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    El Rey

    4.2 (37 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

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    Marci P.

    Well I tried here twice before submitting my review. Both times the food was good but the service was not. If it was just the food then I would give them a 4. Both times they forgot our appetizer and didn't check on us to see if it came until they brought the rest of our food. The first time the server rarely came to our table, drinks took a long time and they had no clue how to split the cost of a meal between others. They also had a large group come in when we were almost done with our meal and had us move tables! Pick up all of our food and drinks and move down to another table! This most recent time the meal I ordered was suppposed to be portobello mushrooms and shrimp. It came out onions and shrimp without portobello. I asked about it and they said oh we are out of them. Only after I asked did they then bring me regular mushrooms instead. Usually if a restaurant is out of part of your meal they tell you and ask if you want something different. I won't be back to this location and hope they figure out service before the Johnstown location opens.

    Laura F.

    This restaurant sits off of New Albany Rd., East and takes up the former space of the local Cantina. This is a wonderful addition to the New Albany culinary scene The menu is buried enough to keep everybody interested in coming back the entrées are generous and when you leave, you don't feel hungry And let's talk about the cost... The price plates are a spot on They could be a little lower, but quite honestly the quality that you're getting and the portion sizes match the pricing so no complaints here Staff is friendly and attentive. The drinks aren't weak or too strong. I'm very happy El Ray has arrived! I will be back again and again again the coffee that sounds

    Michael G.

    Former Local Cantina location I'm told, so the bones were all in place. Fast paced, loud, beautiful murals, and the walk down the hallway to the bathrooms is a sight to behold! Huge TVs all around. Nice patio in the corner lot. Plenty of free parking. Huge menu with moderate pricing and moderate portions. The have a Josper grill which is unique in Columbus. We shared the filet and shrimp salad. Each were done perfectly. The steak was prepared well but lacked some natural flavor. You get 3% discount if you pay with cash and not a card. Service is attentive. And there were plenty of staff doing all kinds of things. Nice place for sure, but the casual Mexican category is huge. I hope this works out.

    Drink Menu
    Anna H.

    Beautiful atmosphere, good service, attentive bartenders, comfortable seating, large drink and food selections. The complimentary chips were warm & the server brought 2 salsas for us at the bar. My honey tequila cocktails were lit up and tasted just right. The spinach chicken mini chimis were in a large bowl and a perfect match with the drinks. If we were destined to lose Local Cantina, this appears to be a lovely replacement.

    Dana C.

    So tonight, I stopped in to get food to go and decided to go with the queso birria tacos. $15.50 for 3 just tacos. 3 corn quesadillas filled with the birria meat. I do feel like there was a good amount of meat in each one. My problem lies in the queso part as you can see in the pictures there's basically no cheese. I found a little bit at the bottom and my second problem is you're gonna get someone one lime to go with three tacos then make sure that that lime is juicy. I could barely squeeze a tiny drop out of it for one taco. Not to mention the restaurant was not busy at this time and it still took forever to get my food. A sidenote last time I ordered to go I got fajitas and they didn't put the tortillas in there.

    Soft serve margs

    Me and my fiance loved this place! First time here, we will be moving to the area soon and can't wait to come back! Staff were very nice, it was very busy but I felt like we got our food and drinks in a reasonable amount of time. It would be worth going just for the soft serve margaritas and salsa! My fiance loved the queso but I thought the fresh chips and salsa was better. Restaurant looked so cute! It was very clean and smelled good as soon as we walked in. It was my first time having burria tacos and I am so glad this place was my first! You guys made a 7 day work week worth it thanks!

    Mixed fajitas
    Valerie N.

