- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
El Cid
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
41 reviews for El Cid
Review Highlights
"...to eat on our way home from Yosemite and I have never been..."
(in 14 reviews)
"Chips and salsa were always kept overflowing."
(in 8 reviews)
"fast service, nice staff."
(in 4 reviews)
Loading...
41 reviews in English
-
Review from Christina S.
Costa Mesa, CA
11/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
One would assume less of El Cid if driving through Oakhurst. Also, don't get it confused with the El Cid in Silver Lake. There is no affiliation. I thought El Cid would be "Americanized" and tasteless. The BF has been wanting to bring me here since our last visit up to Yosemite and until recently our trip for the holidays brought us here with his family for dinner tonight. OK, I am a SNOB when it comes to Mexican food. I was raised with legit stuff so I am not a fan of going out for Mexican food unless I know for a fact that it is authentic. I was pretty impressed with what I ordered. The menu was expansive with typical Mexican entrees and the prices are super reasonable. The chips were a tad salty but were still good. The added chili powder to them was great and they arrived nice and warm CONSTANTLY. They are great about refilling the chip basket without you asking. The salsa was OK.
I ordered the Camarones Veracruz. SUPER DELISH. The beans were homemade. I could taste it! Super excited on that and the rice mehhh not impressed. Someone has a heavy hand back in the kitchen when it came to adding the salt to the rice.
The service here was amazing and this place was non stop. People were constantly coming in. The bf ordered a combination plate chicken tacos and an enchilada. The albondigas soup here is also delis and worth trying.
If you want booze they have a FULL BAR here. We had jack and coke but apparently they have good margaritas if that's your thing here. -
Review from kimberly v.
Berkeley, CA
12/4/2011
Being in Berkeley is a blessing and a curse. Not only a foodie mecca, it's a gourmet's (and gourmand's) oasis. We go a few miles in any direction, and it seems like there's "nothing to eat". So when I got to visit friends in the hinterlands, I'm always a little nervous.
El Cid was just fine. Not only did they have the usual expected items on a large Tex-Mex style menu, they stretched a bit and offered lengua in addition to the usual beef, pork & chicken alternatives. Nice chips with a bit of spiciness to them, and my local friend knew to ask for the hotter salsa - he also prefers flour chips, which they made special for him, bringing them to the table piping hot.
Good guacamole, bottomless iced tea, and everyone left happy.
While I wouldn't necessarily drive the nearly 4 hours to get there, I'm happy it's waiting for my next visit. -
Review from Helene O.
San Francisco, CA
10/29/2011
A true gem! This place is nothing fancy, but it serves reliably comforting Mexican dishes that are closer to authentic than Tex-Mex. It's the type of place you might go for Menudo on a Sunday morning, but where you could also find something a little more familiar for your less adventurous friend (say, a taco + enchilada combo).
All of the food seems to be prepared with the kind of care you might expect a grandmother to put into her best Sunday dinner. And yet, it's practically priced as though you shopped and cooked it yourself!
Friendly staff, good service, tasty food and all at the right price. -
Review from Judy K.
Loomis, CA
12/5/2011
We were told to go here by locals who said it was real Mexican and lots of food for the money. We were not happy. Enchilada was a tortilla full of chicken with small amount of sauce and cheese on top. Relleno had little cheese. Neither had flavor. We ordered a side of guacamole which did not taste good at all - little flavor - added salsa and salt trying to improve - still no good. Service was too quick as our food came on top of our soup and salad - the soup was good - albondigas.
We will not return -
Review from Dusty S.
Pleasanton, CA
12/26/2011
I have been going to this place for many years since I visit family in the area regularly. The place always has people - not matter what time/day. The atmosphere is lively. All ther service folks are friendly and do an awesome job. There is a wide range of food - everything I had is tasty. They have a full bar, but not a bar to sit at. The Margarita's are excellent - try the strawberry with an extra shot!
-
Review from Jack N.
Turlock, CA
10/10/2011
Stopped in here for dinner while working in the area. The place was hopping but we got seated right away and were quickly supplied with chips and salsa. The first thing we all noticed was how fast they were bussing tables. There were new patrons in the booth before the seats got cold.
