Los Tres Vaqueros

I had the shrimp quesadilla lunch and wasn’t too happy. The bottom of my flour tortilla was soggy. The table chips were stale and we had to ask for fresh ones. Our waiter seemed hesitant when we mentioned. In my opinion thumbs down for the food, but the restaurant tables and chairs were beautiful, full of bright colors and had the Mexican feel.

So… decided to do something different for New Year’s Eve. Extended family went out to Los Tres Vacqueros (yes, used an online coupon, which is typically an indicator of the quality as they have coupons ALL THE TIME).
As others have mentioned, the owner/​manager is less than pleased to see you when you arrive. Uh oh, should I have turned around at that time? Got there around 5:30p before the crowds started coming in. Waiter was less than pleasant and after we received our food, was uninterested in what we thought, quality, etc., etc., (and the funny part is, they give you a «tip scale» printed at the bottom of the receipt, «to help you»). Realized it was New Year’s Eve, but you’re there, sorry if you don’t want to be there, but not my problem. Food quality/​taste — meh. I’ve had much better (we decided on this place as it was a good meeting point for everyone). My mom had a grilled chicken quesadilla, overcooked and absolutely no taste. I had chicken enchiladas, and while okay, it was missing some flavor. They received 2 stars because the pitcher of peach frozen margarita’s was great!
Will we be back again?
. Make the trek to Las Margarita’s at Six Forks and Sawmill. They have the best chicken enchiladas.

Above average Mexican food at prices consistent with others in the area. The Pollo a la Chipotle is the best I’ve found in the area. The Diablo Bean dip is a good unique spicy appetizer if you like beans. Service is attentive and the staff is friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant.

My husband and I have been looking for a good Mexican restaurant since we moved to Raleigh six months ago. This is now «our» Mexican restaurant. I love the colorful décor. The staff were friendly and attentive, and the vegetarian combos we ordered were delicious. Spicy salsa, too!

Great value. The staff were all very friendly and gave great service. Burritos Mexicanos were filled with tender beef tips with peppers for great flavor and topped with plenty of cheese sauce. Cheesecake Xangos were perfectly crispy, with a tart raspberry sauce. The tartness was a perfect complement to the rich cheesecake filling. Extra credit for having diet Dr Pepper and keeping my glass filled. Glad we found this place, we’ll definitely be back.

Great inexpensive combination plates and lunches. Some of the simple combo dishes are a little boring. Beef doesn’t seem to be seasoned at all. Service is a little slow and not too friendly.

I wish there was an option to leave zero stars. I have never reviewed a restaurant, but we were brought by the city coupon book. The lady at checkout was incredibly rude and said now that they’ve changed their name they won’t honor it! We never would’ve came… horrible.

I’ve written a number of raving reviews of other restaurants, and have always felt that it’s not worth my time or energy to actually write reviews of places I didn’t like. Accentuate the positive and all that. Well, this place changed my mind, and has motivated me to write my first negative review.
What a heap of dung Los Tres Vaqueros is.
From the get-​go, our waiter, who I believe is also the manager, seemed completely depressed that we had walked in. I don’t need «flair» from servers (a la «Office Space»), but at least a smile and a generally positive attitude would be nice. All we got was an almost inaudible grumble of «What do you want…» After bringing the food (including an incorrect side dish, no plate with my fajitas, and never any napkins, we didn’t see the waiter again. The food was not terrible, but was the typical salty Tex Mex that you can get anywhere. My wife eventually left with the kids, who were losing it after 20 – 25 minutes. I stayed to pay the bill. Eventually after I had sorted and stacked all of the dishes for him, the waiter returned. I paid, and I’ll admit it, I left a paltry tip. Like many other people, I waited tables for years, and I have a soft spot in my heart for food service people. I ate at a great restaurant last week (where I also gave a raving Unilocal review) and left a 40% tip. For the first time in years, and probably only my second time ever, I left less than 10% this time, and that was probably too much.
Do yourself a favor and go anywhere other than this.

