Why did we go eat at a Mexican restaurant on Cinco de Mayo? Note to self: Stay home next Cinco de Mayo! Restaurant was overly busy, we had to wait soooo long to be seated and the food took a long time to come out as well. The place was so busy! Busy is an understatement, it was jammed packed! My husband dropped me off to go put my name in because there was no parking. It was raining too; which made everyone crowd inside with no where to stand without impeding the staff. There were at least 6-10 people just standing around by the door and it was a very hectic scene! The phone rang non stop and there were 3 employees talking to 3 different people. This poor girl behind the counter looked like she wanted to quit her job and run out the door. I waited patiently watching the loud chaos unfold and had to finally get someone's attention to put my name in after 10 minutes. A very rude and tall lady who cut in front of everyone was going on and on about a specific waitress she wanted to serve a group. She kept talking and explaining how she wanted her dinning experience to be as if there was no one in line waiting. Everyone was gaving her a mean look, annoyed at her privileged behavior. After she was done, I asked how long was the wait and someone finally gave me an iPad where I was able to put in my name and phone number so they can text me when it my table was available. I was told the wait time was 40-45 minutes. We left and hurried back after 45 minutes. Once again, the place was packed. I was in the same chaotic predicament: pressed up against someone by the front door trying to get to the front; to talk to a staff. I tried to get someone's attention, anyone, and the employees were busy behind the counter, ignoring me. Finally, I asked in my loudest voice "how much longer is the wait?" She asked me my name and said I had 4 people ahead of me, it would have been 6 but 2 left and did not come back. I was floored! 4 parties ahead of me ??? That could mean an hour!!! I decided to patiently wait except It felt so crowded. There was a very large man standing by the door who blocked the whole door. There was really no where to stand and the fact that it was raining made it worse. There was a tent with a few tables they put up that took up 2 parking spots. I'm guessing it's for extra seating. We stood under the tent but it was also crowded and we were still in the way. I felt very claustrophobic! I was thinking in my head " I should have ordered to go", just then a gentleman who was waiting next to me asked how much longer was his to go order. He has waited over 30 mns. That squashed my previous thought completely! After 15 mns. They finally called my name! Yes!!! Thank goodness! We put I. Our order asap. I ordered a cheese dip and I got my usual "pollo à la diabla", and a margarita to drink; my son had pollo chimichangas with a horchata and my husband ordered what I got except he added watermelon flavor to his marg. The food was good. We asked for the secret spicy salsa from the back. The first time we asked the young chip guy and he said that this was the spicy salsa. It was zero inch spicy! We asked the waitress and she brought it out for us. It's very spicy and we love it! It has a smoky peppery taste. Our cheese dip was a bit runny. The pollo à la diabla is always a good solid choice. It wasn't as spicy as usual but still my favorite. My husband ordered a second watermelon margarita and it came out with a cute strawberry and sugar rim. Presentation was on point. It was just way too sweet and undrinkable. We had to send it back. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive. She gave us keychains and my son got a juice box. That was a cute complimentary gift. I gave it 3 stars for the wait and chaos! They need to prepare better next year for a big crowd and a big waiting space: maybe a larger tent with free chips and salsa for the drinking patrons. People who want to come out to celebrate Cinco de Mayo shouldn't have to suffer and have a terrible dinning experience. There's got to be a solution to the craziness because this restaurant is always a 5 star. Well, lesson learned: I will probably not go out on Cinco de Mayo again. It's too crazy and chaotic. I can make tacos and margaritas at home. read more

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Food good Service great Ambiance very nice They told me they never have fried ice cream but the keep it in the menu. read more

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

Had to come by for HH! My friends and I really wanted frozen margs. This location never got all that busy. We sat outside in the patio. A little warm that evening but they had umbrellas for shade. We all got the frozen mango margs. They were GINORMOUS!! I couldn't finish it. Probably equal to maybe 4 margs? But it was refreshing! The complimentary chips and salsa were good. Not spicy! If only haha I got el vaquero especial (steak with onions and peppers, rice and beans, and tortillas) while my friends got the quesabirria tacos and el pollo marinado (chicken with cheese, salad, guacamole, and rice). Food portions are big! Except for the tacos. I def took mine home. Tasted good too. Prices are reasonable. While there are other Mexican restaurants I prefer this one is great for HH and because of its large menu. So many things to choose from! Parking was full though. I had to park towards the end of the lot. Most people seemed to be eating at Rusty Bucket next door. I'd come back to this location! read more

