I show up just after 7 PM on Cinco de Mayo, and there's no line! That's like seeing Bigfoot. You can tell people it happened, but nobody will believe you. :). A few minutes later, there was a line again. I must've just gotten there just at the right time. There were even a couple of mariachi in line. That definitely shows that the food must be good. I liked the "Cantina" vibe of the place. They do charge for chips and salsa, but I had a coupon for a complementary order. The order was very large. You could smell the corn on the chips, they were warm, and not greasy at all. They came with a red sauce and a green tomatillo sauce. The red sauce had a bit of a smoky flavor, and I loved the tang of the tomatillo sauce. They both had a bit of a "kick". My spice level is medium, and this was well within what I like. Even if I would've had to pay for them, they would've been well worth the price. For my main course, I had the Mexican casserole. Chicken Machaca, Queso Fundido, Pico de Gallo, Cotija Cheese, Refried Beans, South of the Border Rice, Warm Corn or Flour Tortillas. For some reason, I didn't get the tortillas, but I didn't miss them. I used some of the chips to help pick up the food. There was an ooey, gooey cheese on top, mixed with tortilla chips, kind of like a Chilaquiles. The meat was tender and tasty, the pico and the Cotija helped cut the richness. The beans were delicious and just the right texture, as was the rice. An overall excellent meal. The price is definitely on the higher end, but you are getting good food, and it is casino prices. Definitely worth it. Thanks! read more

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Nice large restaurant with an inviting atmosphere but otherwise, disappointing. We never really saw our server after we got seated. We had to literally get up and find a server to order, get drinks, or get refills and it took almost 30 minutes after we ordered to get just our appetizers. The restaurant only had a few tables seated so it wasn't even busy. Food was not accurate and got mixed up to our order. Took another 15 minutes before the proper food was brought out. read more

I asked a guy if we could seat at the bar, two seats were open, he said sure, then a waiter said No, you have to wait in line. So I waited in line, the line never moves, so I went to find the host, she said "sure you can sit at the bar". I grabbed my friend from line and we went to sit down. The bartender was the best part about our visit! He was outstanding! I ordered the cheese enchilada's. There is no al cart menu items which means everything comes with rice and beans. I am happy it did come with rice and beans because the cheese was like cardboard, personally I don't think it was real cheese. All three enchiladas were like that, I should have sent it back but I was running late to bowl in the Open Championship at the bowling stadium! I don't think I'll be back many really awesome Mexican restaurants around town! However this restaurant is convenient for people staying at Circus Circus, Silver Legacy and Eldorado. Many try a meat dish! read more

Service was ok took was seated as I pleased but wasn't assisted for about 15mins from sitting. Feed was ok nothing to be trilled about Queso dip felt like milk in a skillet once it arrived to the table was just watery. Wet burrito a burrito with salsa on toppppp Euh it pains me to leave this review because the food was not bad just wasn't exceptional or anything to be excited for. Entire vibe of the place sporty played the fight when asked to change the channel. But the drinks on the other hand bartender Drinks made correct and the right amount of mix to alcohol ratio. read more

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The customer service was amazing. The tacos were great. Very good place to eat and watch some sports. read more

El Jefe's Cantina - The bar - Mexican Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Food was good. Ordered the pork belly tacos and the hubby ordered the al pastor tacos. Both tacos were good. I really liked the al pastor and I am not a fan of al pastor, but these ones were amazing especially when adding the habanero salsa to them. I tried the churro ice cream dessert. The churros were not and fresh the ice cream felt over churned but the whip cream was so light and refreshing, definitely would order again. read more

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The food was delicious and the service was absolutely great. I'm so sad that I forgot our waitress's name! She was so wonderful, attentive and gave us great drink recommendations! read more

El Jefe's Cantina - Hangar Steak Plate with Flour Tortillas - Mexican Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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Home of the $20 burrito that is brought on a large white plate with tbsp of lettuce, tomato and a little more guacamole. A little sour cream also. The thing looked naked. It also had beens inside the burrito. Should have been on plate with rice and a garnish. No chips and salsa included which is usually the draw for a sit down Mexican restaurant. Soda machine not working either. Service wasn't bad and flavor of carne asada was decent. Menu is limited for a Mexican establishment. Ambience is nice but not a date nite kind of experience. I probably would have been happier at a Roberto's or Don Tortaco. read more