The menu is HUGE but possibly to a fault. They have about a dozen combo plates for different ways to combine 4 items rather than just a list to pick from. My enchiladas were just OK and my friend's carnitas were the strangest I have ever seen. Usually they are shredded and in a sauce, but he just got big chunks of dry pork.
The margaritas were decent and the staff was amazing, but I still can't get over those carnitas! The food was plentiful and the price was right but I would look elsewhere next time. Life is too short for bad Mexican food. -
Review from Big D.
Merced, CA
11/24/2011
Have stopped by here a few times while in the area. The place is older, and at first look you wouldn't think it would be very good. However, we tried it because we noticed that the parking lot is always packed. The food is good but not great. Chips are good. Service has been very good each time we have visited.
-
Review from Adriana B.
Coronado, CA
4/4/2011
This place was absolutely terrible! My family and I took a road trip to Yosemite over the weekend and stayed in Oakhurst. The hotel we were staying in recommended El Cid for good Mexican food so we went there. The moment you walk in, you're greeted with a strong odor of cumin - an ingredient that is NOT used in authentic Mexican food...ever! The chips and salsa were terrible. Our entrees were terrible. The rice tasted more like Indian rice than Mexican rice because you could taste curry of some sort. Plus, it was yellow, not red or white like Mexican rice usually is. The service was slow. The prices were outrageously high.
NOTHING about this place is authentic. Not one thing. Anyone who thinks otherwise clearly has not been fortunate enough to have tasted real Mexican food. To El Cid, I say, close up shop and leave the Mexican cooking to Mexico, or in the alternative, leave it at least to SoCali where you can find 100% authentic Mexican cuisine. -
Review from Taylor D.
Newport Beach, CA
6/29/2011
This is probably your best bet for a decent dinner in Oakhurst. Assuming most people in town are tourists who spent the day traipsing through Yosemite, you enjoy anything that decent regardless of its "authenticity." I went twice while staying in Oakhurst. It was good enough the first time for me to return. It's much better than the other options in town.
The chips and salsa were probably the best part. The chips always came out hot and fresh. They sprinkle them with cayenne pepper and maybe something else--an interesting additional. The portions are fairly large so bring an appetite.
The service was very good. Everyone was polite and quick to respond to requests. The decor is sort of divey, but who cares. It made me feel less uncomfortable showing up in my hiking shoes and dirty clothes. -
Review from Kimberly P.
Orange County, CA
11/18/2010
Do not pass go do not collect 200 pesos. This place is not worth it.
I was really surprised this placed wasn't better. Upon entering it looked to be run and patronized by paisas. Imagine my surprise when the best thing on my plate was the serving of beans that most likely came from a can.
We ordered the chile verde and enchiladas suizas. The chile verde was pretty dry and flavorless and my enchiladas were a soggy mess.
The two stars are for the waitstaff. Our waitress was super nice, but personality does not make up for bad food. -
Review from Charley C.
Atascadero, CA
7/17/2011
A solid three star restaurant. Average mexican food, a little slow on the service side, but always faster than a drive to the next town. Salsa is very mild, and could use some kick. But most of all thanks for being in this empty stretch.
-
Review from Sheri M.
Danville, CA
4/11/2011
Maybe we hit it on a good day - but this place delivered on the standard Mexican fare. Coming from the Bay Area, we've definitely got quite few experiences to compare. The salsa for the chips/salsa has to be one of my favorites.
Our group tried various tostadas, enchiladas and the El Cid burrito. For the price - the food was on par.
Prices were reasonable, the staff was friendly, quick, drinks never appeared to be empty. I'd recommend it to a friend. -
Review from James P.
Updated - 4/23/2011
We just found ourselves in Oakhurst again and decided to take part in the local tradition that is known as El Cid. This is still gringo Mexican food and the El Cid burrito that I had was a pretty tasty fajita burrito. The reason why I am giving them another star this time, is due to the service. It was actually kind of scary how quickly we got our food. The food tasted fine but it seemed like it arrived in 5 minutes. Kind of makes you wonder how much of your meal is "fresh"? Besides that question mark in my mind the service was great. Anytime my water class went down a bit, it seemed to be getting refilled. Chips and salsa were always kept overflowing. Our waitress even checked in on us three times. The food is still pretty good but the service truly is top tier.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/3/2008
I have been to El Cid numerous times. It is decent Mexican Food with rather average service all in… Read more »
-
-
Review from William D.
