El Vaquero

I’ve been going here since I was like 5 I’m 23 now. They’re foods good I don’t know why some of you are being so rude. The food has always been good and their salsa too. If nothing stood out in the menu to some of you maybe you should’ve have just went to another place and be kind about it. Geez.

Exactly as advertised. Salsa is great. Fajitas are always amazing. Typical tex mex with a little more mex. Price is great for the portions. Everything is consistently tasty.

This is where the locals go! It’s delicious, it’s fast, it’s cheap! It’s awesome! If your looking for ambiance it may not be your place, if your looking for great Mexican food with a friendly staff this is your place!

The place is located next to a threading salon I frequent so I decided to give it a try. El Vaquero is pleasant and clean enough but the food is awful, and the customer service is subpar. I went inside and the staff just stared at me and didn’t offer to seat me anywhere. When I finally got a table, they brought out chips and salsa that were mediocre. The salsa had a plastic-​like taste with nothing much else going for it; it was ice-​cold, might as well have been gazpacho (had it not lacked flavor). The chips, made of cheap yellow corn, were barely edible.
I’ll preface this by saying that I ordered something entirely different from what I was brought. The menu said it was «chalupas» but what they brought out was two tostadas with various toppings. The tostadas tasted like Old El Paso taco shells that had been mildly warmed. There was a spattering of meat on them, as well as lettuce, tomato and a sprinkling of cheese. This was honestly shocking to me. How they have the audacity to pass soccer mom «Mexican Night at The Smiths» fare as Mexican food is beyond me. I paid over $ 10 for those two tostadas and this did not include the drink! I asked the owner/​manager why he’d brought me tostadas instead of chalupas and he basically told me that that’s what they call them, toe-​may-​to, toe-​mah-​toh. I asked him to at least give me rice and beans as a side dish and he did so begrudgingly for one dollar extra. The guacamole had more salt that the Dead Sea.
This place is awful and ridiculously overpriced. I know they’re established as a Tex-​Mex restaurant but I expected more, honestly. Stay home and enjoy a makeshift taco; it’s cheaper and will taste better than the food at El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant.

Came in just before 1:30 on a Tuesday afternoon. You seat yourself, and a server immediately greets you. The interior is gloomy. It has this taqueria/​cafeteria fusion feel to it. Tex-​Mex restaurants usually have a vibrant down-​home atmosphere, unfortunately for «El Vaquero», it didn’t deliver. Dirty windowsills and dusty blinds could use a cleaning. Paint could use a fresh coat.
Thick crispy chips are brought with this delicious tomatoey spicy salsa. I ordered an Horchata (a milk based drink that is infused with rice and cinnamon) and a water. You get one free refill with their specialty beverages. The menu is your typical Tex-​Mex fare. I opted out for their lunch fajitas. They come accompanied with guacamole, tortillas (corn or flour), and charro beans.
The fajita comes on a hot sizzling skillet with sautéed onions and bell peppers. The skirt steak is tender and juicy. It is seasoned with salt and pepper. Damn, it could’ve been at a different level had it been marinated. Instead of a possible spectacular, it was rather mediocre. Guacamole was perhaps the worst I’ve had. It was bland, and consisted of smashed avocados and… smashed avocados. Not a grain of salt or a squirt of lime juice. Charro beans were also bland. Where’s the garlic flavor? It was just salted boiled beans with some cilantro and some pickled jalapeños. The corn tortillas I ordered, were packaged, not house made. I also ordered a side of rice. The rice is laced with cumin, but it lacked depth, maybe cook it in some chicken stock or broth? For desert I had their sopapillas. Apparently the flan and tres leches they have advertised by the door, wasn’t available. The sopapillas were doughy, not light how they should be. They are a close cousin to New Orleans Beignets, and they definitely lacked their characteristic. They came served with a bottle of honey, that was sticky to the touch.
Service is sub par, not very attentive. I noticed that one of the two servers was doing most of the work. I felt bad for the guy. Teamwork is essential when it comes to the service industry. I wouldn’t care if the lazy server was in fact a manager — that only would raise my expectation for the manager to support his team and set the example.
Overall, a rather bad experience. The chips & salsa and the Horchata were the highlight of the meal. Lacking service and mediocre food. Damn shame.

Great value but the food is just mediocre. Nothing stood out at all.

Low prices but good food. I had lunch fajitas for $ 7.95, which is half what others charge. The meat was thick and juicy and the portion was perfect for mid day (2 very large fajitas worth).

I cannot believe anyone has given this place good reviews. We went here for Valentine’s Day and I could not have been more disappointed. My sons Burger was nothing more than a patty and a bun. No lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, no condiments at all. The fries were bland. My daughter was given cheap dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets for $ 4. My enchiladas were TERRIBLE and barely had filling. My husbands Tacos Al Carbon were bland even when he added salt. The wait staff was impossible to find. $ 35 for food I could haver messed up at home on my own. With the abundance of excellent mexican food in Houston, I cannot believe this place is still in business. WILL NOT GO BACK.

Best Mexican food in Katy Tx

I love this place. Good, Fast Mexican Food. Food is consistent and cheap.

My review of this restaurant has changed completely… Their salsa has gone from handmade back to canned generic extra hot rotel blended a bit. The service ranges from apathetic to just pathetic and rude. I asked the server for a beer, he told me that they didn’t have that brand, and he told me that he would tell me what they had. He never returned.
Not to mention that after all of the business that I send them, they greet me with a sneer almost always. I don’t know what their problem is. I always tipped well.
Now they just suck. Good riddance.

We went to this place after reading the review from Jason H, and I have to say, he was right on target. The hot sauce is quite good, and the queso is smooth and creamy. We had enchiladas, that were among the best we’d ever had.
The one low point I would say is the service, but like Jason, is not a big deal when you get your food. We’ll most likely be back, very soon!

El Vaquero is a gem hidden among the Tex-​Mex jungle of Katy, TX. Hidden behind a pawn shop and easy to miss if you blink, you would be hard-​pressed to find a restaurant this obscure so darn good.
The cheese is probably what makes this place one of my favorite Tex-​Mex places to eat at. I must recommend their queso dip and their cheese enchiladas for first-​timers and those that don’t like to try the more risqué dishes.
Their hot sauce is very, very hot so eat with caution.
This place has been receiving my business for years and will continue to do so for years to come. My only complaint is the hospitality of the wait staff — it seems like I am always inconveniencing them when I arrive during non-​peak hours but their food is quick to come to the table and more than makes up for this minor detail.