While the building is plain, non-descript, I am so glad I came in. The building used to be an Italian joint, I think. The little stained glasses in the booths had cheese, sausage, garlic, gelato, etc on them. Haha Lunch buffet looked awesome but I chose to order off the menu. Yummy chips and dynamite salsa. Coming from a Texas girl, that's a good thing! The lunch fajitas were pretty good. The guacamole was a little acidic, but I can deal with that. All in all, I would definitely come back.
(4)
J D.
Staff was friendly. Food left much to be desired. Salsa tasted like it was straight from the jar.
(1)
Pam B.
Can't say much for this place. It looks like it could use a deep cleaning. I went in around 8 pm for dinner. It was virtually empty, but I couldn't get the hostess to stop chatting long enough to seat me. A waiter walked past me 3 times, yet he didn't take me to a table either. After 7 minutes I walked out.
(1)
Jim M.
Great service! (Let me start with that) I ate there a month ago and the place was dirty, should have let but didn't. Food was below average, the kicker was I got very sick. (First time ever getting what I believe was food poising.)
(1)
Kathy L.
Close to I-10. Walked in on a Saturday night & was greeted right away and immediately sat. I ordered quickly and had hot fresh food in 10 minutes. The menu has went up I. Price just a little from what you see online. I got the two entree with rice & beans for $8.99. The portions were huge & the service was very quick! No negatives to say!
(5)
Jeremiah N.
Server was as good as he could be.... We stopped on cinco de mayo! Kitchen and bar was very slow, and restaurant was not packed by any means. Group had hard tacos, chimichangas, quesadillas, and chili rellano.... Felt like they forgot about us! Salsa was alright... Bland with a little hear. Preferred chips and salsa to most of the meal. Chili rellano was great though.
(2)
Patrick B.
Excellent service, and tastey food. My family and I liked it. The decor and lighting could be improved upon, but overall it is worth checking out.
(4)
Audrey G.
Unfortunately, when I walked into the restaurant it had an awful smell. The margarita special 2-for-1 was one margarita watered-down into two. I was unable to drink it. The salad tasted like It had been left open in the refrigerator and had absorbed smells from other items in the refrigerator. The rice tasted the same way. I hesitantly ate a little bit of the chicken and surprisingly it tasted okay. I definitely feel the meals were overpriced. Honestly, If I could rate this Restaurant a zero, I would.
(1)
Vicky B.
Love this place.The good is fantastic, the staff is friendly, and the decor is so nice. I will go back all the time I cannot believe they are not packed everyday. We ordered of the menus and have yet to try the buffet.
(5)
Amelia S.
El Potro is on the must visit restaurant. The best Mexican food in Lake City. Its so nice here, you can make your own tacos. All the cheese dip you can eat. And their salsa and chips are excellent.
(4)
Joey B.
First Mexican buffet for me. Good eating. Nice to make your own tacos. All the cheese dip you can eat.
(4)
Felix T.
Typical Mexican. The chips leave a film on the roof of your mouth. The salsa is mostly tomato sauce and lacks spice. The beans are watery and have no salt or taste. The service is good however although a bit slow. The rest of my meal was tasty and hot though. So not awful, but this place needs work.
(3)
Cameron G.
The tequila (insofar as there was any) in the margarita was pretty cheap, and the food was simply not good.
(2)
Tom D.
