El Cielo — Restaurant in Greeley

Went for lunch, was pretty empty, 4 people in the bar area, and one other customer was in the main eating area. We were seated quickly, and the order was taken at that time. It took about 30 minutes for two plates of food in an otherwise empty place. No music playing, no way to tell you were even in a Mexican food establishment. This is another restaurant that was something else prior. I couldn't figure out what it was exactly, but it didn't have any vibe to it. It was dark inside with what appeared to be white klieg lights aiming down on you from the ceiling. Food eventually arrived and looked great. But I quickly realized the red sauce covering each plate was some of the worst sauce i'd ever tasted. It was akin to pizza sauce but tasted like it was burnt and recooked over and over. The refried beans were lukewarm, the Spanish rice was hard, and they had no real taste. Colorado just can't do Spanish rice, at least not that I've found yet. We ordered queso with the meal but they never delivered it. They had no corn tortillas to go with the food either. The service person said he could go see if he could make some, but I declined as that usually means they will come when you're ready to check out. I wish that people who own these establishments would understand simple concepts of food production and staging food and ambiance for the genre of food being served. If you're serving Italian, then have that ambiance. If Mexican food, have that ambiance. Having nothing but a dead quiet place offers nothing to the customers who value the experience of the place they are paying huge sums of money to eat at. Cost of two plates and two cokes was 32.50. Suffice it to say after 3 or 4 bites of cold rice and lukewarm...

We’ve been to the El Cielo in Greeley twice now, and both times we have had excellent food. However, the service has really been hit and miss depending on which server you get. One both visits we had drinks. The house marg is a great value, especially during happy hour, and is a good basic margarita. I recommend the Bull-rider if you enjoy Red Bull and are looking for a little extra energy while you drink. The chips and salsa are great, but on both occasions it took quite a while for someone to realize that we needed chips. And on our first visit, no one told us that the salsa was at a self service bar back by the kitchen. This should be something that servers mention when you are seated or when you get chips. The chips do, however, come with a bowl of refined beans, which while a little thin are still tasty. The mild salsa has a great flavor, and the hot salsa is not especially hot, but the tomatillo salsa is by far the best of the many choices. The El Cielo nachos are also a good choice for an appetizer and come with either shredded chicken or carne asada. As for entrees, the street tacos are a real treat and close to what you would get in California. They come with a wide range of meat choices and the server let us mix and match. The enchiladas are also great and have a very authentic and traditional flavor. The Gordo burrito fits its name, and is stuffed full of carne asada and French fries. You heard right, French fries. Be sure to get it smothered with...

Went there pretty early since I saw they were open thought why not. It's a shame the service was bad because the food was actually pretty good. I prefer actual beans in my refried beans and not a pure, but the flavor was good.

The service was not good. I walked in and waited almost five minutes to even be acknowledged because the waitress was busy chatting with the cook. The cook looked at me twice, and there was no acknowledgment. At least say I'll be with you in a sec. Something. Ordered my food and forgot to add guacamole. So after I ran my card, I figured I would just pay cash for the guac. She rings it up and it's 3 dollars and some change. I hand the lady a 20 and she gives me 16. No receipt she threw that away so I don't know how much change it was, and not trying to be petty, but 4 dollars for 2oz of guac is ridiculous. There is no sign saying we don't give change, she didn't hardly say anything to me except totals. Even if it's only 15 cents you just taking my change and not saying anything is just kind of rude. I don't know if she just took it as a tip, or if the restraint doesn't have change. (That should be stated or posted somewhere). 4 dollars for 2oz is crazy, I have never paid that much so little. I could have gotten a whole burrito for that. She didn't tell me the sizes of guacamole or what they cost just charged me and the price on the menu just states the price is seasonal. Still, I'm just...