El Oso Mexican Grill

El Oso is the place to go if you’re wanting delicious authentic Mexican food. The atmosphere is inviting and there’s a patio that is available day and night. Every time I come here, the service is fantastic, prompt, friendly and accurate. During dinner hours there can sometimes be a hefty wait, but if you’re up to wait or can catch it at the right time so you don’t have to wait, then it will be worth it. They give you chips and salsa like most Mexican restaurants but here there’s a worker that goes around with a small pitcher and refills your salsa bowl when they get low if you want more salsa. Definitely a gem in downtown Columbia.

This was our first time and great experience. Food was large portions and quick to table. At time it was probably 75% capacity and 3 waiters, which helped the service a lot. We came here to get a Social Club in Columbia, Mo up and running.

We stopped in for lunch and were instantly greeted and seated. They weren't very busy when we arrived, but customers began to arrive soon after. On the inside, this eatery is quite small. They do, however, have patio seats. As is customary in Mexican restaurants, complimentary chips and salsa were served. The service is quick. The cuisine was adequate but not very memorable.

Excellent choice of Mexican food, authentic flavor, the lunch special is good and a good portion, you can't miss ordering the choriqueso, it's sensational, our waiter Andrés was very professional.

Best Mexican food and iced tea in COMO!!!! Fresh, flavorful, and delicious!!! 😋

I have been to El Oso countless times. The food is always fresh and hot. They always quickly get you quickly seated and ask what you’d like to drink without hesitation. Their queso is the best out of the entirety of Columbia (in my opinion). They are generous with the meat serving sizes as well giving you a good “bang for your buck”! The waiters and waitresses constantly come check up on you and your table, refill drinks, replace chip baskets, and make sure your food is done right. I’ve never had a single issue with El Oso. I trust them with my food, and you should too!

One of the best Mexican food in town. Food was tasty and the portions were big and adequate. Good service and atmosphere. Tortilla chips and salsa were very good.

Excellent food and service! Friendly and attentive staff. They have hands down the best salsa in town. It is so fresh and tasty.

Stopped in for lunch with co-workers. We got there when they opened. The server was quick, friendly and welcoming. The restaurant looked pretty average but it was clean. I ordered a steak chimichanga dinner. I was very happy. The steak had some great flavor. The outside was nice and crispy with a great white cheese sauce. My coworkers were both happy one had tacos the other a burrito the size of my arm. Thanks everyone at El Oso for a great lunch.

I write very few negative reviews; however outside of decent service, El Oso was a real disappointment. The salsa was so so; no heat/tang/little flavor. The tamale was all masa, the red sauce simply red, and the beans tasteless. The worst though were the sopapias that we got to go.... Unlike the puffy dough that they should be, these were flat, very VERY tough, and tasted rancid! No bueno.

The service is always very kind. Very prompt delicious Margaritas on the rocks. The thing that I love is hot homemade FRESH chips!!!!! Yeplll

We had the tacos de birria. They were good! Tamale was OK. The margaritas were delicious! Service was attentive and refills were timely.

YUM!!! YUM!!! YUM!!! We have Food Truck Wednesdays at our place of work, American Outdoor Brands in Columbia. Their takeout menu has a variety of options and the portions are plentiful. Food is fresh and delicious. Quick and efficient service! Clean truck with attached seats on truck. Thank you @AOB for providing this option and thank you El Oso for making it a reality.

Great food and quite a lot of it as well! I was filled and very happy! Their salsa is one of my personal favorites and their chips have a ton of flavor. The service was decent but sometimes it took a little bit for the check but that doesn't bother me, it's part of what contributes to the relaxed vibes. The ambiance is also very inviting and the large bear in the doorway is very amusing

Food is fantastic!!! I had Carnitas and my wife had chicken chimichanga's. We both loved our meals. Chips and salsa was good as well. Service was superb! Only downfall was the Margs seemed weak.

Best chips and salsa around! The service was great! Fajitas were super fresh and sizzling hot! Margaritas were a little in the pricey side, but were very tasty!

