Looking to try somewhere new in the area we ended up at El Rodeo. Their reviews looked good, so we had to give them a try. The restaurant was clean and well decorated. The staff was friendly, although very slow for the amount of people in the restaurant. It started out good with delicious chips and salsa. I had a jalapeño margarita, which was good at the first sip, but not so much by the end. Being a lover of enchiladas, I went with the three salsas enchiladas, which looked delicious served either rice and black beans. The rice was extremely dry and had clearly been overcooked or sitting around for a very long time. It was pretty much inedible. The beans were good at least. The chicken in the enchiladas was so dry you could probably grow a cactus in it. The flavors of the enchiladas were highly muted by the extremely dry chicken. If it weren't for the queso that we ordered with the chips, the entire meal would have been a loss. Sorry, but not even giving this place a second try, it was really bad! read more

El Rodeo - 3 Salsas Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

We frequent Mexican restaurants and were very disappointed! Went there for 4:30 on Sunday night. Started with table side guacamole. There was only 1/3 of the dish filled and hardly any avocado. It was loaded with onion and cilantro. The photo showed an over the top portion of guac. We ended up ordering 2 sides of avocado to add to it to make it edible. Rice was dry and flavorless! The fajita quesadilla was fair. The fajita was good but mostly lettuce, little sour cream and tomatoes for toppings. I got a beer and my wife got a water. It came to $70 without tip. Will not be going back! read more

Got dinner here the other night and the service was quick and friendly. The food came out fast! I got the fajita quesadilla which is my favorite from having it at other locations but had never been to this location. I also got a Moscow mule and it was good. You get free chips and salsa too. Portions are large for the price! read more

El Rodeo - Inside - Mexican Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

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The restaurant seems to be in an old diner, perhaps a Dennys (which was fun)? The service and staff were great. However, the food portions were small for the price and not very tasty. My margarita had a TON of ice. The beans tasted like they were from a can, the hard shelled taco from a box and overall the food was underwhelming. Not sure we'd go back. read more

Lousy!!!! We decided to give them a try, the chips and salsa came out and I honestly thought "oh wow, this salsa is delicious" and had high hopes for everything else. The drinks came out looking great, unfortunately, not the case... Then the food arrived and both of our dishes sucked in plain English. I ordered Pollo a la Crema, as it's generally a go to choice for me at Mexican restaurants and this was AWFUL. No flavor, the chicken was dry and rubbery like and I think they forgot the sour cream sauce that is always in this dish, they gave me about a Tablespoon of re-fried beans and the rice was hard as a rock! So undercooked! It was definitely one of the worst meals we've ever had out. Oddly enough, it was Jesse's Birthday too... so that made me feel bad. Will never EVER visit again while in Maine! read more

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I wanted to like this place, but my experience fell short. I arrived when it was quiet and got seated quickly. After looking over the menu, I decided to order the table-side guacamole and chicken fajitas. Unfortunately, the guacamole was prepared out of my sight and brought to the table without much fanfare. Something was off about the taste; it lacked freshness and that creamy, buttery flavor I was hoping for. Instead, it had a somewhat sour taste, not overwhelmingly bad, but definitely not worth the money I spent on it. I was expecting sizzling chicken fajitas, but what I got was just a plate of chicken with onions and peppers, served with rice and beans. I also got three small tortillas and a side plate of shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and sour cream. There wasn't a separate plate to assemble my fajitas, but I made do. Overall, the flavor was mediocre. Fajitas should be hot and flavorful, not just a mix of ingredients that lack any pride in preparation. To make matters worse, the server never asked how my meal was; instead, I was only offered a to-go box towards the end of my meal. Given the numerous dining options available, especially in this economy, I would recommend looking for a better Mexican restaurant. read more

Mexican restaurant inside of a refurbished old diner Complimentary chips, and they gave everyone in my party our own salsa dish, however the chips needed more salt IMO Solid menu of decent quality Mexican food. I got a mole chicken dish and I was pretty happy with it Huge margaritas read more

