El Vago Mexican Kitchen

Have come here for lunch several times and have had a great experience every time. First thing you notice when you get in is the fragrance of tortilla chips and salsa. I personally love the fajitas and tacos. Especially the El Govi! Tacos. The Cucumber lemonade and the Horchata is also fantastic. Combined with the upbeat music playing in the background and super kind wait staff, I would definitely recommend this place if you're looking to grab Mexican food.

El Vago was so much fun, and definitely a welcome change from your average Mexican restaurant. First of all, I absolutely loved the contemporary artwork that was placed around the restaurant! There were so many pieces of cool Mexican artwork that were glowing neon in the dark, and felt like they belonged in a modern art museum. Second, I loved the overall vibe of El Vago, and it was the perfect place to go on a Friday night. They were playing really upbeat Mexican music, which I had a great time jamming out and listening to. Finally, the service, food, and drinks were excellent as well, and exceeded the quality of similar and nearby Mexican restaurants. I got a vodka lemonade, which was made perfectly, and they also had all of the major Mexican beers such as Modelo, Pacifico, Corona, etc. My tacos and quesadilla were great, and I could obviously tell that they were made and prepared freshly. Overall, El Vago was an excellent dining experience. I can’t wait to come back, and I’d recommend that anybody stop in and experience the vibe! 5/5!

Food, service and atmosphere were all fire! The ONLY gripe I have is that they may need more ventilation! Me and my friend left there smelling like a bag a friend chicken! Literally! We both got home and texted each other at the same time saying we smelled like fried food. The smell didn't get out of my hair for like 2 days. I used dry shampoo for 2 days and the smell finally left. So, I will definitely be returning but only right before my hair wash day😏

I will have to go back to make a better review because the food was so good, I forgot to take a picture! The server was polite and was so good at her job, she didn’t have to write anything down. Our food arrived quickly, but if you come in hungry it’s perfectly ok, they start you off with chips and salsa. I had the chicken quesadilla with the house made guacamole and ordered a side of queso as I’m not a fan of salsa alone. I don’t drink, but every alcoholic beverage they brought out looked delicious. I went as soon as they opened, so it wasn’t very busy. Parking was the most difficult part. There are a few parking spots designated to the business in a parking structure, but if you’ve never visited the restaurant, you wouldn’t know where to find it. Luckily, I asked someone who knew where to find it.

This place is a whole vibe with AMAZING food and drinks! A phenomenal experience starting with entering the clean establishment, initial bite of delicious food, sip of beverages made with finesse, overall ambiance, and ending with a wonderful memory! Recommend without reservation. An absolute must in downtown Columbia!

The waiter was very pleasant. A little thing I like to do is to test the waiters energy and customer service, has definitely make me want to come back again. I enjoy the vibes at El vago. When you come ask for Evylen

The food here is absolutely delicious! Every dish we tried was bursting with flavor! Highly recommend the birria quesadilla and camarones a la diabla. The birria fries was also a hit, along the delicious drinks. We had the Tulum and a margarita flight. Our server, Evelyn, went above and beyond, accommodating every request with a smile. She ensured we had everything we needed and made the evening special. The ambiance here is simply stunning. The walls are adorned with beautiful art, and the lighting is perfect for photos. Definitely a feast for the eyes!”

First thought-- LOUD! I admit I'm sensitive to too much noise but this was next level. Extremely loud guests, acoustics probably enhance noise. Plus I had to cover my ears during two separate birthday celebrations-- they used the loudest maracas I've ever heard. I physically jumped. Then add all the stobe and flashing lights, it was overwhelming. Miserable for trying to relax and have dinner. For some this could be a fun night out. I do enjoy a lively place but this was way over the top for me just wanting to grab a quick meal. And it wasn't quick at all. It was so bad at one point I considered just leaving before placing our order. The whole night our waitress kept disappearing. I'd look around for her and other servers would see me and just walk by rather than ask if we needed anything. I finally had to flag one down and ask for our waitress. There was no 1min-ish checkbook to see if our food was okay and I'd never gotten gauc. By the time it came my food was cold. I will say the bowl was good (comically served on a plate if anyone cares). The burrito sauce was also amazing, very flavorful. The chips and salsa I didn't care for. I also wasn't a fan of the dark atmosphere, like the day of the dead theme with black lights. Too edgy for me I guess. I wouldn't go back.

Came in for a girlfriends Birthday and we had fun. The drinks were a 10/10. The music was really good too and not too loud where you couldn't talk with the people in your party. When it came to the service it was a little slow due to the fact that it seemed like there were only 2 waiters and when I would ask for something it would take forever to come. The place was full of customers. When it came to the food it was a a toss with in the ground. I had the Birria tacos 7/10 the meat was cold and the consommé was thick and cold. I will definitely come back and try it again. Reason behind the 4 stars was PARKING/ Cold Food

Food was great, legit Mexican food. Service was great, so was ambiance. Had the Tacos Callejeros, highly recommend. Wife had fajitas and they were massive. My son did the tacos and those were great as well.

