El Gran Rodeo
220 Painters Crossing Village, West Chester, PA, 19382
El Gran Rodeo Menu
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Address :
220 Painters Crossing Village
West Chester, PA, 19382 - Phone (484) 840-0323
- Website https://www.elgranrodeopa.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
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.
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Alyssa T.
SO GOOD! Everyone I know loves this place. My dad and I come here several times a year and always enjoy it. Everything they make is absolutely delicious. I'm a big fan of the tacos. The prices are good, the portions are good and the service is always great.
(4)Dave S.
Underwhelming food is partly made up for by the decent atmosphere and awesome prices.
(3)Ryan H.
My favorite place to stop; always good food and quick service. I probably have ate here 100 times since I moved to PA. Queso dip is good, salsa is spicy, just the way it should be.
(5)Ruth Y.
I really can not believe this place has not been reviewed. After being introduced to this place a few weeks ago by a friend, everyone I mention this place to raves about their mysterious "white dipping sauce." More on that later. After attending a concert in Nixon Park, a few friends and I looked for a place to grab some dinner. One of my friends strongly suggested trying this place (thank you, thank you!). We walk in and the place is nice, cozy and cute. It is a bit dim for my taste, but I have never been big on mood lighting. The waitress seems very nice and helpful, and was willing to check on the "special" for me. When sitting down, the table is offered a basketful of tortilla chips and 2 bowls of salsa and the aforementioned mysterious white sauce. I really can not tell you what the salsa was like, I am sure it was good. But once you taste the white sauce, you kind of forget about anything else. I just had to ask the waitress what it was. She said it is a Mexican Ranch sauce. I just call it mouthwatering heavenliness. It is a tiny, tiny bit spicy, but tangy and creamy. It is hard to describe beyond, AMAZING! Also please keep in mind that I am a complete spice wuss, so for those of you whose tongues have their taste buds burned off already, you will not feel a thing. I also ordered a 3 combination platter. It had a chile relleno and 2 things I just can not remember the name of right now. I also had the chirizo queso dip. The queso dip was also amazing. It was warm, ooey and gooey flavored throughout by the chirizo. And this is on an extremely hot day; I am completely planning on trying this again on the next cold day that comes along. It is warm comfort food at its best. The chile relleno and the rest of the combo platter was also very good. You could tell that the ingredients were very fresh and flavorful. The only thing that slightly disappointed me was the guacamole on one of the 2 other items that I can not name. It was not that flavorful and really pretty bland. Since we got to the restaurant pretty late, we paid and walked out as they were closing. We stopped outside to chat for a few minutes, in which time the staff locked up the restaurant and made their way home. To their credit, I had no idea until I saw them locking up the restaurant behind us that we had cut it so close to their closing time. They never once made us feel like we were holding them up. Thank you! Overall this is one of the best Mexican restaurants I have ever been too. I really vacillated between giving this place 4 or 5 stars, but since I am not an expert, I opted for the 4 stars. That half star is generally a reflection on my lack of expertise and not the restaurant.
(4)Gerry O.
We've not enjoyed such high quality, authentic and affordable Mexican cuisine since we last dined at a tiny restaurant in Highland Mills, New York formerly known as The American Cafe and now called Cafe Fiesta. Look it up. One of the owners built their menu around his Mexican grandmother's very own recipe book. El Gran Rodeo is the nearest thing we have found to that heavenly if now remote dining experience. El Gran Rodeo has the feel of family-style Mexican restaurants we've visited in San Antonio, Texas. The atmosphere is welcoming and unpretentious, the service attentive, and the portions immense. Everything on El Gran Rodeo's menu is fresh and I'm especially fond of their Pollo con Mole, which is a platterful of high grade cocoa and just the right combination of seasonings to make the chocolate flavor pop inside your mouth. The luncheon menus and combination platters are quite affordable and worth a ride to Painters Crossing at Route 202, not far from Chadds Ford and Wyeth country.
(5)Kyle M.
Im equally as shocked more people have'nt done the work and given this place the yelp credit is deserves. Went here last night with fingers crossed the one review we had to go on would be accurate. Yep white sauce is amazing as is everything else we ordered. Some of the best chicken ive ever had. Menu is set up great so you can try multiple things at once without breaking the bank.
(4)Ed B.
Great food and very affordable, I really liked the enchilada and chille relleno. I also had an excellent flan for dessert.
(4)Dave P.
Great place and great Mexican food. I've read that some people have complained about the service here. Idiots... This place provides a relaxing atmosphere where you aren't rushed out the door. It's a Mexican restaurant, not a fast food burger joint. The food is authentic and to say anything otherwise shows true lack of food knowledge. El Gran Rodeo trumps all others in the area like Mas (garbage), La Toteca (mediocre) and especially On the Border which I'm sure some of the people who rated this place low are fans of.
(5)Zachary S.
This place is where you need to be if you are looking for the best authentic Mexican food in a great atmosphere with outstanding service. I come here at least once a month with friends and it has become somewhat of a Monday night tradition. This is a popular spot and sometimes there can be a wait but that's ok because it's totally worth it and there bar is great place to hang out while you wait. When it comes to food I don't know anybody who hasn't liked anything they have ordered. A couple of my faves are the Chori Pollo and the pollo parrilla. If you do come here do yourself a favor and ask for Oscar or Ricardo. They will take great care of you. Also the booths here are quite spacious. When it comes to El Gran Rodeo dis place for me do.
(5)Noah S.
This restaurant is maybe the best Mexican restaurant in the world, coming from a New Yorker. My family comes here about once a year on a vacation. I felt like I needed to just right a review of it. Right off the bat, I could say that I love the rodeo feel, like in Texas in a saloon. I love the decor, since it is unlike anything else I have seen. There is nonstop music playing, which I love. The service is trained and wants to make your experience memorable. This place gets really crowded on weekends, so come earlier for meals. I love their lunch specials, since they are pretty large and delicious. I like the burritos and enchiladas combination and rice. It is very reasonable, like $6 or $7. Such a great deal. Dinner is also very cheap, coming with chips and salsa. I like their guacamole... For dinner, I like the chimichangas and the quesadillas. My only concern in that the sauce tastes like tomato sauce, which I don't necessarily like so much. Other than that, FLAWLESS.
(5)B R.
The staff was friendly and the door was alright. It was the normal microwaved Mexican food. The plate comes out hotter than the food. With that said I will stop in again for a quick lunch.
(3)Michelle C.
Great service! Great food! Very reasonable prices and huge portions! Love this place!
(5)Middi V.
My family went to dinner there the other night. at least we tried to. the places closes at 10 and we got there at 9:15. When we walked in they all stared at us and one of them said the kitchen closes in 5 mins. I have never been to a restaurant where the kitchen closes 40 mins before closing. Service is the worst! I can not say anything about the for since service was denied.
(1)Tony D.
I attended a birthday dinner here Saturday night 1/4 with a party of 8. We had called a few days before and were told that they do not take reservations. When we explained it was a party, they asked when we would be coming. We said 5:30, and were told they are "very slow" at that time and it will be no problem at all. When we arrived at 5:15, there were zero tables open! We were told it would be a 20 minute wait at least, and they did not know who we spoke to on the phone previously. After waiting about 10 minutes, they decided to put us in the bar area, and attached 2 small tables to a booth. This was a little off, as the tables were a different height than the booth. But, this is where they turned it around. The service was excellent. Our waiter was on top of everything, including refilling drinks and bringing more chips and salsa. The appetizer I had was chorizo in a melted cheese. It was very tasty. I also had the beef burritos and they were very substantial. The cheese sauce on top was excellent. All 8 of us liked what we ordered. The margarita I had was much too sweet, and tasted like there was way too much mix, but everything else was good. I was impressed by the way the night improved, because it was looking like a disaster from the beginning. I would definitely return, but skip the margarita and go straight to the Dos Equis.
(3)Kristy X.
This is my go to Mexican restaurant! My bf and I never have a wait and if we do, it's only a few minutes. The complimentary salsa, ranch and chips are fantastic! The menu is huge but not overwhelming and even has a section where it lists what everything is ie. tacos, fajitas, burritos, etc. My only complaint is that when you are seated outside, they tend to forget your table. But inside, the service is great!
(4)Emily H.
The best Mexican I've found in the immediate area. The interior is clean and the booths have pretty carved wood sides. Texas margarita was good and strong. Chips and salsa were solid (though the salsa bowl was on the smaller side), as was the guac. I didn't care for the white dip that comes with the chips - it tasted like spicy ranch dressing to me. Beef fajitas were huge and mostly meat. Overall, a good meal at a reasonable price. Biggest downside was that it took at least 15 minutes to get our check AFTER we were given to-go boxes. I left satisfied, though, and will be back. I'd love to try the patio next time.
(4)Elisaina D.
