Why the hate in past reviews? This is a diamond in the rough! We went there on a Sunday night. It was with walking distance of our hotel. Not too busy. Nice atmosphere. Good service. The chips weren't great, but the dipping sauce was. We ordered margaritas. These were hand-made. They were excellent. Beautifully presented. I ordered a chicken burrito and my spouse ordered cheese enchiladas. Both were large plates, but not overly huge. The dishes were served with colorful presentations, as if the chef was doing these dishes in a competition on Food Network Both dishes were excellent. So flavorful and fresh. These were on par with some of the very upscale Mexican restaurants in Washington DC, but without the high price. For Harrisonburg this was a bit pricey ($10 margaritas), but a good ROI nonetheless. read more

I was traveling through town and staying next-door. The front desk recommended this place and I am so happy that they did. I came on Valentine's Day and they were absolutely packed. I placed an order online and they had it ready sooner than they anticipated, even with a full restaurant. While I was waiting, I watched the plates being carried out to tables and everything looked amazing. When I got back to my hotel and opened my bag I was beyond excited! They offer great portion sizes and everything was incredible. The veggies were crisp and the chicken was cooked perfectly. My photo does not do my food justice, but I was just too excited to eat to wait to take another. I will definitely be back! read more

El Charro - ACP - Mexican Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

Came here for lunch after my brother graduated from JMU. This is your typical Mexican restaurant. Ordered the chicken tacos with rice and beans. The rest of the family ordered off of their lunch specials. Service was good for location. read more

El Charro - Chicken tacos - Mexican Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

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Wife wanted to eat here for Mother's Day'. The carnitas was delicious. We always have a great experience here. read more

El Charro - Pork Carnitas - Mexican Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

I had to go to Dulles to look at a motorcycle. The only upside to the whole story was El Charo Resturant. I fly out of Dulles airport at least once a month period so at least once a month I drive past and stop at El Charo. This is a pretty high compliment considering I I am from Arizona and we have a plethora of great Mexican food! read more

The past few times we have went to el charro a certain server maybe even more from what I started catching on is adding extra tip or tip to our receipt charge. I started taking pictures of the receipt to make sure I wasn't mistaking myself but nope they continue to do it. read more

The service was amazing, the drinks were incredible and the food was some of the best Mexican i have ever had. It's hard to believe anyone would give such poor ratings when we were so impressed. The Man had a wet burrito and I had a cheese chili relleno. I would recommend this place to anyone who loves Mexican cuisine. ​ read more

If I could give 0 stars, I would. Looks like everything is out of a can. Salsa,beans, everything. Chile relleno had weird watery white sauce inside instead of cheese. Taco was like from Taco Bell with a hard shell instead of a real tortilla. Enchilada was a single rubbery tortilla with ground meat (extended with other stuff??) and no cheese, no onion or anything else inside.... just dry weird ground meat. By far the worst restaurant I have ever been to. read more

The website photos make this place look cool and hip. Walking in the doors you are greeted with a cafeteria vibe instead. Honestly I would have walked out had I possessed any desire to get back in my car to hit the myriad of dining choices around town. Well, I'm glad I stayed! The staff is pleasant and helpful. The chips and salsa very satisfying. Drinks - I'd say you can skip. And my entree was actually so delicious, I finished the behemoth serving size placed in front of me. Would I recommend this be your destination at this exit? No, absolutely not given there are so many restaurant options around. But, if you happen to find yourself here (it's a chain), you'll find something to delight yourself. read more

El Charro - Vegetarian quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

Awesome food and amazing customer service this is my favorite place to eat with friends and family

I stayed at the Howard Johnson's behind this place and had no car, so I was limited and it was within easy walking distance. I ate there several times in my short visit to my brother, and got him a meal there, too. He ate every bite, and scraped the plate with his chips! chuckle. The food was very good. I don't remember all the different things I got, but they were mostly vegetarian and tasty. I was never drawn to try other nearby places such as Wendy's and Taco Bell, which have predictable menus. The Howard Johnson's had a few things to complain about (not much, really) but this restaurant wasn't one of them. If my life permits me to go to Harrisonburg again, I will stay at HoJo again, and I will certainly eat at El Charro. The service was fast and friendly, the food was good and inexpensive, and the ambiance was certainly just fine! Thanks, El Charro. read more

