The Davalos Family and staff would like to thank all of their customers for helping us reach this milestone. We never dreamed that in 1970 our 28 seat restaurant would be come one of Sacramento's premier Mexican restaurants. Today we now have a seating capacity of 180. Thanks for 50 years of patronage!
From all of us at El Novillero. We take extra pride in the food that we serve. Everything is made fresh daily from our sauces to our corn chips. We use nothing but the finest ingredients possible. We are also pleased to be able to offer you such quality and quantity of food at reasonable prices. El Novillero will no longer accept pre-paid gift cards from Visa, Mastercard & American Express.
From all of us at El Novillero. We take extra pride in the food that we serve. Everything is made fresh daily from our sauces to our corn chips. We use nothing but the finest ingredients possible. We are also pleased to be able to offer you such quality and quantity of food at reasonable prices. El Novillero will no longer accept pre-paid gift cards from Visa, Mastercard & American Express.
Reviews (26)
Tiana W.
Jan 31, 2022
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Nyisha Carson
Jan 23, 2022
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Kinda busy, but still managed to get our order correct! My rice was a little cold, but the hot beans,carnitas enchilada,beef taco and pork tamale made up for it. The pepsi taste si different here. Like it darker in color and sweet,but not overly sweet like taco bell.This place is WAYYYYYY better than tb. The flour chips OHGawd...a must get with the guac!!
Super Dave
Jan 23, 2022
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Ah the food is most excellent Generous servings and tasty i love the menu it has quite the variety I've tried alot of different things on the menu and haven't had one thing that I didn't like so far i really have enjoyed everything I had and the service is wonderful happy and kind plenty of parking and clean I'll continue to eat there as often as possible and the price is fair loved it
Linda T.
Jan 18, 2022
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Barbara Swinehart
Dec 18, 2021
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Really good Mexican food. Huge menu and all of it is good. Staff is friendly and very attentive. We were seated quickly and in a very large booth, we're a party of 6. They kept our chips and salsa filled, our glasses never ran dry, and our food was brought promptly, and it was delicious and in ample portions! The waiter brought boxes before we even asked...he just knew! The prices are reasonable and the ambience is amazing. Love the cantina feel. Lots of close parking in private lot.
Carrie S.
Dec 16, 2021
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What can I say about this restaurant? Family-owned and family recipes! This hidden gem is super amazing and the staff is always attentive! The only request I make is to look at a better salsa recipe. It's not bad, however it could be better! I will still definitely come back as this was one of my grandfather's favorite restaurants!
Ash K.
Dec 13, 2021
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Bummer, this place used to be sooo good. It has since gone way down for reasons below.
1. You can't even phone an order in...yep so you literally have to drive, place your order and wait in your car. Nice waste of time right there.
2. MASK POLICE! Don't walk in the restaurant if you're over wearing masks, they will kick you out. Zero leniency. Because walking to your seat with a mask on and then immediately taking it off makes total sense. Masks in restaurants just don't make sense, it will never make sense.
3. The food sucks. Don't know how else to put it. Used to
1. You can't even phone an order in...yep so you literally have to drive, place your order and wait in your car. Nice waste of time right there.
2. MASK POLICE! Don't walk in the restaurant if you're over wearing masks, they will kick you out. Zero leniency. Because walking to your seat with a mask on and then immediately taking it off makes total sense. Masks in restaurants just don't make sense, it will never make sense.
3. The food sucks. Don't know how else to put it. Used to
Reno S.
Dec 11, 2021
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Joe K is right I don't see what the big deal is with this place. The food is just mediocre, it's OK but nothing really special, even the chips taste like they came out of a bag that's been sitting in the kitchen for a week. I am forced to go here for family functions. Asked why they always want to eat here ? They say tradition, which reminds me of an old punk rock band from Sacramento called "forced tradition"...
Sonia C.
Dec 05, 2021
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I decided to update my review to dispel the lower star reviews for this awesome restaurant. As someone who grew up with authentic homemade Mexican food and my dad being from Mexico, this place is as good as it gets. My dad and family absolutely love this place and we have been coming here for yrs. We consider it to be the best Mexican restaurant in Sacramento. I live in Roseville and always mention how I miss El Novillero because, there's nothing like this in Roseville. Franklin blvd. is good Mexican food central, if you're looking for authentic Mexican food in general. My dad always
Michelle L.
