El Rodeo — Restaurant in Virginia

El Rodeo on Electric is really good. Ive been twice with my son and several times by myself. I usually come by myself, because I like to relax and have a drink with my food. I don't like to drink around my son. I always order burritos or soft shell tacos. Never had a disappointing meal. The drinks are great... The service sometimes is a little bad but nothing too bad. .. Generally very friendly... The waiters are a little weird. Theres a waiter that takes orders and helps customers in front. He told me his name is Ovideo He seems a little off to me. I heard someone else say they thought he seemed off before too. For some reason, Ovideo shook my hand while I was leaving. I didnt understand why. It was a nice gesture, but the restaurant isn't a formal place, nor was I celebrating anything. If I knew him, or I was a long-time customer of the restaurant it wouldnt be a problem to shake hands. But we arent close, and I am not a very long customer at El Rodeo. Ive only been coming since 2016. It was kind of awkward...just saying... The waiters are also weird because one time I ran into my friend there, and my friend has been working with a mexican company for a very long time. When he told the waiter he was working with a mexican company, the waiter said You sure about that, buddy? doubting him. Why would they have any reason to doubt him? Do they spend time with him everyday and know where he works? ..Then the waiter kept asking weird questions about mexico to test my friend. We both got annoyed by that. The service is generally friendly, as I said, but the only thing they ever address me as is buddy here at El Rodeo... Nothing respectful... Maybe the occasional man gets thrown in every once in a while. You can take it for a while, then they start to sound like a broken record. It really gets annoying being called buddy so much. I also got a strong condescending impression. I am a grown man for gosh sake with a kid of my own. Please have...

I'm going to admit my bias early: we are from Arizona and it was unlikely any Mexican restaurant in Roanoke was going to "wow" us.

A party of three went to El Rodeo for a birthday, and I got pretty much what I expected. We dined on a Friday during peak time, and true to expectation the place was packed. This wasn't an issue and we got a table with a pretty minimal wait, although I felt bad for the single Hostess who was being hounded by a crowd. El Rodeo seems to do quite enough business to necessitate a second Hostess.

The atmosphere was very generic gringo (and I would know) decoration: over the top Mexican villa decoration draped over normal restaurant booths and tables. This isn't good or bad, it's just common and is probably designed to play to the clientele's expectations or familiarity.

Our only real issue was with the food. My wife's combo platter was on the cold side and overrun with onions to the expense of other ingredients, while our guests tortillas were totally cracked, dry, and not even warmed. My food was fine, very middle of the road and unremarkable but not complaint worthy.

El Rodeo is a familiar restaurant as an Arizonan: it thrives off of selling margaritas and passable TexMex to families who want the familiar and easy. Nearly every party in the entire restaurant was a family with children or a group of teens, which we've simply moved beyond.

If you want a very easy, very basic "Mexican" restaurant, El Rodeo is your bag. If you want to explore more serious flavors of that cuisine, it's not, but it doesn't pretend to serve that either. Barring our issues with the food, which could have been a one off, it's 3's...

I'm assuming that this review is for the Cave Spring location. I went to the 460W location AND the Cave Spring location on the same night. This was due to my daughter placing her pick-up order @ a location farthest from our current address. Having explained that... the To Go portions are so much larger @ Cave Spring Vs. Orange Ave/460 W in Roanoke, VA. She orders the exact same dinner entree every time. The Cave Spring location had much larger portions! Also, she always orders chips and queso with her dinner meal. @ 460/Orange Ave they give her a small ketchup size, or the small salad dressing size queso. The Cave Spring restaurant serves the larger "to go" cups with lids. Her queso was in a container that could compare to a coleslaw serving with a fish & chips meal elsewhere. The queso is her absolute FAVORITE. Also, her main entree was STUFFED FULL whereas the 460 location is "full" in the middle but not throughout to the edges. We live in Botetourt, very close to the Bedford Co. line and I will never dine in or take out at the Orange Ave/Roanoke City location. It is WELL worth the additional miles to be served a much better, delicious, as always meal. Don't get me wrong @ 100% BOTH locations have good food. However, it's Cave Spring/Brambleton for an all around 10!! Larger portions, presentation is 100% Staff and freshness..100% I do honest reviews... Maybe the 460 staff could use some training, etc from the wait staff, podium staff and managerial staff. El Rodeo is The Best to myself and my crew. El Rodeo @ Cave Spring...THE ABSOLUTE BEST in...