We went here for lunch on a Sunday and decided to eat off their buffet since it was our first time here. The items on the buffet looked good but were anything but. It was almost like I was eating tasteless soggy cardboard. I will say that the given the high comments and ratings by some of the previous reviewers that items ordered off the menu must be of higher quality, so I will say that this review is only of the buffet. Even still, my experience will not allow me to try this restaurant again.
(2)
Lora H.
I want to start by saying I had great expectations for trying food here based on some of the reviews. Unfortunately I am going to have to disagree with many. We ended up having the buffet and the food on there tasted overcooked or like it had been reheated. There was little flavor to much of the food which was disappointing. The salsas and queso were pretty good and the service was good. My suggestion is if you want Mexican you drive a bit further and go try some other place. For the price I expected more.
(3)
Dave F.
One of my most favorite authentic Mexican food restaurants in Jacksonville. Good service. Great food. They have a buffet, and happy hour margaritas.
(5)
Harlan M.
Been here numerous times with the family and always opt for the Buffett. I've never been disappointed with the food as it is hot and fresh. Many authentic choices from chicken wings to wraps/tacos and plenty of main course-type dishes to choose from. I like to make several trips of smaller portions so I can try everything. One of my favorite selections is the fresh guacamole and I'll add that to almost every plate. Also, you know it's an authentic restaurant when the bottles of Valentina Salsa Picante - Hot Sauce are 34 oz! Don't be thrown by the fact it is in a shopping plaza it is a little dark inside. Food is great!
(5)
Ashley B.
Service was beyond excellent. We went around 4pm and where the only ones in the restaurant. Server was amazing and very nice. A little slow getting us drinks (two waters and a margarita) Margarita was way weak. It tasted like straight lemon lime Gatorade. I had the chicken fajitas. They were okay. I thought the chicken was a little undercooked by like a minute. They were good but lacked grilled onions which are my favorite part. But I did have an over abundance of green peppers. They also skimped on the sour cream and guac that comes with it. All in all an okay place. I won't make a special trip back out- but ahold probably come again if in the area.
(3)
John S.
Each time we eat at this particular El Potro, the food is excellent whether we order from the menu of have the buffet. The service here is great, with each member of the staff being as friendly as the next. When we don't feel like dining in, we call ahead and I pick up our meal, which is always still nice and hot when I get home. There's nothing negative I can say about this place, so if you're in the area you should give it a try!
(4)
Kathy S.
I've been here three times and every time the food is delicious. I did not try the buffet but order from the menu.. Chips and salsa are spot on and the portions are big. The margaritas are tasty and love the two for one deals. Very happy with the wait staff. They are very friendly.
(4)
Walter P.
Dana loves it!
(5)
Amy S.
When I cheat on La Nop, this is where I come. I've been to several El Potro restaurants here in Jax over the past decade and this is by far my favourite of the local chain. When I'm in the mood of a Mexican buffet, this is where it's at. Sometimes I don't want any particular one thing.... I just want a little of this and a little of that. The tamales are not by any means the best I've ever add, but adding salsa to them gives the added flavour they need and it cures my tamale urge/fix. You can make your own tacos, fajitas, burritos, taco salad, etc. from the buffet. They also have unlimited white cheese dip on the buffet, which I can never seem to get enough of. It's pretty yummy; although, not as yummy as the white cheese at La Nop (gosh, do I constantly have to compare everything to La Nop?). Then there are the times I'm craving Mexican and I'm not in the mood to go anywhere. Since this El Potro is closer to where we live than La Nop, I'll call in an order and go pick it up (I've done this twice just in the past week). I always order the same thing togo: The lunch chimichanga that comes with rice, beans, and a salad (with guac and sour cream). I like the fact that even at night you can order from the lunch menu! The chimichanga is very good. It comes with red sauce (which I don't like, so I have them substitute for the white cheese sauce). I can't stand refried beans, so I always get double rice. The rice is good, but rice is rice... one really can't mess that up. Also, I can't speak for the guac that comes on the salad... believe it or not, I can't stand the stuff. Of all the times I've called in an order and picked it up, only once has it ever been wrong (they put the red sauce on the chimichanga instead of the white sauce), but I went back and they quickly remade my order and apologized more times than necessary. The one thing I would not recommend is the fried ice cream. I've had it once and it's basically just ice cream in a shell with some Hershey syrup dribbled over it. If they actually fried the ice cream, I really couldn't tell. The restaurant is clean, the booths are comfy, the buffet is kept clean and is replenished often. The service here is absolutely outstanding... it alone deserves five stars! Very friendly and attentive staff! So, if you're a huge fan of La Nop like I am, this is definitely a good substitute every now and then!
