My family and I went to Rincon tonight for dinner. We have been here several times and always enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Tonight I ordered chips and salsa for our table and was told we have to pay for the salsa! Wtf...? We all ordered chimis and when they arrived none of us has the pico de gallo stuff. You know, lettuce tomatoes and onions with sour cream. When I asked about that, I was informed that too is an "extra cost." I spoke to who I was told "the boss" and he told me that the pico is now considered a side item and salsa is $3.00 per little yellow bowl. I informed him that this was a bad decision and he said he is NOT the boss, he is merely the asst. mgr. and I need to speak to the owner about it. I informed him that I, a customer of several years will NOT be returning ever again. He said" thats your choice" Too bad...this used to be a nice place. Now I'll go to the place accross the street from them. I'm surprised they didn't charge us to walk in, to be seated, our straws, napkins, paper for our check. read more

Rincon Mexicano - This shows the bowl size and the charge for our salsa. - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Quickly seated. We chose to sit outside. Our waiter was witty, and very efficient. I got the steak fajita and the bf got the seafood tacos. Huge portions and pretty good. Only downside is you have to pay for your chips and salsa. Needed boxes to go. I would go back again and try something different. read more

I'm made it no secret that El Rancho Grande is my preferred Tex-Mex restaurant in the tri-state area. Sometimes I don't get a choice in where I eat, and that's how I end up in places like Rincon. Rincon is located in the strip the houses my personal amusement park, Jungle Jim's and my favorite nail salon. The interior feels like you went to every Hispanic person you've ever met and asked for a family heirloom and stuck it all up on the wall. Not exactly the coolest atheistic, but there's not enough to be deemed tacky. My last visit involved my dad, mom, sister, two cousins, two aunts, three uncles, and a great aunt all sitting at one table. They have a separate room that could have easily housed us all. Other smaller parties were sat in there after us, and we were stuck with a circular table adjacent to a round table in the middle of the main dining area. Luckily, there was no one on the makeshift stage set up next to our area, otherwise my ears would have been bleeding from the proximity. My sister and I ended up at the restaurant a little after the rest of our family so we were able to get a newer, fresh batch of salsa and guacamole. I couldn't tell if the salsa was homemade or store-bought, but nonetheless it was tasty and did the job. Our family ordered a hodgepodge of items, ranging from taco salads and shrimp tacos to enchiladas and fajitas. My sister and I have this thing where if there's a fajita for two option, we order it and share. A cool thing about Rincon is that they give you the option of corn tortillas. I absolutely adore corn tortillas! The food took an appropriate amount of time to come out given the amount of people we had. My sister and I were disappointed with the protein:veggie ratio. Maybe we're spoiled at El Rancho Grande, but the bang for your buck seems to be a lot better there. I forgot to ask for double rice and was stuck with refried beans - a sworn enemy on my list. The flavor of the entree itself was just fine. It really could have used a bit more seasoning, but if you add enough guac and sour cream to something you can eat just about anything. The side plates were disappointing too. My sister's had little to no guacamole and mine was sorely missing out on sour cream We ate our food because there wasn't necessarily anything wrong with - if you're hungry, it'll suffice. Through my meal, I had a hankering for my fajitas at El Rancho Grande. I actually wasn't even that hungry, so I left a good portion of our meal to my sister. I'm the type of person who will eat good food even when full because apparently I have no chill. The bill was especially confusing because our server hand wrote everything. I truly believed that he had rang me up for shrimp tacos and a Pacifico because it was so illegible. I eventually was able to sort it out and pay properly. At Rincon, you pay at the counter. You also awkwardly wait up at the counter thinking "damn, I probably could just leave and they'd never even notice!". It took that long! If you're in the Eastgate area, I would recommend El Rancho Grande as your first option. They're more organized, competitively priced, and they have better food. If someone offers up Rincon as an option, you should probably fight it. read more

Rincon Mexicano - Chicken and shrimp fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Times Change and unfortunately this restaurant has, and not for the best. This WAS my favorite Mexican restaurant for years (the only one my wife could get me to eat at). The Burrito de Carne Asada has always been my favorite, and I was always stuffed when I left. FIRST: the ONLY Mexican restaurant ( I now have been around the country to eat at many others) where they CHARGE FOR CHIPS & SALSA! SECOND: My scrawny little lunch Burrito de Carne Asada was pathetic for $12. I left hungry. My wife and son ordered the dinner portion (ALMOST $5 MORE) was the same pathetic size as mine, and I had more beans, rice and a little bit of veggies. The taste was ok, the only saving positive, but NEVER again. The complaint at the restaurant was completely blown off by the waiter and the lady checking us out. There are plenty of other good Mexican restaurants to choose from now. AVOID THIS ONE! read more