Most of the time this place is great. I usually go here and get the same thing every time. I go 4-6 times a week, so I eat there pretty often. I am upset. I called a week ago to have the meal replaced because it just didnt taste like it normally does. The steak was overcooked and the cheese in the burrito was actually so hard I could cut it (its queso cheese). The manager politely replaced it and apologized. Well, today I got my food and found 2 long blonde/red hairs in my food. My hair isnt that color. I called to let him know and ask to get the meal replaced. He insisted that theres no one in the kitchen with long hair. I was told that he will replace it but that he will never replace another meal again, period and then hung up. That's very rude and it's not like I wanted to find someone's hair in my food. I also believe it is totally possible whoever boxes up the food, could've lost a hair. I go there A LOT. Like I said, 4-6 times a weekm So the odds are significantly higher for me to have something wrong since I go so often. I'm NOT going to eat food with hair in it. That's disgusting. read more

El Charro - Burrito fajita - Mexican Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

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The food, while not amazing, was very good. The serving sizes were above average. Their complimentary tortilla chips were delicious. The restaurant itself, from what I can tell, has not been updated since opening. However, that does not matter to me. The staff was not super friendly, but they did their job. I will be returning often. read more

The service was so bad I was practically choking on my food because she didn't refill my drink. Instead she was walking around re applying her lipstick! It's the girl with a bow who looks like she got a BBL.. read more

So rude! Returned this week after an excellent meal there last week. But... Waited 20 minutes and were told our table was given away to another party without hint of remorse, regret, or apology. The hostess challenged us to wait another ten, no make that fifteen, minutes or split up our party of six. Or would you like to talk to the owner, my father? Do you even really want to eat here at this point? Nope! Glad to find another restaurant just around the corner just five minutes away and sat right down. Super good! read more

This restaurant is just so so. It has potential. Most of the food was decent to taste. But the ground beef doesn't have a a lot of flavor and needs to be more well seasoned. The queso cheese dip was soupy when it came out and needed a good 20 minutes of sitting to thicken up. The decor could be nice, but they need to replace their ceiling tiles. read more

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This place is a staple in Harrisonburg, known for their big margaritas and authentic Mexican food. I got the enchilada last which came with one cheese, one beef, and one chicken. They could have used more cheese and they were a little heavy with the lettuce, but the sauce was good and so was the flavoring. The margarita was also delicious and quite large, perfect to share. Overall the prices were fair and the service was quick. I'd recommend this place if you're looking to get drinks or some good Mexican food in Harrisonburg. read more

El Charro - Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

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The food was gross, my beef tasted like liver. Went to the restroom, it was dirty, then watched a server leave without washing her hands. Avoid this place, seriously!! read more

Immediately disappointing. They do not serve black beans. The only option is a paste like substance that may have some beans inside. I do not no what else is in the paste because it tasted like nothing. The rice was awful as well, no flavor. I got Chile Rellanos that were, watery. But the Chile was tough. I had 10 bites of my meal before I had to stop. My kids would not even eat their meals. Just bad. Go to Taco Bell instead. read more

Tourist here from Nova.. I'm glad we rushed here before the snow without reading reviews. First time skiing in this area with my family. Great choice of fast food & chain restaurants near our hotel but we saw this local spot on the way in and I'm glad we came. My daughter and I had the lunch fajitas with steak and chicken. It came with refried beans, rice, and tortillas. My husband & son had the lunch combos. We ate everything. My daughter had an horchata and liked it. Honestly this is a solid 4 star restaurant but why is it empty? Probably these harsh ratings from 2 years ago.. I gave it 5 for notoriety. Their chips and salsas were also good. read more

