was when we asked her how big was the bowl of soup and her response was "it's big" with a nasty attitude. We order a small bowl of pozole ignoring her behavior and it never was served. They brought the food and just before we were finished she said we missed the soup right? I told her "yes, but I think we don't need it anymore" her response was "I have to bring it because I ordered it" so I thought "what!? You made a mistake, not me". Anyways the food was ok, nothing impressive, but good enough to not complain. If you ask me, I won't come back. The servers were yelling to each other from left to right work related things. We entered to the restaurant at 9:15pm, the website says the restaurant close at 11 I don't know why the server were acting like they were about to close, at 10pm turned off the music, staring cleaning the floors; so do they close at 10pm or 11pm? Clean that mess with the hours please and make your server be at least polite. I know this restaurant is a franchise and I'm not planning to have the same experience somewhere else. And remember we are paying for the food, is not for free. read more

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First time trying food from here. My sister took me here for my birthday dinner and we enjoyed it very much. Place was clean and lively and most importantly-the food was delicious. We'll definitely be back and recommend this place for delicious Mexican food. read more

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Usually here for a big group event and the event room is a wonderful size and great place to have any kind of meeting. The margaritas are delicious--try the spicy pineapple one! and the food is pretty good!! I'm not going to say it's great, but for a large restaurant like this, and we had a group of about 40 women.... this is a delicious option and the food is very tasty and cooked well. The prices are great and the environment is lovely as well. The service was a little slow, but again... we had a large group & they got through us all... slowly and surely, and they didn't mess up any checks! Great :) read more

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

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Ordered two Tortas From here to go. My cashier was a male with a birth mark on this right eye that looked like a burn mark. Was surprised when told that the tortas didn't' come with red or green sauce. (salsa Verde and Roja). Asked him if I can get one of each. He tells me its 3$ for the sauces. I pulled my card out trying to pay. While paying I told him how it was weird that they didn't give the salsa with the sandwich. every other Mexican restaurant always gives the sauce with the sandwich. He was super rude and told me "You either want it, or you don't". that is not how you talk to a paying customer. He could have said anything along the lines of "it's our policy". or "we don't do give it for free because its good quality". but telling me "You either want it, or you don't" while I'm literally trying to swipe my card is super rude and unprofessional. Will never go back to this specific spot. read more

The food was no good at all. Period point blank, I can see why not a single person was there on a Wednesday afternoon, I mean the parking lot was EMPTY. read more

Just another chain Mexican restaurant. They have pretty good food and margaritas (unless it's National Marg Day) when I'm craving that sort of thing. I have been to this El Vaquero multiple times now that I live pretty close to it. I've had many different experiences each time as well. The waitresses are okay, one time I had to walk into the kitchen to find our waitress to bring us the check. My most recent experience was on National Margarita day. I was with my girlfriend and her friend. Of course we ordered margs that evening and they came out in plastic cups and seemed to only have the sour mixer in them (these were not good at all). They also had the women's restroom closed so everyone was using the men's room, which I found odd and so did everyone else that was using it. One thing that has changed for the better is the layout of their tables and booths. It looks much better now! I think they have also lightened up the inside too, it used to be very dark inside the first few times I was there. They are also redoing their outside patio area so that should look nice if its done in time. read more

One of my favorite Mexican places I have had in Columbus. The tacos and enchiladas are so good and hearty. I love the white cheese on my tacos verse the mixed cheese. It adds more flavor. They were so nice and friendly and the prices were affordable. Definitely will be back here soon read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Tacos and enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

My son and 2 friends were eating dinner. My son, who is 15, was very clear with his server that he has food allergies and absolutely NO CHEESE. The server brought their food. Unbeknownst to my son, there was cheese under the lettuce on his tacos. He took 2 bites before developing signs of anaphylaxis. Mistakes happen-this is not to bash on the kitchen-what transpired next is the kicker: He called the squad and told them he could meet them out front. The staff at the restaurant TOOK MY SON'S DEBIT CARD and would not allow him to meet the ambulance until he paid. For the food. That almost killed him. My son is alright. I called and spoke to Javier, the general manager, and he said he had no idea there was an ambulance at the location. Really? Didn't see those flashing red lights that were in front of your building for 30 minutes? Nope-was in the office working on payroll. I've worked in food service. You bet if there was an ambulance, which 2 of the staff members were watching, the manager on duty would be informed. He said he was short staffed and his staff didn't see the ambulance, either. Again, having worked in food service, if you're short staffed, the manager is helping-not sitting on his butt in the office. So, long story short-could have ended much worse, but could have been handled so much better by the staff of the restaurant. You had a scared 15 year old kid having a medical emergency caused by your restaurant. What if that was your kid? Shout out to Columbus Fire who responded promptly and kept my son calm and cared for until I could get there. read more

