El Jinete - Ooltewah Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Collegedale

POSSIBLY PERFECT FOR KITCHEN NIGHTMARES!

I mean, after binge watching Kitchen Nightmares, and watching Gordon Ramsay gag after finding out his food was not fresh, or yelling at bad and toxic management and service - El Jinete might make the cut!

I went a few years before and threw up immediately after eating a common menu item (that NEVER happens), so I didn't go back for several years. I am well acquainted with Mexican and even TexMex (very different) cuisine. I was raised in Southern California, and have spent quite some time in San Antonio, Texas; Not to mention my own family and friend circle... I went back because it seemed to be time to give them a chance and I eat out frequently (Mexican is my favorite quick night out- actually).

So, I have a pork allergy -it's unfortunate. Many Mexican restaurants will cook their food/beans with lard. It is very flavorful! Just not good for vegetarians or allergies.

I ordered what looked like a very unique and authentic blend of some traditional favorites and I was VERY CLEAR I wanted a vegetarian friendly plate. Especially since I had a poor experience there before. The server told me that it was vegetarian heavy location (due to a religious college nearby) and that they order this type of thing all the time.

awesome.

They brought out some fresh chips and salsa, which tasted like they were recently warmed or open, but had been around for awhile. The salsa had a very canned and watery texture. My partner liked the flavor though - but he doesn't like tomatoes...like at all.

I got my food. It came out quick - which is a plus, and bountiful - which is a plus plus for a hungry person - such as myself that night.

The chille relleno tasted like it had been sitting for days on the counter and had been re-heated. The sauce was very watery and the colors were all variations of brown: greenish brown. Redish brown. Tan-brown...etc.

The manager asked about the food, and graciously I sent it back. He was very accommodating to bring me tacos instead - again, awesome!

They even made sure to get me the vegetarian beans version since they saw I didn't do meat or lard. He mentioned that the server had told him about our table specifically.

That was wonderful!

I ate the tacos....and then felt nauseous...and had the same experience I did the last time. After leaving the restroom with an empty stomach. Myself and my dinner partner tried to figure out what could be wrong. Was it me just remembering the experience I had last time? There was no meat in my food - we'd asked....

THIS IS WHERE IT GETS RIDICULOUS:

The server comes to our table to give us our check and I politely ask her about the lard (Again). To which she replies that she did give me beans with lard in them - because I did not have the vegetarian section of my menu open and ordered something that was not "vegetarian".

I was shocked.

Then she tells me that I should have requested VEGETARIAN WHOLE BEANS instead of regular refried beans - because at their location they make those with NO LARD.

I asked for a sprite to calm my stomach and some ice chips to suck on.

The manager came out (not apologetically) and told us that EVERYONE IN THE AREA KNOWS to ask for the vegetarian beans because they are a popular restaurant in town (I've lived in this town for roughly 10 years...shrug). He said casually that he was sorry that I didn't know, but that I should have asked.

I did.

I was confused because he had even accommodated the send-back to have vegetarian beans in the tacos.

I asked if they had it posted somewhere. He said no and that they didn't need to because, again, everyone knows how they work at that restaurant.

He seemed very displeased with us and so we prepared to leave. We paid, and the manager gave us a coupon to have a discounted dinner the next time we came through.

I think it would have been fair for them to at least refund the dinner plate that had made me sick...or at least the things they charged me for that had Lard.

At least the place looked nice...and the...

Very disappointed. We never go out to eat and my husband took a family day for us to go out to eat together. I ordered the fajitas that tasted so bland. I decided to try my kids food and it tasted fine. I never ever complain about my food. I waited for the waitress to come to our table because I wanted to order something else. She never came. I went to the front and asked for Limes hoping it would help the food taste better, because again I really didn’t want to complain. The limes did nothing. The waitress finally came back to the table and I told her the chicken was really bland and asked for something else on the menu. Then the manager came out and asked why I didn’t send it back after the very first bite. I felt like he was accusing me of trying to get free food. I did eat more than a few bites of the beans of rice but that’s not what I was complaining about. It was the bland chicken. The waitress brought out my other plate but I was so embarrassed by this point I went out to my car and waited for my family. I didn’t realize I had the debit card out in my car so my husband ran out to grab it from me and when he got back they had already thrown the food away. So I didn’t even get to eat my meal at home because it was then thrown away. I was so embarrassed at this establishment. The way things are these days going out to eat is a luxury and if I don’t like the food I’m paying for then I feel it should be made right without making the customer feel like this.

After reading reviews there seems to be a common issue of the manager not making things right with their customers. That’s how you...

The food used to be been phenomenal! Now it is unpredictable at best.. nothing I order comes the same way twice. They don't have Mexican egg rolls anymore and instead of changing the menu or informing the customer, they give them these bean burrito things that are nothing like the egg rolls in taste or texture. The plain grilled chicken quesadilla could end up being any of the quesadillas on their menu. I took my bf here couple times recently and he was disgusted by his meal.

Anytime I dine in alone, I do not get service. I have to wave down employees to get a refill or to order anything. I don't know who to tip because literally everyone, but my server serves me. If I'm there with bf, service is great. If I order to go, it feels like they almost never start making my order until I get there to pick it up.

I brought up my concerns about menu item inconsistency to the manager, and my concerns were disregarded. I was given excuses for why the menu items weren't as described or different everytime and basically told that I would have to live with it. I tried to explain that the menu needed to be updated or they needed to inform customers of changes to the food they are ordering, but he interrupted me and disregarded my concerns and acted like it wasn't his problem and I just needed to be happy with what I had been given.

I won't be eating here again and I'm the only reason my office still eats here for lunch. Everyone at work thinks the dinners are overpriced for what you get. I'd have to agree since being charged for one of their fancy...