El Gran Rodeo is, hands down, an extremely good Mexican restaurant. I've eaten there five times or so, and each time I have an excellent meal. The Molcajete for Two is a delicious stew of chicken, shrimp, chorizo, poblano pepper and pineapple chunks (which make the dish) - I get it almost every time I go there. The other plates are all fabulous as well. It's not high Mexican cuisine, but it is consistently really good, quality food. And the margaritas - wow. The Skinny Margarita is nothing but fresh lime juice, Cuervo Gold, and Cointreau. No mix. Simply put, it's "deligious" - its not just delicious, it's a religious experience. Table side guac is good, heaping portions, sometimes they go a little heavy on the onions but they'll customize it to your tastes. The decor is festive, the service is good (one of the waiters is a bit mopey, but even he's always prompt), and it won't cost an arm and a leg. We always leave very happy. Go. You'll be glad you did.
(5)Jessica R.
The food is delicious, but the service is awful. It will probably take me another year to forget about the bad service and give them another try!
(2)Rick R.
El Gran Rodeo is really a solid Mexican restaurant. I've only been here 4 or 5 times, but I really love their food, service and atmosphere. The food is legitimately tasty. The chefs really know what they are doing in the kitchen. I've never had an overly greasy meal. For this type of food, that's definitely hard to find. I have a not so great stomach, and I've never had a problem after eating here. Service is incredibly prompt. The waiters have been very friendly. Calling us "Amigos" and such adds to the overall character of the place. Food service is prompt! We have never had to wait for more than a few minutes for our food to arrive. That alone is amazing. Once the food hits your plate, it's always piping hot and the spices and flavors of each meal have always been enjoyable. The overall atmosphere is nice. The decor is southwestern & Mexican themed. The booths are clean and outdoor seating is nice. The only issue I've had here were the bees outside. However, this was yesterday (Beginning of fall) so the bees are typically bad at this time of year - anywhere you go. I've sat outside before and didn't have a problem with bees in the past. To sum it up - this is a great, inexpensive place if you're craving some Mexican food that is worthy of a visit!
(5)Joe P.
El Gran Rodeo features some of the most authentic Mexican food I've tasted in this area. A straightforward, delicious option for lunch and dinner, El Gran Rodeo never fails to leave me satisfied. I don't know what attracted me to them in the first place, but the chicken enchiladas (aka Yolandas) are, to me, the most delicious thing here. However, I am one of those people that when I find something that I really like, I rarely order anything else off the menu. But I do go here with my family, and my family orders plenty of things off the menu that they always seem to enjoy. Something that disappointed me in my recent visit, was the slightly dry chicken in my enchiladas. Also, they had no fried ice cream because the freezer was broken... damn. Nevertheless, the flavor of those enchiladas is enough to make me happy. I will be returning for my fried ice cream - and more enchiladas - because their awesome. Oh, and the ranch that they serve with the chips is genius. Food: 7.8/10 -Yolandas (Chicken Enchiladas) [8.5/10] -Fried Ice Cream [7/10] -Chips, Salsa & Ranch [8/10] Service: 7.8/10 -Helpfulness (7.5/10) -Knowledge (9/10) -Efficiency (7/10) Ambiance: 6/10 Value: 6.5/10 OVERALL: 7/10 (3.5/5) Pretty freaking good.
(4)Matt F.
Fish tacos made the cut..by a scale. I came happy with friends. I left unhappy with friends, and a bit tipsy from what was admittedly the best part of the meal: the frozen margarita which may have been laced with gasoline. Strong, but effective. The food came late. The 'tableside guacamole' never happened because they were busy...if busy describes a normal, almost-filled restaurant on a Saturday night. The food also came overcooked for one friend, underwhelming for another, and - although my fish tacos were not bad - it wasn't anything to write home about. Just you, Yelp. I'd say, come for the margarita and queso dip...and go have your entree elsewhere. Dos estrellas.
(2)A P.
This place is delicious. My boyfriend and a few friends of mine absolutely love the White Salsa...So much that they always order some of it to go when we are heading out. Me, not a big fan of it, but I am picky. Their regular salsa is very tasty as well. I usually get enchiladas and they never disappoint. And even when I do venture out of my comfort zone of enchiladas, the food is still yummy. They are consistently packed on the weekends, so be prepared to wait a while, but the wait is always worth it. I have never had issues with service. They are willing to customize a bit for the picky eaters. That does not always happen at other local Mexican restaurants. The ONLY complaint I have is that the seating options for waiting kind of suck. A weird chair made out of a wheel that is terrible to sit on. There are about 3 comfy chairs, but almost always taken already obviously. But there is no way I would knock off a star for that.
(5)A S.
Pathetic food. I felt like I was eating kid's meal. They couldn't even make a bean burrito taste good. I think this is probably the worst Mexican restaurant that I have tried in the U.S. Service was horrible too. I had to ask for salsa multiple times. Place is nice but the food sucks.
(1)Erin O.
So, I continue to eat here or get take out practically every weekend. It's now our family's place to go for big get together's. We went this past Friday, May 8th for my birthday dinner and there were 6 of us in the group. While we had to wait for about 20mins (the place was packed!), they accommodated us by giving us a table with our favorite waiter, Marvin! He's honestly one of the best servers in the field. My husband and I hadn't been in for about two months because of our wedding and honeymoon (I had to fit into my dress!). Marvin came right up to us and asked us how the wedding went and how we were enjoying married life! Who remembers that?! So when it was dessert time, a large group of servers brought me fried ice cream with a birthday candle, put a huge sombrero on my head and sang their hearts out! They even had musical instruments :) I can't say enough great thing about this place!
(5)Anita C.
This place has the best chips and salsa. Get a margherita and just eat the chips until you pop. Usually got the mixed fajitas and always happy with them. Sloppy but great. Good service and nice atmosphere with outdoor dining when weather permits. This was our favorite mexican restaurant when lived in Glen Mills, PA
(4)Marie S.
Totally authentic Mexican food. I had the tostada (my favorite) and it was perfect!!!! Potato taco was not what I expected (I like them with cubed potatoes that have been sautéed) these were made with a spicy mashed potato. The filling was delicious but it was a bit messy. The margaritas were amazing! And they have a lunch special for margaritas. Atmosphere is bright and clean.
(5)Kristen M.
Food is great, however the staff can be rude. They NEVER say thank you. The man at the front doesn't even say hi or thank you when you leave, just gives you a straight face. Sometimes they can act like you are bothering them.
(2)Tom E.
Wasn't impressed with anything. The service was fair to terrible. Saw waiter once to take order and then he disappeared. A runner brought our meals. I wanted another margarita and had to wait until he decided to stop by. The drinks weren't bad however and the lunch price was good. Chips were fair. Not warm - tasted like they were from a bag.The white salsa had a weird aftertaste. The only other place I know that offers that chip dip is Plaza Azteca and theirs tastes good. The red salsa was ok. For our meal my lady had the chicken quesadilla lunch special. Small flour tortilla folded over with cheese and chicken. Included scary looking refried beans - tasted ok. I had a cheese enchilada, a chicken enchilada and a beef taco lunch special. There was nothing that accompanied it - no rice, no beans. At least most other places around here offer a better lunch deal. My meal was ok although the chicken was not all white meat. The plates were freaking HOT. I swear if you touched it without an oven mitt your skin would be seared off. Can't see a return visit in our future.
(2)Gwen G.
Ugh. We had a later dinner here last night. The service was fine. The food on the other was terrible! Someone commented on the white sauce for the chips? It was Ranch dressing!!!! Eeww. I had a soft flour fish chimichanga. It was basically a piece of fish wrapped in a flour tortilla with a white cheese sauce poured on it. The cheese sauce tasted like the equivalent of white wiz. Yuck! The same sauce was poured on the beans, which, without the sauce would have been pretty good. My husband had some pork thing that came out of the kitchen like a giant chunk of meat. He said it was good, but it looked disgusting to me. I had a margarita, which was just ok. All in all it was not good and we won't go back.
(2)Devon E.
The food is cheap and simple. In my opinion the menu is just too large. Margaritas are simple, not necessarily enough alcohol. Just tasted like juice. I personally had the chimichangas with beef and there was almost no seasoning so again, simple. My husband ordered the California burrito with chicken, again the same result. Service wasn't quite up to par. The waiter just kinda wandered and I felt rushed. It was just ok for something simple.
(3)Stefanie G.
This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. Great margaritas and great food, I clear my plate every time I go! :)
(5)Lindsey C.
My husband would only eat Mexican food if he had the choice. Since his discovery of this place, we probably go here every other weekend when we are home. I always get the tilapia acapulco (really good with all the cheesy peppery goodness on top of tilapia and shrimp). Chips are margaritas are just okay but definitely a solid mexican option in town.
(4)Mark M.
I would give this place a 3 star if it was not for the slow staff. Most of them are not lazy but my server sure was. Others who sat down after I ordered got their meals before I did and my server had nothing to say about it. Aside from that, they do have a good menu, good quality food, and an excellent seating area.
(2)Katrina D.
Since Mexican in the suburbs is generally harder to come by, this place is do-able. But if you have access to other Mexican, go somewhere else. To start, our GPS couldn't find the place (not the restaurants fault), but when we called to point us in the right direction, the gentleman who answered the phone barely spoke English. I asked him to put someone else on the phone but he didn't get that either. When we eventually found it, the location is at one of the biggest intersections in the area so it really should not have been difficult for anyone to explain. I'm not saying your English has to be perfect if you work at a Mexican restaurant, but anyone customer-facing needs a basic command of the language. We went on a Saturday evening, toward the early side and it was controlled chaos upon walking in. They were definitely overwhelmed; we waited very long for our food and then the wrong meal was brought out. The food was relatively good but nothing to write home about. Many other places to choose from so it's worth the drive to go elsewhere.
