amazing service amazing food very moist, very tender, friendly service and affordable for families, would definitely recommend! Very happy for when you need to talk. the ambience is very nice and very Mexican like, and cheerful read more

On our recent trip to Lancaster, we were looking to enjoy a good Mexican food meal. At first glance, we attempted to go to Plaza Azteca. However, there was a long wait. So, we made our way to El Rodeo Lancaster for the first time. Wow! What a pleasant surprise. Our server was exceptional and the food was phenomenal. The chips were warm and salsa was not chunky and the perfect level of spice. My chicken quesadilla and rice were perfect. The grilled chicken was chopped up into enjoyable bite sized pieces. This was melted with the white cheese between a homemade flour tortilla shell. The prices were very fair and reasonable, with my quesadilla and rice costing only $12.25. Further, this restaurant also has a very unique atmosphere, creating a fun and authentic dining experience. 5/5 recommend! read more

my family of 5 frequently come from Ephrata to enjoy some of the best Mexican dishes we have had. it's atmosphere is both aesthetic and comfortable with excellent service. Maria is exemplary server and we enjoy her friendly & professional service. We recommend giving them a visit we believe you will also find worthwhile. Prices & portions & quality are the best. read more

My husband and I went for lunch today. It was very disappointing, compared to years ago when we went. His nachos were not very good and a small order. My food was meh. The salsa was colored water with a few chunks (tomato hopefully!) floating in it. Our waitress never checked back with us. Also she didn't speak much English. I had to keep using Google to find the Spanish equivalent of what I was asking her. We asked for chunky salsa (with the help of Google) and she brought another bowl of the colored water. As my husband was paying, the manager/owner? never asked him how everything was. They were very unfriendly. We are not planning to go back. So disappointing. Compared to how it used to be. read more

The most awful service I have had in my entire life!! Uncooperative service and slow. We sat there for an hour before even getting water ! And then totally messed our checks up. Super rude and unfriendly servers!!!!!! But I'm not complaining about the food!! read more

The best thing I can say is that the food is edible. If you like Hispanic food this ain't the spot. If you don't really know what Hispanic food is sure come here. I ordered birria tacos and honestly they were the worst ones I've ever had. Refried beans were very subpar like they could've just made them from out of a can and it would've been better. The one thing I actually liked was the horchata. All that said this spot is a hard pass and I think it has been for years. read more

Excellent service, current authentic Mexican style. Food was hot and quick. Been a customer for many years

For lunch today I had the Carnitas Mexicano lunch special. It came with refried beans, spanish rice and, of course, tortillas to wrap the carnitas. The carnitas were spicy, but not too much so; flavorful but not burning hot. The refried beans were as good as I have ever had, silky smooth and the perfect compliment to the spicy carnitas. Service wss prompt and friendly. The food came out quickly . The decor bears mention also with a mexican flair that extends even to the (very clean) restroom. The look added a great ambiance without beiing over-the- top. Traditional mexican music playing in the background completed the experience. read more

Probably a 3.5 star review. Service was good and prompt. There was no wait which was nice for a Friday night. The decor was a little older and outdated and the lighting was less than desirable. There seemed to be different light bulbs throughout the restaurant which was distracting. The food itself was good. I started with the wings which were decent. Fairly spicy with a breaded coating. I then had Pepe's combo which was overall very flavorful. Especially the rice. The taco was very good as well. The taquitos, beef and chicken, however, were rather disappointing. They left a strange after taste in my mouth, metallic like and just lacked substance. The enchiladas were very good and flavorful. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for decent food at a reasonable price. read more

See all

Excellent food, inviting environment, and friendly staff. We've been coming here for years now and it's always great.

Super Disappointed, I Will Never Ordered From Them Again Besides The Food Having No Taste , The Fried Ice Cream Tasted Like Old Oil That Isn't Even The Worst Part My Flan Had A Damn Roach read more

El Rodeo - a piece of cheesecake on a fork - Mexican Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Your staff needs to dress more appropriately and keep their hands to themselves. The waitress nips were almost out her very visible cleavage. And far too touchy. Take the orders and do your job with some class. Patrons are here to eat not to get hit on. read more

So. I don't know if I hit it at the wrong time-- it was before the dinner rush started proper--but I won't ever bother trying again. It was bad. Cheese enchiladas. Got them, opened the lid because they were take out-- and they were cold. The cheese on the inside having congealed into a block of cheese. Or maybe the issue is the cheese had never initially un-congealed. The enchilada sauce also cold. My guess is the cheese enchiladas are cold then heated to order. But I guess they forgot to heat them. The salsa they serve with chips was crushed tomato-- nearly tomato purée with maybe three leaves of cilantro. Not salsa. It was canned tomatoes. Ordered black beans and rice. Both cold. Walked out the door-- and headed back in because they forgot the drink. It was horrible. We headed to McDonald's for fries because we were still hungry after that. And guess what? They were hot. If you go-- and order take out, check it before you leave. read more