The cheese fondue with shrimp was a work of art! Sadly, we ordered togo and most it it ended up spilled in the bag, but that didn't stop me from licking up every drop. The rest of the food was everything you'd expect from Mexican food. We ordered the chimichangas and fajitas through a third party delivery carrier, so the food arrived a bit cold, but still loaded with flavor. If you're looking for something more authentic than Taco Bell, this is your spot! Fulfilling and reasonably priced. read more

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

Was kicked out a few minutes before they even closed. At 9:55 the waitress told us we "had two more minutes". I'm sorry? We had been there since 9:00, respectful the entire time, and were close to finishing anyway. But dang they were so rude about it and were literally staring at us starting at 9:30. It could not have been anymore uncomfortable. read more

They have a great Covid set up and are willing to fix anything wrong with your meal. The food was good, we're pretty critical of mexican food and the food was just good. Nothing was overly spectacular about any of it, the salsa was a little runny but good. Chips were a little thick for our taste. Enchiladas were good but the sauce was bland. But the meat and the tortilla made up for it. I had the combo, taco was good but meat was bland, and the burrito I got was suppose to be bean but it was beef instead. Wasn't terrible but def a little bland. Overall good mexican food but not at the top of our list to run back too. read more

After having a horrible experience down the street at another restaurant we decided to check out this location. I have frequented 3 other locations over the past 15 years, but this was my first time here. Monday afternoon at 3pm the place is empty. Extremely friendly and attentive staff. We came in to unwind and just order drinks and a snack to catch up on old times, my friend and I. The waiter took our drink and food order. He came back numerous times, but never interrupted and was an obvious pro at watching his tables needs. I ordered a small lime house margarita. Whether it was because of the bad restaurant we had just escaped from or the drink itself, this was the best margarita I have every had. Hands down. Guacamole and cheese dip satisfied us for the rest of our stay. I did get dessert too and I was not disappointed. Strawberry drizzled over warm Sopapillas was a perfect ending to a birthday dinner that started poorly elsewhere. What a great location. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Small frozen house like margarita with salt. Best margarita I have even had. - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Sweetie wanted Mexican and this was nearby (always a consideration with a kid- convenience.) We'd been to other locations, of course, and knew about what to expect. And we got it: decent Tex-Mex, not amazing but not bad. Service was also decent, though not great (we did notice they were starting to get busy.) Decor is nice- dark, fancy, with comfortable seating. The menu is huge, and they have all the usuals plus a few specialties. She got bean dip and a cheese quesadilla, and said it was good. I had the cochoncitos pilar (I think; close to that, anyway)- marinated, roasted pork over rice, with tortillas. Not enough tortillas, and I could have asked for more but I just ate the meat and rice with a fork. Tender, plentiful small chunks of pork. Not as flavorful as I'd hoped, but not bad. Comes with beans, a little guac and lettuce, etc. Good enough, nothing special. Tuesdays kids eat free, so we got Baby K her first kid's meal. She didn't eat much of it, of course, but she liked the (very bland, naturally) chicken soft taco, rice, and beans. She (and we) also liked the tortilla chips and salsa. All in all, decent, no surprises, and pretty cheap. That's what you need sometimes, after shopping with a baby. read more

Our family eats at one of the el vaqueros at least 2 times a month. We love el vaquero and always refer people to them.

