Oh my... Where do I start? I have never been so compelled to write a review so soon after I have visited an establishment, but I felt the need to share.
The outside of the restaurant didn't look so bad, except for that super crusty little pond that was sitting outside of the entrance. That desperately needs to be cleaned. The inside of the restaurant was not in any way pleasing to the eye. The tables had writing all over them, which might have been a cool, hipster way to spice them up, but it made the tables look messy. The chairs didn't match, and the walls were painted in such an unappealing way. The wood border near my table was missing, and by the looks of it, the walls needed a DEEP cleaning. The overall atmosphere felt dark and depressing.
In terms of the food, each thing took forever to come out. I'm usually very understanding about the wait on food, but the restaurant wasn't at all busy. My sister and I ordered the Tiki Burgers, but we weren't told that they ran out until after we were close to finishing our late-arriving appetizers. I ordered the Taco Salad, which ended up being a waste of money. Don't try it. The presentation was pretty cool, I must say. I liked that it was presented in a fried tortilla bowl, but looks were quite deceiving in this case! The grilled chicken that came on top was undercooked, but I didn't send the food back because I wanted to get the hell out of there. So basically, I paid $8 for iceberg lettuce. Lovely!
Now the only thing that was actually okay with the restaurant was the service. The girl we had was nice, and the food runners were polite. They deserve to work in a better place. Although it's not their fault, I can only imagine the bad tips they get because the restaurant sucks. :/
Ultimately, El Dorado was terrible. I will not be back.
The fact that this place says its tex-mex and has chicken parm on the menu should tell you how aweful it is. Tortillas from a bag, not fresh guac (made in the morning,
brown when served). As someone who grew up eating tex-mex in San Antonio, I can say the food was a HUGE let down (service wasn't great either).
And why no Shiner Bock?!
talk about weird dynamic. maybe it's because i went in for lunch. i got a burrito. it was pretty good. the chips and salsa were tasty to start. the prices were reasonable. it was your typical standard mexican lunch, actually. it's the decor and menu that definitely throw you off. indian-mexican fusion? i'll admit, some of the dishes looked intriguing. chicken tikka burrito? maybe. maybe not. and then there was the hip-hop that was playing on the radio. and the presumed regulars downing margarita after margarita at the bar at lunch on a tuesday. if you just want some tacos or something, go to burrito king up the road and skip the trip down the rabbit hole.
Review Source:After driving by this place a million times, we took the plunge and drove on in.  From the outside, it's the sort of place that would I really want to like:  Bar, outside patio for nice weather dining, southwestern food and plenty of parking.  We used to enjoy going to Jose Tejas (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/jose-tejas-iselin">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>) in Woodbridge when we lived up north (and still go to when in the area), and I was hoping for the same sort of vibe here.
Unforunately, things just didn't go well. Â I should have suspected that a half-empty TexMex restaurant with a big bar at 8 PM on a Friday wasn't a good sign. Â From there not being anyone at the host desk when we arrived, and not knowing whether to seat ourselves or keep waiting (we waited...and waited), to the sticky floor, and especially, to the not very exciting food.
My wife mentioned an issue with her meal to the waitress, and the manager was over there in seconds. Â They were both genuinely concerned about us and our meal, and I actually felt bad about not being happier. Â If the food preparation contained as much care as we got from the manager and our waitress, I'd have definitely been happier with the meal.
I really want this place to succeed since I really like a good TexMex place, and the place is just a nudge away from a winning formula, so here are my thoughts on what needs to be changed in order to improve the experience:
1. Â First and foremost, change the menu. Â It's a TexMex place, but the menu is trying to be something for everyone. Â It seemed like the Tex or Mex bit was less than half the menu. Â Get rid of the burgers, the pastas, the fried mozzerella sticks, the fish and chips--all that crap. Â You can't be something for everyone and expect to do everyone right. Â You can keep some of the "American" stuff on a kids menu, but everything else must go. Â If you're going to market yourself as a TexMex place, then concentrate on the Tex and Mex and get it right. Â My corn tortillas weren't even warm (try making your own in house--it's easy and they taste better!) when they came to my table. Â Get the basic stuff down and do it right. Â TexMex should be good and it should be fun. Â
2. Â More beers on tap. Â Bars and beers bring in the cash. Â Beer and TexMex go together like Peas and Carrots. Â Improve your beer selection. Â Please.
