El Cid

Stopped by on a Saturday night in January around 8 PM. Lots of cars in the parking lot, and the place came highly recommended by a friend, so we were looking forward to a great meal. Unfortunately, I would call the food average at best. Chips and salsa were fine, the salsa had plenty of raw onion, so beware, if you are sensitive. The Chili Verde burritos were dry and my wife’s Chili Relleno was short on Chili. The refried beans were thoroughly average, pasty without much flavor. The one bright spot was the service. We were seated immediately, the waitress was attentive and took our order right away. The food came in surprisingly sort order.
I really wanted to like this place, but ultimately we went away disappointed. I expect there are better options in town.

Don’t do it! Just keep driving right past this terrible restaurant. The food is very disappointing.
I’ve been here 3 times, hoping for a better outcome and each time was worst than the previous. The servers are all young teenage girls who stand around the bar talking while your food sits in the kitchen getting cold. This food is by no means authentic Mexican food; at least it sure doesn’t taste like it. Just keep driving a little further down to the edge of town; there will be a little yellow looking house/​restaurant across from Vons. Now THAT is Mexican food!

In my opinion, the best Salsa (with chips) We ordered chicken enchiladas and chicken quesadilla and the shredded chicken was the «bomb», nicely seasoned. I didn’t like the rice, but the rest of the food was good.

The hostess Umber or Amber sorry if I am spelling it wrong but she is most professional and sweetest person!
The best nachos I have ever had!
Had a great experience after a tiring day at Yosemite if the staff was not so nice and welcoming I would have felt so dull inside the restaurant.

Nachos!!! We are eating here twice, we liked it so much! The backyard had a hilarious balloon nativity scene. The place is so packed when we arrived they had run out of silverware.
Drinks are enormous. You would never need a refill. Food is authentic and delicious. Tons of variety on the menu. Staff was attentive and friendly.
I will definitely go here again if I make it back to Oakhurst!

Went here for a late lunch on New Year’s Day. Staff was friendly and attentive. Food was really good and we ended up having a nice lunch. Was really impressed by this place. I would recommend and go back.

After a long day in the snow, some family friends and I decided to go to El Cid. The service was good, and the food is pretty decent. However, there is a few downsides. Since the majority of the food was spicy, my friends grandparents did not particularly enjoy some of the food they had, because they aren’t used to it (They are from a different part of the world). I had a vegetarian burrito, and it tasted like a tasty, decent dish. A party was happening in another area of the restaurant, and it was blasting music so loud that I could hear the vibration! Overall, the service was good, and the food was flavorful, but I would rate this 3 stars, due to some addition downsides.

Exceeded my expectations. My wife and I have been very happy every time we visit this restaurant. Authentic Mexican food and friendly staff, and the owner is visible making sure people are well attended to. You will enjoy this mountain restaurant, a refreshing find in a lovely mountain town. p. s. great mexican food! Full bar.

ALBONDIGAS SOUP HAD 2 DIFFERENT BUGS. I only took one bite and I seen 2 different bugs in the oil of the soup. When I went in to place my order the cashiers were nice but when I took my food back they were suggesting the bugs were spices! One was a small black one and the other was a small brown one. The servers tried to say the small black one is pepper! No dear, those are bugs. I went in politely and whispered that there was bugs in my soup but they were trying to convince they were spices. I would be glad to take out a magnifying glass and show them they are bugs. Please check your soup! However they gave me my money back. I hate leaving negative reviews but I want to make sure no one is swallowing a tick or a parasite. Because they are located in the woods, it is kind of inevitable to avoid bugs. The one star was for the nice cashiers.

Whenever I drive by there is tons of cars in the parking lot. While on vaca we decided to try it out. Stepped in and we were immediately greeted and seated. There was s beautiful view of the mountains from where we sat. Chips and salsa brought out right away and they were good. I ordered the combo with2 chili verde burritos chicken taco and rice. I really liked the taco. The rice was ok a little bland for my taste. The chili verde burrito was ok. Don’t think I would order it again. My mom got the enchilada Vera Cruz. She really like it. Lots of shrimp in it and good flavor. I also had a cup of albondigas soup which was delicious. Will defiantly go back and try other items.

