Authentic Mexican flavor in Locust, NC
Savor sizzling fajitas, hand-crafted margaritas, fresh guacamole, and traditional Mexican recipes cooked fresh daily for your family.
Welcome to el vaquero
Crafting Memories Through Traditional Mexican Hospitality
Located in the heart of Locust, North Carolina, El Vaquero Mexican Grill brings the vibrant, rich flavors of Mexico directly to your table. From sizzling molcajetes to house-made salsas, every meal is prepared using authentic recipes, fresh produce, and premium meats.
Chopped, spiced, and prepared daily in-house.
Warm service that makes you feel right at home.
Handcrafted delicacies
Chef signature
specials
Try our most popular house favorites, made fresh with authentic Mexican spices.
Fajitas texanas
$17.99
Tender steak, grilled chicken, and juicy shrimp cooked with bell peppers, onions, served with rice, beans & warm tortillas.
Molcajete Vaquero
$21.99
Volcanic stone bowl packed with grilled steak, chicken, chorizo, nopales, queso fresco, and signature ranchero sauce.
Pollo Vaquero
$15.99
Grilled chicken breast topped with sautéed mushrooms, melted cheese dip, served over a bed of Mexican rice.
Tacos de Camaron
$14.99
Three soft corn tortillas with seasoned grilled shrimp, fresh red cabbage slaw, pico de gallo, and spicy chipotle mayo.
digital menu
Explore our full menu
Shareables, house-made dips, warm soups & fresh salads to start your meal
Appetizers
Extra charge for any additions or substitutions
Guacamole dip
S. $5.99 l.$10.99
Made fresh daily.
Guacamole mexicano
S. $6.49 l.$11.49
NEW Homemade with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice and serrano peppers. Made fresh daily.
Queso dip
S. $5.99 l.$10.99
Cheese & Bean dip
S. $8.25
Beef & Cheese dip
S. $8.99
Mexi fries
S. $8.99
French fries topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, lajapeños & cheese dip.
Quesadilla al Gusto
$12.25
Large flour tortilla stuffed with cheese, and your choice of steak, chicken or ground beef. Served with tomatoes, Mexican sour cream and rice.
El vaquero fries
$13.99
French fries topped with steak, bacon, guacamole, pico de gallo, jalapeños, cheese and sour cream.
Chicken wings
6. $9.99 – 12. $16.99
NEW Twelve wings with your choice of mango habanero, mild or BBQ. Served with celery sticks.
Locust dip
$10.99
Beans and ground beef topped with melted queso and pico de gallo.
Nachos
Extra charge for any additions or substitutions
Tortilla chips covered with white melted cheese and your choice of topping.
Nacho bean
$9.99
nacho cheese
$8.99
nacho beef
$12.49
nacho chicken
$12.49
nacho shrimp
$14.49
nachos deluxe
$14.49
Served with chicken, beef and beans. Topped with lettuce, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo.
grilled chicken or steak nachos
$13.99
fajita nachos
$15.99
Steak or chicken fajitas grilled with onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and slices of avocado on top.
Salads & Soups
Extra charge for any additions or substitutions
fajita salad
$13.99
A bed of lettuce, topped with your choice of fajita style steak or chicken and slices of avocado.
fajita taco salad
$13.99
A crispy flour tortilla filled with your choice of fajita style steak or chicken. Topped with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and shredded cheese.
vaquero bowl
$15.49
NEW Lettuce, black beans, rice, your choice of grilled chicken or steak, corn, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, avocado slices, and your choice of chipotle sauce or our special chimichurri sauce.
taco salad
$11.99
A crispy flour tortilla bowl filled with your choice of beef or chicken. Topped with lettuce, tomato, sour cream and shredded cheese.
chicken soup
$11.99
Tasty blend of chicken broth filled with tender chicken strips, rice, pico de gallo and a slice of avocado.
el vaquero mexican wrap
$14.99
NEW Lettuce, ranch, tomatoes, shredded cheese, your choice of grilled chicken or steak, and roasted corn, with your choice of buffalo sauce or our special chimichurri sauce. Served with a side of fries.
tortilla soup
$10.99
Tasty chicken broth, filled with tender chicken and tortilla strips, topped with grated cheese and a slice of avocado.
Sizzling fajitas, premium grilled steaks, seafood & signature poultry plates.
from the grill
Extra charge for any additions or substitutions
el vaquero special
$21.49
A combination of grilled chicken breast, tender grilled slice of rib-eye steak and grilled shrimp. Topped with Pico de Gallo and served with rice, beans, and a slice of avocado.
steak poblano
$19.49
Grilled ribeye steak topped with Poblano peppers and our special Ranchero sauce. Served with rice, beans, pico de gallo, and tortillas.
el vaquero steak
$18.99
Grilled ribeye steak and shrimp, topped with tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions. Served with rice and one cheese enchilada.
steak a la mexicana
$18.49
Grilled ribeye steak with sautéed onions and mushrooms. Topped with Jack cheese and served with rice and black beans.
carne asada
$18.49
Ribeye steak served with lettuce, Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, rice, and beans.
carnitas
$14.99
Vary tasty sautéed pork tips. Served with rice and beans, lettuce, guacamole, and pico de gallo.