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Party of 5 it took forever for our food and drink refills. When we received our entrees the food was lukewarm and tasted terrible. The chips were all broken. Our server had wag to many tables and could not serve anyone properly or timely. It was a very disappointing experience to spend 150.00 on. It will come off our list of places to frequent. read more

El Vaquero recently rolled out a new menu, and we were genuinely excited to try it -- especially the new mocktails since I'm trying to make healthier choices. Unfortunately, the experience was really disappointing. I didn't have my glasses on when ordering and chose a mocktail that sounded great. When it arrived, it was in a very small cocktail glass (maybe 3-4 inches tall), and I was shocked to later discover it cost $16.99 -- for a drink with zero alcohol. It ended up costing more than my meal. What bothered me most was the response when I politely expressed my surprise and disappointment. The waitress simply agreed that it was expensive, but there was no effort to make things right -- no manager check-in, no discount, no apology, nothing. To make matters worse, the food itself arrived only lukewarm. We really wanted to like the new menu, but between the overpriced mocktail, lack of customer service, and mediocre food temperature, we won't be back. If anyone has recommendations for a Mexican restaurant with better service, hot food, and more reasonable pricing, I'd love to hear them read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - No rails pricing - Mexican Near Me - Westerville, Ohio

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Ceasar is top notch! Our family is always thrilled to have him as our server! He remembers our kiddo- makes every occasion feel special and brings joy to our dining experience! read more

Great food! Great find. Love the chimichangas. Great refried beans and rice. Service is quick.

Typical mexican food joint - always fresh, hot, quick. As a transplanted local, we always stop by when we're in town. My husband is a huge fan of their pollo ranchero - totally different recipe than we find here in Florida, but they'll never share the recipe with us! I guess we'll keep coming back... read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Kids Taco - Mexican Near Me - Westerville, Ohio

Decent service and a menu full of Tex-Mex cuisine are El Vaquero's bread and butter. Now while they're not known for tampering with the money maker, they did just do a little upgrade and added several new items. The one that got my attention was their Mexican Lettuce Wraps. It's a fusion dish that's part Mexican, part Mediterranean and all American. You get 4 lettuce cups with a generous serving of a slightly sweet but super spicy chicken with fresh cilantro and feta cheese on top. I thought it was delicious, being light and refreshing while packing a punch that my taste buds really enjoyed. Mexican Lettuce Wraps are listed in the appetizer section but could easily make a lighter meal especially when you consider all the free chips and salsa you get. I had to stop halfway through this dish so I really got two meals for my $10.99. If you're looking for something good, filling and won't break the bank, maybe it's time to revisit one of the El Vaquero's and check out this new dish. Kudos to them for stepping outside their comfort zone. No complaints, no surprises, 4 Stars. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Newer Item! Mexican Lettuce Wraps.  Appetizer -   $10.99 - Mexican Near Me - Westerville, Ohio

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Such a great find! Located in a beautiful town, this restaurant was a treat! I really liked the silhouette paintings on the wall and other decor. Water with lemon was brought along with a basket of huge chips, a tortilla cut in half-size, and a carafe of mild, blended salsa. I'm a huge fan of chili rellenos and opted to try all three flavors from the a la carte menu . . . Beef, potato (!), and mozzarella cheese-stiffed poblano peppers. I was surprised at how huge they were! 3 meals for sure, and at around $12. They were delicious! The sauce was tangy and hearty. The potato one was a first for me, and it was great! A generous amount of roughly mashed potatoes filled the nicely deseeded pepper. Seasoned beef filling was great, too, and the cheese yummy, but I wonder why they don't use a Mexican queso. My lunch mates enjoyed their chicken quesadilla and chimichanga as well. Staff was attentive and service quick, a great place for lunch. Although I didn't imbibe, a $4.99 lunch special margarita is available, and they also have a happy hour. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Chilies rellenos - Mexican Near Me - Westerville, Ohio

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Stopped at this location when I was in the Polaris area (I usually go to the Stoneridge location) and was pleasantly surprised! This location is a LOT smaller than the others in the Columbus area but the service was great, the noise level as to a minimum and food came out very quickly. If you're looking for a nice family restaurant, this is certainly an option. I ordered the burro grande and it was great, I highly recommend this dish! Jumbo burrito stuffed with Mexican rice, refried beans (subbed black beans) and your choice of protein, THEN covered in queso . Again, location is a lot smaller and far more quaint than the others, but same great food and service! read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Outside - Mexican Near Me - Westerville, Ohio