I was in the Eastgate area and decided to stop here for dinner since I was working. I went in the establishment which is next to Jungle Jim's, and I was seated at the bar the bartender gave me a menu and I needed a little time to look at it. I ordered a Sprite and the taco burrito combo. I went with a beef taco and a chicken burrito which came with refried beans and rice. I also got the chips and salsa which were free. The chips were warm and good and the salsa was a little bit sweeter than I like it but it was still good and mild. The food came out very fast within the next two minutes of me getting my chips. The taco was nothing special it was a little bland tasting but it wasn't bad but the star was the burrito which was pretty good. My only real complaint was my bartender didn't check back with me very often. The prices weren't two outrageous the food was definitely decent. read more

Rincon Mexicano - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

See all

Good food and service! I ordered 50 tacos to go and they absolutely killed it. Will be back soon!

Horrible food. My blender salsa at home is better than all of their salsas. Chips aren't salted. So bonus maybe if you can't have salt. Service was fine. Ambiance is lovely, I love how it's decorated. Food is a travesty and overpriced for what you get. Many places down the road are way better. read more

The Seafood Tacos Pacifico was my dinner tonight. Three flour tortillas stuffed with shrimp, fish, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes, were wrapped in tin foil. The were hot and moist. The flavor was mild and could have used more seasoning. It came with a small cup of green salsa which was mild but flavorful. The meal came with a basket of chips and a mild tomato salsa. Good but not great. read more

Rincon Mexicano - Seafood Tacos Pacifico - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This place is an easy pick, because it's close to lots of things to do! Plenty of stores, the mall, and Jungle Jim's are some examples. The atmosphere and decorations are great and I found the temperature inside the restaurant to be perfect. My nachos supreme were really good, and I enjoyed my frozen strawberry margarita. My boyfriend got a combination platter and he said his food was delicious, but he wasn't a fan of the house margarita. Our server was SO nice. Always smiling, engaging, recommending things off the menu, joking with us, and was very prompt and knowledgeable. Even the other servers that passed by our table smiled and asked if we were doing okay. I thought that was great, because sometimes you need something and can't find your server... but feel bad bugging other servers that are also busy. All in all, I really enjoyed this place and would for sure return! read more

See all

This Mexican restaurant is my absolute favorite and I think the best Mexican restaurant in town. My favorite is their chicken fajitas, enchiladas, chimichangas, and sangria margarita! Very clean and nicely decorated restaurant. Servers are always prompt and pleasant. Sometimes they even have live music! read more

Rincon Mexicano - View of the outside - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

One of my best friends lives on the Eastside of town and since she meets me so many times all over town we discovered Rincon Mexicano. When you're looking for a quick friendly meal after shopping at Eastgate or Jungle Jim's stop by Rincon Mexicano. They usually seat you right away, but note they can be busy on Saturday nights when they have live music. They give you fresh warm chips and thick and chunky salsa - I enjoy a good thick & chunky salsa. My friend loves their cheese enchiladas with queso and I've had a few different dishes there, if you're looking for something spicy try the Mexican Flag burrito with steak, which comes with rice & beans, but at times they can be skimpy with the sides. I've had other burritos, enchilada's too. On a recent visit we sat at the bar, I ordered one of their Mexican beers, but the keg ran out, the owner gave me a little bit of another beer until they gave me a fresh beer from the new keg & serve beer in a frosty mug, now that's service. One thing with this restaurant is the women's restroom, its dated and needs a deep cleaning. The plus is you pay in cash they take 10% of your bill. read more

I've been to this restaurant a few times in the past and always enjoyed it, the food was amazing, drinks were great, and atmosphere was great. I went this past weekend with a few friends and was sorely disappointed. To start the visit off we were informed that we would have to pay for the salsa if we wanted our table to be served chips & salsa (something that is complementary at every single Mexican restaurant I have ever been to in my entire life). When expressing our shock, the waiter was rude. My friends young son had trouble deciding what he wanted to eat, he's in kindergarten they never know what they want. We asked that the waiter come back in a few minutes to take his order and go ahead with ours. He was rude about it. A couple of us ordered meals containing shredded chicken, it was all extremely dry, and the refried beans were watery. I felt that the prices were high, especially considering we had to pay for the chips and salsa. We had an unpleasant experience and will not be back. read more

Food is always good. Disappointed that they now charge for chips and salsa but still one of our favorite Mexican restaurants

This place has really gone downhill. The burritos are half the size they used to be. The lunch portion is literally the same size as dinner portions. The chips and salsa are even extra cost now. The flavor of the meat was the only thing I liked. read more

The food was bland, flavorless. The salsa (which usually comes free at Mexican restaurants) is a $3.75 bowl of tomato sauce. Awful!

