We love this place! We've been getting carry out and dine-in for years, and both options are still worth it. Lunch specials and their many other options are amazing. Servers are all nice and attentive, and there's lots of comfy seating, especially if you like booths. Salsa is great with a little heat to it. Camarones a la Diabla is pretty spicy. Honestly most items on the menu are a hit- you can't go wrong ordering here. read more

El Jinete - Camarones a la Diabla - Mexican Near Me - Dacula, Georgia

My momma said this place is delicious.And my momma is a tough critic when it comes to Mexican Food. She loves this place and demanded I review for her. Thanks for great service and food. read more

Delicious lunch for our family. The chips and salsa were very good. We especially liked the Carnitas and the Texas Rice. We'll be back to try the patio since they allow leashed pups, it looked really nice. read more

When they changed the environment, they also changed the food. Feels cold and sterile. Like they are something to be that they are not. I don't think I will be back. read more

The food was really good. I had chori polo. What followed was not. Had lunch here on Tuesday and all day Wednesday into Thursday i had a bad case of the runs The lunch showed up very fast, faster than you can cook a chicken breast. I suspect they warned up an already cooked chicken breast for it was over cooked read more

I will say that El Jinete is one of the best Mexican spots I have ever had (snellville location). So we were closer to this location and gave the experience a shot. The service and drinks held to the normal high standard as usual. The taste from the chips and salsa did as well, but there are differences for sure. The bang for your buck at this location is nowhere near snellville as you get way less food and slight variations in how meals are prepared. Still a good experience but want them to rise to the standard of other location. read more

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Pretty good restaurant. We came on a weekday, so it was pretty calm. The food was decent but the mango margarita pitcher was great! Would recommend if you are in the area and in the mood for Mexican. read more

El Jinete - Margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Dacula, Georgia

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My first time coming to this spot and I must say that I did end up enjoying it. I met a couple of associates to drink and watch the game. The lucky part for us is that we were the only ones in the bar at the time and they only have 2 TV's. I ended up bringing my iPad as I have NFL Sunday ticket and I was able to watch different games that weren't being aired. When I first walked in it was so hot at the bar area. My associates came and they said the said thing. We nearly had to beg to get some air turned on in there because some of the employees acted afraid to touch the thermostat. When one did come adjust it, I think he only dropped it down 1 degree because we still weren't getting any air. Then finally we asked again from a different person then we finally got some air. We shouldn't have even had to do that. My food I ordered to go was good. I got some steak and shrimp fajitas. The 32 oz beers are $9, ouch. Other than that, I had a great time. read more

I've been to this location only a few times in the since they opened 15+ years ago. I haven't been here in over 10 years so I thought I'd give them a try again and see if they've improved. Pros: Beer was cold & lots of meat in my tacos. Cons: I never really thought the food was that good, just ok, and the ambience was, just ok, the service was, just ok. The host was pleasant but the server kinda made me feel like unwelcome, he wasn't rude but more like I didn't belong there. I sat over at the bar since I was alone and it had a smell like vomit I changed seat to the far end of the bar and it was better. I ordered the carnitas tacos and they were ok, kinda bland but lots of meat. I ordered the two tacos À la carte because I wasn't that hungry. The server even confirmed that I didn't want the rice and beans. I got three tacos, no rice or beans, and was charged for the taco meal so yeah not sure what happened there. I don't plan on returning at least for another 10 years just to remind me why I don't go there. read more

El Jinete - Carnitas Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Dacula, Georgia

Terrible service. The food is actually ok but the experience really ruined this place for us. We have given so many chances but it's pretty consistently awful. I leave feeling more stressed than relaxed. They also nickel and dime you to death. We had about $12 of just little charges from little extras like tortillas, salsa,etc. we ordered a kids meal with French fries instead of rice, they messed up the order brought rice. When we asked for it to be made right, they charged for an order of fries on top of kids meal. The manager gave so much attitude when we asked him to take it off. My mom was trying to take us out for dinner and it ended up being such a downer after how much was spent and how we were treated there. We will be going to the other better places around this area next time. read more

This place is absolutely wonderful. The environment,food and the people really makes it a great experience

The food was not good - the chicken was chewy and awful. Our order was wrong - 2 of the 3 dishes. The waiter did not even attempt to get our correct order after we told him the food was not what we ordered. read more