(2)Jonathan B.
They just catered a graduation party for our son. Marcos came out and set everything thing up. The food was great as would be expected. All the guests were raving about the fajitas. He gave us more than enough food, it looks like we will have enough to eat for the rest of the week.
(5)Karen F.
I like Grand Rodeo - mysterious "ranch dressing" white sauce and ketchup-y salsa and all. It's great for families with or without kids. Service (Kudos to Ricardo) was terrific even on a jam-packed (20 minute wait) Saturday night. Love it here.
(4)Roger S.
Good food, good drinks, good service. Desserts were great. Would definitely go again.
(4)Bob C.
Margarita's, they are damn good. This is the first place I ever went to that had what I think is real Mexican food. Anyway, it was good, and did not look like anything else I had ever had up until that point. Now a days, I kind of know the difference beteween American Mexican food and real Mexican food. To be honest, I do enjoy both. Gran Rodeo is a relatively clean place, there is ample parking, it isn't far from Target Master's, if you know what that place is, it's always good to go for a margarita after you go there, rather than before. The chips on the table are nice, it's colorful and the staff have always been nice to me. The service is always great too. I have never had a bad experience, and it would be hard to add up how many times I have been here. I often go here earlier, rather than later, so I cannot really comment on how they handle a full house. At any rate, this is the place where a lot of good times began or ended, and the food, drinks and staff helped make that happen.
(4)Savy L.
This is my favorite restaurant of all time. BEST chicken fajitas I have ever had in my life, plus FANTASTIC salsa, queso, and chips! (If anyone from El Gran Rodeo is reading this review, PLEASE open a location in Chicago, because you are the #1 place I've missed since I moved!) Every time I visit PA I have to go here at least 2-3 times, even if it was all within the same week. The service is excellent as well.
(5)Brian B.
Came here with family of 4 on a Sunday afternoon. I was disappointed and surprised after all the positive reviews on yelp. It was not a busy day and we were seated in the bar. We waited for 10 minutes without service. I got up and told the manager we were not waited on yet. We were served cold, stale chips and salsa and a disgusting white salsa. It was like mayonnaise mixed with Adobo. I really don't know what the rave about the white salsa is about. It was absolutely disgusting. Not one person in my family would eat it. We waited another several minutes for a drink order and wait longer for our meal order. My wife had the taco salad, very typical with bland cold chicken. I had the burrito California. I thought the portion size was small compared to other restaurants burritos in the area. It was very pedestrian, also I asked for no tomatoes, but received them anyway. My kids ended up not ordering a meal because they ate chips while waiting 40 minutes to order. Nothing to write home. Will never be back. The food was so crappy it can't overcome the extremely poor service. I prefer to go to taco maya in exton or la plaza Azteca in Downingtown.
(1)Lisa R.
Salsa - fresh and fantastic with just enough spice. Pork chile verde - the best I've had east of the Mississippi!! That's all I ate. I'll go back when I'm hungry again; that might be awhile as they give a nice amount of food!
(4)Lisa M.
Maybe I hit this place on a bad day, but my lunch special was beyond terrible. I ordered a combo with a cheese enchilada and a pork tamale. The enchilada had what tasted like a slice of American cheese folded into it, no discernible seasonings. The tamale was 95% corn masa, with a few strings of pork. The sauce was thin and looked like it was out of a can. Service was poor. Will not be back.
(1)Caitlin L.
Nothing that special about this place. Pork tacos both times were too well done. The quesadillas were not that tasty. Not to mention the quesadillas weren't cut, just two tortillas with cheese in the middle of them. Service was fine, but nothing that impressive.
(3)Sam G.
Wow, that was one of the worst Mexican food experiences I've ever had. El Gran Rodeo came highly recommended to me, and I can't for the life of me understand why. First, why do chips come out with a giant bowl of ranch dressing?! I thought maybe it was a spicy queso, which would have been great, but no...ranch dressing. The salsa was okay, but nothing to write home about. Second, all of the food was smothered in what tasted exactly like Spaghetti-O sauce. It definitely came out of a can, and it was gross. Not only did it cover my enchiladas, but also came out on my tamales for some reason, ruining a perfectly decent tamale. None of the food had any flavor, and I am legitimately disappointed. I haven't had Mexican food this bad since I lived in South Carolina. Gross.
(1)Lindsay V.
Yep. This place is wonderful, stupendous, and I want to go back right now. I came here on a Friday for my birthday celebration. I got a jumbo margarita, which, while it didn't seem all that jumbo to me, was really the perfect drink. To start, we shared guacamole. They make this for you table-side (garlic, tomatoes, onions, salt, cilantro and avocado). It is unbelievably good. Paired with the homemade tortilla chips, I would gladly eat this as my entire meal. But I didn't. But I should have. For my entree I got the fish tacos (grilled tilapia). They're served with guac, pico di gallo (so fresh and yummy!), sour cream, lettuce, tomato and rice on the side. The meal comes with three tacos and they were really good. The fish was cooked really well and mildly seasoned. Due to eating more than my share of guacamole, I could only eat two. Fail on my part. Our server was extremely nice and polite and he never left us waiting. I would gladly come back here in a heartbeat.
(5)Jim G.
Just returned from having a late lunch, early dinner. Walter was our server and he was less than attentive to the customer. He was so busy running around and rushed that he neglected the customer. He really needs to take a look at why people go out to eat and pay attention to those who put money in his pocket. Food was mediocre at the best, nothing special about it except for the tree leaves (bay) left in the taco meat....ick.
(1)Shelby B.
Cheap drinks, great food, huge portions. My go to when I'm craving some Mexican food.
(5)Diane M.
My dining partner and I visited El Gran Rodeo on a Saturday for lunch. There was no wait, and the service was outstanding and very friendly. Our waiter brought us chips and two kinds of salsa. The red salsa was very good, the white was some sort of ranch, and just OK. My dining partner is a huge guacamole fan, and ordered it as an appetizer. Unfortunately, it was very bland and flavorless. However, it was very fresh, and it really wouldn't take much to improve their recipe. If they want to serve excellent guacamole, all they need to do is follow just about any internet recipe (especially Alton Brown's guac recipe) and they'd have a serious winner. I had the steak fajitas, and they were just OK. Lots of nicely cooked veggies, but the steak was rather tough. My partner had a combo plate, and she thought the shredded chicken must have been previously frozen. Prices are very good. For the two of us for lunch it was $23 (before tip). That's only a dollar or two more than California Tortilla that's just down the street. Unfortunately, California Tortilla is better tasting than this place. I think El Gran Rodeo has a lot of potential. I'd probably return and give them one more chance before writing them off completely, but I'd try something else on the menu.
(2)Angela B.
This place is AMAZING!!! Great service, food, drinks, and atmosphere - and all at a super reasonable price! Why go anywhere else? Best Mexican food in the area!!! Enchiladas rancheras and yolandas are our favorite. Plus the white sauce with the chips is out of the world!
(5)Patty V.
My husband & I and our son came here on 6/27/14. We were greeted by the hostess and sat down with our menus at our table. It was an unacceptable wait for our chips and salsa etc. our server wasn't very attentive and it was frustrating. We ordered our food I ordered a combination of burrito and enchiladas, my husband ordered chicken enchiladas, and our son ordered Texanas Fajitas which was not like before, the meat was dried out and hardly any shrimp too many vegetables and also it wasn't sizzling hot like he ordered in the past. Everything that my husband & I ordered was delicious but the food wait was a little long than what we experienced on number of visits when coming to this establishment. Our son pointed out important things as he is a culinary professional some things need to be corrected. Time management and professionalism is a must! Hope management sees this and makes it right next time...
(2)Mike M.
Ok in a pinch,not overdone in the seasoning,but not exactly authentic eithier.ill have to try a dinner next time,stay away from the salsa,unless you love cilantro
(3)Christy F.
I'm simply addicted to their amazing mexican food. Great margaritas, great food, great service, great prices. This place is the best!
(5)Takemy W.
I love El Gran!! My hubs and I love going for a lunch/early dinner date. Margaritas are yummy and the food is cheap, hot, and delicious. Just the way it should be! The service is prompt and people who work there are super nice! The bartenders are so friendly that they help me with Spanish lessons too. I can't say enough nice things about El Gran. Just go!
(5)Lauren H.
Doesn't get any better than this place right here! Authentic, consistent and fun! Prices are very reasonable, portions are large and margaritas are excellent. Such a great neighborhood restaurant. The staff is so pleasant and helpful. Enjoy it every time we dine.
(5)Emma D.
2 out of 2 stars for Food 1 out of 1 stars for Service 1 out of 1 stars for Cleanliness 1 out of 1 stars for Atmosphere Anyone who reads my reviews knows I don't hand out a 5 star very often. I tried to find something wrong with this place. I could nit-pic, and will. The servers are very intense, could smile and loosen up a bit. The sopapillas were not what I was expecting, but I'm from New Mexico and they are done differently there. That's it. That's all I can complain about. The entrees are absolutely delicious, the servers are efficient, and the atmosphere is welcoming. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(5)Shannon B.