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I've been to probably 4 different El Vaquero locations, I was disappointed when the one in the Polaris area off Sancus closed. Found out about this one by accident. We visited July 4th weekend. The place is a little smaller than the old Sancus location, but it looks very nice. Food was excellent. Was it because I hadn't had it during the pandemic lockdown? For whatever reason, everything tasted really good, the service was good. We will be back. read more

We just got rice from here today. It smelled like urine. We are getting authorities involved. We tried to call them FOUR TIMES in one hour and could not get anyone to answer. This place needs to be investigated. read more

Celebrated a close friend's birthday last night! And I tried a new dish! Conchinita Pibil! It's a pork dish over rice with pics de gallo, lettuce, guacamole, beans,& tortillas on the side! Very flavorful! The establishment is clean and bright with nice decor & beautiful tin ceilings by the bathrooms. We had great service& great food! This will be my new go to Restaurant!!! Highly recommended!!! read more

I loved this place! Felt like an authentic Mexican restaurant that you might find on the streets of Mexico City. Much different than many of the Tex-Mex Mexican restaurants I have been to. They have quite a few menu options. My wife got tacos and I got a quesadilla. As soon as I took a bite I knew we had made a good choice. The tortillas are next level - not sure if they are made fresh or if it's how they are browned, but I was very impressed. The quesadilla overall was very good - the right amount of filling and cheese. My wife loved 2 out of her 3 tacos. The pork that was barbequed was not her favorite, but she thought the others were very good. We will definitely be back if we are ever in the area and craving Mexican! read more

I love these places all around Columbus. You should definitely go to one. Unfortunately, I think they might have a bad employee this one. When we went to check out, she charge tax on the entire bill even though the kids meals free because it was Tuesday. it is my understanding that you cannot tax somebody unless it is income. she literally start arguing with me telling me that I was wrong and I didn't know what I was talking about and that we were "robbing her". She kept interrupting me, and she started, raising her voice in front of the entire restaurant, without allowing me to speak, and explain. Obviously people can make mistakes and this one could've been easily corrected. However, she was very combative, not interested in customer service, and overall completely out of line. I wouldn't say don't go to this location because of one employee however, I hope this doesn't happen to anybody else because it was embarrassing for me and her. Food is always good. Service was average. Atmosphere is OK other than my booth is coming apart and screws were close to my two little girls. hopefully this review is helpful and the restaurant takes this opportunity to take corrective actions with the employee. read more

This used to be one of our restaurants in the rotation but haven't ordered in a year or so and yikes, it's definitely went downhill. Ordered tonight and will definitely stick to Tula Taqueria! Way better in quality and all around. Poorly seasoned, big fatty chunks, just altogether not good. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Bad carne asada tacos - Mexican Near Me - Westerville, Ohio

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Food not edible. Multiple missing items. Manger was rude and blamed delivery. Yet still items missing. Piss poor service all around. read more

El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant - Garbage. Cold. Build your own disgusting taco??? - Mexican Near Me - Westerville, Ohio

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01/03/20 Long wait time for the food although when it finally arrive it was really good. I didn't care for the waiter he wasn't friendly nor attentive. I wanted to order Flan and I was told it's too warm to serve so it wasn't available. read more

Love coming here ! Always great fresh food . My only complaint is I wish they cut the chips one size smaller. They seem bigger here than others I've been too read more

Good food and drinks. Great happy hour specials that they offer everyday. Try the Tacos Pastor they are amazing and compliment with a tasty green sauce. Staff is always friendly and very attentive. read more

If your looking for a COVID friendly Mexican restaurant search no further! The tables are well spaced out and have the plexiglass behind booths. El Vaquero is our go to for quick Mexican food. The service and food are always consistently good. My go to is pollo chicken and my husband enjoys the chimichanga. You can't go wrong with a jumbo margarita either read more

My queso was perfect. My service was friendly and timely. This is the best location I've been to! They also have Coke Zero on tap and it's crisp!! My food was hot and fresh and delicious, no complaints here! Environment is clean and enjoyable. read more