You know when the manager (owner?) is not happy to see you, and is not in the slightest way is polite to you, from greeting to seating, you’re going to probably have issues.
I ordered the carnitas burrito… That had to be THE WORST burrito I have ever eaten, period, anywhere in the world. I’ve had better Mexican food made by Australians in Perth. Sorry, I’m not trying to be down on them, but I was revolted, and if not for having to consume it because I was with someone, I would have left it there.

Enticed by a coupon, we tried Los Tres Vaqueros tonight. I was in the mood for chips and salsa, while my hubby wanted chimis. The food was okay but the salsa was way too spicy for both of us. Sadly I can’t say either of us was thrilled with the dinners we had. I don’t think we’ll be going back… coupon or not. I was really disappointed that they did not offer combos with a choice of pork or as other Mexican restaurants have «picadillo». Shredded beef or pork was not an option, which unfortunately are my two favorite Mexican meats. On the good side, the prices are good and the menu is expansive. You will find something to eat because they have so many options.

This place is delicious! I’ve never left a review but we stumbled on this restaurant today and loved it. We ordered the sampler platter and really enjoyed it. The portions are good and the food was hot and tasted great. Mexican food-​in a nutshell– is pretty basic but this was good. The margaritas aren’t very strong but I recommend the peach margarita because it tasted great.

I love Los Tres Vaqueros. When I moved to North Raleigh my first mission was to find a good mexican restaurant. This was the first one I tried and I haven’t been to any others since then. I love their salsa (which can be hit or miss at many mexican restaurants) and the staff is super friendly. You can’t beat the prices they have on their specials. They are super fast too, my husband and I are usually in and out within a half hour. Truly a great place for anyone who is craving mexican food!

We come here all the time and don’t even consider any other restaurant when we’re craving Mexican food. The food is absolutely delicious and they make the best margaritas (Seriously, they’re pretty strong, so you definitely get your money’s worth). The waiters are super friendly and you always get your meal quick, even when it’s the middle of the dinner rush (this place gets packed). Camarones al mojo de ajo are amazing, as well as their taquitos.

The restaurant is very lively and colorful. I normally don’t comment on a setting, but as soon as you walk in the door, you can’t help but notice the environment.
I had eaten here before, when it was Los Tres Magueyes (sp?) and hadn’t thought much of it. I revisited it recently and was pleasantly surprised. For a Mexican restaurant, they have a very large menu; there’s a large variety of food to choose from. I, however, felt like going big or going home; I ordered the Burrito Cargo; an 18′ monstrosity that stretches from your fingertip to your forearm.
The food was good! I devoured every bite of my burrito, which was chicken, cheese, rice, beans, and chipotle peppers, covered in 3 salsas to the color of the Mexican flag and a queso. My dining companion got the Camarones Enchpotlado, and as the other reviewer stated, it was delicious. The portions are definitely excellent for their price. The service is also timely and excellent, and the manager is a real stand-​up guy.
I only have 2 real gripes:
1) is that you can find Mexican food of similar portions for a smaller price tag all around Raleigh.
and
2) The salsa is very, very bland; it would benefit greatly from some spicing/​seasoning.
However, if you’re REALLY hungry and don’t mind opening your wallet, you’re in for some delicious food!

Have been to this location many times over the years. It changed names at one point, and got a complete makeover. It is muy colorful and comfortable. They do a very good job with traditional favorites like enchiladas and burritos. But they keep expanding the menu to include interesting variety, such as a dish I had tonight:
Camarones Enchipotlado: Shrimp cooked with onions and grilled chipotle peppers (VERY HOT), refried beans, rice and tortillas. This was a generous portion of good-​size and perfectly cooked shrimp with hot hot chipotles, that I was careful to only take small bites of. The beans and rice were perfect together… they should always be served together, imho. One without the other would just not be right.
Husband chose: Fajita Burrito with Beef: A GIANT tortilla stuffed to bursting with beef, peppers, onions, tomato with rice and refried beans. We’re talking GRANDE. And he managed to eat the whole thing! In this case of Man vs. Food, man sure won!

Salsa and chips were very good as well. Chips not too thick and the salsa was fresh with a bit of kick to it.
Service is kind of communal here, with everyone checking on you… we certainly always feel well taken care of!
TIP: Prices are already reasonable, but coupons are everywhere for this restaurant, including on their own website.