Came last night for a friends birthday dinner. El Vago Mexican Kitchen has vibrant colors throughout, loud music and friendly staff- the kind of place you want to come on a Friday night to celebrate. Now parking is a nightmare- the parking garage really only has 2-3 spots and after that good luck! But it's downtown so we can't really fault this restaurant. They start you off with chips and salsa- both good and for starters we went with their guac and queso dip which I both really enjoyed. For my drink which I needed after the parking I went with the mango mamcita- it was a good margarita and if I wasn't driving I would have had a few more. Now for my entree I ordered the quesabirria and it was divine- I did order an order of their birria egg rolls to go for later but when the bill came I was never charged and didn't feel like waiting to put in the order either. What I loved here is how special they make you feel on your birthday. Super fun crowd they came out with a flight of shots for the table and launched streamers. Super fun energy. Food was good and service was great I'll be back for sure.

Our ROMEO lunch group went here for the first time today. We had seven of us and I'd heard about this opening up a couple of months ago. Construction is going on in front of the restaurant and parking was very hard to find. The waiter told us that there was parking in a church lot a block over that has been approved for restaurant customers. We ordered our drinks (they didn't have tea, so we ordered 3 beers, lemonade and waters. Two of us ordered the Torta Sandwich (one with pulled pork and one with barbacoa beef), and order for a Enchilada Chorizo, and order for three tacos (one head beef, one tongue and one chicken), and two chicken enchiladas and a beef bowl. The Tortas were very good, flavorful and very large. The Chorizo Enchilada was said to be the best he's ever had. The chicken enchiladas and bowl were good but nothing spectacular. All in all the food was good and the guys mainly gave ratings of 3.0-5.0 on most of the food. What was lacking was the parking situation and the ambience was not very good in our opinion because of the very lout Mexican Rap type music. I doubt if many of us would go back based on the music and parking situation. Food good, the rest not so good. Rating on just the food averaged 4+, but with the other things considered I'd have to give it a 3.0

This is a very vibrant Mexican restaurant. It is right off the University of South Carolina campus, so that means parking is limited. I suggest, especially while there is construction around the area, to just park in the adjacent parking garage.  Again, the decor is very vibrant, which creates an exciting atmosphere. There is a big menu on the wall. Everyone is welcoming and providing good customer service. You order down the line from the preparation bar of ingredients.  I ordered the steak quesadilla and the corn salsa. The steak quesadilla was good, but it wasn't hot. If I was not short on time, I would have had them put it back on the grill. The corn salsa was decent too. I would love if they kicked the seasoning/flavor up just a bit. I enjoyed my meal overall. The drinks! I had a margarita. They have a large drink menu. I cannot recall the details of their happy hour. They have a good-size bar. I thoroughly enjoyed my margarita. It's definitely worth a try, even if you go through a parking hassle.

El nombre de restaurante resuena.. Llegar al restaurante no hay suficiente parqueadero. Esta noche entré por allí a las 9, pasé por todas las mesas afueras vacilós, al entrar me encontré con un vagó de huéspada. Mirando desde el adentro de mesas hubo a lo menos seis mesas vacías marcadas reservado. La vaga huespada siguió contando que no había cupo pero quizá revisar al bar. Mirando al bar hubieron otros 5 asientos marcados reservados. Ya segunda y última ves que trate de irme por allá.. este será el último.. si los a los vagos dueños vale más mesas vacías que la lana pues allí mismo anda la vagueria. Mejor iré an un restaurante que ofrece servicio REAL con comida de Mexico que aguantar a los fifis vagos de adesso. Ni madre..

Night out with my gym group... The walking in is dope ... lighting and a live DJ with the matching videos showing on a projector. As in most Mexican spots you get the complimentary salsa and chips and I just say this is the best I've had. For our app we got the guac and queso. Be ware it's a large portion ... the guac was good ... queso wasn't as salty as I would like ... and the salad was also pleasing ... before the entree I ordered a Don Julio Blanco and tonic ... proceed with caution it's a tall glass but BARTENDER you are legend. For my entree I ordered the Pulpo Ala Braza (octopus) and it comes with yuca (I think I spelled that right) and street corn off the cob. The octopus was cooked perfectly I was able to cut through it .. it was rubbery ... the corn was also good very well seasoned... the yuca lacked taste to my liking but was better with the sauce. Last but not least our server Evelyn was dope ... I recommend this spot if you are downtown Columbia.

There's barely parking but the services were great when I went to the register to get my food!!! The Birrias nacho I got was soooo good!! Even the AquaFresh was good.

If you like the Zax sauce, you must try the chipotle sauce. I also had a very kind waitress, she was very attentive. The restaurant was packed but the wait time was around 5 minutes

Amazing service, super friendly staff. They were super careful about my food allergy and made me feel safe! Delicious food, fajitas were delicious!!! I love the neon and decorations and music videos they were playing. Not to mention the strawberry mojito was amazing!! Definitely check this place out.

El Vago is one of my favorite restaurants in Columbia. The food is soooo amazing. I'm surprised they aren't busier. The staff is great and helpful. My favorite dishes are the birria egg rolls (a must try), the chips and salsa, the trash can nachos, and the street tacos. So good!

