Best steak fajitas I've ever had makes this 4 stars. The dinner portion is enough for me to take home half and get lunch out of. Caution: the do charge $1 for 3 extra tortillas to go. The meat in the tacos usually has too much liquid and they get a little soggy but we usually eat them so fast it doesn't matter much! Rice is really really good. I personally don't care for the guacamole - it's really spicy and watery - mot much fresh avocado identifiable. Consistent food, nice people, fun atmosphere.
(4)
Keith A.
Very good if you are in a hurry. Love the Hawaiian Fajitas.
(4)
Fran D.
The place was fine, decent food. They automatically add 18% to your bill as a tip. If you are like we were, not paying close attention, you will double tip and be ripped off!!!! Very aggravating since we did enjoy the place but on principal alone, I will never go back
(1)
Nathan B.
Having recently relocated to the area, I was looking to replace my "go to" Mexican restaurant from home. The atmosphere at El Rodeo is nice, and I love that they offer outdoor dining. The drink prices were a little high for the serving size they provide (a margarita, in my case), but that is pretty common with dining out. The biggest influence on my review is the flavor of the food. While the chips and salsa were outstanding, the main course was drastically under seasoned. It did not have the flavor that I seek in Mexican food. On the plus side, the staff was friendly and accommodating. To be honest, in future, I may pickup takeout from Chipotle and have it with my own margaritas at home.
(2)
Michael C.
I've eaten at the El Rodeo chain of Mexican restaurants so many times, I've lost count how many times. I estimate 50 times at least. The reason why my wife and I keep coming back is because the food is consistently good. I simply loved the chicken fajitas and chicken quesedillas, which I ordered last night. The food is always fresh. The service is always from Mexican staff members who understand the food, the culture, the language and pour that understanding into their work. The ambience is terrific. It feels, smells, looks, and especially TASTES like authentic Mexican cuisine. I just want to point-out that some of the bad reviews are totally off the mark. One previous reviewer gave this restaurant two stars and said she's eaten at Mexican restaurants all over the place and El Rodeo is "nothing special." Let me reply to that comment saying this: El Rodeo is a local chain of EIGHT restaurants. If they didn't get it right with the first location, or the second, or third, or fifth, do you think they would have made it to eight locations??? In other words, this place has great food. They have eight locations because the first location was a success, and the second, and the third, and so on. If it wasn't good, they'd be out of business. Instead, El Rodeo thrives and is a treat to those who understand and appreciate delicious Mexican cuisine.
(4)
Jen L.
Decent Mexican American food for this area.
(5)
Jay F.
Great food. Great prices. Average service. I always get the chicken soft taco, yummy. And a sangria even more yummy.
(4)
Rafael L.
Not a friendly welcoming place at all !!! Very poor service no wonder it was empty on a weekend !!! Margaritas are such a disappointment !!! I always give a second try to places that i didn't like the first time, but i think I'm gonna pass on this one !!!!! Where's the southern hospitality???
(1)
Lori M.
Love this place! Best shrimp fajitas ever!! Reasonably priced, fast and friendly service! One of my favorite places to eat! Oh and the blue coconut margaritas.......AMAZING!
(5)
Frank G.
Horrible service and ok food! Parking lot is a wreck too. Guess we will stick with Taco Bell. This is our second time here and last...
(2)
Teresa A.
Nice folks good food. They'll make what you want if you can't find it on the menu. We drive almost an hour to eat here.
(4)
Bing F.
Don't you just hate it when an interesting restaurant just leaps out at you from the roadside? This happened with El Rodeo as I was actually angling for sushi but saw this place with the parking lot packed. Sold. I ordered Tapatio (grilled chicken smothered with chorizo and cheese with rice, beans, tortillas and guacamole salad.) I've had this a few times before at other places, but it was particularly good here. Nice and spicy, so was the salsa. Atmosphere was top notch, service fine, margarita flavors abound (pre-mixed, but punchy) and prices were not too high. A happy accident to be sure - I hate it when that happens!
(4)
Kevin K.
El Rodeo has devolved. Sad to say, but it is not nearly what it once was. Fancy new sign out front and bland food inside. Fajitas came out cold. No steam. No sizzle. Combination plate was okay but all one note, despite three different items. Back in the area after a couple years we were really excited to get back for some great Mexican food. We've been let down and will not be returning. We'll try the West Shore location and see if that is any better, but we'll look elsewhere for Mexican now.
(2)
Carly S.
Came here a few weeks back on a Saturday evening with my family. I ordered the steak fajitas. They first brought out salsa that tasted like it came out of a can, very disappointing. On the other hand the steak fajitas were SO flavorful and was a very large portion, enough to take home for left overs! The service was however very slow, the server never came to our table except to take our order or bring the check. When we needed something we had to flag down a server walking by. My parents just went to this restaurant this past Friday night and said it was MUCH better this time! They watched the salsa be hand made and said it tastes worlds better. The meals were brought out in a short amount of time and again had a heaping amount of food. Enough to make me o back the next time I am in town!
(3)
Susan Z.
Good service. Chips tasted like saltless bagged chips. Salsa was decent. I ordered chicken enchiladas $7.79, which were out in less than 5 minutes so obviously microwaved. Enchiladas were flavorless. Sauce tasted like Chef Boyardee tomato sauce. Cheap Mexican a 1/2 step above Taco Bell.
(3)
Chris M.
Inconsistent quality though definitely yummy when you get lucky and it's good. For the price the food should be better in my opinion. A huge menu for a huge restaurant!
(3)
A N.
My husband and I went here recently when we had a hankering for chips and salsa and a good margarita. We moved from San Antonio not long ago and I KNEW that I should not get my hopes up but a coworker recommended it so I though it would probably be passable at least. Service was fine but not great, and considering there were like two other tables seated in the whole restaurant I felt it could have been better. The salsa was just ok. My enchiladas were lacking in flavor and the nachos (the entree version) were just sad. There was almost nothing on them. Seriously, I could make tastier nachos at home. Oh, and the margarita. It was a weeknight special I think, so I ordered the house margarita. I knew it wasn't going to be outstanding for the price, but after my husband said he thought it tasted like lime kool-aid that's all I could taste. I didn't finish it. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be snobby, but I really didn't think the whole trip was worth the calories. I had to talk my husband out of the taco bell drive-thru next door on our way out...
(2)
Rosemary M.
This place is awesome....Read some reviews that the chips were store bought - they make them - I've seen it......the salsa isn't out of a jar.....and the comment on the microwaved food....that is bs. The people who had cold food - why not just not tell the server food is cold - they will replace it instead of putting bad reviews on here. Anyone who likes Taco Bell over this place there is something wrong with your tastebuds. lol.....The people are very nice at El Rodeo - never ever had a problem and been going there for many years.
(5)
Scott C.
One of the best lunch values you can get in this suburb of Harrisburg... their chile relleno (with cheese) is pleasantly flavored and perfectly textured (can cut with a fork, but not soggy). The only reason I am giving a four instead of a five is their taco flavoring, or actually the lack thereof. The taco filling just tastes like plain browned hamburger with no sauce or other spices. To get the chile relleno at lunchtime the natural choice would be the #1 lunch special, however that comes with the flavorless taco. My cure is to jump over to the Dinner Combinations section and order the #12 Chalupa and chile relleno. It is about the same price as the #1, but everything tastes great! See the photo of everything I got for $8.05 (plus tip)! Each of the waiters and waitresses I've had are very attentive and friendly. The building, interior decor, and music, are festive, but not annoyingly so.
(4)
Wes N.
My family has been raving about this restaurant for years and I finally tried it. I was disappointed by the greasy food and horrible smell of liquor and burnt food. The service was slow and did not help the already bad experience. I will not be eating here again.
(1)
Brad W.
Our go-to Mexican restaurant. Food is usually pretty consistent and good overall. Service is average. Parking lot is really odd, but not a deal breaker as there is a 2nd lot right near the front one. Some of the booths don't allow for private conversations as the sides of the booths are low. Decor is pretty traditional and neat.
(4)
Valerie G.
Not impressed! I went on a Thursday night at 5pm. The restaurant was practically empty, yet I had to wait to be seated because the hostess was nowhere to be found. I told her that I needed a table for three and she gave me two menus and place settings. That's fine, people make mistakes, however I had to ask two more people before someone finally brought me an extra place setting. We got our chips fairly quickly. They were good, no complaints there, but we only got ONE bowl of chips. It would have been nice to at least been offered a second bowl, but no such offer came. After about 15 minutes someone finally came to see if we wanted drinks, at which point we had already exhausted our chip quota for the table. After that the service was ok, but not great. I have never been to a restaurant with a more unenthusiastic waitstaff. Not one person smiled, or even pretended to want to be there. This did not make for a very positive atmosphere. The food was mediocre at best and I was disappointed that not all of the entrees came with rice AND beans. Many only came with either rice, or beans. When we asked if we could have beans in addition to the rice we were upcharged $2.19. That was fine, but the waitress never mentioned an upcharge at all. Speaking of which, they upcharge you on EVERYTHING. Jalapeños on the side, $1.19 extra (really? That's a little excessive. Fifty cents would have been more acceptable.) Hot sauce, 89 cents. (I have NEVER heard of ANY restaurant charging extra for hot sauce, especially a Mexican restaurant!) The kid's meal did not include a drink, or a dessert. One of the two included would have been nice. The drinks were nothing special. They were watered down and didn't have much flavor. They must have a one lime limit per customer because the first margarita I ordered had a lime wedge, but the others did not. When we left the restaurant, we walked by many employees, none of which said "Thank you for coming", or even acknowledged our existence. Was the food edible? Barely. Would I ever go back? Not likely.
(1)
Hilary J.
It has been a while since being there. It was ok nothing to rave about. Beans on quesadillas and pricey. You get chips and I like the band. I don't know if I would recommended it.
(3)
Diana D.
Not sure what happened to this restaurant. It used to be very good and I always looked forward to eating there. However, last nights meal changed my mind about ever going again. I ordered one of the combination meals which included a beef Halupa and beef chili relleno. I was quite surprised when the server brought our food and there was no chili relleno on my plate, but rather a layer of beef with cheese melted on top. At first I thought I had received the wrong meal! When I brought it to the servers attention she said she knew it was prepared wrong but that is how they make their beef relleno. WHAT?? She further explained that the cheese relleno was made with a poblano and brought me one complimentary. The gesture was very kind but the overwhelming taste of cumin in the sauce was almost more than I could handle. We also ordered margaritas that were not served in a margarita glass. Oh the salsa and chips were good. We won't be back.
(1)
Katherine M.
This is solid, American-ized Mexican food. It seems like so many Mexican restaurants are clone stamps of each other with slight differences, and this one fits into that category pretty well. The interior, atmosphere, and menu of this place differ none to slightly from every place I've been to in Ohio of a different name. Food is good here - I love the shredded beef tacos. Sauces are solid. It's good - nothing to write a long description about. Cheese dip is usualy okay, althought weird it's not called queso, but whatever. I don't like their lime margarita mix, but the flavored ones are decent. The cuervo gold are good depends on who makes it - I've had them taste very different. We keep coming back - this is our go-to Mexican place in the Harrisburg area.
(3)
Ryan D.
Steak fajitas every time.
(4)
Conrad T.
We eat here twice a week. Fast, fresh & price appropriate. Don't expect some elegant night on the town. Come on, it's on 22, in Lower Paxton across from a Sunoco and Taco Bell. But we still love it.
(5)
Samantha A.
Staying in the area and came across this restaurant. My husband and I love Mexican food and always like to try new places. Service was ok, food was terrible! They dropped off chips and salsa at the table and the chips had black French fries mixed in with them. Fresh made guac had jalapeño in it, was ok. The red sangria is too sweet, doesn't taste like there's any alcohol in it. My husband ordered meat, chicken and pork tacos. I had a veggie burrito. Neither of us were impressed, really no flavor at all. After a few hours relaxing at the hotel, we both got really sick.
(1)
Maren H.
This place has a really good atmosphere. The service was great and we got our food very fast. The food wasn't amazing, but good for central PA. The salsa is slightly spicy (in a good way), something that is unusual for most Mexican restaurants in this area. We got the pollo chilango and chicken chimichangas, which were a little bland but hit the spot. I would definitely suggest the bean dip.
(4)
Kunal P.
Been to this place only once and that was enough to be impressed. We were the last customers at the restaurant one saturday night and the kitchen was 5min from closing as well. Yet, they let us in and served our party of 11 without any fuss. We were really really pleased with the service. It only got better from there once food started coming. pitcher full of hot salsa and non stop nachos were to die for. Most of us were vegetarian so we just ordered vegie fajita or quesadilla with extra jalapeno. Everything was really good. Especially the rice and guacamole - best some of us have had at a tex-mex restaurant. Over all, this place definitely deserves a repeat visit at a more reasonable time when we can sit and enjoy a complete meal at relaxed pace. Not that we felt rushed, but we also didn't want to hold up some of the staff beyond closing time. And we were just lucky that they let us in too.
(4)
Ian S.
Desperately searching for quality Mexican food here in PA. EL Rodeo does a decent job at keeping it authentic. Friendly staff and reasonable prices.
(3)
Ari L.
Our waitress was patient and kept our chip bowl full. We went twice in the 5 days we stayed in Harrisburg. The food is great. It does have truly authentic food and has some tex mex food. The food is fresh and looks appetizing. The portions are good for the prices in the menu. The best dish we had were the Vallarta Tacos. Three massive double tortilla tacos with grilled chicken, chorizo, cilantro, onions, and lime. It also came with a side of rice and beans. Definitely will come again when i visit the Harrisburg area.
(5)
Anu R.
This place was good except for the part of service! They had drink specials but they ran out of the drinks which was on the special lol. I tried Valartas which was pretty good and my wife had fajitas it was good too. We will go again to other El Rodeo in Mechanics-burg not this place because of bad service.
(3)
Christine S.
Quick service! Free chips and salsa even if you ask for refills (even tho the menu says otherwise) everything you could want in a Mexican restaurant in Harrisburg pa
(5)
Andrew S.
My girlfriend and I stumbled upon this place while shopping in Harrisburg. The cooks are consistent, the food is cheap, and the staff is very friendly! We never spent more than $40 here (with appetizers, drinks, and entrees) and always left with full bellies and something to bring home. If you're looking to get a lot for you money, enjoy Mexican food, and are in the Harrisburg area then definitely give this place a shot.
(3)
Abby N.
I went today w my family. The food was good, except mine. I had chicken flautas and they tasted like - nothing! On top Of that the waiter took forever in bringing us our drinks. She kept coming by our table asking us if "everything" was ok when we still did not had our food. When my husband asked if his plate was supposed to come with 'rice' she literally took his fork and began moving his food to find the rice to show him that it had rice. I would not go back there.
(2)
Alison S.
We've gone to El Rodeo intermittently for years. But our last visit might have been our last. Food was just. not. good. Service was slow, even though it was toward the end of the day and uncrowded. Entirely unimpressive... We are sad about it.
(1)
Paul N.
Decor was nicer than most Mexican restaurants - lots of booth seating. I had the enchiladas verdes and while it was enjoyable, it was predictable. Good value, good meal and pretty much what you've seen before everywhere else. Don't go with extremely high expectations and you will enjoy yourself.
(3)
Sassy Couple S.
Very solid mexican food. The salsa is good, solid tacos and enchiladas. Have not a bad mean, its your typical mexican place. Cheese dip is always my favorite, and they have a solid recipe at El Rodeo. Tristan is the best waiter!
(4)
Danielle K.