Only have one star because I had to. When we walked in, it smelled very funny. My husband went to the restroom and he said the kitchen smelled horrific. We ordered cheese dip however it did not come out hot and I had to ask the waiter to warm it up. I ordered a fajita quesadilla and when it came it was buried in cheese dip. The tortilla was so soggy I couldn't even eat it. I open the fajita up to eat the vegetables and steak from the inside and it was so still so soggy. The steak was like chop steak and I had maybe two pieces of peppers. Once again, my plate was covered in cheese dip so it was hard to tell. I felt like all I was eating was cheese dip. My son's burger looked over cooked and the fries were mediocre. The waiter brought us only one salsa dish. We never received refills on drinks or salsa . read more

El Jinete - Kids hamburger - Mexican Near Me - Dacula, Georgia

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Decent food but now (July 2024) charging a "credit card fee." I just took it off my normal 20% tip. Won't go back. Idiots.

Order Rec'd Oct 7 - 9:05PM. None of the basic condiments were included with my order, including those I paid for. I did receive a long reddish brown hair across my tamales, over-salted black beans, and dry tamales. read more

El Jinete - Is this a long piece of hair or thin thread? Whatever it is it's out of place in my tamales. Grilled Steak Enchiladas Tamale - Mexican Near Me - Dacula, Georgia

Probably the best mexican food I've ever had. The chori-pollo was phenomenal! I'd give this place 6 starts if I could. Will definitely be back. My bill was $18 and I still tipped a $10 because it was that good. Fast service, great flavors! I'll have to try the margaritas next time. If they're as good as the food I'll be drunk in no time. read more

El Jinete - Clean plate club - Mexican Near Me - Dacula, Georgia

Stumbled upon this gem as I was going to the nail salon. Definitely the best Mexican in dacula, and I have had them all!!!! I am obsessed with the chimichangas, chicken to be exact. They are fried to perfection and full of flavor. The chicken soup is also a MUST TRY! My family has tried several shrimp dishes and burritos and no one has been disappointed yet. I took a star seay because when you get to-go orders they will argue you down for chips. We ordered 10 dishes and got 1 bag of chips. When I asked for more they said I had to pay almost $5 for a bag of chips. Did not know free chips could be so expensive. Other than that service is great and the food is even better! Worth giving a few tries I promise! read more

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Fantastic environment... delicious food and drinks... awesome servers and staff. Great prices...

Service was terrible. Sat at a table for 15min with no service. Ended up walking out. Won't be back.

Food was great, and service was exceptional! The food was so rich in flavor, and the portions are huge! We got our food very quick, and they treated us very well. read more

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Sooo yummy! The chef made us Ceviche that wasn't on the menu! The Texas margs were on point and all of the dinners were too! read more

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That chicken is awfully terrible, it's disgusting chewy .Also bad service the waiters are stupid

This is a local spot, when I visit we always sit in the empty bar área, staff is very friendly and there prices are far lower then most..the food always taste fresh and good..ohhh dont forget to order Margaritas. read more

There's nothing fancy or buzzworthy about El Jinete, but they offered good food at fair prices, and had very kind, understanding, and attentive waitstaff who didn't mind that my sister and I arrived with a literal flock of small children when we came for an early dinner, haha. We got a big order of queso blanco to go with the chips & salsa that they brought out for us immediately -- their house salsa is fresh and has a nice kick. I ordered the seafood burrito and it was massive and tasty. It was kind of like a fish and shrimp hash inside the burrito -- not exactly what I was expecting, but very tasty nonetheless. They have an extensive kids menu too, which was very nice -- everything from rice and beans and quesadillas to chicken tenders and hamburgers, so hopefully something to satisfy even the pickiest eater. read more