Updating my review to reaffirm my 1 star rating. After my previous review, the owner contacted me offering a giftcard. I gave my address and nothing was ever sent. Gave them another shot, ordered to go. My guacamole was brown and inedible, and the pork burrito had more fat than actual edible meat. The $3.99 cheese dip came in a small 2 oz cup. Never going back read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Inedible brown guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I am SO disappointed to put this review out there. But it needs to be said because this has happened now more than once. Customer service and food quality are extremely horrible. Been coming here for 3 years and no issue. All of a sudden, the same dishes we've gotten have been completely different and the spice level is completely out of this world. And when we address the issue, we're told were wrong and that we don't know what we're talking about. This establishment needs to take a long hard look at themselves and realize that telling a customer they're wrong and not trying to rectify the issue is extremely bad service. Also, giving us hard tortillas was just the icing on the cake. I will never come here again and will deter anyone who wants to go there away. read more

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

have a pick up order today at this restaurant and after waiting 20 mins, i kindly asked the staff how long it would take, they told me they dont know, if i can not wait, then i can leave. Wow, thats how you guys do business? treated customer like a joke? the staff so rude and uneducated, especially the guy with port wine stain on half of his face, he keep cursing me out, using the bad word, he should be in the gang, not the restaurant. Horrible service. Please fire this guy immediately, he made your restaurant looks trashy. Read another negative reviews and feel like thats not his first time treating people like sh*t, also lying he's the manager there. read more

I love this place Great service Great prices Great staff I love the menu , it's huge They can get crowded depending on when you go The Beer is some of the coldest I've had in town ! Great authentic Mexican read more

This is the first location I've been to in about 15 years. All booth seating, which I love. Warm chips and salsa served while you wait. The salsa was tasty. My mom and I ordered the spinach enchiladas, and they were the best I've had! I love the way the spinach is on top of the enchiladas, and they also mix in tomato and onion. I ordered beans as one of my sides, but was brought rice instead. It was ok, because they rectified quickly, but once I tried the beans, they were way too salty to eat. We mentioned this to our server and she seemed appreciative that we told her, and said she would alert the kitchen. The margaritas are on point, and our server was very friendly. I would go back. read more

Well, I've been back a few times since my last review and honestly, won't be going back to this location. Whenever we would go the service would be "decent" nothing really over the top and nothing dreadful. The food was always on the ok side, but good enough to keep us coming back. This past visit, yeah the service was finally dreadful. Made one request with my meal and the waitress actually did the opposite. Never stopped to ask how dinner was, and honestly never did ask about our meal. The taco's I received were FULL TO THE BRIM with taco meat with barely any cheese. I did specifically request less meat and extra cheese, so not so happy there. Overall the meat was bland and having an excess just make it very unpalatable. The salsa was typical, so no new comment on that. Overall i wouldn't recommend this location. read more

Just had an awful experience at El Vaquero on 161! I will never return. The new website based menu lists Texas as a flavored margarita. The Happy Hour has Jumbo Flavored Margarita @ $7.99, and regular price for Texas is $14.39. We just got charged full price for 4 Jumbo Texas Margaritas during HH. I was so pissed that I was just going to pay the bill and never return. Tracy approached the Hostess to question the bill. She was offered $10 off and a $20 GC. The Hostess and server returned to discuss the bill. The "manager" stayed hidden. They told me that despite what the electronic menus stated the my bill was correct. I asked to speak to the manager and was told that he was busy. At this time they did not offer the "discount" or the GC. I stated that I would pay the bill and never return. I used to like it there! It's such a shame as it is in walking distance read more

Worst El Vaquero in the city. Horrible customer service, the order was wrong, and food was very bland. It didn't even match the description of the item in the menu. Came with 3 tortillas. Finally managed to ask for extra tortillas as the waitress was walking past; she didn't even stop, kept walking, but I guess she did hear and brought them. Oh yeah and they charge extra for the tortillas. I will never go back to this location. read more

Not a bad little Mexican spot! It was. Clean and food was good! Not the best food but good food that I was happy with.

*Dishonest Business* Don't get me wrong,the food and drinks were fine. The problem arose when I received my bill and noticed an appetizer wasn't discounted for happy-hour which was fine and promptly corrected. When my bill was returned I noticed 2 of my other items were priced $2-$3 over what the menu stated. I returned and asked my server why he was overcharging me. He told me it was simply a mistake and that he didn't know the prices. I asked to speak to someone above him who could fix my bill and was told by another server he was the OWNER. I asked him why he was charging me $10 more than my friends and he had no response. I ended up paying the corrected bill and will not be returning. The fact the owner is overcharging customers is untrustworthy and complete thievery. read more

Staff was awesome and friendly, our food came out very quickly and was DELICIOUS. We were very happy with our service, and thought the quality of our meal surpassed the prices. We will definitely be back! read more