El Indio Manchester — Restaurant in Rock Hill

For the people who don't like it. I can't argue with what you think if the taste of food, every one is different. For Avery specifically, stop being a lying internet troll scum bag. Their nachos are chicken OR beef, not both. I have never had the beef, but I do like the chicken a lot. And neither nacho platter is served with any lettuce at all.

As for the weird look of it, it's a converted Pizza Hut. It's going to look off. If you think you need a very nice atmosphere to enjoy your food, then by all means go down the street to the Hacienda. If however, you actually like Mexican food that shouldn't be blended up and served in a small glass jar with a Gerber label, give it a try. It does have more spice than most Mexican restaurants in the Saint Louis area (flavor spice, not necessarily burn your mouth spice-though they do occasionally go overboard on the white pepper).

My current favorite dish is the giant burrito ranchero. you can get chicken or beef, or even ask for shrimp (for an extra dollar or two depending on who is serving you). Previously, it was the chicken nacho plate.

As far as other dishes go, the food tends to all be slightly above average, with the exception of their cheese sauce. That stuff is amazing, and I'm having a hard time thinking of any food to put it on where it would be bad. it would improve a snickers bar, or bowl of fruit loops, or a beer roasted chicken. Stick with foods covered in cheese sauce and you'll wonder why anyone goes to other Mexican restaurants

As far as how hot (spicy) the food is, it's normally got a sauce of some sort just under the heat of Pace Yellow lid Picante (that would be for the normally spicy foods, the non spicy are on par with green lid picante). You can order it hotter if you want, and get the red lid put to shame, but I advise against that unless you're a group of high school students trying to act tough. They have some HOT spices they can add on request.

ps. their verde sauce (green sauce) is also well above normal, but I am not thrilled with the normal red sauce. The salsa changes each time I go, usually pretty good, but...

I dig this place. They have a good reputation for rocking Taco Tuesday, but I have never been. The atmosphere is interesting in that it obviously used to be a Pizza Hut. My kids like seeing if we can get one of the themed tables - especially the kitten table. My food has always been good. The Chiles rellenos are very good. The chips have always been fresh, hot and crisp. The service is attentive and the food usually comes out quickly. The only negative for me isn’t really a dealbreaker, but there is nowhere to wait if you cannot be seated right away. If it is raining or cold outside, you kind of have to hug the wall and try to stay out of the way. I’ve never left because of it. It is just something to be aware of. For the area, there are a few Mexican restaurants. NachoMama’s is close but I picture eating there more for lunch, with El Indio is more for dinner. Hacienda is a great place for outdoor dining and margaritas, but the food feels more “pre-processed.” You will like El Indio if also enjoy the nearby El Agave or San Jose.

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When I first walked in, I said to my wife, uh-oh. I was expecting something like Hacienda down the street but, instead, felt like I was walking through a side door of an original Taco Bell from the 70s. But the food was delicious at a decent price! We came a little early for a Friday evening, 5:00, and were seated right away. The food came out fast. Some of it looked freshly prepared in-house but I can't help but wonder if any came out of a can from Sysco. I hope not. While the atmosphere would not make for a great date night, I found this to be great for a Mexican craving.

EDIT: A recent third visit was disappointing. The service is still good and friendly but I ordered chimichanga and my wife had a steak dish which I can't remember what they're called. Both tasted like they came out of a can and, in fact, I've always wondered how many things here are from can to table.

But that's true of many quick service restaurants and I don't want to entirely dissuade one from eating here as other dishes were good, as are the prices, the service is decent, quick enough and the...