5 stars for flavor, vibes & service! We came in as a party of 6 at 5pm on a Wednesday and were sat right away. The staff were friendly and the waitress was attentive without hovering. The chips and salsa came out fast and the guac didn't cost our life savings! As there were many delicious sounding choices on the menu, we decided to order a bunch of everything and share it "family style". I loved the steak fajitas because the meat had that delicious sear but also juicy & tender. The assorted enchiladas & quesadillas were delightful & full of fresh ingredients. I am not a big tamale fan but this one was good & I enjoyed a small serving. The elote was crisp and tasty. But hands down, the best thing I had was the Birria Tacos. OMGG this could possibly be one of the best things I've eaten in my life!! I have tried birria tacos elsewhere and have had some good ones but this one here is on another level. Like "last meal" worthy. The quality of the birria meat is outstanding and contained within the perfectly crisp shell - I should have given the chefs a round of applause. You can tell they use quality ingredients & cook from the heart! Also want to say, we didn't have margaritas but the men at the table next to us did & were talking about how well made they were. I'll try one next time. Because there will absolutely be a next time. We left full & happy. And just in case it isn't obvious, 10/10 would recommend. read more

The food was OK but something told me that it wasn't really made from scratch like I said the food was OK but it definitely does not inspire for me to say oh my God next time I'm in town let me go. Have dinner or lunch here.. I don't understand. How are you a business owner and you are not on top of your business checking up on the food quality etc. etc. very mediocre. read more

Our first time here .Decor was nice and we sat outside. The food was great , I had Tosquitos Mexicanos with beef and I really enjoyed it . The service was quick , friendly a nd helpful . We will definitely come here again. Had flam for desert and it was good. read more

Awesome food 10 out of 10 drinks were amazing as well great service as well Definitely will be going back.

We sat at the bar and didn't have much luck with service. The bartender was rarely behind the bar. It took 15 mins before we got a drink order in and then for some reason my food was delivered 15 minutes before my husband's. I was done before he even had taken his first bite. The food was good, it just would have been nice to actually eat together. Probably wont go back. read more

I love Mexican & This is Literally the worst Mexican food I've ever had!!! Nothing had flavor--not even the salsa. All The sauces were nasty, ground beef tasted odd and on top of that, 3 whole tacos were missing from my order. Only thing that was good was the salad......Very disappointing & a waste of my $41. read more

Good mexican restaurant in an old diner Dennys. Great cool, diner meets Mexican atmosphere. Authentic mexican food. Lots of vegetarian options. The vegetarian combo a was good with cheese enchilada, bean burrito and bean tostada. Nice flavors. Mexican rice was superb. Friendly waiter, great prices. Good Sunday lunch. read more

They have the best street tacos I've ever eaten! The flavors are fresh, authentic, and absolutely delicious. Every bite was packed with taste, and you can tell they put care into their food. Highly recommend if you're looking for amazing tacos. read more

I've been searching for a good local Mexican restaurant, and El Rodeo is not at the top of my list, but they're definitely getting honorable mention. It's a super cute diner building, nice comfortable ambience, and the staff are super quick and accommodating. Our toddler was having a wild day, and they kindly helped us retrieve a hot wheels that rolled straight off the table and engaged with my son, so big kudos on making us comfortable. As for the food, I was super disappointed by the cheese dip, hard pass. On the bright side, the rest was pretty good. Rice, chips, salsa, tacos and birria were all good. This is the closest Mexican restaurant to our home so it's likely to become a regular haunt, not the best food, but it's convenient, comfortable and fills you up read more

Best place I've ever had. Authentic, delicious, service is wonderful & great margaritas read more

El Rodeo - Bar - Mexican Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

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BEST FOOD EVER! basically licked the plate, I got three crunchy tacos with steak and i can't explain how delicious the steak is i order even more before leaving to take out! id recommend !! read more

El Rodeo - Mexican Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

Decided to try the new El Rodeo location in Scarborough with my family. The evening was a bit chilly however we decided to eat outside on the patio and we were greeted by our server who brought tortillas and salsa and drink orders were taken. My sister-in-law ordered a side of guacamole which was super. Most everyone tried the different margaritas flavors offered. We ordered our meals and I got the California Burrito which came with a salad and beans. I asked for no onions on my burrito and it arrived with them, however I decided not to send it back because they were cooked and delicious. The burrito was stuffed with several different kinds of vegetables and was very good. I really wished it came with rice. My wife ordered fish tacos and one beef taco. She found the beef taco excellent, however the fish tacos were a bit on the spicy end. read more

