The old Longbranch has become a Mexican restaurant complete with some banda in the background and Día de Los Muertos prints on the wall. Unfortunately, I didn't try a margarita this lunch but I did have some good food. Chips and salsa were good but one mild complaint, if you're going to serve chips and salsa, they should be whole chips and not small broken chips. This is doubly true if you order queso, which we did. I had the chori pollo, as three of us did. Another the taco salad and two others had the chicken fajita. Good food that I'd love to have again. Minor complaint about the food is that it came out in three parts spaced out by several minutes. It did not detract from our good meal but it is worth mentioning. Our wait staff was fantastic, fast and friendly and at least three people came by to check on us during our lunch. One of our party had a birthday so we had a fried ice cream to share. Overall a good experience. I will return. read more

Excellent service. Very fast and friendly. ABSOLUTELY BEST CHIMICHANGA I've ever had!! So glad I got it with fajita style veggies too. I wished we lived nearby because I'd be here at least once a month. Only complaint was it was kinda dark and there was a fly buzzing around on the hot day we were there. read more

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Great place if u want Mexican food! I'm from L.A. AND Mexican so I know me some good Mexican food when I taste it! Ordered a mixed molcajete and it's enough for 3 people. It comes with chicken, carne asada, carnitas, grilled green onions, cheese, nopales and all well delish!!!! My dtr ordered the quesabirria and she really enjoyed it. The consomé (broth of the birria) was a perfect blend of the meat spice and not salty. You can dip your quesobirria or have it afterwards by itself and it's just delicious! Ordered their cheese with chorizo (eat it as a dip). I forgot the name but back in Cali we call it queso fundido. Only thing I do have to say about it is they use a cheese sauce. It's usually made with real queso instead of sauce. It reminded me of Chipotle's white cheese sauce. It was good but still noticed the difference in taste. Besides that, Everything was seasoned just right. The horchatas were not overly sweet and were huge! The service was awesome! Friendly, welcoming and fast!! Will definitely return again when I'm in town to visit my dtr! read more

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Usually good, but Mother's Day was not. Ignored the whole time, hostess was in a very bed mood. Very loud band.

Food was decent, pretty standard of what you'd expect from Mexican, though the refried beans were very watery. Service was weird, two drunk off-duty waitresses sat us down and started taking our order. They clearly did work there but it was such a weird experience. The restaurant itself is nice and on theme. Prices are reasonable. Would go back and recommend, just hope I get normal waiters next time. read more

5 Stars! It was delicious, and they were so nice, I think this was a great experience! We got the carnitas tacos and the chicken tacos with house margaritas. They gave us a free Valentine's Day shot. The wife loved the music and atmosphere. Exceptional rice with queso. Must stop in! read more

El Viejo has consistently yummy food! The portions are huge and we always have leftovers. All the staff are friendly and fun- often dancing their way to our table. Definitely recommend! read more

El Viejo Mexican - Chicken steak and shrimp- tender and well seasoned. - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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Best Mexican food in this area. We loved the food, friendly service, and inviting atmosphere. We will definitely be back! Thank you for some of the best service we have had in a LONG time. read more

El Viejo Mexican - Strawberry Marg - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

We have been here for over a year. This is the BEST Mexican food we have had since our move. Not only was the food outstanding, but the service was amazing! Mario was an amazing server. We highly recommend this restaurant. read more

El Viejo Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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We don't live in the area and we're just visiting. We were n the area and I got put in charge of selecting dinner spot and thought this place looked promising. Fortunately I was right. The food was very good. I got the Taxas burrito and it was excellent. My wife got the other picture which I am embarrassed to say I forget what it was called but it was also excellent. (Edit: Found the receipt and it is a Fiesta Chimichanga). Service was good and friendly. It's a nice place with an interesting decor that made it a fun visit. Salsa and chips were delivered with the salsa in a serving bottle so you could pour what you liked. There was also a nice selection of hot sauces at the table. After our meal, our server brought over three small shot glasses and toasted our meal. A very fun experience and worth going. read more

El Viejo Mexican - Texas burritos - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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Best Mexican food in Cedar Rapids. People are always friendly and the food is always delicious. The staff is very efficient and always willing to help each other out. read more

A couple days ago, we tried El Viejo in the old Longbranch location. We were really happy with everything. The menu is pretty typical for CR Mexican. I don't remember seeing anything on the menu that you wouldn't find anywhere else, but I would say that every item I tried was at least a little above average. I had chips, salsa, queso, and the quesabirria tacos which are pictured. I actually thought the queso was the best queso I've had in CR. My tacos and rice were very good. Also, the birria soup that came with the tacos was exceptional. I would say the pricing was slightly less expensive than average, too. We had a total of five people. Two kids ordered off of the kids menu. One kid and two adults ordered off of the normal menu. Nobody ordered alcohol, or desserts. I think the total bill was about $75. I expected the ticket to be more like $90-ish for everything we had. I would definitely recommend checking out El Viejo. [Edit: I forgot to mention the chicken fajitas, which my oldest ordered off of the adult menu. I didn't try them, but I did pack up the leftovers, and thought this was worth mentioning. The chicken fajitas came like they do at most places, with a side tray that had things like salsa, shredded cheese, etc. Then, the chicken, onions, and peppers were on a cast iron pan. At most restaurants, I feel like that cast iron pan is maybe 60 / 40 chicken to vegetables. At El Viejo, it looked more like it was 80-ish percent chicken, which is nice, especially for kids who don't like veggies.] read more