(4)
Mare M.
We had delivery before but this is our first time visiting. We'll be back to enjoy the buffet again, that's for certain! The staff was solicitous but not annoying and the food was delicious and not too Americanized (yummy fresh guacamole, fresh spicy salsas). We were going to order a side of guac, but our server told us to just get our fill from the buffet
(4)
Stacey S.
Delicious!!! Seven hard to please travelers all gave it a five star rating! Great prices! Great service Clean Great atmosphere.
(5)
Don P.
El Potro on Normandy Blvd has some really good Mexican food. The service is very friendly. The decor is a little cheesy but I didn't come here to see that. The buffet was just as good as the last time I was here.
(4)
Ron M.
The food is just not that good. Anyone claiming that this is the best Mexican food they've ever had needs to venture further west. Bring from Southern California, I came here expecting some really great Mexican food. It has the vibe and ambience of a place that is going to serve some terrific food. However, when it came out I was seriously disappointed. I'm not saying that it's, AWFUL. I'm saying that in a city where I have yet to find true Mexican food, this is another place contributing to the problem. Can we get some good Mexican food in Jacksonville please?!?
(2)
Sandy B.
My husband and I ate here a few months ago and my husband found a roach in his food. I think you might be better off taking your chances at taco bell! Never eating there again!
(1)
Chanel W.
I am from Texas and was told this was the best in town. This place is very divey and the food tasted like leftovers. Totally disgusted. Told by manager that he would not refund my money but that he would re-do the order. The food was disgusting why would I want more.. Will not visit again
(1)
Bill K.
The best Tex-Mex restaurant on the westside of Jacksonville.
(5)
Alissa V.
We stopped here on our travels based on Yelp reviews. We were less than impressed. The salsa tasted like Pace and the guacamole was odd, didn't seem very fresh. Our kids got chicken nugget meals which 1 of 3 kids actually ate. The chicken fajita lunch meal was average. The tamales were average. Would not go back.
(1)
James P.
ILLEGALLY OPERATED!!! Details below. Dirty and truly the worst service I have ever received. We are new to this area and thought we'd try this. What a mistake! My girlfriend has been working and now managing a restaurant for 11+ years. She has called a health inspector friend of hers on this matter. It was raining outside so we decided to call ahead and place a to go order. It was 8:30 PM on a Friday night. They stated over the phone that it would be ready in 10 minutes. I thought "Wow" that's fast! The reason it was said to be so fast was because the place had ZERO guests. I should have known it would be bad. When a restaurant is completely empty on a Friday night that's never a good sign. I arrived and said my name and that I was there to pick up my to go order. They never even started it! With no guests! So I waited. It's 8:50 when I finally get my food. I would understand it if they closed at 9:00 and were ready to go home but they are open until 10:00. Drive home in the pouring rain and unpack our "food" (if you could call it that) and they totally screwed up our order. They repeated my order back to me twice! The following is just one of the mistakes: They gave us nachos (which we ordered) but didn't include the CHEESE! How do you forget the cheese? No beans or rice either. We are vegetarian so we asked for no meat but asked to add rice. They said no problem. I even asked at check out when they handed my bags to me and they assured me it was in the bag. Here's where it gets good. We called and very politely told them of the order mistakes. They offered to correct the order by having me drive back up there in the pouring rain and give us cheese, beans and rice or they'd take my info and I could come another time. I figured we had other items in our bags and that I'd rather not drive in the rain. He took my info and said he'd replace the cheese, beans and rice on my next visit. "You mean you'll replace the nachos? NO. Wow! But all I have here is chips and sides. Don't you think you should replace the whole nachos when I come back. NO." My girlfriend asked to then speak to a manager. We were passed to a female server. She said no manager working several times. ILLEGAL IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA! She asked for the person on duty with food and beverage handlers permit. She said no one there has one. ILLEGAL IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA! Unreal!! Girl on the phone didn't even care when my girlfriend said that they were operating illegally and she was calling the health inspector. Once we have the report we'll be sharing with my friends in publishing, radio, and TV. I've been in the industry for 20 years. We eat out very often and we both agreed this was the worst.
