El Acapulco Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Columbus

Where to start? Well, I'm part of a group that used to call another restaurant home for our Spanish Group meetings. At this other place, over time they felt they needed to attract a different type of people and they fell out of love with us and us with the place and the service. It made it impossible for us to carry out the main purpose of our group, which was to hold conversations (in any language, but mainly Spanish) due to the loud music. Anything we asked it seemed like it was a bother to them, and when you're in a group holding conversation, your groups aren't very needy.

We started coming out to El Acapulco, and from one weekend to the next, the server, Daniel, that usually opens the restaurant on Saturday mornings, he had memorized what me and other members had asked for on the previous weekend. I was impressed. Of course after a couple of weeks, he now remembers my favorite drink and the different variety of meals I've had there since we started coming in.

As the weeks have gone by, they now expect us in and will have the table ready for us with Chips and Salsa. I mean, what a way to tell a customer that you are welcome to come back and that they don't only remember when you come in, but who you are by knowing what you had asked for last time. That alone is worth leaps and bounds in my book.

They don't have beer on tap :(, but their meals are hard to beat on price, flavor and quality. Their menu choices aren't super ample, however, I've asked for a mix of meals and they'll come up with something totally different from what's on the menu. I'm basically getting a custom meal. Can't get that at most restaurants. The servers/owner and I discussed, that if I keep on getting that same meal, maybe I'd get it named after me on the menu? (wink wink)

Either the servers or the owner himself usually engage into conversation with our group and it's quite a joyous experience to be welcomed that way.

Takeaways from this review: Fair prices for Quality and Tasty food. Environment that doesn't try to flood you with the "Mexican" experience by having loud music blasting, and instead have quiet background music and whatever show in Telemundo or Univision on the TV sets. Quick turnaround times on food. Excellent personable customer service.

We've found our new home.

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2023-12-23 Update.

As we've continued to come to El Acapulco, our relationship has just gotten closer and better with the restaurant team: Last weekend they had mentioned that if we were going to make today, Saturday before Christmas Eve, that they could bring/make Tamales and Champurrado for the group. Unfortunately, due to the travelling many of our regulars were not able to make it, the owners had brought plenty of tamales and chapurrado for the ones that were able to make it in and of course, they had brought in enough for all that could have possible came. The tamales were delicious and so was the champurrado. Come checkout time I was ready to receive my bill they told me that there wasn't anything to take care of, that it was all on them and it was their gift to the group. I am in awe and truly thankful to them and that we were able to find El Acapulco when we did as I'm sure are other members...

Memorial Day, walked in today to grab something to go. A couple walking out said this is the best Tex-Mex in the area and since I've been 15 years in San Antonio and 5 in Dallas and new up here I was psyched and thought I'd found that place I've been looking for. The staff was very nice. I ordered the Carne Asada to go and a marg on the rocks with no salt while I waited. The hostess directed me to sit and wait at the quiet, dark bar with the inoperative 50" or so LCD. It turned out she was the bartender as well and she poured me a frozen marg with salt. No biggie. She also offered chips and salsa which were actually quite good as was the marg. Not very long after she brought my order all wrapped up with more chips and salsa. I got home, less than 5 minutes away, and began to eat and whoa. The "asada" had no flavor, like zero flavor. Cardboard has a flavor. I thought something was wrong so I cut off another bite and mixed in some of the onion...no flavor. I was getting worried that maybe I'd done something to my tastebuds. I tried another bite with onion and some of the guacamole, and that I tasted. I rebagged it and, since they are close I drove back and explained this all. The hostess/bartender was still there and remembered me and she called over the owner I guess? She said that they have never had a complaint on this and that I'm the first (So I felt "honored" to be the first?) She went on to say that this is prime ribeye (What? flag 1) and that we just cook it, there is no marinade (What? What? Flag 2.). So they clearly have no concept of Carne Asada. If you want a 1/2"-3/4" ribeye tossed on a grill with no seasoning or anything then you found the place. Thus my review of good decor and service but waaaay off on that simple, basic food offering. And they were very polite in refunding my purchase. I have hopes, I will try them again, give them another chance, maybe it was a slow, bad day. ...

Great food. It was our first time there. The hostess greeted us as if she had known us for years. Then I noticed she recognized their regular patrons and guided them to tables with the servers she knew they had a rapport. The lady was just amazing.

The great food, the hostess, and the servers made our visit very pleasant. BTW, the prices are great too!

Update: Went there a few times since. Each time the atmosphere went downhill. It was all due to the staff.

Last time a waitress/greeter wearing a shirt saying "Black is Beautiful" looked at us then turned around without acknowledging us. I thought maybe she was busy, but she did it every time coming near us. I guess she doesn't like white people. YES, I TOOK IT AS A RACIAL SLAP IN MY FACE.

We ate dinner with another couple. The food was decent. Previously, the older lady told us to look for coupons. We did just that. We found buy one entree and get one free. Upon checking out. The older man told us he "...won't accept it unless it is printed out because their bookkeeper needs it". No where on the electronic ValPak coupon was it stated that the coupon needed to be printed. THE OLD MAN ACTED LIKE WE WERE STUPID FOR ASKING TO USE THE COUPON. So the vendor refused to honor their coupon. Offered $4 off $50 meal. I refused it on principle. Our friends also spent $65 and refused the $4 off. We vowed to never return to be treated like second class citizens.

I URGE EVERYONE TO SKIP THIS PLACE. I WONDER IF THEY DID IT BECAUSE I AM A WHITE DISABLED VETERAN (had my hat on showing vet status as I always do). I WILL NEVER ACCEPT BEING TREATED DIFFERENTLY DUE TO MY SKIN OR STATUS . I guess because I am white I don't need to use...