We were shocked to get a last minute table for 7 on a busy Saturday night. Coco was our server and she was really hustling, lots of tables. Our food was solid, my taco salad was fresh with plenty of carnitas and guacamole. My husband loved his enchiladas and said they were some of the best he's ever tasted. Prices are high but seems like everything is spendy in this casino so not out of line. Next time I hope to try a margarita! read more

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Food was decent, but not enough to for a return visit. Service was timely and attentive for a busy weekend. We had Cadillac Margaritas but had a hard time even drinking them. read more

First off, we arrived early, so decided to greet others as they were walking by and no complaints from anyone, we actually made folks smile! Liberty was our host and she was great! The restaurant wasn't that full, so we were seated by Coco, she took our orders, but, unfortunately, we couldn't get a regular beef tostada. Anyhow, the food we did end up ordering was delicious! Chips, salsa and that guacamole!!!! Amazing. read more

We were in Reno for a volleyball tournament and needed a place for our team and parents to have dinner. We had our team dinner there 2 years ago so we decided to come back again. El Jefe's Cantina accommodated us exactly how we needed our tables arranged and served our group of 22 in a great manner. Coco - our server, the hostess and her team managed our large group and provided great service. The food and drinks were delicious. I would go again next time we are in Reno. read more

The service was disappointing from Kaylen we ordered a burrito without cheese but was told it didn't come with any--yet it arrived with cheese anyway, and she was told it was queso fresco, which was incorrect. We also asked for silverware and never received it, and a manager was requested but never came. The only positive was Angel, who did a great job refilling water and keeping the tables clean read more

Caesars offers a free $100 dinner when you reach diamond status. We chose this place and was truly disappointed. They give cantina a bad name. Place was nicely decorated and becomes a night club at night. They have a great menu and we tried a variety of foods but all was gross. Shrimp under cooked. Rice and beans gross. read more

We walked on over from Top Golf and right into El Jefe's and we were not disappointed. The queso fundido was amazing!!! There was eight of us and we ordered two orders of it. We should have ordered three. It went really quick. My wife had the queso birria tacos and she said it was amazing. She loved it. I had the wet carnitas burrito and it very very good. The drinks were a bit strong but our server fixed it right away. Speaking of our server, big shout out to Natalie. She had only been there a week and did a great job. From the big group of 8 on Tuesday night March 17th, Natalie if you see this, we all wish you the best at school. You ROCK!! Highly reccomend el jefe's! read more

We had a great time at El Jefe's Cantina, I would give it another star if it wasn't so expensive! We went here to use a $100 Caesars reward on a restaurant, so we just ended up paying the difference on our bill. But I would never pay the full price! Costs aside, the food was very delicious. The chips and guacamole were very good, and it came with three salsas too. The chips were warm and fresh. My fiancé loved his carnitas chalupa, he thought the outside was crisp and the size was good. I got the Baja snapper tacos, and they were some of the best fish tacos I've had. The fish was flaky, flavorful, and the breading was crisp too. The rice and beans both had decent amount of flavor. Lastly, I had the market margarita, and made it super premium, and it did not taste like alcohol at all, so that was a miss for me. The restaurant is very big with a lot of seating., ambiance is your traditional Mexican restaurant. You can sit deeper on the inside to get a break from the casino vibe. A critique I have is the music is very loud during dinner. I would save that for when the place is transformed into a club. Our servers name was Brett, and he was great. He got us everything we needed and everything came out in a timely manner. read more

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Solid casino Mexican spot. We've eaten here a few times and every meal has been solid. We always start with the guac and chips which comes with 3 types of salsa's. A regular red salsa, chipotle and a verde with warm, fresh chips. The guac is solid. A decent size and is always a crowd pleaser. For dinner I've had all 3 type of fajitas and after tonight I think the shrimp has been my favorite. Tons of peppers and onions (I always ask for no gross seed oil in the skillet) and yummy grilled fresh shrimp. A few corn tortillas in the side with some sour cream and pick with beans and rice and you have a meal. read more