Best Mexican food in Oakhurst. Margaritas are amazing. New addition shortens the wait time. Echi-​rito is a 2 portion meal for a decent price.

We were blown away with the superior service, speed of the food coming out and how good it was. We have been coming to Bass lake for few years now, and would always drive by, seeing how many cars there were parked outside, we figured it was a good place to try.
Walked in at 5:30pm on Sat night, we were seated immediately, chips and delicious salsa were on the table before we even opened out menus. Our waitress Jessica was exceptional. We had some questions about the food, she was knowledgeable, recommended some New Mexican food we haven’t tried yet. The food arrived on our table in less than 10 minutes, our drinks were refilled almost as quickly as we drank them.
Given that the restaurant was full, or near full, the service was exceptional.
We had some bad experiences with restaurants in this area, especially in the off season, when they are not as busy.
Will definitely be back at El Cid, and we highly recommend it.

We stopped at El Cid on the way home from Yosemite. We are from Los Angeles so have higher standards for Mexican food and it was pretty good. Large portions, real guacamole and super friendly service (something we miss back home). Also there was a large TV with nba on so that was nice as well.
Overall a nice stop, next time we drive his way we’ll surely stop again.

Server was nice, and bathroom was not terribly dirty, but food and ambiance were dismal. Guacamole tasted canned, burrito and tamale were tasteless.

We were seated quickly. The service was friendly and attentive. The food was prepared quickly. On the so-​so side: the table was sticky and the utensils were dirty. The food was good, not great, not bad, just good.

If you’re looking for a decent meal at reasonable prices then El Cid is your place.
The food won’t know your socks off but you probably won’t be disappointed either. Prices for adult beverages and food make it a good place to stop if you’re looking for dinner after a day in Yosemite.
Food: The chips are good (they have a unique seasoning though) but the salsa is ok at best. It’s more like pico de gallo. The bean and chorizo dip is quite good though so I highly recommend it. Over my experiences at El Cid I’ve enjoyed the chili verde burrito, the enchiladas, and a variety of tacos. All dishes are solid and get the job done.
Since moving to SoCal I’ve come to see that El Cid is good Mexican food for a mountain community. I’ve had better at other establishments but I for sure have had much much worse. El Cid is A-​Ok in my book.

Went out for the evening with friends. They took us to El Cid. I had the two enchilada and beef taco combination. It was pretty good, better than last time.
As always, good service.

Every year when going to Bass Lake we stop here and have dinner.
It isn’t the most amazing Mexican food but it is always good and the service is always good.
I can’t say I’ve ever had anything that really stands out and a must order but I’ve never had anything that I would avoid either.
Its the service that has always made me eager to come back. If its just 2 people or 15 they have always been great!

Been coming to el cid every year during a week stay vacation at bass lake. Food is always great and have never had problem — even if there’s 18 of us.
Free chips and salsa (always a plus)

Pretty sure this is the best on the mountain.
Service was great as I’ll explain, food was delicious at a great price and still enough to take home.
Parking is a little tricky, this place is usually packed. Protip: park under the main floor if you have a trailer or RV.
Coming in, the group and I were greeted warmly and seated within… About a minute.
Service was excellent with Maricela. She was our server and very courteous and prompt. Especially with my grandma who’s almost 90.
The busser, a tall Hispanic man with spiky black hair went above and beyond to make sure our pictures were taken all 4 of us. Really appreciated that!
Any request she was able to fulfill timely like water, chips, and light salsa. Usually they give hot salsa by default. Both were great BTW.
We ordered some drinks and I had the 3 tacos with beans and rice.
The beans were made fresh, not your Rosarita types, the rice was delish, and the pulled beef tacos had great spices and a great tortilla.
For the price you pay, it is very well worth the good food and service.
Will be back…