El Jimador Real Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Kentucky

Yesterday June 10 our Dance family (ages 23-50 yrs old) stopped by this restaurant for dinner after driving through the area from a wine tasting event. The moment we walked in, the staff gave us dirty looks. Sit down and our group ordered drinks, and appetizers (There were 10 of us). About 10 minutes after arrival the manager came out and asked us how we were doing, etc. A group of 10 reacted with clapping and cheering because we were happy and hungry. The manager then asked us to be quiet. We were being to loud. So our group asked if we could take our appetizers and drinks outside so we would not bother other customers. He actually told us NO. Right away we started feeling uncomfortable. Why wouldn't they allow us to take our table outside? When we order our food, is it going to be "safe"? Multiple people in our group has worked in the food industry in the past and were concerned about the type of service we would now receive since we were being labeled as "loud". We asked to talk to the manager again. Explaining our desire to eat outside on their patio and we apologize for being loud etc. We explained we were celebrating birthdays in the group and just came from a wine tasting event. The manager was unkind to us, and so we decided to leave and find another restaurant to eat at. While discussing it over with the group, I was oblivious to the fact that they deal with this kind of treatment often. Out of the group of 10, there were only 4 Caucasians in the group. The "Mom" of our group (the eldest) explained that they probably didn't want us to move to the patio to eat because it was possible they thought we would eat and run without paying because of the poor service. Now we are NOT saying this was the case because the manager just told us we were loud. Honestly, if we were just being loud and they had no other reasons, why wouldn't they allow a group of 10 hungry paying adults to eat on the patio. We will NEVER be back. AND we will be calling their corporate office to write an...

We stopped in at El Jimador Mexican Bar & Grill for a late lunch. There were very few people in the restaurant so we really couldn't comment on the service. I will say the service we received was very good. Our waitress checked on us several times during our visit. We were served salsa and chips on our arrival. The chips were warm which we like. The salsa was served in a small bowl, seem a little watery to me. My wife thought it looked and tasted more like ketchup. It wasn't a deal breaker by any means. The decor was very whimsical and creative. If you dine with small children I am sure you can make a game out of the decor while waiting on your order. I had the Burrito Jimador which was a large flour tortilla filled with shredded chicken topped with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and served with rice and beans. You can change out the chicken for seasoned ground beef if you wish. The serving size was good, not great, and the burrito I would say is on par with any Mexican restaurant you would visit nowadays. I had a frozen Margarita which was good and once again on par with any like Mexican restaurant. I will say I'm glad I didn't order a large Margarita because the medium-sized one was large enough for me. My wife had the Burrito Spinach with shrimp. The burrito was stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, and ricotta cheese, topped with a house marinara sauce and shredded Parmesan cheese. The burrito was served with rice and steamed vegetables. My wife enjoy the burrito but was a little surprised there was only three shrimp served with the burrito. The upcharge for the shrimp seemed a little high to us. I'm in a dilemma here between a 3 ½ star and a four-star review for El Jimador. Unfortunately, Google doesn't let reviewers give half-stars on reviews. I think there is more towards a four-star review than a three-star one. Therefore, I'm going with...

Good: Fast, friendly service; large portions; and a very large menu selection.

Bad: Not an eye catching place when driving by. This obviously is not a big issue, but it's the only "bad" thing I could come up with.

The decor and atmosphere inside feels like that of a chain restaurant. It looked very nice with lots of vibrantly painted woodwork, including the very tables under my elbows. I describe the look as Mex-Tropical. From kids to grannies, anyone of any age should feel comfortable eating here.

The menu offered tons of choices which is good because it was easy for everyone in my party to find something we each liked. Our server came to the table four times before we had all decided!

The servings were huge! My partner and I tried a special (everything in it but the kitchen sink!) fajita for two for about 20 bucks. We were served with what we felt like was a fajita for four! It tasted great and we enjoyed much of it the next day.

The next time I am in the Bardstown area again, I will most likely eat here again because there was other things on the menu I...