3. Â The music selection is no bueno. Â You're TexMex? Â I couldn't tell from the music. Â If you're going to play house music, then change the place to a cocktail bar. Â Get some of that country/ranchero/western stuff going. Â It will improve the atmosphere and kick up the fun factor.
4.  I'm no expert on Feng Shui, but the flow in the place seems pretty bad.  The bar in the middle is kind of nice, but it kind of  dominates the joint.  That might not be a bad thing if you go the route of bar that serves food, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.  If the place is to be a restaraunt with a bar, then the bar and the dining area should be more exclusive of each other.  All the TVs are really distracting too.
5. Â See one and two above.
Good luck!
Crappy drinks, OK food.
Bartender was going to make a caipirinha with strawberries, but thankfully they were out, so we ordered a mojito, though that was made with vodka instead of rum. Save your money and order bottled beer, hard to screw that up I'd imagine.
The food wasn't bad, but a slightly overpriced, and the service was inattentive, even though we were the only table our server had.
El Dorado was by far the worst restaurant I have ever experienced.  My husband and I were seated near the back windows next to a dead plant. It was 1:30 pm on Saturday and the entire restaurant had 4 tables seated. Otherwise was empty and we knew it was a bad sign but decided to give it a chance.  We both ordered club soda with lime and his came to table foamy.  We told waitress and she acknowledged that when she poured it, the soda looked odd. Why then did you serve it? The chips were okay. The salsa was mediocre.  Then the food came. My pulled pork quesadilla was gray and unappealing looking. I took 1 bite and the  taste was awful. I did not take another bite. My husband's fajita came out on cast iron dish but the dish was cold so it was not a sizzling plate like what we are used to when eating fajitas. The chorizo appeared to be freezer burned and the chicken was dry and tasteless. We were actually afraid of food poisoning and did not eat another bite. I asked the waitress for the check because we had to leave for an "emergency" and left immediately after paying. We were not only disappointed but really worried we may become ill.
Review Source:Lunch on a Saturday. The free chips were pretty good but the salsa tasted like canned tomatoes with not much else, like onions or seasoning, kind of like Pace. The shrimp burrito was okay; the shrimp seemed fresh and weren't overcooked, but the rest of the fillings were soggy, it was not served with queso fresco but was doused with salsa and cheese like an enchilada (not even with enchilada sauce, but that same GROSS salsa), and was inexplicably served with french fries. The steak fajitas were pretty bad. The meat was not seasoned, the lettuce was old and slimy, and the refried beans tasted like they came from a can... whole bans, kind of watery, and not seasoned. Â The 'mud pie' wasn't a pie, it was cake... and despite the menu description, was not served with ice cream. Â On the plus side, the waitstaff was friendly and the decor was... cute.
The only thing that sets this restaurant apart from the other bland, quasi-Mex places in the general area is that they offer some TexMex-Indian fusion choices. While this is interesting, the fusion menu choices are sort of off-putting and makes the rest of the menu seem cobbled together.
In a nutshell - if you want tasty food, go somewhere else. If you want authentic food, go somewhere else. If you want TexMex-Indian fusion food, you might want to try the fusion menu offerings. Otherwise, go somewhere else.
Went here tonight. Â Was very disappointed. Â Service was slow to take our orders. I requested no bun for my burger, but it came with it, and the menu indicated that there were grilled onions on the burger, but there was only cheese. Only 2 choices for cheese on the burger, American or pepper jack. What, no cheddar? It is a Mexican restaurant, isn't it? There was music playing that all you could here was the background beat which was incessant. Â Even our 9 yr old guest complained that the music was giving him a headache. Â Oh, and the chile con queso shredded cheese on top was not even melted. Â The waiter was friendly, but the overall experience was disappointing.