I'm not paying for chips & salsa. Come on now!!!! Have been going for years. It's dark, dingy, stinky & ya gotta pay for chips & salsa. Pass. read more

The Chicken Monterrey was and always is awesome! Ranchero beans are the star of the meal!! Substitute the ranchero beans for the refried beans...no regrets! Best in Cincinnati read more

We use to love going here. But now they charge for chips and salsa. And the food seems to be getting very mediocre.

The food is mediocre at best, they charge you for salsa. A mexican restaurant that charges you to eat salsa. I'll just let that sink in. The live musician was good. read more

Gave them another try. Got the Steak and Chorizo fajita. Amazing!! Service was fast and friendly and everybody was just smiling the whole time. Definitely the high point of my week. Thank you!! read more

Rincon Mexicano - This is a Steak and Chorizo fajita. It's not on the menu, but they love to make it! - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Have been coming here for a couple years since moving to the east side. Loved it at first, but every visit since has been disappointing. Tonight was the last straw. Ordered bean dip but it was just cheese, no beans added. Chips were incredibly stale. Ordered shredded beef taquitos and they had flavorless ground beef, that WASNT COOKED, completely PINK throughout. Elote corn came with no sauce and seasonings. Too expensive for low quality. We're movin' on to the next place. read more

This would have been 5 stars but the live music was so loud and our server was a little slow. Other than that, the salsa and chips were outrageous. I had the seafood tacos Pacifico and let me tell you... out of this world!!!! I had never had seafood tacos and I am beyond happy I ordered them. My daughter had the spinach enchiladas and my hubby had the burritos carne asada. The food was so worth the wait and noise! I'm so so so happy with this place. I highly recommend it! read more

Rincon Mexicano - They give a substantial discount if you pay cash! - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

While my food was fine, my date received food poisoning. For that i cant give it anymore than 3 stars.. I will say even with the bad experience my date received, this is still my favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. We show up on a Friday night just after watching Dr. Sleep at RJ's. We were greeted nicely and seated quickly. The place was packed which is always good to see. The waitress was wonderful and our meals came out very quick. I ordered the seasoned ground beef chimmy with a side of rice and beans. Everything was nice and hot and seasoned nicely. I enjoyed it. As for my date, she order the same meal but here chimmy was filled with shrimp. This i feel is where everything went wrong. She said it was very good while she was eating up the next morning she was sick as a dog. I can only believe it was the shrimp that did this. We didn't have anything else to eat. I understand that shrimp is a normal thing to order at a Mexican joint but still i feel it is there responsibility to make sure everything they serve is as fresh as can be. Id imagine where not many order the shrimp, that it has been sitting around for a while. This is the only reason i am giving it 3 stars. Everything else was tremendous. Pros- Friendly staff, fast service, reasonable cost and a beautiful warm design. Cons- The shrimp chimmy I do plan on returning in the future but i will stay clear of anything that relates to seafood. Hope this review was helpful. read more

I have been going to this restaurant for a couple of years but this will be my last time going. They have made some changes that I do not agree with or appreciate. I have loved their food in the past but the last few weeks they have made some changes. First, we tried to order food to take home and we were told they were not allowing that. It was a weekend so I assume they were busy but they were very short and dismissive on the phone and just said they weren't doing to go orders when we have always been able to do them in the past. This did not deter us still. We came tonight and have found that they now charge for chips and salsa, we had to pay $4.00 for salsa and you had to pay for refills. Or, you can order a meal and choose salsa as one of your sides. Or you could choose the lettuce/tomato/sour cream as your side, this didn't really make much sense. The food is still decent, the wait staff was just okay, but the price was over the top. I will continue to go to other places that the food is just as good but the chips and salsa are free. So sad to no longer go here. read more

Food and service were fine. They charge for chips and salsa and we came for happy hour drinks but up-charged us without asking so we had to pay $5 more than expected at the end of the meal. Meals are pricy too. Place is clean and decorated with some good thought behind it. Be aware of the price discrepancies with the menu. read more

The atmosphere was great. The bartender was at tentative and friendly. The food was wonderful and exactly what the menu described. I was with a friend traveling and wanted something good and quick and this hit it on the spot. I will defiantly eat there again. read more

