Great food and the best customer service in Powhatan. We love bringing the family here and…read morerecommend this place to anyone if we know they'll be in the area. Food always comes out fast and is incredibly well seasoned. The chicken soup is amazing and we come get this time and time again but the pollo feliz is another favorite of mine. Bonus that they decorate seasonally and the inside is beautiful and clean.

How neat... a drive thru Mexican restaurant! The chicken…read moresoup was great. Flavorful and hearty. They packaged my to go order nicely... no spills.

Went here with a group of ladies and was surprised at how good it was! Typical Mexican restaurant…read moreatmosphere. Service was good. One of the ladies told them she had an allergy and asked for accommodation, another person came out to confirm the allergy and make sure it was well understood. This was impressive. Our server kept checking on us and was prompt when we asked for our checks. Chips were not bad and cheese dip was good. I enjoyed the salsa that comes with the chips. My friend ordered a drink which was very pretty. We also saw a HUGE drink served at another table that came in a glass that looked like a purse!?!? All the food was good. It was presented well, showing pride and care. I really enjoyed the ACP (arroz con pollo)! I wish there had been a bit more guacamole served with it though. The serving size was actually great, not huge and more than I could eat, but enough that I was full (not too full) when I was done. Everyone enjoyed their food. How could they get a 5 star review? They didn't have ginger ale, lol. If you have a large bar you typically have ginger ale. Also, there just wasn't anything that blew me away. Will I go back? Absolutely.

Food was delicious and the staff is so so sweet!! 10/10 recommend this place also it's super clean…read moreon the inside, bathrooms were spotless!

Granted I'm a Mexican Food aficionado, so I am probably not an impartial reviewer. Being from…read moreTexas (Tex-Mex country), living in California and traveling to Mexico often, I am definitely picky about my Mexican food. El Jinete is a side of the highway joint in Cumberland, Virginia...and being that it is not bad. Good chips, yes. Good salsa, ok but cold. They would do better to warm it a bit. Good refried beans and Spanish rice, yes. Good beef fajita meat, big NO. Over cooked and dry. Chicken quesadilla, ok, but not outstanding. Service was great and prices were low. Place was clean and not crowded. Since there are not a lot of options in the area it was good enough to get us by. In the future, we will drive a bit further for a better meal. Take away...go vegetarian and have bean and rice tacos!!

My Bride and I stopped in for lunch on the way home from deer camp. We each got a lunch special…read more Both were delicious! For a cup of coffee, a House Special, and a Combo #1, our total was $23.17 after tax but before tip. Now that I know about this place, I definitely plan to return.

We made an order by phone and they didn't tell me what location I was calling to and I ordered to a…read moreCumberland restaurant, so we decide to make another order but they want us to charge for both orders even when we only getting one. I've heard about their bad service but not in this situation. Wouldn't recommend it.

We honestly decided to try El Jinete because the other delicious Mexican restaurant in Powhatan had…read moretoo long of a wait, and we were very satisfied at El Jinete and will definitely return. Underrated on Yelp in my opinion. Food and service were both excellent. Thankful for two delicious Mexican restaurants to choose from!

Shrimp bowls were great! Wait staff was kind to let me sit and talk to cousin for a couple of hours…read moretoo!

Because it was the best part of the experience, I'll start with the service. This place is…read morewell-staffed (arguably overstaffed) and so service was quick and attentive. The entire staff was friendly, professional, and customer forward. The ambiance was great - lighthearted but professional. The dining area was very clean and the room was warm and well lit with natural light which made the space feel even cleaner and more inviting. The staff all had matching shirts (it was cinco de mayo so it's possible it was celebratory rather than the norm but it carried well either way) Now to the food. The food was enjoyable. It didn't wow me, but I definitely enjoyed my meal. The chips and salsa were on point. The flavor of the rice and beans were better than many others. The beef taco and enchilada were flavorful enough but had it not been for the salsa from the chips that I ended up adding, it would have been mediocre at best. But here's the thing... the value was not there. The food is overpriced. What you see in the photo was a $20 meal before tip - and his was the cheapest offering on their lunch menu. (The plate was $13 and the side of beans, $5) I had a water otherwise, I would've been closer to $25 for sure. So overall, a good experience. Good food, very good service, very clean and welcoming but the value was the biggest dent in the experience. I'm willing to go back and try other items onto the menu but I'm prepared now. Bring a little extra dinero.

