Amazing, always packed, very clean, staff is amazing, very good food, prices are good for the amount of food you order.

The food was absolutely divine! We had a great time being able to talk in this adorable little space. The bathroom was very clean and taken care of. The workers were very quick to help with any thing. read more

The food was fantastic. I ordered the burrito mono, and everything was delicious and fresh. The staff was fast and respectful. The colorful yet slightly desaturated tones of the restaurant gave it a really relaxed vibe. read more

The food is all good and service is quick. We've been going there for years. If you like peppers they have the best Chile Relleno's I've had. read more

Stopped in for a quick bite while on the road on a Saturday night. The place was packed. Very local crowd. Observations in order of occurrence: We were asked no less than a half dozen times if we were ready to order and we barely had the opportunity to review the menu. Queso cheese was cold and watery. Everything was delivered within nano seconds and it really started to freak me out. Beer, boom! queso boom! chips boom! food boom! I do not like how they do their chicken it looks like worms. Don't believe me, look at pictures. In a rare deviation, I opted for the taco salad with chicken and did not enjoy it all that much. The tomatoes were nonexistent, the only thing I could discern were lettuce, sour cream and chicken that looked like worms. By the time I got to the bottom of the bowl, there was a pool of ? left in the shell. I am kicking myself for not sticking with my original thought which was tilapia, grilled zucchini and squash with sliced avocado. I get it, small town, small restaurant, chatty people that linger. This small business owner is motivated to turn tables but at the risk of turning people off in the process. The service was not lacking, but had all the warmness of a tactical team carrying out their mission. True to form, when we stood up to leave, an employee swooped in to clear the table after I had taken two steps. No, gracias. read more

El Vaquero - a bowl of soup and two bottles of beer - Mexican Near Me - Mattoon, Illinois

So well renovated is El Vaquero's building that it's hard to tell it was a former Wendy's. The restaurant takes the same creative approach with its menu. The large variety of entrees include traditional items, plus those that have been tweaked slightly for an interesting and appetizing difference. I had Paella--grilled steak, chicken, shrimp and vegetables over rice. This paella, though, had a light cheese sauce over all. Service was excellent and prices were fair. El Vaquero is a relaxing spot for any size party and for any occasion. read more

See all

I wanted to love this small popular place that we stopped at on a dreary rainy drive back to Chicago from New Orleans. Lots of local customers enjoying dinner on small business Small Business Saturday. I loved that and the festive atmosphere. We were seated in a nice booth, given menus and less than a minute later asked what we wanted. Then another minute later asked again. Then a different server was sent over to ask us again. He came back two times along with our waitress. It's a large menu, we've never been there before, we needed time. They weren't rude, just persistent and a bit indifferent. I'm sure there was a bit of a communication gap as well. I saw food coming out and it looked good. I was eyeing the tacos and several other traditional dishes. I settled on the fajita taco salad. The salad was served in the traditional fried tortilla bowl and it was a heaping mess. I couldn't quite figure out what was in it. Fajita toppings with stringy chicken as the meat, salad, sour cream, cheese sauce and guacamole were my best guesses. No tomatoes. The salad was a watery and unappetizing blob for the most part. We ordered cheese dip that was severed in a small bowl, didn't fill the bowl, was thin, watery, and cold without many spices...I mixed salsa into it for flavor. I've never disliked cheese dip. You have to understand that our daughter who's a sophomore in college now is the cheese dip lover in our family, and she doesn't share well. I'm finally at the point where I don't have to share cheese dip with her and it wasn't good - this was a small tragedy! The prices were very reasonable, the restaurant was clean, and the customers seemed happy. I'm so sad that we didn't enjoy our experience. I do think I would maybe try again. read more

The cheese steak is a favorite and the wife loves the margaritas the kids like the soft tacos they aren't too spicy for them! great staff!

Not the authentic taste I was going for. Tacos were soggy and fell apart, had to eat with fork. Chips and salsa were not impressive, bland in taste for overall meal. read more

Excellent sauces, drinks are modified to hold up against the more intense flavors, fun environment.

