I wanted to like this place, but the food is so overpriced for the quality that you get. You might as well go across the street to Nada if you want some decent Mexican or "tex-mex". Spent about $17 bucks on some not good steak fajitas that I would have done a better job myself making at home. Maybe if I tried their porkchops which is what they're known for, I would bump up the stars a bit, but looking at my friends' meals made me think their food is consistently bad. They do have a nice outdoor patio to hang out in but beyond that, I won't be coming back. read more

It was a beautiful night but the outdoor seating was closed - STRIKE ONE The clientele & staff looked like the cast of a the walking dead - STRIKE TWO The faux char stripes on obviously frozen chicken strips - STRIKE THREE absolutely disgusting, never going back read more

We have gone to this restaurant for years on and off and it has always been ok- not great but not awful either. Last evening on a busy holiday weekend we dropped in without a reservation and were very pleasantly surprised! We sat in the bar to avoid a 20 minute wait and our waiter was Joe. He was a friendly efficient delight in spite of the fact that they were short staffed. And the food quality on the new interesting menu was really good. Just an example was the house salad. In house made blue cheese dressing( yum) accented a very fresh salad with homemade croutons and a garden tomato that did not come from a grocery or mass supplier. These folks have upped their game!!!!!!!! read more

Might be a Mexican restaurant; but we go for the steaks. Had the blackened strip steak that was fabulous. The onion straws and mushrooms compliment the steaks. The margaritas are a little pricey; but good. Haven't eaten the Mexican food there is sometime, so can't really comment on that. read more

I absolutely love the cheese-filled chile rellenos, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese. The potato skins are a must as well. Great sangria too. My favorite place in town. read more

Worst customer service ever, owners/manager don't care about what anyone thinks. Another racially biased business in Anderson. We went in at 4:00 PM for a table and were told that unless we had a reservation it would be two hours, maybe not at all. Another (white) family walked in with six people and were told it would be about 20 minutes. They didn't have a reservation either. I asked for the manager and although she walked up the person upfront didn't even acknowledge us. I stopped her as she walked away and explained what happened, she said uh huh and walked away. Never go there again. read more

Not quite the joint I remember it being in my youth. Went there on an early Saturday night and took me 15min to get served at the bar with no beverage menu and tons d attitude. The food was mediocre. Would rather have gone to a chain. read more

The best Mexican restaurant in the east side by far. Prices are reasonable and for gosh sakes get those mashed potatoes

I love Mexican but this was Not good. Salty soup. My girlfriend and I got the fajitas and they were bad. Never had anything like them. Mushy and covered in lots of melted cheese to disguise them probably. Good queso dip however. Server was accommodating enough. Place was dark and a little dirty. And EXPENSIVE for the quality of the food. read more

Just had a Father's Day steak dinner at El Coyote....juicy, tender and cooked to perfection! This place can compete with any steak place in Cincinnati. read more

A little on the pricey side for tex mex but still pretty damn good. The sweet potato cassarole is fantastic. Margaritas are strong and tasty. read more

Great meal, great environment. Super staff and food. So glad we found this place! Highly recommend.

When a family walks into a restaurant for the first time, especially after many great recommendations, there tends to be a level of high expectations. Unfortunately that level was completely destroyed with our first visit. We were met with a very angry-looking gentleman gruffly telling us to "shut the door, your letting out the air" despite having 2-3 other couples behind us. And, it turned out, this man was the OWNER! The service was slow, I had to flag down our server for basic beverage refills such as water and lemonade for my children. Then the food- much looking forward to. To say the food, when it came out, was warm would be an overstatement. Cool and the refried beans had a hard crust over them. And since when are green beans or mashed potatoes considered side dishes in Tex Mex restaurants? I will not return. read more

Pork chops, mashed potatoes can't be beat. The meat just melts in your mouth. Atmosphere is cosy. The restrooms need upgrade attention.

ElCoyote used to have the best Tex-Mex chicken fajhitas anywhere in the U.S. ... melt-in-your-mouth awesomeness! Marinated, cooked-to-perfection every time. Haven't been there in a few years and ordered two dinners last night. Wow, what a disappointment. Dry, over cooked, and they switched from chicken breast to chicken tenderloins. This went from something that couldn't be replicated anywhere to "Anyplace bar food". That said, the mashed potatoes were as good as always (fantastic), as well as the onion strings. Don't bother with the aspragus ... just steamed (vs grilled--c'mon, this is Tex-Mex) with no imagination or flavor. I've driven 40 minutes out of my way for their salsa for 30 years. This was a take-out order and I bought 3 pints. Still decent, but as with much at this previously fine establishment, this batch was inconsistent from a quality-control standpoint ... watery and bland. I long for the glory days of the old El Coyote. I sure hope management gets the message, because for a $55.00 take-out order for two, you expect more. read more

I've been going to this place too long to remember. It's definitely a weird establishment, but one of the real gems in this town. Fajitas and steaks are great. Mashed potatoes are insanely good. Mac and cheese is great too. Try the machaca dip and the stuffed shrooms too. You'll might be served by the dude in the cowboy tie. He's a pro's pro. read more

Excellent cheeseburger, excellent chips & queso and the best mashed potatoes you'll ever have unless you come to my house for Thanksgiving.