Finally convinced my family to visit El Gran Rodeo after having many friends recommend it, and we were all very happy with our meals. I was a huge fan of La Tolteca. This restaurant and menu are very similar. Very tasty food, decent price and good service. We will definitely be back.
(4)Shannon M.
I use to come to this restaurant all the time. I will never go back. Oscar was our waiter. He was rude, VERY hot plates in front of our 6 year old multiple times and after waiting and hour and a half for our food it was inedible! I have always had great experiences when it was just my husband and I. I brought my sister and her family who were visiting from Massachusetts and it was our last dinner together. It was awful! I called to speak to a manager and was told one of the owners would get back to me but no one did. It was a huge waste of $85.00 !
(1)James C.
I ordered chiles rellenos. What I got instead was a chiles rellenos surrogate, stuffed with american cheese. Thanks for the american cheese on my refried beans too, very classy. Seriously revolting.
(1)Valerie S.
Went to El Gran Rodeo a few months ago and wasn't very impressed with the food at all... Just found it very flavorless, even the chips and salsa. The service was fine from what I can remember, but food-wise I think I would rather just go to California Tortilla which is a little ways down the street...
(2)Emily H.
Delaware County has very few, good, sit down Mexican restaurants with a liquor license. We've been coming here for years and always leave satisfied, with food to take home. Generally we go throughout the week. Saturdays are definitely the most busy with a wait up to 45 minutes. On a week day you will be seated right away. It is definitely the best Mexican restaurant in the area. Even compared to La Tolteca, I'd say the quality of food and quantity is far superior along with the interior and decor. It is everything you would expect and want from a Mexican restaurant. Chips and salsa when you arrive, great guacamole (ask for small side if you don't want table side), tasty large main dishes, and delicious frozen margaritas. They come from a machine, not a blender, which guarantees they are smooth and consistent. The small touches, including the new granite tables, stone back splashes, and comfortable, clean seating, make this a step up from your average Mexican spot. They recently renovated the bar which looks great. In the summer we love sitting outdoors in the "garden" - it is a great way to end the work day. Very friendly staff and great management. We've enjoyed seeing the same staff for years who are genuine and care about your experience. On the front end everything is fast...drinks come out quick, food less than 15 minutes. We always leave happy and have probably been there hundreds of times. It is frightening to think of the money we've spent here over the years! we'll keep coming back!
(5)Kim P.
The best Mexican food in the area!!! The best service, they are so friendly and welcoming! The Margs are so good, especially the Texas marg. I have loved everything I've ordered. The white sauce that comes with the chips and salsa is the best.
(5)Jacquie B.
Best margaritas around, great staff, amazing authentic mexican food. Fajita chicken salad is my absolute favorite! You gotta go here! My friends and I go at least once a weekend.
(5)Andrew M.
The margaritas are very good. The chips and food were average, but the prices were also decent. Everyone working there is Mexican and/or speaks Spanish, so you can't say it isn't authentic food, but not the best I have had in the area. I have never had any bad meals here, but none that stood out either. They have a nice outdoor dining area. My only complaint was the place smelled like a combination between fish pond and wet feet. Not really bad, but it was just a wierd not food like odor. I guess whatever they were using to clean the tables or floor just smelled a bit funky. Maybe it was the servers or the customers, I don't know, but that was really the only negative thing I noticed when I entered the restaurant.
(3)Lisa M.
Its unfair that I rate all my Mexican restaurants on two factors. 1. How is their strawberry margarita. 2. Do they serve chimichangas. But that's how I do it. El Gran Rodeo's strawberry margarita was disappointing, very icy and I didn't really care for the taste. And they don't have chimichangas on the menu :-( So I went with an enchilada and taco combo. With that said, I was surprised and enjoyed the spicy ranch queso dip concoction that accompanied the salsa. I also really the taco. The Enchilada...not so much. The sauce on it was smoky, almost like barbecue sauce. Maybe that's the traditional sauce and I have been ruined by Americanization of Mexican food but it just wasn't enjoyable to me.
(2)Tina C.
Such good Mexican food! Authentic is right. Have been here 4 or 5 times and have not once been unhappy. Drinks are strong, ingredients are fresh (for the most part) and they make the most incredible guacamole AT your table! A must have. stop in here if you love Mexican, you won't be disappointed. And always great service as well.
(5)Genevieve G.
best Mexican food in the area. Go here regularly. Very fast service.
(5)Melissa P.
We LOVE this place! The food is delicious and affordable... Plus the drinks are amazing! Love the Sangria!
(5)Rich L.
My wife and I had eaten here a few times over the years and were typically pleased with the quality of the food. However on our latest visit we were disappointed. Overall, pretty much everything we had was rather bland and tasteless. We had guacamole as an appetizer and pork carnitas and carne asada tacos....all three, while presented well and generous in portion lacked much flavor. While we can understand a bad dish here all there, we can't understand all three being bad. We will look elsewhere for our Mexican food next time.
(2)Janelle V.
This place is my favorite. Great, fresh food. Not expensive. Order the table side made guac. Yummy.
(5)Zanna H.
I went here with a couple coworkers for lunch after a long stressful month to celebrate the close of our fiscal year. The is a lot of seating but the lighting was dim in the bar area which was annoying trying to read menus. There was no bar-tender on staff during lunch so our waiter did his best which resulted in mediocre drinks at best. The food was average. Since this place is such a hike from where I work & live I doubt I will be back unless I am out this way for a festival or trip to Longwood Gardens. As a side note they do have out door seating but it wasn't open yet. Which would have been nice since we went on an unseasonably warm day. Oh well.
(3)Milkyway B.
Maybe not the best place to go if you are in a hurry. food just meh, nothing special. i'd rather go to the 'mexican post' a little further down the road in DE
(2)Lulu X.
It pains me to give a Mexican restaurant just one star, as I am absolutely obsessed with Mexican cuisine. However, my experience was horrid at Grand Rodeo. I had my first visit there last week and was excited for some Mexican steak. I daydream about food on a daily basis, and that's what I was craving on that particular day. I decided on the Bistec Ranchero (steak with spicy sauce). Server took our order, left for 5 min, came back and told me they're out of steaks. This is seriously heart-breaking. I mean, it's like going to McDonald's and being told they're out of chicken nuggets. =( I settled for the tilapia & shrimp dish and asked for the ranchero sauce from Bistec Ranchero. The server brought out the dish with ranchero sauce on the side. There was absolutely zero taste on either the fish or the shrimp. I had to douse everything in ranchero sauce, plus the other hot sauces on our table to enjoy the dish. Without the added sauces, the original dish would have been epic fail. I also tried their beef AND chicken tacos, thinking maybe that could salvage my meal. Negative. The beef taco was so salty, it was like the salt cap came off the bottle when they were seasoning it. The chicken taco was dry and tasteless. Suffice to say, I will not be back for another visit here.
(1)Dave M.
"Highly recommend this spot. We are regulars and it is always consistent. Fair prices and a good value; but certainly not chic and trendy. I picked up take out behind Jim Barnes (Dilworthtown, Blue Pear) one time so there is your testimonial. Beef dip app is a must."
(4)Jackie M.
Great place to have in your neighborhood. Tasty Mexican food at very affordable prices. So fun to eat here. My favorite dish is shrimp chimichangas. Endless salsa and great margaritas compliment the dinners. Highly recommend.
(4)Kep P.
First time diner at Grand Rodeo. We went on a Saturday night at 7 pm - a premium time. We were told a 20 min wait. It was packed! We went to the bar, which was small but cozy. They had a nice selection of liquor. It took 5 minutes to get a drink but not because it was busy but because the bartender wasn't behind the bar. She was putting in orders and making payment transactions at stations outside of the bar area. This was a bit impractical (not a fault of hers) but she came back and we were quickly served. I had a strawberry margarita and my boyfriend had a draft dos equis. The margarita was well blended. Not too much tequila but enough to taste it and feel it. We were only at the bar for about 10 minutes when our table was ready. We promptly paid the bill, which took a couple minutes because the bartender had to make the transaction at the hostess stand in the front, which meant she had to leave from behind the bar, walk to the front of the restaurant and drop the check. Another employee came back to me with the bill. We sat down and were quickly served with complimentary chips, salsa and another unspecified dip. All three were delicious! Our server came by our table promptly and took our order. The food came out in under 10 minutes. The food was hot and very full of flavor. We both ordered the enchiladas supremas. We often frequent local Mexican restaurants in West Chester and Grand Rodeo ranks among the best in flavor. We would definitely return here. The service was above average, the food was great and the entire overall experience was positive. The turn around time was very quick. When we were walking out around 8:15, there were people still walking in and putting their names in for tables. A very good sign!
(4)Parker S.
3 stars is probably low. its good food, with excellent chips and salsa. but in my opinion la tolteca which is close by in west chester and delaware is better. the menus are very similar, as is the atomsphere and service. i certainly have nothing against this place and if I didnt have time to drive 10 minutes down the road i'd definitely eat here, but if i had the time, i'd make the trip to la tolteca. prices are excellent.