El Rodeo - a bowl of guacamole and chips - Mexican Near Me - Scarborough, Maine

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Have driven by this place a number of times this summer and finally had the opportunity to try it. We liked it so much that we went back again and had the same dish. The Mexican street tacos with shrimp are excellent; simple and fresh tasting. The second time we visited, I called for take out and our food was ready in 10 minutes. It was beautifully packed as good as it was in the restaurant. We will certainly be visiting again. This little place was a pleasant surprise. read more

we ordered a steak and shrimp fajit and a Chili retain0. the food was fantastic. The service was great. I totally recommend this restaurant read more

This isn't authentic Mexican food, and it isn't Tex-Mex. It's low quality ingredients prepared poorly by people with no idea how to cook or combine flavors. The cooks cannot be tasting this stuff for seasoning or edibility. I ordered takeout, 3 beef enchiladas with cheese and *red* sauce. I got 3 tortillas with a tiny amount of what might have had some beef in it(?) blended with undercooked bell peppers in a blend of cheese and chocolate mole that was the most vile and disgusting thing I've ever tried to eat. They went straight in the trash. The rice was so hard that it crunched... straight into the trash. The refried beans had some sort of mucous-looking stuff on them (Did not even try them.), straight into the trash. The "guacamole" isn't. It's mostly corn(really?), cilantro and again with the uncooked bell peppers (TAF?). I've eaten many a wonderful, authentic Mexican meal, in many a Southern Mexico town plus many times my weight in Tex-Mex In Austin. This is neither. This food (and I use the term loosely) looks and tastes like it was everything that was leftover on plates the night before. Eat some convenience store burritos. You'll probably enjoy them more and won't be out an amount of money that is utterly unjustified by the fare. read more

Door was extremely good. Large portions, fresh. The service was a bit slow for a lunch time with only 4 people on the restaurant.

Always great service, love the tacos, burritos oh and let's not forget the margaritas!!!!!

I recommend this restaurant. They provided good food and good service. What else is needed? read more

Food is always fresh and delicious and the service is great. The people at the counter are so nice to everyone. It's a chill vibe, but bustling with the wait staff moving about. Best house margarita around - large, fresh, and tasty. They recently went up on their happy hour drinks by $0.25 (still an amazing value) BUT they changed the happy to 2 PM to 5 PM - very strange hours. Great food value and flavor. We will need to find a new weekday happy hour spot since I don't get out of work until 4:30 PM. THAT MAKES ME SAD!!! read more

We were excited to try this new restaurant. Honestly, the food was pretty lackluster, but it also made us feel pretty sick. So we warn you to stay away. read more

Just had lunch here. I ordered water, no ice, no straw. I was given water with ice and a straw. I ordered a black bean burrito. My burrito came and had no black beans in it, and it was not good. My friend ordered fish tacos, which she did not like. We both ordered the House Margarita for $6.75. We got our drinks and did not realize until the bill came that they gave us the jumbo Margarita that was nearly TWICE the cost. AND, normally if I have a Margarita, I get a little tipsy. This was the equivalent of TWO Margaritas, but I didn't even come close to tipsy. If there was any alcohol in the drinks, it was minimal and certainly not worth the $12.00. read more

Bland food, small portions, actually the worst Mexican food I've eaten. Although I paid $60 for my wife and I, I wouldn't finish 3/4 of my plate, almost gross. I believe they are used to dealing with sucker tourists and not concerned with repeat business. read more

Great prices and good drinks. Food is fresh and tasty. South Portland is more traditional of an atmosphere while Scarborough is more energetic. The bar folks are great! read more

Stopped in on our way up North to ski. Fun and different atmosphere - gave the vibes of a diner and Mexican restaurant. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful, and the food was great! read more

Good food and service. Best Mexican food that I have had in Maine. Chips and salsa are very good.

One of few places on the east coast which makes a "California style burrito " , that is one with fries in the burrito. We had them with chorizo , spicy but not overwhelming. And a food wide selection of Mexican food .The offer Sprite in glass bottles . If you're a connoisseur of Coca-cola products , they taste better in a glass bottle.We will be back read more

Tried El Rodeo for the first time. The staff was extremely accommodating to our large group of 10. Kid friendly, excellent food and drink selection. Our waitress was super patient with our picky eaters. Would definitely recommend read more