Somebody here previously commented that it's (and quite accurately, in my opinion as well) only a tad bit better than Taco Bell. This is a sad but true summary of our experience today. Food was bland, cold and not at all fresh. Vegetable fajitas were not only not sizzling but cold! Chips were good, salsa tasted as if from a rusty WWII tin. Service was inattentive (no refills, had to ask twice for cutlery and napkins, bill would not come until we got up and waited at the cash register). In fairness, it was a Sunday afternoon, so hopefully we didn't get the regular cooks and wait staff. It was a wanting experience overall; given the choice, the Bell might actually have been a better option. A really disappointing third and last visit for our family. read more

We have been here twice and won't be going back. The first time was a Friday or Saturday night and the waiter kept forgetting everything. It took 15-20 minutes before he came to take our order and didn't bring chips or salsa. I thought maybe it was a place that you had to pay for them so I didn't say anything. When he came back around I asked for silverware and that's when he noticed we never got chips and salsa. It's brought out and a few minutes later our food. After that we didn't get checked in or anything by our server. We had to stop him and ask for to go boxes which he then forgot to bring three times. It was seriously weird. The food was good though so we decided we'd go back eventually and give the place another try. Tonight we went back and our server was borderline rude, didn't bring my son the water I asked for and wouldn't come around after we ordered. We had to ask for a spoon for him cause he was given no silverware to eat with, and we had to stop someone to ask for drink refills. Every interaction we had with anyone there it seemed like they tried to say as few words as possible and get away as fast as possible. This time the food was just okay and my sons grilled cheese wasn't even melted. Given how little they seem to care about interacting and taking care of their customers it makes me wonder about the food quality. We won't be going back. Bad customer service and that makes me skeptical about the food as well. read more

I give this place zero stars even though i have to put at least one in order to post this. Most disgusting place that I have ever been. The margarita tasted so awful that I could not drink it. The salsa was so bad and soda was so watered down. My food smelled funny like someone did something to it. I am so grossed out. Service was awful. Waitress was miserable and not very friendly. Everything is dirty there and ppl that work there are shady. Never go there! What an absolute waste of money! read more

Colorful atmosphere. Nice place to meet up and chat and have an enjoyable meal. Service is very amicable. Not rushing you out the door once you completed your meal. Food is Americana Mexican and very tasteful. Must say the salsa is very fresh and flavorful. Fajitas come out with a beautiful mouthwatering sizzle. The chicken tamales is a must.....done to perfection ! Thanks El Rodeo....keep up the good work! read more

The decor is a bit over-the-top in terms of being what Americans would stereotypically consider Mexican, but I actually like the food here better than at the several more upscale Mexican places in the area. The chips and salsa are good, the pico de gallo excellent. My personal faves are the arroz con camarones, the avocado salad served with it, and the ridiculously inexpensive flan for dessert. read more

Been eating here off & on since they first opened Lancaster restaurant. Over the past few years the food and service has bounced around from really good to really bad. This evening's visit was on the really good end. Although no one was up front to get & seat us immediately, once we were seated, the service & food/drinks came quickly. Food was hot & tasted really good. We were pleasantly surprised & commend Maria & her team for an excellent experience! read more

I met my family there as they were finishing their meal. They enjoyed the food. So, I ordered a dessert. Fried ice cream. It was a good ball of ice cream but it was covered in whole corn flakes!!!! Not at all good. Dont order the fried ice cream! read more

We've eaten here before and really like it. They make a guacamole fresh at your table to your specifications. Really good. We were somewhat disappointed with their bland tacos, but everything else was good. They have impressive selection of non-alcoholic drinks. The service was a little slow, but it is a Saturday night at dinner time. The ambience is friendly casual with a Mexican theme. read more

Not bad but definitely not up to the quality of our local Mexican restaurant. Saw other reviews that didn't like the salsa but I think those people were looking for pico de gallo and not a more traditional salsa. El Rodeo's salsa was good, not too spicy. I had a combo meal: beef taco, beef enchilada, and cheese chile rellenos. The price was good but I was surprised that it did not include the usual sides: beans and rice. The beef taco was a hard taco, my preference - the beef was lightly flavored (I added hot sauce) and a little greasy but not bad. The beef enchilada was the same ground meat, nothing special. I am glad that I ordered the cheese rellenos vs. beef because I am sure it would have been the same meat again. The rellenos was ok - the breading was somewhat thick and a little greasy but there was lots of cheese. Everything was covered with the same mild enchilada-style sauce. My husband had the Carnitas - it was not a very big serving of meat but it was well-cooked. Not a huge amount of seasoning but tasty. Other people commented hear that the port was nothing but fat - my husband said that there was a lot of fat but what he noticed was that he "tasted or felt" it. The Carnitas would be better if they stuck it under some flame to help caramelize the meat and, especially, the fat. It would help. The waiter was great and made good recommendations if we ever come back and we will if we are in the area. read more

Love this place! The food is always delicious, chicken enchiladas are my prrsonal favorite. The atmosphere is cool, the service is great, and the drinks are on point. I felt compelled to write a review because yelp reviews only have el rodeo at a 3, but this is the best Mexican food I've found in the lanc. Prices are good, it's just a great time out. Gotta check out the guy that brings out 6 entrees across his arm too! read more