Just ok. The experience is dictated by who you go with as opposed to the menu, (where everything is good, but nothing stands out). Good for groups and happy hour socializing. read more

This place rocks! Got the porterhouse with mash potatoes as the side. Excellent! The chips and salsa are good but you really haven't experience the best of the best here until you try the Strawberry Margaritas (don't drive home) wham! read more

NIce atomsphere and easy seating for a Friday night. Lots of age groups, singles, young families with kids, couples, groups and seniors in the mix. Service is excellent and efficient. Food is very good, Pork chops were excellent and the other items ordered by our group was prepared well. I would highly recommend this for any type of occasion. Casual dining worth the time and money. read more

Amazing salsa amazing filet. However I was a bit disappointed in my visit last nite. The service was a bit slower than usual and the waiter was having trouble not sweating to say the least. Steak was decent but not quite what I'm used to... read more

It has been about 5 years since I was last at El Coyote. I was excited to introduce my wife to one of Anderson's treasures- she had never been. We were so frustrated within the first 5 minutes we left. Clearly we were inconveniencing the young, likely head-hostess, when we asked to sit outside. She became really annoyed when we asked for a timeframe. Her response was, "I can't give you a time, it could be 15 minutes, it could be an hour!" The snotty delivery was more the issue. We finally decided we would just eat inside, and on the off chance an outside table became available, we could close out and move outside. She informed us that was not an option and we had to decide one way or the other, because we could not 'just have drinks in the dining room'. My knee jerk reaction was to simply turn around and go somewhere else. The first impression ruined it. read more

In a word..."YUK"! Very overpriced and food is not good at all! We both had two different kinds of enchiladas that tasted like they came out of a frozen dinner! And to add insult to injury, they are $13.99. The sides were not good. Black beans that appeared to be right out of can and bland! Rice was bland as well. The upside is that the service was pretty good. Would definitely not go back, nor could I recommend this restaurant to anyone! read more

Two years ago we tried this place, with a beautiful view over a valley, and was turned off by the bland flavor of the food and the outrageous prices. My girlfriend convinced me to try it again and this time I felt like, never again will I go to this place. You would think they had great food when you see how full the lot is but they are the most mediocre restaurant I have ever overspent at. The dish they call mashed potatoes is worse than Hungry Man™ and the the Tex-Mex rice was so vile I said "Remember the Alamo!" after I spat it out. Her shrimp enchilada was a mushy mess with those little shrimp that would be lost in a salad let alone a meal, but it still looked better than my sour cream enchilada which was like eating school paste. The refried beans were good and the waiter was attentive and friendly. Instead of a doggie bag ask for a barf bag. read more

We were there last night with a large party..it was so hot I couldn't eat. The wait staff..although very polite..messed up so many orders..very disappointing. read more

We drove 30 miles on a recommendation. We were looking so forward to it and ended up very disappointed. I ordered the "Coyote Shrimp" , it was very bland and overcooked. My wife ordered "stuffed red peppers" also overcooked with mushy flavorless rice. To be fair my wife said her Margarita was good and the onion straws were also above average, but that is the only saving grace. The prices are outrageous, $20 for 6 shrimp left a bad taste in my mouth "pun egregiously intended " The restaurant has a funky lay out and the room we were in was cramped , crowded and exceptionally noisy. We had 2 trips tonight, our first and our last, we will not return even if someone offered to buy our dinner. read more

Sorry El Coyote fans, after 5 or 6 chances, I've finally said we're done trying. This is the 3rd time I've had to send my meal back to the kitchen. I have never sent a meal back. 3 Xs here. Won't be a 4th. This time I told my not so friendly server, please don't bring me anything back. I ordered the steak burrito only to receive a cold chewy meat Mexican disaster. When I informed the server about my subpar meal, he did not offer an apology and gave me the 'how dare you look'. My 3 other friends rated their meal 'average' at best. Good Luck El Coyote. I'll go spend my $$ elsewhere. read more

We both had a great time here. The chips are always salty and tasty. Dinner was very good and i will return to this restaurant.

