El Potro Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Florida

Just ok. Lake City didn't seem to have much to offer that was open on a Monday and didn't involve mostly deep fried food. We thought we would give this place a try. Pros: Rustic, informal, Mexican themed decor. Wait staff very friendly, restrooms reasonably clean. Reasonable prices. They gave us the 2 for 1 margaritas special (they were good) even though it was 7:05 pm. Tortillas and salsa (free refills) were crispy and fresh. Hubby got the vegetarian fajitas which were pretty good.

Cons: I got a "new" item on the menu, the "Carne Asada" which sounded good, certified Angus beef. However the beef was tough as shoe leather and had about the same flavor.

My little bowl of beans was lukewarm, and so I asked the waitress if she would heat it up for me. They weren't that busy so I was surprised it was almost 10 minutes before I got my beans back.

The orange colored Mexican rice was ok, but we have had better.

I can't speak for the rest of the menu, but if what we ordered is any indication, I would say this place will have to try a little harder to impress with its food.

My standard of comparison is Ay Jalisco in Clermont, FL, they never disappoint.

2.5...

Clean interesting Reateraunt with a poplar Friday Buffett. Enchiladas, burritos, and other staples are all prepared well with generous portions.

I can’t say the same for the Fajitas. I’ve never seen fajitas served with a big plate of lettuce, and NO cheese at all. Beans portion is modest, and meat portion is very modest for the prices.

Mostly shredded lettuce and undercooked peppers, which was especially disappointing after I had asked clearly for NO lettuce, and for the peppers to be Xtra well down.

Large language barrier if you are asking for anything special or substations, and I would go somewhere else for Fajitas altogether as they don’t seem to have a handle on them, which is unfortunate as the simpler dishes are prepared well and have generous portions...

Take Out while Staying Overnight

After traveling 15 hours by car we stopped in Lake City, Florida for overnight lodging and I really had been craving Mexican so the hotel provided a list of local restaurants and we settled on El Potro Mexican Restaurant. During COVID we opted to order online for in person pick-up. I requested vegetarian and since I didn't specify on the order we were there longer than expected; however, it was my fault. The restaurant was masked and unmasked and very busy. The wait staff were very attentive and we were asked multiple times if we had been waited on. The food was good and satisfied my craving. The servings are ample and it has taken three days to eat all that we ordered. Worth checking out if...