I've been dining at El Coyote for over two decades and I've always ordered the exact same thing: steak fajitas, Tex-Mex macaroni, and mashed potatoes. Always a winner. Upon my most recent visit, the decor in the restaurant was just like I remembered: dark, stained-glass lamps, penguin-suited wait staff. The waitress brought the chips and salsa. What once was a wicker basket of tortilla chips with two cups of salsa was now a small plastic tray of chips and 1/4 cup of salsa. I ordered my usual, but noticed that my entree now only came with one side, plus I had to choose between guacamole and sour cream; it was once served with both. The meals arrived on small plates, with a cup of macaroni and a saucer of mashed potatoes. (Originally, the fajitas were served on huge skillets with the sides, which were equal to two cups each.) Also, there were only three small tortillas for the fajitas. I ended up having to order another shell. Aside from the portions being smaller than previous years, I am glad to report my food tasted as delicious as ever. The fajitas had huge chunks of steak, onions and peppers. The potatoes were creamy and the macaroni zesty. My margarita was right on par. And yes, despite the small servings, I still left completely stuffed. I am pleased the quality of food has remained the same over the years, but was disappointed about getting nickle-and-dimed for things that were once included in a dinner. A tip of my hat to our waitress, Sherri, who was super sweet and attentive. Glad to see the service is still personable too. Price per person: $25.00 read more

Haven't been to El Coyote in about a year so we decided to give it a shot again. The Machaca dip and fresh salsa was good as before. That's where it ends. I ordered the 12 oz NY strip steak and she ordered the vegetable fajitas. The steak was tough had none of their wonderful seasoning on it, the fajitas were mediocre at best. When I told the waitress that the steak wasn't seasoned she offered to bring me some on the side. Now what good would that do? The place was not very busy but it still took quite a long time to get our food. Adios' El Coyote. Your time has come. read more

Have been going to this restaurant for all of its years and the restaurant before it. Their steaks, fish and pork chops are very good the vast majority of the time. Prices are above average, however worth the extra money. As a 35 year plus or minus patron we miss the fresh garlic mashed potatoes and home made chips. It is time to completely renovate the interior space. It is dark which we are okay with, however after all these years I don't want to think about what's in the carpet... Please bring back some of the freshness to the sundries and the fresh feel to the interior. Sincerely, a pretty darn loyal supporter read more

I love El Coyote and was introduced because my father-in-law loves this place. A lot of people will tell you not to even open the menu and order the filet. It's awesome and I can see why people say that, but I would also hate for someone to miss the other great dishes like fajitas and burritos. I think the real stars are the sides, which include Tex-Mex mac-and-cheese and legendary mashed potatoes. Don't forget a pitcher of sangria...that stuff is awesome and dangerous! The only thing I don't love is that the service is hit-or-miss. We've had great, but we've also had terrible. They take reservations, but only for large parties and be warned if you have chronically late friends or family: everyone in your party must be present before they will seat you. read more

Holy moley, tacos are hugeeeee. Took a really long time to take orders and get the food. Ambiance is kind of tacky. The place was freezing too, despite it being packed. Chips & Salsa was my favorite part. Yay for salty chips! Mister and I shared a plate of tacos, which you can order either one or two (we obviously got two, and it was way plenty because the tacos are the size of my face). El Coyote gets an extra star simply because of their sides. The mashed potatoes are good, but holy crappola roasted apples is a must get. I think I can eat a bucket of them. They're not too sweet but sweet enough, with a nice bite to them. Normally roasted apples are either SUPER cinnamon-y or super mushy, but not here. read more

Have visited El Coyote a few times whilst staying with family in Anderson. Have always found the service to be great - our entire family is greeted like old friends, Kurt in particular is really an excellent host. Love the steaks, love the margaritas, love the chips, love the place. I've never personally had a bad experience here. read more

El Coyote - Tex-Mex Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

El Coyote is a fixture in Anderson Township. Everyone that I know that's been there says it's amazing, and I have to agree having tried it a few times. The restaurant itself is west of Five Mile on State Road. Get the porkchops, it's what they're known for, and they are the best I've ever had. Try it sometime. It's busy most of the time, but the wait is worth it! read more

Last night (Sunday) was my second time at el coyote. I ordered the ribeye and it was good! My reason for the low rating is that I didn't finish my steak and there was probably 2/3 of it left and the bartender didn't ask if I wanted to take it with me, she just threw it away! That's a pretty pricey meal to just toss. Maybe I wanted to take it to my dog or even just throw it out myself! read more

