Great food, great service. I especially love the portions of food. The salsa is amazing. I totally understand why it's always busy.

I've eaten here 3 times over the last 10 years and each time I tell myself never again. This time I'm freezing it in my brain: Never Again! The first two times the food was just ok. This time about, 3 months ago , it was the worst ever food experience I have ever had over the decades of eating at Mexican restaurants across the USA. I ordered a steak and chicken fajita. My girlfriend ordered Soup Acteca. My order came out suspiciously too quick. It was a mixed up blob of vegetables mixed with the meat. Not sizzling. Vegetables and meat not separated.. I definitely should have sent it back but I did not. My girlfriend's soup came out 5 plus minutes later. The soup was cold. I definitely sent it back. And on top of that it was no where being close to what it should taste like. I never write reviews, good or bad. But 3 months later this experience stills gnaws at me. Poor service. Worst food ever. Hopefully this review will get their act together and consistently serve food consistently with the high yelp reviews it receives. Hopefully this was just rare off day for this restaurant! read more

Turned out to be a pretty good experience! I'm pretty picky about my Mexican food but this place delivered. I tend to always get the same thing everywhere I go. Chori Pollo which is literally just chicken covered in cheese and chorizo. This place definitely delivered with a giant chicken breast! I had the lunch serving which was a couple more dollars at dinner time but I still got the big portion. Ambiance was actually really cool with very tall ceilings and plenty of decorations. Super friendly service as well. Definitely would give this place high marks! Looking forward to trying some new things. They also gave us individual serving cups for salsa and we were able to spread it around from a pouring bottle. Nice! read more

First of all let me say most of us love Mexican food so it gets an automatic 3* stars just for that. I've been a regular at this location since they opened because they are consistently good with fast service, even with large groups and yummy food!! Their food is flavorful-even the refried beans! Lol When they seat you, in their very kitschy cute Mexican decor dining rooms, they immediately bring you fresh warm tortilla chips and DELICIOUS salsa...none of that no flavor "watery tomatoes" some like to pass as salsa!! Let's talk about drinks...they make fantastic Margaritas!! Ok well maybe that's the only drink I ever order there because it's the law that you must enjoy a Margarita with Mexican food and I don't want to break the law! But frozen or on the rocks- in a glass or in a pitcher you can't go wrong! I always get their Carnitas. It's a healthy portion of slow roasted pork that is so tender and juicy yet has some browned outer edges that are to die for... But this time I decided to get their Carne Asada and it was fabulous. Two thin steaks perfectly tender and seasoned with sautéed onions, refried beans shredded lettuce and tomatoes, a slice of avocado and tortillas. Now I'll have a hard decision between the two the next time lol. The hubby always gets seafood tropical dish that is served in a pineapple-he swears by it. Confession time-here's where I failed on you all: I got ADHD distracted by a woman that was saying some odd things and forgot to take pictures of the meals!!! How in the world??? Hahaha anyhoo, next time I go I'll update this pictures of the actual food. Until then just take my word for how nice it presented. read more

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Solid 4 stars! Good food, friendly service, great margaritas, fairly typical atmosphere for midrange Mexican. Terrific margaritas! Enjoyed ourselves immensely. read more

Great flavor--not salty! Ample portions and reasonably priced. The chips were warm! We'll be back! We did carry out, so no input on atmosphere or service. read more

I really enjoyed the food at El Jinete! I've ordered delivery from here before, but this was my first time going in person. Service was a little slow, but our waiter was kind and attentive when he was able. I also want to call out the prices - sometimes going out for Mexican is super expensive, but El Jinete has good prices AND good quality. Loved my margarita and shrimp fajitas. Highly recommend - way better than Cancun. read more