[2nd chance to make a better impression - review series] THE SCENE I don't write many 1 or 2 star reviews. I would rather not write a review at all than to be critical of someone's livelihood. But I've promised myself that if I do write such a review, I will go back at some point to give them a second chance. I must say, El Jinete is the one business I've been most interested in returning to try again. It's been a solid 3.5 years since I stepped foot in this place. So I really wanted to give them a fair shot and decided to have lunch here twice over a two week period before posting any update. Back when I first started yelping, I didn't really see the need to visit a restaurant more than once before writing a review. I personally think it fair to write an honest review with your first impressions because the first impression may be the only chance a restaurant gets to retain your business. IMO it is also the most honest review. I wanted to really examine the quality of my first review by adding two more visits for a total of three. I also wanted to try a variety of items on the menu for broader assessment. If there is one thing I've learned over my years of yelping, it is most every restaurant has at least one dish that may be great, even if every other dish sucks! So here are my experiences from my most recent two visits: THE EXPERIENCE ** SECOND VISIT [ January 28th, 2015 ] Noon It was noon and rather quiet. Only two tables were occupied when I arrived and one additional table was seated during my visit. The server was prompt to bring a menu and allowed adequate time for me to look it over. Music was playing and the restaurant seemed very clean. Even my menu (which can be sticky at some restaurants) was clean. I stuck with my usual Mexican favorites for this visit: TAMALE (2.5 stars) | $2.95 I'm a huge fan of tamales and excellent corn masa can make all the difference in how authentic it tastes. Get it right and I'm pretty generous with the stars! Although this tamale was packed with lots of meat (even had a meat sauce poured over the top), it had a very commercial taste and not authentic at all. FAJITAS TEXICANAS (3.5 star) | $13.49 Fajitas are my favorite thing to order when eating at any Mexican restaurant and thus probably one of the items I am most picky about when it comes to taste. I found the seasoning of the meats and veggies to be acceptable but not particularly flavorful. Portions were generous and they honored my request for corn tortillas instead of flour. I would rank this dish a three (3) on the flavor-meter, however, my even pickier 10 year old son really enjoyed eating my leftovers after school that same day. (Disclaimer - between his lunch and the time he gets home is almost 5 hours, so he's starving and would enjoy anything). ---------- ** THIRD VISIT [February 13th, 2015] 2:30 PM Remember what I said? EVERY restaurant probably has at least one thing they make exceptionally well. Today I decided to ask my server what was HIS absolute favorite thing to eat here. He misunderstood me and started spouting off the popular items, one being the Fajitas I tried a few weeks ago. I said, "No, what is YOUR favorite meal" and he instantly replied the Pollo Ranchero. "I'll have that" I said and 10 minutes later I was enjoying what may be one of my favorite meals at any Mexican restaurant ever. POLLO RANCHERO (4.5 Stars) | $10.49 I wish you could have seen the shock on my face! Honestly, I was convinced this would be my last visit. After my first two visits I was absolutely sure nothing exciting could possibly come out of this kitchen... but I was wrong! Grilled marinated boneless chicken breast covered with mushrooms, spinach and onions. Topped with cheese and served with rice, beans & tortilla it was a pleasant surprise to my taste buds to say the least. ---------- FINAL THOUGHTS I was so convinced this place was not very good that I had already prepared my final thoughts after my second visit. Needless to say after this 3rd and most recent visit my opinion has changed dramatically. If this review had been my first visit, I would have easily given them 4 stars, but mediocre past experiences average my overall experience out to 3.5 stars. However, unlike my previous review, I am actually looking forward to coming back. Get the Chicken (Pollo) Ranchero, it just might surprise you! read more

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The food is delicious and big portions. The staff is friendly and very attentive. Nice clean atmosphere. Great place to bring you family. This is my first time here and I will definitely be back read more

El Jinete - Burrito Loco - Mexican Near Me - Dacula, Georgia

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Service: our group of 9 came in around 3:30 and the server was attentive. Food came out in a timely fashion. Drinks were refilled promptly. Food: typical Tex-Mex. the guacamole was a little disappointing. It looked like they cut an avocado in quarters, tossed some diced tomatoes and cilantro in and TOSSED them all together. We had to cut up the avocado ourselves. The queso was pretty good even if the portion was rather small. The tamal was a surprise for me as it was filled with pork but topped with beef. The end was a little dry like it had been popped in the microwave a little too long. Value: like other Tex-Mex, there are combination platters ($9) along with other specialty plates. Most plates were about $13-15. The portions were large and plentiful. I had the camerones rocambo ($13) which gave a large amount of shrimp. read more

Excellent food, tucked away from traffic, but the service and music is great. Def try it out

I came with my girlfriend and they would not seat us because we had a service animal.