I miss this place. Tom, Sara, Blade, Mike, and Art.... too many more names to mention. They worked hard for you if you worked hard for them. I love the people, the food, the environment they built. They helped create my love for food, leading, and mentoring. read more

The owner is incredibly rude. We ordered 2 HALF pitchers of margaritas and when the bill came, it was $43. One whole pitcher was only $34. He refused to consider 2 half pitchers to be one whole one. So we ended up paying $10 extra for nothing. He was rude about refusing to help us and said that it was "just the way it is". He could at least have apologized but he didn't. Very disappointed. My family has come here for years but we won't be anymore. read more

Excellent Pork chops and stuffed peppers! Also had the wonderful onion frys and great margaritas! read more

El Coyote - Tex-Mex Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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$8 for guacamole dip! Fajitas not accompanied by the usuals you would get Don Pablo's. It's too bad because I actually like the atmosphere. The rest of the menu is so-so. I had a ground beef enchilada and didn't find the flavor completely satisfying. My daughter's wings looked suitable. $2.39 for milk?! read more

Sitting at the bar now. Chip and Salsa are great, chips still warm. I am meeting my wife for our Anniversary and the customer service has been outstanding. I have been here a dozen times over the years and have never had a bad experience, even when obnoxiously intoxicated from the golf course. Tex-Mex best there is. Must try Sour Cream Enchiladas (spicy), Pork Chops, Steaks and best mashed potatoes, Mac & Cheese! read more

I'm actually writing this review as I sit at the bar. I ordered a strawberry daiquiri and it's basically just chunks of ice. Such a waste of $$$ read more

I have been coming here for close to 30 years. Until last year, I ordered the same thing, every single time. Shredded pork enchiladas, mashed potatoes (because they are the best you've ever tasted), mac and cheese, and a half and half margarita with salt. I can agree that over the years things have changed. Prices have risen, a time or two it seemed like the quality had taken a hit. Tonight however, my order was perfect, my husband's order (pork chops) was perfect, the service was awesome, and we left completely satisfied. I will continue to visit this establishment, as it has always been a family favorite. Don't let all the negative reviews deter you from giving this place a try. No restaurant is perfect all the time. If you don't like what you got the first time, try something else! (I strongly recommend the tex mex combo shredded pork enchiladas). I hope this place is around for a very long time. read more

I wish I could recommend this place. I used to love this restaurant, and just don't have the heart to give it one star, even though that's how I really feel. So sad, and such a shame to say that El Coyote has gone downhill, waaaay downhill, right down to the tacky, distracting advertising they've whored out on their menus. We used to frequent quite regularly, despite their very customer-UNfriendly approach of not taking reservations, and order their steaks, which were always really good. Throw in a few tex-mex apps and dishes, a few beers and/or margarita's, and we were always happy campers. The last three times we've gone, however, were just sad. Gristly beef, cold sides, insipid, limp veggies, unhappy service staff. Hostesses downright surly, and a bit scary. This is a shame, because there really aren't that many decent places to eat in Anderson! Oh, and the place still reeks of cig smoke and needs some serious renovation! read more

The food just straight up isn't good. The queso looks like someone took kraft singles and melted them in the microwave. They have strange sides for dinner that I've never seen at a Mexican restaurant like Mac n cheese and "warm apples"-also terrible. Way too expensive as well!! $85 for two of us! (We did get two margaritas but still) read more

I used to love this places years back. It was always my pick for steak. I wont be back. Its terrible

Always a great time at el coyote. Great food and we felt safe and that the covid precautions were well managed.

Upfront disclaimer ..... I love, love, love this place. I usually get some type of enchilada or other Mexican entree. I like the option of getting one or two of their Mexican specialties. Recently I got the Coyote Sirloin. It was fabulous. Prepared perfectly medium rare. It is served like a filet, nice thick cut. Seared on the outside and so tender. I was very impressed. Paired with the Tex Mex mac and cheese, it was perfect. It is served with those little onion straws too. The salsa is so good. You can't go wrong with fresh salsa. The chips are nice, not too salty but strong enough to stand up to that salsa. Treat yourself and go. read more

This was one of my favorite restaurants growing up. Great food. The Tex Mex Mac 'n cheese is a must. They have the greatest cheese in general. I always got one of the enchiladas read more

This restaurant is fantastic! I found it to be a little pricey for a mexican meal, but it was worth it! I went with a group and we all ordered different things and tried a little of each. The service was excellent! Jen took care of our every need. The drinks are strong and tasty, just the way I like them! This was a great place to go. Seats fill up fast and they don't take reservations, so go early. read more