One of the best mexican places in town. The oso especial is always delicious and their meats are always flavorful. Their patio is pretty big and has a great vibe. Their margaritas are really economically priced and you get a good size and they are also all delicious. Service is always quick - we've never waited more than 20 minutes for our food! Will always be back!

Best tongue tacos in the Columbia area with excellent service by the staff. Anytime I'm looking for street tacos, this is the place!

Saw a few reviews on Yelp and decided to try this place. The reviews said the margaritas were good so we each ordered one. They were so watery they didn't even have any flavor, much less tequila to them. The El Oso burrito was pretty good, would have been better if it was hot. The fajitas were just OK, beef was tough. The salsa was good though, the salad was decent and the outdoor seating area was nice.

Absolutely loved the tacos, they are genuinely the best I've had in COMO, service was amazing!

Ordered a strawberry daiquiri and when I received it, I noticed something in the glass. I dug it out with my straw and to my utter disgust, it was a FINGERNAIL Completely lost my appetite, and on top of this, the service was horrible. The waiter was snippy and not nice. Will not be coming back. This is disgusting.

Pretty good Mexican restaurant in Columbia. It gets crowded here on the weekends, mostly college students. The food has been consistent, tex-mex type food. The street tacos are my favorite, go-to, pretty authentic. The service has been good overall. The margaritas are basic, not bad. - Mexican street tacos (4/5): solid street tacos, good portion size and good price. Meat is cooked and seasoned well - Chicken, cheese, and rice (3/5): basic, nothing special. My fiancé liked the dish but would probably not order again Overall, would come back for the tacos.

Sorry I forgot to take pictures. First off, we were starving , so dug in right away. We happened to walk in off the street as the place we picked had an hour long wait, and so we walked looking for something else and it was pouring, and this place seated us right away. Seems to be filled with college kids! The chips are homemade! They were served warm! Very exciting as I don't think I ever had warm chips before! And the food was standard Mexican fare, and they had a separate vegetarian section, but the people are so friendly and wonderful! I definitely would recommend this place! The other tables around us were raving about how great their food was! So I guess the meat is phenomenal!

The food was good, but servings were very small. Service was amazing even though he struggled with English a little. I'm not a huge fan of the decor though.

Food is great. Had the Enchiladas Suprema. Delicious. Margaritas are good too. There's a reason it's sometimes hard to get a table there. Pulled one star because carry out orders are a crap shoot and can take forever!

Never disappoints. Their tacos Al pastor are always incredible. Their agua de horchata is so authentic it reminds me of my childhood! 10/10 would recommend for anyone who wants to try some authentic Mexican food.

Pretty solid Mexican food out in COMO. On a Sunday afternoon in early March we thought a visit to the food from south of the border would wrap up our True/False weekend. Our friends shared that the owners had started out as a food truck and now have their own place (but apparently they still do truck / catered events). The chips are a home made and great way to start. Plenty of original salsa accompanies those fresh chips. And if you run out, just let them know and you'll be refreshed. The gold Margaritas are BIG but maybe a tad too sweet. But hey, Mexican without Margs, no way! For entrees, the Chile Rellenos had a nice balance of cheese to sauce. This was part of the Mexican Lunch Special #2 that also came with a beef taco. The Shrimp and the Chicken Fajitas were plentiful and nicely mixed with veggies and sides with a plate of rice, refried beans and some guacamole and shredded lettuce. While nice the sides were pretty basic. The Tacos Mexicanos were the tastiest of the lot, with a Taquito and side taco Of note, the house made hit sauce is a MUST TRY. It's got zing, but not fiery, so you wont want to miss it. Service was outstanding, we were never w/o water or anything else. Very nice staff. And definitely affordable with great lunch prices.

Came here for dinner with my sister. The staff was friendly. The food and drink selections were good. It was reasonably priced for the area. The food was overall okay. Not my favorite around.

Here once a week minimum, the staff is so nice and food is consistently really good! We've sat inside & outside and have had multiple different servers, everyone is so nice!