I was a little disappointed. After waiting 15minutes for our waiter I ordered steak ranchero. He asked how I wanted the steak and I said medium. The steak was very well done. I asked for double rice no beans and I got beans and rice. Five minute later the server came back and fixed my order. My cousin ordered a grilled chicken salad. She was given a fried chicken salad with no dressing. The only thing that was on point was the sangria. Point blank I wouldn't come back. read more

El Jinete - Mexican Near Me - Dacula, Georgia

First time here. Food is pretty tasty but it's 2:30 pm here right now and the bar isn't open yet until 5pm. Plus they are out of all the quality tequila like, 1942. Plus it's been hard getting any service. read more

El Jinete - Mexican Near Me - Dacula, Georgia

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I guess they may be short handed. Everything took a while. Except the food after we ordered. That was fast. Chicken soup out of this world. Loved it. Shredded beef on point. He didn't like his combo. Cheese enchilada and ground beef something. Looked kinda nasty. Mine was good. He gives margaritas 2 out of 10. I'd come for soup. Yum. read more

El Jinete - We've been waiting for a coke and 1 margarita for 10 min - Mexican Near Me - Dacula, Georgia

Avoid at all costs! What I saw was ridiculous! The server was tasting drinks, they are responsible for making, with a straw and then putting the straw (mouth side) down into the fruit tray that they used for the drinks! She also threw garbage in there. I feel sick having had chips and salsa. Manager And other servers acted like this was all normal behavior for the restaurant. I would never eat here after seeing what I saw. If you don't believe, sit at the bar on a busy night and watch read more

Absolutely love this restaurant they always are serving hot and delicious food me and my family are here every weekend. We will always continue to come here because the servers are outstanding and have great attitudes always. This is my # 1 place to eat. Give it a try you'll love it!!! read more

My Qualifications: I am Mexican. I know what good Mexican food should taste like. I also lived in Texas for many years so I know what good Tex-mex food taste like. Review: food is overly salty, some chicken items had a "metallic" taste. Guacamole was terrible, not fresh. To add insult to injury, it was expensive. Save your money and find a better place. read more

I have been here a couple times. It's very consistent & the staff is friendly and attentive. I've gotten something different each time as has my boyfriend. No complaints! This time we came in closer to closing, and they did not make us feel rushed. It will definitely be one of our go to restaraunts when we don't know where else to go. read more

I was not sure what to think after reading all the reviews so I gave El Jinete a try. It was my first time here a while back and I was hesitating whether I should even waste my time for a review. Went a second time again and here is my long, overdue review... Service: Could be better. Needs improvement! And the waiter was not knowledgeable of their dishes. Had to waive down waiter for refills, napkins, and the rest of my moms food after an hour wait. Food: Ordered the carnitas dinner for myself and carne asada tacos for my mother. The carnitas was dry and had pieces that were extremely tough to chew through. The taste was bland. Needs salt or sazon or something! Moms taco came out with just grilled asada. No fixings (think lettuce, onions, cilantro). Just bland pieces of steak with a couple corn tortillas on the side. We had to ask for lettuce, etc because they forgot? Food was terrible. Needs improvement. Overall: I will never return here again. But you can give this place a try if you want. Trial and error. You will never know for sure unless you try it out for yourself! read more

I love Mexican food. With the abundance of Mexican restaurants we have to pick from, I am picky in choosing the ones I visit. El Jinete opened in Dacula a few months ago, in May 2009. From the first time I tried it, I've been back at least 7-10 times to eat lunch or dinner. The restaurant is fairly large and has the traditional Mexican theme. They have a nice large patio that is great for summer margaritas! I now have a standard that I order, which is the Special Quesadilla. The chicken is always fresh and tender (not shredded like many other places). The guacamole salad is always fresh and their tomatoes and lettuce are always crisp. Their food comes in huge portions, so you should be able to share a meal with your spouse or a friend (except for that Special Quesadilla, which is perfect for 1 person). I have also tried the small Chicken Soup, which reminds me of the soup my mom makes. Yummy! The Pollo Tropical Chipotle is delicious and so is their Mole con Pollo. There are many things to try here and the menu is more extensive than most local Mexican restaurants. Don't forget about the huge portions when you order! read more

Best Mexican in Dacula. I get the chicken fajita every time I go and enjoy it every single time I go. Service is a little too relaxed for me but nothing to really gripe over. read more

Firstly I'm new to the area. I googled some mexican restaurants and this seemed like a good place to try... WRONG! The employees were rude. I payed for food I didn't received and in order to be reimbursed I had to drive back to the restaurant! The food is very low quality along with the customer service! Wish I could give them no stars! read more