El Vago Cantina in Lawrence truly knocked it out of the park for our family Cinco de Mayo celebration, perfectly blending a high-energy vibe with a stunningly artistic atmosphere. The food was fab, featuring fresh chips and guacamole alongside a massive tray of tacos piled high with toppings. My mango margarita was a work of art, expertly crafted with a tajin rim, dried citrus, and a fragrant rosemary sprig. Our server Julia was great, ensuring our experience was seamless. We enjoyed the beautiful neon lighting and fresh floral touches. read more

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Impeccable service and incredible food! The team here knocker it out of the park. The vibes in the restaurant were amazing--loved the decor and the ambiance. The tacos were some of the best I've ever had, and so were the chips and salsa. Big thanks to our server, Julie, for taking such good care of us. You will DEFINITELY be seeing me here again read more

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Great food, great flavor. I will recommend. Fresh made. I had the 3 street Tacos. No aguas frescas though. read more

El Vago Cantina - Tacos: pollo, carnitas & chicharrón. Tasty and the service was excellent. I wish they had frescos naturales. Otherwise it was good. - Mexican Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

Had the best time at this restaurant that we stumbled upon on a Friday night. The guacamole was amazing I recommend getting the chicharron and the fried cheese add ons to it. Truly something I never had before. I ordered a margarita and that was very good as well, just the right amount of tequila. The wait staff was attentive and friendly. What made this place feel like such an experience however had to be the atmosphere and high energy with fun lights make this place an awesome night out. read more

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Food was delicious atmosphere added to the experience and waitress was amazing!!! We can hungry looking for authentic food and found a n authentic world!!! read more

UPDATE: The extra tip amount I entered on the portable electronic payment reader was credited back. They should not have automatic gratuities enabled for small dining parties. I would only expect automatic gratuities for larger parties and should be clearly stated on the menu and/or signed in restaurant. ORIGINAL POST: El Vago opened recently in Downtown Lawrence. This tequila bar and cantina offers a good variety of drinks and Mexican entrees depicted in a thick folding menu. The place has colorful festive decor with a long bar along the left front wall with seating, booths, and more seating in a back area. The music was very loud and it felt like I was at a local restaurant & bar in Downtown Framingham. I stopped in here recently for an early dinner. The place wasn't superbusy, so I took a seat at a booth. I was brought out a menu to look at. A server arrived with a plate of homemade thick fried tortilla chips and medium taco sauce. The chips were very chewy to eat, so I needed to break apart. For dinner, I ordered Chicken Fajitas ($20 plus tax), which arrived 20 minutes after ordering. The sizzling fajitas had seasoned grilled chicken, peppers, and onions in lots of oil, accompanied by a plate of white rice (warm) and black beans (soft & cold). 2 thick warm tortillas and hot sauce were provided. I finished my meal and requested the check afterwards. The server came out with a portable electronic payment reader. The total with tax should be $21.40, but the total was $24.40. I still tipped on top of that and as I took back my card. I think they added an automatic 15 percent gratuity ($3) and I should have caught on. They didn't want me to see the receipt even though I pressed print receipt before the server took the electronic payment reader, shut off the screen and walked away quickly. The Margaritas chain also uses similar portable electronic payment readers, but they have never added an automatic gratuity and they also give me a paper receipt too. Though the service was straightforward and the front of the house staff was friendly, the food overall was good, but not great. I would probably not return due to lack of transparency and more reasonable options in the area. Most of the menu seemed overpriced for Mexican food including $12-$14 desserts. I went to the Cookie Monstah in the next town for dessert instead. read more

The ambience is colorful fun and trendy. Music was enjoyable. Good food and visually pretty drinks that taste good. The service was also good. It was just extremely cold there. Ac was on really high read more

El Vago Cantina - One of the drinks - Mexican Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

This food was soooo good. The tacos were so yummy and the sauce made them all the better. I was sitting outside and it was amazing. Serve was great! Waitress was very sweet. Also, the tacos were a pretty cheap! I would definitely come here again! read more

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Overall, my dining experience at this restaurant was disappointing. The service left much to be desired, with long wait times for both seating and receiving our drinks and food. The decorations were appealing, embracing a vibrant Mexican theme, although the loud music hindered conversation. The food presentation was commendable, but the quality fell short of expectations. The steak was improperly cooked despite clear instructions, and the fried plantains were overly oily. The tacos were passable, but the nachos lacked authenticity, with store-bought chips and canned cheese. Even the guacamole seemed store-bought rather than freshly made. The flautas, while initially enjoyable, suffered from being served atop a guacamole salad, resulting in sogginess. Overall, the restaurant's decor may catch your eye, but the subpar service and mediocre food may leave you wanting more from your dining experience.... Additionally, the wait for the bill was excessively long, taking a frustrating 25 minutes, as I timed it. This further highlighted the inadequacies in the service department, indicating a clear need for improvement in this area. Important check your bill before you leave... I will not recommend this restaurant. It was the worst 300 dollar dinner I had read more

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Great spot for Great tacos I was greeted as soon as i walked in. The Server was very attentive and made sure we had were good the entire time. Owner came over and greeted us as well. I will definitely return soon. read more

Finally decided to try El Vago cantina and sad to say I was highly disappointed. The place is nicely decorated with vibrant colors all around and music playing. We had a 30-minute wait for a table of four, but I understand since it was a busy Saturday night. After we were sat, we ordered a couple appetizers, the guacamole and steak tostadas and drinks. I also ordered a Mango Chile Margarita which was good. We received the guacamole and chips. The server also brought a plate of carne asada with rice and beans, I told her this was not what I ordered. The server stated that yes, this was what I had ordered and continued to argue with me. She stated that this was the first time this had ever happened to her, and it was my fault for ordering the wrong thing, kind of surprised as this has also never happened to me before. I asked to speak to the manager, and he said he would fix the situation. It was baffling how they messed up my order, but when I tried to address the issue, they argued with me about it as if it were my fault. Not surprisingly, when I finally got my bill, I was charged for the wrong dish. I once again asked for the manager and he was able to fix the issue. The lack of customer service was appalling, and it left a sour taste in my mouth, both figuratively and literally. I would not recommend this place to anyone looking for a genuine Mexican dining experience. There are plenty of places in Lawrence that can provide better services, tastier Mexican food, and a cheaper price. read more

I eat out a lot! Probably too much. However, El Vago Cantina is hands down one of the top dining experiences I've ever had. I have never enjoyed a meal like this one. The steak was cooked to perfection, used my butter knife to cut. The Mexican Street corn left me sad when it was gone. The waitress was very attentive and the drinks were killer! The decorations, lighting, and music left you feeling like you were on vacation in a different country. I highly, highly recommend trying this place. You will not be disappointed! read more