(3)Michael K.
Mexican food that has been dumbed down to American palates. The chips and salsa are very addictive.
(3)Anita C.
This place has the best chips and salsa. Get a margherita and just eat the chips until you pop. Usually got the mixed fajitas and always happy with them. Sloppy but great. Good service and nice atmosphere with outdoor dining when weather permits. This was our favorite mexican restaurant when lived in Glen Mills, PA
(4)Lindsey C.
My husband would only eat Mexican food if he had the choice. Since his discovery of this place, we probably go here every other weekend when we are home. I always get the tilapia acapulco (really good with all the cheesy peppery goodness on top of tilapia and shrimp). Chips are margaritas are just okay but definitely a solid mexican option in town.
(4)Diane M.
My dining partner and I visited El Gran Rodeo on a Saturday for lunch. There was no wait, and the service was outstanding and very friendly. Our waiter brought us chips and two kinds of salsa. The red salsa was very good, the white was some sort of ranch, and just OK. My dining partner is a huge guacamole fan, and ordered it as an appetizer. Unfortunately, it was very bland and flavorless. However, it was very fresh, and it really wouldn't take much to improve their recipe. If they want to serve excellent guacamole, all they need to do is follow just about any internet recipe (especially Alton Brown's guac recipe) and they'd have a serious winner. I had the steak fajitas, and they were just OK. Lots of nicely cooked veggies, but the steak was rather tough. My partner had a combo plate, and she thought the shredded chicken must have been previously frozen. Prices are very good. For the two of us for lunch it was $23 (before tip). That's only a dollar or two more than California Tortilla that's just down the street. Unfortunately, California Tortilla is better tasting than this place. I think El Gran Rodeo has a lot of potential. I'd probably return and give them one more chance before writing them off completely, but I'd try something else on the menu.
(2)Angela B.
This place is AMAZING!!! Great service, food, drinks, and atmosphere - and all at a super reasonable price! Why go anywhere else? Best Mexican food in the area!!! Enchiladas rancheras and yolandas are our favorite. Plus the white sauce with the chips is out of the world!
(5)Patty V.
My husband & I and our son came here on 6/27/14. We were greeted by the hostess and sat down with our menus at our table. It was an unacceptable wait for our chips and salsa etc. our server wasn't very attentive and it was frustrating. We ordered our food I ordered a combination of burrito and enchiladas, my husband ordered chicken enchiladas, and our son ordered Texanas Fajitas which was not like before, the meat was dried out and hardly any shrimp too many vegetables and also it wasn't sizzling hot like he ordered in the past. Everything that my husband & I ordered was delicious but the food wait was a little long than what we experienced on number of visits when coming to this establishment. Our son pointed out important things as he is a culinary professional some things need to be corrected. Time management and professionalism is a must! Hope management sees this and makes it right next time...
(2)Mike M.
Ok in a pinch,not overdone in the seasoning,but not exactly authentic eithier.ill have to try a dinner next time,stay away from the salsa,unless you love cilantro
(3)Christy F.
I'm simply addicted to their amazing mexican food. Great margaritas, great food, great service, great prices. This place is the best!
(5)Takemy W.
I love El Gran!! My hubs and I love going for a lunch/early dinner date. Margaritas are yummy and the food is cheap, hot, and delicious. Just the way it should be! The service is prompt and people who work there are super nice! The bartenders are so friendly that they help me with Spanish lessons too. I can't say enough nice things about El Gran. Just go!
(5)Mark M.
I would give this place a 3 star if it was not for the slow staff. Most of them are not lazy but my server sure was. Others who sat down after I ordered got their meals before I did and my server had nothing to say about it. Aside from that, they do have a good menu, good quality food, and an excellent seating area.
(2)Marie S.
Totally authentic Mexican food. I had the tostada (my favorite) and it was perfect!!!! Potato taco was not what I expected (I like them with cubed potatoes that have been sautéed) these were made with a spicy mashed potato. The filling was delicious but it was a bit messy. The margaritas were amazing! And they have a lunch special for margaritas. Atmosphere is bright and clean.
(5)Kristen M.
Food is great, however the staff can be rude. They NEVER say thank you. The man at the front doesn't even say hi or thank you when you leave, just gives you a straight face. Sometimes they can act like you are bothering them.
(2)Shannon M.
I use to come to this restaurant all the time. I will never go back. Oscar was our waiter. He was rude, VERY hot plates in front of our 6 year old multiple times and after waiting and hour and a half for our food it was inedible! I have always had great experiences when it was just my husband and I. I brought my sister and her family who were visiting from Massachusetts and it was our last dinner together. It was awful! I called to speak to a manager and was told one of the owners would get back to me but no one did. It was a huge waste of $85.00 !
(1)James C.
I ordered chiles rellenos. What I got instead was a chiles rellenos surrogate, stuffed with american cheese. Thanks for the american cheese on my refried beans too, very classy. Seriously revolting.
(1)Valerie S.
Went to El Gran Rodeo a few months ago and wasn't very impressed with the food at all... Just found it very flavorless, even the chips and salsa. The service was fine from what I can remember, but food-wise I think I would rather just go to California Tortilla which is a little ways down the street...
(2)Emily H.
Delaware County has very few, good, sit down Mexican restaurants with a liquor license. We've been coming here for years and always leave satisfied, with food to take home. Generally we go throughout the week. Saturdays are definitely the most busy with a wait up to 45 minutes. On a week day you will be seated right away. It is definitely the best Mexican restaurant in the area. Even compared to La Tolteca, I'd say the quality of food and quantity is far superior along with the interior and decor. It is everything you would expect and want from a Mexican restaurant. Chips and salsa when you arrive, great guacamole (ask for small side if you don't want table side), tasty large main dishes, and delicious frozen margaritas. They come from a machine, not a blender, which guarantees they are smooth and consistent. The small touches, including the new granite tables, stone back splashes, and comfortable, clean seating, make this a step up from your average Mexican spot. They recently renovated the bar which looks great. In the summer we love sitting outdoors in the "garden" - it is a great way to end the work day. Very friendly staff and great management. We've enjoyed seeing the same staff for years who are genuine and care about your experience. On the front end everything is fast...drinks come out quick, food less than 15 minutes. We always leave happy and have probably been there hundreds of times. It is frightening to think of the money we've spent here over the years! we'll keep coming back!
(5)Kim P.
The best Mexican food in the area!!! The best service, they are so friendly and welcoming! The Margs are so good, especially the Texas marg. I have loved everything I've ordered. The white sauce that comes with the chips and salsa is the best.
(5)Jacquie B.
Best margaritas around, great staff, amazing authentic mexican food. Fajita chicken salad is my absolute favorite! You gotta go here! My friends and I go at least once a weekend.
(5)Zachary S.
This place is where you need to be if you are looking for the best authentic Mexican food in a great atmosphere with outstanding service. I come here at least once a month with friends and it has become somewhat of a Monday night tradition. This is a popular spot and sometimes there can be a wait but that's ok because it's totally worth it and there bar is great place to hang out while you wait. When it comes to food I don't know anybody who hasn't liked anything they have ordered. A couple of my faves are the Chori Pollo and the pollo parrilla. If you do come here do yourself a favor and ask for Oscar or Ricardo. They will take great care of you. Also the booths here are quite spacious. When it comes to El Gran Rodeo dis place for me do.
(5)Noah S.
This restaurant is maybe the best Mexican restaurant in the world, coming from a New Yorker. My family comes here about once a year on a vacation. I felt like I needed to just right a review of it. Right off the bat, I could say that I love the rodeo feel, like in Texas in a saloon. I love the decor, since it is unlike anything else I have seen. There is nonstop music playing, which I love. The service is trained and wants to make your experience memorable. This place gets really crowded on weekends, so come earlier for meals. I love their lunch specials, since they are pretty large and delicious. I like the burritos and enchiladas combination and rice. It is very reasonable, like $6 or $7. Such a great deal. Dinner is also very cheap, coming with chips and salsa. I like their guacamole... For dinner, I like the chimichangas and the quesadillas. My only concern in that the sauce tastes like tomato sauce, which I don't necessarily like so much. Other than that, FLAWLESS.
(5)B R.
The staff was friendly and the door was alright. It was the normal microwaved Mexican food. The plate comes out hotter than the food. With that said I will stop in again for a quick lunch.
(3)Michelle C.
Great service! Great food! Very reasonable prices and huge portions! Love this place!
(5)Middi V.
My family went to dinner there the other night. at least we tried to. the places closes at 10 and we got there at 9:15. When we walked in they all stared at us and one of them said the kitchen closes in 5 mins. I have never been to a restaurant where the kitchen closes 40 mins before closing. Service is the worst! I can not say anything about the for since service was denied.
(1)A P.
This place is delicious. My boyfriend and a few friends of mine absolutely love the White Salsa...So much that they always order some of it to go when we are heading out. Me, not a big fan of it, but I am picky. Their regular salsa is very tasty as well. I usually get enchiladas and they never disappoint. And even when I do venture out of my comfort zone of enchiladas, the food is still yummy. They are consistently packed on the weekends, so be prepared to wait a while, but the wait is always worth it. I have never had issues with service. They are willing to customize a bit for the picky eaters. That does not always happen at other local Mexican restaurants. The ONLY complaint I have is that the seating options for waiting kind of suck. A weird chair made out of a wheel that is terrible to sit on. There are about 3 comfy chairs, but almost always taken already obviously. But there is no way I would knock off a star for that.