El Rodeo has deteriorated rapidly and is now one of the worst restaurants of any kind in the area. ALL of the waiters/waitresses and bartenders are on break 100% of the time. Customers are clearly an inconvenience. If you need something, you have to get up and go find the waiter/waitress because they are not coming to you. The bathrooms are gross and do not have anything "stocked." It's not possible to have worse service. read more

Was very disappointed, this was a takeout/delivery order, we ordered 5 meals. When the order arrived (which was a bit late), everything was in one bag, we knew that something was wrong. The meals were cold (not even warm) Missing several items on the order, and what was ordered, only one dinner came exactly as ordered. Never saw a chicken tamale look the way this tamale looked, the sauce was more like a watered down pizza sauce, the enchilada was ok but lacked cheese and was to be a dinner but ended up a single entree, the beef tip chimichanga, was not beef tips, the salsa was frozen and we received frozen salsa and a small bag of chips. Very disappointing, we'll never do take out from here again read more

Great food in an even greater atmosphere. Our servers were very attentive and willing to converse. The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous, and everyone enjoyed their food. I'll definitely be coming back. read more

Always a winner. Fresh, delicious- great service and value. Eat it and Smile ! Best time to go is between 2 and 4 PM it's quiet music great it's relaxing and the beer is cold read more

El Rodeo - Mexican Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

This restaurant was amazing! The location was well taken care of, clean, and festive. The waitress was very attentive even to our 8 month old grandson. She was always polite and kept drinks filled. She also made sure to check with us throughout our meal to ensure everything was good. Then the food came... it was so delicious! I'm from Texas and love authentic Mexican food which makes me a 'snob' about flavor! I had no issues here, as a matter of fact, I actually told my husband that it reminded me of home. There were 4 of us in our party and everyone raves about how good the food was! Hands down the best Mexican food I've had in Pennsylvania so far! I absolutely recommend this restaurant and will be coming back the next time I'm in the area! read more

Food: don't know. Drinks: don't know. Go here: don't. Here you go...got seated for lunch immediately because I sat myself at the bar. Bartender looked at me and walked away...then walked past me 3 more times without acknowledging me then went to dining room and didn't see her anymore...so the 1 star in this review is for the prompt seating...read the other reviews about horrible service and hopefully the manager reads these reviews as well and actually does something about this because this place could have potential. read more

Not one to leave reviews but the food is really bad. Have had the enchiladas twice now and they have a bland flavor with bad aftertaste. Beans tasted horrible. Jalapeño poppers had no flavor either and overwhelm your mouth with cream cheese. Same goes for the shredded beef taco, no flavor just bland taco meat. The service sucks and the vibe is off. Have eaten here before and after the new ownership and no difference read more

I don't know if they've gotten new inexperienced cooks but the food was unseasoned last time we went. Now don't get me wrong, the food was excellent until here recently. The service is always good. The portion sizes are good but COVID has changed things. The Hawaiian fajita served in a half of a pineapple used to have huge chunks of pineapple in it. Last time we ordered they must have added pineapple juice to it and used the pineapple for something else. The salsa changed to a tomato juice consistency with no seasoning and the enchiladas were bland too. read more

Not bad but not great either. Was in town for the night for business and craving some Mexican. Got the steak fajitas, a ground beef relleno, and a chicken enchilada. The enchilada was the highlight. Got the food to go and they knew I was in a hotel bc we were talking at the register. Got back to the room and no utensils or napkins. Shake the head? El Rodeo - aye no! read more

Very quiet on the Sunday we were there and had to ask for most thing normal done automatically (drink refills, more chips) at least once and in on case 4 times. Food was just ok. Not good. The only thing that stood out was the cheese dip and the amazingly cold beer. Would have gotten another beer had we we've seen our server. If you don't have another option to go you will be fine but if you have time to find another option in the area try them first. read more

El Rodeo - One drink refilled once after grabbing the server and asking and never asked or offered for refills or additional beers. - Mexican Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

I was disappointed. I will not be visiting this restaurant again. I do not recommend. I was looking forward to visiting this restaurant since it was highly recommended. Unfortunately from start to finish it was not a good experience. I will not go into details in hopes that the restaurant makes improvements in the near future. Both the service and the food were bad. read more

Best kept secret in Lancaster. We've been coming here for years when we're in the area. The service is not always consistent great but it's never crappy. The food is always fantastic though. On this trip we stopped here just after noon and when all the restaurants around are full of the after church crowd this place has plenty of tables. Try the Margaritas read more

Under new management. Waitress English was poor. I heard the table behind us complain that their order was wrong. My order was also wrong. When they brought me the correct dish, it was different from what I've had many times in the past. Similar but lacking flavor. The chicken in it was different and not good. Oh, the salsa they served with the chips was similar to thinned V8 Juice. No solid chunks of anything in it. After enjoying it for many years, we won't return under the new management. read more