El Viejo Mexican - Quesabirria Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Amazing the best place I have gone to eat in a long time Big Daddy approved will be coming here as long as there open! read more

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Such delicious food!! We eat at El Viejo often and always have great food and great service! The quesabirria is fantastic! read more

Amazing service I mean 10000/10. Queso was outstanding and food was very good. I got shrimp tacos and they were cooked to perfection. It was a chill environment and definitely spacious enough for large groups. Very reasonably priced too. Highly recommend. read more

El Viejo Mexican - Raspberry Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Everything was amazing, from the food to the service! Our new favorite place to eat Mexican food. read more

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I live near the Mexican border, and our city is 70% Latino. El Viejo is excellent! Unfortunately for Yuma, it is better than any restaurant we have. Their food, their portions, and their service. Cedar Rapids, you are fortunate. read more

Amazing, quality shrimp and octopus in the Coctel Pal Viejo. Margarita Shaker fantastic! I'm not often a fan of the house margarita but here it was great! Taco salad delicious, unique with a creamy dressing. The vibe here is a mix of authentic and funky and the staff is very friendly and fun!! read more

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One of favorite restaurants in town. The prices are great, the portions are huge and the food is like it was cooked lovingly at home. So flavorful! We adore all the staff and they all seem to genuinely care about everyone who comes to visit. Always smiling. Recently we did a family get together there for our little grandson's bday. They found out why we were there and the next thing we knew they brought him a fried ice cream with a candle and the staff sang him happy birthday! THEN they brought us margarita shots, including non alcohol ones for the kids! All with the biggest smile on their faces. It's really like going to your mom's house. Can't say enough great things about this business! read more

Our waiter definitely made the meal fun for the kids. The food was very good, and was pretty quick. Good portion sizes for the price. Will go here again for sure. read more

El Viejo Mexican - Couple of the three taco options. - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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We had gotten takeout from El Viejo but this was our first chance to dine in. The staff are very friendly and attentive. We were greeted and seated immediately. Classic lime margs on the rocks were a special and very tasty. Not as sweet as other places which we prefer over the sugary mix. Partner ordered the habanero salsa and it had a kick. The steak and chicken fajitas were plentiful and very tasty. Sides were solid. The queso birria tacos were good but we'd likely try something else next time. Overall a solid place to eat. read more

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Staying at the hotel and decided to check it out rather than get in the car and venture out....SO glad we did!! Amazing food & drinks! But, the best part was the awesome service! Everyone was friendly and fun! We'll definitely be back to visit our new friends whenever we are in Cedar Rapids. HIGHLY recommend!! read more

This place has some of the best Mexican I've ever tasted, and their service is on point! I would highly recommend you try this out of the way Mexican restaurant. It's in the old Longbranch building if you're familiar with that. Look for it and enjoy! read more

The first time I came here my husband and I were so impressed. We came around lunch time and first of all, the servers there were on it from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. Our server that day, Luis, was the best! He recommended some items from the menu which my husband ended up loving. Our drinks were never empty and if it wasn't Luis checking up on us it would be another server. We came here again today and my husband ordered the same thing as last time. It was delicious as last time and portions are huge. We ended up taking food to go. I didn't get our servers name today but he was on it. So friendly and welcoming. We're so glad this new mexican restaurant opened up and we look forward to visiting again. read more

Welcomed at the door. Great tequila selection! Get the queso because it pairs great with the salsa. Food and margaritas were great! Definitely will be back. read more

El Viejo Mexican - House margarita - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

We have dined here twice, once before the road construction was complete and then again tonight. It wasn't very busy the first time, no doubt because it was hard to get to, but tonight it was easy to get to and there was a larger crowd. The service is the first thing that you will notice is five stars. Very prompt and very friendly. They work hard to make it a very welcoming experience. We both had top shelf margaritas tonight and they were some of the best we can remember. Strong but not overpowering and not syrupy, served with fresh lime and orange slices. Really an outstanding margarita. I ordered the chorizo tacos and my wife ordered the Texas burrito with the pork. Both were delicious and came out of the kitchen quickly. I had steak and chicken fajitas the first time we ate here and they also were delicious. Portions are large. The menu is extensive with plenty of selections of both familiar favorites and traditional Mexican dishes. We enjoy Mexican food often and this place is at the top of our list to return. read more

Loved this place! Was visiting from TX and have high standards for Mexican food so I was skeptical at first. But I was staying next door and decided to give it a try. It was so good I went back again the next night! The food was delicious, the drinks were great and the ambience and service were stellar. Highly recommend! read more

Sorry but I did not have a good experience here. The server took my order, brought my food and that was it. Never came back and asked if everything was ok or refilled my drink or asked if I wanted anything else. I ordered seafood enchiladas and they were not very good. It was served with some watered down lettuce and sour cream and made the whole meal watery. With all the other Mexican restaurants I won't return. read more

We stayed at the hotel connected to the restaurant. Needed salt the first night and El Viejo gave us an actual mini Corona Beer bottle salt shaker to borrow. We came back next day and returned it and ate the most delicious, and VERY reasonably-priced, meal with BOGO giant and wonderful margaritas. Portions were huge, meaning...leftovers! Excellent service and food and they gave us the salt shaker back to take home just to be amigos! We have it and are using it, lol. So fun on Eclipse day, Monday, 4/8/2024! Should we make it back from Minneapolis we would go again. Good luck amigos and amigas! Muchas gracias! read more

Great flavor, great service, affordable prices. It's not fancy but I thought the flavors were great.