The worst service I've ever had as a customer at any restaurant. ordered for pick up at 5:00. said it would be ready at 6:02. showed up at 6:00. It is 7:30 and they have been saying it will be ready in 5 minutes the whole time. terrible service. no communication. Don't order pick up here if you want to actually get your food. read more

One of the better Tex Mex options in Columbus and this location is the best of the available El Vaqueros. Agree with the negative reviews on the takeout service, don't recommend, dining in is where the quality experience is at. As someone who regularly travels between Dallas and Columbus, this location had excellent Tex Mex and the current Yelp reviews are not accurate to the quality of the food and staff which are fantastic. Recommend the queso, flautas, the margs, and pollo marinado. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Jumbo Frozen Mango Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Powell, Ohio

Always has been one of our faves but a bit disappointed in today's visit. Menus were very dirty, staff was not as friendly as in the past. And their lack of NA beverages is disappointing. Was really looking forward to a Corona 0.0 but they had none. Was going to settle for a Heineken 0.0. Again they had none and not even a non-alcoholic margarita option. Food was typical but nothing to write home about. Luckily the weather was great so we enjoyed a nice evening outside sipping on our water. read more

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Beyond their delicious tacos and tasty margaritas, I got to check out some of their dishes last week, and I especially loved their Camarones Veracruz: grilled shrimp and veggies over a bed of brown Mexican rice, topped with their signature spicy cheese sauce! The shrimp was cooked perfectly and I enjoyed the sauce a lot~ read more

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Sad. I feel like I'm experiencing the end of an era. Loved El Vaq for years. Didn't even answer the phones tonight. Called Perimeter location and they said it may be closed. read more

This location is definitely not as good as other El Vaqueros I have been to. Seems disorganized and not as clean as I would like a restaurant to be. We waited about 15 minutes after being seated for a waiter to come to our table, and then he said he wasn't actually our waiter and would find someone to wait on us. The margaritas and yummy guacamole saved the whole meal, but chicken adobe entree was tough, flavorless, and served lukewarm. Fajitas did look good (and hot) and if I was planning to come back here I would be sure to get those. read more

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Avoid this location at all costs if its close to lunch or dinner. The check out process is a chaotic mess. For some bizarre reason this place makes people pay at the counter. So at the front counter there's people trying to get seats in the restaurant, picking up takeout and trying to pay. Expect 5-10 minute waits when arriving and when leaving. Also if ordering takeout theres about a 25% chance your order will be correct and still warm when you get it. The hostesses comment to a customer who was waiting for 15 minutes only to receive the wrong order was "you need to be patient, we're busy" The food is ok at best, but I've never witnessed a more poorly run restaurant. read more

We used to love this place. The margaritas were the best in town, and the food was delicious and reasonably priced. I visited 2 weeks ago and had a disappointing margarita and some mediocre enchiladas. I decided to give it another try tonight. My wife got the shrimp fajitas, which were overdone, again... Even when she asked that the vegetables not be overcooked to sogginess. And they cost over $22. I ordered a margarita, and it was so watered down I immediately sent it back. I figured I'd be safer with a beer. The waiter brought us our bill which totaled almost $90, and the only alcohol on the bill was a beer, 1 tequila and a Michelada. The menu features an Anejo and extra Anejo version of Patron and the extra Anejo seemed too light and straw colored for an extra. When checking the math on our bill, we were overcharged almost $17. Not planning on coming back. read more

Great, attentive service! The food was fresh off the grill and delicious and the drinks were perfect! Fun atmosphere for the entire family. We had a great visit at El Vaquero and can't wait to visit in the near future! read more

Order over the phone never comes out correct and you always have to wait longer than promised for it to be ready. So frustrating. Gonna quit coming here. read more

First time here because we were just visiting in town. Decent food and service. Nothing special. We sat outside.