Looks like I just got denied the sizzle of a good fajitas meal by ordering vegetarian (the meat fajita dish at the table next door sizzled & my dish of vegetables was served on ceramic, not iron :(...kind of a bummer because additionally the vegetables merely included onion, green pepper, a little fresh tomato & a barely a mushroom...) If you're like me & order fajitas for the Sizzle... Do Not try the vegetarian fajitas here Two stars = 1 for friendly + 1 for cheap draft beer Sadly Not enough to keep me coming back read more

If you show up at this place and wonder why it's not jam packed don't worry. It's because the service is super fast and the food is super tasty! So tasty you'll scrape your plate. Consider ordering off the combo section of the menu. Also, the margaritas are well worth it. This place is also great for groups, I once made reservations for 65 with less than 12 hours notice. The get together ended up turning into a tradition but that's not important. What is important is that you go to the location of on Main St, not Market St. read more

El Charro - Sign - Mexican Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

So my husband and I had dinner here tonight. Overall the place was good. Our waiter was good, making sure we had what we needed, but missed a couple items we had ordered. Our biggest complaint is the spice level. Both our meals where way too spicy. We both enjoy spicy foods but this was intolerable. We did mention this to the waiter. After our dinner we both had Upset stomachs. We probably will never go back. read more

I almost bypassed this restaurant because of the reviews, but it is amazing food and service. The people leaving the nasty reviews are just keyboard warriors with nothing better to do. The food is good, definitely try it out and give your own opinion read more

Great food nice and fresh. Been here many times with my family while I was going to school at JMU. Definitely recommend!

Food was bland and cold. I had the chicken enchiladas and a beef taco. The ground beef had zero seasoning and was cold, a few pieces of shredded lettuce and no cheese. The taco shell was from a box. The enchilada sauce was also from a can with zero flavor. Salsa was out of a can with no flavor, chips were stale. My husbands meal was supposed to be spicy, but it was bland also, but at least it was warm, but the rice was cold, as were the beans with hard cheese that obviously couldn't melt. We would not come back. We would like to say that our waiter was very pleasant, and provided good service, which he is the only reason they even got one star. read more

My wife, my son and myself went to El Charro for lunch today. Our server was slow and kept disappearing. I ordered Huevos Rancheros for the first time. The eggs were hard cooked instead of over easy. It tasted real good, I think I might have enjoyed it more if the eggs were done properly. We all enjoyed our meal but when the topic of conversation turns into "Where's the server" it tends to be a bit of a distraction. read more

Disappointing, food did not live up to what was shown in the menu, service was very slow. Taco salad was rather soupy, shrimp was overcooked. Saw guests sit down after us finish their meals and leave before we did. Oh, and the margaritas tasted nice but had almost no alcohol in them. read more

At the tail end of a recent golf trip to Lexington, VA, we decided to squeeze in nine holes on the way back to Arlington. Harrisonburg was a good option due to its midway location and cheap green fees. While trying to find the course, we decided to stop at El Charro for a quick lunch; Mostly due to their being cars in the parking lot which we saw as a positive mark. This turned out to be a very affordable, very typical Mexican restaurants. The menu was filled with typical Mexican fare, no surprises. I ordered the enchilada platter. They weren't the best I've ever had. They weren't the worst. But for 6 dollars, it was a great value. Everyone else at my table seemed to enjoy their chimichangas, which seemed small, but tasty. In the end, if I'm in the area again, I'd come back just to save a few nickels on my meal. If I went to JMU, this seemed like a great place to come to nurse my hangover on Sunday morning. I also noticed some excellent beer deals during the week, with pitchers as cheap as $4. read more