During the NHL lockout, my boyfriend and I drove to Hershey a few times to get our hockey fix. Central Pennsylvania is not exactly a bastion of veg-friendliness, though, so I was happy to discover El Rodeo, a Mexican restaurant with a location about 7 miles from the Giant Center. It's a bit tricky getting into and out of the parking lot, but it is pretty easy to spot from the road. The restaurant is a fairly large, open space and looks like almost any other Mexican place. They have a special vegetarian section on the menu, and the handful of times I've been there, they've been able to leave the dairy off my vegetable chimichangas (hey, I stick with what works). Between the complimentary chips and salsa and the good-sized portions, I get filled up pretty easily eating there. It's not a spectacular restaurant but the food is good, it's not too expensive, and the service is friendly.
(4)
Alicia L.
Horrible customer service. I emailed them twice through their website asking if they had any foods that are or could be gluten free. I never got a reply. I went there to meet up with friends and asked the server and he said they are bad at emails. So I asked him the same question, he told me he had no idea what gluten was. And that was it. he was not going to ask the kitchen. I handed him a copy of the emails to hand the manger to let him know that someone had been trying to contact them for this information. The manager threw them away. I never got an answer and left after my friends were done eating. This is absolutely horrible customer service.
(1)
Narisha J.
Perhaps it's my unfamiliarity with authentic Mexican food which is what this place describes itself as or maybe it was a poor menu choice on my part. Either way I was not impressed in the slightest. It always concerns me when one of two things happen. 1. The menu is extensive. I mean huge, long, big. Whichever word fits best to describe them as having a lot on their menu. Or 2. My food comes out very fast. I mean lightening speed, so fast I only ate 3 chips before my plate was in front of me. And no I didn't order ahead. In this case both happended. I had the burrito supreme. Didn't care for the lack of flavor and I had to add some salsa from the chips to make it taste like something. Everything seemed really soggy. And as hot as my plate was my food was only warm....strange. Didn't enjoy it. It was apparent that these items were all premade. So essentially I dined in at a fast food restaurant. My son said his meal was okay but was certain he tasted American cheese which made him question the authenticity...can't blame him. Our drinks came in sealed bottles which I appreciated cause I'm never able to finish my drinks, so it made it easy to take it with me. The chips and salsa were great though, should have had that as my entree!
(2)
Alli K.
Awesome atmosphere, very inviting. The food has never let me down and I am in love with their chips and salsa. Te prices are fair and the portions are perfect. I haven't had a bad experience after several times going. I will be going back, hopefully soon!
(4)
A K.
Good mexican food. Quick service. They have great homemade hot sauce. They are a few more locations in the area.
(4)
MARK M.
While I am a big fan of the El Rodeo in York, PA, I have to admit I like this place better for the atmosphere. It is a big building and not too busy due to location (it's out of the way on a so-so busy street). The York Rodeo can take a while to wait for your table. We sat down right away. We enjoyed our time there if not completely satisfied with the meals. I had the chicken/chorizo dish (I forget the name) which I thought was pretty good. I'd recommend it if you want to avoid long lines and willing to drive out of the way.
(4)
Jane B.
This was terrific. The salsa was a bit spicy and wonderful, I would have loved a bigger bowl. The service was friendly and quick. Portion sizes were very large. I had the Molcajete which, I swear was delivered in a large trough! Definitely plan on returning.
(4)
Paul E.
Good food, reasonably priced. Food always comes out no more than 7 minutes after ordering, even with a big group. Big tables, but seats sometime sink so the table becomes too high. Great chips and salsa complimentary. Margaritas are ok, but expensive and you can drink them real fast so not worth getting alcohol there. Servers are nice, and seems pretty authentic mexican food and service. Great outdoor seating too. Good place to bring a group.
(4)
J R.
I know I am in the minority here but the 3 times I ate here the food was very disappointing. Each time I ate there I was taken on a work lunch outing by my employer as I would have never gone here at my choice. All I can say was that the food just had little taste to me. It was either just hot or tasteless. Mexican food is not one of my favorites to begin with but I appreciate tasty food and did not get it here. I thought the food was better at Chi Chi's when they used to be here. Yes most will say Chi Chi's was fast food. I consider taco bell to be fast food while chi chi's was more like an olive garden if comparing to Italian food. While El Rodeo is considered true Mexican Cuisine, maybe it is and I just do not like true Mexican Cuisine so take this review for what it's worth. edit 7/13 thought I would give this place another try. This time for dinner. Got the Grande Platter and must say it was pretty good. Upgrading to 3 stars. We went around 4 so it was not crowded and the service was good. Not sure how service would be if busy but had a nice time and meal. The rice still bland and dry but added some salsa and brought it to life. Will go back again.
(3)
Dinah Boredom ..
Not the worst but certainly not the best. One step up from taco bell. If you want good authentic Mexican food (not Americanized Tex-Mex style) go to Tres Hermanos on Cameron Street.
(2)
Jacob S.
After moving from Texas, my wife and I were searching for real southwest Mexican food and El Rodeo is "El mas mejor". The service is fast and curtious. I haven't ordered anything that i disliked.
(5)
K E.
Although my wife and I used to go here frequeuntly, we will not go again, unless we pay with cash. The waitress had changed the tip amount on our bill twice. Do not trust this location.
(1)
Dan R.
Yeah I heard the Mariachi band once in there also... They do give you the nachos and sauce with free refills. it has a great interior, that makes you think youre in the old country. plus the waitresses can be hot sometimes, sometimes not. I always prefer to go to another mexican restaurant in town, however this place always seems very busy, they totally remodelled it in 2003. they have a full bar where you can order imports and domestic, lots of posters & merch from corona and dos equis. Once I went in and although the food was good we had a coupon from the Clipper Magazine that said "10 dollars off purchase of 30" or more. However the waitress charged me *full price*, dispite the fact that I handed her the coupon, said what it was for, then my credit card. SO when I tried to explain it she didnt understand what I was saying, finally they got someone who did, and they refunded my purchase and then charged me the correct price. Seems odd that they'd just miss a coupon. Maybe they thought I wasnt paying attention. Bisteak a la tampiquena is always an old favorite, plus they ahve some combo deals on burritos, enchiladas and so forth.
(3)
Billy D.
Always great service. I have never ever had any problems. The food is good and reasonably priced. The complimentary chips and salsa rock. I prefer El Rodeo over a few other Mexican places in the Harrisburg region.
(4)
Carissa S.
I am a Mexican food lover. I worked at a Mexican restaurant through high school and college. I lived in Phoenix for several years and made it my mission to try every Mexican restaurant I came across. : ) This place is nothing special.
(2)
MoCe C.
Bad bad service on slow day. When its F'in 90+ ° out dont make me wait for agua. Then she argued with me about my order all three of the vegi enchaladas r on the menu, id like one of each, took her forever to understand then she tell me no and leaves for 5 mints, dosnt bring me water, n then has someone else translate, come on. It was good even if both of em forgot the gauc.
(2)
Jim T.
El Rodeo is a good place to eat. The portion sizes are good and the quality of the food is good. I go there frequently and have never had an issue with food quality at all. If you like Mexican food, this is as good as any other Mexican restaurant in the area. Their Fajita Texanas is the best meal on the menu. Chicken, Steak, and Shrimp stir fried with vegetables (onions, peppers and tomatoes) and served on a still sizzling hot plate. The complimentary chips and salsa are also very good. I usually get one of each to take home on my way out.
(4)
Frank E.
Been here a few times. I actually like it. I keep getting the Mexican Steak with Beans and rice. Got to remember to ditch the rice and get more beans. Just my tastes. I like the colorful decorations and keep missing the band. I think only the first round of chips and salsa is free. After that they charge. I found out I don't like the mild salsa. I think its the celantro. But the hot is very good. Communication can be a problem at times. But we generally work it out. From what I have found between this one and Fiesta Mexico. The menus are similar but Fiesta seems to be bland and lacking in flavor. I was told by an employee that yes they are both owned by the same family but the wife runs El Rodeo and the husband runs Fiesta Mexico. We would go back again. Enjoyed our meal.
(3)
Greg A.
Decent Mexican restaurant in suburbia. This place used to be a hole in the wall and then expanded into a larger place. I happen to think it was much better when it was just a hole in the wall. The food is decent, but not amazing. The service is subpar. Try the fajitas when you're there. That's one of their best things on the menu.
(3)
Mia K.
El Rodeo tends to be hit or miss. It's always either amazingly delicious, or "why didn't we go somewhere else". The chicken fajitas are my menu item of choice, but the quesadillas are also great (when the food is good). The worst thing is sometimes the food isn't quite hot enough. When I think of fajitas I think sizzling hot - not luke warm. Stop in for the lunch time margarita specials. Several flavors - 3$, can't go wrong with that. They also have live Mariachi bands once a month.
(3)
Leigh N.
I love this place. They offer dishes that "chain" restaurants do not. Their Horchata is fantastic and I drink at least 3 glasses each time we go. The flan rocks and they will add a little chocolate drizzle and whip cream upon request which makes it even better. We love going there to eat and it is kid friendly to the point where the wait staff do not roll their eyes when they see a family (this happened at Applebee's).
(4)
Andy B.
A good place to meet up with friends, although it gets quite busy when the mariachi band is scheduled to play (select Wednesdays). I have never had a problem with the service, which is polite and prompt, and the food has always been hot, well prepared, and very delicious. Also, the food is not expensive, so you can enjoy a night out without busting the wallet. I love their mango margaritas, and their shrimp & scallop fajitas are fantastic :)
(4)
Charles N.
the 'ro gets 5-stars. i wish i could find something witty to write about this place. simply put: it has been a staple of mine since i was in 7th grade. i used to go here with my parents after my lacrosse games (i was so beast) and then spend the rest of the night on the toilet dipping long cut skoal and reading hustler. now i wear a suit everyday and pretend to read the financial times. life: 1 -- me: 0.
(5)
Jessica G.
I'm a sucker for this type of Mexican restaurant! Cheap food, huge portions, and absolutely delicious.
(4)
Jeff S.
after further consideration, this really is a 3-star restaurant, as are it's bretheren. I would like to recommend, however, that you request hot sauce from your server. They'll bring out a bowl of some unknown, but very chunky hot sauce, which you can spoon over your food or add into their house salsa for a spicy kick. Their salsa is very good and even better with some of the hot sauce, to taste of course.
(3)
Michael M.
Food is not bad but far from great. Service on a Friday night seems to be outrageously slow.
(2)
R. E.
I love Mexican food and this just didn't cut it for me. I ordered the chicken quesadilla and the juice from the chicken was making everything very soggy, not to mention, it wasn't very hot. The chips and salsa were ok, margarita was so-so and the atmosphere was decent.
(2)
Steve P.
Late in the evening my fiancee and I were cruising up and down Jonestown Rd. She got a craving for Mexican and luckily this place was half a mile down the road. However when we got there the parking lot was just about bare. She hopped off the bike and checked and they closed in 20 minutes. Normally I don't eat anywhere that is closing in the next 45 minutes. I have worked restaurants all my life and I know all the cooks want to do is go home and not cook anymore. Your Food to Saliva ratio steeply increases every minute closer to closing you get past the 45 minute mark.. However the waitress and cook actually told us to come in. It kinda felt like a trap but seeing my fiancee get her food fix was more important than my health. Besides I'm sure the heat from the skillet will kill any bacteria added. So we went in. I'll tell you up front it is quite strange to be the only 2 people in a place that is being darkened by the turning off of lights and silenced by the stereotypical Mexican music being shut off. It was in part eerie and pleasant if that makes any sense. The waitress took our orders and within literally a few moments we had the food in front of us, which just goes to prove my point that cooks don't want to cook that late into the evening. We ate our meals which didn't taste any different thankfully and didn't feel like we were being rushed out. However the entire kitchen staff did follow us out the door... Strange..
(4)
Ali R.
i love this place so much. i've been going here for over 10 years, it's definitely become my favorite comfort food. the staff is always so friendly and the service is always prompt. love their salsa, tamales, mole ranchero and fajitas. go here and get a pitcher of margs with your friends, you'll have fun and eat well.
(4)
Sophia P.
Their chicken tamales are sooooooooooo tender and flavorful!!! They arrive on a plate dehusked and draped with bean-based sauce. albeit, they are slightly different from home-made tamales that don't have that sauce, but this version tastes delicous. they are infinitely better than the ones served at Fiesta Mexico. I've ordered tamales for the last 4 times that I am came but on the fifth time, I tried something else, a combo platter with chile relleno--very disappointing! the ingredients and cooking method was NOT authentic at all. it is suppose to be a pepper filled cheese and deep-fried in a egg-batter, but their version was basically a side of beans with cheese and a tiny bit of meat sprinkled inside. where was the bell pepper? i thought they had my order wrong, until they point to the bean and cheese slop. I haven't tried any other food items, but I expect them to be typical americanized mexican food. So I gave 4 stars because the tamales are THAT good.
(4)
Jimena M.
Checked this place out for dinner. So from the outside it's got a red tile roof and stucco walls, seems quaint enough. On the inside it looks like a tacky tex-mex pinata threw up. There are corona beer ads, sombreros, maracas, pottery, folksy mexican knick knacks and tchochke's and of course, pinatas. You might think this is the equivalent of the atmosphere in the Thai place I reviewed earlier, but it's the exact opposite. They are just trying WAY too hard to appear like authentic mexican. So..with a sigh I kept to myself..i braced myself for the worse. Their menu is extensive, never have I seen so many different combinations of chimichangas, burritos, tacos, enchiladas,etc. After careful consideration I chose a platter called El Cazuelon, the menu said it had grilled chicken, steak, a guacamole salad, and of course rice and refried beans. Seemed simple and straight forward to me. So while we waited for our food we tore up the tortilla chips and salsa, which were decent. The salsa had a mild kick,was chunky and thick, and tasted pretty fresh. I liked it. The tortilla chips were alright as well, a little too thick for my tastes, but ok. Our food came, it was a pretty big plate. They laid my "steak" on top of a filet of chicken breast. Looks like both pieces of meat were grilled in a flat iron. They had some seasoning, but pretty mild, luckily my chicken wasn't too dry and the steak was flank and a little tough and stringy :( The rice tasted like overcooked uncle bens. The salad was chopped lettuce with a dollop of guacamole on top. The guacamole was decent though. The refried beans were topped with a melted white cheese, probably monterrey jack, they were blah. I basically doused the whole thing with salsa and chowed down. I was pretty hungry. But the meal wasn't a pleasure to eat, it was just done to fulfill a bodily requirement :P Luckily, I was in good company with good conversation or it would have been painful.
(2)
Jane R.
first, if you go to a mexican restaurant, don't just order "quesadillas" or "fajitas". Try the carnitas, the lovely chile relenos autenticos, etc. Love this place. The salsa, if taken home, can be nuclear the next day.
(5)
Nick D.
So I lived in the Harrisburg area as a young'un and since then have spent time in California and NYC. Places with good Mexican food. I've also been to a place called MEXICO which also apparently serves up some decent tacos, burritos, chinchillas, and the like. But when I'm craving good Mexican food and am back in the 'burg, I'm going to EL RODEO, BABY!!! This place seriously rivals any Mexican joint out there. Why? Because the food tastes f-ing good. No frills, no fancy table-side guacamole preparation, none of that B.S. Just good, reasonably priced Mexican food that rivals any of New York or Cali's best. Get the "Nachos Order" (name may have changed). Toasted awesome chips in a pool of awesome melted cheese. This dish is so great, you'd probably rather eat this than hook up with a supermodel-hot Amish girl IN COSTUME. Oh yeah and you know it's authentic because they had several employees DEPORTED to Mexico (it was in the news a few years ago).