Unfortunately the menu has been changed. I ordered a tostada and basically all I got was a flat tiny tortilla, beans, no rice at all, Lettece, no tomatoes, sour cream, etc. chicken was fatty. Tortilla was greasy. read more

We're from Texas and this is the best Tex Mex you can get in Columbus. Sorry... the other Powell Mexican restaurants aren't even close. The service is slow but they are friendly and always happy to accommodate. read more

We're regulars at this local Mexican restaurant in Dublin. Crowds can be pretty hectic, especially on the weekend. We came on a Tuesday at six and while we were seated immediately, it was pretty crowded. They've been working to include entertainment but could definitely do without the balloon guy. The loud whining from his machine was disruptive. The margaritas are always on point, just ask my wife. We had some fajitas, which were great. Flavor with a variety of toppings to complete the fajita. Daughter had the fajita quesadilla and it was 'perfection'. Service was prompt and friendly. Definitely a place that works with kids or friends after work. read more

I love this restaurant. They make the best chili Rellenos and guacamole that I've found. Their location on north Dublin Road always gets my delivery orders right and the restaurant itself has nice dining and patio areas. read more

Sat outside for 25 min and was only brought chips and salsa. Was ignored by server multiple when asking if we can order. never had worse service. Would give zero if i could read more

Very bad customer service . Staff was very rude . Food was over cooked or burnt I should say , salty too. Please stay away.

Only writing this review to draw attention to the management. Will take it back down if I get a reply of acknowledgement, I don't like to hurt businesses with a bad review, especially since covid hit our restaurants so badily. In this case I'm hoping to help. Disclaimer, if you dine in, no issues. Great service, staff, food is good and what you would expect. However take out and especially delivery is a night and day difference. Every order our family places will have missing items. At least one soup, salad, dip, etc... Is guaranteed to be missing. The past four orders, all missing at least one, often multiple sides/apps if you count refried beans and rice. If you order anything wrapped like taquitos, and you order steak tips, don't bother, it will be chicken. If you order for lunch, you'll get brown guac. Guak that looks even older than yesterday's. Don't order it. Now again, have never had this issue when dining in, but otherwise there is no quality control or order verification what so ever. We stopped ordering all together for 3-4 months only to try again today. Missing soups (the whole reason we ordered in the first place), brown guac, and everything chicken. Same old story. read more

They suck suck suck. They cannot tell you how long an order will take. They just look at you like you're stupid. It's not hard to go to the kitchen and see where the order is within the line. Very unorganized and unprofessional. I'll never come to or order from this restaurant again ever again. I can go to every other Mexican or El Vaquero (except Delaware) and have no issues. They apparently o my care about customers who give good reviews. read more

Don't know where to start from honestly! Long store short if ur looking for slow horrible service for mediocre Tex mex ur at the right spot . Not to mention the drinks are watered down enjoy! read more

Horrible!!! We as a family have been going here for almost 30 years and now my children and grandkids are going here as well. Today, 06/29/22, my wife and I took our grandson here for an early dinner to beat the rush. What we got was a blowoff by this 'restaurant'. We were the third group to sit down and we waited 30 minutes for our food. It was cold when it finally came. I told the waiter who said he would tell the manager. Another 15 minutes went by with nobody helping us. As we left hungry, I told the waiter and manager that I was not paying for anything. The manager gave me excuses and an apology but that was it. So, that was it for me too. We are very disappointed with the non-service we received. Don't go here unless you like your hot food cold and your service lousy. Nosmo read more

Food was very good. Went there for lunch to celebrate my granddaughters twenty first birthday. It's one of her favorite places for Mexican food. I like the decor and they have a large closed in patio for summer read more

It was AMAZING!! The waiters and waitresses are extremely kind and help you if you need it! We got our bill fast and the food was great!