    Beautiful decor with decent food. I know this is a new place taken over another Mexican food establishment. Disclaimer, while dining here, I was in a party of 14. The main server was nice but hard to hear. The flow of complementary chips and salsa was available during our entire meal. Disappointed in the salsa since it tasted something from a jar rather than homemade. The menu has many choices which made ordering hard to do. I went with the mixed fajitas. My favorite part was the beans and rice. The vegetables within the fajitas encompassed more than the protein. I also found it strange to have broccoli as a part of the veggies in the fajitas. One of the other folks with me got another type of fajitas which was served in a hollowed out pineapple. Cute touch. I tried to order a certain type of margarita without the alcohol but the server said they couldn't do that. I can't see why unless the drinks are pre-made. Tip: The quesadillas are soo stuffed be careful when eating it. Two of the folks in our group had it spill out of the tortilla because they were so packed. Overall my group was satisfied with the price paid vs the quantity of the food served. I was disappointed it wasn't more authentic thus the rating of 3 stars.

    Decor
    Annette F.

    Love this place. Our 3rd time going and we have tried many things and they all have been great. Can't wait until they open in Johnstown.

    Fajita quesadilla with steak
    Sara I.

    This is an upgrade from the previous Local Cantina. Pretty murals and a nice upgrade to the overall ambiance. They give you chips and salsa, the salsa is very heavy with the tomato sauce, I prefer Local Cantinas to be honest. Overall Moderate prices, I ordered the steak fajita quesadilla. It had a generous portion of grilled veggies (onions, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli) Service was so-so, but I would come again.

    Enchiladas
    Amy S.

    Our first time and we thought the food and service were fantastic! Legit pozole verde which is hard to find. Also, really good tacos al pastor, with homemade corn tortillas. Will be back!

    Veggie burrito and shrimp fajitas
    Amy K.

    The food and service were exceptional!! The veggie burrito was cooked to perfection - veggies grilled with lots of flavor. The pico spicy and yummy. Shrimp fajitas filled with good sized shrimp all grilled to perfection too! Highly recommend! Our servers were kind and attentive.

    Steak fajita burrito

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    4 months ago

    Beautiful inside, food was super good, and the price was fair! Service was kind and helpful.

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    11 days ago

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    5 months ago

    Absolutely love this restaurant! The food is amazing every time & service is fast and friendly. Try the hibiscus margarita!

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    9 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    8 months ago

    The food was delicious. My girlfriend and I went here and throughly enjoyed the atmosphere.

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    11 months ago

    Service was great, food excellent. Interesting decor. And for those who still carry cash there is a cash discount!

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    Cupnest

    Cupnest

    5.0
    (2 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    I would highly recommend ordering from this licensed at-home bakery in New Albany. Pick up…read moreavailable near the area or delivery possible for a minimum purchase. Fun new items in store, so be sure to check out her page! This bakery uses only natural, organic, and local ingredients. All goodies have an added Indian flair/ingredient influences too, so you are in for a real treat! In February, I enjoyed Cupnest's brookies (cookie brownies) after winning an IG giveaway. And they were all amazing! When tea biscuits were posted a few days ago, I knew I needed to order some. I ordered a 1/4 pound of cardamom flavored tea biscuits that have almonds and pistachios on top and 1/4 pound of the almond pistachio rose flavored tea biscuits. Both are wonderfully buttery and packed full of flavor! The cardamom ones are nutty, slightly sweet, and floral -- cardamom is such an interesting spice... it gives these biscuit unique notes and a nice complexity of flavor. The pistachio rose has such depth in flavors - I just love it! Seemed to have a hint of citrus flavor (perhaps from the rose) and had a wonderful crunch to it... chocked full of pistachios too! I will definitely be ordering more again soon! I was surprised to receive two bonus cupcakes as well (thanks again, Cupnest)! Almond cupcakes with mango cream cheese filling topped with mango buttercream and crusted pistachios. Wow!! I have never had the pleasure of having mango buttercream before and now I'm hooked. What a refreshingly delicious cupcake!! Will definitely be ordering some of these in the future too.

    Great cupcakes and value. I bought these for my wife's birthday celebration and they were a huge…read morehit. All natural and you can taste it....especially compared to most cupcakes with artificial ingredients. Cookies and Cream are amazing! Highly recommend getting these for your next cupcake foray.

