el jinete mexican restaurant

worst service. just returned from el jinete for my birthday dinner .we chose this restaurant because the food is almost always top notch even if the service is sometimes iffy. today, however, we could not get service. we were not there at a busy time. there were people at other tables receiving excellent service, but our waiter was only interested in the tables ordering alcohol. i cannot drink due to a medical issue and should not receive inferior service because of this. i have always tipped generously. our food came, but we only received part of it (our waiter did not bring it). we were out of drinks, out of chips, and dinner was halted for fifteen minutes while we tried to get anyone's attention so we could get these basic items and the rest of the dinner we ordered. when he finally did come back, he was in no way apologetic. we waited another ten minutes after it was clear we were done to receive a check. no deduction whatsoever for the service. we took our bill up to the counter to pay (because he did not come back for it) and he audibly groaned when i came up. what choice do i have at this point? we wanted to leave and were done waiting on him to be ready to take our money. i will miss the food, but i will not be back.

this is the best tex mex i've had here. their food is always fresh, tasty and hot.

garbage. i heard this was good from my mother as she and her coworkers frequent it for lunch...wrong. aside from the chips and salsa which were fine, the food was slimy and had no flavor. i ordered a vegetarian quesadilla. i am not sure why it was slimy on the inside but i could not eat more than a couple of bites. i went there with my mother for dinner and it appeared as if her food was slimy as well, but she didn't seem to mind so this must be the standard she was used to. i decided to fill up on chips and salsa since they were edible. i do not recommend unless you are into unauthentic, slimy, bland, "mexican" food.

best mexican food ever! the soft tacos are great, nice service and generous portions

good food and service. we went for lunch yesterday both had the fajitas they were good the rice and beans were fresh but just standard fair chips and salsa very good salsa in its own container and everyone has own bowl is a nice touch i will be back also the service was very good.

review. took to long to get the food to us.the food was ok but service was not good

worst mexican food i've ever had. i went there with my wife and son and his girlfriend. my food was horrible! it looked like they threw it on a plate and piled on lettuce and pico and a green sauce. it was completely watered down and tasteless. it had no taste, no bite and tasted like there were no spices at all. my sons friend got the taco salad and it looked like soup in a taco bowl. i couldn't look at it because it made me sick. no lettuce to be found because the beans and meat and sickening green sauce turned it into soupy yuck! never go back again and don't waste your money.

surprisingly bland food.

overall we were very happy with the food at el jinete, the service was great, and the price was just right. the menu is very large, so we will definitely be back to sample more in the near future.

better than mercado. more authentic. great food. do it

awful service. we have been to el jinete five times (three times we were just carry out). as time has gone, so has the service. this past visit, we came to the restaurant to order a take out. as we waited for the food, we order drinks. the $2.00 off daiquiri and it had zero run in it. we asked for a replacement and got a slight update... emphasis on slight. it was more ice and less of everything else. this was the second visit that we received a terrible mixed drink.

as we waited, we got no chips and no dip. once we got the food and were ready to leave, we got the bill and paid. luckily we checked the change we received and realized that the math was way off. what is going on here!??!! the waiter then tried to charge us more for ordering a stiffer drink and then backed off. we got the correct change and then ran out, relived that this experience was over. wow, this was bad... possibly the worst restaurant experience in the last 15 years.

love this place. oh yeah! this is how you will feel from the first sip of your outstanding margarita to your slide back into the oversized, comfy booth! we have kept these guys in business with a bi-weekly dinner (ok, sometimes weekly) since they opened a little over two years ago. these recipes are as authentic and spectacular as the staff, haven't really found one we simply don't love! since making the move to a nearly "cholesterol-free" lifestyle, we have still been completely satisfied everytime! these guys work very hard to get it right, and i sincerely appreciate that, wish customer service was this great everywhere!

the food is poor quality. same 'ol rice and beans w frozen sysco foods mexican fare warmed in a microwave. 95% likes?!!? either cincinnatians have no taste or this number is rigged, the food is just, not, good.

good food and reasonably priced. that said, the staff consistently misleads people about their specials. for example, today they wrote on their specials board "medium margarita 6.99." however, when we got our bill they said, without telling us in advance, that the special only applied to lime magaritas. it was a classic bait and switch. frankly, i don't know if we'll return after this even though the food is terrific. if you do go there, please be sure to clarify with you waiter specifically what the specials actually are before ordering!

used to be so good!. we have been dining here since it opened. the whole atmosphere and staff were once outstanding and so friendly. the food was excellent and the service 5 star. lately there are new servers who seem to be in a hurry and do not give attention to their guests. we have gone as far as requesting certain servers who we know will give excellent service....and then be seated with a server with much less experience! the whole atmosphere seems tense compared with how it used to be. the wait time is extreme. even when seated it took nearly 20 minutes to get drinks. what happened? i used to tell everyone how great the place was...not anymore. if it ain't broke why fix it? i miss the friendly humorous atmosphere!