(5)
Bing F.
Don't you just hate it when an interesting restaurant just leaps out at you from the roadside? This happened with El Rodeo as I was actually angling for sushi but saw this place with the parking lot packed. Sold. I ordered Tapatio (grilled chicken smothered with chorizo and cheese with rice, beans, tortillas and guacamole salad.) I've had this a few times before at other places, but it was particularly good here. Nice and spicy, so was the salsa. Atmosphere was top notch, service fine, margarita flavors abound (pre-mixed, but punchy) and prices were not too high. A happy accident to be sure - I hate it when that happens!
(4)
Conrad T.
We eat here twice a week. Fast, fresh & price appropriate. Don't expect some elegant night on the town. Come on, it's on 22, in Lower Paxton across from a Sunoco and Taco Bell. But we still love it.
(5)
Samantha A.
Staying in the area and came across this restaurant. My husband and I love Mexican food and always like to try new places. Service was ok, food was terrible! They dropped off chips and salsa at the table and the chips had black French fries mixed in with them. Fresh made guac had jalapeño in it, was ok. The red sangria is too sweet, doesn't taste like there's any alcohol in it. My husband ordered meat, chicken and pork tacos. I had a veggie burrito. Neither of us were impressed, really no flavor at all. After a few hours relaxing at the hotel, we both got really sick.
(1)
Maren H.
This place has a really good atmosphere. The service was great and we got our food very fast. The food wasn't amazing, but good for central PA. The salsa is slightly spicy (in a good way), something that is unusual for most Mexican restaurants in this area. We got the pollo chilango and chicken chimichangas, which were a little bland but hit the spot. I would definitely suggest the bean dip.
(4)
Michael C.
I've eaten at the El Rodeo chain of Mexican restaurants so many times, I've lost count how many times. I estimate 50 times at least. The reason why my wife and I keep coming back is because the food is consistently good. I simply loved the chicken fajitas and chicken quesedillas, which I ordered last night. The food is always fresh. The service is always from Mexican staff members who understand the food, the culture, the language and pour that understanding into their work. The ambience is terrific. It feels, smells, looks, and especially TASTES like authentic Mexican cuisine. I just want to point-out that some of the bad reviews are totally off the mark. One previous reviewer gave this restaurant two stars and said she's eaten at Mexican restaurants all over the place and El Rodeo is "nothing special." Let me reply to that comment saying this: El Rodeo is a local chain of EIGHT restaurants. If they didn't get it right with the first location, or the second, or third, or fifth, do you think they would have made it to eight locations??? In other words, this place has great food. They have eight locations because the first location was a success, and the second, and the third, and so on. If it wasn't good, they'd be out of business. Instead, El Rodeo thrives and is a treat to those who understand and appreciate delicious Mexican cuisine.
(4)
Jennifer T.
Best steak fajitas I've ever had makes this 4 stars. The dinner portion is enough for me to take home half and get lunch out of. Caution: the do charge $1 for 3 extra tortillas to go. The meat in the tacos usually has too much liquid and they get a little soggy but we usually eat them so fast it doesn't matter much! Rice is really really good. I personally don't care for the guacamole - it's really spicy and watery - mot much fresh avocado identifiable. Consistent food, nice people, fun atmosphere.
(4)
Keith A.
Very good if you are in a hurry. Love the Hawaiian Fajitas.
(4)
Fran D.
The place was fine, decent food. They automatically add 18% to your bill as a tip. If you are like we were, not paying close attention, you will double tip and be ripped off!!!! Very aggravating since we did enjoy the place but on principal alone, I will never go back
(1)
Nathan B.
Having recently relocated to the area, I was looking to replace my "go to" Mexican restaurant from home. The atmosphere at El Rodeo is nice, and I love that they offer outdoor dining. The drink prices were a little high for the serving size they provide (a margarita, in my case), but that is pretty common with dining out. The biggest influence on my review is the flavor of the food. While the chips and salsa were outstanding, the main course was drastically under seasoned. It did not have the flavor that I seek in Mexican food. On the plus side, the staff was friendly and accommodating. To be honest, in future, I may pickup takeout from Chipotle and have it with my own margaritas at home.
(2)
Anu R.
This place was good except for the part of service! They had drink specials but they ran out of the drinks which was on the special lol. I tried Valartas which was pretty good and my wife had fajitas it was good too. We will go again to other El Rodeo in Mechanics-burg not this place because of bad service.
(3)
Christine S.
Quick service! Free chips and salsa even if you ask for refills (even tho the menu says otherwise) everything you could want in a Mexican restaurant in Harrisburg pa
(5)
Kunal P.
Been to this place only once and that was enough to be impressed. We were the last customers at the restaurant one saturday night and the kitchen was 5min from closing as well. Yet, they let us in and served our party of 11 without any fuss. We were really really pleased with the service. It only got better from there once food started coming. pitcher full of hot salsa and non stop nachos were to die for. Most of us were vegetarian so we just ordered vegie fajita or quesadilla with extra jalapeno. Everything was really good. Especially the rice and guacamole - best some of us have had at a tex-mex restaurant. Over all, this place definitely deserves a repeat visit at a more reasonable time when we can sit and enjoy a complete meal at relaxed pace. Not that we felt rushed, but we also didn't want to hold up some of the staff beyond closing time. And we were just lucky that they let us in too.
(4)
Ian S.
Desperately searching for quality Mexican food here in PA. EL Rodeo does a decent job at keeping it authentic. Friendly staff and reasonable prices.
(3)
Brad W.
Our go-to Mexican restaurant. Food is usually pretty consistent and good overall. Service is average. Parking lot is really odd, but not a deal breaker as there is a 2nd lot right near the front one. Some of the booths don't allow for private conversations as the sides of the booths are low. Decor is pretty traditional and neat.
(4)
Ari L.
Our waitress was patient and kept our chip bowl full. We went twice in the 5 days we stayed in Harrisburg. The food is great. It does have truly authentic food and has some tex mex food. The food is fresh and looks appetizing. The portions are good for the prices in the menu. The best dish we had were the Vallarta Tacos. Three massive double tortilla tacos with grilled chicken, chorizo, cilantro, onions, and lime. It also came with a side of rice and beans. Definitely will come again when i visit the Harrisburg area.
(5)
Andrew S.
My girlfriend and I stumbled upon this place while shopping in Harrisburg. The cooks are consistent, the food is cheap, and the staff is very friendly! We never spent more than $40 here (with appetizers, drinks, and entrees) and always left with full bellies and something to bring home. If you're looking to get a lot for you money, enjoy Mexican food, and are in the Harrisburg area then definitely give this place a shot.
(3)
Abby N.
I went today w my family. The food was good, except mine. I had chicken flautas and they tasted like - nothing! On top Of that the waiter took forever in bringing us our drinks. She kept coming by our table asking us if "everything" was ok when we still did not had our food. When my husband asked if his plate was supposed to come with 'rice' she literally took his fork and began moving his food to find the rice to show him that it had rice. I would not go back there.
(2)
Alison S.
We've gone to El Rodeo intermittently for years. But our last visit might have been our last. Food was just. not. good. Service was slow, even though it was toward the end of the day and uncrowded. Entirely unimpressive... We are sad about it.
(1)
Jay F.
Great food. Great prices. Average service. I always get the chicken soft taco, yummy. And a sangria even more yummy.
(4)
Rafael L.
Not a friendly welcoming place at all !!! Very poor service no wonder it was empty on a weekend !!! Margaritas are such a disappointment !!! I always give a second try to places that i didn't like the first time, but i think I'm gonna pass on this one !!!!! Where's the southern hospitality???
(1)
Frank G.
Horrible service and ok food! Parking lot is a wreck too. Guess we will stick with Taco Bell. This is our second time here and last...
(2)
Diana D.
Not sure what happened to this restaurant. It used to be very good and I always looked forward to eating there. However, last nights meal changed my mind about ever going again. I ordered one of the combination meals which included a beef Halupa and beef chili relleno. I was quite surprised when the server brought our food and there was no chili relleno on my plate, but rather a layer of beef with cheese melted on top. At first I thought I had received the wrong meal! When I brought it to the servers attention she said she knew it was prepared wrong but that is how they make their beef relleno. WHAT?? She further explained that the cheese relleno was made with a poblano and brought me one complimentary. The gesture was very kind but the overwhelming taste of cumin in the sauce was almost more than I could handle. We also ordered margaritas that were not served in a margarita glass. Oh the salsa and chips were good. We won't be back.
(1)
Katherine M.
This is solid, American-ized Mexican food. It seems like so many Mexican restaurants are clone stamps of each other with slight differences, and this one fits into that category pretty well. The interior, atmosphere, and menu of this place differ none to slightly from every place I've been to in Ohio of a different name. Food is good here - I love the shredded beef tacos. Sauces are solid. It's good - nothing to write a long description about. Cheese dip is usualy okay, althought weird it's not called queso, but whatever. I don't like their lime margarita mix, but the flavored ones are decent. The cuervo gold are good depends on who makes it - I've had them taste very different. We keep coming back - this is our go-to Mexican place in the Harrisburg area.
(3)
Kevin K.
El Rodeo has devolved. Sad to say, but it is not nearly what it once was. Fancy new sign out front and bland food inside. Fajitas came out cold. No steam. No sizzle. Combination plate was okay but all one note, despite three different items. Back in the area after a couple years we were really excited to get back for some great Mexican food. We've been let down and will not be returning. We'll try the West Shore location and see if that is any better, but we'll look elsewhere for Mexican now.
(2)
Lori M.
Love this place! Best shrimp fajitas ever!! Reasonably priced, fast and friendly service! One of my favorite places to eat! Oh and the blue coconut margaritas.......AMAZING!
(5)
Teresa A.
Nice folks good food. They'll make what you want if you can't find it on the menu. We drive almost an hour to eat here.
(4)
Paul N.
Decor was nicer than most Mexican restaurants - lots of booth seating. I had the enchiladas verdes and while it was enjoyable, it was predictable. Good value, good meal and pretty much what you've seen before everywhere else. Don't go with extremely high expectations and you will enjoy yourself.
(3)
Sassy Couple S.
Very solid mexican food. The salsa is good, solid tacos and enchiladas. Have not a bad mean, its your typical mexican place. Cheese dip is always my favorite, and they have a solid recipe at El Rodeo. Tristan is the best waiter!
(4)
Danielle K.
During the NHL lockout, my boyfriend and I drove to Hershey a few times to get our hockey fix. Central Pennsylvania is not exactly a bastion of veg-friendliness, though, so I was happy to discover El Rodeo, a Mexican restaurant with a location about 7 miles from the Giant Center. It's a bit tricky getting into and out of the parking lot, but it is pretty easy to spot from the road. The restaurant is a fairly large, open space and looks like almost any other Mexican place. They have a special vegetarian section on the menu, and the handful of times I've been there, they've been able to leave the dairy off my vegetable chimichangas (hey, I stick with what works). Between the complimentary chips and salsa and the good-sized portions, I get filled up pretty easily eating there. It's not a spectacular restaurant but the food is good, it's not too expensive, and the service is friendly.
(4)
Ryan D.
Steak fajitas every time.
(4)
Carly S.
Came here a few weeks back on a Saturday evening with my family. I ordered the steak fajitas. They first brought out salsa that tasted like it came out of a can, very disappointing. On the other hand the steak fajitas were SO flavorful and was a very large portion, enough to take home for left overs! The service was however very slow, the server never came to our table except to take our order or bring the check. When we needed something we had to flag down a server walking by. My parents just went to this restaurant this past Friday night and said it was MUCH better this time! They watched the salsa be hand made and said it tastes worlds better. The meals were brought out in a short amount of time and again had a heaping amount of food. Enough to make me o back the next time I am in town!
(3)
Susan Z.
Good service. Chips tasted like saltless bagged chips. Salsa was decent. I ordered chicken enchiladas $7.79, which were out in less than 5 minutes so obviously microwaved. Enchiladas were flavorless. Sauce tasted like Chef Boyardee tomato sauce. Cheap Mexican a 1/2 step above Taco Bell.
(3)
Chris M.
Inconsistent quality though definitely yummy when you get lucky and it's good. For the price the food should be better in my opinion. A huge menu for a huge restaurant!
(3)
A N.
My husband and I went here recently when we had a hankering for chips and salsa and a good margarita. We moved from San Antonio not long ago and I KNEW that I should not get my hopes up but a coworker recommended it so I though it would probably be passable at least. Service was fine but not great, and considering there were like two other tables seated in the whole restaurant I felt it could have been better. The salsa was just ok. My enchiladas were lacking in flavor and the nachos (the entree version) were just sad. There was almost nothing on them. Seriously, I could make tastier nachos at home. Oh, and the margarita. It was a weeknight special I think, so I ordered the house margarita. I knew it wasn't going to be outstanding for the price, but after my husband said he thought it tasted like lime kool-aid that's all I could taste. I didn't finish it. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be snobby, but I really didn't think the whole trip was worth the calories. I had to talk my husband out of the taco bell drive-thru next door on our way out...
(2)
Rosemary M.
This place is awesome....Read some reviews that the chips were store bought - they make them - I've seen it......the salsa isn't out of a jar.....and the comment on the microwaved food....that is bs. The people who had cold food - why not just not tell the server food is cold - they will replace it instead of putting bad reviews on here. Anyone who likes Taco Bell over this place there is something wrong with your tastebuds. lol.....The people are very nice at El Rodeo - never ever had a problem and been going there for many years.
(5)
Scott C.
One of the best lunch values you can get in this suburb of Harrisburg... their chile relleno (with cheese) is pleasantly flavored and perfectly textured (can cut with a fork, but not soggy). The only reason I am giving a four instead of a five is their taco flavoring, or actually the lack thereof. The taco filling just tastes like plain browned hamburger with no sauce or other spices. To get the chile relleno at lunchtime the natural choice would be the #1 lunch special, however that comes with the flavorless taco. My cure is to jump over to the Dinner Combinations section and order the #12 Chalupa and chile relleno. It is about the same price as the #1, but everything tastes great! See the photo of everything I got for $8.05 (plus tip)! Each of the waiters and waitresses I've had are very attentive and friendly. The building, interior decor, and music, are festive, but not annoyingly so.
(4)
Wes N.
My family has been raving about this restaurant for years and I finally tried it. I was disappointed by the greasy food and horrible smell of liquor and burnt food. The service was slow and did not help the already bad experience. I will not be eating here again.
(1)
Valerie G.
Not impressed! I went on a Thursday night at 5pm. The restaurant was practically empty, yet I had to wait to be seated because the hostess was nowhere to be found. I told her that I needed a table for three and she gave me two menus and place settings. That's fine, people make mistakes, however I had to ask two more people before someone finally brought me an extra place setting. We got our chips fairly quickly. They were good, no complaints there, but we only got ONE bowl of chips. It would have been nice to at least been offered a second bowl, but no such offer came. After about 15 minutes someone finally came to see if we wanted drinks, at which point we had already exhausted our chip quota for the table. After that the service was ok, but not great. I have never been to a restaurant with a more unenthusiastic waitstaff. Not one person smiled, or even pretended to want to be there. This did not make for a very positive atmosphere. The food was mediocre at best and I was disappointed that not all of the entrees came with rice AND beans. Many only came with either rice, or beans. When we asked if we could have beans in addition to the rice we were upcharged $2.19. That was fine, but the waitress never mentioned an upcharge at all. Speaking of which, they upcharge you on EVERYTHING. Jalapeños on the side, $1.19 extra (really? That's a little excessive. Fifty cents would have been more acceptable.) Hot sauce, 89 cents. (I have NEVER heard of ANY restaurant charging extra for hot sauce, especially a Mexican restaurant!) The kid's meal did not include a drink, or a dessert. One of the two included would have been nice. The drinks were nothing special. They were watered down and didn't have much flavor. They must have a one lime limit per customer because the first margarita I ordered had a lime wedge, but the others did not. When we left the restaurant, we walked by many employees, none of which said "Thank you for coming", or even acknowledged our existence. Was the food edible? Barely. Would I ever go back? Not likely.