This place has the worst Mexican food you can possibly imagine. Makes El Rancho Grande seem like Mazunte. And they charge for chips and salsa. So, so bad read more

Love this place! The food is amazing and the staff are always so friendly. Yes, they charge you for salsa but really who cares. It's a couple of bucks. This is one of the top spots for friends and family and I always bring someone here if they are out of town! Definitely check this place out!!! read more

Rincon Mexicano - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I came in here with my hubby, just to try it and because we didn't want to eat at the restaurant next door. It was an excellent idea that we ended up in here, because I just ate some of the BEST seafood tacos -- YUM! My hubby is raving about his seafood fajitas that he's eating currently. I also tried the Day of the Dead chocolate stout and it's amazing too -- I've never drank chocolate beer until today and it is craft beer too. read more

See all

Rincon seems somewhat better than the average Cinci Mexican. With emphasis on the word "somewhat." The creature comforts, decor, and atmosphere at Rincon are nicer and more sophisticated than at the standard-issue combo-plate Mexican. (You'll pay a notch more than average for this environment, too.) It's a surprisingly pleasant space that belies its location in a drab and sprawling strip-mall expanse. It might even beguile you into enjoying an extra margarita or beer or two. And the long menu offers a few minor detours from the fare offered by most of the local competition: e.g., a wider range of enchilada and burrito choices, real Mexican tacos (i.e., corn tortillas, cilantro, onion, etc., but apparently only with asada as a meat choice), seafood tacos, mole preparations, and extra vegetarian options. Had the seafood tacos, which tasted quite fresh, with the shrimp and fish nicely cooked and seasoned. They were pretty satsifying. But the wife thought the spinach enchiladas were pretty blah. Also, the salsa served with the chips was bland-orific and too sugary. And we'd also stopped in at lunch a couple of years back, and that trip was so forgettable that we couldn't begin to remember what we ate that time. But then, "forgettable" is a lot better than "bad," which I say about plenty of Mexican joints. And which I probably would have remembered.... Service was competent and friendly. Rincon can be a nice evening out. While I don't know that it's worth the drive to Eastgate from the city, it's a fine option for folks who live out on this side of town. P.S. Rincon appears to be owned (?) and staffed, at least in part, by non-Mexicans. Theoretically, this is not an issue for me at all, especially if the gringo in question can bring it (think Rick Bayless); one's ethnicity shouldn't bar one from honoring and serving any cuisine they love and respect. Nonetheless, while it's almost obligatory for Mexican places to call themselves "authentic," perhaps it's not the best idea to have a tagline like "Authentic Mexican Restaurant & Cantina" when your big menu is also larded with stuff like burgers, BBQ chicken sandwiches, taco salads, chicken wings, and grilled chicken salads. read more

If you pay cash you get 10% off your bill! I wish I knew this beforehand. We were greeted upon entering and immediately seated. I loved the interior of the restaurant--your typical mural painted walls and wooden booths. It was very cold inside which made it a little uncomfortable. Our server was very nice and the service was decent. He gave us a bowl of chips and salsa to start off with. I noted that on the menu any chips after the first were an additional $3. I ordered a dinner combination for $9.99 which included a taco, enchilada, beans, and rice. For the price I was expecting a bit more food. I thought they could have given a larger portion of the rice and beans. The taco and enchilada were tasty--juicy chicken and cheese. I also ordered a sangrita: margarita and sangria. It was delicious and only around $5! Overall, it was a good experience. The food was good but didn't blow me away. read more

Rincon Mexicano - Sangrita and chips. - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Rincon Mexicano is a great place to eat if you are looking for a great Mexican restaurant and amazing food. I drive all the way from Dayton to eat here because no other Mexican food stands up to this. From their burritos, to the fajita, to their nachos, everything on their menu is above average. This place will blow any chain Mexican restaurant out of the water! The service is there right when you walk in the door and you are seated by very attentive hostesses. The waiters and waitresses then bring FRESH salsa to your table with chips that were made that day. Nothing is better than fresh chips and salsa to start your meal. There are numerous authentic courses to pick from if you want to go full authentic Mexican. There are also other choices on the menu if anyone in the party is not up for Mexican. That selection is also very good. The fajitas come out to your table still sizzling!! After you wrap up your meal, you need to try one of their desserts on the menu. The flan and fried ice cream are awesome. The margaritas are the perfect drink to sit back and relax with. The margaritas are strong but not to strong where you can taste the alcohol in it. They have a large selection of bottled beer and three different beers on tap. But my recommendation is to go with a margarita, either on the rocks or frozen with the salt. Always have to have the salt. Overall this was a very good experience when dealing with a Mexican restaurant. The owners are very nice and knowledge and will make sure you are taken care of. To address some negative things that have been said in previous reviews, to start, the salsa has to be mild to taste because the restaurant has to cater to the general public. If the salsa was to hot then a certain amount of people could eat it thus catering to only a selective few. Add a few drops of hot sauce from the selection on your table to bring the heat! Also, when mentioning that the guacamole and food being bland, believe me, there is PLENTY of flavor in the food and guac. Any of the food on the menu will blow your taste buds away and you will be coming back for more! read more

