El Potro Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

About 3 months ago we were coming back from the Northern part of the Iron Range heading home to the Twin Cities when we decided we needed to stop for lunch. We didn't want "fast food" we wanted a sit down meal so my daughter Googled places to eat in Grand Rapids, El Potro came up. However, in the meantime my friend who was traveling with us convinced us we should eat at this other place (Americana food), since she had been there several times in the past. OMG! That place was horridly outdated, it smelled, it was disgusting! The menu was sticky & the prices were way too high!! I didn't even sit down I was the first one heading for the door!! So back the direction we came to park at El Potro! Yay! We were immediately greeted and would have been seated promptly too but we were having so much fun "Oohhhing & Awwwing" at all the South of the Border wall hangings, paintings & kitschy items. We loved the decor!! And the chairs are so festive! We were the only ones there at the time since it was like 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon. Our server was a young gal who was very nice and answered a lot of our questions about the place, the food & the owners since we were passing through. It took us a while to decide what we wanted to eat since they have so much to offer! It's authentic Mexican cuisine using fresh vegetables, recipes that were passed down and others that were enhanced. The prices too were an eye opener... SO reasonable... for all the food we received we took easily half of it home!! Our food was so delicious and it went well with the tall cervezas we ordered!! I'm told that they also have a restaurant in Bemidji and are looking at opening one in the future near the north metro (Twin Cities). Either way, if and when I get up that way again I'm certainly...

The biggest scam in town!!!!!!!!!!! Beware Beware Beware Beware Beware Very Dirty Restaurant/ Rudest Staff I have ever had to deal with. You sit down looking at the menu order some drinks it’s all good. As soon as you ask for some chips and salsa because you are from out of town and want to look the menu over. NO YOU CAN NOT HAVE ANY UNTIL YOU ORDER FOOD. What I have never heard of something like that. I can’t eat chips and salsa until I order food. What am I a kid. The waitress said we won’t give you any because you may not order food then. I asked for the manager. He came over and said what’s up guys. We would like chips and salsa while we look over your menu. Absolutely not I will not give you any chips and salsa into you order food from me. And the reason why could be. You may drop salsa and chips inside the menu as you’re reading it and it will get closed and somebody else may get a menu with chips and salsa in it because we don’t clean our menus. First why would you tell someone that you don’t clean your menus. Second I’m a big boy and I can clean up my own mess. Next from the Manager just give me your menus I don’t feel like serving you anything anyways. I looked at him and said this is how you treat a Marine Corps veteran. That doesn’t mean anything to me I don’t want my menus to be dirty. As I got up to leave the waitress was bringing our drink order and the manager stopped us and says you’re not leaving until you pay for those drinks. My answer is come to the parking lot and get your two dollars for that pop that I ordered. You will never catch me going...

Went there for first time yesterday and the service was horrible. Walked in there were 3 young girls sitting in first booth eating they were the employees on duty. 1 got up to assist us ordered appetizer which stated with ranch I asked for ranch she didn't know where it was finally brought me a salad dressing packet for which I was charged a dollar. She dropped our food off and never came back to refill our glasses or see if we needed anything else. It was about 10 to 3 and they started complaining the 3 o'clock person wasn't there yet. Another customer came in they did not seat him he was told he had to wait. They stood there counting their tips and 1 was clearing a table in which they had not finished beers stated I should chug this. Took bottle to back area. Also had to listen to how bad she had to pee. These were very immature employees. The 3 o'clock girl got there her name was brooke I believe. She started helping customers that were left to wait brought them chips and salsa which my table did not recieve. She came and noticed the empty glasses promptly refilled them. Appologized to other customers for the poor service we all had received...