Review Source:If you live in the South Brunswick area and have not been to this restaurant, you have NO idea what you are missing.
Forget the 47 other restaurants that have come and gone over the years at this location. This place is the real deal.
I've gone there on three different occasions, and the experience only gets better. The food is very good quality, and the menu is authentic. The Aroz Con Marascos (sorry for the spelling, it's been a few years since Middle School Spanish) is a personal favorite, and anyone who likes Paia would enjoy it as well. Their classics (Tacos, Burritos, Enchiladas) are delicious as well. The portions are HUGE and are very reasonably priced for their quality.
The service is exceptional as well. All three servers (two men, one lady) had a terrific sense of urgency, and a very upbeat personality. Upbeat, and not over the top. Next visit will certainly be for Happy Hour.
The entire package they present you, from the decor to the music, creates an excellent atmosphere for those in the mood for an afternoon/evening of margaritas and Mexican food.
Enjoy your meal,
Cheers.
Review has been edited as a result of me providing incorrect information. Â (I thought it was correct when I wrote it based on what I had been told by other patrons) What is written below is indeed fact/my opinion. I will probable give it one more chance seeing as how the establishment cared enough to contact me about my original review.. I'll update further after that visit: Â
Maybe the worst Poblano I've ever had. If you can't get a large pepper stuffed with cheese right then there is little hope for the rest of the menu. The sangria was supposedly good but they got rid of most varieties as it attracted fruit flies! The outdoor area is nice. is  And I like that they have Negro Modelo in bottle.....they used to have it on tap too....what happened?!?!?
UPDATE: Went back a few weeks ago and Chef D is apparently no longer there...needless to say I didn't take him up on his offers. My original review stated there was no happy hour which the location would benefit from....there is (now) apparently a happy hour...which I arrived too late for...
Love  this restaurant !!!
Food : Highly recommend the blackened tilapia !!
Drinks : Happy hour specials are great ..
Service : remarkable ; staff is friendly and courteous
Ambience : Comfortable indoors / quite colorful outdoors with adequate lighting & music
The Chef's specials are something to look forward to .. esp the " Mexican Bhel " . We recently celebrated a friends birthday party in here and were taken away in surprise by the outstanding service and birthday wishes !! If your looking for a cool place to enjoy and have a sumptuous meal : El dorado is the place to be !!
The Good.....great patio for outside dining, great drinks, great salsa and chips, great service
The Bad....very expensive and the food quality is poor. Â Any dish with steak is bad. Â Meat was very chewy.
I would say it's a great place to meet friends for a few drinks. Â Skip the dinner!
First of all, I've avoided this place for years due to the terrible reviews, even though I always thought it looked like it could be great, from the street. It's been pretty ridiculous how many different venues have called this place home. That being said, my girlfriend was lamenting the lack of decent Mexican restaurants in the area, so we decided to give it a shot, mostly as a result of the dearth of available choices.
Let me just say that we were very pleasantly surprised. Although it's a Tex-Mex place, the menu was surprisingly appealing and had a decent selection of traditional dishes.
The table-side guacamole was very good, and we're aficionados, rarely loving guac when we're out. The only downside is that you mix it yourself, which some people won't like, but we prefer it that way. My GF thought the wings were fantastic and she was ooh'ing and ah'ing over the margaritas. Â My black bean soup was absolutely out of this world. I can't wait to go back and get it again. Maybe tonight! The rest of the food was spot on too. Â While it's by no means a five-star joint, the atmosphere is fun. The space is cool and the service at the bar was solid.
Lastly, we made some comments to Al, the bartender, about the bad reviews. Apparently management decided to make some changes, so they have a new chef now, which may be in part why we had a great experience, one which didn't align with the negative feedback they've gotten historically.