Food is good...nothing to go crazy about. The server we had was not friendly at all. She wasn't rude she was just 'to the point'...didn't smile or anything. Prices were reasonable. read more

I just ordered the two burrito meal for takeout. It was supposed to come with chicken and beef, rice and beans, and guacamole salad; the beef burrito was right but the second order was completely wrong. The chicken burrito was not chicken at all, no chicken was present only peppers and cheese. I also payed for a side of guacamole which I did not receive; I definitely should have checked my take out before paying. The food did have good flavor BUT the service was mediocre and my order was wrong; I did not get what I payed for. read more

I placed the order on line and asked that it be ready for pick up at 6:15 PM. I got to the restaurant at 5:50 and the food was sitting on a table in the front near the Seating Host's desk. No telling how long it had been there because the Fajitas were lukewarm. I told the Host when it was supposed to be ready and this young kid (probably 19 year) just shrugged. I also said that I was glad I came early rather than waiting until 6:15 and the Host began to argue picking up my entree telling me to feel that it was still warm. But it was lukewarm. I asked to check the order which he did but it was missing extra hot sauce and jalapenos. The hot sauce costs $1.50 and was probably no more than 2 ounces. I asked the waiter if he thought that $1.50 was a lot for 2 ounces. He just laughed and said that what it is. I asked for more and he said he couldn't. In all it was a very disrespectful attitude and treatment. The food was very mediocre as everything was over-laden with cheese and flavorless. Overall it was a very bad experience. I would rate the restaurant and its staff a "1" - if that. read more

Lousy service. Only 3 tables occupied and virtually ignored by wait staff. Saw our waiter 3 times and he was rude "whadya want?" Refilled diet coke glass w/water and walked off. Had to go to register and tell them we needed a check. When we told them we had lousy service the only comment was "sorry." Never again ~ we've said that 5 times now, but we mean it this time!! read more

I have not been to the Lancaster restaurant since right after they first opened. Tonight my son wanted Mexican and we were in the neighborhood so we stopped in for dinner, Of note: my all time favorite restaurant is El Serrano but on a Saturday evening at 6:30 we would be waiting for a table for longer than my son could stand, So, we were seated within 5 minutes, chips and salsa brought to the table. The chips were thick corn, tasted like the oil hadn't been changed since the first day they opened. The salsa tasted like it came out of a can and was quite disappointing. I ordered my meal sans sour cream and guacamole. Dinner came with sour cream and guacamole and some oily faux cheese sauce. Fast forward to the second dinner which contained no sour cream or guacamole but was burned. The waitress was great, apologizing over and over. She removed my uneaten dinner and also removed it from our check. We ordered churros thinking how can you ruin churros?? Well, we were about to find out... They were hard as rocks! They must have been sitting under the hot lights since Tuesday evening. Oh, before I forget, the waitress came to our table before our meals came and asked if we were done with our chips. I jokingly asked her if they needed our basket and she said YES!!!! So, beside the fact that the food was horrific, the restaurant was filthy! I watched a table being cleaned off- the food/crumbs were wiped onto the floor, a napkin fell onto the floor and was kicked away! As I am writing this, my stomach is starting to hurt. Hopefully I don't have food poisoning. If I do, I am not surprised! The only reason why I rated this disgusting place with one star is because there isn't a zero or any negative numbers to use. Go to El Serrano, wait for a table and enjoy a wonderful meal!!! read more

The food was great but the service is lousy. The waitress ignored us when we wanted more drinks. The small amount of corn chips and salsa they give you to munch on is just not enough even when we had the girl bring us a second round. My daughters ordered a pitcher of Sangria which costs a good bit and tastes like punch with strawberries chopped up in it. Don't waste your money on that! I was dying to try a Tequila Sunrise (one of my favorite drinks) but when the waitress was able to find our table again she had the check figured out. Not a happy experience! read more

My husband and I moved to Lancaster about 3 years ago and we love real Mexican food. So after asking multiple people where we could find some good Mexican food, we tried this place. In a word, it's meh. The food was okay, but lacked spice or seasoning. I suspect they cater to the majority of Lancaster which likes their food on the blander side. But if you've had real Mexican food, I'd look elsewhere. read more

A long time customer from Harrisburg, York and now Lancaster. Service in Lancaster is poor to say the least .Staff needs to quit talking and playing around. Service should be the number 1 priority. IT IS NOT Food used to be excellent and that is no longer the case. This establishment need a good cleaning of facility and staff. why not get a good plan of action and enforce it. read more

I like it but it has slime in the freezer. I am not going to go there. I like the dips and macaroni also the chicken chimichanga.