chile verde
$14.99
NEW Carnitas sauteed in homemade green salsa. Accompanied by a side or rice, beans and tortillas.
steak don jose
$17.49
Ribeye steak with grilled with sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. Served with rice, beans and tortillas.
steak americano
$14.99
Rib-eye steak grilled to perfection accompanied with French Fries and a house salad with your choice of dressing.
las tortas
$14.49
Your choice of asada, chorizo, chicken, carnitas. Made with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickled jalapeño. Served with french fries.
steak ranchero
$16.25
Rib eye steak topped with our special Ranchero sauce. Served with rice and beans.
el vaquero cheese steak
$15.25
Two flour tortillas stuffed with steak and onion then toped with cheese sauce. Served with rice or beans, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo.
molcajete
1. $25.99 2. $40.99
An authentic mortar filled with steak, grilled chicken strips, carnitas, chorizo, black beans, queso fresco, green onions, nopales and our spicy salsa. Accompanied with rice, beans and salad.
Pancho villa
$18.99
NEW Ribeye steak cooked to order with grilled bacon, mushrooms, and onions, served hot on a skillet with cheese sauce on top served with a side or rice and beans.
vaquero tejano
$17.99
NEW Grilled chicken strips, shrimp and steak cooked with grilled onions and mushrooms. Served on a bed of rice topped with cheese sauce.
Nachos
Extra charge for any additions or substitutions
Tortilla chips covered with white melted cheese and your choice of topping.
Guacamole dip
S. $5.99 l.$10.99
Made fresh daily.
Guacamole mexicano
S. $6.49 l.$11.49
NEW Homemade with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice and serrano peppers. Made fresh daily.
Queso dip
S. $5.99 l.$10.99
Cheese & Bean dip
S. $8.25
Beef & Cheese dip
S. $8.99
Mexi fries
S. $8.99
French fries topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, lajapeños & cheese dip.
Quesadilla al Gusto
$12.25
Large flour tortilla stuffed with cheese, and your choice of steak, chicken or ground beef. Served with tomatoes, Mexican sour cream and rice.
El vaquero fries
$13.99
French fries topped with steak, bacon, guacamole, pico de gallo, jalapeños, cheese and sour cream.
Chicken wings
6. $9.99 – 12. $16.99
NEW Twelve wings with your choice of mango habanero, mild or BBQ. Served with celery sticks.
Locust dip
$10.99
Beans and ground beef topped with melted queso and pico de gallo.
Lunch special | Every day until 3 pm | $8.75
- Speedy Gonzalez .One Enchilada & one Taco served with rice or beans.
- One beef or chicken Burrito. Served with rice and beans.
- One Enchilada served with rice and beans.
- One Chile Relleno. Served with rice and beans.
- One Burrito & one Taco. Served with rice.
- One Tamale served with rice and beans. Served with rice and beans.
- One Chalupa, one Enchilada, and one cheese Quesadilla. Served with rice.
- One Chimichanga served with rice and beans.
- One Burrito, one Enchilada, and one Taco.
- One Chile Relleno, one Taco and beans. Served with beans.
Lunch | Every day until 3 pm
Pollo al Queso
$10.49
Grilled chicken strips topped with melted cheese, served with rice and bean.
Pollo Hawaiano
$11.25
Grilled marinated chicken strips covered with sliced Poblano peppers, mushrooms, onions, chunks of pineapples, and melted cheese. Served with rice and steamed vegetables.
Special Burrito
$10.25
A four tortilla stuffed with your choice of chicken or beef. Served with rice, beans, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo.
Lunch carnitas
$11.25
Very tasty sautéed pork tips. Served with rice and beans, lettuce, guacamole, and pico de gallo.
Nachos deluxe
$10.49
OUR SPECIAL NACHO PLATE! Chicken, ground beef and beans topped with lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo.
Super quesadilla
$10.25
A flour tortilla stuffed with cheese and your choice of chicken or beef, served with rice, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo.
Pollo special
$11.49
Grilled boneless chicken topped with a spinach and cheese sauce. Served with rice, black beans, and warm tortillas.
Lunch fajitas
$11.25
Grilled chicken or steak seared with tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers. Served with rice, beans, chopped lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, and warm flour tortillas.
Steak a la mexicana
$12.25
Rib eye steak grilled with sautéed onions and mushrooms. Topped with Monterrey Jack cheese. Served with rice and black beans.
Las flautas
$9.99
Three crispy corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken or beef, rolled, fried. Served with rice, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo.
Huevos rancheros
$9.49
Two eggs topped with our special Ranchero sauce served with rice, beans, and warm tortillas.
Huevos con chorizo
$10.75
Two scrambled eggs with chorizo. Served with rice, beans and tortillas.
Taco salad
$9.99
A crispy flour tortilla shell filled with chicken or ground beef, lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheese and a tomato slice.
Chimichanga
$10.25
Flour tortilla stuffed with shredded beef or chicken, rolled, then fried to a golden crisp. It is then covered with cheese and served with rice, beans, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo.
Burrito vaquero
$10.25
NEW One burrito with your choice of grilled chicken, steak, shredded chicken or ground beef. Topped with cheese sauce, enchilada sauce and pico de gallo. Served with your choice of rice or beans.
visit us today
Location & operating hours
Stop by for lunch or dinner, or call ahead for quick takeout ordering.