Rodeo Grill — Restaurant in Wisconsin Rapids

First of all the interior is incredible, the investment in the infrastructure and environment is so impressive. This however ends up being a double edged sword. Given the niceties and upscale vibe, it creates a very high expectation regarding the food. The Tortilla chips, homemade white sauce, and salsa were a 10 out of 10. I ordered two entrees. The Chorri Pollo and Carne Asada. I was very excited to see how these were prepared and presented given the expectation set by the resturant environment. When I received my first plate I was so disappointed by the presentation. The first thing I thought was, " OH man its the same generic copy and paste refried beans and rice found at what seems like every Mexican restaurant I've ever eaten at. Then when I looked at the star of the plate, chicken covered in queso and Chorizo I was even more bummed. The plating was cafeteria style and not the entree quality I expected from the presentation of the restaurant itself. The flavor was fantastic, besides the fact that this was not genuine Chorizo. It was very Jimmy Dean's Sausage in flavor. The rice and beans were lukewarm at best which is almost the expected standard for Mexican food in Wisconsin. But nothing about this Entree was "Especial" The second Dish of Carne Asada which to me is the gold standard of Mexican food was a huge miss. Once again the presentation lacked on a major level. Very basic. The meat itself was a very cheap and thin cut. Shredded iceberg lettuce with canned jalapeños are an instant turn off. No marble in the meat made it tough and chewy. The flavor itself was basic and bland. It was not good Carne asada. It was OK. Now out of respect I ate both dishes in their entirety and honestly think they have the best tortilla chips and Salsa Sauce combo ive had in a long time. But that isnt enough. I want this place to succeed so badly, especially given the investment made by the owner in his interior. But at the end of the day a mediocre meal eaten in a palace is still mediocre. The food should be the prestige and if they want to succeed they need to improve the ingredient quality and dish presentation. They are clearly struggling to fill the resturant, the specials and deals indicate desperation and given the overhead and construction costs they incurred I can't see them making it through next spring. They need to establish a higher food standard and set themselves apart from other restaurants in the area.I am sure they are great people and I desperately want them to succeed. Hopefully they improve, but as of now, especially after eating the Carne Asada dish I wouldn't go back. Improve your plating presentation and invest in higher quality ingredients and I'm in. They should visit some higher end restaurants in Madison and Milwaukee and draw inspiration from them regarding plating and ingredients. For the price point Taqueria and Avacados are better options...

My wife and I tried Rodeo Grill for the first time this evening. They do not currently have any alcoholic beverages currently, but they said maybe by next week.

The chips and salsa came out, and was served with a white sauce. That ended up being ranch, but that seemed a little strange. The salsa didn't have any spice and was actually a little sweet, but it had a difficult taste to place. They had some options for chip dips on the menu that seemed like they might be really good though.

I had the chori pollo and my wife tried the chimichanga. The chori pollo was amazing. Everything tasted very good and with a generous helping. My wife's chimichanga was good, but she had asked for it with no beans or lettuce, and it still came with both. She mentioned the chicken was more like chicken pieces and was not dry at all, so that was good. The chimi didn't have anything additional mixed into the chicken, but it was seasoned chicken. We both agreed that the cheese sauce that came on them was very good!

I think overall it is another great option for sit down Mexican food that is definitely...

Positives: The decor and vibe was super cute! The place was clean and the staff was very friendly and welcoming. I loved the presentation of the food- it was perfect, cute plates, taco holders, cups, etc. the margarita I ordered was absolutely delicious and I’m PICKY about my margs! Chips were nice and crispy how I like them! Prices and portions were perfect! Rice was the best!!

Negatives: the music was so loud I could barely think, let alone have a conversation. Also, the soda was from 2 liter bottles so my husband said it was pretty flat and it melted the ice so quickly it was watered down too. The salsa was flavorless and disappointing. My tacos were very cold and dry so that made me sad. My husband said his enchiladas were also cold and very bland. Nothing had a lot of flavor so the food was 5/10.

I’m definitely gonna try this place again because I really want to support local businesses and I know sometimes people just have an off day. Maybe next time...