If you're looking for a good place for some simple, tasty, inexpensive Tex-Mex, and a few drinks, I'd say you probably can't go wrong here. it's far better than Chili's or On the Border...and thank goodness for that!
Chicken tacos here sucks
I am surprised I didn't get food poisoning after eating it.
The chicken tasted really funky, not fresh at all.
The chicken fajita was decent, but not great
The tortilla chips with salsa was pretty good
Won't mind coming back here again...just don't get the chicken tacos!
This establishment has changed hands multiple times over the past few years. It's current incarnation as El Dorado unfortunately doesn't go with the saying that change is good. A couple friends and I went there two nights ago with the intention of getting a couple drinks and some food. No host or hostess was apparent on arrival. In fact what little staff there was seemed to care more about the Jets game than the few patrons at the establishment. The food was nothing special. My friend ordered the guacamole prepared tableside. This apparently meant the guest prepared it themselves tableside as our waiter dropped this off without comment. It also took over 20 minutes to place a drink order after we were seated. I dont think I will be visiting this establishment again. I urge others seeking a TexMex experience to go to the On The Border chain restaurant a few miles north on Rt 1. At least there the wait staff is attentive.
Review Source:This was a second visit, where the first visit, pre- new owners, was not especially good. I'm editing that review to reflect my new experience. Service was fast, friendly, attentive, thorough, and kind. The food was interesting and delicious, well seasoned, and served at the appropriate temperature. I had the delicious and generous veggie fajitas and a few local beers. My dining partner had the chili. We both enjoyed our meals tremendously -- they were both remarkable. Â A reasonable price for very good food. We had our meal on the outside deck, where there was a lively set of groups enjoying themselves in the twilight. Music, an interesting mix of eclectic styles, was quiet enough to converse over. We finished, to our own surprise, with a delicious set of churros and chocolate sauce with fruit flavored whipped cream. Service, food, and atmosphere were fantastic from start to finish. I'll go back again and again.
Review Source:This place needs help. They reopened (kept changing their name and claimed to be under new management) a million times, and yet they don't get much better. Their flat-screen TV's didn't impress us this time.
Anyway, the outside of the restaurant is very nice, but the person who showed us our table was probably a teenager(14, 15 years probably), playing on her cellphone, not in any kind of uniform and in gray Uggs which was a bit weird. She showed us to a very dirty table, and then wiped it with a soiled rag when we complained. We ended up picking our own table. I also noticed that the tables had all kinds of writing on them with Sharpie,(like Jamie+Michael and things like that), which I did not like at all. Maybe it was part of the decor, but I didn't appreciate it.
We ordered our food, and waited a very long time for our chips and salsa, while we saw the tables next to us getting their chips and salsa on time, which was a bit annoying to watch. We got our food, and I got hard tacos instead of soft tacos, so I complained. Dad's pulled pork barbecued burrito had the pork drowning in barbecue sauce, so he took it apart. I don't even remember what my mom had, because it was THAT mediocre.
Service wasn't that great. Our waitress asked us how everything was, and when Dad complained about the large amount of sauce in his burrito, she said, "Well, what can you do? We'll fix it next time" and from then on, we decided there won't be a next time! Not even if they change their name again!
~Isha C. Biswas, 13
This place is GREAT! Â My boyfriend and I quickly became regulars here for the awesome drinks, friendly staff, great music, and pool tables. They have a sweet outdoor patio that reminds me of the lazy, beachside cantinas along Hermosa Beach in LA. Â And the food is great. Â Faves so far are the fish tacos & shrimp mango wrap - they are awesome.
...oh, and did I mention $3 margaritas, Mexican beers & sangria - EVERYDAY from 4-7p and 10p-close? And they have like a zllion TVs with whatever games are on.
We will be back, and back, and back! :)
So I came here with my family for lunch a day or two after the "grand opening," and no matter what restaurant occupies this location, the food continues to be sub-par.
