The best authentic Mexican food around with great service and a family vibe!Update: still the best Mexican food around!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chili Colorado, Taco Plate
Angus Fish (angus fish)
Parking: Parking is across the street from the restaurant. Not good for those with mobility issues.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Jim A.
Someone recommended this restaurant when we moved to Sacramento over 25 years ago and we've been going there every chance we get. We love bringing friends and family when they're in town.
Ed F.
This place is a historic restaurant that caters to many Sacramento locals. Generally very consistent with their entrees. probably the worst item in their menu is the chips and salsa that arrived on your table. very mediocre. But let's judge this place for their cuisine. They are very proud their entrees are prepared with lard. Yes, that rendered animal by-product that adds so much flavor. So what did we order: 1) chili verde: large serving of very tender pieces of pork in a flavorful sauce. Just a hint of spiciness. the rice and beans are also very good especially the beans which were probably made with lard. very hearty dish that also comes with flour or corn tortillas-but no longer home made. 2) 3 item combo: 2 homemade pork tamales with tender pork filling wrapped in a very moist flavorful masa. What helps these tamales is the homemade tamale sauce. yum yum yum. The accompanying beef quesadilla is also very flavorful with ground beef and cheese and grilled on a flat top. another tasty item The food here is very good. But i also sense my arteries are clogging after having this meal. Be prepared for taking food home because the portions are large.
Arriana Shaver
Great authentic Mexican food, friendly and very respectful staff. And they have great size portions!!! And margaritas?.
Came here on a Friday at 5:45pm and saw they have new hours and close at 7pm so don't come late or you're not having dinner here. They have an impressive selection of items to choose from most items can be made with your choice of meat but keep in mind carne asada here is going to be extra. You won't leave hungry that's for sure, free chips and salsa when you're seated and they constantly check on you . Can tell the servers here care about their customers and Turkey want to make sure you're taken care of. Everything here is made with lard, they want to keep the flavors real and authentic soo if you're trying to be healthy this night not be the best option. I ordered the make your own combo with choice of 3 items, but 2 would have made me full enough. I got the chimichanga, burrito and quesadilla. Food comes out piping hot and we only waited about 5 minutes from ordering until food arrived. Chimichanga was light and crispy and flaky. They don't fill it with a whole bunch of other ingredients besides the meat and guacamole. Soo if you're trying to get a deep fried burrito like most main stream places, this isn't it, but it's still delicious. The burrito here is not rust you would expect it was almost like a taco just meat and a bit of guacamole, and the quesadillas was basically the same as the burrito but with cheese. Flavors are good you will leave stuffed, just don't expect the food to have all the bells and whistles that you'd expect at a burrito or taco stand. Would come back for sure.
Anna H.
Bomb Mexican food. Edit their Chile Rellenos. Yummy margaritas too. Fun atmosphere. Service is top notch
Pete Moore
Food was delicious with large portions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Leenae F
Food was fantastic 6 years ago. When I went there about 2-3 years ago. The food did not taste the same. Very disappointing. Never will I go there anymore.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Randy C.
I have been going to this family owned business since the 70's.... It's well worth the wait if you don't get there early... my favorite dish is the chile verde. The waiters are fantastic & most have been there for years... the flour tortilla chips are worth the added price. Delicious place.
El Novillero Restaurant was one of the great restaurants arount the area. I wil surely comeback here again soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sabrina C.
Coming from the bay this is THE best Mexican restaurant in Sacramento hands down. Please don't ever leave us!
Joseph Sunderland
Best there is in Sacramento! It has been an all-time favorite since the late 70's.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Monay M.
The food is not appetizing. When I went I asked for salsa and they had none. I got carne asada tacos and got a piece lump of grey meat with no flavor. I highly do not recommend this restaurant.
Gina P.
We have been coming here since the mid 70's. It was always amazing. Since Covid the meals have been lacking. We keep trying thinking it was just an off night but today was the last time. I always get the chicken enchiladas. The chicken was plentiful but flavorless. There was so much sauce, I could not find the enchiladas. The rice had a strange taste and the beans flavorless. My husband got the beef Chicana burritos and the first one he ate was mostly vegetables and 4 small pieces of meat. We will not be back.