OK, first of all let me say we have been to this area before when it was a different name and a bunch of us came down here to try it out. The ambience in this place is pretty good still in the same spot in the old Harvey's casino which is now Caesars Republic service was OK. There was a group of us. We had the calamari and the chip cheese, guacamole dip, and both were really good some others had burgers and nachos And one had fajitas. Everything overall was pretty good. We will be back to try to give them more stars and try out different stuff but if you're in an area check it out they are pretty good and I hear on the weekends they get pretty busy. read more

The Cadillac margaritas were okay. I could taste the taquila but it was a little sweet. I ordered the pork tacos al pastor, one of my favorites. The rice and beans were good, the tacos good but memorable. read more

Service was really fast and attentive the entire meal. Our waiter was great husband got the honey hot wings and elite corn. Both came packed with flavor and large portions. I got the pawn tostada Vera Cruz style. There were a lot of shrimp and they tasted great. The plate could have easily been shared for two. Our Modelo micheladas were very tasty and had just the right balance of spice! Highly recommend read more

I went in around 3:30pm and sat at the bar. One of the bartenders came up and asked if I wanted water. I responded no, and told him I wanted a beer. He never asked what kind, he just walked away. A short time later a young lady came up and I ordered my beer which she brought out. I then ordered the carnitas enchiladas. They were brought out quickly. The food was good but lukewarm. Eventually she asked if I wanted another beer which I said yes. Five minutes later with no beer she is trying to find a TV station for a couple also sitting at the bar. Eventually I asked for my check and she said she had forgotten about my beer that I never got. Won't be going back!!! read more

The fajitas are awful! They dont cut anything on the skillet, and put the entire jalapeño on it as well. I dont want to work that hard to eat. The worst part is that it had zero seasoning, and not even salt. So plain that it was pathetic! Probably the worst Mexican food Ive ever had!! read more

My husband and I sat at the bar during our visit, and we were greeted right away by Rae. She was incredibly bubbly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. We've been here a few times, and she was by far the best bartender we've had. She really made our night just by being herself and going the extra mile to ensure we had a great experience. The margaritas were fantastic, and we both really enjoyed our fajitas as well. We'll definitely be back! read more

Average Mexican food good not great server was very attentive and reasonable food times not very busy went there on Sunday night supper time coconut marg was the highlight read more

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Based on an experience 05/17 @ 830pm; 3 stars for being *meh, just ok*. The service is the best thing about this casino restaurant. The waiters pay attention to the customers and are very much on top of taking care of the tables. It's definitely not authentic Mexican food, and is equivalent to a less tasty, sit-down Chipotle or Qdoba. The orders usually come out fast because most things are prepped, made and ready to be assembled. Careful when ordering from the menu, though. They include things on items that aren't always listed on the menu (which could cause allergy issues with some people). One item we ordered was the Kettle Chips Nachos, and it came out with pico de gallo, but that was not listed on the menu. Another item we ordered was the street tacos. Those came stacked with plenty of meat and extra limes. The most disappointing thing ordered was the house margarita. We ordered 2 of the larger sized house margaritas and they were mostly mixer. They were so acidic that it really upset our stomachs, and there was no alcohol to taste. read more

Don't know what's going on in the kitchen here, but the diced cubed undercooked chicken on the street tacos was no bueno. Servers were nice, but place needs a serious revamp. Game Over. read more

Just not worth the $$. The only thing decent was the drinks. The tres Leche cake was very small for the price and not worth it. The queso dip was the worst I ever had. The chimichanga was more wrap than filling. Do yourself a favor and go to Gordon Ramsey Fish & Chips. read more

Situated on the second floor of the Circus Circus kept the cigarette smoke to a minimum. The food was delicious and the service was great. Here's where the bad comes in, I have never in my life paid for chips and salsa. The salsa was good there wasn't a lot of it. If you have to pay for it, I expect it to come in a container bigger than what you would put a side of salad dressing in. I'm not sure we would come again, but the food was good enough. read more

TERRIBLE SHIRLEY TEMPLES! They put club soda in them instead of sprite.. It actually ruined my day. The service was just okay, didn't really come and check up on us. The guacamole was bomb, I can't lie. The food was pretty good I just wish they would treat customers with more respect. read more

Waitress was short and not friendly at all, food was absolutely horrible. Cold enchiladas. Cheese enchiladas were all onion inside no cheese. Biria enchiladas were all fat and cold. We will never come back. At dinner time and the place was empty . read more