(1)
Susan P.
This place is a classic Mexican restaurant. We there at least two or three times a month. They make the guacamole there every morning fresh and sometimes when they run out may make it again in the afternoon. It is absolutely delicious. I always order the mail with the grilled shrimp and onions and it is excellent. I'm not sure what seasoning they use but whatever it is it works really well. They have a weeknight and weekend buffet with the usual Mexican fare and the kids like that pretty well. The owner is super friendly and this is a family run business you will often find his kids helping out in the dining room. I know there is another Mexican restaurant in town that is also quite popular, but for consistent family friendly food that works with your budget you cannot beat this place.
(5)
Kerry C.
This particular El Potro is our family's favorite. We haven't ordered off the menu since they enlarged the restaurant and added a buffet bar (about 10 years ago?). BTW, for those who always ponder "the question", yes, this place appears to be a favorite among local Hispanic/Latino families. The buffet is great and the reason we keep returning. The food is always fresh, changed/freshened often, and kept clean. Contrary to what a lot of people say about buffets, even with the small selection of food, there are enough choices to eat healthy on this bar. We took the family here last night (a Friday) and, while it was the most packed I've ever seen, the service was superb. We were seated almost immediately, chips & salsa and drinks came out fast, and the food moved very quickly on the bar so practically everything hot we chose, had literally just come out of the kitchen. The big standouts last night were the taquitos & flautas and the shredded chicken & vegetables. Oh, and I cannot forget to mention the flan - very small pieces in custard cups on the bar, always a nice treat. LOL TIP: The parking lot here is very dangerous (not the restaurant's fault, of course), so please be extra careful - especially if you have small children, hang on to their hand tight and don't let them run. I've seen too many people race cars through this parking lot without looking and have almost been run over myself. It is also not lit very well at night.
(4)
Kimberly S.
We hit this place traveling late on the 10 and looking for good Mexican food. This place yelped out at 4.5 stars. We walked in at 9pm with 7 people and were greeted with a smile. Great service and delicious food. Well worth the 2 mile divert down 95 south when we were headed north. Definitely check this place out.
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Jim H.
We went here for lunch on a Sunday and decided to eat off their buffet since it was our first time here. The items on the buffet looked good but were anything but. It was almost like I was eating tasteless soggy cardboard. I will say that the given the high comments and ratings by some of the previous reviewers that items ordered off the menu must be of higher quality, so I will say that this review is only of the buffet. Even still, my experience will not allow me to try this restaurant again.
(2)Lora H.
I want to start by saying I had great expectations for trying food here based on some of the reviews. Unfortunately I am going to have to disagree with many. We ended up having the buffet and the food on there tasted overcooked or like it had been reheated. There was little flavor to much of the food which was disappointing. The salsas and queso were pretty good and the service was good. My suggestion is if you want Mexican you drive a bit further and go try some other place. For the price I expected more.
(3)Dave F.
One of my most favorite authentic Mexican food restaurants in Jacksonville. Good service. Great food. They have a buffet, and happy hour margaritas.
(5)Harlan M.
Been here numerous times with the family and always opt for the Buffett. I've never been disappointed with the food as it is hot and fresh. Many authentic choices from chicken wings to wraps/tacos and plenty of main course-type dishes to choose from. I like to make several trips of smaller portions so I can try everything. One of my favorite selections is the fresh guacamole and I'll add that to almost every plate. Also, you know it's an authentic restaurant when the bottles of Valentina Salsa Picante - Hot Sauce are 34 oz! Don't be thrown by the fact it is in a shopping plaza it is a little dark inside. Food is great!
(5)Ashley B.
Service was beyond excellent. We went around 4pm and where the only ones in the restaurant. Server was amazing and very nice. A little slow getting us drinks (two waters and a margarita) Margarita was way weak. It tasted like straight lemon lime Gatorade. I had the chicken fajitas. They were okay. I thought the chicken was a little undercooked by like a minute. They were good but lacked grilled onions which are my favorite part. But I did have an over abundance of green peppers. They also skimped on the sour cream and guac that comes with it. All in all an okay place. I won't make a special trip back out- but ahold probably come again if in the area.
(3)John S.
