Reliably good for a sit-down Mexican meal in Columbia. Also great for margaritas with friends. Lots of seating between the front and back rooms, so you can count on finding a place even during a busier night. Menu has traditional dishes and a lot of the usual taco/burrito/enchilada/rice/bean combos to choose from, and great queso dip. The rice and beans are done right, not too salty or dry, and the portions are generous. You may have leftovers. The kids menu is a hit with my family, and wait staff are very friendly and patient! Meals come with cornbread muffin which was unexpected and fun :) read more

El Paso MX Cocino - Burrito, rice, beans - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

Nice atmosphere. Food was mediocre at best. I would not be interested in a return visit.

OMG... I was in Columbia around lunch, and almost went to Tequila Mexican for lunch, but needed to head to Waterloo to see a couple customers. I decided to check with Yelp, and found this place. I am so glad I did. They had MUCH better ratings. The white small container had some kind of sweetness to it. When I inquired, they said it paired well with the chips. A quick dip of the chip, and then into the salsa...pretty darn good! I got the fajita Quesadilla, which was huge(as you can see). It was fantastic, and full of flavor! The rice was really good and wasn't (surprisingly) dried out like most places. The plate was garnished with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream. I took half home for dinner. read more

See all

Cute decor. Greeted immediately upon entering and seated. Drink order taken and chips and salsa brought out. VERY EFFICIENT and FRIENDLY! I started with the street corn as an appetizer. Full of flavor and delicious. Then ordered the chicken soup. Fantastic! The fresh avocado slices and tender chicken was fabulous. Highly recommend!! read more

El Paso MX Cocino - Chicken soup - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

See all

This place does a solid job with their food. I can't speak to their margaritas because we didn't have one (surprisingly). They do offer several flavors which makes me think they just use artificial syrups. They do have a large beer selection and even have 5-6 wines to choose from which is unique for a Mexican place. Their menu is vast. So many options it was hard to decide. I finally opted for grilled shrimp and veggies. It came with rice and beans and cheese sauce. They have good rice and I'm not a huge rice eater. Shrimp and veggies were also good with generous portions. My husband got street tacos and was very pleased with his meal. They do serve chips and salsa which were tasty. Our server was great. He actually paid attention to details like ice with no water, etc. next time I will try a margarita so I can speak to those. Ha read more

El Paso MX Cocino - Shrimp and veggies- I opted for only rice and no beans - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

See all

I don't know what they do differently here but it's the best Mexican restaurant I've found in the local area. Chips and salsa are always good and taste fresh. I love their combo meals - I always get a mini chimi & quesadilla. The corn muffin things are amazing! read more

My wife and I visited the in-laws today and took a short trip to Columbia, Illinois. While there, we stopped at El Paso Mx Cocino, which recently replaced RCasa Restaurant. We were greeted right away by the hostess and seated immediately. The restaurant has a unique feature--a large garage door that opens to let in fresh air and sunshine--giving the space a bright, open feel. The menu was extensive, with plenty of options to choose from. I ordered the Chicken Burritos Azteca, while my wife chose the Vegetarian Fajitas. The food overall was good, though I did have one complaint about the tortillas on my burritos: they were dried out, as if they had been left sitting in the air before being wrapped, which left them stiff rather than soft. That was disappointing since I prefer fresh, pliable tortillas. I also noticed that some of the platters had chips, which took away from the otherwise pleasant food presentation. Updating them could really enhance the dining experience. Aside from these details, the service was attentive and friendly, making for an overall ok visit. read more

Great food and great service! Came to the area for business and will definitely come back next time I'm in town.

The best! Always great service and margaritas are tasty with many top shelf options as well as flavors. Great food too!

THIS...... Fast, fresh, hot, amazing food! such an amazing addition to our little town. the food is always good!! the margs, always good. the white dip-or is it a sauce, I don't know. it comes with your chips and salsa. don't sleep on that! its weird, but it grows on you. service, always amazing! ambiance, hello Main Street and garage doors! so fun. hard to beat it when the weather is nice! read more

The atmosphere here is amazing! We were seated in their front seating in a booth, our seating was comfortable and spacious. The waiters here were very kind and helpful, they even helped me decide on a margarita. The food and drinks came out in a timely manner, which was perfect! This gave us time to sip on our margaritas and chat over the chips and salsa. The food came out perfect! My boyfriend got some AMAZING tacos with a side of rice and beans. I decided on the enchiladas with rice and beans. This meal was so delicious! We'll definitely be back! read more

See all

If you're not getting a large margarita with your meal you're missing out!! The prices are super fair. They have inside and outside seating and plenty of it! All the servers are nice and remember you when you come back! We met some old friends there and caught up with them! We'll be back! read more

I ordered the Delight to go yesterday and it was just as warm and delicious as eating it at the actual restaurant. I've lost count of how many times we've been here, but we've always been impressed with their customer service, speed, and quality of food. The shrimp and chicken is well seasoned and the guacamole is fresh. The signature white dip and salsa they bring to the table upon arrival makes this place worth a stop. read more

Met with a group here to enjoy appetizers and drinks. Reservations made ahead of time and good thing. The place was packed both inside and outside. No problem for servers. Orders came out without much wait and our server checked in often to make sure we were all happy. We were! Enjoyed platters of mixed appetizers fresh chips and salsa. Nice choice for Tex-Mex!!! read more