I love mexican food, and sadly where I am from in the philly area, there are not very many good authentic places. I am not sure how you get such good mexican food in the middle of shenandoah valley, but I dont care. We went here for lunch 2 times in one week, while on vacation! food comes out super super quick. Tortilla chips are fresh and crispy Salsa is also tasty and not too spicy, but you can add your won hot sauce. Their refried beans are very flavorful. You can taste some meaty essence in there. My mother in law enjoyed her taco salad. I ordered a chimichanga. its not like some monstrous don pablos deal, but a 2 nice sized fried burritos. I also had their Tamales with chicken inside. Very good. Mole sauce was a little too authentic for me, i suspect my first experience with mole sauce, which was very chocolatey and sweet was from an americanized joint that didnt really do it truly authentic. Bc other places I tried it was also too bitter for me. not my fault, but depending on which type of mole sauce you crave... be advised. My father in law order Fajitas: Shrimp only was better. he said the chicken and steak were a little tough. Desserts: Churros, very very good, comes out in 4 pieces with some nice whipped cream. Fried ice cream: Eh, the corn flakes on the outside were stale or not friend enough. But they have regular ice cream Banana cheesecake in fried tortilla was ok, but i am pretty sure they just buy this frozen and drop in the fryer. Stick with the churros. Overall if i had this place near me i would pop in and try different things on the menu . pricing was very good., 6.99 for lunch specials. read more

This place is legit horrible. If you are from anywhere with a decent number of restaurants avoid this. Just cheap, lousy mexican food. No redeeming features at all. Stay at home and eat tostitos and a microwaved bean burrito and save the trouble. I was driving down to Vtech from DC and saw this place got good reviews on yelp so decided to stop. Awful. One of the worst decisions of my life. On the plus side, the terrifying food came out pretty quick. read more

Growing up in Harrisonburg and taking Spanish in high school, we went here a few times for class trips. The food is great, the service is fast and friendly and the restaurant is clean. I love their burrito special but I've never been disappointed with anything I've ordered from there. Their salsa is delicious and addictive so be warned. I came back recently and the experience is still the same so I highly recommend it if you're looking for good Mexican food. read more

Harrisonburg has two El Charros - this one on Market Street near the mall, the other on South Main near a car wash. One is the good twin, one is the evil twin. This is the good twin. What is in that white sauce? read more

Meh. It was dead when we came in. The server was kind of awkward but I could tell he was trying. I've had a lot of authentic Mexican and Hispanic cuisine but this was way below par. I decided to get the carne asada and it was not that good. It didn't even come with sour cream but it had avocado... Not guacamole. The meat itself was just plain/bland. My friend got the enchilada and it was really good. I'll probably get that next time if I come back. read more

3.5 stars Very friendly and fast service, great prices, decent chips, good salsa, A-OK food. read more

Did another reviewer say the food here is bland? OMG! That person must drink Sriracha Sauce instead of iced tea!! I'm no expert on Mexican food so I can't tell you if this is "authentic" Mexican food; however to me this place has more spice than Id ever want! I'm experiencing that special kind of sweating that commences from the front edge of my hairline! This is when I know the food is too spicy for me! I ordered the Steak Ranchero. The sauce was so hot I could not taste the T bone steak flavor at all...to me it's hot as Bloody Hell!! my son ordered chicken fajitas. I've had better. Hats off for the frozen 22 oz Margarita! Glad I found something I liked here! service was courteous and attentive. If I don't have terminal indigestion later tonight it'll be a miracle! read more

On a recent trip up RT 81 I stopped in Harrisonburg Va.I was in the mood for a carne asada meal and was directed to this restaurant. Upon arrival not much ambience but the food and margaritas were good. read more

Best Mexican food we've had in years. Try the refried beans, and Tacos De Carne Asada they are amazing. 5 stars, even service was good for our large party. read more

Horrible service. I ordered a piña colada and he did not ID me before bringing out the drink. When I could not immediately find my ID (I did not physically have it but I was able to provide a pictured of my ID including my face and my DOB) so in front of everyone he took it away. When I showed him my picture of my ID that CLEARLY included DOB and my face it was refused on the grounds that "we need a physical copy" I have NEVER had someone turn down an ID because it wasn't a physical copy. That's a load of BS. The waiter then proceeded to ignore our table and avoid us. I left embarrassed and angry. I will happily never return. read more

This is my family's favorite place to eat out! The chips and salsa is by far the best part about it, but the service is professional and quick with great food on the way. (And if you play Pokémon Go, there is a nest right on top of the place to help you "catch em all!) read more