Nov 08, 2021
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Recommended by Sonia C. so we met up for dinner on 11/4/21, arrived a little after 6pm. Parked across the street in their fenced lot near the cacti. Glad I wasn't alone or I'd have gotten lost upon entering the restaurant. They close at 7:30pm but it was only a 10 minute wait for a table for 2 -- we actually got seated in a big booth! Since it was my first time, I wasn't sure what to get. Free basket of chips and salsa to start, although pro-tip apparently is to ask for the flour tortilla chips (freshly cooked in lard) which cost ~$5, totally worth it IMO. Unfortunately they don
Dj Adams
Nov 01, 2021
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Totally disappointed with dinner. This used to be one of the best Mexican restaurants in Sacramento. With great service, eclectic ambiance and great food. The service was average, not bad just not what it used to be, the food was down right terrible none of us finished our plates. But the place looks like it has for the last 15 years. Maybe I was just expecting to much it has been about 5 years since I was here last. But in my opinion I would not waist your money, and I will not be eating here again.
Joe K.
Oct 28, 2021
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I have known about this place for many years but have never got around to going there. I think it might have been because it looks so pretentious from the street and I hate pretentious restaurants where the waiters act fake and the chefs play with your food. I don't want swirls of sauce on my plate that reminds me of a three year old finger painting either. Ok enough of the rant let's get back to business.
I ordered chicken tacos and they were good, Not great, not life changing, just good. I also tasted Ida's Chiles Relleno and it was ok too. Nothing popped, just the cook going
I ordered chicken tacos and they were good, Not great, not life changing, just good. I also tasted Ida's Chiles Relleno and it was ok too. Nothing popped, just the cook going
Michael W.
Oct 18, 2021
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Food is good here but pandemic policies make no sense. On a Sunday evening they don't take to go orders over the phone and they don't answer the phone. So I'm left guessing how busy they are. So you have to drive over to the restaurant and hope they aren't too busy, place your order, then what of it to be ready.
I was told the order would take about 15 minutes to make. So I could have called in the order, then start driving, and arrive to pick up my order. Instead they have a bunch of people waiting to pick up to go orders inside amongst all the people waiting to be seated
I was told the order would take about 15 minutes to make. So I could have called in the order, then start driving, and arrive to pick up my order. Instead they have a bunch of people waiting to pick up to go orders inside amongst all the people waiting to be seated
Brisa Garcia
Oct 14, 2021
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It was really good, I love going to this restaurant with my family but one of the cashiers here needs to work on her manners or something cause she be there making me feel like i’m being judged when I get takeout and she doesn’t smile in general she seems rude and gives off a negative vibe that really puts me off, don’t know her name but yea. Other than that the place is great, really good food and served on bug plates, which means a lot of food because their dishes are big and I love taking some to school for lunch, or sometimes ear it for dinner the next day.
Briana B.
Sep 28, 2021
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Osofoxley Oxley
Sep 25, 2021
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The girls and I go here for lunch a few times a month. I do not eat pork, but most of their food is prepared and cooked in Lard, a little disappointed, but they created a meal for me, it was a grilled chicken burrito with pinto beans and pico mix, my beverage was water and a Chichi, a blended drink which is like a Pina Colada except it's made with vodka, so perfect for a hot day!
Ida H.
Sep 23, 2021
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Going out to a restaurant doesn't happen as often as it used to be. So when a friend from out of town came to visit, this was his chosen place to dine. He recently moved away from Sacramento, but he was looking forward to meeting here with Joe K and I, and eating at his favorite Mexican restaurant.
This place is quite impressive in size! They have an enormous amount of available parking! You can either park behind the building or go to it's huge lot across the street! Obviously they must be pretty popular! They even have a separate room for customers waiting to be seated!
This place is quite impressive in size! They have an enormous amount of available parking! You can either park behind the building or go to it's huge lot across the street! Obviously they must be pretty popular! They even have a separate room for customers waiting to be seated!
Todd F.
Sep 18, 2021
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It's been a few years since we've been able to come back to one of our All Time favorite Mexican Restaurants in Sacramento especially with COVID 2020 pretty much closing everywhere down.. The Food (Carnitas and Chile Verde) is STILL the way we remembered it and our same favorite Waiters/ Servers are there.. We had to wait about 20-25 minutes for a table of 4 for dinner and we sat down around 6:15. They were so busy with take out and Dine in orders due to closing early at 7:30pm because of shortage of Help. Too bad they have to close early on a Busy Friday.. Portions are Still HUGE so
Jessica B.