I'm in Lake City, FL on business, on an expense account, and need to find places for dinners. Now I'm not adventurous, born without a sense of direction so if it's not on the same highway as is my hotel, I'm not even attempting it. I used Yelp! and came up with El Potro Mexican Restaurant. To start with it's not much to look at from the outside, rather dark and unassuming, on the inside, rather dark and unassuming. This would turn off my wife from trying it a second time, maybe even the first time. Me, I'm different, I'm there for the food and you can't eat ambiance, llI'm very glad I went here. It was a Monday evening so it wasn't crowded at all and I was seated immediately. Now my company will allow two drinks to be put on their card for dinner, I'm not shy and I ordered a Margarita. The waitress said that their 16 and 24 ounce Margaritas were on a buy one get one free special for that night. As stated I'm not shy so I order a 24 ounce Margarita. Good drink, not the best I've ever had but good and a nice basket of chips with salsa were also served. For the curious amongst you, yes I had four that evening. I ordered the Nachos Grande with steak for appetizer and the Burro Supreme for my dinner. I knew I was in trouble when the nachos appeared, the portion was huge. The chips were large which was good as the steak was in strips and they required a larger chip. Cheese, shredded lettuce, jalapeños, sour cream and guacamole topped the chips and meat. Good choice,I liked the nachos. I thought that portion was big? Not in comparison to the burro, this was the largest Mexican meal I've ever seen! Extra large corn tortilla with Angus beef, Mexican rice and beans inside and an unusual white cheese sauce over the outside. This was the best burro I've ever had, for that matter the Burro Supreme was the best Mexican meal I've ever had, period! No desert, about to burst, but in closing may I add that both dishes came out of the kitchen hot which is all too often not the case while dining out. Would I eat here again, without a doubt, if and when I'm back in Lake City, El Potro is on the must visit list.
(4)
J D.
This place was DELICIOUS! My mom and I came here in the middle of a road trip from Orlando to Atlanta (we're from Southern California). Being from SoCal, we're Mexican food critics, and this place definitely passed the test! Authentic, fresh, great attentive service, clean restrooms, and a very home-style Mexican family restaurant atmosphere. Would definitely recommend to others and come back if ever in the area again!
(4)
Phil T.
Was passing through Lake City with the family on I-75 and stopped at El Potro. Had a chicken burro grande with the wife. It was gigantic and had the beans and rice inside. It was enough for two people. Food was delicious. Son had a quesadilla that was very good too. Service was quick. Great stop and would go again if in the area.
(4)
Steve B.
The a la Diablo shrimp really is spicy! Deep chipotle sauce just like the Sonoran peeps do it. Loved it.
(4)
Ronnie L.
I'm gonna give this place 5 stars. I'm still full. I ate an hour ago. I was looking for a restaurant to eat at on my pit-stop for the evening and I saw this place. Pretty plain looking sign, check! Empty inside, Check! Order food: They came with warm chips and Salsa as per usual and then I threw out the test... "I don't like regular salsa... Do you have Hot?" Many Mexican Restaurants fall short. They look at me and stare and say that's all they have or try to convince me to ad the hot sauce on the table to my salsa... But this place stepped up to the plate. They brought out the Green Salsa. Yum! and Hot! So I order a Chili Releno (I dunno how to spell it but it was Delicious) and I've never had one before today. Impressive. I also had a Chimichanga and a Quesidilla. This was ALL very good. Maybe it's the excitement of being in Florida but everything tasted so fresh. Like Mexican Town Honey Bee Market Fresh (You Detroit Yelpers know what I mean). The food came out HOT. That's so key.. I don't care if the rice and beans are made in the morning (I work food service, I know how these things work) but it TASTED like it was just cooked! Everything was hot. I got a side of Pico a sample of guac and a Tecate and it was like 15 bucks to feed me with leftovers that really didn't last very long. If you stop in this town GO her. Do yourself a favor. Even if you don't know Mexican food still come here because they have pictures of everything on the menu that you're ordering so you know what you're getting. DO IT! ;p
(5)
Jon P.
The best Mexican food in Lake City. The salsa and chips are excellent. Loved it so much bought extra salsa to take home with me. Do not expect anything you have ate at Taco Bell, this is authentic Mexican food. service is friendly and the food is excellent, If you love Mexican food please give El Potro a try,
(4)
Scott L.
Was in town for cinco de mayo. By far the best Mexican place in town but it's lake city. The salsa and chips were average. The hard and soft shell tacos were alittle above par. I would recommend if your in lake city but don't go out of your way.