Orcutt, CA
8/7/2011
Food was good, salsa was very fresh. I'm a little spoiled on the authentic mexican food because I live near little Tijuana but the food was still good, The helpings were on the large size and the staff was friendly and always kept my water glass full.
A good value with no complaints. -
Review from Dave H.
Phoenix, AZ
6/10/2011
If anyone doesn't like the salsa and chips here, then do not read the rest of the review because they do not know what they are talking about. There are picante sauces in some restaurants and salsa in others with some thickness but El Cid's is more of a pico de gallo with sauce and it is excellent and enough of a reason to go there. My favorite dish is the chili colorado and the shredded beef tacos/enchiladas. The wait staff is excellent and very attentive with more chips and salsa and drinks without having to ask. The prices are pretty cheap especially for lunch and the manager, Tony, is a great guy and comes around to see how everything is going. Certainly would recommend to anyone coming to the mountain area.
-
Review from Aaron M.
Fresno, CA
10/27/2011
So good! Been coming here for over 15 years and I think it's the best Mexican food in the area, and is better than most in Fresno. It's a family run business with very low turnover with the wait staff and so you always get great service. Not a super fancy atmosphere but it's nice, especially on the enclosed patio. The place has been recently updated/renovated so it's even better than the old days.
-
Review from Rachel G.
San Francisco, CA
11/20/2009
My grandma loves this place. It is wheelchair/handicapped accessible which we need with her.
For Mexican food out in the mountians it is pretty good. The portions are very large and everything I have ordered has been tasty. The burritos are HUGE! They also give you chips and salsa which is pretty much a must for me for Mexican.
The only problem with this place is that it is pretty out there. You feel like you're almost in Yosemite, and you are on your way. everytime we drive here from Mariposa I freak out and think I've passed it...
All in all, if you're looking for Mexican out here or had a long day of hiking, this is a good spot to go! -
Review from Erin B.
San Jose, CA
5/10/2011
We always stop here to eat on our way home from Yosemite and I have never been disappointed. This time I ordered the shredded beef tacos and they were wonderful. Hubby had the carne asada and loved it as well. We had a very attentive server named Debbie and we will definately go to El Cid again the next time we are in that area.
-
Review from becca j.
San Francisco, CA
7/16/2007
Warning: My review of this restaurant might be biased for the following reasons:
A) For a day and a half I primarily ate cold pasta (and beer)
B) I hiked 12+ miles within 24 hours of discovering this place
C) Lots of elevation changes over a two day period
5 stars for the following:
1 star for rediculously good guacamole (holy mole)
1 star for quick service and instantaneous chip and salsa refills
1 star for outdoor patio with beautiful view
1 star for peppermint patties on the way out for 10c a pop
1 star for needing stretcher on the way out for over-doing it on chips and guac.
El Cid rocks. -
Review from Sherry E.
Irvine, CA
5/27/2011
I have been going to El Cid for over 10 years. The food used to be delicious but something changed. Now the food seems bland and tasteless. The service is exceptional and the margaritas are very good. Hopefully they will go back to their old way of preparing the food and I'll be a regular customer again.
-
Review from Garet H.
Lathrop, CA
9/6/2010
Every time i visit oakhurst we always go to eat at El Cid. The food is awesome there. Very authentic mexican style resteraunt. The carne asada tacos there are probably the best i've had. Truly great service. I recommend this place if your visiting the oakhurst area.
1 star for the great salsa
1 star for the ridiculous fast service.
1 star for keeping the drinks refilled.
and 1 stars for the awesome food. -
Review from Leanne W.
Wentzville, MO
10/2/2011
We stopped in after a long day at yosemite. The chips were good, everything else, not so great. We ordered cheese dip and it was totally flavorless. It's like sour cream was added to the cheese, no flavor at all and double the price of what we pay at home. We got large portions of food, but very bland. And the salsa was all cilantro! We would not go back here. Our waitress was super friendly, that was the only positive.