Sep 17, 2021
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This is one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, it has been in Sacramento for years.
The family owned business is well known in Sacramento.
This is a great restaurant for large groups. Whenever we have a birthday to celebrate we take friends and family here.
The atmosphere is very nice and the food authentic and delicious.
They are generous with chips and salsa and are constantly bringing out more!
The meat is always flavorful and moist.
The family owned business is well known in Sacramento.
This is a great restaurant for large groups. Whenever we have a birthday to celebrate we take friends and family here.
The atmosphere is very nice and the food authentic and delicious.
They are generous with chips and salsa and are constantly bringing out more!
The meat is always flavorful and moist.
Adrianna L.
Sep 02, 2021
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This place was such a pleasant suprise. The food was plentiful and tasteful and served in a really nice ambiance.
The restaurant itself is inviting w/ a nostalgic and cultural feel. The carnitas were flavorful and despite not being a meat eater, I found them to be delicious. I would definitely recommend this place for good Mexican cuisine!
The restaurant itself is inviting w/ a nostalgic and cultural feel. The carnitas were flavorful and despite not being a meat eater, I found them to be delicious. I would definitely recommend this place for good Mexican cuisine!
Kate Wiley
Aug 30, 2021
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Last week my family and I ventured into Sacramento to try the famous El Novillero Restaurant and it was so wonderful that I had to share the experience!
Located on Franklin Boulevard in an unsuspecting part of town, El Novillero is one of the most upscale Mexican Restaurants I have ever been to. Dimly lit inside, museum lights highlight family portraits paying homage to the founders of the restaurant and artifacts from their past. As you are led to your table by the impeccably dressed host, you are instantly aware of the strong traditional values of the restaurant. A dress code, for both men and
Located on Franklin Boulevard in an unsuspecting part of town, El Novillero is one of the most upscale Mexican Restaurants I have ever been to. Dimly lit inside, museum lights highlight family portraits paying homage to the founders of the restaurant and artifacts from their past. As you are led to your table by the impeccably dressed host, you are instantly aware of the strong traditional values of the restaurant. A dress code, for both men and
Cynthia G.
Jul 26, 2021
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David L.
Jul 11, 2021
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Went to my wife's favorite Mexican place again in this crazy hot weather. I knew it was going to be a little wait, about 25 minutes. Not to bad. I was able to find a parking spot in their back parking lot which is the small one. They other lot was full in front so I knew you had to walk far and in this melting heat. No.
We got a full both even though it's just 2 of us which was nice. lots of room. There were a lot of people in the dinning room.
Wife got flour tortillas right away. She got the chicken and beef tacos. I got the chicken and shredded beef enchiladas. Both of us were really
We got a full both even though it's just 2 of us which was nice. lots of room. There were a lot of people in the dinning room.
Wife got flour tortillas right away. She got the chicken and beef tacos. I got the chicken and shredded beef enchiladas. Both of us were really
Trice O.
Jun 13, 2021
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Great ambiance, great service, and great food. I enjoyed chips, guacamole and a classic margarita on the rocks. All were good. Chips and guacamole could've used more salt. My friend had an enchilada platter that he said was delicious.
Everything was good but I didn't give it 5 stars because I was hoping for variety when it came to Margarita options. They only had strawberry or classic.
Everything was good but I didn't give it 5 stars because I was hoping for variety when it came to Margarita options. They only had strawberry or classic.
Gretchen G.
Jun 03, 2021
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Serge A.
Mar 24, 2021
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El Novillero is open for indoor dining as of. 3/23/21
Great service, evan better food!
Servers were very happy to be working again.
They use lard as flavor, very very authentic if your looking for food that taste like your moms!
No cut corners here !
Sonia and Daniel were my waiters and they were great, paid attention to our table and were quick to ask if there is anything they can get us.
Give them a try!
Great service, evan better food!
Servers were very happy to be working again.
They use lard as flavor, very very authentic if your looking for food that taste like your moms!
No cut corners here !
Sonia and Daniel were my waiters and they were great, paid attention to our table and were quick to ask if there is anything they can get us.
Give them a try!
