El Charro

We were visiting nearby and this place looked like a good place on Unilocal so we thought we would give it a try for lunch. We were seated promptly as they were not very busy, not a good sign. The server brought us some chips and salsa which was very good along with our drinks. She took our order and it arrived quickly. My wife and I both ordered the chicken fajitas. I thought the serving was small compared to other Mex restaurants we’ve been to. Also, the chicken was not tender and was just small little pieces. Very disappointing. The meal was not bad, just not that good. I don’t think we would go back.

The 94 Health Score scares me. This once was our favorite Mexican spot but on recent visits the food hasn’t been as good. The people who initially ran it were great but I rarely see them there now. We may give it another try but not until the health score is at least a 97.

I was having a hard time finding a good Mexican restaurant after I moved from Texas to Lexington. But this is one of my top three. The food is good and the staff is prompt and friendly.
They were even the first restaurant (that I go to) to get Apple Pay in Lexington. That’s worth a star in itself!

The food is great. I would give them a 5* if not for the incredibly uncomfortable they want you to pay via credit card. They bring the machine to your table and get you to pay on the spot. Having to tip right in front of the waiter is uncomfortable. They change this then I’ll go back to a 5*.

Love El Charro. Food is much better than Rincon and the owners are fabulous. We go weekly. Often get the Pollo Sinaloa and my husband always gets the chicken and cheese burrito. Sometimes the service can be a little slow but not very often.

We tried El Charro for the first time last week as part of an ongoing search for our favorite Mexican food in Lexington. Coming from Houston we have been more than a little underwhelmed with a few places in town.
El Charro was the best we’ve tried! The Korbel margarita was inspired. Seriously why has everyone not done this? Delicious. The queso and salsa on the other hand were bland and not at all spicy. Not impressed there.
I shared fajitas and they were solid. Well seasoned, good meat to veg ratio. Yum. My dad tried the seafood burrito, and it was so good! I will definitely order that next time! Husband’s carne asada was middle of the road.
Good but slow service. We will be back for sure.

You gotta go! This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Lexington! The food is amazing and staff is very friendly!

This restaurant is located on Old Harrodsburg Rd, just before you get to Nicholasville. It’s in the Brighton shopping center, the same area as Ramseys, and a few other places. There are very few Mexican places in the area that I’ve not tried, so I must say that I was happy when someone else chose this place as a lunch spot. Initially, I was impressed by the esthetics and the menu. Their lunch menu is offered seven days a week, which was a nice surprise, because some places only extend their lunch menu Monday through Friday. I was pleasantly surprised by the low prices of the menu items.
I chose Mariscolandia, which is fish, shrimp and scallops with onion, peppers, squash, zucchini and mushrooms. I’m not a tilapia fan, and I’m pretty sure that was the type of fish that literally topped the meal. My daughter, who usually likes tilapia, tried it and she too thought that it didn’t taste fresh. I hardly ate any of the meal and the waiter never asked if everything was ok, or acknowledged that I ate barely any of it. As a matter of fact, he didn’t ask if I wanted a to go box, he simply took the full plate away. He must’ve known that the Mariscolandia meal was disgusting. On the menu, it indicated that the meal included rice, so as I was ordering, I asked the waiter if I could substitute the fries for the rice. He said yes, that was fine. But when the bill came, I was charged $ 2 for the substitution… not cool. Not a big deal if he mentioned the up charge, but because both the rice and the fries were both $ 2 as a side option, it put a bad taste in my mouth. And if they’re going to charge me full price for the fries, where the hell was my rice?!
Both my husband and daughter raved about their meals. The chips, salsa and fries were good, so I won’t knock them too much based on a first time visit. I should’ve stuck with something safe, like nachos or fajaitas… next time, if there is a time, that’s what I’ll have.

We have been here twice and both times it was really really good! It seems to be fresher than other Mexican restaurants and the ladies that work here are so incredibly nice! We came for a quick bite for lunch and it was the best burrito we both have had. The sauce that was on top was so flavorful and delish. The guacamole was fresh and delicious. The steak in the burrito was really tasty and not fatty! We defiantly will be coming back here when we want Mexican! California Burrito from the lunch menu is a yummy choice!

First time coming and wasn’t overly impressed with the food. It wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t great either. I have had lots of different Mexican food so I have a lot to compare it with. The chicken burrito was just that. Chicken only inside. The rice and beans that came with it were good but again not great. The beef fajita was ok but again not great. The one item that I would classify as good to great was the Churro Cheese Dip (beef and pico de gallo). It had a great flavor and the chips were light and not greasy.
Not sure if I would come back or not.

Everyone is so friendly and food is always delicious! My favorite thing to eat is the chicken chimichanga it’s the best!!!

We have eaten here several times and all but one was exceptional. (Everybody has an off day from time to time.) Service is excellent, and the menu has lots of variety. I love the special dinner, and my wife loves the fajitas. Salsa and chips are excellent as well. Visit a few times and you’ll start to feel like family. Highly recommend.