Rincon Mexicano - The bar inside Rincon Mexicano. - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

See all

Went there tonight for my son's birthday dinner. I had been there many years ago. My family has been there recently. Excellent authentic Mexican food at a fair price. If you pay cash they give you another 10% off. Margarita pitchers are huge and only $24.95. I had the fajitas (shrimp, steak, chicken combo) and they were very good. The tortillas should have been bigger or more. Three wasn't enough for the skillet of meat and veggies. My daughter had the shrimp Caesar salad which was huge! My son had a pork specialty and enjoyed it very much. I can't recall my wife's dish but she liked it. The queso dip was too spicy for me but the others liked it. The service was great. They put a giant Sombrero hat on my son and sang happy birthday. They gave him a Mexican dessert and smeared whipped cream all over his face. Must be a Mexican tradition. Very enjoyable and next to Eastgate brew and view and near Jungle Jims. read more

My girlfriends favorite Mexican restaurant in all of Cincinnati. They do have a pretty decent chips and salsa..and the queso is pretty great as well. They also have really great drink specials here..and the drinks themselves are mighty tasty. Great location next to Jungle Jims and the Eastgate Brew and View. Service is always quick and efficient as well. read more

Rincon Mexicano - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

See all

Best Mexican in Cincinnati in my opinion. Nice little hideaway with great margaritas and awesome food. The Mexican Flag Burrito is Amazing. The servers are so friendly and provide great service. They also have live music and when they don't - they play good old REAL country and other classics. read more

What word can I use to describe Rincon...? Been eating here for almost 25 years. The premiere Mexican place on the east side maybe all of Cincinnati. The food is always done correctly the flavor is on point the salsa is the bomb. If you have not tried Rincon treat your self and try a Fajita or some enchiladas with the best enchilada sauce. read more

See all

We love this place. This is by far the best local sit down Mexican spot in Eastgate. All the food is authentic, the restaurant has a cool vibe to it as well. The service is super good, and all the food is absolutely fantastic. We love the cowboy tacos but anything else I've tried is fantastic. They have a wide range of dips for your chips and again, every single one we've tried so far is good! read more

First Mexican restaurant EVER that does not offer free chips and salsa. Attention: NO FREE CHIPS AND SALSA!Ordered the taco salad and when it arrived it had 1/2 slice of tomato, very bland hamburger, lettuce and sour cream and a tiny side of cheese sauce(approx 1/2 tablespoon). When I inquired regarding salsa for it, the waiter said "it comes with cheese sauce and and he was sorry no salsa". No offer to bring me any. Hardly any customers when we were there. Cheese sauce was only okay. Again flavor of meat in taco salad was very blah. We paid cash and their policy is 10% off if you pay cash so that was the only good thing there. Absolutely will not return there. read more

Absolutely love the food, atmosphere, and waiters there. We have been going there for over 20 years and it never disappoints. Our favorites are Pollo Monterey which is chicken breast with white cheese on top, covered with mushrooms, grilled peppers and onions. My husband likes his hot so he has them convert his peppers to jalapeños. I love their shrimp quesadillas with sides or the carne asada burrito. Excellent portions so you always have some to take home. read more

I haven't been here in YEARS! We came in and there's a band playing (The Crow Daddies) and they are really good! I ordered the Taco Fajita Salad with chicken. It was okay. More toppings than chicken or lettuce, but it was good. My husband got the Burrito de Mexican Flag (didn't check menu, just going with what he told me). He said it was good. The steak was tender and not chewy, the spice level wasn't over-powering. We also ordered a side of guacamole, and it was average. Not much flavor. Not worth the price. We ordered a draft Modelo Negro and a 16 oz frozen margarita and, with tip, it was $20. That was fairly pricey compared to other Mexican restaurants we frequent in the Eastgate/Amelia area. Would we come back? I dunno. It's been many years and I don't think I was missing much by not coming. Except the band. The Crow Daddies were great! read more