The name is deceiving, it is not Mexican, its a Tex Mex steak house. and the steak is great. super large portions. very friendly staff. (even the owners are around talking with patrons) read more

Went in expecting Mexican food, left planning a second trip for pork chops... While I think that we will probably still have to find another restaurant specifically for standard Mexican food, we really enjoyed our first trip to El Coyote. I was a little disappointed by the house margarita (all dispensed from machines and likely all from a mix), so I'm planning to upgrade to a higher level margarita next time. We had a bit of a wait on a Saturday night at 6PM (which is to be expected), but probably would avoid getting to El Coyote during the busy times since the bar area filled up very quickly. That being said, the restaurant itself is a large space, which helps with table turnover. Our server, Charlie, was very helpful for us newbies and made sure we were taken care of regularly. We had chips and salsa while we waited for our food- chips were great and salty, salsa was a little bland. Since we went to El Coyote thinking about Mexican food, we passed up on the steaks and pork chops (this time) for the Tex-Mex portion of the menu. Food came out quickly and in large portions. The seafood quesadilla was the table favorite, but the pulled pork taco and Tex-Mex mac and cheese with onions and peppers was a close second. Bottom line: I'm glad we decided to give El Coyote a try! We will definitely be back to check out the chops side of the menu, likely with a glass of wine or a margarita upgrade. read more

I hadn't been in a while, so we headed over with some friends. There were some hits and misses, but overall it's pretty good. Naturally we had to wait an hour for a table, no big deal...more time in the bar! We didn't do any apps, just chips and salsa. the salsa was pretty good, but the chips...oh the chips. These were some seriously low grade tortillas. These were definitely not freshly made and my guess is that these come in an enormous white box with the words 'TORTILLA CHIPS' stenciled on the outside in black. Utter garbage. 1 star I ordered the Carnitas which were really quite good. they aren't what you expect, it's really more of a spiced boneless pork chop covered in cheese, but good none the less! 4 stars The mac and cheese was a disappointment. I know everyone raves about it, but i have a Zero Tolerance policy for velveeta. Just. Don't. Do. It. It's simple! It was small tube macaroni in velveeta with some peppers. pass. 1 star The mashed potatoes were damn good! I'd recommend these. 4 stars the guacamole was..what's the word I'm looking for...? oh yeah, crap! I can't understand how a restaurant that bills itself as tex-mex can serve guac out of a bag. Guac is really easy to make and there is no way this was fresh. it was totally creamy and had that kinda grainy consistency of the guac in a bag you get a kroger. 1 star I guess i'm feeling generous giving 3 stars...the power of the entree and mashed potatoes saved the day! It wasn't really good enough to warrant the wait, but it's an east side institution! read more

Great dinner again! New menu. Added Lamb chops. They were great with jalapeño cilantro butter!! Mud pie for dessert and a few half and half margaritas in the middle. Can't imagine it could be better! Joe was our server and he was great!! 5 stars!!! Electric Chair type of meal!! read more

I recently ate here with a dining out Meetup group that consisted of about 50 people. The service, given the group size, was really attentive. I had their chile relleno, filled with cheese and ordered a side of refried beans. The food arrived promptly and was nice and hot. The salsa was nicely spicy, the chips were pretty standard. The margarita was pretty good, though I've had better. Overall, a good experience. read more

Unimpressed. From the food (just ok), to the drinks (decent - typical Mexican restaurant margarita) but the PRICE! Holy guacamole! My wife and I dined here on a Friday night. She had a cheese quesadilla, I had beef fajitas. We had chips and salsa and each a margarita. The bill: $50 bucks!!! Prior to tip! Not that it was the waitress fault (gave her the full tip, don't worry!), but holy cow I wasn't thinking for the amount of food or quality that it would have been that expensive. Not a fancy place either, by any means. I feel a place like Nada, while very delicious, is a little pricey but you are paying for location and atmosphere. At El Coyote, you aren't paying for either. Will not be returning and looking for a better priced Mexican restaurant in Anderson Twp. read more

Absolutely love the delicious Stuffed Peppers that they serve at El Coyote. The food is only slightly expensive, but the portions are huge and the quality is excellent. I highly recommend it to anyone. read more

Over priced for below average food. I ordered a wedge salad it was swimming in blue cheese dressing and they use fake bacon bits. No tomato no red oniion. Just lettuce blue cheese in abundance and fake bacon bits. I also ordered a sirloin that came out cold and tough. My husband ordered er the chili relleno and it was sub par. This is something he gets at Chuys and he said the Chuys is 110% better. Our friends wasn't happy with their food either. We won't be going back. The service was good but the seating was very cramped. We felt like we were eating with the people at the table beside us which was uncomfortable and awkward. Not to mention our table sloped to one side a lot. They wasn't even busy but we had to eat all crampped up. read more