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I have ordered from here multiple times on DoorDash. Finally went in to eat in person for the first time. The inside was decorated really nice! The service was pretty quick and friendly too. We order the chips and salsa & Queso on the side as well to Start off. We really enjoyed our queso dip, so I do recommend that! We also ordered the burrito el barzon- An item that we order quite frequently. Pretty much every time we order from here. It's a huge burrito with chicken, shrimp, beef, pineapple, and a smothered in sauce. Definitely very filling and could get multiple meals out of it. I also order their salmon and shrimp, rice dish, which they offered tortillas When they brought it out. It was good, I love the sauce and will definitely order this again.. read more

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Located kin a strip mall next to Walmart. I was pleasantly surprised with my lunch. I ordered the Fajita especial. Lunch version. I received fresh chips and salsa upon entering and was promptly waited on. I ordered the fajita especial, A Combination of steak, shrimp, and chicken with green peppers, onions, and pineapple and cheese. It comes with a side plate of Refried beans, Mexican rice, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. I made three delicious tacos out of it and still had a little left over. It arrived steaming hot and perfectly cooked. It's late lunchtime and the place is still busy. The place has soft Mexican music playing and small tv's if you want to watch the latest soccer match. Very clean and comfortable. read more

El Jinete - Side dish. - Mexican Near Me - Fairfax, Ohio

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Met some friends for lunch here today. Food was very good. Beer was reasonably priced. Service was great. Clean restrooms. Very enjoyable. I'll go back. read more

Birria. I adore birria. I don't know if it's a regional variation that I do not enjoy or if it was just bad- but the Birria quesadilla here was inedible. The sauce was way too thick, had some type of cinnamon/nutmeg vibe to it which was off putting. A server told us that they keep an eye on bathroom use because they've had people overdose in there. I don't know if we really needed to know that. Our server was fairly curt, but efficient. The matter of the birria was handled well. Probably won't be back, but seems to have a solid basic American generic Mexican menu. Salsa wasn't bad. read more

I always enjoy trying new spots when I come to visit Cincinnati, but this one wasn't so great overall. There were some bright spots - First, the lunch menu is extensive and very fairly priced. Honestly, you get a tons of food for a very small price point and everything comes with chips and salsa. Also, the service was perfect. However, the food leaves something to be desired. The salsa was super bland and didn't really taste like much beyond watered-down tomato juice. The enchilada sauce was so thick that I was excited for it - but, it really didn't have any flavor either. The best part of the meal was the rice (I don't eat beans), which really shows the overall excitement for the restaurant. read more

El Jinete - Enchilada Verde - Mexican Near Me - Fairfax, Ohio

Food was pretty good. I got a burrito with steak and chicken. The steak was very tendon-y and not tender. I would recommend the chicken though. Queso was not anything special. Their salsa is very good and fresh. Margarita pitcher is our favorite part of coming here. Service was good overall and ambiance is casual. Definitely a mid-grade Mexican restaurant imo. read more

El Jinete - Burrito El Barzon - Mexican Near Me - Fairfax, Ohio

They're decent Tex-mex if you're into that. It'll scratch the itch, and some decent margs, actually some really f the best around, but won't blow your socks off read more

El Jinete - El Jenete Enchiladas (steak). tortillas were "tucked in" to look like they're rolled, had to scoop contents. Total mess - Mexican Near Me - Fairfax, Ohio

The girls and I had a good time as usual! We will possibly see you next month!We come to have our girl talk, tacos, grill dip and a pitcher of margaritas. So good. read more

Food is good, lots and lots of chicken in my quesadilla! It even came with a side of chips and salsa. A pleasant surprise! That said, they do need to get a heat lamp for takeout orders. read more

This is a true restaurant . The food is always consistent and tasty. The wait staff is always kind, curious and prompt. As for the restaurant it self. It almost feels like I'm in a Mexican cantina that has me happy, hungry and lively. I can't say enough good things a b out this place. If you live in the Mariemont, Madisonplace, Fairfax area. This it the place for good Latino food. Hell, this is the only place in the area that can call itself a reliable, entertaining place. read more

This is a great Mexican restaurant that had a wonderful interior decor, friendly staff, I also believe they have an exterior area to dine when the weather is good As for the menu- it is rather large with many options to chose from and great lunch specials as well The portions are plentiful as well as the flavors are on spot read more