This used to be my favorite Mexican restaurant but not anymore. My food arrived cold and the tortillas were so hard they crumbled when I tried to roll them. I got Mole Poblano and the sauce was thin and runny. The rice was very salty. While the servers were pleasant, the service was slow. I had to go get someone to ask for fresh tortillas because no one came back to the table to ask how things were. The music was extremely loud but we were told it couldn't be lowered. read more

Came in for Taco Tuesday but oops their taco specials are Monday sat at bar which started great but soon the bartender became the host, waiter, buster and expo all in one.....service went south quickly! He tried his best but no way he was able to keep up. On the positive side food was good but not worth the inconvenience read more

Do yourself a favor and do not eat here. Came to this place because Rusty Bucket next door was full and it was a mistake. Food is mediocre-it had strange taste, no taste, or too salty. If you want Mexican, go to either Las Margaritas or Local Cantina down the street. read more

Wow! It was amazing! We ordered a fajita quesadilla and a chicken dish with zucchini, poblano, bell peppers, onion and I choose two side. Yum!!! Chips and salsa were fresh and authentic. Highly impressed. It reminds us of home and you can't get better than that. The food was perfectly packaged to keep warm. Recommend! read more

Best Mexican I have found in Westerville. Beef tips quesadilla is excellent. Wife has chicken quesadilla and loved it as well.

Our family of 4 comes here every weekend and are always satisfied! Teresa is our favorite server and is beyond nice to our kids who always make it a dance party after they are done eating. We would rather go here over many other restaurants in the area! 5 out of 5 all day! read more

Was in the mood for Mexican and this place didn't disappoint. I had 2 burritos w rice and beans. Very generous portions and the food was very flavorful. The only thing I wasn't real happy about was the queso was kinda thin like it was watered down too much. Service was wonderful and prompt. I hope we can come back again when we are in the area. read more

This place use to be a good different Mexican restaurant, now it's this save yourself the trouble and head to the Polaris location. Way better service and food is way better. read more

I've been to many different El Vaqueros and am always satisfied however this is my first time visiting this location. The food quality is very low, and the vegetables and bread used were definitely not fresh. I was very disappointed and will not be back. read more

We came on Cinco De Mayo at 5:00 pm. 25 min. Wait. We Expected a bit if a wait. We asked to go to bar and they said no. They were too busy. Said okay, we will get a drink and go outside and they said no again. We'd have to wait in our car or outside. After 35 minutes we were seated. Total disappointment. Our waitress was good but food is not good. Boring. No flavor. Red sauce was watered down. Not recommending at this time. read more

I am very sad to write this review as we have always been very, very happy with El Vaquero. I ordered food for pick up last night. I purchased the three dip appetizer and received only two. That is nothing compared to the real issue. Employees were not only not using gloves, but none of them were using masks. Gloves and masks are the most basic steps a restaurant should take to protect not only their employees, but their customers. I encourage everyone and anyone to avoid El Vaquero. read more

Yayyy another microwave trash mexican chain on polaris. Vaqueros Mexican Street food was incredible, no idea why the owners decided to join the franchise but hopefully they got paid handsomely for it because the new place is terrible. I tried eating there twice since the change and both times the service was slow and the food was poor and overpriced. Congrats guys, you lost another regular. read more

This Vaquero replaced Vacquieros. I loved Vacquieros. I was sad to see it go. This is yet another El Vaquero. Same stuff, nothing new. In the increasingly busy taco / Mexican food market for this area, Vaquero has failed to evolve. There are better places to eat and for cheaper prices. I won't be back. read more

Had a lunch here this week. Somewhat more expensive than expected, but the food was good. Had the lunch chicken fajitas, which is more of a dinner portion, so the price was fair for what I did get. Service was on point, from ordering to leaving we were literally in and out in 30 minutes. If you want more lunch business, this is how it's done. Fast, friendly, fair, and fresh...great experience overall & I'll be back soon. read more

So sad that the original Vaquero has changed to the not so good el vaquero. They had a good thing and changed it. Not fresh and service not like it was when Daniel was there. Time to look for another place. Too bad read more

Came to this restaurant on a Wednesday night when it wasn't super busy. We didn't receive good service and had to search for our waitress multiple times. Once to take our order and another to receive our checks after we had been done eating for 20+ minutes. Overall, food was good, service was not. read more

Excellent food. The best salsa and chips plus they are free. I finish the salsa everytime.