Very much traditional Tex-Mex. The chips are fresh and the salsa is good too. The tacos are ok, what you would expect at a place like this. The California burrito was covered in cheese and was tasty. The mango marg was good as well (bonus points for having pebble ice). The sopapillas were pretty good. Service was quick even though it was quite busy.

I can't say enough good things about El Oso! Every experience I've had has been a great one! Still have yet to dine in but my take out orders, whether I've called the order in or ordered through Grub Hub has always come out as hoped/ordered. The workers really listen and always get my customizations (due to food allergies) right. Much appreciated and is part of why I order from here so often! Plus, the food is so authentic and fresh! Every time! Very impressed. I love the chicken enchiladas and my husband and I also usually get the queso dip too. So good. Can't wait to dine in sometime!

New favorite Mexican place in Columbia! Went twice in a week and both times the birria tacos were the best I've had yet! They will add cheese to them if you ask for a small up charge which makes them the most perfect bite ever. The beans are served in a broth with meat, onion and cilantro. Sauces served on the side are great to add some extra flavor and/or spice. Chips and salsa are perfectly fresh and flavorful. Good service and atmosphere all around. Bonus: ice is pebble ice!

Had a class in Columbia and found El Oso was near so o decided to check it out. Granted, I only did fajitas but over two weeks I had them four times and they never missed. Both the shrimp and chicken were excellent and I would highly recommend them. Fast and excellent service along with bottomless chips and salsas. I highly recommend El Oso to fajita connoisseurs!

Stopped in for an early dinner. What a wonderful find. The food s outstanding! Very fresh, great taste and value. The staff are very knowledgeable about the menu and friendly. We are looking forward to a return trip.

I consider myself a regular at this location. This restaurant is great for anytime of the day. Like most restaurants, there are days and times that are busy, But it's still worth the wait. I recommend the carnitas, Mexican style tacos (your choice), steak quesadilla fajitas, steak torta, all the margaritas flavors are great. There is indoor and outdoor seating available. The customer service is great especially from Lisa.

We love their tacos, burritos and everything they make. The margaritas are huge and yummy.

Super limited vegan options. No real effort to make accommodations either which is kind of bummer. We stopped in during T/F , place was really clean and the staff was nice.

Small, noisy restaurant with mediocre Hispanic food. One server was taxed serving a large group. Wasn't this originally a food truck? It should have stayed that way. Location downtown by the university is its best trait.

Great, fresh food!! We got a huge burrito, fajitas, and multiple items from the kids menu. Great service! A great choice for Mexican food!

I'm writing this review throughout my meal. First of all... great vibe. Lots of college kids drinking and being carefree. It's a beautiful day, and. Ice to see no one is mask obsessed. The server has been great. Got me a table outside and put up an umbrella for the sun. Chips and salsa showed up while waiting for the meal which is nice. However, the chips taste suspiciously like something you would get in a bag at the grocery store and I would bet money that the salsa came out of a jar. Nonetheless, I still have hope for the burrito I ordered. Stay tuned. .... About 10 minutes in. I've eaten most of the grocery store chips and salsa while waiting for my authentic burrito! The only employee I see who is a native to Mexico has the dubious job of taking the unauthentic chips and salsa out to every table when they sit down. I can just tell the guy is laughing on the inside at all the gringos sitting here who can't tell the difference. .... oh! The burrito just showed up! Stay tuned.... ok. Well the burrito ended up being what I hoped it would not be. . I've tried burritos in Columbia Missouri from at least two other Mexican joints and in both they just do a fold over. They don't roll the burrito into a ...well... burrito! Its just a flour tortilla open at both ends that has stuff in the middle and is folded over. It's more like a quesadilla I guess. Maybe this is how authentic Mexican food is made in the part of Mexico closest to Missouri?? Yet many of the burritos say "California burrito " and I can assure you... a California burrito isn't just folded over. nice people. Ok food. Great service. Great atmosphere. In the spirit of supporting local biz I'll give them a 4 star. I was hoping for something more authentic.

best restaurant ever. good food good drinks good service. GIVE ARTORO A RAISE RIGHT NOW!!!!What a nice man. please go here it is the best there is in this dreadful city.