(1)
Hilary J.
It has been a while since being there. It was ok nothing to rave about. Beans on quesadillas and pricey. You get chips and I like the band. I don't know if I would recommended it.
(3)
Narisha J.
Perhaps it's my unfamiliarity with authentic Mexican food which is what this place describes itself as or maybe it was a poor menu choice on my part. Either way I was not impressed in the slightest. It always concerns me when one of two things happen. 1. The menu is extensive. I mean huge, long, big. Whichever word fits best to describe them as having a lot on their menu. Or 2. My food comes out very fast. I mean lightening speed, so fast I only ate 3 chips before my plate was in front of me. And no I didn't order ahead. In this case both happended. I had the burrito supreme. Didn't care for the lack of flavor and I had to add some salsa from the chips to make it taste like something. Everything seemed really soggy. And as hot as my plate was my food was only warm....strange. Didn't enjoy it. It was apparent that these items were all premade. So essentially I dined in at a fast food restaurant. My son said his meal was okay but was certain he tasted American cheese which made him question the authenticity...can't blame him. Our drinks came in sealed bottles which I appreciated cause I'm never able to finish my drinks, so it made it easy to take it with me. The chips and salsa were great though, should have had that as my entree!
(2)
Alli K.
Awesome atmosphere, very inviting. The food has never let me down and I am in love with their chips and salsa. Te prices are fair and the portions are perfect. I haven't had a bad experience after several times going. I will be going back, hopefully soon!
(4)
A K.
Good mexican food. Quick service. They have great homemade hot sauce. They are a few more locations in the area.
(4)
MARK M.
While I am a big fan of the El Rodeo in York, PA, I have to admit I like this place better for the atmosphere. It is a big building and not too busy due to location (it's out of the way on a so-so busy street). The York Rodeo can take a while to wait for your table. We sat down right away. We enjoyed our time there if not completely satisfied with the meals. I had the chicken/chorizo dish (I forget the name) which I thought was pretty good. I'd recommend it if you want to avoid long lines and willing to drive out of the way.
(4)
Jane B.
This was terrific. The salsa was a bit spicy and wonderful, I would have loved a bigger bowl. The service was friendly and quick. Portion sizes were very large. I had the Molcajete which, I swear was delivered in a large trough! Definitely plan on returning.
(4)
Alicia L.
Horrible customer service. I emailed them twice through their website asking if they had any foods that are or could be gluten free. I never got a reply. I went there to meet up with friends and asked the server and he said they are bad at emails. So I asked him the same question, he told me he had no idea what gluten was. And that was it. he was not going to ask the kitchen. I handed him a copy of the emails to hand the manger to let him know that someone had been trying to contact them for this information. The manager threw them away. I never got an answer and left after my friends were done eating. This is absolutely horrible customer service.
(1)
Paul E.
Good food, reasonably priced. Food always comes out no more than 7 minutes after ordering, even with a big group. Big tables, but seats sometime sink so the table becomes too high. Great chips and salsa complimentary. Margaritas are ok, but expensive and you can drink them real fast so not worth getting alcohol there. Servers are nice, and seems pretty authentic mexican food and service. Great outdoor seating too. Good place to bring a group.
(4)
Jim T.
El Rodeo is a good place to eat. The portion sizes are good and the quality of the food is good. I go there frequently and have never had an issue with food quality at all. If you like Mexican food, this is as good as any other Mexican restaurant in the area. Their Fajita Texanas is the best meal on the menu. Chicken, Steak, and Shrimp stir fried with vegetables (onions, peppers and tomatoes) and served on a still sizzling hot plate. The complimentary chips and salsa are also very good. I usually get one of each to take home on my way out.
(4)
Frank E.
Been here a few times. I actually like it. I keep getting the Mexican Steak with Beans and rice. Got to remember to ditch the rice and get more beans. Just my tastes. I like the colorful decorations and keep missing the band. I think only the first round of chips and salsa is free. After that they charge. I found out I don't like the mild salsa. I think its the celantro. But the hot is very good. Communication can be a problem at times. But we generally work it out. From what I have found between this one and Fiesta Mexico. The menus are similar but Fiesta seems to be bland and lacking in flavor. I was told by an employee that yes they are both owned by the same family but the wife runs El Rodeo and the husband runs Fiesta Mexico. We would go back again. Enjoyed our meal.
(3)
Jen L.
Decent Mexican American food for this area.
(5)
Dinah Boredom ..
Not the worst but certainly not the best. One step up from taco bell. If you want good authentic Mexican food (not Americanized Tex-Mex style) go to Tres Hermanos on Cameron Street.
(2)
Jacob S.
After moving from Texas, my wife and I were searching for real southwest Mexican food and El Rodeo is "El mas mejor". The service is fast and curtious. I haven't ordered anything that i disliked.
(5)
K E.
Although my wife and I used to go here frequeuntly, we will not go again, unless we pay with cash. The waitress had changed the tip amount on our bill twice. Do not trust this location.
(1)
Greg A.
Decent Mexican restaurant in suburbia. This place used to be a hole in the wall and then expanded into a larger place. I happen to think it was much better when it was just a hole in the wall. The food is decent, but not amazing. The service is subpar. Try the fajitas when you're there. That's one of their best things on the menu.
(3)
J R.
I know I am in the minority here but the 3 times I ate here the food was very disappointing. Each time I ate there I was taken on a work lunch outing by my employer as I would have never gone here at my choice. All I can say was that the food just had little taste to me. It was either just hot or tasteless. Mexican food is not one of my favorites to begin with but I appreciate tasty food and did not get it here. I thought the food was better at Chi Chi's when they used to be here. Yes most will say Chi Chi's was fast food. I consider taco bell to be fast food while chi chi's was more like an olive garden if comparing to Italian food. While El Rodeo is considered true Mexican Cuisine, maybe it is and I just do not like true Mexican Cuisine so take this review for what it's worth. edit 7/13 thought I would give this place another try. This time for dinner. Got the Grande Platter and must say it was pretty good. Upgrading to 3 stars. We went around 4 so it was not crowded and the service was good. Not sure how service would be if busy but had a nice time and meal. The rice still bland and dry but added some salsa and brought it to life. Will go back again.
(3)
Dan R.
Yeah I heard the Mariachi band once in there also... They do give you the nachos and sauce with free refills. it has a great interior, that makes you think youre in the old country. plus the waitresses can be hot sometimes, sometimes not. I always prefer to go to another mexican restaurant in town, however this place always seems very busy, they totally remodelled it in 2003. they have a full bar where you can order imports and domestic, lots of posters & merch from corona and dos equis. Once I went in and although the food was good we had a coupon from the Clipper Magazine that said "10 dollars off purchase of 30" or more. However the waitress charged me *full price*, dispite the fact that I handed her the coupon, said what it was for, then my credit card. SO when I tried to explain it she didnt understand what I was saying, finally they got someone who did, and they refunded my purchase and then charged me the correct price. Seems odd that they'd just miss a coupon. Maybe they thought I wasnt paying attention. Bisteak a la tampiquena is always an old favorite, plus they ahve some combo deals on burritos, enchiladas and so forth.
(3)
Billy D.
Always great service. I have never ever had any problems. The food is good and reasonably priced. The complimentary chips and salsa rock. I prefer El Rodeo over a few other Mexican places in the Harrisburg region.
(4)
Carissa S.
I am a Mexican food lover. I worked at a Mexican restaurant through high school and college. I lived in Phoenix for several years and made it my mission to try every Mexican restaurant I came across. : ) This place is nothing special.
(2)
MoCe C.
Bad bad service on slow day. When its F'in 90+ ° out dont make me wait for agua. Then she argued with me about my order all three of the vegi enchaladas r on the menu, id like one of each, took her forever to understand then she tell me no and leaves for 5 mints, dosnt bring me water, n then has someone else translate, come on. It was good even if both of em forgot the gauc.
(2)
Mia K.
El Rodeo tends to be hit or miss. It's always either amazingly delicious, or "why didn't we go somewhere else". The chicken fajitas are my menu item of choice, but the quesadillas are also great (when the food is good). The worst thing is sometimes the food isn't quite hot enough. When I think of fajitas I think sizzling hot - not luke warm. Stop in for the lunch time margarita specials. Several flavors - 3$, can't go wrong with that. They also have live Mariachi bands once a month.
(3)
Leigh N.
I love this place. They offer dishes that "chain" restaurants do not. Their Horchata is fantastic and I drink at least 3 glasses each time we go. The flan rocks and they will add a little chocolate drizzle and whip cream upon request which makes it even better. We love going there to eat and it is kid friendly to the point where the wait staff do not roll their eyes when they see a family (this happened at Applebee's).
(4)
Andy B.
A good place to meet up with friends, although it gets quite busy when the mariachi band is scheduled to play (select Wednesdays). I have never had a problem with the service, which is polite and prompt, and the food has always been hot, well prepared, and very delicious. Also, the food is not expensive, so you can enjoy a night out without busting the wallet. I love their mango margaritas, and their shrimp & scallop fajitas are fantastic :)
(4)
Charles N.
the 'ro gets 5-stars. i wish i could find something witty to write about this place. simply put: it has been a staple of mine since i was in 7th grade. i used to go here with my parents after my lacrosse games (i was so beast) and then spend the rest of the night on the toilet dipping long cut skoal and reading hustler. now i wear a suit everyday and pretend to read the financial times. life: 1 -- me: 0.
(5)
Jessica G.
I'm a sucker for this type of Mexican restaurant! Cheap food, huge portions, and absolutely delicious.
(4)
Jeff S.
after further consideration, this really is a 3-star restaurant, as are it's bretheren. I would like to recommend, however, that you request hot sauce from your server. They'll bring out a bowl of some unknown, but very chunky hot sauce, which you can spoon over your food or add into their house salsa for a spicy kick. Their salsa is very good and even better with some of the hot sauce, to taste of course.
(3)
Michael M.
Food is not bad but far from great. Service on a Friday night seems to be outrageously slow.
(2)
R. E.
I love Mexican food and this just didn't cut it for me. I ordered the chicken quesadilla and the juice from the chicken was making everything very soggy, not to mention, it wasn't very hot. The chips and salsa were ok, margarita was so-so and the atmosphere was decent.
(2)
Steve P.
Late in the evening my fiancee and I were cruising up and down Jonestown Rd. She got a craving for Mexican and luckily this place was half a mile down the road. However when we got there the parking lot was just about bare. She hopped off the bike and checked and they closed in 20 minutes. Normally I don't eat anywhere that is closing in the next 45 minutes. I have worked restaurants all my life and I know all the cooks want to do is go home and not cook anymore. Your Food to Saliva ratio steeply increases every minute closer to closing you get past the 45 minute mark.. However the waitress and cook actually told us to come in. It kinda felt like a trap but seeing my fiancee get her food fix was more important than my health. Besides I'm sure the heat from the skillet will kill any bacteria added. So we went in. I'll tell you up front it is quite strange to be the only 2 people in a place that is being darkened by the turning off of lights and silenced by the stereotypical Mexican music being shut off. It was in part eerie and pleasant if that makes any sense. The waitress took our orders and within literally a few moments we had the food in front of us, which just goes to prove my point that cooks don't want to cook that late into the evening. We ate our meals which didn't taste any different thankfully and didn't feel like we were being rushed out. However the entire kitchen staff did follow us out the door... Strange..
(4)
Ali R.
i love this place so much. i've been going here for over 10 years, it's definitely become my favorite comfort food. the staff is always so friendly and the service is always prompt. love their salsa, tamales, mole ranchero and fajitas. go here and get a pitcher of margs with your friends, you'll have fun and eat well.
(4)
Sophia P.
Their chicken tamales are sooooooooooo tender and flavorful!!! They arrive on a plate dehusked and draped with bean-based sauce. albeit, they are slightly different from home-made tamales that don't have that sauce, but this version tastes delicous. they are infinitely better than the ones served at Fiesta Mexico. I've ordered tamales for the last 4 times that I am came but on the fifth time, I tried something else, a combo platter with chile relleno--very disappointing! the ingredients and cooking method was NOT authentic at all. it is suppose to be a pepper filled cheese and deep-fried in a egg-batter, but their version was basically a side of beans with cheese and a tiny bit of meat sprinkled inside. where was the bell pepper? i thought they had my order wrong, until they point to the bean and cheese slop. I haven't tried any other food items, but I expect them to be typical americanized mexican food. So I gave 4 stars because the tamales are THAT good.
(4)
Jimena M.
Checked this place out for dinner. So from the outside it's got a red tile roof and stucco walls, seems quaint enough. On the inside it looks like a tacky tex-mex pinata threw up. There are corona beer ads, sombreros, maracas, pottery, folksy mexican knick knacks and tchochke's and of course, pinatas. You might think this is the equivalent of the atmosphere in the Thai place I reviewed earlier, but it's the exact opposite. They are just trying WAY too hard to appear like authentic mexican. So..with a sigh I kept to myself..i braced myself for the worse. Their menu is extensive, never have I seen so many different combinations of chimichangas, burritos, tacos, enchiladas,etc. After careful consideration I chose a platter called El Cazuelon, the menu said it had grilled chicken, steak, a guacamole salad, and of course rice and refried beans. Seemed simple and straight forward to me. So while we waited for our food we tore up the tortilla chips and salsa, which were decent. The salsa had a mild kick,was chunky and thick, and tasted pretty fresh. I liked it. The tortilla chips were alright as well, a little too thick for my tastes, but ok. Our food came, it was a pretty big plate. They laid my "steak" on top of a filet of chicken breast. Looks like both pieces of meat were grilled in a flat iron. They had some seasoning, but pretty mild, luckily my chicken wasn't too dry and the steak was flank and a little tough and stringy :( The rice tasted like overcooked uncle bens. The salad was chopped lettuce with a dollop of guacamole on top. The guacamole was decent though. The refried beans were topped with a melted white cheese, probably monterrey jack, they were blah. I basically doused the whole thing with salsa and chowed down. I was pretty hungry. But the meal wasn't a pleasure to eat, it was just done to fulfill a bodily requirement :P Luckily, I was in good company with good conversation or it would have been painful.
(2)
Jane R.
first, if you go to a mexican restaurant, don't just order "quesadillas" or "fajitas". Try the carnitas, the lovely chile relenos autenticos, etc. Love this place. The salsa, if taken home, can be nuclear the next day.
(5)
Nick D.
So I lived in the Harrisburg area as a young'un and since then have spent time in California and NYC. Places with good Mexican food. I've also been to a place called MEXICO which also apparently serves up some decent tacos, burritos, chinchillas, and the like. But when I'm craving good Mexican food and am back in the 'burg, I'm going to EL RODEO, BABY!!! This place seriously rivals any Mexican joint out there. Why? Because the food tastes f-ing good. No frills, no fancy table-side guacamole preparation, none of that B.S. Just good, reasonably priced Mexican food that rivals any of New York or Cali's best. Get the "Nachos Order" (name may have changed). Toasted awesome chips in a pool of awesome melted cheese. This dish is so great, you'd probably rather eat this than hook up with a supermodel-hot Amish girl IN COSTUME. Oh yeah and you know it's authentic because they had several employees DEPORTED to Mexico (it was in the news a few years ago).