AMBIANCE We rolled in on a late evening hoping to feed our…read moreMexican cravings and stay toasty. Gives the rave review of how underrated this spot was, we decided to give it a go. It's a small spot on the side of High Street that's probably easily missed. Gratefully had parking spots right outside and when we walked it, we were immediately greeted. We took a few minutes to scan the large menu on the board and the more comprehensive one on the counter. We ordered the quesadillas, fajitas, and pixie and were cautioned that that would be an enormous portion (very much appreciated the honesty on that one and was true). We ordered it anyway since that's what we were craving! It's a small spot with 3 booths and a few smaller table areas. SERVICE Quick service spot where you order at the counter, find seating, and 10 minutes or so later your food is made in the kitchen and can be picked up at the pick-up counter a few steps away. We picked up our quesadillas and fajitas from the counter, and our pozole with pork was brought over to us with tortillas, cilantro, and onions. FOOD Absolutely delicious and so worth the value! The quesadillas were chunky with chicken and pozole was hearty and well spiced. Loved every bite of the pork, cilantro, and hominy!!! Can't find this in a lot of spots and so glad they do it here. The beef fajitas were also well done with a solid portion of sautéed vegetables and 3-4 tortillas! OVERALL Absolutely agree that this spot is underrated and a gem....quick, no frills unassuming spot with friendly staff that never disappoints. Would 11/10 recommend if you want Mexican food. We've already got this spot pinned for Mexican in C'ville favorites and are looking forward to going for our third time to try out more options.

Went to the new location and I have to say, I was really disappointed. The new place is GREAT…read more But the food was average at best. I ordered a pork tamale. It was flavorful but it was hard and the pork seemed old and dry. Maybe it was recycled or maybe they microwaved it to death. But I could not finish it. It was authentic but it was not what you would want to serve. I debated taking it back to the counter. I ordered two tacos. They are usually great. Today, nope. The Cabrito was okay today and the carnitas a little fatty. But the most disappointing thing is that they were not hot. Maybe they died in the window, but dead they were when they hit my table. The only thing saving the experience was the tostada...and the homemade tortillas on the tacos. All fresh. Even the signature sauce stand was different. The sauces today seemed very runny compared to how they usually present. I did get a fountain Pepsi and it was perfect. Overall, love the new spot and the decor. I will go back because i live their food. Assuming today was just an off day.

My first time eating at this establishment, and I must say that I was pleased with the food. I had…read morethe birria taco, rice, and refried beans. The food was great, portions were nice, and the flavor was on point. The ambiance was inviting, and the service was friendly and hospitable. If you are looking for genuine Mexican food, this is the place to go!

I love Mexican food, so I found this spot while I was in the area. I ordered the birria tacos and…read moregrabbed a tiramisu cake for dessert. The birria tacos were really good, definitely a 10 out of 10. I had never tried tiramisu before, so I wanted to give it a shot since I've heard so many people love it. I'd rate it a 7.5 out of 10, it was decent overall.

Stopped in here over the weekend after jumping off 95 over to 301 to avoid traffic & based on good…read moreYelp reviews. Cool kinda out of the way location - believe this might qualify as a 'hidden gem' ;) Not a fancy place, but had some great Mexican food! It's was about 2:30 but I was still able to order from the lunch menu, so I sampled the Taco/Burrito/Rice special - not bad at all! Everything tasted fresh & they also had great chips/salsa. Service was great as well. I believe this was a spot-on choice based on the experiences of previous Yelp trailblazers - I'd definitely return if I find myself driving down Hanover Courthouse Rd...heck I'd even jump off 95 at Exit 92 & drive the 5 miles over to to get there! Recommended!

Amazing lunch today at El Zocalo in Ashland, Virginia! Service was stellar! The food was amazing!…read more Excellent chips and salsa too! The Margarita was excellent! Really great meal!

We decided to call in an order for tacos. They were very friendly on the phone and said our order…read morewould be ready in ten minutes. We arrived and our tacos were ready on time! We were greeted by a friendly staff. The tacos were excellent---some of the best we have ever had! We will definitely be back and would recommend them to everyone!

Definitely a good spot for quick service, great food, and even better Margaritas! We can never stop…read moreeating the chips! Their salsa hits the spot!!