The shrimp tacos are sad a depressing for $17. Do not go here. We waited 15 mins after getting water to order. The servers are running around for no reason. Overpriced. Again, don't go here. read more

We came here because we loved the El Vaquero off Riverside Drive where we used to live. We knew we would get good food, fast! with great service. This one was a little slower than what we were used to. We had to flag down the waitress to get another drink, get a box and our check. I'd understand if the restaurant was extremely busy, but there were plenty of open tables. Food was good and what we expected from El Vaquero. read more

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El Vaquero is one of those places that is like an old friend. You always know what you are going to get. The service is fast, the food is good, and the margaritas are why most people go there in the first place. The staff is friendly, attentive and will humor you when you say "Como estas?" as if you actually remember anything from high school Spanish. The menu has lots of selections to choose from, including pretty good vegetarian options. Although, after awhile, everything starts tasting the same. I wouldn't say the food is the best in the world, it is your pretty standard americanized Mexican food. But the dishes are large, relatively inexpensive and there is something for everyone. So back to the margaritas, you can have them on the rocks or frozen, with sizes from regular or jumbo to a small pitcher. They have several flavors of margaritas, but lime and mango are my favorite. They also have cold draft beer served in very large mugs, if that is the way you want to go. The place is very kid-friendly, at least the one in Shawnee Hills is, so if you come on a weekend be prepared to wait for a table if you arrive before 7:30. On Saturday's there is the balloon man there who will make balloon animals, hats or other shapes for the kids. Also, you can bring your significant other here on her/his birthday and they will make her wear a large sombrero, sing a Mexican birthday song to her, and wipe a bit of the whipped cream from the free dessert on her nose. Only complaint, the TV is always on ESPN, no matter what time of year. That's OK usually, but in the summer, when ESPN is showing women's college softball, and the Reds and Indians are on a different channel, please help me out. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Great Margaritas! - Mexican Near Me - Powell, Ohio

Time to update my review and take my rating down. Tonight's experience left much to be desired. I had not been here in awhile. Last time I tried to visit their parking lot was full. There is another parking lot across Dublin Road for overflow parking, but at that point decided to try somewhere else. Tonight, I was early enough before the dinner hour that there was plenty of parking. I had arrived at the same time as others had. So, there was a little bit of a queue. Patrons did not have to wait long to be seated. Chips and salsa were delivered promptly. The menu has been reworked since my last visit. They have shortened the menu, but still many of the same entrees. Prices are competitive. I recommend using the menu item numbers when ordering to avoid confusion. I ordered my usual chimichanga supreme (#152) and my dining partner ordered the carnitas (#36). Meals were slower than normal coming out of the kitchen yet the restaurant was less than half full. Our meals arrived. Portions are smaller than what they have been, but still quite filling. I ordered the chicken version for the chimichangas. After eating the first of two, I found that the second one was beef. Disappointing that it was not what I ordered. As for the carnitas, the pork was burnt and the flour tortilla's were all soggy. They did promptly replace them after we called it to their attention. A side of chipotle sauce had been ordered with the meal, but was forgotten when the dinners arrived. We had to request the sauce again. And my water glass ran empty halfway through the meal. It was only after finishing up the meal that someone came up to the table and asked if I wanted more water. Their wait staff are spread too thin. There were plenty of servers and runners about. All were running quite a bit, too. They must use some sequential order for assign servers, instead of rotating seating by stations. Our waiter was serving tables in the bar area, outside on the patio and along the back wall while we were seated upfront next to their kitchen. I noticed other servers were also waiting tables in different locations. The issue is the servers cannot keep an eye on all their tables because as they are spread so far apart. It took forever to get our bill! There are a lot of different Mexican restaurants to choose from. El Vaquero has been around in Columbus area for some time, but with so many other options now available, I will likely choose a place that has better service and gets your meals right the next time. read more

We LOVE El Vaquero on Dublin Rd! The food is consistantly good and the people are awesome! This location is newly built and the nicest one in the Vaquero family. I'm vegan and order #6 without the cheese or sour cream and load it up with salsa for a tasty meal. The newly remodeled patio is fabulous! I can't wait for summer when the doors are opened and the ducks waddle over to eat the chips tossed to hem! read more

We ordered takeout last night with: super burro with steak, side of queso; chicken fajitas with queso and strawberry and mango frozen margaritas. Food was ready in less than 30 minutes, and offered 2 good-sized servings of chips. Ordered online so didn't have to do anything but pick up our order. They did a good job inside of putting orders on the tables spaced apart. They also had separate tables for Doordash and Grubhub, making the system easy to understand. read more