(5)A S.
Pathetic food. I felt like I was eating kid's meal. They couldn't even make a bean burrito taste good. I think this is probably the worst Mexican restaurant that I have tried in the U.S. Service was horrible too. I had to ask for salsa multiple times. Place is nice but the food sucks.
(1)Andrew M.
The margaritas are very good. The chips and food were average, but the prices were also decent. Everyone working there is Mexican and/or speaks Spanish, so you can't say it isn't authentic food, but not the best I have had in the area. I have never had any bad meals here, but none that stood out either. They have a nice outdoor dining area. My only complaint was the place smelled like a combination between fish pond and wet feet. Not really bad, but it was just a wierd not food like odor. I guess whatever they were using to clean the tables or floor just smelled a bit funky. Maybe it was the servers or the customers, I don't know, but that was really the only negative thing I noticed when I entered the restaurant.
(3)Lisa M.
Its unfair that I rate all my Mexican restaurants on two factors. 1. How is their strawberry margarita. 2. Do they serve chimichangas. But that's how I do it. El Gran Rodeo's strawberry margarita was disappointing, very icy and I didn't really care for the taste. And they don't have chimichangas on the menu :-( So I went with an enchilada and taco combo. With that said, I was surprised and enjoyed the spicy ranch queso dip concoction that accompanied the salsa. I also really the taco. The Enchilada...not so much. The sauce on it was smoky, almost like barbecue sauce. Maybe that's the traditional sauce and I have been ruined by Americanization of Mexican food but it just wasn't enjoyable to me.
(2)Tony D.
I attended a birthday dinner here Saturday night 1/4 with a party of 8. We had called a few days before and were told that they do not take reservations. When we explained it was a party, they asked when we would be coming. We said 5:30, and were told they are "very slow" at that time and it will be no problem at all. When we arrived at 5:15, there were zero tables open! We were told it would be a 20 minute wait at least, and they did not know who we spoke to on the phone previously. After waiting about 10 minutes, they decided to put us in the bar area, and attached 2 small tables to a booth. This was a little off, as the tables were a different height than the booth. But, this is where they turned it around. The service was excellent. Our waiter was on top of everything, including refilling drinks and bringing more chips and salsa. The appetizer I had was chorizo in a melted cheese. It was very tasty. I also had the beef burritos and they were very substantial. The cheese sauce on top was excellent. All 8 of us liked what we ordered. The margarita I had was much too sweet, and tasted like there was way too much mix, but everything else was good. I was impressed by the way the night improved, because it was looking like a disaster from the beginning. I would definitely return, but skip the margarita and go straight to the Dos Equis.
(3)Kristy X.
This is my go to Mexican restaurant! My bf and I never have a wait and if we do, it's only a few minutes. The complimentary salsa, ranch and chips are fantastic! The menu is huge but not overwhelming and even has a section where it lists what everything is ie. tacos, fajitas, burritos, etc. My only complaint is that when you are seated outside, they tend to forget your table. But inside, the service is great!
(4)Emily H.
The best Mexican I've found in the immediate area. The interior is clean and the booths have pretty carved wood sides. Texas margarita was good and strong. Chips and salsa were solid (though the salsa bowl was on the smaller side), as was the guac. I didn't care for the white dip that comes with the chips - it tasted like spicy ranch dressing to me. Beef fajitas were huge and mostly meat. Overall, a good meal at a reasonable price. Biggest downside was that it took at least 15 minutes to get our check AFTER we were given to-go boxes. I left satisfied, though, and will be back. I'd love to try the patio next time.
(4)Elisaina D.
El Gran Rodeo is, hands down, an extremely good Mexican restaurant. I've eaten there five times or so, and each time I have an excellent meal. The Molcajete for Two is a delicious stew of chicken, shrimp, chorizo, poblano pepper and pineapple chunks (which make the dish) - I get it almost every time I go there. The other plates are all fabulous as well. It's not high Mexican cuisine, but it is consistently really good, quality food. And the margaritas - wow. The Skinny Margarita is nothing but fresh lime juice, Cuervo Gold, and Cointreau. No mix. Simply put, it's "deligious" - its not just delicious, it's a religious experience. Table side guac is good, heaping portions, sometimes they go a little heavy on the onions but they'll customize it to your tastes. The decor is festive, the service is good (one of the waiters is a bit mopey, but even he's always prompt), and it won't cost an arm and a leg. We always leave very happy. Go. You'll be glad you did.
(5)Jessica R.
The food is delicious, but the service is awful. It will probably take me another year to forget about the bad service and give them another try!
(2)Tina C.
Such good Mexican food! Authentic is right. Have been here 4 or 5 times and have not once been unhappy. Drinks are strong, ingredients are fresh (for the most part) and they make the most incredible guacamole AT your table! A must have. stop in here if you love Mexican, you won't be disappointed. And always great service as well.
(5)Genevieve G.
best Mexican food in the area. Go here regularly. Very fast service.
(5)Melissa P.
We LOVE this place! The food is delicious and affordable... Plus the drinks are amazing! Love the Sangria!
(5)Rick R.
El Gran Rodeo is really a solid Mexican restaurant. I've only been here 4 or 5 times, but I really love their food, service and atmosphere. The food is legitimately tasty. The chefs really know what they are doing in the kitchen. I've never had an overly greasy meal. For this type of food, that's definitely hard to find. I have a not so great stomach, and I've never had a problem after eating here. Service is incredibly prompt. The waiters have been very friendly. Calling us "Amigos" and such adds to the overall character of the place. Food service is prompt! We have never had to wait for more than a few minutes for our food to arrive. That alone is amazing. Once the food hits your plate, it's always piping hot and the spices and flavors of each meal have always been enjoyable. The overall atmosphere is nice. The decor is southwestern & Mexican themed. The booths are clean and outdoor seating is nice. The only issue I've had here were the bees outside. However, this was yesterday (Beginning of fall) so the bees are typically bad at this time of year - anywhere you go. I've sat outside before and didn't have a problem with bees in the past. To sum it up - this is a great, inexpensive place if you're craving some Mexican food that is worthy of a visit!
(5)Joe P.
El Gran Rodeo features some of the most authentic Mexican food I've tasted in this area. A straightforward, delicious option for lunch and dinner, El Gran Rodeo never fails to leave me satisfied. I don't know what attracted me to them in the first place, but the chicken enchiladas (aka Yolandas) are, to me, the most delicious thing here. However, I am one of those people that when I find something that I really like, I rarely order anything else off the menu. But I do go here with my family, and my family orders plenty of things off the menu that they always seem to enjoy. Something that disappointed me in my recent visit, was the slightly dry chicken in my enchiladas. Also, they had no fried ice cream because the freezer was broken... damn. Nevertheless, the flavor of those enchiladas is enough to make me happy. I will be returning for my fried ice cream - and more enchiladas - because their awesome. Oh, and the ranch that they serve with the chips is genius. Food: 7.8/10 -Yolandas (Chicken Enchiladas) [8.5/10] -Fried Ice Cream [7/10] -Chips, Salsa & Ranch [8/10] Service: 7.8/10 -Helpfulness (7.5/10) -Knowledge (9/10) -Efficiency (7/10) Ambiance: 6/10 Value: 6.5/10 OVERALL: 7/10 (3.5/5) Pretty freaking good.
(4)Matt F.
Fish tacos made the cut..by a scale. I came happy with friends. I left unhappy with friends, and a bit tipsy from what was admittedly the best part of the meal: the frozen margarita which may have been laced with gasoline. Strong, but effective. The food came late. The 'tableside guacamole' never happened because they were busy...if busy describes a normal, almost-filled restaurant on a Saturday night. The food also came overcooked for one friend, underwhelming for another, and - although my fish tacos were not bad - it wasn't anything to write home about. Just you, Yelp. I'd say, come for the margarita and queso dip...and go have your entree elsewhere. Dos estrellas.
(2)Rich L.
My wife and I had eaten here a few times over the years and were typically pleased with the quality of the food. However on our latest visit we were disappointed. Overall, pretty much everything we had was rather bland and tasteless. We had guacamole as an appetizer and pork carnitas and carne asada tacos....all three, while presented well and generous in portion lacked much flavor. While we can understand a bad dish here all there, we can't understand all three being bad. We will look elsewhere for our Mexican food next time.
(2)Janelle V.
This place is my favorite. Great, fresh food. Not expensive. Order the table side made guac. Yummy.
(5)Zanna H.
I went here with a couple coworkers for lunch after a long stressful month to celebrate the close of our fiscal year. The is a lot of seating but the lighting was dim in the bar area which was annoying trying to read menus. There was no bar-tender on staff during lunch so our waiter did his best which resulted in mediocre drinks at best. The food was average. Since this place is such a hike from where I work & live I doubt I will be back unless I am out this way for a festival or trip to Longwood Gardens. As a side note they do have out door seating but it wasn't open yet. Which would have been nice since we went on an unseasonably warm day. Oh well.
