El Molcajete Mexican Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Orange Township

I had looked forward to my first visit to Iguanas Mexican Restaurant and bar. The inside was warm and inviting. A The decor was tasteful and the restaurant was very clean…..very, very clean. In fact, the aroma of cleaning fluids quickly overtook you and were much more prominent that any food aromas that might have been pleasant.

We were promptly seated and order (2) large DOS XX Draft beers which were brought to us quickly. The beers were perfect. Ice Cold and poured with the exact amount of head. . The salsa was a disappointment in that it more tasted like and resembled spaghetti sauce. it lacked any definition or chunks of any vegetables (even PACE salsa has a better texture). The chips were bland and in some cases, burned. The corn tortilla chips were very thick (almost like broken taco shells) and were quite filling.

The Chalupa was served with beans, chopped lettuce, tomato, and guacamole; approximately 4” diameter. The vegetables were fresh and the guacamole flavorful. The shell, however, was soggy and lacked the familiar Chalupa texture.

The Chile Poblano was bland. The breading, if any, had no flavor and the basic cheese stuffing lacked any presence. The Poblano chile was good in size, but was served with the skin (as opposed to roasted and skin peeled) making it tough and bitter. Need to use a knife to cut it. It was covered with a bland flavorless brown sauce that did nothing to make it palatable.

The Beef Taco compared to taco bell in size. It was comprised of unseasoned and nearly undercooked ground beef and a sprinkling of white cheddar cheese. There were no additional parts to the taco - (no lettuce, tomato)- shell, some meat, some cheese - pretty plain. While the corn tortilla shell was crunchy, the taco overall was flavorless and I found myself combining the toppings from the soggy chalupa onto the taco to give it some kind of flavor.

The Mexican rice was hot and tender but for me, surprisingly, was mixed with what appeared to be frozen peas and carrots. The rice was bland and lacked seasonings and flavor. I needed to salt and pepper the rice to give it flavor.

The Beef Enchilada was covered in a dark brown sauce; neither familiar red nor green but rather brown. The Beef was undercooked and was the same used in the Taco; no seasonings or flavors added. It cried out for cumin, cayenne, or chili seasonings. It had none. I needed to ask for hot sauce in hope to impart some flavor.

Finally, the Chicken Burrito tasted allot like the beef enchilada. That was because they actually served it stuffed the flour tortilla with the same bland ground beef used in the enchilada and taco. When I mentioned it to the server, she seemed stunned and did not know that the Chicken Burrito should have been made with Chicken. She commented that she would let the Kitchen know; especially as I left a half meal of ground beef from the burrito, taco, and enchilada remaining….too much of a not so good thing for me to eat.

I am concerned when neither the server nor the kitchen know how to serve their “specialty”. The server did not know her menu and the kitchen did not know how to fill it. Thats a huge problem.

To make matters worse, since there was no salsa bar I asked for something “hot” to bring some life to my lifeless plate. The server eventually brought out a bowl of tomatillo sauce and promptly CHARGED me an additional surcharge for the sauce of $1.79. Columbus is blessed with plenty of good to very good Mexican restaurants. This is just not...

The worst mexican food in Columbus Ohio. I dine in mexican/ latin restaurants at least once week and travel the world regularly. I speak 5 languages and communicate fluently in spanish. There was no communication issue in my dining experience.

This is hands down the worst mexican food I experienced.

I had the #56 steak and shrimp dish and the flank steak served was the worst in flavor ( had zero seasoning) toughness ever.

They did not even cut out the excess fat, burried the stake in oils and coijto cheese to disguise the substandard steak served at a price of $17.49.

The side of cheese dip requested was aged diluted dollar tree velveeta with an after taste. The tortillas, that were suppose to come with the dish never arrived. The side of rice had no flavor and was definitely "prepared"for a population that likes blend food.

I tried this restaurant for the first time to add to my variety of mexican restaurants in Columbus. I guess, lesson learned, stick with what you know.

The service was great. They had plenty of staff and they were very attentive. I also question their kitchen practice, as I saw a waiter scrape of dried- on salsa from a bowl with his finger before he served it to a customer's table.

Restaurant owners have to stress to their employees that customers that are waiting on their foods have nothing better to do than to observe serves and personnel with a great sense of detail. Sorry, Iguana is not a place I would recommend. $50.00 lunch was a...

Authentic as it comes ! Amazed ! Have not have this kind of food outside of Texas since this visit ! El Molcajete by far the best food I've experienced in OH by far. We ordered the Texas Dip- a must, haven't had this since I was at Fort Hood, made by a local woman. Was exactly 💯 authentic and delish - can I get the recipe now 😋 also, guacamole and queso & beef dip were perfection ! We also had the Magarona (piñacolda) and Latin Lover for drinks. Both were generous and delicious ! For entrees my fiancée and I had the steak and shrimp (ribeye) with rice and veggies and I had the beef chimichangas with rice and refined beans. Both entrees were priced reasonably for the portions and were absolutely seasoned richly but not overbearing or "spicy." No doubt if you want "spice" you can get it here, but if you don't, they can accommodate you as well. We saw many large parties at the restaurant, ranging in age from toddlers to seniors, all eating off the menu. Truly something for everyone. Also~ must mention, the Staff is truly divine. We had the BEST service !...