Tasty, authentic Mexican food at great prices. Service is friendly and professional. One of our favorite places in Orange, VA.

One of the best Mexican restaurant around . The owner and staff are so nice and friendly.

Excellent service and food. We came in late at night and they were accomodating. The chips and salsa are delicious and the food all came out hot. Will definitely make the drive from Culpeper to eat here. read more

This is the best Mexican restaurant I've found between Fredericksburg and Charlottesville. Nice menu and great service.

This is the real thing. I have eaten a lot of tex-mex and this is as good as it gets. The fajitas are awesome. Get the ones that include meat, shrimp and chorizo!!!! read more

I am vegan. I came on my birthday weekend with my boyfriend & ordered what I usually get at another El Vaquero West, in Locust Grove; three bean burritos under vegetarian. I specified three times at a volume loud enough for the waitress to hear that I wanted NO CHEESE OR SOUR CREAM due to a specific diet. She made me feel confident that she had the order down. When the food came out, I received three burritos drenched in white cheese. I told her for the fourth time that I could not eat cheese and apologized & took the food back to the kitchen. When receiving my food for the second time, I received a wrap with what looked like a walmart steamed veggie pack with light salsa on top. Vegans/vegetarians don't only eat rabbit food. I know the topic is new to the restaurant business, but stay up to date with common dietary needs. At the end, the cook came out and saw I had literally one bite from one of three of my burritos, he insisted taking my entire meal off the bill. We went from $22.14 to $14.00. They are very kind but should broaden their horizons. Instead of assume only vegetables on the vegetarian items, replace the meat with beans. I would have given the restaurant a 5 star review if they simply would've given me beans. read more

Very good food- tex mex. Salsa and in house made chips are good and friendly service. Margarita's seemed weak but they are so cheap just go with the Texas margarita's that have extra tequila. read more

This review is for the NEW El Vaquero West location on Rte. 3 near Lake of the Woods. Although this location has been open for several months, It is not yet listed in Yelp! I always order the number 180 lunch special, which includes one chicken enchilada, one chicken tamale, and rice or beans (I usually ask for both). Of course there is the usual chips and salsa to start. The chips are always fresh and hot and the salsa is very good. If you like to add heat, try a few drops of the Mexican habernaro hot sauce. I find it to be hotter tastier than Tabasco! The plate is always hot from the oven and the chicken enchiladas are really flavorful. The tamale is large, with flavorful chicken and sauce. But it is the combination of favors on this plate that keeps me coming back. I have also tried the carne asada tacos which are delicious, especially if you like the taste of fresh cilantro. The menu seems to have too many selections and the kitchen appears a little crowded and unwelcoming to visitors. I asked to have a look and was invited back but the staff seemed a little surprised so I only took a very quick peek. The staff are personable, helpful, and friendly. The interior is warm and inviting, with hand carved and painted scenic murals behind each booth. read more

Great food. Good portions and service. We ate in the tent and had a loud and crazy time..

This place is as authentic as you can get in Orange, Virginia! Reminded me of the awesome mexican food you can find in LA. We had a veggie quesadilla and mole poblano enchiladas. They bring out hot chips and fresh salsa before you order, and if it's your birthday, they will give you a bowl of fried ice cream and a huge shot of tequila! This was the first time I've ever finished my entire plate of food at a mexican restaurant. \m/uy delicioso! read more

Friendly, attentive service and good value, however the food is just okay. Not bad by any means, but not very flavorful.

Stopped by on the way back from Longwood. This place is a hidden dime! The service was amazing and the food was even better!!

First of all, it has an open bar and is not just limited to beer and wine. Second of all, the owner and all those who work ther are Mexicans and the food is very authentic Mexican food. Service is excellent and so is the food. We''re from Southern California so we know authentic Mexican food. We've been going to El Vacero West since it opened and have never once been disappointed. We were so happy when it opened because we'd missed the great Mexican door you can find at every hole in the wall Mexican restaurant around Orange County, Ca. read more

I get sick from my stomach every-time I eat here. Every time that I go I say to myself that I am not coming back, then a while passes and I say that I will give it another shot to see if it has gotten any better but it's always the same. The meat is hard (whether I order chicken or steak) which is a sign that it's old meat. It is very rare that I get good meat here. Having said this I get diarrhea for the next couple of days every-time I eat here. If you like to get sick then this is the place for you otherwise I would steer clear from this place. read more

Authentic Mexican food! Stopped here on the way to Monticello. 95 traffic was bad so we needed to stop for lunch. The guys were super nice and the whole place is totally authentic. Got the Enchiladas verdes and they were tasty! Bathrooms need a little work. Quick food and good chips made for a good pit stop! read more

The employees here were very friendly and courteous. It's the only reason they're getting 2 stars. The food itself was very bland, and lacked flavor and heat. Refried beans really had no flavor at all, it seemed like just a paste. Restaurant was filthy inside and out. If they let the the restaurant look like that to the public, I'd hate to see what the kitchen looks like. They were very hospitable though. Based on other reviews, maybe the cooks had a bad day on food. read more

The food was delicious and the service was excellent! The prices for lunch specials are very reasonable and our food came super quick. My husband had the Speedy Gonzalez and I had the Burrito Special. We also ordered queso dip. Everything was hot and yummy! The salsa was very good as well and came out chilled which we really enjoyed. We ate here after leaving Montpelier and it was a very easy drive into Orange, not even 15 minutes. read more

They are ALWAYS packed when we go in there, but we still get amazing service. Best Mexican food I have ever had dining out.