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Jennifer T.
Best steak fajitas I've ever had makes this 4 stars. The dinner portion is enough for me to take home half and get lunch out of. Caution: the do charge $1 for 3 extra tortillas to go. The meat in the tacos usually has too much liquid and they get a little soggy but we usually eat them so fast it doesn't matter much! Rice is really really good. I personally don't care for the guacamole - it's really spicy and watery - mot much fresh avocado identifiable. Consistent food, nice people, fun atmosphere.
(4)Keith A.
Very good if you are in a hurry. Love the Hawaiian Fajitas.
(4)Fran D.
The place was fine, decent food. They automatically add 18% to your bill as a tip. If you are like we were, not paying close attention, you will double tip and be ripped off!!!! Very aggravating since we did enjoy the place but on principal alone, I will never go back
(1)Nathan B.
Having recently relocated to the area, I was looking to replace my "go to" Mexican restaurant from home. The atmosphere at El Rodeo is nice, and I love that they offer outdoor dining. The drink prices were a little high for the serving size they provide (a margarita, in my case), but that is pretty common with dining out. The biggest influence on my review is the flavor of the food. While the chips and salsa were outstanding, the main course was drastically under seasoned. It did not have the flavor that I seek in Mexican food. On the plus side, the staff was friendly and accommodating. To be honest, in future, I may pickup takeout from Chipotle and have it with my own margaritas at home.
(2)Michael C.
I've eaten at the El Rodeo chain of Mexican restaurants so many times, I've lost count how many times. I estimate 50 times at least. The reason why my wife and I keep coming back is because the food is consistently good. I simply loved the chicken fajitas and chicken quesedillas, which I ordered last night. The food is always fresh. The service is always from Mexican staff members who understand the food, the culture, the language and pour that understanding into their work. The ambience is terrific. It feels, smells, looks, and especially TASTES like authentic Mexican cuisine. I just want to point-out that some of the bad reviews are totally off the mark. One previous reviewer gave this restaurant two stars and said she's eaten at Mexican restaurants all over the place and El Rodeo is "nothing special." Let me reply to that comment saying this: El Rodeo is a local chain of EIGHT restaurants. If they didn't get it right with the first location, or the second, or third, or fifth, do you think they would have made it to eight locations??? In other words, this place has great food. They have eight locations because the first location was a success, and the second, and the third, and so on. If it wasn't good, they'd be out of business. Instead, El Rodeo thrives and is a treat to those who understand and appreciate delicious Mexican cuisine.
(4)Jen L.
Decent Mexican American food for this area.
(5)Jay F.
Great food. Great prices. Average service. I always get the chicken soft taco, yummy. And a sangria even more yummy.
(4)Rafael L.
Not a friendly welcoming place at all !!! Very poor service no wonder it was empty on a weekend !!! Margaritas are such a disappointment !!! I always give a second try to places that i didn't like the first time, but i think I'm gonna pass on this one !!!!! Where's the southern hospitality???
(1)Lori M.
Love this place! Best shrimp fajitas ever!! Reasonably priced, fast and friendly service! One of my favorite places to eat! Oh and the blue coconut margaritas.......AMAZING!
(5)Frank G.
Horrible service and ok food! Parking lot is a wreck too. Guess we will stick with Taco Bell. This is our second time here and last...
(2)Teresa A.
Nice folks good food. They'll make what you want if you can't find it on the menu. We drive almost an hour to eat here.
(4)Bing F.
Don't you just hate it when an interesting restaurant just leaps out at you from the roadside? This happened with El Rodeo as I was actually angling for sushi but saw this place with the parking lot packed. Sold. I ordered Tapatio (grilled chicken smothered with chorizo and cheese with rice, beans, tortillas and guacamole salad.) I've had this a few times before at other places, but it was particularly good here. Nice and spicy, so was the salsa. Atmosphere was top notch, service fine, margarita flavors abound (pre-mixed, but punchy) and prices were not too high. A happy accident to be sure - I hate it when that happens!
(4)Kevin K.
El Rodeo has devolved. Sad to say, but it is not nearly what it once was. Fancy new sign out front and bland food inside. Fajitas came out cold. No steam. No sizzle. Combination plate was okay but all one note, despite three different items. Back in the area after a couple years we were really excited to get back for some great Mexican food. We've been let down and will not be returning. We'll try the West Shore location and see if that is any better, but we'll look elsewhere for Mexican now.
(2)Carly S.
Came here a few weeks back on a Saturday evening with my family. I ordered the steak fajitas. They first brought out salsa that tasted like it came out of a can, very disappointing. On the other hand the steak fajitas were SO flavorful and was a very large portion, enough to take home for left overs! The service was however very slow, the server never came to our table except to take our order or bring the check. When we needed something we had to flag down a server walking by. My parents just went to this restaurant this past Friday night and said it was MUCH better this time! They watched the salsa be hand made and said it tastes worlds better. The meals were brought out in a short amount of time and again had a heaping amount of food. Enough to make me o back the next time I am in town!
(3)Susan Z.
Good service. Chips tasted like saltless bagged chips. Salsa was decent. I ordered chicken enchiladas $7.79, which were out in less than 5 minutes so obviously microwaved. Enchiladas were flavorless. Sauce tasted like Chef Boyardee tomato sauce. Cheap Mexican a 1/2 step above Taco Bell.
(3)Chris M.
Inconsistent quality though definitely yummy when you get lucky and it's good. For the price the food should be better in my opinion. A huge menu for a huge restaurant!
(3)A N.
My husband and I went here recently when we had a hankering for chips and salsa and a good margarita. We moved from San Antonio not long ago and I KNEW that I should not get my hopes up but a coworker recommended it so I though it would probably be passable at least. Service was fine but not great, and considering there were like two other tables seated in the whole restaurant I felt it could have been better. The salsa was just ok. My enchiladas were lacking in flavor and the nachos (the entree version) were just sad. There was almost nothing on them. Seriously, I could make tastier nachos at home. Oh, and the margarita. It was a weeknight special I think, so I ordered the house margarita. I knew it wasn't going to be outstanding for the price, but after my husband said he thought it tasted like lime kool-aid that's all I could taste. I didn't finish it. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be snobby, but I really didn't think the whole trip was worth the calories. I had to talk my husband out of the taco bell drive-thru next door on our way out...
(2)Rosemary M.
This place is awesome....Read some reviews that the chips were store bought - they make them - I've seen it......the salsa isn't out of a jar.....and the comment on the microwaved food....that is bs. The people who had cold food - why not just not tell the server food is cold - they will replace it instead of putting bad reviews on here. Anyone who likes Taco Bell over this place there is something wrong with your tastebuds. lol.....The people are very nice at El Rodeo - never ever had a problem and been going there for many years.
(5)Scott C.
One of the best lunch values you can get in this suburb of Harrisburg... their chile relleno (with cheese) is pleasantly flavored and perfectly textured (can cut with a fork, but not soggy). The only reason I am giving a four instead of a five is their taco flavoring, or actually the lack thereof. The taco filling just tastes like plain browned hamburger with no sauce or other spices. To get the chile relleno at lunchtime the natural choice would be the #1 lunch special, however that comes with the flavorless taco. My cure is to jump over to the Dinner Combinations section and order the #12 Chalupa and chile relleno. It is about the same price as the #1, but everything tastes great! See the photo of everything I got for $8.05 (plus tip)! Each of the waiters and waitresses I've had are very attentive and friendly. The building, interior decor, and music, are festive, but not annoyingly so.
(4)Wes N.
My family has been raving about this restaurant for years and I finally tried it. I was disappointed by the greasy food and horrible smell of liquor and burnt food. The service was slow and did not help the already bad experience. I will not be eating here again.
(1)Brad W.
Our go-to Mexican restaurant. Food is usually pretty consistent and good overall. Service is average. Parking lot is really odd, but not a deal breaker as there is a 2nd lot right near the front one. Some of the booths don't allow for private conversations as the sides of the booths are low. Decor is pretty traditional and neat.
(4)Valerie G.
Not impressed! I went on a Thursday night at 5pm. The restaurant was practically empty, yet I had to wait to be seated because the hostess was nowhere to be found. I told her that I needed a table for three and she gave me two menus and place settings. That's fine, people make mistakes, however I had to ask two more people before someone finally brought me an extra place setting. We got our chips fairly quickly. They were good, no complaints there, but we only got ONE bowl of chips. It would have been nice to at least been offered a second bowl, but no such offer came. After about 15 minutes someone finally came to see if we wanted drinks, at which point we had already exhausted our chip quota for the table. After that the service was ok, but not great. I have never been to a restaurant with a more unenthusiastic waitstaff. Not one person smiled, or even pretended to want to be there. This did not make for a very positive atmosphere. The food was mediocre at best and I was disappointed that not all of the entrees came with rice AND beans. Many only came with either rice, or beans. When we asked if we could have beans in addition to the rice we were upcharged $2.19. That was fine, but the waitress never mentioned an upcharge at all. Speaking of which, they upcharge you on EVERYTHING. Jalapeños on the side, $1.19 extra (really? That's a little excessive. Fifty cents would have been more acceptable.) Hot sauce, 89 cents. (I have NEVER heard of ANY restaurant charging extra for hot sauce, especially a Mexican restaurant!) The kid's meal did not include a drink, or a dessert. One of the two included would have been nice. The drinks were nothing special. They were watered down and didn't have much flavor. They must have a one lime limit per customer because the first margarita I ordered had a lime wedge, but the others did not. When we left the restaurant, we walked by many employees, none of which said "Thank you for coming", or even acknowledged our existence. Was the food edible? Barely. Would I ever go back? Not likely.
(1)Hilary J.
It has been a while since being there. It was ok nothing to rave about. Beans on quesadillas and pricey. You get chips and I like the band. I don't know if I would recommended it.
(3)Diana D.
Not sure what happened to this restaurant. It used to be very good and I always looked forward to eating there. However, last nights meal changed my mind about ever going again. I ordered one of the combination meals which included a beef Halupa and beef chili relleno. I was quite surprised when the server brought our food and there was no chili relleno on my plate, but rather a layer of beef with cheese melted on top. At first I thought I had received the wrong meal! When I brought it to the servers attention she said she knew it was prepared wrong but that is how they make their beef relleno. WHAT?? She further explained that the cheese relleno was made with a poblano and brought me one complimentary. The gesture was very kind but the overwhelming taste of cumin in the sauce was almost more than I could handle. We also ordered margaritas that were not served in a margarita glass. Oh the salsa and chips were good. We won't be back.
(1)Katherine M.
This is solid, American-ized Mexican food. It seems like so many Mexican restaurants are clone stamps of each other with slight differences, and this one fits into that category pretty well. The interior, atmosphere, and menu of this place differ none to slightly from every place I've been to in Ohio of a different name. Food is good here - I love the shredded beef tacos. Sauces are solid. It's good - nothing to write a long description about. Cheese dip is usualy okay, althought weird it's not called queso, but whatever. I don't like their lime margarita mix, but the flavored ones are decent. The cuervo gold are good depends on who makes it - I've had them taste very different. We keep coming back - this is our go-to Mexican place in the Harrisburg area.
(3)Ryan D.
Steak fajitas every time.
(4)Conrad T.
We eat here twice a week. Fast, fresh & price appropriate. Don't expect some elegant night on the town. Come on, it's on 22, in Lower Paxton across from a Sunoco and Taco Bell. But we still love it.
(5)Samantha A.
Staying in the area and came across this restaurant. My husband and I love Mexican food and always like to try new places. Service was ok, food was terrible! They dropped off chips and salsa at the table and the chips had black French fries mixed in with them. Fresh made guac had jalapeño in it, was ok. The red sangria is too sweet, doesn't taste like there's any alcohol in it. My husband ordered meat, chicken and pork tacos. I had a veggie burrito. Neither of us were impressed, really no flavor at all. After a few hours relaxing at the hotel, we both got really sick.
(1)Maren H.
This place has a really good atmosphere. The service was great and we got our food very fast. The food wasn't amazing, but good for central PA. The salsa is slightly spicy (in a good way), something that is unusual for most Mexican restaurants in this area. We got the pollo chilango and chicken chimichangas, which were a little bland but hit the spot. I would definitely suggest the bean dip.
(4)Kunal P.
Been to this place only once and that was enough to be impressed. We were the last customers at the restaurant one saturday night and the kitchen was 5min from closing as well. Yet, they let us in and served our party of 11 without any fuss. We were really really pleased with the service. It only got better from there once food started coming. pitcher full of hot salsa and non stop nachos were to die for. Most of us were vegetarian so we just ordered vegie fajita or quesadilla with extra jalapeno. Everything was really good. Especially the rice and guacamole - best some of us have had at a tex-mex restaurant. Over all, this place definitely deserves a repeat visit at a more reasonable time when we can sit and enjoy a complete meal at relaxed pace. Not that we felt rushed, but we also didn't want to hold up some of the staff beyond closing time. And we were just lucky that they let us in too.
(4)Ian S.
Desperately searching for quality Mexican food here in PA. EL Rodeo does a decent job at keeping it authentic. Friendly staff and reasonable prices.
(3)Ari L.
Our waitress was patient and kept our chip bowl full. We went twice in the 5 days we stayed in Harrisburg. The food is great. It does have truly authentic food and has some tex mex food. The food is fresh and looks appetizing. The portions are good for the prices in the menu. The best dish we had were the Vallarta Tacos. Three massive double tortilla tacos with grilled chicken, chorizo, cilantro, onions, and lime. It also came with a side of rice and beans. Definitely will come again when i visit the Harrisburg area.
(5)Anu R.
This place was good except for the part of service! They had drink specials but they ran out of the drinks which was on the special lol. I tried Valartas which was pretty good and my wife had fajitas it was good too. We will go again to other El Rodeo in Mechanics-burg not this place because of bad service.
(3)Christine S.
Quick service! Free chips and salsa even if you ask for refills (even tho the menu says otherwise) everything you could want in a Mexican restaurant in Harrisburg pa
(5)Andrew S.
My girlfriend and I stumbled upon this place while shopping in Harrisburg. The cooks are consistent, the food is cheap, and the staff is very friendly! We never spent more than $40 here (with appetizers, drinks, and entrees) and always left with full bellies and something to bring home. If you're looking to get a lot for you money, enjoy Mexican food, and are in the Harrisburg area then definitely give this place a shot.
(3)Abby N.
I went today w my family. The food was good, except mine. I had chicken flautas and they tasted like - nothing! On top Of that the waiter took forever in bringing us our drinks. She kept coming by our table asking us if "everything" was ok when we still did not had our food. When my husband asked if his plate was supposed to come with 'rice' she literally took his fork and began moving his food to find the rice to show him that it had rice. I would not go back there.
(2)Alison S.
We've gone to El Rodeo intermittently for years. But our last visit might have been our last. Food was just. not. good. Service was slow, even though it was toward the end of the day and uncrowded. Entirely unimpressive... We are sad about it.
(1)Paul N.
Decor was nicer than most Mexican restaurants - lots of booth seating. I had the enchiladas verdes and while it was enjoyable, it was predictable. Good value, good meal and pretty much what you've seen before everywhere else. Don't go with extremely high expectations and you will enjoy yourself.
(3)Sassy Couple S.
Very solid mexican food. The salsa is good, solid tacos and enchiladas. Have not a bad mean, its your typical mexican place. Cheese dip is always my favorite, and they have a solid recipe at El Rodeo. Tristan is the best waiter!
