El Rodeo

My new favorite downtown Mexican restaurant. Margarita pitchers on sale every Friday! Cheap, fast, and pretty good. Much better than the other better known Mexican joint downtown. At least here salsa is served in a dish.

My sister and I were wandering downtown Indianapolis in our 90s garb, looking for a place to grab a quick drink; we were about to celebrate my 30^th birthday, and the theme was the 90s:) We thought guacamole and margaritas were a great pre-​game option, so we came here. We didn’t have any previous knowledge of this establishment – but it was the first Mexican food restaurant we saw, so it won.
Or rather, WE won.
There was a special going, so we were able to get two of the biggest margaritas we’d ever seen, paired with some pretty tasty guac. There was so much delicious drink that we didn’t get to finish it!
It was the start to a PERFECT weekend. I’m so glad we strolled in, and sauntered out :)

I came right at open with a group of friends from school. We were the first people seated, but it took them about thirty minutes to get around to asking us for our order.
It got busy (and loud) very quickly. They seated us in the back corner and sort of forgot about us.
The food is pretty lackluster. Pretty much everything you order ends up being mushy.
I ordered a chicken fajita with white cheese sauce– the chicken was ok, but the sauce was watery and bland. It tasted like packaged cheese sauce that was reheated one too many times. their lettuce was wilty.
Two of the people in my group got totally wrong orders, and one person was missing a portion of her meal.
I definitely would not recommend it, it was one of the worst dining experiences I have had in Indianapolis. I feel lie mostly people just come here to drink.
If you are actually coming hoping for food, I suggest skipping it.

The food was a cliché of a midwestern Mexican place that’s afraid of flavor, quite bland and unimaginative. I would give it between 2 and 3 stars if I could. It was not «A-​ok» but perhaps a little better than «meh.» I do love a good Mexican restaurant, and there is so much more than can be done by a good cook.
For the price, my dinner (enchiladas suizas) was a large portion, but I only needed half of it.
The salsa and chips before dinner was a bright spot.
The service was exceptionally slow and poor, despite how empty the place was. It appeared that a single unfortunate guy was responsible for the entire place that evening. Our group of 8 did not receive our food all at the same time, and the waiter had trouble keeping up with drinks for our group.

Tonight I was caving a Mexican fiesta, so I decided to drive down town and satisfy my craving. Once I arrived I ordered queso to dip my chips in. My chips were perfectly crisp and fresh, and my queso dip was hot and creamy. I then ordered two soft chicken tacos. The tacos were pretty good overall, but had a little more cheese and lettuce on top than I would normally like. But no worries because it was easily taken off. The restaurant and bathrooms were both very clean and the staff was friendly. My only complaint is that it was a little difficult to find parking. I will for sure go here the next time I want Mexican food.

I was craving Mexican food the other night and decided to make my way over to El Rodeo. The service was great! We got our food very fast and it was fresh and hot! Prices are always reasonable and you always get so much food. I always get Arros con Pollo and scoop it all up with the hot tortilla chips. If you haven’t tried it you’re missing out!
Like I said, service was great. Our waiter was very friendly and kept checking on us and filling our drinks. I definitely got my Mexican food fix after this awesome meal!

Mexican food isn’t my favorite, but I tolerate it because so many of my friends love it. I can usually get a decent meal that is somewhat healthy, and it tastes ok. Today’s visit to el rodeo will be my last.
I settled on the lunch shrimp fajitas. Unfortunately, I was distracted by good conversation for the first few bites, so I didn’t notice that the shrimp weren’t clean until I had rated a couple. Dirty shrimp is one of the worst things a restaurant can serve. No thanks. Never again.
I’m going to give at least 2 stars because my friend enjoyed his meal and it wasn’t expensive.

This is a great place to get lunch during a conference. I met the wife here and we shared a giant $ 10 pitcher of margaritas. While it was refreshing, I almost fell asleep upon returning to the conference.
The wife had enchiladas and I had fish tacos. Both were good. I plan to eat lunch here every time I have a conference in Indianapolis.
One of the best things about this place is the salsa. They bring it to you immediately and keep refilling it. Grew with margaritas.

What f*cking part of Mexico does velveeta come from? STOP TRYING TO MAKE «CHEESE SAUCE» A THING!!!
That’s not a thing.
Decent carnitas ruined by hardened plastic «queso» glopped over the top of everything. A most bland and uninspired shortcut.
Also I asked for a «chile relleno» and I got a 1 inch by 1 inch patch of bland chile SMOTHERED in hamburger and «cheese».
No drink refills offered, and I couldn’t be bothered to re-​train the «staff».
Get your act together, El Rodeo.

Very fast service. Salsa is excellent and they keep it flowing. Had not just regular fajitas but chicken steak and chorizo fajitas… yum! Rum and cokes were perfectly made. Guacamole was a little pricey. Portions are generous. Friday night 730 pm and we got a seat no problem. Which is also a minus. Since they are off the beaten path, I hope they survive. More advertising!