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 Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Loud Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : 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.
Jeri T.
While the building is plain, non-descript, I am so glad I came in. The building used to be an Italian joint, I think. The little stained glasses in the booths had cheese, sausage, garlic, gelato, etc on them. Haha Lunch buffet looked awesome but I chose to order off the menu. Yummy chips and dynamite salsa. Coming from a Texas girl, that's a good thing! The lunch fajitas were pretty good. The guacamole was a little acidic, but I can deal with that. All in all, I would definitely come back.
(4)J D.
Staff was friendly. Food left much to be desired. Salsa tasted like it was straight from the jar.
(1)Pam B.
Can't say much for this place. It looks like it could use a deep cleaning. I went in around 8 pm for dinner. It was virtually empty, but I couldn't get the hostess to stop chatting long enough to seat me. A waiter walked past me 3 times, yet he didn't take me to a table either. After 7 minutes I walked out.
(1)Jim M.
Great service! (Let me start with that) I ate there a month ago and the place was dirty, should have let but didn't. Food was below average, the kicker was I got very sick. (First time ever getting what I believe was food poising.)
(1)Kathy L.
Close to I-10. Walked in on a Saturday night & was greeted right away and immediately sat. I ordered quickly and had hot fresh food in 10 minutes. The menu has went up I. Price just a little from what you see online. I got the two entree with rice & beans for $8.99. The portions were huge & the service was very quick! No negatives to say!
(5)Jeremiah N.
Server was as good as he could be.... We stopped on cinco de mayo! Kitchen and bar was very slow, and restaurant was not packed by any means. Group had hard tacos, chimichangas, quesadillas, and chili rellano.... Felt like they forgot about us! Salsa was alright... Bland with a little hear. Preferred chips and salsa to most of the meal. Chili rellano was great though.
(2)Patrick B.
Excellent service, and tastey food. My family and I liked it. The decor and lighting could be improved upon, but overall it is worth checking out.
(4)Audrey G.
Unfortunately, when I walked into the restaurant it had an awful smell. The margarita special 2-for-1 was one margarita watered-down into two. I was unable to drink it. The salad tasted like It had been left open in the refrigerator and had absorbed smells from other items in the refrigerator. The rice tasted the same way. I hesitantly ate a little bit of the chicken and surprisingly it tasted okay. I definitely feel the meals were overpriced. Honestly, If I could rate this Restaurant a zero, I would.
(1)Vicky B.
Love this place.The good is fantastic, the staff is friendly, and the decor is so nice. I will go back all the time I cannot believe they are not packed everyday. We ordered of the menus and have yet to try the buffet.
(5)Amelia S.
El Potro is on the must visit restaurant. The best Mexican food in Lake City. Its so nice here, you can make your own tacos. All the cheese dip you can eat. And their salsa and chips are excellent.
(4)Joey B.
First Mexican buffet for me. Good eating. Nice to make your own tacos. All the cheese dip you can eat.
(4)Felix T.
Typical Mexican. The chips leave a film on the roof of your mouth. The salsa is mostly tomato sauce and lacks spice. The beans are watery and have no salt or taste. The service is good however although a bit slow. The rest of my meal was tasty and hot though. So not awful, but this place needs work.
(3)Cameron G.
The tequila (insofar as there was any) in the margarita was pretty cheap, and the food was simply not good.
(2)Tom D.