Booked a reservation after not having been to El Coyote in over ten years expecting a lot more than we got. Got seated in a booth far too small for four people, one even with an air cast on one foot. Ordered fried chicken and waffles, got two Tyson chicken patties and waffle almost too tough for a steak knife. Service seemed rushed despite seeming low traffic, reasonable staffing levels, and it being a Sunday night. Even at a Tex Mex spot you couldn't put tacos on the menu...? Far better off heading to Don Rigo up the road. read more

The steak is amazing. Its hard to believe its served at a Mexican style restaurant. This is about as Tex-Mex as you get this north of the border. Delicious hot chips and fresh salsa served upon sitting down. Wish the other location in Ky had not closed, this is a great neighborhood restaurant with a southwestern flare. Highly recommend visiting. read more

They consistently over cook the pork chops even when you ask for them to be on the rare side of medium. Tonight was the third time this spring we received over cooked pork chops - Never again. read more

They offer a 20 ounce margarita in a plastic cup for 16 dollars! We took it home. When filled to the very brim it was an 18 ounce cup.

The owners, Mr. & Mrs. Bell are rude and inconsiderate. Visit other places for your diner. He yelled at my 79 old father in front of the restaurant for requesting to have the UC game turned on. He requested the game four times!! We asked before we took our table if this could be completed and were told yes we will switch the TV to the UC game. So instead of apologizing to a paying customer he degrades you!! What is that!! Rule number from everything I've always heard is the customer is always right. Never again will I go there! read more

This is written with a heavy heart. We have been dining at El Coyote since the late 1980's. We loved this restaurant. The Margaritas were wonderful and potent. The Tex Mex was delicious and the ambiance was cozy and fun. We then discovered the pork chops and bone in ribeye steak. I love steaks rare, and my server at the time introduced me to "Pittsburgh style." My steak was prepared in this manner and I was transformed. I never had a steak this incredible before. My eyes would roll back each time I took a bite. And for even more decadence, it was served with béarnaise. For the last twenty years whenever I wanted this Decadent meal, and my husband their wonderful chops...we made our trek to El Coyote. Holidays, birthdays, family and friend get togethers...this was always our go to place. We also loved that it was family owned. It was a hidden gem. Yesterday we discovered the menu had changed, since our last visit in April. Several favorites have been removed. And my glorious steak? It's no longer available. The Margaritas have now lost their glorious potency, and the complimentary tortilla chips are so over salted now, they are inedible. The 16oz ribeye they offer was cut like a NY strip( strap meat removed -which is the most amazing and succulent portion of a ribeye steak). Of course, no bone and the "Pittsburgh style" I so loved all these years--after three grill attempts...could not be executed by whomever was on duty to grill that day. My beloved béarnaise was untouched, because it was thick and goopy( not silken and smooth), and tasted like raw beaten egg yolks. No lemon, no tarragon, no flavor. The sauce was removed from our bill. I'll never understand why tried and true restaurants must change what has worked for decades and has pleased their patrons and return customers. This was very much akin to losing an old friend. We will never return. read more

We have been coming for nearly 25 years since that's how long we've lived close by. This past Sunday was a final disappointment. The food has really changed for the worse. Onion Tangles are no more. The menu has changed and the price for steaks are outrageous. We use to love coming here but over time the quality has gone down. The rellenos and seafood enchilada were mediocre. Sad to see this happen. read more

This place was disappointing for most of our party. The kids meals all come with fries including the burrito. You can do better than expecting that all kids want fries with their food. One of the the kids at the table didn't eat more than two bites and the server didn't notice or care until it was pointed out after almost everyone else had finished their food. She offered to replace the food but everyone else was done eating by then. The ribs were decent as were the pork chops but the Tex-Mex was lacking in flavor and complexity. It was also pricey for what it was and the server was seeming to rush us through the meal even asking if we wanted desert when people had full plates of food. We will not be going back. read more

Service was good but the food was not. Been here many times over the past 30 years and the food quality has gone down hill. Next time I will only go for drinks and appetizers. read more

Hadn't been there in years, but the quality of the food has deteriorated. Food was overcooked and the tortillas were burned. Waiter didn't seem to care when it was pointed out that the food was overcooked. Chips were obviously from a bag. Salsa still good. Overall mediocre meal. Definitely won't be back. read more