Traditional Mexican in every way. Server was training and did a great job! Drinks stayed full and that is something that always pleases this bunch. Granddaughters especially loved their choices of shrimp chimichanga and cheese quesadillas. Large group made for a very loud setting but that's nothing against y'all. Your salsa is top notch!

Pretty good food. Service was just Ok. It wasn't really great Mexican food, but solid. I'd go back, but I wouldn't drive to go back.

Tacos de lengua are good. Salsa is good. Yes, they serve alcohol. We had a party of 9 and the food arrived quickly. Decent dining for a Midwest Mexican restaurant.

I did not have a good experience here. The food was bland. The server brought my kid liquidly grey beans after we specifically asked for the beans to be left off. The margarita was weak and watery. The sauce on the enchilladas I ordered tasted canned. Very little flavor in anything for a Mexican restaurant. The chicken itself was fine, but all the other components were mediocre for the price. I won't be returning.

Heard this restaurant recently opened and had lunch here today. Had the lunch fajitas (combination of chicken and steak). Comes with rice, beans sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and pico. I left off the sour cream and guacamole. Plenty to eat. Great margaritas. Their entrance is actually on Sixth Street, not Broadway. Not a fancy upscale place but I enjoyed what I had for lunch, and will be back next time I'm back in town.

I can't believe this is my first time writing a review on el oso. I've been coming since the day they opened and have been back at least twice a week since. Absolutely LOVE THIS PLACE! Best Mexican in Columbia by a land slide. The hospitality is unbeatable and you can feel the family love when you walk in the door. Quick and delish. Amazingly affordable prices. Steak quesadilla is my favorite and can never go wrong with the tacos!! Wish I could give it 10 stars

Excellent food. Service was fine. Music was WAY too loud and bathroom was grungy and pretty worn out. Landscaping needed attention.

Delicious food and delicious margaritas!

These people do a great job. We always get the fajitas. Delicious. BUT. What has happened to the salsa??? Absolutely bland and flavorless . Please go back to salsa with a little kick to it!

Worst customer service and worst "Mexican" food I have ever had. Bland mush with no seasoning and store bought chips. Idk why their rating is so high, Missouri?... Absolute terrible experience. My company even voiced how terrible it was, how embarrassing. Also, the manager hung up on me after agreeing to refund and then didn't refund my $50! When I called back the next day he just argued with me and denied hanging up me. Reporting to BBB as well.

I've only ever had one thing and I may never have any other thing here. The molcajate is just awesome. Served in a super hot giant bowl with meats and sauce and onions and cactus and I forget. It's just delicious. Enough food for two or leftovers $16.99

arturo is my favorite server. he deserves a raise. drinks and food always amazing. the customer service here is top notch would recommend to my family and friends.

This place is the best mexican food in Columbia. The quality of food destroys the other competitors in town. Margaritas are stronger all while having lower prices. The patio is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy the fresh air.

After the Covid closure this was my first choice for for a meal out after the reopening. I hadn't realized how much I missed the food at El Oso. My experience reaffirmed my opinion that this is the best Mexican food in Columbia. The wait staff all wore masks and the refills on iced tea were bought out in a new glass; no pitcher refills as recommended. Every other booth was taped off and the ventilation was turned up to circulate air. I'd planned on eating their patio but it a light rain forced me inside. I'm glad it did. I felt no apprehension sitting indoors and enjoying my meal. Staff was attentive and friendly. There was a constant stream of take out orders going out the door and the dining area had no more than four other tables of diners during our visit. Check it out.

Been going to el oso for 2 and a half years now, best food, drinks, service, and consistency. The outside seating is so peaceful and comfortable. I love the fajita burrito and el oso special. Get a coronaRita if you're feeling like drinkin! Better than any other Mexican food place in town!

amazing food, great service, cute atmosphere. some of the best Mexican food we've ever had. will definitely come back next time we are in town.