El Centro Mexican Restaurant - Winchester, VA
Summary
El Centro is a clean and comfortable Mexican restaurant in the downtown walking mall of Winchester, VA. It has wonderful food and service. It is a good place to sit down for lunch or dinner. It provides good value for your money.
Food Overall
Service
Atmosphere
Location
Value for Money
Overall
What I Ordered
Tortilla Chips & Salsa
$0
El Centro has complimentary chips and salsa! The salsa was very fresh and had just the right amount of cilantro. The chips were traditional and fresh, but not particularly unique. Additionally, when you run out of chips and salsa they will keep bringing more.
Chimi Rolls
$10.75
The chimi rolls are a delicious appetizer. They are egg rolls with Mexican flare containing chicken, corn and seasonings. The rolls are topped with a chipotle aioli and cotija cheese. They are served with a salad on the plate as well which adds a nice freshness to the starchiness of the egg rolls. The serving includes three large egg rolls cut in half, making six pieces.
Pollo Especial
$19
Come hungry! The pollo especial is a large plate of chicken, assorted vegies, and pineapple served over rice and topped with queso. It has a side of beans, which I poured over the entrée. I enjoyed the variety of fresh produce in conjunction with the decadent cheese. It is similar to fajitas but with MORE. This meal does not come with tortillas as it is gluten free. I would recommend getting an order of tortillas to eat it like fajitas. The only thing it was missing for me was a bit of heat. Overall, a tasty, relatively healthy entrée.
Overall Food
Overall the food at El Centro was delicious and the serving sizes are generous.
Service
Attentiveness
We were seated immediately and had one waitress throughout our visit. She refilled drinks, as well as chips and salsa right away throughout the meal. She brought our food and to go boxes for our leftovers quickly.
Character
The waitress was very friendly and polite. She was not pushy and but was very efficient. We had debated getting queso for the chips or getting an appetizer, and we settled on the chimi roll appetizer. I was pleasantly surprised she brought a small condiment cup full of queso for me to have with the chips. That was very kind and thoughtful!
Accuracy
Everything we ordered throughout the evening was correct.
Overall Service
Overall, El Centro had great customer service. The waitress was very kind, friendly, and attentive.
Atmosphere
Size
El Centro is a medium size restaurant. It includes bar seating as well as approximately 15 indoor tables and 10 outdoor tables. It is spaciously laid out with booths and tables available.
Who Goes Here?
Anyone looking for a sit-down lunch or dinner. The meal lasts long enough to chat but not to linger for a long time.
Ambience
The ambience was that of a clean, comfortable restaurant but not particularly noteworthy. It was fairly quiet and spacious. The décor was limited to a mural on the back wall and some interesting lighting fixtures. It does not have the common festive Mexican décor.
Cleanliness
The restaurant appears to be clean and tables were quickly cleared after customers left. Additionally, it had spacious, clean restrooms.
Overall Atmosphere
Overall, El Centro is a clean and comfortable restaurant. It does not have the décor found in many Mexican restaurants, but it does have some classy Mexican flare. It is spacious with indoor and outdoor seating.
Location
El Centro is located in downtown Winchester, VA. It is part of the historic walking mall which is very charming and safe. The closest parking is the inexpensive parking garages next to the walking mall. The walking all includes any shops, restaurants, and entertainment. It is not in walking distance to any hotels, but it is a very good location.
Interested in other restaurants in Winchester, VA?
Value for money
The food at El Centro was all delicious and they do have complimentary chips and salsa. They also have large portions. However, I did find they were more expensive than many of the Mexican restaurants in the area. Considering the food, quality, portion size, and prime location downtown I think it is good value for the price.
Overall
Overall, El Centro is a clean and comfortable restaurant in downtown Winchester, VA. It has delicious food with a generous serving size. The service was excellent. I think it is a good value for the price. I would recommend anyone looking for Mexican Cuisine for lunch or dinner visit El Centro.
