El Rey Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Lincolnton

I recently visited the restaurant with a large group, and while the seating, prices, and food were commendable, my overall experience was marred by the incredibly poor service provided by our waitress. Despite the positive aspects, her lack of attentiveness, impoliteness, and argumentative attitude left a lasting negative impression.

It’s disheartening that one unpleasant interaction with a waitress overshadowed an otherwise enjoyable dining experience. As customers, we understand that employees play a crucial role in representing the business, and unfortunately, this particular server failed to meet the standard of service we’ve come to expect.

After paying for our meal, I felt compelled to bring this issue to the attention of the management. However, my attempt to communicate was met with unexpected hostility from the waitress, who began yelling, name-calling, and using profanity. This behavior only served to emphasize the point I was trying to convey – that the waitress displayed a lack of professionalism.

I have been a patron of this restaurant numerous times and have always enjoyed great customer service. Consequently, it was disheartening to encounter such an uncharacteristic incident. I have recommended this establishment to friends and family in the past, but after this experience, I am hesitant to do so in the future.

In summary, while the restaurant itself offers positive elements, the unfortunate behavior of one of its employees, coupled with the manager’s inadequate response, has left me with a sour impression and a reluctance to return or recommend the establishment. I hope that this feedback is taken constructively, and improvements are made to ensure a more pleasant experience for...

Aaron (reviewer below) sounds like a beer-bellied buffoon who could use some serious repair work on his footwear. Try Googling "new shoes in Lincolnton".

I found this Mexican restaurant to be quite enjoyable. The salsa was tasty (although the chips were actually "cold" to the touch). I'm used to warm chips.

Wait staff was super-friendly, and Andre (the owner) was very attentive and was present to make sure everyone was pleased with their food/drinks.

Top-shelf margarita was good, and came with extra lime. My co-worker ordered the special (chicken fajitas) which I sampled: chicken was very flavorful and moist. I will order this next time. I ordered 2 ground-beef tacos and a ground-beef tostada. Both were good, with lots of ground beef. Mexican restaurant ground beef is like American pizza: even when it's bad, it's still pretty good. I liked the beef, but honestly, I found it lacking in spice. Maybe that's traditional Mexican, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I would order chicken or something else next time, but will definitely go back.

Overall, very pleasant experience, good drinks and good food, and wonderful atmosphere created by the friendly wait staff and owner. I would encourage everyone in the Lincolnton, Hickory, Gastonia, Charlotte area to check it out. It's just off 150 right next to the 321 off-ramp across the street from KFC.

(Note: I have no dog in this fight. Don't know the owners and don't work there. Just a fan of Mexican food...

We went down to El Ray (party of 4) at 8:30 on a Wednesday night. As we were walking in, they were actively turning off the open sign and said we had to order immediately. Normally I would have left, however we had one of our party inside waiting for us. We were rushed and told we couldn’t have any chips bc they had turned off their fryers and were closing down the kitchen. Now, I am a restaurant manager so I get “rushing” people - but around 10 minutes to close not a whole entire half an hour. It’s rude and extremely bad for business and we left feeling quite annoyed, especially since I accommodate people like this for a living and with a smile on my face even if I am slightly annoyed. The food is amazing, don’t get me wrong. But with very few places to eat in this town it would be nice if they would honor their hours listed online. We were there at 8:30, not 8:55....