(3)Lulu X.
It pains me to give a Mexican restaurant just one star, as I am absolutely obsessed with Mexican cuisine. However, my experience was horrid at Grand Rodeo. I had my first visit there last week and was excited for some Mexican steak. I daydream about food on a daily basis, and that's what I was craving on that particular day. I decided on the Bistec Ranchero (steak with spicy sauce). Server took our order, left for 5 min, came back and told me they're out of steaks. This is seriously heart-breaking. I mean, it's like going to McDonald's and being told they're out of chicken nuggets. =( I settled for the tilapia & shrimp dish and asked for the ranchero sauce from Bistec Ranchero. The server brought out the dish with ranchero sauce on the side. There was absolutely zero taste on either the fish or the shrimp. I had to douse everything in ranchero sauce, plus the other hot sauces on our table to enjoy the dish. Without the added sauces, the original dish would have been epic fail. I also tried their beef AND chicken tacos, thinking maybe that could salvage my meal. Negative. The beef taco was so salty, it was like the salt cap came off the bottle when they were seasoning it. The chicken taco was dry and tasteless. Suffice to say, I will not be back for another visit here.
(1)Dave M.
"Highly recommend this spot. We are regulars and it is always consistent. Fair prices and a good value; but certainly not chic and trendy. I picked up take out behind Jim Barnes (Dilworthtown, Blue Pear) one time so there is your testimonial. Beef dip app is a must."
(4)Parker S.
3 stars is probably low. its good food, with excellent chips and salsa. but in my opinion la tolteca which is close by in west chester and delaware is better. the menus are very similar, as is the atomsphere and service. i certainly have nothing against this place and if I didnt have time to drive 10 minutes down the road i'd definitely eat here, but if i had the time, i'd make the trip to la tolteca. prices are excellent.
(3)Michael K.
Mexican food that has been dumbed down to American palates. The chips and salsa are very addictive.
(3)Alyssa T.
SO GOOD! Everyone I know loves this place. My dad and I come here several times a year and always enjoy it. Everything they make is absolutely delicious. I'm a big fan of the tacos. The prices are good, the portions are good and the service is always great.
(4)Dave S.
Underwhelming food is partly made up for by the decent atmosphere and awesome prices.
(3)Ryan H.
My favorite place to stop; always good food and quick service. I probably have ate here 100 times since I moved to PA. Queso dip is good, salsa is spicy, just the way it should be.
(5)Jackie M.
Great place to have in your neighborhood. Tasty Mexican food at very affordable prices. So fun to eat here. My favorite dish is shrimp chimichangas. Endless salsa and great margaritas compliment the dinners. Highly recommend.
(4)Milkyway B.
Maybe not the best place to go if you are in a hurry. food just meh, nothing special. i'd rather go to the 'mexican post' a little further down the road in DE
(2)Kyle M.
Im equally as shocked more people have'nt done the work and given this place the yelp credit is deserves. Went here last night with fingers crossed the one review we had to go on would be accurate. Yep white sauce is amazing as is everything else we ordered. Some of the best chicken ive ever had. Menu is set up great so you can try multiple things at once without breaking the bank.
(4)Ed B.
Great food and very affordable, I really liked the enchilada and chille relleno. I also had an excellent flan for dessert.
(4)Dave P.
Great place and great Mexican food. I've read that some people have complained about the service here. Idiots... This place provides a relaxing atmosphere where you aren't rushed out the door. It's a Mexican restaurant, not a fast food burger joint. The food is authentic and to say anything otherwise shows true lack of food knowledge. El Gran Rodeo trumps all others in the area like Mas (garbage), La Toteca (mediocre) and especially On the Border which I'm sure some of the people who rated this place low are fans of.
(5)Ruth Y.
I really can not believe this place has not been reviewed. After being introduced to this place a few weeks ago by a friend, everyone I mention this place to raves about their mysterious "white dipping sauce." More on that later. After attending a concert in Nixon Park, a few friends and I looked for a place to grab some dinner. One of my friends strongly suggested trying this place (thank you, thank you!). We walk in and the place is nice, cozy and cute. It is a bit dim for my taste, but I have never been big on mood lighting. The waitress seems very nice and helpful, and was willing to check on the "special" for me. When sitting down, the table is offered a basketful of tortilla chips and 2 bowls of salsa and the aforementioned mysterious white sauce. I really can not tell you what the salsa was like, I am sure it was good. But once you taste the white sauce, you kind of forget about anything else. I just had to ask the waitress what it was. She said it is a Mexican Ranch sauce. I just call it mouthwatering heavenliness. It is a tiny, tiny bit spicy, but tangy and creamy. It is hard to describe beyond, AMAZING! Also please keep in mind that I am a complete spice wuss, so for those of you whose tongues have their taste buds burned off already, you will not feel a thing. I also ordered a 3 combination platter. It had a chile relleno and 2 things I just can not remember the name of right now. I also had the chirizo queso dip. The queso dip was also amazing. It was warm, ooey and gooey flavored throughout by the chirizo. And this is on an extremely hot day; I am completely planning on trying this again on the next cold day that comes along. It is warm comfort food at its best. The chile relleno and the rest of the combo platter was also very good. You could tell that the ingredients were very fresh and flavorful. The only thing that slightly disappointed me was the guacamole on one of the 2 other items that I can not name. It was not that flavorful and really pretty bland. Since we got to the restaurant pretty late, we paid and walked out as they were closing. We stopped outside to chat for a few minutes, in which time the staff locked up the restaurant and made their way home. To their credit, I had no idea until I saw them locking up the restaurant behind us that we had cut it so close to their closing time. They never once made us feel like we were holding them up. Thank you! Overall this is one of the best Mexican restaurants I have ever been too. I really vacillated between giving this place 4 or 5 stars, but since I am not an expert, I opted for the 4 stars. That half star is generally a reflection on my lack of expertise and not the restaurant.
(4)Gerry O.
We've not enjoyed such high quality, authentic and affordable Mexican cuisine since we last dined at a tiny restaurant in Highland Mills, New York formerly known as The American Cafe and now called Cafe Fiesta. Look it up. One of the owners built their menu around his Mexican grandmother's very own recipe book. El Gran Rodeo is the nearest thing we have found to that heavenly if now remote dining experience. El Gran Rodeo has the feel of family-style Mexican restaurants we've visited in San Antonio, Texas. The atmosphere is welcoming and unpretentious, the service attentive, and the portions immense. Everything on El Gran Rodeo's menu is fresh and I'm especially fond of their Pollo con Mole, which is a platterful of high grade cocoa and just the right combination of seasonings to make the chocolate flavor pop inside your mouth. The luncheon menus and combination platters are quite affordable and worth a ride to Painters Crossing at Route 202, not far from Chadds Ford and Wyeth country.
(5)Erin O.
So, I continue to eat here or get take out practically every weekend. It's now our family's place to go for big get together's. We went this past Friday, May 8th for my birthday dinner and there were 6 of us in the group. While we had to wait for about 20mins (the place was packed!), they accommodated us by giving us a table with our favorite waiter, Marvin! He's honestly one of the best servers in the field. My husband and I hadn't been in for about two months because of our wedding and honeymoon (I had to fit into my dress!). Marvin came right up to us and asked us how the wedding went and how we were enjoying married life! Who remembers that?! So when it was dessert time, a large group of servers brought me fried ice cream with a birthday candle, put a huge sombrero on my head and sang their hearts out! They even had musical instruments :) I can't say enough great thing about this place!
(5)Tom E.
Wasn't impressed with anything. The service was fair to terrible. Saw waiter once to take order and then he disappeared. A runner brought our meals. I wanted another margarita and had to wait until he decided to stop by. The drinks weren't bad however and the lunch price was good. Chips were fair. Not warm - tasted like they were from a bag.The white salsa had a weird aftertaste. The only other place I know that offers that chip dip is Plaza Azteca and theirs tastes good. The red salsa was ok. For our meal my lady had the chicken quesadilla lunch special. Small flour tortilla folded over with cheese and chicken. Included scary looking refried beans - tasted ok. I had a cheese enchilada, a chicken enchilada and a beef taco lunch special. There was nothing that accompanied it - no rice, no beans. At least most other places around here offer a better lunch deal. My meal was ok although the chicken was not all white meat. The plates were freaking HOT. I swear if you touched it without an oven mitt your skin would be seared off. Can't see a return visit in our future.
(2)Gwen G.
Ugh. We had a later dinner here last night. The service was fine. The food on the other was terrible! Someone commented on the white sauce for the chips? It was Ranch dressing!!!! Eeww. I had a soft flour fish chimichanga. It was basically a piece of fish wrapped in a flour tortilla with a white cheese sauce poured on it. The cheese sauce tasted like the equivalent of white wiz. Yuck! The same sauce was poured on the beans, which, without the sauce would have been pretty good. My husband had some pork thing that came out of the kitchen like a giant chunk of meat. He said it was good, but it looked disgusting to me. I had a margarita, which was just ok. All in all it was not good and we won't go back.
(2)Katrina D.
