El Novillero

El Novillero is my absolute favorite Mexican restaurant in the Sacramento area! I've been coming here since 1986 and the food is always consistently excellent! They have an extensive menu, but if you don't see what you want, just ask. Chances are, they can accommodate your needs. El Novillero is always full of smiling customers. The staff is friendly and the ambiance in the restaurant included music from the 70's on Valentine's Day 2025. My friend and I were vibing to the tunes, that for me were from my junior high and high school days.I usually orders the Carnitas Quesadilla dinner, but today I went with a yummy Chile Relleno. The pepper was soft and the cheese was melty. The authentic rice was yummy, too. I was add their homemade salsa before eating it.El Novillero has THE best refried beans I've ever had! No doubt the Manteca assists in making them so savory and umami.Although it was Valentines Day, the service was fast and friendly. We ordered their flour tortilla chips and each of us took home leftovers.Don't miss this South Sacramento gem! There's plenty of parking! What are you waiting for?

Always consistent Mexican food.It's a south Sacramento institution. The fresh guacamole with fresh hot flour, tortilla chips are to die for. The staff has been there forever . Quality quick and efficient Service. Always filling drinks, chips and salsa before you even think to ask . Big full plates always more than you can finish .

We came on a Sunday night, there were 3 of us. Chips weren't very good, salsa was okay. My husband's food came out a long time before ours, he sat and waited until ours came out-even though we told him to start eating. Ours came out and everything was good, but not "oh my gosh it's so great!" Plus, the waiting at the beginning was really uncomfortable and weird, they were not super busy, just mid busy.No offer for a drink or a discount off the check.Decorated inside nicely with holiday decorations still which were cute. It's been about fifteen years since I've been here, maybe this was why?

Stopped by today after golf. Wasn't very busy so we were seated right away. Miguel was our waiter. He's the best, very mellow but don't let him fool you. He has a sense of humor. My brother was tipsy & spilled his beer so Miguel offered to get him a sippy cup LOL. I had a chile verde burrito & I loved it. Hubby & brother both had carnitas. Other brother had beef chicana. Everything came out hot & was very good. The restaurant is very big, with booths or tables. Clean bathrooms. Plenty of free parking too.

I heard about El Novillero through a fellow yelp and we decided to eat here for dinner. I ordered the enchilada dinner and it was so delicious and the servings a huge you will definitely have a good amount of leftovers. The service was great the waiter answered all our questions. The interior is nice and the have plenty of seating. I will say it was a little bit of a wait but is well worth it. I have been back since this review and I highly recommend coming by and trying them out.

I'd been wanting to try El Novillero for a while, and it was definitely worth the wait. I visited on a Thursday night with my parents, and we were seated right away, which was a pleasant surprise. From the outside, the restaurant looks relatively small, but inside, it's massive, complete with an extra waiting area. I can imagine how crowded it gets during peak dinner times, but we got lucky!As soon as we sat down, we were served chips and salsa. I ordered the #24, which is their carnitas enchilada dinner. My dad went with the chili verde plate, and my mom opted for the two-item plate with a crispy taco and a soft taco. I really enjoyed my enchiladas, but the portions were so generous that I only managed to eat one. The carnitas were flavorful with a rich, lardy taste, and it's clear they're a specialty. However, I was a bit surprised that you can't choose your type of beans. My dad's chili verde was also excellent, but my mom thought the tacos were just okay. The chips were decent, though it was clear the oil used could've been fresher. The salsas were mild, which was nice for those who prefer less heat.The ambiance was warm and family-friendly, though the service was a bit slow. Our waiter seemed unsure about some of our questions regarding the spice level of the dishes but was helpful in the end. I'd definitely come back to explore more from their massive menu and enjoy another sit-down meal here.

Great authentic Mexican food. Their dishes are plentiful and full of flavor because they don't cut corners. In fact, they note that they use lard in their refried beans. I ordered the beef enchiladas and my friend ordered the carnitas quesadilla plate.The servers are very efficient, and the food comes quickly. It's a family run business of which has grown from a small restaurant with so much business that they had to expand to accommodate a large and beautiful dining area, and still stays full.There is plenty of parking in a lot across the street, and a smaller lot behind the restaurant.

We came in for brunch on a Saturday afternoon. We sat in a booth. We ordered a side order of nachos without meat it was more than enough for 4 people. They were excellent and I really liked that they had lettuce on the top which made everything crunchy. I ordered the parrillada platter with steak and shrimp, the meat had lots of flavor, I liked that the veggies also had zucchini on it that was great. The portions are huge. I could have shared mine but took leftovers home for dinner. The service was fast. Friendly waiter. The music was a little too loud but we sat a at booth which made it easier for our older parents to hear us better. My husband had a combo plate with a crunchy chicken taco that was packed with chicken and a chicana enchilada that had very flavorful and tender meat.

No reservations, and they close at 7PM now! They have their own fenced parking lot across the street if the one behind their restaurant is full. Got a booth, party of 4 around 5:45PM on a Wednesday evening. Must order the freshly-made basket of fluffy flour tortilla chips ($5.95 each basket) which are far superior to the default basket of corn tortilla chips and salsa provided. Note that they do cook most everything with lard; check the menu for specific vegetarian items though.I got the Choose 2 Items plate ($17.95), with a carnitas (their specialty) chimichanga (small) and a verde pork enchilada. Certain meats do have an upcharge, like ground beef. This comes with rice, refried beans and cheese, and shredded lettuce salad. I didn't get the pickle and olive garnishes like before, but did get the lone corn tortilla chip, guac, and sour cream. You can also ask for guac/sour cream on the side, extra rice sub for salad, etc. Because we started with not one but two baskets of flour tortillas, I could only finish one of my two items in that sitting. The verde pork enchilada was yummy...the chimi was leftovers to take home. Next time I might try the tamale, quesadilla, or crispy taco!

Great, authentic Mexican food in a pleasant, sit down environment. Good value for money. You will likely be bringing home leftovers. Excellent service and piping hot food. Nice place to meet with a group. Definitely get the flour tortilla chips and excellent guacamole for an appetizer. The free chips and salsa are yummy also. Recommend the enchiladas (cheese or chicken), rice/beans and salad plate.