I'm in Lake City, FL on business, on an expense account, and need to find places for dinners. Now I'm not adventurous, born without a sense of direction so if it's not on the same highway as is my hotel, I'm not even attempting it. I used Yelp! and came up with El Potro Mexican Restaurant. To start with it's not much to look at from the outside, rather dark and unassuming, on the inside, rather dark and unassuming. This would turn off my wife from trying it a second time, maybe even the first time. Me, I'm different, I'm there for the food and you can't eat ambiance, llI'm very glad I went here. It was a Monday evening so it wasn't crowded at all and I was seated immediately. Now my company will allow two drinks to be put on their card for dinner, I'm not shy and I ordered a Margarita. The waitress said that their 16 and 24 ounce Margaritas were on a buy one get one free special for that night. As stated I'm not shy so I order a 24 ounce Margarita. Good drink, not the best I've ever had but good and a nice basket of chips with salsa were also served. For the curious amongst you, yes I had four that evening. I ordered the Nachos Grande with steak for appetizer and the Burro Supreme for my dinner. I knew I was in trouble when the nachos appeared, the portion was huge. The chips were large which was good as the steak was in strips and they required a larger chip. Cheese, shredded lettuce, jalapeños, sour cream and guacamole topped the chips and meat. Good choice,I liked the nachos. I thought that portion was big? Not in comparison to the burro, this was the largest Mexican meal I've ever seen! Extra large corn tortilla with Angus beef, Mexican rice and beans inside and an unusual white cheese sauce over the outside. This was the best burro I've ever had, for that matter the Burro Supreme was the best Mexican meal I've ever had, period! No desert, about to burst, but in closing may I add that both dishes came out of the kitchen hot which is all too often not the case while dining out. Would I eat here again, without a doubt, if and when I'm back in Lake City, El Potro is on the must visit list.
(4)J D.
This place was DELICIOUS! My mom and I came here in the middle of a road trip from Orlando to Atlanta (we're from Southern California). Being from SoCal, we're Mexican food critics, and this place definitely passed the test! Authentic, fresh, great attentive service, clean restrooms, and a very home-style Mexican family restaurant atmosphere. Would definitely recommend to others and come back if ever in the area again!
(4)Phil T.
Was passing through Lake City with the family on I-75 and stopped at El Potro. Had a chicken burro grande with the wife. It was gigantic and had the beans and rice inside. It was enough for two people. Food was delicious. Son had a quesadilla that was very good too. Service was quick. Great stop and would go again if in the area.
(4)Steve B.
The a la Diablo shrimp really is spicy! Deep chipotle sauce just like the Sonoran peeps do it. Loved it.
(4)Ronnie L.
I'm gonna give this place 5 stars. I'm still full. I ate an hour ago. I was looking for a restaurant to eat at on my pit-stop for the evening and I saw this place. Pretty plain looking sign, check! Empty inside, Check! Order food: They came with warm chips and Salsa as per usual and then I threw out the test... "I don't like regular salsa... Do you have Hot?" Many Mexican Restaurants fall short. They look at me and stare and say that's all they have or try to convince me to ad the hot sauce on the table to my salsa... But this place stepped up to the plate. They brought out the Green Salsa. Yum! and Hot! So I order a Chili Releno (I dunno how to spell it but it was Delicious) and I've never had one before today. Impressive. I also had a Chimichanga and a Quesidilla. This was ALL very good. Maybe it's the excitement of being in Florida but everything tasted so fresh. Like Mexican Town Honey Bee Market Fresh (You Detroit Yelpers know what I mean). The food came out HOT. That's so key.. I don't care if the rice and beans are made in the morning (I work food service, I know how these things work) but it TASTED like it was just cooked! Everything was hot. I got a side of Pico a sample of guac and a Tecate and it was like 15 bucks to feed me with leftovers that really didn't last very long. If you stop in this town GO her. Do yourself a favor. Even if you don't know Mexican food still come here because they have pictures of everything on the menu that you're ordering so you know what you're getting. DO IT! ;p
(5)Jon P.
The best Mexican food in Lake City. The salsa and chips are excellent. Loved it so much bought extra salsa to take home with me. Do not expect anything you have ate at Taco Bell, this is authentic Mexican food. service is friendly and the food is excellent, If you love Mexican food please give El Potro a try,
(4)Scott L.
Was in town for cinco de mayo. By far the best Mexican place in town but it's lake city. The salsa and chips were average. The hard and soft shell tacos were alittle above par. I would recommend if your in lake city but don't go out of your way.
(3)