We were looking for a good place for lunch en route from Carbondale to the Chicago area. I pulled up my handy dandy Yelp app and saw this was highly rated. So... we stopped in. 1.) The place was packed (we were lucky to get a table on a Sunday at lunch) yet we received top notch service, answering any questions, and quick to get food. 2.) We had a lot of it - we were hungry - yet left feeling full. 3.) The menu was very large - things for any taste - from authentic Mexican to gringo Mexican 4.) The price was excellent for what you get. 5.) The workers are genuinely spanish speaking and know their menu and how to explain to those of us who might be confused. GIve it a try. read more

Our favorite Mexican restaurant in town. Always friendly, fast, and fresh food . Servers are very welcoming and me sure you are taken care of the whe time read more

We stopped in to El Vaquero on a lovely Friday evening and were greeted with some excellent old school signage and some slightly older inside decor that both reminds you and declares that this place is gonna be good! The beer selection is standard Mexican restaurant with all the normal must haves. The Margaritas come in large and kiddie pool size - we saw one walk by that small dogs could chillax in! Chips and salsa were excellent with some great flavor from the salsa. The entree's were really solid - in fact some of the better standard Mexican we've had in a long time. The molcajete we enjoyed primarily by my better half, but we all had a little and wow was it good! The lava pit of cheese, chicken, veggies and shrimp was amazing - some of the best we've ever had. I enjoyed the carne asada tacos and los tacos son buenos! The dudes helping us out were very nice, attentive, and provided an endless supply of chips = A+. If we lived in town, this would be our spot for standard Mexican food! read more

Always quick, hot, and yummy. The service is exceptional here. Dont let the small building fool you, theres more room than it looks like. The menu here is literally the same as 2 other local Mexican eateries btw. Enjoy. read more

Amazing restaurant. The service is fantastic, and waiters are super friendly. Amazing food, and even better drinks. Also love that they offer indoor and outdoor (weather allowing) seating. The owner is almost always present at this location, and is always checking in on his customers. Also on your birthday they offer you a free treat, which is always a great bonus!! Definitely recommend read more

You have to make an effort to screw up Mexican food; it's not rocket science. Thankfully, El Vaquero gets this. However, don't expect just the usual fare from this Midwestern Mexican joint. An inventive menu featuring staples alongside offerings like paella, molcajete and a boatload of seafood torments the indecisive soul. I don't generally like to order ocean munchies too far from said ocean, but I was curious about the seemingly voluminous love for all things salt-watery. I ordered the El Vaquero Seafood plate - grilled fish filled with shrimp, served with rice and grilled vegetables. Cheap at $9.99 and quite good. The shrimp and tilapia were tasty; veggies included broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, lettuce and tomato and there were also mushrooms and onions. I almost didn't want to put sauce on it. But sauce I must. Place is small and was packed when I arrived; a good sign. Service was excellent and atmosphere was strip-mall charming. Quite a nice stop in the heartland. You should make it too. read more

Easily one of our favorite places to eat in town. Everytime staff is super friendly, food is hot and good, and margaritas are amazing! I recommend the frozen watermelon margaritas, they are so good! Never had any issues. We love to sit on the Patio and enjoy the food. read more

Good food. I think that there are some good dishes that we really enjoy. This is plan B if we do not go to Los Portillos in Charleston. We really enjoy this place though small, and the food is just the right serving size. Salsa is very fresh and delicious. read more

I think this place has been in business 5 years, but this was our first visit. Very attentive and courteous staff. Excellent food. We will for sure be back. read more

I love mexican food and this is one of my favorites in mattoon. The waitstaff are very accommodating and kind. The food is always delicious and piping hot. My boyfriend and I usually share the molcajete and order extra shells. 14.98 total for both meals and there's always leftovers. Saturdays they have 3.50 regular margaritas and they're perfect! Kids meals are also reasonably priced and their tacos are always full. I only have one complaint and it's the salsa, very bland.. no spice and not enough cilantro for my taste. Other than that, this restaurant is remarkable. My go to place to eat and I highly recommend it to everyone before kindly asking to join them for dinner lol. read more