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Great atmosphere! The music wasn't loud, nice greeting by employees. I just sit down at the bar and immediately got my drink. Chip and salsa came out just couple min after. The salsa taste great, you can tell it's freshly made. Since I really just coming for a small bite, I order side of guacamole. It came out great too. I'm filled from the salsa and the guac. Forgot to mention the chip came out nice and hot too. And from the look of the bar, the place is spotless. I think the kitchen must be the same. All the employees are nicely dressed in uniforms and looked well groomed too. read more

El Jinete - Freshly made salsa and guac - Mexican Near Me - Fairfax, Ohio

My review is for carryout service only. When I'm in a bind and looking for quick carryout service and craving Mexican in the Oakley, Hyde Park, Madisonville area I call El Jinete. My orders are ready in 10-15 minutes, really quick and they bring your order hot from the kitchen when you pick up. I enjoy their steak fajitas the best, which I've ordered several times, plus you receive a huge portion, which at times I've enjoyed leftovers for 2-3 meals. The steak is tender, just right and have freshly cooked multi-colored peppers and mushrooms! You also receive chips & salsa (chips in their own paper bag and salsa in its own plastic container with lid), rice and refried beans (in one container) and another container with all of the fixings, guacamole, pico sauce, lettuce, cheese and sour cream. A delicious carry out meal to enjoy at home. read more

El Jinete - Great fajitas for carryout - Mexican Near Me - Fairfax, Ohio

I had a great time here enjoying El Jinete's delicious food! I got the vegetarian fajita (with corn tortillas) and my friend got the mushroom quesadilla - both of which were delicious! We got two bowls of salsa when we sat down then ordered a bowl of queso for the chips. I also got a cup of coffee and it came with a few little creamers. It is a little pricey, but subtracting drinks/alcohol from our order made the price worth it! read more

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While the margarita was enjoyable, the rest of the dining experience was quite underwhelming. The host and server, appeared disinterested, as if they were there out of obligation rather than enjoying his job. The maze like claustrophobic ambience was a bit too much for me but it would have been probably overlook if the food was right. The quesadilla lacked cheese, making it dry, hard to eat and disappointing, and the burrito fell short with a bland, unappetizing flavor. Unfortunately, the food and the service didn't live up to expectations, and we left wishing we hadn't wasted our appetite, time and money on a restaurant where food/service takes a back seat. read more

This is our go to Mexican restaurant The employees and owner are awesome, friendly, service is great Plenty of seating indoors and outside patio is perfect during nice weather. Never had a bad meal, always spot on ! read more

I went in with a friend for lunch. I ordered the lunch order of Chicken Enchiladas Verde which was $8.50 on the menu. The waitress (Emma) brought us chips and salsa. The salsa was a delicious red salsa with great flavor. The enchilada (3 of them) were stuffed with white meat chicken with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream on top. The Verde sauce was excellent and well proportioned. I ate the whole plate clean and was satiated When the bill came it was only $6.40. What a great deal for a delicious lunch. Emma was great as a server and made sure everything was going well and brought the food out quickly!! I Definitely recommend El Jinete for lunch and will be back again soon. read more

El Jinete - Mexican Near Me - Fairfax, Ohio

Maths margs margs!! This place has amazing margaritas and an amazing portion size to say the least! I got a small margarita and it seriously could've been a large at any other restaurant!! It was so good!! As for the food it was decent, but I just had regular chicken tacos. I recommend the sampler platter because that seemed like a great idea and I should've joined my friends on that one! Great parking, great indoor and outdoor seating, and great service! I think I've found my new favorite Friday night hang out. Because again... margaritas! read more

El Jinete - Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Fairfax, Ohio

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I grew up going to El Jinete with my family to the point we started getting recognized. They are super friendly people who run this restaurant with tasty food as well. It's decorated nicely and service is quick. read more