I've been here many times and always order the same item. It can be found on back page of menu on left middle, photo. Carnitas. Food is always fresh . Service is quick, attentive and pleasant. Portion size for this item is large. I most often have dinner for the next day. The place is authentic with festive music and all Hispanic employees. Several with no English. 2 thumbs up. Great stop for lunch or dinner. Lunch when looking for speed and value read more

El Rodeo - Mexican Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

This place stank from the smell to the food. I will never go back again. Waiter know no English, waiter/waitress yelling in the kitchen goofing off, and not to mention the music they were try to play. I also, would not even try to give this to my dog as I live her to much!! read more

We've been here before and it was fine but today's experience was much worse. Our server was extremely busy and it seemed like the many was helping him. Even so my order was wrong and I kindly declined to order again to order again. that's when the attitude came on, by both manager and server. Won't be going back and certainly will dissuade all our friends from going there either read more

This was a great experience! I can't say enough about how accommodating these folks were for my whole girls' soccer team group of families - over 35 people were handled with welcoming grace, kindness, and quick service. They were super helpful accommodating a food allergy in our party, and everyone had a great time. The food was very good. We will definitely come back next time we're in the area. Thank you all! read more

The restaurant is Meximerican... (Mexican + American) The prices are low. Nice sized portions. Cheap booze. Ok service. DELICIOUS food. I love the Verde carnitas burrito. read more

El Rodeo - Mexican Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

See all

"Amazing food. Horrible service." Came here on a Wednesday night, half an hour before closing, we walked in and asked if they were still serving (as no on acknowledged us when we first walked in) and the hostess finally looked up and happily said yes. We were seated towards to kitchen, given good complimemtary salsa and chips and food came out fairly promptly. The waitress forgot to give us an extra set of utensils, we tried to get their attention for 15+ minutes so my boyfriend had to borrow my fork lol A+ for food C for service Random side note: has anyone noticed the funky smell outside the restaurant? Is that the factories/car dealership? read more

El Rodeo - Papa or Pepe something? - Mexican Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

See all

There are so many better options for mexican food. This place is nothing special and I do not believe it deserves a visit. The lighting is terrible inside and it does not have a good vibe. read more

Do not go here if you are looking for a quality place to eat. The service was awful. The food was OK. Our waitress was unfriendly and inattentive. We seemed to be bothering her. She never came to check on us. At one point she slammed a pitcher of water on the table to avoid coming over to refill our waters herself. One of my friends spilled a cup of water, and no one came to offer a rag or paper towel. Three employees looked over and ignored us, so we had to get paper towels from the bathroom since our server didn't want to offer napkins with our food either. Food wasn't hot, and was very bland. As a server, I am hesitant to write bad reviews, but this was not a good experience, and neither of us will come here again. read more

We had a great time and the service was fantastic! We had a team event and they gave us a private room with excellent food and service!

They used to be really good. Now it seems their portions are a bit smaller and flavors lack lustre. When asked for spicier salsa I was charged extra but not told of this. They also charge for extra chips. Margaritas are good but too much melted ice. Doesnt seem as clean as before. read more

El Rodeo - Mexican Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

I normally visit one in Harrisburg always a great place i visited this location in Lancaster today was very disappointing we ordered our food after lady walked up to table and simply said what do u want then food arrived to table cheese enchilada i couldnt even cut with knife hamburger meat in tacos was filled with stems and rancid taste meal was waste of money then to top off used restroom before leaving and someone washing armpits in restroom not impressed shame to have elrodeo name on building read more

Literally the worst, everything!!! How does one mess up fried ice cream?!? Waitress didn't once check on the food or anything! Food had next to no flavor. I can't say enough about how AWFUL the service was. read more

Food is really good! The reason for three stars is because while the server was really nice, I think we saw him 3 times, once to order...second to give our food to us and third time to give us our bill. He never came to offer refills or to make sure everything was ok. The place is really loud inside so be ready to scream across your table so the people in your party can hear you. Overall, it's a great place to go where the food never fails. I'll go again read more

So, El Rodeo is what it is, and it does it very well. It's an "American" Mexican restaurant, for the most part. Colorful walls and tables, decorations, etc. Yes, they have fried ice cream on the menu. :) As a foodie, I'm not much of a traditional, gourmet Mexican fan, and in that respect, the El Rodeo locations don't disappoint. You can get all the usual favorites, including burritos, hard tacos with ground beef, etc. They have some more traditional options, as well, in case you'd like to venture off the taco trail If you're looking for a big, sometimes loud Mexican place, this is a great option, and you likely won't be disappointed. Get the Grande or Special dinner...you'll either leave with leftovers, or they'll have to roll you out. Probably the best dinner deal you'll find! A fun, guilty pleasure. read more