Each time we eat at this particular El Potro, the food is excellent whether we order from the menu of have the buffet. The service here is great, with each member of the staff being as friendly as the next. When we don't feel like dining in, we call ahead and I pick up our meal, which is always still nice and hot when I get home. There's nothing negative I can say about this place, so if you're in the area you should give it a try!
(4)Kathy S.
I've been here three times and every time the food is delicious. I did not try the buffet but order from the menu.. Chips and salsa are spot on and the portions are big. The margaritas are tasty and love the two for one deals. Very happy with the wait staff. They are very friendly.
(4)Walter P.
Dana loves it!
(5)Amy S.
When I cheat on La Nop, this is where I come. I've been to several El Potro restaurants here in Jax over the past decade and this is by far my favourite of the local chain. When I'm in the mood of a Mexican buffet, this is where it's at. Sometimes I don't want any particular one thing.... I just want a little of this and a little of that. The tamales are not by any means the best I've ever add, but adding salsa to them gives the added flavour they need and it cures my tamale urge/fix. You can make your own tacos, fajitas, burritos, taco salad, etc. from the buffet. They also have unlimited white cheese dip on the buffet, which I can never seem to get enough of. It's pretty yummy; although, not as yummy as the white cheese at La Nop (gosh, do I constantly have to compare everything to La Nop?). Then there are the times I'm craving Mexican and I'm not in the mood to go anywhere. Since this El Potro is closer to where we live than La Nop, I'll call in an order and go pick it up (I've done this twice just in the past week). I always order the same thing togo: The lunch chimichanga that comes with rice, beans, and a salad (with guac and sour cream). I like the fact that even at night you can order from the lunch menu! The chimichanga is very good. It comes with red sauce (which I don't like, so I have them substitute for the white cheese sauce). I can't stand refried beans, so I always get double rice. The rice is good, but rice is rice... one really can't mess that up. Also, I can't speak for the guac that comes on the salad... believe it or not, I can't stand the stuff. Of all the times I've called in an order and picked it up, only once has it ever been wrong (they put the red sauce on the chimichanga instead of the white sauce), but I went back and they quickly remade my order and apologized more times than necessary. The one thing I would not recommend is the fried ice cream. I've had it once and it's basically just ice cream in a shell with some Hershey syrup dribbled over it. If they actually fried the ice cream, I really couldn't tell. The restaurant is clean, the booths are comfy, the buffet is kept clean and is replenished often. The service here is absolutely outstanding... it alone deserves five stars! Very friendly and attentive staff! So, if you're a huge fan of La Nop like I am, this is definitely a good substitute every now and then!
(4)Mare M.
We had delivery before but this is our first time visiting. We'll be back to enjoy the buffet again, that's for certain! The staff was solicitous but not annoying and the food was delicious and not too Americanized (yummy fresh guacamole, fresh spicy salsas). We were going to order a side of guac, but our server told us to just get our fill from the buffet
(4)Stacey S.
Delicious!!! Seven hard to please travelers all gave it a five star rating! Great prices! Great service Clean Great atmosphere.
(5)Don P.
El Potro on Normandy Blvd has some really good Mexican food. The service is very friendly. The decor is a little cheesy but I didn't come here to see that. The buffet was just as good as the last time I was here.
(4)Ron M.
The food is just not that good. Anyone claiming that this is the best Mexican food they've ever had needs to venture further west. Bring from Southern California, I came here expecting some really great Mexican food. It has the vibe and ambience of a place that is going to serve some terrific food. However, when it came out I was seriously disappointed. I'm not saying that it's, AWFUL. I'm saying that in a city where I have yet to find true Mexican food, this is another place contributing to the problem. Can we get some good Mexican food in Jacksonville please?!?
(2)Sandy B.
My husband and I ate here a few months ago and my husband found a roach in his food. I think you might be better off taking your chances at taco bell! Never eating there again!
(1)Chanel W.
I am from Texas and was told this was the best in town. This place is very divey and the food tasted like leftovers. Totally disgusted. Told by manager that he would not refund my money but that he would re-do the order. The food was disgusting why would I want more.. Will not visit again
(1)Bill K.
The best Tex-Mex restaurant on the westside of Jacksonville.
(5)Alissa V.
We stopped here on our travels based on Yelp reviews. We were less than impressed. The salsa tasted like Pace and the guacamole was odd, didn't seem very fresh. Our kids got chicken nugget meals which 1 of 3 kids actually ate. The chicken fajita lunch meal was average. The tamales were average. Would not go back.