So far I think I found my next favorite Mexican restaurant after El Trio closed. Salsa was really great and the chips as well. My daughter and I have been in pursuit of finding the next great Mexican restaurant. We will definitely be returning. We both were very satisfied with our entrees. I had the Pollo Don Rigo and had the cheese sauce and ranchero sauce on the side. Cheese sauce was nice but the Ranchero I didn't care for. Not a big fan of adobo sauce. Overall it was really delicious!! My daughter had the Steak burrito smothered in cheese sauce and was served with rice and pico de Gallo. She enjoyed her entree as well. Looking forward to our return! read more

El Jinete - Steak burrito - Mexican Near Me - Fairfax, Ohio

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Tonight was our first trip to El Jinete and we were so happy we gave it a go! The service was fast and wonderful. The drinks were cold and well measured. The food surpassed any expectations we may have had. It came out quick and piping hot. I loved my dish 'Pollo Jalisco'- unique and fresh with a wonderful arrangement of fajita style veggies. We both loved the chips- they were authentic and crunchy, not too thin and not too soggy. I recommend this restaurant and I commend the owners and staff! read more

La mejor comida y servicio y mucho más la calidad y cantidad de la comida que te dan. Hacen muy bien trabajo en ser atentos. Yo siempre voy con mi familia cuando es mi día de descanso y es el único restaurante mexicana que voy a ir. Ya ido otros y no les llegan ni a los talónes a este negocio. Bien hermoso el lugar. Lo único que los servidores no hacen, es que se olvidan de preguntar que término quieres la carne Ribeye. Me encanta el Medio tiempo pero ojalá ven este mensaje y mejoren ese proceso. Gracias y saludos a los dueños de ese negocio. read more

We decided to pop in to try a different Mexican style restaurant than the one we always go to and I'm glad we did. The service was prompt and the food was very good. Our waitress was friendly and helpful. We also loved looking around at all of the unique decorations and details! read more

They really deserve 3.5 stars but I'm rounding down based on the taste of the chicken... I was super excited to try this place because hubs raves about it. He goes often with his work buddies for lunch. We stopped in for dinner on a weekday night and were seated right away. Our server quickly had chips and salsa out. The salsa is probably my favorite of any Mexican restaurant. The cilantro was the freshest (never thought I'd say that). The chips were good but nothing to call home about. Unfortunately there is no special Kids menu to color on. By the grace of God, my toddler was actually good for once but it's a drawback for wanting to go with her again. The coloring pages reeeeaaallly help a lot. There is a kids food menu in the adult menu. Hubs and I both got the chimichangas with beans and guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, sour cream and white cheese. I don't like guacamole at all but actually ate the guac here! It was pretty good! The chicken though... I swear the chicken I had was from a can. It ruined my whole chimichanga. Hubs said I'm crazy, he thought it was great but I think there's something more to this chicken that is not fresh. I couldn't even finish my meal because I was having flashbacks of the small chicken of the sea cans at the grocery store. I hope I'm wrong but for this reason, it'll be a long time before I go back. The service was great and the decor is nice. It has a nice Tex-mex vibe that pulls you out of Cincinnati. If you check online or in your reach magazine, there's always coupons for $5/off two dinners or $3/off two lunches. read more

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Still the best option for good, cheap Mexican food. The servings are HUGE. I've been eating my leftovers for 3 days now. Always friendly service, too. read more

Very clean restaurant and the noise level was nice. The food arrived quickly but was on the bland side for flavor. I feel like it was average in food quality. Server did a good job. read more

Traditional Mexican restaurant but with Mexican street tacos. In Cincinnati, I've found that a lot of the Mexican restaurants don't have Mexican style tacos. I've found that I have to go to taquerias to get them. I ordered carry out and found that the tacos were priced pretty decently ($3.25/each) when ordered a la carte, especially for the size. They are a bit larger than traditional street tacos. I also received chips and salsa for free, which a lot of places do not offer for carry out orders. I tried the pollo taco and the al pastor taco. I like when the al pastor has pineapple in it, and it did. I found that the al pastor was a bit too greasy for my liking, hence the 4/5 stars. Next, I think I'll try this place for dine in. Enjoy. read more