(4)Danielle K.
During the NHL lockout, my boyfriend and I drove to Hershey a few times to get our hockey fix. Central Pennsylvania is not exactly a bastion of veg-friendliness, though, so I was happy to discover El Rodeo, a Mexican restaurant with a location about 7 miles from the Giant Center. It's a bit tricky getting into and out of the parking lot, but it is pretty easy to spot from the road. The restaurant is a fairly large, open space and looks like almost any other Mexican place. They have a special vegetarian section on the menu, and the handful of times I've been there, they've been able to leave the dairy off my vegetable chimichangas (hey, I stick with what works). Between the complimentary chips and salsa and the good-sized portions, I get filled up pretty easily eating there. It's not a spectacular restaurant but the food is good, it's not too expensive, and the service is friendly.
(4)Alicia L.
Horrible customer service. I emailed them twice through their website asking if they had any foods that are or could be gluten free. I never got a reply. I went there to meet up with friends and asked the server and he said they are bad at emails. So I asked him the same question, he told me he had no idea what gluten was. And that was it. he was not going to ask the kitchen. I handed him a copy of the emails to hand the manger to let him know that someone had been trying to contact them for this information. The manager threw them away. I never got an answer and left after my friends were done eating. This is absolutely horrible customer service.
(1)Narisha J.
Perhaps it's my unfamiliarity with authentic Mexican food which is what this place describes itself as or maybe it was a poor menu choice on my part. Either way I was not impressed in the slightest. It always concerns me when one of two things happen. 1. The menu is extensive. I mean huge, long, big. Whichever word fits best to describe them as having a lot on their menu. Or 2. My food comes out very fast. I mean lightening speed, so fast I only ate 3 chips before my plate was in front of me. And no I didn't order ahead. In this case both happended. I had the burrito supreme. Didn't care for the lack of flavor and I had to add some salsa from the chips to make it taste like something. Everything seemed really soggy. And as hot as my plate was my food was only warm....strange. Didn't enjoy it. It was apparent that these items were all premade. So essentially I dined in at a fast food restaurant. My son said his meal was okay but was certain he tasted American cheese which made him question the authenticity...can't blame him. Our drinks came in sealed bottles which I appreciated cause I'm never able to finish my drinks, so it made it easy to take it with me. The chips and salsa were great though, should have had that as my entree!
(2)Alli K.
Awesome atmosphere, very inviting. The food has never let me down and I am in love with their chips and salsa. Te prices are fair and the portions are perfect. I haven't had a bad experience after several times going. I will be going back, hopefully soon!
(4)A K.
Good mexican food. Quick service. They have great homemade hot sauce. They are a few more locations in the area.
(4)MARK M.
While I am a big fan of the El Rodeo in York, PA, I have to admit I like this place better for the atmosphere. It is a big building and not too busy due to location (it's out of the way on a so-so busy street). The York Rodeo can take a while to wait for your table. We sat down right away. We enjoyed our time there if not completely satisfied with the meals. I had the chicken/chorizo dish (I forget the name) which I thought was pretty good. I'd recommend it if you want to avoid long lines and willing to drive out of the way.
(4)Jane B.
This was terrific. The salsa was a bit spicy and wonderful, I would have loved a bigger bowl. The service was friendly and quick. Portion sizes were very large. I had the Molcajete which, I swear was delivered in a large trough! Definitely plan on returning.
(4)Paul E.
Good food, reasonably priced. Food always comes out no more than 7 minutes after ordering, even with a big group. Big tables, but seats sometime sink so the table becomes too high. Great chips and salsa complimentary. Margaritas are ok, but expensive and you can drink them real fast so not worth getting alcohol there. Servers are nice, and seems pretty authentic mexican food and service. Great outdoor seating too. Good place to bring a group.
(4)J R.
I know I am in the minority here but the 3 times I ate here the food was very disappointing. Each time I ate there I was taken on a work lunch outing by my employer as I would have never gone here at my choice. All I can say was that the food just had little taste to me. It was either just hot or tasteless. Mexican food is not one of my favorites to begin with but I appreciate tasty food and did not get it here. I thought the food was better at Chi Chi's when they used to be here. Yes most will say Chi Chi's was fast food. I consider taco bell to be fast food while chi chi's was more like an olive garden if comparing to Italian food. While El Rodeo is considered true Mexican Cuisine, maybe it is and I just do not like true Mexican Cuisine so take this review for what it's worth. edit 7/13 thought I would give this place another try. This time for dinner. Got the Grande Platter and must say it was pretty good. Upgrading to 3 stars. We went around 4 so it was not crowded and the service was good. Not sure how service would be if busy but had a nice time and meal. The rice still bland and dry but added some salsa and brought it to life. Will go back again.
(3)Dinah Boredom ..
Not the worst but certainly not the best. One step up from taco bell. If you want good authentic Mexican food (not Americanized Tex-Mex style) go to Tres Hermanos on Cameron Street.
(2)Jacob S.
After moving from Texas, my wife and I were searching for real southwest Mexican food and El Rodeo is "El mas mejor". The service is fast and curtious. I haven't ordered anything that i disliked.
(5)K E.
Although my wife and I used to go here frequeuntly, we will not go again, unless we pay with cash. The waitress had changed the tip amount on our bill twice. Do not trust this location.
(1)Dan R.
Yeah I heard the Mariachi band once in there also... They do give you the nachos and sauce with free refills. it has a great interior, that makes you think youre in the old country. plus the waitresses can be hot sometimes, sometimes not. I always prefer to go to another mexican restaurant in town, however this place always seems very busy, they totally remodelled it in 2003. they have a full bar where you can order imports and domestic, lots of posters & merch from corona and dos equis. Once I went in and although the food was good we had a coupon from the Clipper Magazine that said "10 dollars off purchase of 30" or more. However the waitress charged me *full price*, dispite the fact that I handed her the coupon, said what it was for, then my credit card. SO when I tried to explain it she didnt understand what I was saying, finally they got someone who did, and they refunded my purchase and then charged me the correct price. Seems odd that they'd just miss a coupon. Maybe they thought I wasnt paying attention. Bisteak a la tampiquena is always an old favorite, plus they ahve some combo deals on burritos, enchiladas and so forth.
(3)Billy D.
Always great service. I have never ever had any problems. The food is good and reasonably priced. The complimentary chips and salsa rock. I prefer El Rodeo over a few other Mexican places in the Harrisburg region.
(4)Carissa S.
I am a Mexican food lover. I worked at a Mexican restaurant through high school and college. I lived in Phoenix for several years and made it my mission to try every Mexican restaurant I came across. : ) This place is nothing special.
(2)MoCe C.
Bad bad service on slow day. When its F'in 90+ ° out dont make me wait for agua. Then she argued with me about my order all three of the vegi enchaladas r on the menu, id like one of each, took her forever to understand then she tell me no and leaves for 5 mints, dosnt bring me water, n then has someone else translate, come on. It was good even if both of em forgot the gauc.
(2)Jim T.
El Rodeo is a good place to eat. The portion sizes are good and the quality of the food is good. I go there frequently and have never had an issue with food quality at all. If you like Mexican food, this is as good as any other Mexican restaurant in the area. Their Fajita Texanas is the best meal on the menu. Chicken, Steak, and Shrimp stir fried with vegetables (onions, peppers and tomatoes) and served on a still sizzling hot plate. The complimentary chips and salsa are also very good. I usually get one of each to take home on my way out.
(4)Frank E.
Been here a few times. I actually like it. I keep getting the Mexican Steak with Beans and rice. Got to remember to ditch the rice and get more beans. Just my tastes. I like the colorful decorations and keep missing the band. I think only the first round of chips and salsa is free. After that they charge. I found out I don't like the mild salsa. I think its the celantro. But the hot is very good. Communication can be a problem at times. But we generally work it out. From what I have found between this one and Fiesta Mexico. The menus are similar but Fiesta seems to be bland and lacking in flavor. I was told by an employee that yes they are both owned by the same family but the wife runs El Rodeo and the husband runs Fiesta Mexico. We would go back again. Enjoyed our meal.
(3)Greg A.
Decent Mexican restaurant in suburbia. This place used to be a hole in the wall and then expanded into a larger place. I happen to think it was much better when it was just a hole in the wall. The food is decent, but not amazing. The service is subpar. Try the fajitas when you're there. That's one of their best things on the menu.
(3)Mia K.
El Rodeo tends to be hit or miss. It's always either amazingly delicious, or "why didn't we go somewhere else". The chicken fajitas are my menu item of choice, but the quesadillas are also great (when the food is good). The worst thing is sometimes the food isn't quite hot enough. When I think of fajitas I think sizzling hot - not luke warm. Stop in for the lunch time margarita specials. Several flavors - 3$, can't go wrong with that. They also have live Mariachi bands once a month.
(3)Leigh N.
I love this place. They offer dishes that "chain" restaurants do not. Their Horchata is fantastic and I drink at least 3 glasses each time we go. The flan rocks and they will add a little chocolate drizzle and whip cream upon request which makes it even better. We love going there to eat and it is kid friendly to the point where the wait staff do not roll their eyes when they see a family (this happened at Applebee's).
(4)Andy B.
A good place to meet up with friends, although it gets quite busy when the mariachi band is scheduled to play (select Wednesdays). I have never had a problem with the service, which is polite and prompt, and the food has always been hot, well prepared, and very delicious. Also, the food is not expensive, so you can enjoy a night out without busting the wallet. I love their mango margaritas, and their shrimp & scallop fajitas are fantastic :)
(4)Charles N.
the 'ro gets 5-stars. i wish i could find something witty to write about this place. simply put: it has been a staple of mine since i was in 7th grade. i used to go here with my parents after my lacrosse games (i was so beast) and then spend the rest of the night on the toilet dipping long cut skoal and reading hustler. now i wear a suit everyday and pretend to read the financial times. life: 1 -- me: 0.
(5)Jessica G.
I'm a sucker for this type of Mexican restaurant! Cheap food, huge portions, and absolutely delicious.
(4)Jeff S.
after further consideration, this really is a 3-star restaurant, as are it's bretheren. I would like to recommend, however, that you request hot sauce from your server. They'll bring out a bowl of some unknown, but very chunky hot sauce, which you can spoon over your food or add into their house salsa for a spicy kick. Their salsa is very good and even better with some of the hot sauce, to taste of course.
(3)Michael M.
Food is not bad but far from great. Service on a Friday night seems to be outrageously slow.
(2)R. E.
I love Mexican food and this just didn't cut it for me. I ordered the chicken quesadilla and the juice from the chicken was making everything very soggy, not to mention, it wasn't very hot. The chips and salsa were ok, margarita was so-so and the atmosphere was decent.
(2)Steve P.
Late in the evening my fiancee and I were cruising up and down Jonestown Rd. She got a craving for Mexican and luckily this place was half a mile down the road. However when we got there the parking lot was just about bare. She hopped off the bike and checked and they closed in 20 minutes. Normally I don't eat anywhere that is closing in the next 45 minutes. I have worked restaurants all my life and I know all the cooks want to do is go home and not cook anymore. Your Food to Saliva ratio steeply increases every minute closer to closing you get past the 45 minute mark.. However the waitress and cook actually told us to come in. It kinda felt like a trap but seeing my fiancee get her food fix was more important than my health. Besides I'm sure the heat from the skillet will kill any bacteria added. So we went in. I'll tell you up front it is quite strange to be the only 2 people in a place that is being darkened by the turning off of lights and silenced by the stereotypical Mexican music being shut off. It was in part eerie and pleasant if that makes any sense. The waitress took our orders and within literally a few moments we had the food in front of us, which just goes to prove my point that cooks don't want to cook that late into the evening. We ate our meals which didn't taste any different thankfully and didn't feel like we were being rushed out. However the entire kitchen staff did follow us out the door... Strange..
(4)Ali R.
i love this place so much. i've been going here for over 10 years, it's definitely become my favorite comfort food. the staff is always so friendly and the service is always prompt. love their salsa, tamales, mole ranchero and fajitas. go here and get a pitcher of margs with your friends, you'll have fun and eat well.
(4)Sophia P.
Their chicken tamales are sooooooooooo tender and flavorful!!! They arrive on a plate dehusked and draped with bean-based sauce. albeit, they are slightly different from home-made tamales that don't have that sauce, but this version tastes delicous. they are infinitely better than the ones served at Fiesta Mexico. I've ordered tamales for the last 4 times that I am came but on the fifth time, I tried something else, a combo platter with chile relleno--very disappointing! the ingredients and cooking method was NOT authentic at all. it is suppose to be a pepper filled cheese and deep-fried in a egg-batter, but their version was basically a side of beans with cheese and a tiny bit of meat sprinkled inside. where was the bell pepper? i thought they had my order wrong, until they point to the bean and cheese slop. I haven't tried any other food items, but I expect them to be typical americanized mexican food. So I gave 4 stars because the tamales are THAT good.
(4)Jimena M.
Checked this place out for dinner. So from the outside it's got a red tile roof and stucco walls, seems quaint enough. On the inside it looks like a tacky tex-mex pinata threw up. There are corona beer ads, sombreros, maracas, pottery, folksy mexican knick knacks and tchochke's and of course, pinatas. You might think this is the equivalent of the atmosphere in the Thai place I reviewed earlier, but it's the exact opposite. They are just trying WAY too hard to appear like authentic mexican. So..with a sigh I kept to myself..i braced myself for the worse. Their menu is extensive, never have I seen so many different combinations of chimichangas, burritos, tacos, enchiladas,etc. After careful consideration I chose a platter called El Cazuelon, the menu said it had grilled chicken, steak, a guacamole salad, and of course rice and refried beans. Seemed simple and straight forward to me. So while we waited for our food we tore up the tortilla chips and salsa, which were decent. The salsa had a mild kick,was chunky and thick, and tasted pretty fresh. I liked it. The tortilla chips were alright as well, a little too thick for my tastes, but ok. Our food came, it was a pretty big plate. They laid my "steak" on top of a filet of chicken breast. Looks like both pieces of meat were grilled in a flat iron. They had some seasoning, but pretty mild, luckily my chicken wasn't too dry and the steak was flank and a little tough and stringy :( The rice tasted like overcooked uncle bens. The salad was chopped lettuce with a dollop of guacamole on top. The guacamole was decent though. The refried beans were topped with a melted white cheese, probably monterrey jack, they were blah. I basically doused the whole thing with salsa and chowed down. I was pretty hungry. But the meal wasn't a pleasure to eat, it was just done to fulfill a bodily requirement :P Luckily, I was in good company with good conversation or it would have been painful.
(2)Jane R.
first, if you go to a mexican restaurant, don't just order "quesadillas" or "fajitas". Try the carnitas, the lovely chile relenos autenticos, etc. Love this place. The salsa, if taken home, can be nuclear the next day.
(5)Nick D.
So I lived in the Harrisburg area as a young'un and since then have spent time in California and NYC. Places with good Mexican food. I've also been to a place called MEXICO which also apparently serves up some decent tacos, burritos, chinchillas, and the like. But when I'm craving good Mexican food and am back in the 'burg, I'm going to EL RODEO, BABY!!! This place seriously rivals any Mexican joint out there. Why? Because the food tastes f-ing good. No frills, no fancy table-side guacamole preparation, none of that B.S. Just good, reasonably priced Mexican food that rivals any of New York or Cali's best. Get the "Nachos Order" (name may have changed). Toasted awesome chips in a pool of awesome melted cheese. This dish is so great, you'd probably rather eat this than hook up with a supermodel-hot Amish girl IN COSTUME. Oh yeah and you know it's authentic because they had several employees DEPORTED to Mexico (it was in the news a few years ago).