-
Review from Johnny S.
Los Angeles, CA
3/2/2011
Nothing special. really nothing especial about this place. Try somewhere else. Service is horrible as well.
-
Review from M M.
San Francisco, CA
3/28/2008
I was actually quite disappointed with the food here. I didn't find the food to be very tasty at all. I think they need more seasoning. I had an enchilada & my boyfriend had a chimichanga.
It definitely is packed there & always cars in the parking lot. I think the attraction is that it's one of the first noticeable restaurants as you are driving back from a day in Yosemite. I hope to find a better Mexican Restaurant in Oakhurst, when I go back later in the Spring/Summer. It can be very loud in there when the place is packed. Tables are pretty close together. -
Review from beck l.
Fremont, CA
1/8/2011
The food and prices here are adequate. The service was great! I would come here again. Namely, there are just not a lot of choices in a small town and this place is edible.
-
Review from Carrie B.
San Clemente, CA
12/14/2010
Fast service, good size portions, kept water filled up and full bar.
-
Review from Tom L.
Fresno, CA
6/21/2011
my friends and i were coming back from Yosemite and were hungry and El Cid happen to be near by. we noticed a lot of cars parked in the front so we figured this place might be good. as we were talking in, i checked the reviews on yelp and it was 3 stars out of 5. ehh... so i assumed this cant be that bad. the food was ok. just OK. they had this soup that came with the all the entrees' was pretty good but besides that, nothing special. fast service, nice staff.
-
Review from Benny E.
Oxnard, CA
11/1/2008
Margies!!!!! A great find esp. when you are not a local. We were hanging at bass lake getting the lay of the land, when we spent a whole day on the boat, nothing sounded better than greasy Mexican food and ice cold MARGIES! Its not the best food, but it sure hits the spot when your in vacation mode. The chips are great, and salsa fresco is yummy. I had the shrimp diablo due to an overload of beef the past few days, and it was great, much caliente! Of course I washed it down with a ....MARGIE!!!!!
-
Review from Meghan S.
3/23/2010
El Cid was just OK. After spending all day hiking I was hungry. El Cid provided generic non-exceptional mexican food covered in cheese. Some days generic mexican food is OK. I probably wouldn't recommend this place to friends, but it was slightly better value that the hotel restaurant that charged crazy prices for standard bar food. And the view was pretty. And the portions were huge. After hiking 8 miles, I ordered one of the "smaller" combos, and could only eat 1/2.
-
Review from ROSS H.
San Francisco, CA
1/1/2010
We hit El Cid on our way into Yosemite for a fun day of sleighing and hiking on New Year's day. As mexican food goes, this place teases and tantalizes with all the greatest hits: home made tortilla chips (Si), Authentic home made ingredients (Si), killer tortilla soup (Si), Margi's a plenty (Si). What can I say, if you like traditional mexican fare at a reasonable price, and you are just sick an tired of all the stale food that can be found all over this otherwise nondescript town, check your sombrero at El Cid, get a shot of tequila, a bottle of modero especial, and a combo plate. Between the local yocals and the yosemite bound tourists from all parts, the people watching is always good.
-
Review from Delaine Z.
Fresno, CA
7/21/2007
El Cid is as old as the hills. This is a nice place, right beside the road, going or coming from Yosemite, to stop and rest your weary self. Well, better if you're going because getting back out on Hwy 41 can be tricky. Food is ok, drinks are ok, service is good, and the patio overlooks a ravine. It's Oakhurst.
-
Review from David B.
San Jose, CA
8/19/2008
3 starts for the following.
1. great quac and salsa
2. they treat you very very well there.
3. Food has been great in the past.
No with some of these things, i would normally rate higher, but 2 years back I had a burritto and my son had one also, both different in the fact that the only shared item between the both was chicken.
2 hours later he is not feeling well and I was sick.. My wife had steak there that night and was doing great.. Ill go again, its my friends and his familys fav place to go... They are locals and im not.
D -
Review from Lisa B.