Two strikes your out. The last two takeout orders have been pitiful and horrible. I wish you could earn a 0 star rating Shawnee Hills El Vaquero. In general, from these two experiences I can confidently say the staff is rude and unprofessional and their ability to get a takeout order right is limited. The second to last takeout order we went to pick up as a family. Per the website it said it would be ready at 5:15. We arrived at 5:30. It was 6:15 and our food was still not out. When asking the staff where it was no one could tell me. When I asked them to cancel the order they rudely did. Once I got my credit card bill they did manage to accept the 3 dollar tip . After calling and saying they would credit it they never did. I had to dispute with my credit card company to get my money back. The last experience they overcharged us at least $4 on a takeout order. When asking them about the charges the "manager " came out and rudely explained their reasoning. Online was one price and by phone another. $3.60 for a side cup of cheese versus $1 online. Supposedly I did not specify I wanted the combo pricing versus side pricing. I left in frustration even after showing them the difference online versus call in. When I got home I found out they messed up my order and shorted me 2 sides. El Vaquero Shawnee Hills you have lost my business for life. read more

Beware ordering curbside from them. We had to order online for this service- no problem. Then my daughter notified them when she was in the parking lot and waited 20 mins even though the message said "we will be right out with your order!" I called them to ask about the delay and they said it wasn't ready yet, but then took the order out immediately after my call. Needless to say, everything was stone cold. read more

I was very pleasantly surprised at how delicious my meal was! I had the Del Mar on 2 occasions. The portion of shrimp was very generous and the flavor was great. The Pico & Guacamole were also fresh and yummy. On-line ordering was easy and efficient and they got it all right and on-time! read more

The food was delicious. What I hate more than anything if you choose a restaurant to pickup from, and grub hub gets involved. Why? It has nothing to do with me ordering directly!! The restaurant should benefit only, if I pic up myself!! Hate this. I will only order from the restaurant directly. Using their website. read more

Fajitas are awesome and they have Ballast Point sculpin on tap! Atmosphere gets a little weird late at night. But for lunch it's nice

We went there for restaurant week. usually we go to Don Tequila (and will continue). we had three waiters and not one of them spoke English. The manager knew nothing about restaurant week even though they advertise for it. after it taking 15 minutes to order the food because they didn't understand English.. then they gave our food to the wrong table. when we finally got our food it was bland, cold and over priced. we never got our dessert that we paid for. There are wonderful places in Columbus to enjoy some good Mexican food with friendly and knowledgeable staff. However, this is NOT one of those places. Trust us..Go somewhere else. read more

Last three times ordering have been a mess. Twice we ordered to-go food while waiting at the bar and both times food took an hour. We get it via DoorDash quicker. Problem with their DoorDash orders is they're guaranteed to be missing items or incorrect. At least with DoorDash we can lodge a complaint with them. We have not done actual in-restaurat table service, hopefully that isn't as bad. read more

We have been regulars here for years - appreciate the staff treating us like family every time we walk in. Especially Griseldo and Vicky at the bar. Margaritas are great - and love their table side guacamole. A great place for families, date night or dinner with friends! read more

First time for these folks on planet earth?!? Shut er down! No one knew their ---- from a hole in the ground! Had to go get server to take our order. Did not replenish chips or get us separate bowls as requested. Did not bring extra condiments as requested for dinner. I had to go get my to-go containers myself to put food in for the table. Saw others do the same thing. They would not bring bill. I went to cashier to pay and tell them they wouldn't bring the bill and I couldn't wait any longer. There were 5 others at the register that said the same thing. No one came back with the bill. So they waited at the register and still no one came up. I saw two families walk out b/c they couldn't wait any longer. Smallest tip I had ever given anyone in my life! read more

Ate at the Shawnee Hills location last night in the patio. Ordered large Margarita and the condensation from the table let the drink spill all over me. They replaced my drink. The food Portions were extremely small like they didn't have enough to go around. Don't think we'll be eating at this location again! read more

Have at this since childhood. I have just two words. So. Good. I think this place is very family friendly and is great for people who just are craving tacos. read more