(5)Bing F.
Don't you just hate it when an interesting restaurant just leaps out at you from the roadside? This happened with El Rodeo as I was actually angling for sushi but saw this place with the parking lot packed. Sold. I ordered Tapatio (grilled chicken smothered with chorizo and cheese with rice, beans, tortillas and guacamole salad.) I've had this a few times before at other places, but it was particularly good here. Nice and spicy, so was the salsa. Atmosphere was top notch, service fine, margarita flavors abound (pre-mixed, but punchy) and prices were not too high. A happy accident to be sure - I hate it when that happens!
(4)Conrad T.
We eat here twice a week. Fast, fresh & price appropriate. Don't expect some elegant night on the town. Come on, it's on 22, in Lower Paxton across from a Sunoco and Taco Bell. But we still love it.
(5)Samantha A.
Staying in the area and came across this restaurant. My husband and I love Mexican food and always like to try new places. Service was ok, food was terrible! They dropped off chips and salsa at the table and the chips had black French fries mixed in with them. Fresh made guac had jalapeño in it, was ok. The red sangria is too sweet, doesn't taste like there's any alcohol in it. My husband ordered meat, chicken and pork tacos. I had a veggie burrito. Neither of us were impressed, really no flavor at all. After a few hours relaxing at the hotel, we both got really sick.
(1)Maren H.
This place has a really good atmosphere. The service was great and we got our food very fast. The food wasn't amazing, but good for central PA. The salsa is slightly spicy (in a good way), something that is unusual for most Mexican restaurants in this area. We got the pollo chilango and chicken chimichangas, which were a little bland but hit the spot. I would definitely suggest the bean dip.
(4)Michael C.
I've eaten at the El Rodeo chain of Mexican restaurants so many times, I've lost count how many times. I estimate 50 times at least. The reason why my wife and I keep coming back is because the food is consistently good. I simply loved the chicken fajitas and chicken quesedillas, which I ordered last night. The food is always fresh. The service is always from Mexican staff members who understand the food, the culture, the language and pour that understanding into their work. The ambience is terrific. It feels, smells, looks, and especially TASTES like authentic Mexican cuisine. I just want to point-out that some of the bad reviews are totally off the mark. One previous reviewer gave this restaurant two stars and said she's eaten at Mexican restaurants all over the place and El Rodeo is "nothing special." Let me reply to that comment saying this: El Rodeo is a local chain of EIGHT restaurants. If they didn't get it right with the first location, or the second, or third, or fifth, do you think they would have made it to eight locations??? In other words, this place has great food. They have eight locations because the first location was a success, and the second, and the third, and so on. If it wasn't good, they'd be out of business. Instead, El Rodeo thrives and is a treat to those who understand and appreciate delicious Mexican cuisine.
(4)Jennifer T.
Best steak fajitas I've ever had makes this 4 stars. The dinner portion is enough for me to take home half and get lunch out of. Caution: the do charge $1 for 3 extra tortillas to go. The meat in the tacos usually has too much liquid and they get a little soggy but we usually eat them so fast it doesn't matter much! Rice is really really good. I personally don't care for the guacamole - it's really spicy and watery - mot much fresh avocado identifiable. Consistent food, nice people, fun atmosphere.
(4)Keith A.
Very good if you are in a hurry. Love the Hawaiian Fajitas.
(4)Fran D.
The place was fine, decent food. They automatically add 18% to your bill as a tip. If you are like we were, not paying close attention, you will double tip and be ripped off!!!! Very aggravating since we did enjoy the place but on principal alone, I will never go back
(1)Nathan B.
Having recently relocated to the area, I was looking to replace my "go to" Mexican restaurant from home. The atmosphere at El Rodeo is nice, and I love that they offer outdoor dining. The drink prices were a little high for the serving size they provide (a margarita, in my case), but that is pretty common with dining out. The biggest influence on my review is the flavor of the food. While the chips and salsa were outstanding, the main course was drastically under seasoned. It did not have the flavor that I seek in Mexican food. On the plus side, the staff was friendly and accommodating. To be honest, in future, I may pickup takeout from Chipotle and have it with my own margaritas at home.
(2)Anu R.
This place was good except for the part of service! They had drink specials but they ran out of the drinks which was on the special lol. I tried Valartas which was pretty good and my wife had fajitas it was good too. We will go again to other El Rodeo in Mechanics-burg not this place because of bad service.
(3)Christine S.
Quick service! Free chips and salsa even if you ask for refills (even tho the menu says otherwise) everything you could want in a Mexican restaurant in Harrisburg pa
(5)Kunal P.
Been to this place only once and that was enough to be impressed. We were the last customers at the restaurant one saturday night and the kitchen was 5min from closing as well. Yet, they let us in and served our party of 11 without any fuss. We were really really pleased with the service. It only got better from there once food started coming. pitcher full of hot salsa and non stop nachos were to die for. Most of us were vegetarian so we just ordered vegie fajita or quesadilla with extra jalapeno. Everything was really good. Especially the rice and guacamole - best some of us have had at a tex-mex restaurant. Over all, this place definitely deserves a repeat visit at a more reasonable time when we can sit and enjoy a complete meal at relaxed pace. Not that we felt rushed, but we also didn't want to hold up some of the staff beyond closing time. And we were just lucky that they let us in too.
(4)Ian S.
Desperately searching for quality Mexican food here in PA. EL Rodeo does a decent job at keeping it authentic. Friendly staff and reasonable prices.
(3)Brad W.
Our go-to Mexican restaurant. Food is usually pretty consistent and good overall. Service is average. Parking lot is really odd, but not a deal breaker as there is a 2nd lot right near the front one. Some of the booths don't allow for private conversations as the sides of the booths are low. Decor is pretty traditional and neat.
(4)Ari L.
Our waitress was patient and kept our chip bowl full. We went twice in the 5 days we stayed in Harrisburg. The food is great. It does have truly authentic food and has some tex mex food. The food is fresh and looks appetizing. The portions are good for the prices in the menu. The best dish we had were the Vallarta Tacos. Three massive double tortilla tacos with grilled chicken, chorizo, cilantro, onions, and lime. It also came with a side of rice and beans. Definitely will come again when i visit the Harrisburg area.
(5)Andrew S.
My girlfriend and I stumbled upon this place while shopping in Harrisburg. The cooks are consistent, the food is cheap, and the staff is very friendly! We never spent more than $40 here (with appetizers, drinks, and entrees) and always left with full bellies and something to bring home. If you're looking to get a lot for you money, enjoy Mexican food, and are in the Harrisburg area then definitely give this place a shot.
(3)Abby N.
I went today w my family. The food was good, except mine. I had chicken flautas and they tasted like - nothing! On top Of that the waiter took forever in bringing us our drinks. She kept coming by our table asking us if "everything" was ok when we still did not had our food. When my husband asked if his plate was supposed to come with 'rice' she literally took his fork and began moving his food to find the rice to show him that it had rice. I would not go back there.
(2)Alison S.
We've gone to El Rodeo intermittently for years. But our last visit might have been our last. Food was just. not. good. Service was slow, even though it was toward the end of the day and uncrowded. Entirely unimpressive... We are sad about it.
(1)Jay F.
Great food. Great prices. Average service. I always get the chicken soft taco, yummy. And a sangria even more yummy.
(4)Rafael L.
Not a friendly welcoming place at all !!! Very poor service no wonder it was empty on a weekend !!! Margaritas are such a disappointment !!! I always give a second try to places that i didn't like the first time, but i think I'm gonna pass on this one !!!!! Where's the southern hospitality???
(1)Frank G.
Horrible service and ok food! Parking lot is a wreck too. Guess we will stick with Taco Bell. This is our second time here and last...
(2)Diana D.
Not sure what happened to this restaurant. It used to be very good and I always looked forward to eating there. However, last nights meal changed my mind about ever going again. I ordered one of the combination meals which included a beef Halupa and beef chili relleno. I was quite surprised when the server brought our food and there was no chili relleno on my plate, but rather a layer of beef with cheese melted on top. At first I thought I had received the wrong meal! When I brought it to the servers attention she said she knew it was prepared wrong but that is how they make their beef relleno. WHAT?? She further explained that the cheese relleno was made with a poblano and brought me one complimentary. The gesture was very kind but the overwhelming taste of cumin in the sauce was almost more than I could handle. We also ordered margaritas that were not served in a margarita glass. Oh the salsa and chips were good. We won't be back.
(1)Katherine M.
This is solid, American-ized Mexican food. It seems like so many Mexican restaurants are clone stamps of each other with slight differences, and this one fits into that category pretty well. The interior, atmosphere, and menu of this place differ none to slightly from every place I've been to in Ohio of a different name. Food is good here - I love the shredded beef tacos. Sauces are solid. It's good - nothing to write a long description about. Cheese dip is usualy okay, althought weird it's not called queso, but whatever. I don't like their lime margarita mix, but the flavored ones are decent. The cuervo gold are good depends on who makes it - I've had them taste very different. We keep coming back - this is our go-to Mexican place in the Harrisburg area.
(3)Kevin K.
El Rodeo has devolved. Sad to say, but it is not nearly what it once was. Fancy new sign out front and bland food inside. Fajitas came out cold. No steam. No sizzle. Combination plate was okay but all one note, despite three different items. Back in the area after a couple years we were really excited to get back for some great Mexican food. We've been let down and will not be returning. We'll try the West Shore location and see if that is any better, but we'll look elsewhere for Mexican now.
(2)Lori M.
Love this place! Best shrimp fajitas ever!! Reasonably priced, fast and friendly service! One of my favorite places to eat! Oh and the blue coconut margaritas.......AMAZING!
(5)Teresa A.
Nice folks good food. They'll make what you want if you can't find it on the menu. We drive almost an hour to eat here.
(4)Paul N.
Decor was nicer than most Mexican restaurants - lots of booth seating. I had the enchiladas verdes and while it was enjoyable, it was predictable. Good value, good meal and pretty much what you've seen before everywhere else. Don't go with extremely high expectations and you will enjoy yourself.
(3)Sassy Couple S.
Very solid mexican food. The salsa is good, solid tacos and enchiladas. Have not a bad mean, its your typical mexican place. Cheese dip is always my favorite, and they have a solid recipe at El Rodeo. Tristan is the best waiter!
(4)Danielle K.
During the NHL lockout, my boyfriend and I drove to Hershey a few times to get our hockey fix. Central Pennsylvania is not exactly a bastion of veg-friendliness, though, so I was happy to discover El Rodeo, a Mexican restaurant with a location about 7 miles from the Giant Center. It's a bit tricky getting into and out of the parking lot, but it is pretty easy to spot from the road. The restaurant is a fairly large, open space and looks like almost any other Mexican place. They have a special vegetarian section on the menu, and the handful of times I've been there, they've been able to leave the dairy off my vegetable chimichangas (hey, I stick with what works). Between the complimentary chips and salsa and the good-sized portions, I get filled up pretty easily eating there. It's not a spectacular restaurant but the food is good, it's not too expensive, and the service is friendly.
(4)Ryan D.
Steak fajitas every time.
(4)Carly S.
Came here a few weeks back on a Saturday evening with my family. I ordered the steak fajitas. They first brought out salsa that tasted like it came out of a can, very disappointing. On the other hand the steak fajitas were SO flavorful and was a very large portion, enough to take home for left overs! The service was however very slow, the server never came to our table except to take our order or bring the check. When we needed something we had to flag down a server walking by. My parents just went to this restaurant this past Friday night and said it was MUCH better this time! They watched the salsa be hand made and said it tastes worlds better. The meals were brought out in a short amount of time and again had a heaping amount of food. Enough to make me o back the next time I am in town!
(3)Susan Z.
Good service. Chips tasted like saltless bagged chips. Salsa was decent. I ordered chicken enchiladas $7.79, which were out in less than 5 minutes so obviously microwaved. Enchiladas were flavorless. Sauce tasted like Chef Boyardee tomato sauce. Cheap Mexican a 1/2 step above Taco Bell.
(3)Chris M.
Inconsistent quality though definitely yummy when you get lucky and it's good. For the price the food should be better in my opinion. A huge menu for a huge restaurant!
(3)A N.
My husband and I went here recently when we had a hankering for chips and salsa and a good margarita. We moved from San Antonio not long ago and I KNEW that I should not get my hopes up but a coworker recommended it so I though it would probably be passable at least. Service was fine but not great, and considering there were like two other tables seated in the whole restaurant I felt it could have been better. The salsa was just ok. My enchiladas were lacking in flavor and the nachos (the entree version) were just sad. There was almost nothing on them. Seriously, I could make tastier nachos at home. Oh, and the margarita. It was a weeknight special I think, so I ordered the house margarita. I knew it wasn't going to be outstanding for the price, but after my husband said he thought it tasted like lime kool-aid that's all I could taste. I didn't finish it. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be snobby, but I really didn't think the whole trip was worth the calories. I had to talk my husband out of the taco bell drive-thru next door on our way out...
(2)Rosemary M.
This place is awesome....Read some reviews that the chips were store bought - they make them - I've seen it......the salsa isn't out of a jar.....and the comment on the microwaved food....that is bs. The people who had cold food - why not just not tell the server food is cold - they will replace it instead of putting bad reviews on here. Anyone who likes Taco Bell over this place there is something wrong with your tastebuds. lol.....The people are very nice at El Rodeo - never ever had a problem and been going there for many years.
(5)Scott C.
One of the best lunch values you can get in this suburb of Harrisburg... their chile relleno (with cheese) is pleasantly flavored and perfectly textured (can cut with a fork, but not soggy). The only reason I am giving a four instead of a five is their taco flavoring, or actually the lack thereof. The taco filling just tastes like plain browned hamburger with no sauce or other spices. To get the chile relleno at lunchtime the natural choice would be the #1 lunch special, however that comes with the flavorless taco. My cure is to jump over to the Dinner Combinations section and order the #12 Chalupa and chile relleno. It is about the same price as the #1, but everything tastes great! See the photo of everything I got for $8.05 (plus tip)! Each of the waiters and waitresses I've had are very attentive and friendly. The building, interior decor, and music, are festive, but not annoyingly so.
(4)Wes N.
My family has been raving about this restaurant for years and I finally tried it. I was disappointed by the greasy food and horrible smell of liquor and burnt food. The service was slow and did not help the already bad experience. I will not be eating here again.
(1)Valerie G.
Not impressed! I went on a Thursday night at 5pm. The restaurant was practically empty, yet I had to wait to be seated because the hostess was nowhere to be found. I told her that I needed a table for three and she gave me two menus and place settings. That's fine, people make mistakes, however I had to ask two more people before someone finally brought me an extra place setting. We got our chips fairly quickly. They were good, no complaints there, but we only got ONE bowl of chips. It would have been nice to at least been offered a second bowl, but no such offer came. After about 15 minutes someone finally came to see if we wanted drinks, at which point we had already exhausted our chip quota for the table. After that the service was ok, but not great. I have never been to a restaurant with a more unenthusiastic waitstaff. Not one person smiled, or even pretended to want to be there. This did not make for a very positive atmosphere. The food was mediocre at best and I was disappointed that not all of the entrees came with rice AND beans. Many only came with either rice, or beans. When we asked if we could have beans in addition to the rice we were upcharged $2.19. That was fine, but the waitress never mentioned an upcharge at all. Speaking of which, they upcharge you on EVERYTHING. Jalapeños on the side, $1.19 extra (really? That's a little excessive. Fifty cents would have been more acceptable.) Hot sauce, 89 cents. (I have NEVER heard of ANY restaurant charging extra for hot sauce, especially a Mexican restaurant!) The kid's meal did not include a drink, or a dessert. One of the two included would have been nice. The drinks were nothing special. They were watered down and didn't have much flavor. They must have a one lime limit per customer because the first margarita I ordered had a lime wedge, but the others did not. When we left the restaurant, we walked by many employees, none of which said "Thank you for coming", or even acknowledged our existence. Was the food edible? Barely. Would I ever go back? Not likely.