Got here at 4:50 pm It's 5:33 and still waiting on food We ordered a main entree, that's it. The Tomahawk A 45.00 entree Just one, we are sharing Why the wait??! Nice ambiance .. the music is very loud tho... have to talk loud to each other The happy hour is 2 for the price of one for margaritas She didn't tell me I could only get one flavor and couldn't mix and match Ok But then the bartender sends out both margaritas at one time I am the only one drinking this Hub is has his beer Why not hold off on one instead of letting it get watered down while I enjoy my first one?! When the bartender was asked by the waitress if he can hold on and let it chill on ice until I finish first one he refused .. wow Great customer service buddy Smh It's 5:40 still waiting Waitress just smiled and said "yeah it's coming" To say this place is a joke is an understatement! Never ever ever again 5:48 food is here Beautiful presentation on a platter ,,, very tasty... but guess what steak is not hot, luke warm Mexican corn Not hot Got a box to go...never send food back, never know what you will be getting back We are so done With this place

The music is a tad loud as others have said. Good that you can see the kitchen staff. Unfortunately this meant I could watch on of the cooks preparing food, then go roll up a large garbage can, then continue handling food - all without changing gloves or washing his hands. Ewwwwww. The queso came out late, was tasty but then got cold because we were trying to eat our entrees. The birria was very tasty. The carnitas likewise, super tasty. The asada and pastor were pretty lackluster though. Service is not good. Late drinks, forgetting drinks, late getting appetizers out, etc. All in all some promise but hard to strongly recommend.

Parking was awful! We had a very hard time finding somewhere to park as there is no designated parking for the restaurant. The service was very slow. I got quesadillas as my meal. When they were delivered there was very little meat, mostly onions. I ordered an iguana margarita that came in a small cocktail glass. It was $14!!! My husband got fajitas. They had no flavor and again mostly onions and peppers. For those 2 dishes, a margarita and a beer was over $70 for lunch. Definitely not worth the price.

This is a review for an Uber Eats order only. The food is tasty. The portions are small. The "taco feast" is a very small portion for the price and the restaurant knows it because it only comes with enough for 3 tacos. They only sent 3 tortillas. Also, the price for the "taco feast" is $5 more than it's listed for on their website. I understand the menus on Uber Eats are a little more than the menu but over $5 more coupled with the tiny portion size made this a 3 star review. The queso was good too.

Food: Very flavorful, savory and fulfilling Service: Top Tier Ambiance: The best vibe!! The music is a VIBE & They have a really cool neon day of the dead theme going on,, Each time I visit, I feel like an LA girlie babes!! ***Drinks/ libations: Are Easily a 12 out of 10!!! I was SHOCKED & ordered another one of course *** GO TRY THIS PLACE OUT NOW BEFORE THE REST OF COLUMBIA GETS A WIFF OF THIS NEW POPPIN HIDDEN GEM and seating becomes limited!!! ‍

Just ok. Not bad but not great. Food and service needs improving Ambiance is ok ,

I really enjoyed this one. We went for my birthday. We had a reservation, but when we got there they did not have room for us. I think the people before us stayed a little longer than expected. We decided to wait at the bar and I was impressed. I was able to get a skinny margarita, and they asked if I wanted spicy. They added little bits of fresh jalepeno. My wife thought it tasted too much like seltzer water, but I found it refreshing. It came in a cool flashing glass too. Later I had a michelada and I enjoyed it ass well. The dips and salsas were great. I actually ate too many chips. My wife got a veggie burrito I think or something close. She said it was pretty good and a lot of food. My niceces got fajitas and I think they enjoyed them as well. I actually got a Mexican take on a cheeseburger, the hamburguesa . It was pretty tasty, it came topped with pineapple and sausage. The fries were alright. I cannot remember what my brother and sister in law had, but it was their second visit so I think they like they place. My niece was was disapointed they longer offered the sushi. Parking is a bit of an issue, there are some spots in the garage, but I didn't find this out until after.

My group of six ate here at the last min. Food was great and drinks were good. Our server Evelyn was good. She was very attentive and went the extra mile. The vibe inside was very creative. I will visit again the next time I am in town.

Great food and even better service. Our waitress was quick, very interactive, and very nice. You know you'll be taken care of if you get Adi as your waitress.

Delicious food, LOVED our server Evelyn. Very sweet girl with a beautiful future. Enjoyed the service

Wow! Wow! Wow!! Food is just the best in business, ambiance is joyful, welcoming and entertaining!! Lorenzo and Cucco : BEST BARTENDERS IM TOWN! ASK Cuco for the drink he created for me: " la cosa cabrona "!!!

I went on cinco. The bar was a 30 minute wait on drinks cause of the holiday, but overall the food came quick and great service and scenery! I got the house marg special that was $5 that day and it was great!

I ordered food through grub hub with several special requests. All were met! Great service and good!

Service was horrible. Took 30 minutes just to place a drink order. Not to mention how much longer it took to get the drinks.

Service was quick and polite, the ambiance of the restaurant is incredible, great tasting enchiladas and a hearty helping. 10/10 all across the board