El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant

I was in the neighborhood and I need to find a Mexican place in my new town, it's basically a requirement for me.  Ended up just getting take out and placing it in the restaurant.  

The Good:  The staff was pretty helpful and they all checked in on me as I was waiting.  Food came out very fast, although I wasn't there at a busy time.  I thought the food was good and I got a lot of it for the price.  The cheese dip was especially flavorful.

The Bad:  The guacamole lacked flavor and I love guac, so that's a disappointment.

I think I'll check out the west side location next because it seems to get better reviews.  I'd definitely go back, if only to check out the drink selection.

The food is okay... but oh my God, THE SERVICE.

The service in this place is horrendous.  Made the mistake of going on a Sunday afternoon one time.  There were about 50 people just hovering in the doorway - not a single staff member to be found - and a TON of EMPTY tables.  

Took forever to get seated - then forever to have someone take our order.  2 other couples came in, ordered, and receieved their food before we saw ours.  We were about to get up and just walk out.

Our waitress was slightly apologetic and mumbled something about someone threw our order slip out and they had to re-make it. I can guarantee that our food was not "remade" it was reheated. After we finally got our food, no one ever came back to check on us or offer refills.

Such a waste of money. This place could have the best mexican food on the planet and it wouldn't be worth it because of their terrible service.

Mexican restaurants seem a dime a dozen, but it's difficult for people to separate the Tex-Mex, California Mexican, and real Mexican restaurants.

I was a bit confused by the new location's layout, but the place is decorated with a good choice of colors, making it cheerful.

The hostess seemed a bit preoccupied, as if she had so many jobs there, she couldn't keep them under control.  The waiter was very friendly, and friendlier after I started speaking Spanish.  During my meal, no one checked on me until late, as if they were overwhelmed and could not afford staff to handle all the customers.  I would imagine this being an outcome of building a new place in the middle of a problematic economy.  I had good service but if I had been expecting lots of attention, I didn't get it.  Had I asked, I'm sure I would have had whatever I wanted, quickly.

The food was good.  I had a single beef enchilada with rice and beans.  I go to El Rodeo specifically because of their enchilada sauce.  While it's not terribly difficult to make, many places mess it up.

I didn't have tacos this time, but I'm surprised that the beef tacos don't have lettuce, onions, and tomatoes.  My mum learned to make these when we lived in San Jose, California from her friend Lupe, and they are consistent with what I've had elsewhere in California and Florida, as well as other states.  I'm just surprised that neither Mexican restaurant in Richmond does it.

In any case, good food, reasonable service, and a clean dining room add up to a good experience.