    Photos
    Cupnest
    Cupnest
    Cupnest

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    Johnson's Real Ice Cream- New Albany

    Johnson's Real Ice Cream- New Albany

    4.6
    (45 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $

    OMG!!! This is a gem located in the middle of this residential area. They have plenty of options…read moreavailable. Their service is good. They helped explain their menu. They are good for sit-down and take out. They also have outdoor seating. It is good for family friendly and business casual. There is a huge parking space right in front of this ice cream place.

    | Johnson's Real Ice Cream - New Albany, OH 160 W Main St,…read moreNew Albany, OH 43054 Visited: Aug 3, 2025 | Takeout -- What we ordered: * Jr. Scoop (Butterscotch Toffee) - Sugar Cone - $4.25 * Single Scoop split 1/2 Butter Pecan + 1/2 Butterscotch Toffee - Sugar Cone - $4.75 We asked for cups on the side -- these were two-handed cones, no question. -- Flavor notes: * Butterscotch Toffee: Buttery, smooth, with soft bits of toffee that didn't overtake the bite * Butter Pecan: Heavier on the pecans than the flavor. The base leaned a little plain -- almost watery in taste -- but it was full of nuts and held texture well. Melt-wise, it held up just long enough to enjoy without rushing -- not that artificial stuff that sits like wax, but not soft-serve-level meltdown either. You've got a comfortable few minutes before it starts sliding. -- Total: $10.98 (with tip) -- Quick info: * Wait time: 5-10 min * Parking: 1-hour signs closest to storefront; rest of the lot is unmarked and free * Seating: benches + brick ledge outside * Noise: chill, steady foot traffic * Accessibility: Yes * Allergy info: clearly posted * Dairy-free: Yes (coconut-based and sorbet) -- Would I come back? Absolutely. The ice cream was good, the scoops were serious, and the side cup wasn't extra -- but it was essential.

    Photos
    Johnson's Real Ice Cream- New Albany
    Black raspberry chocolate chip on a waffle come
    Black raspberry chocolate chip on a waffle come
    Chocolate peanut butter! Lots of pb!

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    Chocolate peanut butter! Lots of pb!
    The Royal Cupcakery

    The Royal Cupcakery

    5.0
    (7 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    I love anything that comes from this kitchen! When a plain vanilla cupcake is the best you've ever…read morehad.. THEN you get to taste the key lime and you think you'll swoon? You know you're in heaven. Highly rec for events, gifts, parties, happy hours, you name it :) Andrea will work with whatever creative idea you may have.

    This wasn't either of our first weddings which meant we were looking for a different approach than…read moreusually required by first timers. It helped that we knew what we wanted too. Because of the location for our wedding we had chosen, there were certain things we had to take into consideration, among the most important, time. Time for set up, time for the event, and time for clean up. From the very beginning, we had envisioned not going the traditional route of a tiered wedding cake, but that of a tiered cupcake tree with a small topper for the traditional cake cutting. This helped by eliminating the need to spend time in cutting and plating cake for 100 people. My now wife found the Royal Cupcakery using a local site and the fun began. When we met to discuss the wedding and their offerings, they brought us a couple of samples. OMG! We sat and reviewed their website which listed what seemed to be an endless choice of cakes, frostings, and presentations. Luckily, we knew what we wanted ahead of time or making the choices would have taken a really long time. We chose four different cupcakes: devil's food with cinnamon infused chocolate frosting (my fav), carrot cake, traditional white cake, and a key lime cake with lemon frosting tinted green to match our colors. All were dusted with sparkles because, well, because it was a wedding. The stand we chose was solid and fit perfectly with the decor and the style of the room. For $25, they provided a dozen cupcakes so that we could sample our flavor choices. Can you imagine being on a sugar high for a whole week? It was heaven! On the day of the wedding, they arrived right on schedule and set up the tree, cupcakes, and topper cake so that it looked just like all of the pictures. Everyone was professional from day one. Their pricing was better than reasonable and the service was exceptional. And the cupcakes? Even though about 80% of those invited and planned for made it, there were only 12 left over.

    Photos
    Our cupcake tree.
    Our cupcake tree.
    Strawberry cupcakes, officially claimed as the favorite.
    Strawberry cupcakes, officially claimed as the favorite.
    The Royal Cupcakery

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    El Rey - mexican - Updated July 2026

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