El Cid used to be the go-to, always consistent, and reliable place to go in Oakhurst for a hearty meal and good service. Not sure what has happened in the last few months (post Covid effects notwithstanding). Not one of our last 5 orders (one of which was eat-in) was correct, with either the wrong entree ingredients requested or sides like salsa, guac, chips, etc., completely excluded. Frustrating when you get the bag home and it's all wrong. The corn tortillas are now small and mealy. You can't even pick them up without them falling apart. So disappointing and sad to see this place that we've been going to for decades go downhill. Tony, where are you? :'( read more

My opinion, 5 stars. We have been visiting El CID in Oakhurst for many years now when we travel to and from Yosemite. Today with the state closing all in restaurant seating we placed a phone order. 20 minutes later they handed me all of our food, chips & salsa and drinks, including my to-go margarita (the one COVID idea). Everything was perfect and they included everything you would need to eat a full Mexican meal in a hotel room. The service as always was Awesome! The staff care to get it right and make sure your order is right. The food, pretty traditional Mexican food for California but how they make it is the difference. The chili verde is cooked in pepper, onions and pork perfectly, nothing canned in it. The burritos, tacos, enchiladas, rice and beans and all well done. If your a fan of shredded beef that too if also cooked fresh and is very flavorful. El Cid is another great Oakhurst business worth your time. read more

El Cid - Pork Chili Verde - Mexican Near Me - Oakhurst, California

My spouse had just started his vacation and I needed to be up in Oakhurst for work, so he tagged along and we stopped here for lunch. I come to Oakhurst a lot & have lived in Fresno most of my life, and this was my first time trying this place. It's good but not great. And a little pricy for mexican food, I suppose because they are taking advantage of tourists going to the lake or park. However, the pitcher of margaritas is a fantastic deal, so they've got that going. For food, the table salsa left a lot to be desired, but the chips were awesome. You can also ask for spicier salsa and that one is much better. I had the chimichanga meal with chile colorado. It was a pretty typical chimichanga but the meat was a little disappointing. I thought it would be like chili con carne, but the spices were completely different. My spouse had the El Cid burrito with steak and again, it was good but not great. He also had a cadillac margarita which was pretty middle of the road, but it was something like $12 and completely not worth that much. We were way more pleased with the pitcher of margaritas that he decided to order next. For $32 you can get 8 drinks, and we know because we tore bits of napkin off for each one so we could keep count. Easily our favorite part of the meal. I think next time, we'll go without a full appetite and just get some yummy fried stuff to go with the margarits. read more

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Probably not the most authentic Mexican place and food was overall average however I appreciate the friendly and fast services. We were touring around the Yosemite area and was craving for some Mexican food. There was a power outage in the area and lots of restaurants were closed so decided to come here instead. This place was happening with lots of people when we got here on a weekday dinner time. We ordered a few items including the shrimp fajita, and the steak. Food was a bit on the saltier side and tasted Americanized but it was still good. Portion was very generous for the price. I would say two people can share one portion. The free salsa with chips were fresh and good. The margarita upon first taste was way too sweet however it was quiet strong. I got pretty buzz after just two and I'm definitely not a lightweight. Our waitress again was friendly. Overall i think a decent place to come read more

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Delicious food. Had enchiladas and they had a little spice and good flavor Good service The light was a little dark. read more

After living in the community for years and finally deciding to move away, we decided to try El Cid because of the local word of mouth. Food was bland, pedestrian, and without flavor. Menu was huge. Huge. Not always a good thing,, you actually ord we red your meal by number. And the numbers went pretty high... Whenever you order your meal by number... well you kinda know you are in for assembly line food. Frankly, if I wanted to order Mexican food by number I'd just go to Taco Bell.... and I hate that place but at least you know what you are in for and not setting yourself up for disappointment. read more

It's been 6 months and I still think about how good the steak burrito I got here was. Service was great too!