(1)James P.
ILLEGALLY OPERATED!!! Details below. Dirty and truly the worst service I have ever received. We are new to this area and thought we'd try this. What a mistake! My girlfriend has been working and now managing a restaurant for 11+ years. She has called a health inspector friend of hers on this matter. It was raining outside so we decided to call ahead and place a to go order. It was 8:30 PM on a Friday night. They stated over the phone that it would be ready in 10 minutes. I thought "Wow" that's fast! The reason it was said to be so fast was because the place had ZERO guests. I should have known it would be bad. When a restaurant is completely empty on a Friday night that's never a good sign. I arrived and said my name and that I was there to pick up my to go order. They never even started it! With no guests! So I waited. It's 8:50 when I finally get my food. I would understand it if they closed at 9:00 and were ready to go home but they are open until 10:00. Drive home in the pouring rain and unpack our "food" (if you could call it that) and they totally screwed up our order. They repeated my order back to me twice! The following is just one of the mistakes: They gave us nachos (which we ordered) but didn't include the CHEESE! How do you forget the cheese? No beans or rice either. We are vegetarian so we asked for no meat but asked to add rice. They said no problem. I even asked at check out when they handed my bags to me and they assured me it was in the bag. Here's where it gets good. We called and very politely told them of the order mistakes. They offered to correct the order by having me drive back up there in the pouring rain and give us cheese, beans and rice or they'd take my info and I could come another time. I figured we had other items in our bags and that I'd rather not drive in the rain. He took my info and said he'd replace the cheese, beans and rice on my next visit. "You mean you'll replace the nachos? NO. Wow! But all I have here is chips and sides. Don't you think you should replace the whole nachos when I come back. NO." My girlfriend asked to then speak to a manager. We were passed to a female server. She said no manager working several times. ILLEGAL IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA! She asked for the person on duty with food and beverage handlers permit. She said no one there has one. ILLEGAL IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA! Unreal!! Girl on the phone didn't even care when my girlfriend said that they were operating illegally and she was calling the health inspector. Once we have the report we'll be sharing with my friends in publishing, radio, and TV. I've been in the industry for 20 years. We eat out very often and we both agreed this was the worst.
(1)Susan P.
This place is a classic Mexican restaurant. We there at least two or three times a month. They make the guacamole there every morning fresh and sometimes when they run out may make it again in the afternoon. It is absolutely delicious. I always order the mail with the grilled shrimp and onions and it is excellent. I'm not sure what seasoning they use but whatever it is it works really well. They have a weeknight and weekend buffet with the usual Mexican fare and the kids like that pretty well. The owner is super friendly and this is a family run business you will often find his kids helping out in the dining room. I know there is another Mexican restaurant in town that is also quite popular, but for consistent family friendly food that works with your budget you cannot beat this place.
(5)Kerry C.
This particular El Potro is our family's favorite. We haven't ordered off the menu since they enlarged the restaurant and added a buffet bar (about 10 years ago?). BTW, for those who always ponder "the question", yes, this place appears to be a favorite among local Hispanic/Latino families. The buffet is great and the reason we keep returning. The food is always fresh, changed/freshened often, and kept clean. Contrary to what a lot of people say about buffets, even with the small selection of food, there are enough choices to eat healthy on this bar. We took the family here last night (a Friday) and, while it was the most packed I've ever seen, the service was superb. We were seated almost immediately, chips & salsa and drinks came out fast, and the food moved very quickly on the bar so practically everything hot we chose, had literally just come out of the kitchen. The big standouts last night were the taquitos & flautas and the shredded chicken & vegetables. Oh, and I cannot forget to mention the flan - very small pieces in custard cups on the bar, always a nice treat. LOL TIP: The parking lot here is very dangerous (not the restaurant's fault, of course), so please be extra careful - especially if you have small children, hang on to their hand tight and don't let them run. I've seen too many people race cars through this parking lot without looking and have almost been run over myself. It is also not lit very well at night.
(4)Kimberly S.
We hit this place traveling late on the 10 and looking for good Mexican food. This place yelped out at 4.5 stars. We walked in at 9pm with 7 people and were greeted with a smile. Great service and delicious food. Well worth the 2 mile divert down 95 south when we were headed north. Definitely check this place out.
(5)