El Paso MX Cocino - Mix of appetizers - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

Went on Sunday at 5pm. Parking is on the street or across the street there is a parking lot. We were seated right away. Service was a little slow especially when we almost finished eating. Took awhile to get check and boxes. You pay up front when you leave. Food was good. Pitcher of Margaritas did not have much alcohol in them and watered down. When my mother in law can drink them and not have any problems there is an issue with them. Cadillac Margarita all I could taste was the alcohol. Wish they had a margarita in between the two. Place was clean and had plenty of seating. I would go back to eat but the Margs I would pass on. read more

What a lovely place from the moment we stepped into the door, we were greeted by very pleasant hostess, who gladly sat us at a table in a very open serene area. When the server came, she welcomed us to their restaurant and hope that we would be comfortable and enjoy our dining experience right from the get-go.! The menu is very full of many options easy to read and easy to find your go to style whether it be fajitas and all the meals and options that include the section for each of these : fajitas, chicken meals, steak, meals, and much welcomed at our table, a vegan area on the menu! They also have their lunch special at the bottom of the menu who is equally as welcoming and tasty as the full dinner menu. This was a work dinner so I was not with folks. I was familiar with as you can find yourself ordering the same thing at every dinner with your family and friends and then ordering the same thing so you never really get to experience something outside the box, however, last night, having different people at the table This gave me an opportunity to see other menu items that I would not have ordered.... But will surely give it a go my next time around my go to meal is the fajita which is rather large portions and I am always bringing leftovers home! Having a larger group gives you an opportunity to try some of the appetizer options and oh my those were delicious. We ordered three of their appetizers and each one was better than the other. For service we couldn't have asked for something better, we had plenty of drinks, refills, and napkins. The service was awesome. I didn't notice with one of the meals, came with a cornbread muffin..... It looks so delicious. We ask if those were an option as a separate order the waitress shared in order of two so we ordered a couple to share amongst herself and they were delicious.! Going as a group was great everyone left with a full belly and a satisfied pallet, and I of course, will be returning with or without friends to experience it again! read more

At the waiter's recommendation, I ordered a ground beef chimichanga. It tasted good, and was extremely filling, which I always appreciate. The free chips and salsa were good, although I personally prefer a thinner chip. Prices are reasonable; I only paid a little more than I would at a fast food joint. Overall, El Paso is a solid choice for anyone craving Mexican food. read more

Very fast service, the restaurant was extremely clean. And the waiter did a great job. Definitely the best Mexican place in Columbia. read more

El Paso MX Cocino - Carne asada tacos - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

Was there for my almost regular Saturday dinner a week ago Saturday and had the worst experience. I was willing to give them a break as a Christmas parade just ended so more packed than usual. Server ignored requests and when they served my food they warned me the plate was hot it was the only thing. Cold watery beans rice even my tacos. When I finally I got my server attention she brought me a large side of more cold beans. I went to the greeter because didn't want to wait forever to put in takeout order and I wanted to talk to manager. Never got to but she said offered a discount..which I didn't get in the end because server convenient dropped off the bill while I was trying to get help. I asked her for 2 to go boxes then she tried to take my plates. She then brought me one box of ignoring me for at least 3rd time. I called and left a voicemail again demanding to hear from a manager. Had they addressed my concerns I wouldn't be posting this as it's usually good and affordable. But if a restaurant won't fix their problems my money spends elsewhere. read more

This is our new favorite Mexican restaurant! They have plenty of food & drink options for everyone. They also have plenty of outdoor and indoor seating. The service was quick, and our waitress was very helpful. read more

Authentic warm atmosphere with very delicious food and well made cocktails to boot. The staff was very accommodating as well as the very nice gentleman ( I'm sorry I didn't catch his name) who asked repeatedly to make sure our service and meal were up to par. Prices were very fair as well. I Will definitely be back!!!! Everything about this place checked every box for me! read more

El Paso MX Cocino - El Jalisco Special!!!!!! Very delicious and if you can see the small white dipping sauce, they make it!!!!!! Oh sooooo good! - Mexican Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

The service is fantastic and we love the food. We always feel comfortable there. It seems everyone there goes above and beyond to be sure we're happy. read more

Just had lunch here today! The mango tacos were delicious! The service is always amazing, the food delish, and the margs perfect!!!

Great service and great food. Very friendly and great atmosphere. Would highly recommend!

The food was very awesome and great the service was excellent they really take care of their customers to see everything is ok

Went on Sunday at noon. Our party of 25 was seated right away. The food and service were exceptional!! Our waiter checked back several times while eating to make sure everything was OK and there were no additional needs. would highly recommend! read more

Had a great experience at El Paso Mx Cocino. Service was great. Food came out promptly. Everything tasted very fresh. Definitely going back.

Went her for lunch for first time, they had a great selection of food and drinks. Food was great! Service was wonderful as well. Its definitely worth the stop to check them out. read more

Food was served hot and was very delicious. Atmosphere was good. Waitress was very outstanding and very patient

Ordered carryout with a pitcher of top shelf margaritas. Food and drink tasted outstanding. Placed order online and everything was ready in 15 minutes. read more

Great food, honest effort for authentic atmosphere, parking can be slightly challenging but historic town road so I don't hold it against them. Definitely worth a try for the food. read more