San Francisco, CA
5/25/2009
Maybe I'm a little biased because I live in the Mission District in San Francisco. But, I'm sorry - processed cheese slices on what was supposed to be Enchiladas Suizas!!!. Also, my husband had to ask for salsa verde (I guess they normally serve them with red sauce?) and sour cream. Whaaaaat! Totally wrong! My soft chicken taco was okay, but had too much cabbage on it. One plus - the guacamole. Yum-a-roo! If you must have a Mexican food fix when you're visiting Yosemite, you should probably stick with the basics like tacos and burritos. And make sure you get a side of guac.
-
Review from Brian H.
Pleasanton, CA
8/14/2009
Good Mexican for a small town. The chips are sprinkled with cayenne before they're cooked, so have a extra bit of kick to them. The salsa was fresh and had a bite too.
The servings were generous. I had the chile colorado, which had a decent sauce. Corn tortillas could have been fresher. Wife really loved the sauce on the enchiladas verde. Daughter had "enchi-burrito," wasn't crazy about it. Other daughter had bean and cheese burrito, said it was OK. Ignore the heaps of rice & refried beans that come with your order, unless you're really hungry. -
Review from Nate S.
Quincy, MA
2/6/2010
The food wasn't much to speak of. Actually, they brought it out a bit too fast. I had enchiladas and I'm used to them being so hot I burn my mouth on the cheese, but that wasn't the case here. There was a fairly large bar that had a wide variety of alcohol that might be worth checking out.
-
Review from Brenda H.
Oakhurst, CA
12/26/2010
Ate there for 2 years before it hit me that everything on the menu taste the same. When you have to add salt and hot sauce to everything you eat there, you aren't getting good Mexican food. If you want fast service, you will get it here and the waiters are very friendly. To bad the food isn't that good. There are better Mexican restaurants in Oakhurst like Casa Valarta. I don't go there anymore.
-
Review from Evalina T.
North Hills, CA
9/1/2008 6 photos
Good restaurant during the way back from Yosemite to Fresno, CA. Beef Fajitas is very yummy. My husband love Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Shirmp dish) but I'm not a fan. Avoid tostadas. I think tostadas in Salsa&Beer is far more better than this restuarant. We ordered 3 dishes, it costs us about $41, after tip is $48
-
Review from nora s.
Madison Heights, MI
5/24/2010
After a long wonderful day at Yosemite we decided to visit El Cid on our way back to our motel. So glad we did. The food was very good, with a number of choices. Very pleasant waitstaff as well. We felt we received good value for our money and would definitely eat here again the next time we're in Oakhurst.
-
Review from Denee N.
Antioch, CA
9/4/2007
El Cid is an older Mexican restaurant located just off Highway 41. The building is in need of repair and the food is really nothing special. We were seated in their indoor covered patio and were quite amused while watching the hummingbirds fighting over a feeder hanging outside of the window. Both the food and service were okay but I wouldn't go back. While I was waiting in the car for my husband to pay some a couple members of the restaurant staff came outside and cut a plant from their garden box with a huge knife and took it into the kitchen door. I thought that was quite strange...I guess they like to use fresh vegetation.
-
Review from Ana V.
Mountain View, CA
7/6/2009
It was great to receive such a nice welcome and service. The atmosphere was great, the place looked good, the waitress was fantastic and the food pretty good.
We had the crispy tacos (they tasted really Mexican - $11.50) and the Carnitas (the pork was very well cooked - 14.50). Both served with rice and beans, the carnitas also with tortillas and guacamole. Overall great.
We all loved the complimentary chips and salsa, which they brought constantly. Oh! The side salad was quite large and had great taste (good quality lettuce) and the soup of the day, with meatballs inside was awesome. Nothing was really spicy, which worked out great because some of the people in our group did not like spicy food... you can always add spicy sauces to it.
It is not cheap for a Mexican restaurant, but that is in accordance with the pricing in the area (all is expensive).
Most importantly, it was the one of the few places that was open after 10pm on the 4th of July. The bathrooms were really clean and modern (another plus).
Coming back from Yosemite takes a long time and we never managed to arrive before 9pm, so it is great to know that one can stop by at El Cid to get some warm decent food from nice people. We were all really pleased with it and would recommend it to anyone.
