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    El Rey

    4.2 (37 reviews)
    Closed 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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    10 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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    Casa Hacienda Grill

    Casa Hacienda Grill

    3.9
    (137 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $$

    I rely on Yelp to help me find great food in whatever area I'm working or visiting. For some…read morestrange reason I have this constant taste for Mexican. .4 miles away? Casa Hacienda it is! Instead of my usual chicken nachos, I decided to try something different. Shredded beef Taquitos Hacienda. Made with a rich mole sauce and topped with red onion and avocado slices, this was either going to be really good or a complete fail. Thankfully it was really good. Mole may not be for everyone's taste buds. You can taste the chocolate in the sauce, more so than any mole I've had before. But it all worked well...shredded beef, crispy tortilla, onion and avocado. Swimming in a generous amount of sauce. I cleaned the plate but forgot to take a pic. Whoops. They also had great chips and homemade salsa that had a slight zing to it. Also came with refried beans and something that resembled cole slaw. I took a pic of the chips lol. I would definitely stop again and pick something different from their extensive menu.

    We recently moved and were looking for a local Mexican Restaurant. Casa Haciendq was less than a…read moremile away. At check in, no-one acknowledged us (rough start) and pointed us to follow the host to a booth. However, our server was terrific. We explained it was our first visit, and asked if we had questions. We were not familiar with Barria, so she explained it too us and while she made sound very tempting we ordered plates we were familiar with with-Pollo Loco and some very similar. They served us tortillas with fresh Salsa and a refried bean dip ( really delicious). The food arrived promptly and was piping hot (the only way to serve a mexican meal). The food was fantastic and the server's description of Barria will have us coming back for a new experience. The decor is a little loud, but inviting.

    Photos
    Casa Hacienda Grill
    Carne Asada
    Carne Asada
    Casa Hacienda Grill

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    Blue Agave

    Blue Agave

    3.1
    (203 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    Jose's Special at Blue Agave was a great choice. It's a well-balanced meal with protein, rice,…read moresalad, guacamole, and flour tortillas, so it felt filling without being too heavy. What really stood out, though, was the staff. They were warm, attentive, and went out of their way to check on us, chat a bit, and keep the chips and salsa coming. There's also plenty of seating, and I loved the Mexican-themed interior decor, which made the place feel even more welcoming. It's a great spot for a quick lunch, and the mocktails were a nice surprise too. Our server made one that was flavorful and refreshing without being overly sweet. Definitely worth a visit.

    I came here with a group of 4 on a weekend night for dinner. My friend lives in Gahanna and we all…read morewere in the mood for some margaritas - this was a great spot that she found nearby! We were immediately seated and the service was quick. Our server was super friendly! We ordered flavored frozen/on the rocks margaritas and beer. No complaints here! The guac & chips were incredible. I am super picky about guac and we finished it right off!!! For my meal, I ordered three Steak Tacos. As I started eating, I had noticed something seemed off and they had forgotten the cheese on my tacos! (Can't forget the cheese!!!) I let my server know and she brought me some extra in a dish to sprinkle on my tacos, but I was charged for it (even though cheese came on the tacos and was left off).

    Photos
    Fresh Tortillas!
    Fresh Tortillas!
    Blue Agave
    Vibe

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    El Rey - mexican - Updated July 2026

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