(1)Hilary J.
It has been a while since being there. It was ok nothing to rave about. Beans on quesadillas and pricey. You get chips and I like the band. I don't know if I would recommended it.
(3)Narisha J.
Perhaps it's my unfamiliarity with authentic Mexican food which is what this place describes itself as or maybe it was a poor menu choice on my part. Either way I was not impressed in the slightest. It always concerns me when one of two things happen. 1. The menu is extensive. I mean huge, long, big. Whichever word fits best to describe them as having a lot on their menu. Or 2. My food comes out very fast. I mean lightening speed, so fast I only ate 3 chips before my plate was in front of me. And no I didn't order ahead. In this case both happended. I had the burrito supreme. Didn't care for the lack of flavor and I had to add some salsa from the chips to make it taste like something. Everything seemed really soggy. And as hot as my plate was my food was only warm....strange. Didn't enjoy it. It was apparent that these items were all premade. So essentially I dined in at a fast food restaurant. My son said his meal was okay but was certain he tasted American cheese which made him question the authenticity...can't blame him. Our drinks came in sealed bottles which I appreciated cause I'm never able to finish my drinks, so it made it easy to take it with me. The chips and salsa were great though, should have had that as my entree!
(2)Alli K.
Awesome atmosphere, very inviting. The food has never let me down and I am in love with their chips and salsa. Te prices are fair and the portions are perfect. I haven't had a bad experience after several times going. I will be going back, hopefully soon!
(4)A K.
Good mexican food. Quick service. They have great homemade hot sauce. They are a few more locations in the area.
(4)MARK M.
While I am a big fan of the El Rodeo in York, PA, I have to admit I like this place better for the atmosphere. It is a big building and not too busy due to location (it's out of the way on a so-so busy street). The York Rodeo can take a while to wait for your table. We sat down right away. We enjoyed our time there if not completely satisfied with the meals. I had the chicken/chorizo dish (I forget the name) which I thought was pretty good. I'd recommend it if you want to avoid long lines and willing to drive out of the way.
(4)Jane B.
This was terrific. The salsa was a bit spicy and wonderful, I would have loved a bigger bowl. The service was friendly and quick. Portion sizes were very large. I had the Molcajete which, I swear was delivered in a large trough! Definitely plan on returning.
(4)Alicia L.
Horrible customer service. I emailed them twice through their website asking if they had any foods that are or could be gluten free. I never got a reply. I went there to meet up with friends and asked the server and he said they are bad at emails. So I asked him the same question, he told me he had no idea what gluten was. And that was it. he was not going to ask the kitchen. I handed him a copy of the emails to hand the manger to let him know that someone had been trying to contact them for this information. The manager threw them away. I never got an answer and left after my friends were done eating. This is absolutely horrible customer service.
(1)Paul E.
Good food, reasonably priced. Food always comes out no more than 7 minutes after ordering, even with a big group. Big tables, but seats sometime sink so the table becomes too high. Great chips and salsa complimentary. Margaritas are ok, but expensive and you can drink them real fast so not worth getting alcohol there. Servers are nice, and seems pretty authentic mexican food and service. Great outdoor seating too. Good place to bring a group.
(4)Jim T.
El Rodeo is a good place to eat. The portion sizes are good and the quality of the food is good. I go there frequently and have never had an issue with food quality at all. If you like Mexican food, this is as good as any other Mexican restaurant in the area. Their Fajita Texanas is the best meal on the menu. Chicken, Steak, and Shrimp stir fried with vegetables (onions, peppers and tomatoes) and served on a still sizzling hot plate. The complimentary chips and salsa are also very good. I usually get one of each to take home on my way out.
(4)Frank E.
Been here a few times. I actually like it. I keep getting the Mexican Steak with Beans and rice. Got to remember to ditch the rice and get more beans. Just my tastes. I like the colorful decorations and keep missing the band. I think only the first round of chips and salsa is free. After that they charge. I found out I don't like the mild salsa. I think its the celantro. But the hot is very good. Communication can be a problem at times. But we generally work it out. From what I have found between this one and Fiesta Mexico. The menus are similar but Fiesta seems to be bland and lacking in flavor. I was told by an employee that yes they are both owned by the same family but the wife runs El Rodeo and the husband runs Fiesta Mexico. We would go back again. Enjoyed our meal.
(3)Jen L.
Decent Mexican American food for this area.
(5)Dinah Boredom ..
Not the worst but certainly not the best. One step up from taco bell. If you want good authentic Mexican food (not Americanized Tex-Mex style) go to Tres Hermanos on Cameron Street.
(2)Jacob S.
After moving from Texas, my wife and I were searching for real southwest Mexican food and El Rodeo is "El mas mejor". The service is fast and curtious. I haven't ordered anything that i disliked.
(5)K E.
Although my wife and I used to go here frequeuntly, we will not go again, unless we pay with cash. The waitress had changed the tip amount on our bill twice. Do not trust this location.
(1)Greg A.
Decent Mexican restaurant in suburbia. This place used to be a hole in the wall and then expanded into a larger place. I happen to think it was much better when it was just a hole in the wall. The food is decent, but not amazing. The service is subpar. Try the fajitas when you're there. That's one of their best things on the menu.
(3)J R.
I know I am in the minority here but the 3 times I ate here the food was very disappointing. Each time I ate there I was taken on a work lunch outing by my employer as I would have never gone here at my choice. All I can say was that the food just had little taste to me. It was either just hot or tasteless. Mexican food is not one of my favorites to begin with but I appreciate tasty food and did not get it here. I thought the food was better at Chi Chi's when they used to be here. Yes most will say Chi Chi's was fast food. I consider taco bell to be fast food while chi chi's was more like an olive garden if comparing to Italian food. While El Rodeo is considered true Mexican Cuisine, maybe it is and I just do not like true Mexican Cuisine so take this review for what it's worth. edit 7/13 thought I would give this place another try. This time for dinner. Got the Grande Platter and must say it was pretty good. Upgrading to 3 stars. We went around 4 so it was not crowded and the service was good. Not sure how service would be if busy but had a nice time and meal. The rice still bland and dry but added some salsa and brought it to life. Will go back again.
(3)Dan R.
Yeah I heard the Mariachi band once in there also... They do give you the nachos and sauce with free refills. it has a great interior, that makes you think youre in the old country. plus the waitresses can be hot sometimes, sometimes not. I always prefer to go to another mexican restaurant in town, however this place always seems very busy, they totally remodelled it in 2003. they have a full bar where you can order imports and domestic, lots of posters & merch from corona and dos equis. Once I went in and although the food was good we had a coupon from the Clipper Magazine that said "10 dollars off purchase of 30" or more. However the waitress charged me *full price*, dispite the fact that I handed her the coupon, said what it was for, then my credit card. SO when I tried to explain it she didnt understand what I was saying, finally they got someone who did, and they refunded my purchase and then charged me the correct price. Seems odd that they'd just miss a coupon. Maybe they thought I wasnt paying attention. Bisteak a la tampiquena is always an old favorite, plus they ahve some combo deals on burritos, enchiladas and so forth.
(3)Billy D.
Always great service. I have never ever had any problems. The food is good and reasonably priced. The complimentary chips and salsa rock. I prefer El Rodeo over a few other Mexican places in the Harrisburg region.
(4)Carissa S.
I am a Mexican food lover. I worked at a Mexican restaurant through high school and college. I lived in Phoenix for several years and made it my mission to try every Mexican restaurant I came across. : ) This place is nothing special.
(2)MoCe C.
Bad bad service on slow day. When its F'in 90+ ° out dont make me wait for agua. Then she argued with me about my order all three of the vegi enchaladas r on the menu, id like one of each, took her forever to understand then she tell me no and leaves for 5 mints, dosnt bring me water, n then has someone else translate, come on. It was good even if both of em forgot the gauc.
(2)Mia K.
El Rodeo tends to be hit or miss. It's always either amazingly delicious, or "why didn't we go somewhere else". The chicken fajitas are my menu item of choice, but the quesadillas are also great (when the food is good). The worst thing is sometimes the food isn't quite hot enough. When I think of fajitas I think sizzling hot - not luke warm. Stop in for the lunch time margarita specials. Several flavors - 3$, can't go wrong with that. They also have live Mariachi bands once a month.
(3)Leigh N.
I love this place. They offer dishes that "chain" restaurants do not. Their Horchata is fantastic and I drink at least 3 glasses each time we go. The flan rocks and they will add a little chocolate drizzle and whip cream upon request which makes it even better. We love going there to eat and it is kid friendly to the point where the wait staff do not roll their eyes when they see a family (this happened at Applebee's).
(4)Andy B.
A good place to meet up with friends, although it gets quite busy when the mariachi band is scheduled to play (select Wednesdays). I have never had a problem with the service, which is polite and prompt, and the food has always been hot, well prepared, and very delicious. Also, the food is not expensive, so you can enjoy a night out without busting the wallet. I love their mango margaritas, and their shrimp & scallop fajitas are fantastic :)
(4)Charles N.
the 'ro gets 5-stars. i wish i could find something witty to write about this place. simply put: it has been a staple of mine since i was in 7th grade. i used to go here with my parents after my lacrosse games (i was so beast) and then spend the rest of the night on the toilet dipping long cut skoal and reading hustler. now i wear a suit everyday and pretend to read the financial times. life: 1 -- me: 0.
(5)Jessica G.
I'm a sucker for this type of Mexican restaurant! Cheap food, huge portions, and absolutely delicious.
(4)Jeff S.
after further consideration, this really is a 3-star restaurant, as are it's bretheren. I would like to recommend, however, that you request hot sauce from your server. They'll bring out a bowl of some unknown, but very chunky hot sauce, which you can spoon over your food or add into their house salsa for a spicy kick. Their salsa is very good and even better with some of the hot sauce, to taste of course.
(3)Michael M.
Food is not bad but far from great. Service on a Friday night seems to be outrageously slow.
(2)R. E.
I love Mexican food and this just didn't cut it for me. I ordered the chicken quesadilla and the juice from the chicken was making everything very soggy, not to mention, it wasn't very hot. The chips and salsa were ok, margarita was so-so and the atmosphere was decent.
(2)Steve P.
Late in the evening my fiancee and I were cruising up and down Jonestown Rd. She got a craving for Mexican and luckily this place was half a mile down the road. However when we got there the parking lot was just about bare. She hopped off the bike and checked and they closed in 20 minutes. Normally I don't eat anywhere that is closing in the next 45 minutes. I have worked restaurants all my life and I know all the cooks want to do is go home and not cook anymore. Your Food to Saliva ratio steeply increases every minute closer to closing you get past the 45 minute mark.. However the waitress and cook actually told us to come in. It kinda felt like a trap but seeing my fiancee get her food fix was more important than my health. Besides I'm sure the heat from the skillet will kill any bacteria added. So we went in. I'll tell you up front it is quite strange to be the only 2 people in a place that is being darkened by the turning off of lights and silenced by the stereotypical Mexican music being shut off. It was in part eerie and pleasant if that makes any sense. The waitress took our orders and within literally a few moments we had the food in front of us, which just goes to prove my point that cooks don't want to cook that late into the evening. We ate our meals which didn't taste any different thankfully and didn't feel like we were being rushed out. However the entire kitchen staff did follow us out the door... Strange..
(4)Ali R.
i love this place so much. i've been going here for over 10 years, it's definitely become my favorite comfort food. the staff is always so friendly and the service is always prompt. love their salsa, tamales, mole ranchero and fajitas. go here and get a pitcher of margs with your friends, you'll have fun and eat well.
(4)Sophia P.
Their chicken tamales are sooooooooooo tender and flavorful!!! They arrive on a plate dehusked and draped with bean-based sauce. albeit, they are slightly different from home-made tamales that don't have that sauce, but this version tastes delicous. they are infinitely better than the ones served at Fiesta Mexico. I've ordered tamales for the last 4 times that I am came but on the fifth time, I tried something else, a combo platter with chile relleno--very disappointing! the ingredients and cooking method was NOT authentic at all. it is suppose to be a pepper filled cheese and deep-fried in a egg-batter, but their version was basically a side of beans with cheese and a tiny bit of meat sprinkled inside. where was the bell pepper? i thought they had my order wrong, until they point to the bean and cheese slop. I haven't tried any other food items, but I expect them to be typical americanized mexican food. So I gave 4 stars because the tamales are THAT good.
(4)Jimena M.
Checked this place out for dinner. So from the outside it's got a red tile roof and stucco walls, seems quaint enough. On the inside it looks like a tacky tex-mex pinata threw up. There are corona beer ads, sombreros, maracas, pottery, folksy mexican knick knacks and tchochke's and of course, pinatas. You might think this is the equivalent of the atmosphere in the Thai place I reviewed earlier, but it's the exact opposite. They are just trying WAY too hard to appear like authentic mexican. So..with a sigh I kept to myself..i braced myself for the worse. Their menu is extensive, never have I seen so many different combinations of chimichangas, burritos, tacos, enchiladas,etc. After careful consideration I chose a platter called El Cazuelon, the menu said it had grilled chicken, steak, a guacamole salad, and of course rice and refried beans. Seemed simple and straight forward to me. So while we waited for our food we tore up the tortilla chips and salsa, which were decent. The salsa had a mild kick,was chunky and thick, and tasted pretty fresh. I liked it. The tortilla chips were alright as well, a little too thick for my tastes, but ok. Our food came, it was a pretty big plate. They laid my "steak" on top of a filet of chicken breast. Looks like both pieces of meat were grilled in a flat iron. They had some seasoning, but pretty mild, luckily my chicken wasn't too dry and the steak was flank and a little tough and stringy :( The rice tasted like overcooked uncle bens. The salad was chopped lettuce with a dollop of guacamole on top. The guacamole was decent though. The refried beans were topped with a melted white cheese, probably monterrey jack, they were blah. I basically doused the whole thing with salsa and chowed down. I was pretty hungry. But the meal wasn't a pleasure to eat, it was just done to fulfill a bodily requirement :P Luckily, I was in good company with good conversation or it would have been painful.
(2)Jane R.
first, if you go to a mexican restaurant, don't just order "quesadillas" or "fajitas". Try the carnitas, the lovely chile relenos autenticos, etc. Love this place. The salsa, if taken home, can be nuclear the next day.
(5)Nick D.
So I lived in the Harrisburg area as a young'un and since then have spent time in California and NYC. Places with good Mexican food. I've also been to a place called MEXICO which also apparently serves up some decent tacos, burritos, chinchillas, and the like. But when I'm craving good Mexican food and am back in the 'burg, I'm going to EL RODEO, BABY!!! This place seriously rivals any Mexican joint out there. Why? Because the food tastes f-ing good. No frills, no fancy table-side guacamole preparation, none of that B.S. Just good, reasonably priced Mexican food that rivals any of New York or Cali's best. Get the "Nachos Order" (name may have changed). Toasted awesome chips in a pool of awesome melted cheese. This dish is so great, you'd probably rather eat this than hook up with a supermodel-hot Amish girl IN COSTUME. Oh yeah and you know it's authentic because they had several employees DEPORTED to Mexico (it was in the news a few years ago).
(5)