Awesome Place!! They have the best margaritas to me because they are lime and not lemon. The staff is really friendly and they always have some sort of special going on. This pitcher of margarita is $16.99!! And the food is amazing! They have a lot of vegetarian options to choose from and they don't mind making adjustments to meals. Definitely come and check them out. read more

El Jinete - $16.99 Pitcher of Lime Margarita. This is a special. - Mexican Near Me - Fairfax, Ohio

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Be sure you go to the restroom before going to this restaurant. The women's room door is difficult to open. And the stall doors do not close or lock. And you're lucky if the toilet flushes. read more

Happy Cinco De Mayo! This place is your basic Mexican restaurant and gets the job I guess. Chips are out of a bag not homemade like Chewys. The salsa is pretty good. Their food is bland unless you add hot sauce to it. This Mexican restaurant is your typical American style Mexican food. If you want authentic Mexican food, this is not the place. But if you're like me and craving Mexican on this made up holiday and don't want to wait because I'm pregnant, bring on the chips! Plenty of parking right outside this strip mall. Right off Red Bank Rd. read more

I'm sure my palate has been dumbed down over several years by the generally sorry state of Mexican food in Cincinnati, and maybe this score is accordingly graded on the curve. But I think that, at least on this side of town, El Jinete has separated itself from the rest of the pack of not-so-authentic Mexican places, and deserves a bump-up for that reason. (Or "YAAMs," as I identified them in my original review: places like El Rancho Grande, Cancun, Rio Grande, El Toro, et al.) I can't really say that El Jinete does anything particularly great, but food-wise it's a couple of steps ahead of its local competition in the flavor and freshness departments. The menu seems a little broader, too. Plus, the service seems a couple of degrees warmer than the competition and it's always very solid; the guys waiting on your table almost always seem genuinely friendly and happy to see you, as if serving up piping-hot combination plates to strangers was their favorite thing in the world to do. (I know it's not, but I sure do appreciate them giving me this impression.) So while El Jinete is not a great Mexican restaurant, it is definitely one of the better ones in this area. read more

Place is odd inside. Lots of small areas. Good if you like to be secluded during dinner. I was in big room in back. Had the pollo supremo and it was ok. Wasn't very visually appealing it looked like a mess. Tasted ok. Rice was good and beans were just meh. Service was ok. Chips and salsa were bland, salsa had no heat and little flavor. Price was good read more

El Jinete - Mexican Near Me - Fairfax, Ohio

My friend kept pushing me to update my review for El Jinete. She really didn't need to push hard though, because wow did I enjoy my meal here. Not only that, but your opinion between a 16 year old (on mom and dads dime) to a 23 year old (unwilling to admit she's still low key on mom and dads dime) changes immensely. For one, I CAN TAKE OFF THE VIRGIN IN FRONT OF MY DAIQUIRI ORDER! WOOHOO! Okay, now that I've gotten out of the way, I can tell you why I'm switching to 5 stars. My friend recently moved back from Florida and swears by this place. We recently went to dinner there, and I honestly was taken aback by everything. First and foremost, their drinks are HUGE. I ordered a medium simply because she did, but I really should have gotten a small. It was only $3 more for a medium, but daiquiris aren't exactly known for being drinks that can be taken down easily. I had a lot of trouble finishing this monstrous drink. We started with some guac, with my full intent being to just have drinks and some snacks. My curiosity/cravings got the best of me, and we ended up ordering seafood fajitas to split as well. You get a lot of food for $17! There's tilapia, shrimp, scallops, & crabs plus rice and beans. All the seafood was cooked well and I like that you can get corn tortillas. Not everyone offers that! I'm glad I came back to visit, and I'm impressed that they've been rocking the boat for all these years, considering I don't think the location is the greatest. (The area is totally safe; I just didn't think this part of Fairfax would attract a lot of people.) I can't wait to come back! read more

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