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    El Rey

    4.2 (34 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Large TVs throughout
    Candice T.

    WOW, totally impressed from the moment I stepped in the door as there was gorgeous decor throughout, extremely comfortable seating and the food....unbelievably superb in every way possible!!! No joke, BEST tacos of my life. I ordered the Taco Flight which consist of four different large tacos with three additional condiments on the side. And the service was impeccable. Now I see you why the ratings are so high. This restaurant is a must visit, you can thank me later.

    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.

    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!

    Steak fajita burrito

    The food is excellent and the restaurant ambience is fun. Great place and two locations, one in Nee Albany and one in Johnston are convenient.

    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.

    Birria Tacos
    Travis T.

    I visited El Rey's on a friend's recommendation for their Birria Tacos. Atmosphere is a bit loud between all of the people and the music however the restaurant has a nice modern vibe. My waiter was very polite and very attentive. I was in and out within approximately 30 minutes! They NAILED the Birria tacos. They were brought out on a tray with the onions, cilantro, and lime all on the side plus the dipping broth. The tortilla taco had a nice crisp and the tacos overall were packed with flavor. The 3 Birria tacos were enough to satisfy my craving and I left feeling like I had the perfect portion of food! I will certainly be back for some more street tacos!

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    2 months ago

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

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    3 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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    6 months ago

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

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    9 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 - Steak fajitas, rice, refried beans

    Casa Hacienda Grill

    3.9(133 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $$

    Have never gone Mexican on Cinco de Mayo. Wow were they packed (to be expected). There were only 2…read moreof us so the wait wasn't too bad. My dining partner and I aren't big eaters so we shared Chicken Fajitas. It was served with tortillas, pico de gallo, lettuce, refried beans, and Mexican rice. I had mine sans tortilla. This is such a tasty dish with just the right amount of char. Chicken with green and red peppers and onions. Can't wait to order again.

    Upon being seated while wearing shorts there cracked vinyl seats, kept cutting my legs up, so I had…read moreto sit on paper towels to avoid the pain. As my last review of many years ago, I stated their margaritas were very weak and somewhat watered down, same on this visit. Prior to all of this, we literally set at our table for a good 10 to 15 minutes before our server even acknowledged us. Now to the food..... we both ordered tacos and as we pick them up, the bottoms fell out because they were so soggy from the beef not being drained, we had to eat them with a spoon, and these were hard tacos, and my chimichanga only had a very small sprinkle of cheese on it and unfortunately our server was too busy to come back and ask us how our food was. Rather disappointing as this location is located in my neighborhood and I gave it another try to see if things had changed since our last visit. On a positive note, it was my birthday weekend and they brought me fried ice cream and wished me a happy birthday. Sorry guys I really wanted this to be positive review.

    Photos
    Casa Hacienda Grill
    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
    Blue Agave - Fresh Tortillas!

    Fresh Tortillas!

    Blue Agave
    Blue Agave - Vibe

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    Vibe

    Puerto Vallarta - Chili rellano

    Puerto Vallarta

    4.0(42 reviews)
    3.8 mi

    While I was recuperating my daughters broughtn in Sunday lunch from Puerto Vallarta. We each had…read moresomething delicious. I had the Fajita Taco Salad. I wanted a yummy salad and I got it. Since it was takeout I can't tell you about the restaurant itself but the food was delicious and we will try them again. The only disappointment were the chips. They really needed salt and the salsa was runny. Everything was packed well and there were no mishaps during travel or unpacking.

    Upon walking through the door, the music was turned off, which made us feel unwelcome right off the…read morebat. Along with the AC being shut off, it was rather stuffy, but we were starving and thought we could tough it out. We received chips and salsa, and the salsa was extremely watered down. I ordered a large house. Margarita on the rocks, and ask for extra limes ( received lemons ) and the goblet had just come out of the dishwasher so my ice started melting but what really got me was it tasted like pure margarita mix, and so sugary it was almost undrinkable. They used to have good margaritas here so I don't know what happened. Our food came out rather quick however, I noticed the chimichanga I always order was much smaller, it was more like I got the lunch portion. The entire visit felt unwelcoming and extremely rushed to close up for the evening. As there are many Mexican restaurants out there, I definitely will not be revisiting.

    Photos
    Puerto Vallarta - Decor

    Decor

    Puerto Vallarta - Spinach enchiladas

    Spinach enchiladas

    Puerto Vallarta - TINY Chimichanga

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    TINY Chimichanga

    Mi Tradicion

    Mi Tradicion

    4.0(306 reviews)
    6.2 mi
    $$

    Walking into this restaurant is like stepping into a Mexican fiesta. Bright colorful decor with…read moreupbeat music and vibe. Our server, who I think was the manager, seated us quickly and was super friendly and attentive throughout the meal. There is a long bar in one room where a couple locals were dining while watching a game. They also have a back room for larger parties and an outdoor patio. We ordered the beef enchilada, chile relleno combo, and also the chimichanga dinner. Both were very well prepared, and the sauces were definitely not store bought. We asked the manager and he did say that they make their sauces in house. I love that, especially since they were really good and had a deeper spice flavor than other places.

    I took my wife and two children here on a whim because it had been recommended to me by coworkers…read moreand we happened to be in the neighborhood. It was a Thursday night at dinnertime, but we were seated right away. They had a decent-sized crowd, but it wasn't packed. We had a server visit our table quickly and he was very friendly and light-hearted. He was good with the kids and we always appreciate that! It was a bit after 6pm, but I was able to get a Happy Hour margarita ordered, which felt like a good deal! $7.99 for a traditional margarita. (I'm not sure what time their Happy Hour ends) There wasn't much salt on the rim, but I actually didn't notice until I nearly finished it and realized it wasn't there. But it tasted great! I believe it was an authentic margarita, not the sour mix. My kids love Mexican rice and beans (respectively, neither likes both), so they only each ordered their side and feasted on chips and queso (the queso was a bit pricey for a large, but it lasted our entire meal). The queso was great and the chips were good too. Salsa was decent. I ordered the spinach enchiladas and my wife ordered the vegetarian chimichanga. We both enjoyed our meals and agreed we ordered those same meals again in the future. Service was fast and friendly and we had a nice relaxing meal. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the indoors is even nicer than it looks from the outside, although they have a nice outdoor patio with some cool decor out there as well. We'll come back!

    Photos
    Mi Tradicion
    Mi Tradicion
    Mi Tradicion - Colorful front entrance

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    Colorful front entrance

    El Rey - mexican - Updated May 2026

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