Since Mexican in the suburbs is generally harder to come by, this place is do-able. But if you have access to other Mexican, go somewhere else. To start, our GPS couldn't find the place (not the restaurants fault), but when we called to point us in the right direction, the gentleman who answered the phone barely spoke English. I asked him to put someone else on the phone but he didn't get that either. When we eventually found it, the location is at one of the biggest intersections in the area so it really should not have been difficult for anyone to explain. I'm not saying your English has to be perfect if you work at a Mexican restaurant, but anyone customer-facing needs a basic command of the language. We went on a Saturday evening, toward the early side and it was controlled chaos upon walking in. They were definitely overwhelmed; we waited very long for our food and then the wrong meal was brought out. The food was relatively good but nothing to write home about. Many other places to choose from so it's worth the drive to go elsewhere.
(2)Jonathan B.
They just catered a graduation party for our son. Marcos came out and set everything thing up. The food was great as would be expected. All the guests were raving about the fajitas. He gave us more than enough food, it looks like we will have enough to eat for the rest of the week.
(5)Karen F.
I like Grand Rodeo - mysterious "ranch dressing" white sauce and ketchup-y salsa and all. It's great for families with or without kids. Service (Kudos to Ricardo) was terrific even on a jam-packed (20 minute wait) Saturday night. Love it here.
(4)Roger S.
Good food, good drinks, good service. Desserts were great. Would definitely go again.
(4)Bob C.
Margarita's, they are damn good. This is the first place I ever went to that had what I think is real Mexican food. Anyway, it was good, and did not look like anything else I had ever had up until that point. Now a days, I kind of know the difference beteween American Mexican food and real Mexican food. To be honest, I do enjoy both. Gran Rodeo is a relatively clean place, there is ample parking, it isn't far from Target Master's, if you know what that place is, it's always good to go for a margarita after you go there, rather than before. The chips on the table are nice, it's colorful and the staff have always been nice to me. The service is always great too. I have never had a bad experience, and it would be hard to add up how many times I have been here. I often go here earlier, rather than later, so I cannot really comment on how they handle a full house. At any rate, this is the place where a lot of good times began or ended, and the food, drinks and staff helped make that happen.
(4)Savy L.
This is my favorite restaurant of all time. BEST chicken fajitas I have ever had in my life, plus FANTASTIC salsa, queso, and chips! (If anyone from El Gran Rodeo is reading this review, PLEASE open a location in Chicago, because you are the #1 place I've missed since I moved!) Every time I visit PA I have to go here at least 2-3 times, even if it was all within the same week. The service is excellent as well.
(5)Devon E.
The food is cheap and simple. In my opinion the menu is just too large. Margaritas are simple, not necessarily enough alcohol. Just tasted like juice. I personally had the chimichangas with beef and there was almost no seasoning so again, simple. My husband ordered the California burrito with chicken, again the same result. Service wasn't quite up to par. The waiter just kinda wandered and I felt rushed. It was just ok for something simple.
(3)Stefanie G.
This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. Great margaritas and great food, I clear my plate every time I go! :)
(5)Shannon B.
Finally convinced my family to visit El Gran Rodeo after having many friends recommend it, and we were all very happy with our meals. I was a huge fan of La Tolteca. This restaurant and menu are very similar. Very tasty food, decent price and good service. We will definitely be back.
(4)Brian B.
Came here with family of 4 on a Sunday afternoon. I was disappointed and surprised after all the positive reviews on yelp. It was not a busy day and we were seated in the bar. We waited for 10 minutes without service. I got up and told the manager we were not waited on yet. We were served cold, stale chips and salsa and a disgusting white salsa. It was like mayonnaise mixed with Adobo. I really don't know what the rave about the white salsa is about. It was absolutely disgusting. Not one person in my family would eat it. We waited another several minutes for a drink order and wait longer for our meal order. My wife had the taco salad, very typical with bland cold chicken. I had the burrito California. I thought the portion size was small compared to other restaurants burritos in the area. It was very pedestrian, also I asked for no tomatoes, but received them anyway. My kids ended up not ordering a meal because they ate chips while waiting 40 minutes to order. Nothing to write home. Will never be back. The food was so crappy it can't overcome the extremely poor service. I prefer to go to taco maya in exton or la plaza Azteca in Downingtown.
(1)Lisa R.
Salsa - fresh and fantastic with just enough spice. Pork chile verde - the best I've had east of the Mississippi!! That's all I ate. I'll go back when I'm hungry again; that might be awhile as they give a nice amount of food!
(4)Lisa M.
Maybe I hit this place on a bad day, but my lunch special was beyond terrible. I ordered a combo with a cheese enchilada and a pork tamale. The enchilada had what tasted like a slice of American cheese folded into it, no discernible seasonings. The tamale was 95% corn masa, with a few strings of pork. The sauce was thin and looked like it was out of a can. Service was poor. Will not be back.
(1)Caitlin L.
Nothing that special about this place. Pork tacos both times were too well done. The quesadillas were not that tasty. Not to mention the quesadillas weren't cut, just two tortillas with cheese in the middle of them. Service was fine, but nothing that impressive.
(3)Sam G.
Wow, that was one of the worst Mexican food experiences I've ever had. El Gran Rodeo came highly recommended to me, and I can't for the life of me understand why. First, why do chips come out with a giant bowl of ranch dressing?! I thought maybe it was a spicy queso, which would have been great, but no...ranch dressing. The salsa was okay, but nothing to write home about. Second, all of the food was smothered in what tasted exactly like Spaghetti-O sauce. It definitely came out of a can, and it was gross. Not only did it cover my enchiladas, but also came out on my tamales for some reason, ruining a perfectly decent tamale. None of the food had any flavor, and I am legitimately disappointed. I haven't had Mexican food this bad since I lived in South Carolina. Gross.
(1)Lindsay V.
Yep. This place is wonderful, stupendous, and I want to go back right now. I came here on a Friday for my birthday celebration. I got a jumbo margarita, which, while it didn't seem all that jumbo to me, was really the perfect drink. To start, we shared guacamole. They make this for you table-side (garlic, tomatoes, onions, salt, cilantro and avocado). It is unbelievably good. Paired with the homemade tortilla chips, I would gladly eat this as my entire meal. But I didn't. But I should have. For my entree I got the fish tacos (grilled tilapia). They're served with guac, pico di gallo (so fresh and yummy!), sour cream, lettuce, tomato and rice on the side. The meal comes with three tacos and they were really good. The fish was cooked really well and mildly seasoned. Due to eating more than my share of guacamole, I could only eat two. Fail on my part. Our server was extremely nice and polite and he never left us waiting. I would gladly come back here in a heartbeat.
(5)Jim G.
Just returned from having a late lunch, early dinner. Walter was our server and he was less than attentive to the customer. He was so busy running around and rushed that he neglected the customer. He really needs to take a look at why people go out to eat and pay attention to those who put money in his pocket. Food was mediocre at the best, nothing special about it except for the tree leaves (bay) left in the taco meat....ick.
(1)Shelby B.
Cheap drinks, great food, huge portions. My go to when I'm craving some Mexican food.
(5)Lauren H.
Doesn't get any better than this place right here! Authentic, consistent and fun! Prices are very reasonable, portions are large and margaritas are excellent. Such a great neighborhood restaurant. The staff is so pleasant and helpful. Enjoy it every time we dine.
(5)Emma D.
2 out of 2 stars for Food 1 out of 1 stars for Service 1 out of 1 stars for Cleanliness 1 out of 1 stars for Atmosphere Anyone who reads my reviews knows I don't hand out a 5 star very often. I tried to find something wrong with this place. I could nit-pic, and will. The servers are very intense, could smile and loosen up a bit. The sopapillas were not what I was expecting, but I'm from New Mexico and they are done differently there. That's it. That's all I can complain about. The entrees are absolutely delicious, the servers are efficient, and the atmosphere is welcoming. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(5)Kep P.
First time diner at Grand Rodeo. We went on a Saturday night at 7 pm - a premium time. We were told a 20 min wait. It was packed! We went to the bar, which was small but cozy. They had a nice selection of liquor. It took 5 minutes to get a drink but not because it was busy but because the bartender wasn't behind the bar. She was putting in orders and making payment transactions at stations outside of the bar area. This was a bit impractical (not a fault of hers) but she came back and we were quickly served. I had a strawberry margarita and my boyfriend had a draft dos equis. The margarita was well blended. Not too much tequila but enough to taste it and feel it. We were only at the bar for about 10 minutes when our table was ready. We promptly paid the bill, which took a couple minutes because the bartender had to make the transaction at the hostess stand in the front, which meant she had to leave from behind the bar, walk to the front of the restaurant and drop the check. Another employee came back to me with the bill. We sat down and were quickly served with complimentary chips, salsa and another unspecified dip. All three were delicious! Our server came by our table promptly and took our order. The food came out in under 10 minutes. The food was hot and very full of flavor. We both ordered the enchiladas supremas. We often frequent local Mexican restaurants in West Chester and Grand Rodeo ranks among the best in flavor. We would definitely return here. The service was above average, the food was great and the entire overall experience was positive. The turn around time was very quick. When we were walking out around 8:15, there were people still walking in and putting their names in for tables. A very good sign!
(4)