We went here for dinner after a long day of hiking and the service was a little slow since they were pretty busy. The food portions were big which was good because we were very hungry. The burrito itself was pretty good and flavorful but the beans and rice had no flavor. I also liked the complimentary tortilla chips that were served since they had some kind of Cajun seasoning that made them more flavorful than normal tortilla chips. Overall, big portions and seems to be a popular restaurant here in Oakhurst. But the overall flavors were too bland in my opinion and the service was a little slow. read more

El Cid - El Cid Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Oakhurst, California

Excellent food!! We are from LA and were blown away by how good this place was- the flautas and the tacos were major highlights with such juicy chicken and beef which were enjoyed by everyone. This was a great find! read more

I grew up in Texas and have lived in CA (both SoCal and SF Bay Area) since 2008. This is the best Mexican food I have ever had in the state of California. If El Cid ever decided to franchise, I would be highly supportive. More of this please! Thank you El Cid! read more

Best Margarita in the area...Salsa was amazing and food was prepared perfect and served hot! Great find and great meal for rural area!! Service was great too! read more

El Cid - Mexican Near Me - Oakhurst, California

After your long day of hiking this is definitely a good place to go. The inside is large and they seat you quickly . The service is good but they are busy. The Mexican food is on par. It's not amazing and it's not bad. It's plentiful and the chips and salsa are delicious. It's exactly what you expect from a Mexican restaurant. The parking lots a little bit small but there's plenty of parking around the area. There's not much traffic. The prices are decent as well. They do have some options for dessert but we didn't get any. I would recommend coming here if you're craving some run-of-the-mill Mexican food!! read more

I don't know if I have just eaten at so many real Mexican places in the valley lately, but this is very Americanized Mexican food. It wasn't bad, there was nothing WRONG with the food, it just is not authentic to me. Very plain Jane. I used to eat here all the time when I lived here, And I remember thinking it was the best Mexican food ever! As I stated before, I'm not sure if the food changed, or if I just developed a taste for real authentic Mexican food. I really think it is a little of both. Pros- GREAT SERVICE, awesome chips and salsa, full bar, Cons- boring Mexican food, Not bad, just nothing special. read more

So so Mexican food, very Americanized. If you want authentic Mexican food this is not the place. Service is ok but not over the top, especially if they are busy seems they can forget about you. The only thing going for this place is their location, right on highway 41 going towards Yosemite. read more

El Cid's has managed to keep the same recipe through all the decades. This is by far my favorite place for Mexican food. I ordered the all-time favorite chicken chimichanga. It was light, not greasy and had the amazing flavor it always has had. Inside it had green chili peppers and it was just absolutely scrumptious. So glad I stopped, even though it was alone which always sucks. It was nice to have a taste of an old time favorite. Their rice is particularly good, too. Deliciousness. read more

El Cid - Chicken chimichanga - Mexican Near Me - Oakhurst, California

I went to El Cid with a friend who LOVES this place. I have to say. I didn't think it was anything special. I don't come to sit down mexican restaurants often (at least not the ones where they take your order and serve the food). This one didn't really blow me away. I did enjoy the complementary chips and salsa, which was readily replenished when it ran out. The service service (our waitress) was a little slower than that. It took a while to get our orders taken. But to be fair, it seemed like there were only two waiters for around 8 tables. Once our orders were taken the food came out pretty fast. The portions are very generous. I got the Él Cid burrito. It was HUGE, definitely meant to be eaten with a knife and fork. I thought the burrito was a little dry and lacking in flare. Once you took a knife and fork to it it just became roasted vegetables and tortilla. The soup that came complementary with the dinner and combo plates was really good. I might just order that by itself next time I come. It was a little pricey considering the fact that the majority of what you're paying for is rice and beans. read more

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If you have never eaten Mexican food before this might work out for you. Tacos were so soggy all 3 people that ordered the tacos had shells that fell apart when touched, chili verde very dry. Make sure you have water on the table so you can swallow. Beef tacos meat not good. Soup was great, guacamole very good, service not good at all. read more

The shrimp burrito was amazing! The carne asada top quality top sirloin. Would absolutely recommend to everyone.

Service was wonderful But the food was beyond horrible Definitely regret passing, Taco Bell Mexican food is way better than what they gave us Would definitely say do not pass you have been warned read more

On our way home from a 4-days/ 3-nights camping in Yosemite, we decided to stop here for lunch. Portions are huge & quite tasty. For a family of 7 adults; our bill with tip was about $120. Service was great. Our server & our buser were attentive. Great little place to stop! Inside the restaurant was clean & accessible. We'd go here again. read more

Cibo messicano molto buono, consigliato dopo una giornata allo Yosemite anche perché è l'unico che chiude alle 10 pm. Personale molto gentile. read more

El Cid - Mexican Near Me - Oakhurst, California

Nothing stands out as bad or good. Pretty average Mexican food. Decent service, decent prices.

