El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant

08/13/08

Absolutely the worst "mexican" food I have ever tried.

by billwilliam at Citysearch

Living in southern Calif I am used to eating Mexican food and have visited dozens and dozens of Mexican restaurants. Even Taco Bell is better than this place (and I consider TB to only minimally be considered Mexican food). I was with a party of 10 people that tried this restaurant while visiting a relative in Riverside Hosp. About half of those that ate with me are of Hispanic heritage. The salsa delivered with the chips was terrible, looked and tasted like watered down ketchup - disgusting! The beans and rice were flavorless, the taco had ground beef with absolutely no seasoning, and very little else. Everyone in the party complained about their food. The service was horrendous, difficult to get anyone to the table, it was nearly impossible to get refills on drinks, and we finally had to get up and walk around the restaurant to find someone to give us our check so we could leave. I would not recommend this place to my worst enemey.

05/11/08

I have tried Vaquero 4 times and always disappointed!

by createmorelife at Citysearch

I am originally from New Mexico so I know good Mexican food and this place is absolutely horrible. Many of my local Columbus friends insist on going there (bless thier hearts they don't know better) and every time I unwilling tag along I REGRET it. The sad thing is they have Mexican's working in the kitchen and they should know better than to serve this stuff. The food has a funny taste and is not prepared in true Mexican style (it is more like Tex-Mex). Sorry El Vaquero I have to give you a big thumbs down.

• Cons: Just bad mexican food

01/17/08

Generally not good unless desperate

by pickyvegetarian at Citysearch

The food here is pretty lame. Everything seems like it came out of the freezer and it has this weird aftertaste. One time I got a salad in a tortilla bowl and it tasted just like the weird cleaner smell that the restaurant always reeks of. They must have been sitting out forever because it was also not crispy at all.

12/08/06

Not very good senor!

by stein_shane at Citysearch

All of our food had a poor taste to it. We requested a side of queso and the server told us it was still frozen - un minuto. When he served it to us he said it was still cold, but okay to eat, which tasted like butter not cheese.

11/09/06

Horrible

by jborne at Citysearch

This is a hole in the wall, although to be fair its easy to get seated and served quickly. I've only had the enchalidas but its the worst I've ever had twice!!! Maybe Columbus has much lower standards for mexican fare than a New Mexican but this stuff is horrible... go to Taco Bell for better food and save your money.

• Pros: Fast service
• Cons: Bad food

02/06/06

Holds a special place in my heart

by msendel57 at Citysearch

I am a bit bias in my review of El Vaquero as this is where I met my fiance. We have been back there many time since that night. I have never been disappointed with El Vaquero; however, I have never been blown away. When I am in the mood for Mexican El Vaquero is always at the top of my list.

• Pros: Good Food, Fast service

11/03/05

Going downhill...

by brit1 at Citysearch

I considered myself spoiled that the first real Mexican food I tasted in the US was at the Vaquera restaurants. The food was always out of this world. We were so thrilled when they recently opened a restaurant near us in Hilliard. Although this venue is much more stylishly decorated, the maragaritas were weak and tasted dusty. My chicken fajita salad was awful, and had been made with canned chicken! The next time we went, it was the same, plus they made a mistake with my husband's order. Thinking it might just be teething trouble, we went to the restaurant on Olentangy River Road. After an extremely long wait (no surprise though) we were seated. Although the margaritas were wonderful, we both commented that the quality of the ingredients isn't as good as it used to be. We're going to look for some place else for good Mexican food...

09/19/04

Disappointing

by perkyp at Citysearch

I used to be a fan of El Vaquero, but over the years the food has gotten progressively worse. It is simply not as good and not as authentic as it used to be. It is still a decent place to go, as it has nice atmosphere and extensive menu, but the food is just so-so.

• Pros: Fun atmosphere
• Cons: , Food mediocre

07/20/04

Amazing, amazing, amazing...

by kiantorohendro at Citysearch

What more can I say? This authentic mexican restaurant is simply amazing - in terms of its food, ambience, the host, servers, everything. And it is fairly inexpensive as well. Their menu is very extensive as I was nearly confused the first time I dined there with my girlfriend. El Vaquero is a great restaurant for family, friends or just for two or three people. I absolutely recommend this place for anyone who loves fun, food, and great people.

• Pros: Inexpensive, Friendly servers, Sufficient parking
• Cons: , Crowded

06/14/04

Best Mexican...

by dakdog at Citysearch

El Vaquero is the best authentic mexican food in town, hands down... I am never disappointed there. The service is extremely fast, so it's a great place to stop in if you are in a hurry... but if you're not, stay and try the magaritas...we love this place!