I came here with a few of my coworkers for lunch earlier this week around noon. The place was pretty empty and we were seated immediately.
Our waiter was very efficient and took our drink orders as soon as we were seated. The drinks came out a few minutes later and he then took our order. Once we ordered the food was out in front of us in less than 5 minutes. That was really all the interaction we had with our waiter for the rest of the time we were there. No drink refills, no «How is everything?», which I personally don’t mind at all, but that may bother some. In my mind it just presents fewer interruptions to eating/​chatting.
I ordered Monday’s special, the Lunch #5 (Beef taco, burrito and rice/​beans) for $ 4.75. They have different lunch specials every day ranging from $ 4.50 to $ 6.00. The food was all decent. Not the best Mexican I’ve had in Indy, but definitely not the worst. If I found myself here again for lunch I wouldn’t object to it.
Be sure to check up on your bill. They accidentally doubled the price on the handwritten receipt and I had to point it out to them when I went to the register to pay. It was an honest mistake, but it’s worth fact checking.

Food and service was terrible… Server had to check more than once on the drink and food special… I will not ever spend another dollar in this establishment again!!!

I recently tried out the El Rodeo in downtown Indy with a few coworkers last week and I was pleasantly surprised. I had been to El Rodeo in Greenwood, IN in the past and I wasn’t impressed. But the one in Indy is a lot cleaner, faster, and better overall. I got the taco salad and it had a perfect balance of all the ingredients. Sometimes restaurants tend to put too much of one thing in the taco salad but they made it just right here. Also, the waiter was very kind to all of us and very speedy. The only drawback I found with this restaurant was that it was on the small side and during lunch hour it got really uncomfortably busy. But other than that, I think it is very nice establishment.

Knowing time was of the essence, we blew into El Rodeo in downtown Indianapolis for a quick bite just prior to the start of the 2014 Big 10 basketball tourney two blocks away at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Upon being seated, our server pointed out the Thursday lunch special — «Número 14» — One chicken or beef fajita with lettuce, beans or rice, sour cream, complementary chips with a small carafe of salsa… for a mere $ 5.99!
At that price, you can add a pair of margaritas and still get out the door for a a double sawbuck plus tip which is exactly what the wife and I did.
You see, this is what you gotta love about Indy — this same plate in the Windy City would have easily run double that. At the same time, this is not all about the price… we were equally impressed with the quality of the Mexican fare — nicely sautéed onions & peppers on the fajita, extra shredded iceberg lettuce on request — well done El Rodeo.

I adore the staff here. I always enjoy the food and people watching. The service is always fast. The late night menu changes but it’s still a great selection. I wish they were open late Thursday. The crowd that comes in can be a little rough but there tends to be a security guard to make sure everyone is secure. Act up and you are out.

Great (strong) margaritas! Never busy so you never have a wait. Food is good. My favorite is the arroz con pollo (rice, chicken and cheese). The guacamole isn’t too good, but the cheese sauce makes up for it. The service is adequate however the orders and bills were all accurate.

Came here with some friends while we were in Indy for conference. The salsa is nice and spicy! The enchiladas were good and the drinks were reasonably priced. Indianapolis doesn’t seem to offer too much variety by way of Mexican food, but this place did not disappoint.

My bf doesn’t like Mexican food, which is ironic considering his ethnicity. So, when I was out of town with coworkers I was ecstatic when they agreed to eat Mexican food one night! Unilocaling led to few Mexican options downtown. Boooo! Oh, but this place came up, and we were not at all sorry! Hardly anyone was in here at about 8:30 on a Wednesday evening. Not a good sign. The environment is clean, woodsy, and new. I wonder if they need better marketing because people of Indianapolis are definitely missing out!
The chips and salsa were just OK. Salsa has chunks of onion, which I don’t like. Peppery, too. Chips were fine but not remarkable.
I ordered La Superior, which is one burrito, one chile relleno, refried beans, and rice. I chose grilled steak for my burrito, and I replaced red sauce with verde. Personal preference. This plate came out and I about spoke in tongues when I saw all the white, cheesy goo over the top of it all. The steak burrito was divine, the beans and rice were beans and rice, and the chile relleno seemed to be lacking a chile and was weird meat product, but I ate it anyway. I think this cost $ 8.50 or so. Well worth it.
My colleagues pretty much licked their plates, if that tells you how their food was. Then, stuffed, we all shared a fried ice cream. It was good.
Service was decent and friendly. My only complaint is that they could not give me an itemized receipt, and after explaining to the cashier who didn’t fully understand English, I decided it was worth not being reimbursed from work. He tried, and that counts with me.
If I return to Indianapolis, sans bf, I will definitely come here again!

I was pleasantly surprised by El Rodeo. I was prepared for Bandidos/Chi-Chi’s-style Mexican food — ya know, the kind where the rice appears to have come straight out of a Zatarain’s «Spanish Rice» box. I’ll give it a «not shabby» nod on the spectrum of Chi-Chi’s — — to — — — - sitting in an off-​the-​beaten-​path cantina in Mexico. Bottomless chips and salsa — si — corn tortilla chips — si — overly-​peppery salsa — si.
This is a great option for a quick and cheap lunch Downtown. I ordered the lunch special — burrito, rice and beans for only $ 4.25. Nothing to write home about but it did the trick.
Our waitress filled the customary duties of taking our order, bringing the check and refilling drinks, but beyond that she was unfriendly and absent. I’d expect a new restaurant to be more apt to put on a good show. Maybe throw some confetti around, roll out the red carpet — that sort of thing…

Big fan of the speedway location so when we were downtown we decided to check out this one. It didn’t disappoint. I’m always excited to see chorizo on the menu. And the chips are fresh and tasty as is the salsa. Large beer and liquor selection for those interested in such libations. Very vast menu so it should be easy to find something you love. Yum.