Definitely would NOT recommend. The food is okay. The drinks were okay. It definitely was not worth the price. They did seat is quickly however the customer service was not great either. read more

Lazy workers. A ton of high schoolers that didn't want to take our group just because it was a large group of 13. We offered to split our group into three smaller groups. They said no. Terrible service! read more

Chips and Salsa were great. The enchiladas were good. The fajita burrito was not good. The chicken and veggies inside were bland. Plenty of servers. Food was plain. Shredded meat was watery. read more

Decent portions, good service, approvable margarita, okay food. I recommend the patio, which has A/C. Named for Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (1043- 1099), Prince of Valencia, who the Moors called El Cid, which meant "the Lord". Which is fitting because trying the overly salty guacamole I said "Jesus Christ!" read more

We have been going here for over 20 years and it never disappoints! Everything we have-- whether lunch or dinner -- is delicious. Margaritas are tasty too. The kids have always loved it. The servers are very nice and service is consistently great. We have loved the restaurant expansion as well. Thanks El Cid!!! read more

The food was terrible overpriced and basically inedible. I took one bite of my enchiladas and when I saw the grayish colored chicken, I knew I was done. 100% do not recommend. read more

Pretty much your basic Mexican restaurant. Nothing fancy and nothing to really get excited about. Flavors are pretty mediocre. The chips were smothered in Lawry's seasoning salt... couldn't really eat half the chips because they were so salty. Ordered the carnitas tacos plate and the carnitas was cubed and a little bit fatty. Not the typical shredded melt in your mouth carnitas so I really wasn't a fan. Not sure if I will return. Just not that exciting :\ read more

Meh just meh.. over priced Mexican food..crazy over priced.. salsa was watery..chips ok.. 12 bucks for gac..I'll pass.. soup was good..my combo taco and enchiladas was meh.. the taco was cold and the shell super greasy like it sat for hours not crunchy as it should be.. I just ate the inside beef..my enchiladas were ok .. typical chain food ..dinner for two..$52.00. read more

El Cid is the first spot we stop when going to Yosemite, and the last spot when we leave!! We have been coming here for the last 20 years, every summer!! My 3 boys (now men), have such wonderful memories of our Yosemite trips... but EL Cids is always the #1 memory they have!! go figure! Food is always GREAT!! service is friendly, and bus boys are attentive! Menu is huge!! and they have no problem putting together something ya dont see on it! highly recommend! I Get a kick out of reading some of the negative replies, as weve never encountered any issues! not once. read more

The past couple times the food hasn't been great. The orders have been wrong, missing things, or over cooked. The quality of ingredients has gone down seems like nothing is homemade anymore just poured out of a can. I'd rather cook at home. This place used to be a highly recommended spot from me. Not so much anymore. read more

Excellent customer service. Our waitress was top notch in attentiveness. The salsa was fresh and delicious.The albóndiga soup was amazing! The rest of the meal was eeh, just OK. The water was bloody awful!! All I all, I will stop here again next time I visit Yosemite. read more

Not impressed with their food. Service was decent but food was just okay. The first round of salsa was fairly good, the refill was desperately missing some ingredients. The beans tasted out of a can and the rice was bland. I had an enchilada and didn't care for the sauce. Overall I wouldn't recommend. read more

We went here 3 times on our trip to Yosemite. Each time was a great experience. Ask for the red salsa if you want something a little more spicy. read more

We stopped at El CID's after spending the day at Yosemite National Park just for margaritas and appetizers. Our pleasant surprise was the food was delicious and authentic Mexican dishes your grandmother and mother made from scratch. The "abondigas" soup was just like moms. The "salsa picosa" habanero was "hot" and delicious. The "chicken tacitos" were delicious. BTW... the margaritas topped off a great meal and place to enjoy real authentic Mexican food. read more

El Cid - Authentic Food - Mexican Near Me - Oakhurst, California

One of best restaurants near yosemite Tacos great Burritos great Fajitas great! Enjoyed read more

Potentially the best authentic Mexican our family has eaten! The service was a little slow getting started but once we were created by our server the attention was excellent. If I'm the area this is a must eat location! read more

El CID's is a excellent place to relax after a great day at Yosemite National Park or a day at Bass Lake. We've been going there for many years and the Mexican food is always authentic fresh and it hits the hits the spot! Make sure to try the classic Cadillac margaritas! read more

Had a really good experience dining at this restaurant. The food was fresh and delicious . The chicken fajitas were amazing and you get a big plate of food . Definitely value for money. The restaurant is spacious and the staff was friendly. Highly recommend this place especially if you wanna have a good brunch while on your way to Yosemite or bass lake read more