See all

Great place in a small town. However I question the seating practices. Will go back a few more times to see if we don't have the cover and worst seats specificity reserved for us. read more

We went there because of all good recommendations my husband had read. I left a bit disappointed. It is more for me one good, honest, hard working, caring team rather then wonderful ..... The food was good, but not near to "fantastic" so does the service. I was disappointed by the salsa being more like pizza souse from a jar. For me is a next to crime to serve this "thing" at this harvest time of the year. They forget to give us forks ... It was good food, but do I want to go there again!?!? I rather go and try something new.. read more

Food was flavorful, the tacos if you ask for hard give you Taco Bell style taco so for me next time I'll stick to soft. I was assuming hard was fried. Nevertheless food was awesome and prices were definitely fair. I don't live in the area, just passing by to go down south and yelp had great reviews for this place so figure it was worth taking a detour to avoid fast food chains and I'm extremely happy I did. Would visit again read more

El Vaquero - Steak tacos with hard shell - Mexican Near Me - Mattoon, Illinois

It's was ok to be honest. Believe me I know Mexican food and it was very bland. I'm from Chicago and I know good Mexican food when I taste. The carne asada was very dry and the tacos weren't even cooked thoroughly. read more

El Vaquero rocks! Nothing negative to say at all. Our entire family's favorite place in town.

Authentic Mexican food .Delicious every time I've been . Friendly staff and reasonable prices

This is a nice place for good Mexican food. The servers do a good job of checking on customers. The food is good. And, we stopped in for lunch and received a generous portion for a lunch serving. read more

I went in at 830pm and was greeted like I was the first customer of the day! Very open friendly staff. Eager to please. I had awesome chicken chilaquiles and 2 well made margaritas. read more

I was visiting town for the weekend and met with local friends for Mexican here, they raved about it. We ordered the Molcajete stew (Shrimp, Chicken and beef), it was delicious. The chips and salsa were great and the service was top notch. I ended up eating here 3 times throughout the weekend and every time,everything was excellent. I will definitely be back!!! read more

The service is outstanding and the food is delicious. Combine that with reasonable prices and you have an awesome place to eat! The chimichangas are delicious, I recommend the shredded chicken. My husband loves the playa plate that has steak, chicken and shrimp covered in their delicious cheese dip and served with tortillas. Haven't had anything there that I didn't like. Salsa and chips are delish as are their nachos and quesadillas. I also appreciate that any of the servers that are running around (and I do mean run, they are always hustling) will get you anything you need, not just the server that takes your order. read more

I love this place! Their salsa is to die for. The staff is always very nice and attentive and never let your drink go empty! Even when they are busy they are very courteous. I love their food and we are regulars. read more

Great food, good service, cute patio for nice sunny days & beers. I usually go for the pollo mexicanos. Lots of cilantro and cheese with chicken, rice, and beans. Try it! read more

Was in town for business and stay at the Hampton(NICE). Had a taste for Mexican food, so drove to El Vaquero. It's clean, great service and outside seating. The margarita was weak, stick with the beer. I had the chili rellonos- ok, steak taco - great and tasty, chicken enchilada - ok, beans and rice - ok. It was worth a try, but I won't go back. Many other choices near by. Plus it was inexpensive. read more

Ate here for the first time today. I had the tilapia lunch special. I was surprised how large the filet was and it was excellent! And served with lots of different vegetables. I asked for some guacamole with it and got a large portion. Chips and salsa were great, salsa was nice and fresh (bland but a little Yucatan Sauce fixed that). Service was excellent. My husband had a burrito, he thought it was ok, he was less impressed than I was. read more

Great service.. Had 3 waiters.. Food was terrific..beer was cold... Highly recommended... Just make sure you get a fresh bowl of chips

Excellent food. Will return on our next visit. We ordered the steak fajita salad and it was very good

Authentic. Try the shrimp or steak fajitas. Salsa made fresh daily, so don't hesitate to ask for more!