I've eaten here a handful of times with my SO over the past year. The service is down right horrible and has been that way each and every time we've gone. I would give it 1 star if it weren't for the fact that the food is always good. We've never had an order come out wrong so that's not the issue either. It's the SERVICE. I understand this is a Mexican restaurant but the majority of the clientele speak English. So why not hire people who are at least bilingual? Even when we have spoken to them in Spanish we barely get any responses from them. It's usually simple "okay, yes, or no" responses. Drink refills BEFORE you're done with your meal? Forget about it. The one in York has just as good cooks and much better service. read more

I did not like the service and the food was not all it was cracked up to be. The manager had the worst attitude.

Food is good, we go to Lemoyne el rodeo a lot and the food is very consistent with theirs if not a little better actually, but what is just about hilarious is that on multiple occasions the host sits us and then we don't see the server for a very long time. They just don't know we are there. Its the running joke, when will they notice us? Once they do, they are very attentive and good. We go late evenings here occasionally but we have to be in a patient mood. read more

I've seen good reviews and bad ones. Although I have personally never had a bad meal or bad service, there are differences at the various locations. Lancaster tends to be more salty than that of Harrisburg and Lemoyne. Overall the food is priced right and very good. I'm sure this is the Americanized version of Mexican food but it's certainly much better than most in the area. I have yet to be disappointed, especially with the sizzling fajitas. Very hot and very tasty. I think some bad reviews were dependent on a certain day where a specific cook or server that just wasn't doing their job that day. I would recommend El Rodeo to anyone. And for those that hate the gaudy decor, the restaurant has changed its look completely. More browns, rusts and earth tones, in addition to the bold wooden booths and chairs lend to somewhat of a more old world Mexican flare more comparable to El Serrano (which is also good, although Americanized Mexican too). I had the good fortune of having a well known Mexican Chef in Southern LA make a private dinner for me and guests in her home. That was the ABSOLUTE best Mexican cuisine I have ever eaten. That is a standard no Southern PA Mexican joint can match. That being said, El Rodeo is my favorite "local" place to eat. read more

I would give this place zero stars if I could. The service was terrible and the food was awful. My "nachos," if you can call them nachos, were swimming in what appeared to be a cold cheese sauce. They were soggy and quite frankly disgusting. My partner ordered enchiladas, which were literally sitting in some sort of sauce. The "cheese" inside was bizarre, some weird soupy mess and the chicken was in chunks, not shredded like it should be. The only decent thing about this place is the beer and chips. Go to McDonalds across the street, at least it's edible. read more

We used to enjoy this restaurant & I don't know if this changed hands but we had the worst meal and the most rude server i ever had. The place was virtually empty - 25 min. for server to return after seating us 45 min. for food which was cold, waitress acted as though she was doing us a favor each time we asked to bring something she forgot. Will never return. read more

I came I on 5/26/17, sat at the bar and ordered a margarita and chicken chimichangas. The margarita was barely OK with kind of a powdery taste and chimichangas were good. While I was eating bar tender was using a pitcher to splash water on the lower bar walls, I could see water splashing all over the preparation surfaces. Half way through my meal I read the digital display on the drink machine my margarita came from, it said "MONTHLY FILTER CLEANING REQUIRED 447 DAYS". I pointed out to the bar tender this caused me concern and he said it meant 447 days until the next cleaning is due. A little research on my phone proved it meant 447 days PAST DUE. the manager came over and said it is just an old machine and they clean it and then just walked away. Seeing the display and the powdery taste of the margarita I could drink no more. The bartender took my drink and poured it out with no offer to provide a different drink, not even water. No compensation or reduced charges were provided either. I WON'T BE BACK TO THIS UNSANITARY PLACE. read more

If I could, I wouldn't even give this aweful restuarant a star at all. The food was disgusting and gave my wife and I the....well...... you know. The service left alot to be desired. My father and I both ordered iced tea. When the server returned later in the meal, we both asked for refills at the same time, she took both our glasses and a few minutes later another differant server brought the SAME GLASSES back refilled with bath water warm Tea, with no ice, and the same mangle lemons that were in the glasses when they left the table. I asked the server how she knew which glass was mine and which was my fathers, she had no clue. I began to doubt she even knew if they came from the same table. Our server struggled to speak english well. We could hardly understand what she was saying. Once we payed the bill she took our credit card to the computer, layed it down, and then walked away and did other "server" things. Our credit card sat there, in the middle of the restuarant, unattended for approximately 5 minutes while she dissapeared. This is my second time I've been to this hell hole and I'll never return. Disgusting!! read more

Just left El Rodeo in Lancaster so angry I was practically in tears. The main reason I went on this night is so my daughter and her cousins could finally see the Mariachi band we kept trying to see. So, since we had already had dinner, we ordered 6 desserts to share, none of which were delicious. As is the custom, the band goes around the restaurant, stopping at each table. However, the band went around the the restaurant TWICE and skipped our table BOTH times. I was so angry, I had trouble maintaining my composure, which was necessary considering that I had 3 children with me. Although one of them asked me if I was okay. One of those children also said, "Maybe they don't like Black people." It was that obvious. We were the only table there with African-Americans. When they passed us by the 2nd time, I even said, "What about us?" And was basically given the body language equivalent to, "Naw, not today." At that point, there was no point in forcing them to come sing at our table. What's the joy in that. However, I complained the manager and will NEVER set foot in there again. read more