The best authentic Mexican food around with great service and a family vibe!Update: still the best Mexican food around!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chili Colorado, Taco Plate
Parking: Parking is across the street from the restaurant. Not good for those with mobility issues.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Someone recommended this restaurant when we moved to Sacramento over 25 years ago and we've been going there every chance we get. We love bringing friends and family when they're in town.
This place is a historic restaurant that caters to many Sacramento locals. Generally very consistent with their entrees. probably the worst item in their menu is the chips and salsa that arrived on your table. very mediocre. But let's judge this place for their cuisine. They are very proud their entrees are prepared with lard. Yes, that rendered animal by-product that adds so much flavor. So what did we order: 1) chili verde: large serving of very tender pieces of pork in a flavorful sauce. Just a hint of spiciness. the rice and beans are also very good especially the beans which were probably made with lard. very hearty dish that also comes with flour or corn tortillas-but no longer home made. 2) 3 item combo: 2 homemade pork tamales with tender pork filling wrapped in a very moist flavorful masa. What helps these tamales is the homemade tamale sauce. yum yum yum. The accompanying beef quesadilla is also very flavorful with ground beef and cheese and grilled on a flat top. another tasty item The food here is very good. But i also sense my arteries are clogging after having this meal. Be prepared for taking food home because the portions are large.
Great authentic Mexican food, friendly and very respectful staff. And they have great size portions!!! And margaritas?.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Taco, Enchiladas Rancheras, Taco Plate
Came here on a Friday at 5:45pm and saw they have new hours and close at 7pm so don't come late or you're not having dinner here. They have an impressive selection of items to choose from most items can be made with your choice of meat but keep in mind carne asada here is going to be extra. You won't leave hungry that's for sure, free chips and salsa when you're seated and they constantly check on you . Can tell the servers here care about their customers and Turkey want to make sure you're taken care of. Everything here is made with lard, they want to keep the flavors real and authentic soo if you're trying to be healthy this night not be the best option. I ordered the make your own combo with choice of 3 items, but 2 would have made me full enough. I got the chimichanga, burrito and quesadilla. Food comes out piping hot and we only waited about 5 minutes from ordering until food arrived. Chimichanga was light and crispy and flaky. They don't fill it with a whole bunch of other ingredients besides the meat and guacamole. Soo if you're trying to get a deep fried burrito like most main stream places, this isn't it, but it's still delicious. The burrito here is not rust you would expect it was almost like a taco just meat and a bit of guacamole, and the quesadillas was basically the same as the burrito but with cheese. Flavors are good you will leave stuffed, just don't expect the food to have all the bells and whistles that you'd expect at a burrito or taco stand. Would come back for sure.
Bomb Mexican food. Edit their Chile Rellenos. Yummy margaritas too. Fun atmosphere. Service is top notch
Food was delicious with large portions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Food was fantastic 6 years ago. When I went there about 2-3 years ago. The food did not taste the same. Very disappointing. Never will I go there anymore.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
I have been going to this family owned business since the 70's.... It's well worth the wait if you don't get there early... my favorite dish is the chile verde. The waiters are fantastic & most have been there for years... the flour tortilla chips are worth the added price. Delicious place.
Restaurantji Recommends
El Novillero Restaurant was one of the great restaurants arount the area. I wil surely comeback here again soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Coming from the bay this is THE best Mexican restaurant in Sacramento hands down. Please don't ever leave us!
Best there is in Sacramento! It has been an all-time favorite since the late 70's.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food is not appetizing. When I went I asked for salsa and they had none. I got carne asada tacos and got a piece lump of grey meat with no flavor. I highly do not recommend this restaurant.
We have been coming here since the mid 70's. It was always amazing. Since Covid the meals have been lacking. We keep trying thinking it was just an off night but today was the last time. I always get the chicken enchiladas. The chicken was plentiful but flavorless. There was so much sauce, I could not find the enchiladas. The rice had a strange taste and the beans flavorless. My husband got the beef Chicana burritos and the first one he ate was mostly vegetables and 4 small pieces of meat. We will not be back.