El Vaquero Rodizio & Wine Bar — Restaurant in London

As you enter, you are quickly given a table and the waiter/ess takes your drink orders as well as food orders. There is a great selection including their famous all-you-can-eat meat selection, served directly from the skewer by cowboy like carvers. However, before the meat course of the meal, you are invited up to the salad bar to take pick of dishes from the typical caesar salad, to a quite native selection of salads originating from areas in South America, being perhaps an avocado type salad for instance.

The salad bar, like the meat, is unlimited so customers have the chance to test each of the amazing dishes on offer. In addition to this, the salad bar provided as an excellent accompaniment to the meats being served throughout the night.

Meat carvers travel around the restaurant with large skewers of food (Not only meat), carving enough for the whole family to feast on. Their selection of meat is extensive and will be sure to tempt, with delights including leg of lamb, beef (in a variety of cuts), sausages and grilled pineapples as well as authentic specialities such as chicken hearts. The steaks were cooked medium rare, therefore appearing and tasting incredibly juicy and succulent.

The restaurant uses a quite unique yet simple system of knowing whether the customers require more carved meat or not. The two light system (Red and Green) runs as an excellent way of inviting a meat carver to the table if you may be craving some more of 'the action'. You may press the green button on the controller, letting the carvers know that you are still hungry, but if you are feeling a bit full, the red light is the option to take.

The waitering staff were extremely helpful as well as friendly from stepping through the door, to exiting the venue. The service throughout the night was always on point, with visits from many members of staff checking how the meal was as well as the service. Meat carvers were also amazingly friendly and quick to the table.

This is the part in which I must review the negatives of the experience however I must say, El Vaquero provided little to none. The only problem encountered during the night was the way in which the meat carvers circulated around the restaurant at one point as a lot of the meat was being served to only one area of the restaurant, therefore not much of the steak for example, was left when the skewer reached our table. The frequency of meat carvers visiting our table did soon...

I've lived close by for years but never tried this restaurant before. I always thought it was purely a barbequed meat restaurant and I don't eat meat. I was invited by friends to dine there Mid May 2023 and I went expecting an average meal at best. I have to say, happily, my expectations were not met! I had a fabulous meal and most enjoyable time. The restaurant is light and airy and the chairs very comfortable. The plentyful staff were the most welcoming and attentive at any restaurant I have visited for some time. Every time I glanced at the bar, someone came over and asked me If I wanted anything. The way it worked was that we went to the salad bar to start our meal. There was a wonderful selection of different salads, all looking fresh and home made. They were all delicious from the Waldorf (memories of Faulty Towers) through to the green bean, cole slaw, cous cous, green salad and on and on. There was also hot rice, spaghetti, tomato sauce, and baked potato (not the jacket kind) and a large bowl of Chili con Carne. Our friends then had the barbequed meat selection upon which I can't comment but they enjoyed themselves. The waiters came around, again and again, each time with something different from the barbeque. I noticed Chicken Wings, Spiced fillet stake, sausages of various types, roast lamb, other steaks, never ending eaten with a cotinuous supply of salads from the bar. Being a non meat eater, I was offered either fresh salmon or sea bass for my main course. I chose the latter which came beautifully straight off the grill and had been made to look pretty. It was delicious, just like you might expect on Masterchef with that pure whiteness of colour you would expect from really fresh fish. Continuous bowls of chips arrived constantly too. The waiters then came round with hot, giant marshmallows and then hot barbequed pineapple which was 'to die for delicious'. Unfortunately my wife wasn't able to come with me on the night and I immediately decided that I will go back as soon as possible and take her to sample the marvellous food. Value for money is terrific and I just could not fault anything. Highly recommended (as you...

Fell in love with this place when it was nestled in the equestrian center just off Lullington Garth. As we understood at the time, it was owned and operated by Argentinians. The beef - as you would expect - was incredible. Not just cooked one way, or one cut; there was a variety with a distinct 'this is how we do it back home' feel. There was chicken too, but the cuts of pork and different types of pork sausage is what had us telling our friends about El Vaquero. The sides looked and tasted homemade; the beans were a regional recipe from where the owners were originally from. The (Argentinian) passadors were engaging too which added a real South American feel to the whole experience. Sadly, it all ended when EV shut down. However, much to our delight, there would be a new location; a High Street location. We booked as soon as we could which coincided with my birthday. Upon arrival in Whetstone, we saw a great location, nice building but not quite the same atmosphere as it was back in Woodside Park. The biggest disappointment for me was that there were no sausages (well, not of the pork kind) no pork loin, or any kind of pork for that matter. When I asked, one of the waiters intimated that the new owners did not include pork on the menu (for religious reasons). This wasn't a problem, but there was no indication of this at any stage until we asked when the sausages would be coming. Broadly speaking, it's the same concept as the original El Vaquero, a 'meat fest' only no pork or pork products. EDIT: My friends and I visited the original restaurant in Woodside Park on more than one occasion. We were served pork there: loin, sausages and ribs. Pork was taken off the menu when the new owners took over and moved the brand...