This place is a great place for Mexican food. I really like the way the inside looks and the service is quick and thourgh. House margaritas are great. On our latest visit we sat at the bar and ordered food. The bartenders were very busy but still served us promptly and never let our drinks run dry. This place has become our go-​to Mexican restaurant.

We were seated immediately. Great service. Waiter was friendly and stopped by frequently. After ordering, food came very quickly.
We ordered pretty standard meals, and there were no surprises. Next time perhaps we’ll try something beyond the norm. Prices are very reasonable, and the atmosphere is great.
Overall, a very good place that we will visit again.

There is a Mexican restaurant in Fort Valley, Georgia that will always be near and dear to me and my husband, but we needed to find a Mexican restaurant here in Lexington that we could enjoy on a regular basis. After a long search (about 2 years!), I think we’ve finally found one.
El Charro is clean. The atmosphere is nice. The wait staff is super friendly, although it can be kind of difficult at times with the language barrier.
The food is good. I always get a rice dish when I eat Mexican, if they have one. They have Arroz con Pollo here. I’m used to it being served with vegetables as well, but they don’t serve it that way here. The first time I dined in, I just ordered the dish as is. The second time, I asked if I could have rice and vegetables instead of chicken (I’m not always a big meat eater). They said okay. No mention of an extra charge.
I get the dish. It’s delicious. Lots of vegetables. I’m happy. Then comes the bill. They charged me the normal price of the dish… plus an extra $ 5. So that means my rice and vegetable dish cost $ 14. I asked the server if the bill was correct. She said yes, and that she charged me extra for each vegetable. I told her that it was kind of ridiculous, and that I don’t think anyone should be expected to pay $ 14 for rice and vegetables. She told me she’d talk to her manager. She came back and only charged me the price of the original dish. Whew.
Other than the mix up, the food is really good here! Fresh salsa, yummy queso with a kick. We will be making this our new regular place to eat!

Excellent food, excellent service, with a celebratory atmosphere. My family and I especially love to go here on Christmas Eve… it’s a tradition!

Stopped in on a Sunday afternoon (before the post-​church rush hit) so we practically had the place to ourselves. Our waiter started out very attentive and prompt, so we had our food in no time. I ordered the shredded beef chimichanga and I can probably say that it was one of the best I’ve ever had. Everyone else in my group was equally satisfied with their food. The complimentary chips & salsa were also better than a lot of other Mexican restaurants. (the salsa was pretty heavily pureed, which is exactly how I like salsa – NO CHUNKS) The longer we were there, the busier it got, and the slower the service was. Our waiter was still polite, but it took a looong time for him to bring us the check. And we were originally going to pay with a card, but when it took him more than 5 minutes to come back, we just ended up using cash so we could leave.
But, all said, the food was excellent, the lunch prices were great, and I definitely plan on returning.

Family owned and Family receipes, delicious, good prices and very friendly. Best ranchero sauce I’ve ever had ! Charro beans are savory. Nice variety of selections. Two thumbs up

My parents live in Nicholasville and frequent this spot. When hubs and I were visiting for a holiday, they wanted to take us too. I had some really excellent and fresh chicken fajitas, and hubs had a delicious pork dish that I’d never before tried. It was awesome, I’d definitely order it again if/​when I return. The service was friendly and attentive, and the restaurant was very clean.
Ask for the green salsa with your chips if you like it spicy!

The food here was definitely tastier than the nearby Rincon, and is on par with Mi Pequeña Hacienda in Lexington. I had the enchiladas verdes, my boyfriend had the chicken chimichanga. Chips and salsa are served, and the salsa had some heat to it, along with good flavor. The waitress let us try their mild green salsa too, I think made with tomatillos, which was also nice. I loved the tomatillo sauce on my enchiladas, and the cheese sauce was great. The only problem in the whole visit was our food wasn’t incredibly hot, but I’ll chalk it up to the place just opening a week ago. They didn’t have their liquor license yet, so no margarita. It seemed a good sign that all the employees I saw were Hispanic, this being a Mexican restaurant that claims to serve authentic food. The waitress was good, and service was very fast. I liked my boyfriend’s refried beans, and he thought the chimichanga was good.
The décor was pleasant. It was a very spacious-​seeming interior, with modern lighting and floors. I found it more comfortable than Mi Pequeña Hacienda or Rincon, since those places are usually crowded and feel claustrophobic even when they’re not that full. The menu didn’t seem to have anything out of the ordinary on it in terms of entrées and appetizers, just your basic enchiladas, burritos, etc. That doesn’t matter to me, though, because that’s exactly what I’m looking for in a Mexican restaurant: give me something covered in cheese with a margarita, and I’m good. I did notice their desserts included miniature cupcakes, which seemed interesting, but we skipped dessert so I can’t comment on the taste.
Nice flavor to everything. There was sufficient food that I had leftovers, too, and my meal was $ 9, so about standard fare for the dish. We’ll definitely be back. This seems like a good choice, too, for folks who maybe wanted Ramsey’s but found it too packed, since it’s in the same shopping center. I want to see what their margaritas are like, and try their other dishes.