Chile Verde Cafe

06/18/2008 Posted by justjackson27

I would say this place has more Tex-Mex than authentic Mexican food, having lived in both California and Arizona. The best thing about this place is their delicious sopapillas. Many "Mexican restaurants" in Ohio know nothing about authentic beans, rice or pulled meat dishes. Not only does Chile Verde make a mean Aztec BBQ Burrito (it's mildly spicy and very delicious) but the sopapillas are the fried doughy kind, not the fried tortilla kind you find in many Mexican restaurants throughout the area. It's a smaller place, so it might be busy or you might have a minimal wait but it is certainly worth it. Enjoy!

05/12/2008 Posted by wolfwood

I should preface this review by saying that I lived for a number of years in Arizona, where I routinely had FANTASTIC Mexican food. Ever since moving to Columbus, I've been looking for something that stacks up. And so, after seeing that Chile Verde Cafe won Citysearch's Best Mexican Food of 2007, I had to try it. In my opinion, it fell way short. I went for lunch and tried the BBQ fajita burrito, which many other reviewers have suggested. First of all, $10 for a burrito at lunchtime WITHOUT any rice OR beans on the side is way too much, but I was willing to try it anyway. I wasn't impressed. The quality of the meat was pretty poor, and I didn't care for the combination of sweet BBQ sauce and chile con queso topping the burrito. I realize that they were going for a "sweet and spicy" type of taste, but in the end, it just wasn't very good, at least according to my tastes. I barely finished my meal. On the other hand, my wife's tamale lunch was fairly tasty, and more reasonably priced, so the experience wasn't all bad. Perhaps it's unfair for me to compare Ohio Mexican restaurants with Arizona Mexican restaurants, but I have yet to find what I consider good Mexican food in Columbus. The search continues...

05/08/2008 Posted by lovemesomegrub

This place is awesome. It is the first mexican place where I have taken one bite and been like WOW that's good. It beats the Don Pablos type of mexican food, this is the real deal. Pretty inexpensive too. Only downside really is the amount of seating, but honestly I have never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a table.

Pros: good food, inexpensive

Cons: small

05/05/2008 Posted by Swift8384

We had a birthday at the office and decided to have lunch delivered through Cafe Courier. Our food arrived about the time it should and quickly we realize someone didn't receive part of their meal. We call back and they said they would take care of it. Then the same person found their taco to be mushy on the bottom and called back to complain because they couldn't eat it. The rest of us also noticed our meat was dry and the rest a bit soggy. We do not know who is at fault for these things. I would be willing to give the restaurant a try if I went to eat there for dinner but some of my co-workers said they would never eat there. How can you blame them? If they team up with Cafe Courier and then treat their "to go" as dispensable (by serving sub-standard quality food), does this mean they rely on the great margaritas and surroundings to make up for the bad food?

Pros: Affordable lunch items, Delivered

Cons: Dry meat, Soggy

04/03/2008 Posted by BoldFoodie

Thankfully, not your typical Vaqueros. Innovative, great quality mexican. If I want mexican, this is where I go. I have never had bad service, or experience. Salsa is the best, and they have some of the best wraps you can get anywhere.

Pros: Salsa, all the food, service

Cons: Location. Small strip mall, and it fills up fast.

03/29/2008 Posted by lauralen

My family and I are Mexican food junkies - we ahve been to every Columbus restaurant, and we frequently vacaton in Sante Fe. Chile Verde is by far the best, most authentic Mexican food in Columbus. Nowhere else in Columbus can you dine, have made from scratch margaritas and blue corn enchiladas, and look up on the walls to see RC Gorman replicas. I truly feel like I am in the South when I eat there!!!

Pros: RC Gorman replicas and blue corn tortillas

Cons: Location - in a shopping plaza

02/17/2007 Posted by wesnealcoe

After growing up in California, and living in Branson, MO for the last 26 years, I've eaten all kinds of a variety of great food. However, my wife and I enjoy going to Chile Verde Cafe over all the other places. My favorite food there is the Bar-b-que grilled fajita burrito. In fact, I love it so much that I used to stuff myself with the chips before I got the main course. My strategy was I wanted to be full, so I would eat only half of the burrito. Then I would take the other half home and enjoy another meal. However, my plan soon failed. I ended up eating the chips and the big meal at the place. Anyway, all that to say, I love the food, and the atmosphere. Perhaps the best part, however, is the friendliness of the ownership and staff. If you walk in a stanger, you can't help but walk out a friend, and a pretty full one, at that. There's a theme park in Branson called Silver Dollar City. Their motto is: "Create Memories Worth Repeating." That ought to be the motto of Chile Verde Cafe. Each time I go there is a memory worth repeating.

Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Parking, Friendliness

Cons: On weekends, need to arrive early to avoid a wait.

10/14/2006 Posted by hagsman

My first visit there was great. The food was terrific and our server, Rita, was very pleasant. I plan to go back often.

10/07/2006 Posted by captn_skully

After being gone 10 years, Chile Verde is a welcome sight now that I've moved back to Columbus. Everytime I was back in town I made it a point to go.. They have stayed true to their roots and have the best mexican food (dare I say it) I've ever had. I like spicy food, and they balance "hot" with true flavor- a truely euphoric taste in my opinion. Highly recommended!

Pros: Excellent food, good prices

08/12/2006 Posted by bscox

I love this place for mexican food. The quality is outstanding. The price is a tiny bit above average, but worth every penny. Its usually pretty busy and you usually have to wait a little bit for a table, but again, its worth it. I do have two little kids though and because of the wait - I don't take them there. We only go here without them.

Pros: Fanatstic food.

Cons: Really small store, have to wait for table always.