We stopped by here in mid-October on our way back to Northern Virginia and were very pleasantly surprised. While this restaurant may not look special from the outside, the interior was cheerful, colorful, and clean. Service was very quick and friendly, portions were generous, and the food was very tasty indeed. We were very pleased with the crispy chips with fresh salsa, followed by enchiladas verdes and burrito supreme, all of which were excellent. We'll definitely keep this place in mind next time we are in town. read more

Great Mexican food in Orange, VA. Very welcoming and nice & attentive staff. The Texas Margarita is fabulous. Not too sugary and not overtly sour. The mix is a fresh lime base hence less sour. If in Orange I recommend you stop by.l read more

DO NOT EAT HERE!!! Ongoing list from a neighboring business report food poisoning from here, myself included last Friday night. Management denied possibility of this happening, no refunds offered. read more

They were packed the day we went, but the service was still great. The salsa was really good, but the chips left a lot to be desired. The enchiladas verde were awesome as well as the refried beans. My husband got the tuna steak and really liked it. Overall it was a good experience and we will be going back for more. read more

This may be one of our favorite places to eat. Manuel is a wonderful attentive owner and will literally bend over backwards to help you. Some of the servers don't speak english very well, but if you take your time it all works out. The food is amazing and the portions are large. The menu is huge, and their is something for everyone on it. My favorites are enchiladas, burritos, and fajitas. As others have said, the homemade chips and salsa are amazing. For extra fun, go on your birthday. Trust me. Or better yet, take someone else on their birthday and bring a camera to take embarrassing pictures! read more

Good, decent priced Mexican food! This place always has diners - that says something! Service has always been friendly and helpful!

This place has really gone down hill. What used to be a great restaurant with really good food is now a shell of its former self. The chips are still hot and the beer is still cold, but that's about it for this place. We ordered a lunch taco salad and the carne asada plate. The carne was not carne asada and just flank steak with some spices sprinkled on top. The taco salad hardly had anything in it and was pretty pathetic looking. I would avoid this place if you want good Mexican food. read more

Always an enjoyable experience. Consistent food, excellent customer service and friendly atmosphere.

Really great, authentic mexican food. The selection was very extensive and it took me a good 10 minutes to figure out what I wanted because everything sounded so delicious. The chips and salsa were amazing! You could tell they were homemade and you don't find that at a lot of mexican restaurants nowadays. My only complaint is that I ordered a Chile Relleno and expected the cheese inside to be shredded cheese, however it tasted and had the consistency of a cheese sauce (like nacho cheese.) It was delicious at first, but turned out to be messy. Next time I'm going to stick with the tacos which are the best I've had in a long time! read more

Great experience all the way around, with terrific food. Dinner for a family of four, plus fried ice cream for desert--all for $45, plus tip, with sit-down service. Was surprised by how much our kids ate--probably a testament to how much they enjoyed it as well. read more

Great food and good service. Although it can get pretty busy, so go early.

Where do I start? First of all, let me say that I'm not a mexican or any kind of food snob but this is the last place (well, almost) I would go back to. From the bad salsa (that definitely came from a jar although I wouldn't mind it if it were at least good) to my fish tacos that had no taste and were so dry, to the super dry rice that a 5 year old could cook better, this place just doesn't know how to make decent food, never mind decent Mexican food. The margaritas were not too bad but they didn't really taste like the margaritas you are probably used to. I thought the Mexican restaurant near my house in another town in VA was decent and just average, but now that I've eaten at El Vaquero, that place deserves 5 stars. I bet there are better places in Orange. read more

I have never had a bad meal here. The food is always amazing and the staff are always very nice and friendly. The absolute best resuraunt in all of Orange county! read more

We travel from Charlottesville to Orange every week or two just to get the Enchiladas Verdes. The chicken is seasoned and not just the dry hunk of chicken that we often find in similar dishes in Charlottesville, and the verde sauce is good. We also enjoy the cheese dip, which is thicker than the offerings in Charlottesville and more reminiscent of our experiences in Texas. We are not really familiar with most of the menu because we order the same thing every time. If it is worth a drive from Charlottesville for us, then everyone in Orange should definitely give it a try. read more

My favorite restaurant. The staff is extremely friendly and prompt and the food is fantastic. Everyone should try this place when in the area. read more

This is the best Mexican in Virginia that I have found. We recently moved to Chesapeake VA and no where matches this place. What is the deal that everyone around here wants to put cinnamon in their red sauce? Juan you Guys do it right in El Vaquero! the best home made salsa and guacamole. Everything is served fast and hot. The food is authentic the service is like you have walked in to Juan's hosenda. It's worth the trip to beautiful Orange VA read more

This is our default go-to when we don't know what to make for dinner. Great, authentic mexican and tex-mex. The chips and salsa are homemade and very good (my sweetheart's favorite). I love the California burrito, the chimichangas, and the rice and beans. The weekly lunch specials are an excellent value. The atmosphere is casual and typically quiet, except on the weekends. This place gets PACKED. read more

My family visits this location often. The food is great. The service is always prompt. Very friendly environment.