Got the burger and mashed potato..wanted it welldone..Have always gotten a great burger before..It was charred..and dry.The potatoes were cold...Worse burger ever..The fajitas the others had looked great.Next time Im sticking with my favorite, Pork Chop. read more

I've always ranked El Coyote as having THE BEST STEAKS around and the best food in general. Over the years I've been trying this thing where we go out to eat at a different restaurant every time, so I haven't been to El Coyote in 18 years. Last nights meal was just as good as it was 18 yrs ago. Even my girls who are picky eaters loved what they ordered. We easily got in with a reservation and had amazing service. We ordered the porterhouse (amazing), Carne Asada (so tender and wonderful flavor), seafood enchilada (yummy), and the chicken and waffle (so good). Their salsa and guacamole is made fresh and are delicious. I was so full I took the rest home and had the most wonderful lunch the next day. If you're going for the first time, I recommend the New York strip or carne asada. If you're not into steak, they have plenty of other great options. I'm very surprised by some of the neg reviews. I guess some people just like to complain. I couldn't find anything to complain about last night and hope I don't wait as long as I did before to go back. read more

This local favorite has been around a long, long time. The parking lot is always quite populated in the evenings for a reason. Hadn't been in about 3-4 years. I had a frozen strawberry margarita, the 8 oz filet mignon, side salad with ranch, and their tex-mex mac & cheese. Everything was very good including the service. I will go back! read more

We have gone to El Coyote numerous times -- each time leaving with less enthusiasm. We live less than two miles away and there are not a lot of other choices for non-chain decent restaurants. The food is truly mediocre and over-priced. The service is inconsistent. We are not food snobs but expect more from a place like this due to price, what some locals say, and that it seems like a unique place. It appears that having one of the few "authentic" places in Anderson has created an attitude on not really trying to please but cashing in on sheer demand. read more

Say so long! to a repeat customer, that even refrains from using your coupons, because we know how slim restaurant margins are, and help support local businesses that way. We sat on the Patio with our little dog, leashed, with his own rug & water dish, who has been there with us twice before, and the manager came out to tell us, "the Owner is adamant about 'no animals' on the patio." OH REALLY? Except for the owner's 3+ CATS that roam the patio under & on top of tables, unleashed. So we left, so our little dog under control won't scare the poor CATS roaming all over the place. read more

Went there on a Saturday night around 9:00 - got seated right away. Food selection was not what I expected - not as many options as some other tex mex places. The food showed up quickly and it tasted good. I will come back for more. read more

No longer the place it used to be. It used to be a great place to dine with family and friends but it has changed. The quality and service just are no longer there. I also noticed that there are racist flags. Did the ownership change? Disappointing. read more

This place is an absolute joke! The food is mediocre to say the least. The ceiling looks like it's about to cave in in the women's bathroom. The place is dusty, the decor is from the 70'S (literally) and I guess apparently the owners wife is who spoke to our table and she was a complete bit**! My pork chop was as dry as can be and my mashed potatoes looked like they had been under a heat lamp for hours. Their prices are ridiculous for the quality of food you receive. Not to mention they don't know how to seat people. We had a party of 8 cramped in a 1/2 booth 1/2 table that clearly only sat 6. (By the fireplace) Now to beigin with our server... I believe she said her name was Crystal? I actually had to ask another gentlemen because we hadn't seen her in about ten minutes and I wasn't even sure if she had properly introduced herself. I personally would never ask for her again. She acted put out and snotty when we asked for refills and more chips. I personally over heard her talking to another employee and you would've thought she was talking to a child. Hands down the WORST service I have ever received. If you don't like your job as serving and u want to act like an entitled you know what , then find a different job! This place is crap and highly do NOT recommend! read more

My FAVORITE steak place. The food is awesome, the service is USUALLY very good. However the seating is awful! The chairs and benches are horribly uncomfortable. Come very early on Friday or Saturday. But if you have the time for a late night the bar is always fun. I am iffy on the kid question. We have them and have brought them but it works a lot better if they are older if you are inclined to dine on a weekend night! read more

My seafood enchiladas were served cold and it was like getting congress to act, to get a drink from our server. And we saw the bartender directly sneeze into the salt. Directly! Glad that wasn't my margarita. read more

Horrible! High price for low quality food! If you want second basket of chips and salsa they will charge you! The original Mexican food that they have on the menu is not even any close to a Mexican style. Taco Bell taste much better than this place. Everything is so pricy! read more

I am writing this review as I am eating my leftovers for lunch the following day from our visit! I would guess I have been to El Coyote 6 times. 5 of those 6 times I ordered the filet Oscar and my guy ordered the ribeye! We also always order the crab stuffed mushrooms which are soooo fantastic! The Steaks are cooked to perfection every single time! They are so flavorful!!!! Go with a hearty appetite because they give you more than you can eat! The one time we decided to order something other than steak we were disappointed! If you want a great steak give it a try!!!! Strawberry Margarita's are great as well! read more