I ordered the chicken chimichanga, which came partially burnt and contained pieces of uncooked chicken. The flavor was ok, nothing to rave about. Service seemed amateur as well, especially since they charged someone elses bill to our credit card. Even then it took 20minutes for them to figure out to refund the account.
I do frequent the place for an occasional drink with some friends, but that's only due to this being the only bar type venue in the vicinity.
Very average. Â Ambiance is nice, music all right. Â The teenage host who seated us was unemotional and looked like he walked off the street; I wondered if he really even worked there. Â Our young waiter was ok, but unexperienced. Â My quesadilla dish was ordinary; the cheese on top was barely melted and the tortilla itself was the same as in grocery stores. Â My friend's enchiladas were actually cool-cold in the middle and she sent it back in the kitchen to be heated. Â Thankfully, the kitchen gave her a fresh new enchilada dish. Â The waiter forgot to ask if we wanted to take our left overs home and whether we wanted dessert or not. Â
Again, very average.
Along with the cheesy theme~restaurant atmosphere and cowboy versions of classic songs, the food was also lame. It was 5:00 on a Friday and they had already run out of guacamole and steak fries, though it wasn't a packed happy hour...we ordered a bunch of appetizers and nothing was special or tempting. Everything tasted soggy and bland. Hopefully they'll be able to improve and stick around!
Review Source:this location has been reinvented so many times I have lost count. opening nite had the most people I have ever seen in this joint.
portions are small for the price and there are really no drink or happy hour specials.
one major thing noticed is the staff is very young.
if you're looking to go out and mingle, this doesn't seem like a singles spot or a place to meet the opposite sex.
having an outdoor area doesn't change a thing with this review.
This location has been so many restaurants that I have lost count of them. Â This is the latest incarnation!
We were greeted by a friendly hostess and seated. Â Our waitress was friendly but could not remember things and had to come back to verify our order. Â Very ditsy.
The food took quite a while to come out. Â During that time, we noticed that the room was ice cold! Â The longer we waited, the colder it got. Â The food finally came out and I enjoyed my meal. Â I had the blackened chicken platter that came with Mexican seasoned corn on the cob, black beans and rice. Â The chicken was very good and had a nice amount of heat. Â I loved the corn on the cob and beans were good. Â The rice was bland and I didn't eat it. Â
Maybe worth a stop back for happy hour- but that is about it.
Went to the bar.. as a bar, this place is kinda lacking. A very limited tap selection of Sam Adams, Blue Moon, & Lite Beer... ok, so its not a beer bar. They said they had Mexican labels in bottles.. eh, pass.
I was there with 2 ladies, so we got a pitcher of the peach sangria, for $20 bucks.. wasn't bad, wasn't anything to write about.
They had 2 bartenders, who kept disappearing. They were very inattentive, & the bar wasn't crowded. Took awhile to get them to take an appetizer order. The guacamole here comes as a DO IT YOURSELF thing... which I assume is to customize how u want it, and to prove it was fresh... but really, all I wanted was a good tasting fresh guac.
so, the beers come in bottles. and you got to make your own guacamole... yep, you could really just do the whole bar thing at home.
We checked out the El Dorado tonight and left a bit disappointed, but there is definitely room for improvement.
The waitress didn't tell us about the Sangria pitchers that were available, so we ended up with beer and Margaritas. We would have liked to try out the Sangria! One margarita took 15 minutes to arrive after being ordered.
The food wasnt something to write home about, we ordered the Blacked Talapia Lollipop tapas and laughed when (4) battered pieces of fish arrived with a sauce that tasted like ketchup&mayo mixed. We could have made the same dish, drunk at 4am. We had the fajitas and enchiladas for dinner, both were ok. I personally thought the enchiladas at another chain like Chevys are better.
This place has a lot of potential, but if you're looking for AUTHENTIC mexican food, check out Juanito's in Red Bank or Howell.
We gave El Dorado a '3 star' because they had an awesome live Mariachi band, the margaritas were good, and the exterior & interior decor looked cool. The food could use some work.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,916 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
