In Santee, you are a little limited as far as restaurant options go, but Armando's has been consistently good every time we come to the lake. It's a huge restaurant, and they is a large square bar in the center that seems to cater to the golf and fishing crowd, it's loud and a lot of TV's all over. Great happy hour and draft beer specials too, and there's nothing like a $2 margarita! The menu is massive (7 pages!), but navigable, and they have the standard page of combos like nearly every Mexican restaurant does. The pork fajitas were good, not many places I've been to have those. And they have some chef specials that are also good, like the molcajete. Fast service and everyone I interacted with was very nice. The place could use a little facelift, some of the booths have blown out springs, but overall a good place to eat and have a grande cerveza! read more

Armando’s Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Santee, South Carolina

Taco Tuesday!! Don't miss it. $1 tacos and $2 margaritas Doesn't get much better than that. Their other menu items are great too. read more

My husband and I ate there yesterday! Wonderful service, awesome food and great atmosphere! I had grilled chicken breast on rice covered with grilled onions/peppers and cheese. Delicious! Some of the best grilled chicken I've had. The watermelon margarita was spot on! My Husband had chicken fajitas and enjoyed it very much. Our server was wonderful. We will be back soon! read more

Have eaten food from here both in the dining room and takeout. Food has always been hot, fast, and delicious! Although our Villa was only minutes away; the food was still nice and hot! read more

Love the super taco and ambiance. They go well with the margaritas. Queso is also very good.

Good food. They had a bull for kids to ride and take pictures on, which we all enjoyed. Service was okay.

The only hot Mexican food I've found on the east coast. Even the chips and salsa come out warm and fresh. Service is always good and the owner is really polite and helpful to his team. A little dark but plenty of TVs that usually have a nice variety of sports and no stupid stuff. Restrooms are clean. Everyone is smiling here read more

This is a fun place that has more charm than your fast food eateries. There were a lot of locals here, which suggested to me that they knew that this place is a good find. The facility itself doesn't look special, however it's clear the management and staff are dedicated and know how to provide excellent service. There was a nice covered patio that we enjoyed with cool summer weather. Food was very good. Prices were reasonable. read more

For driving between NY & FL during winter break, this place hit the spot. Hubby ordered food over the phone and it was ready in 10 min. My kid liked the mushroom burrito, hubby liked the Mexican tacos, and I dig that chips are freshly fried and salsa delish. Staff was friendly. Place was packed. Bathroom... There was only one but it was there. Next time we drive from NY to FL I'll know to lookout for Armando's in South Carolina. read more

Food was really great. I loved the rice and the tamales. Server was really nice as well.

The food was nasty. I got a chicken and shrimp fajita and it tasted like the chicken was rotten. I could not swallow it for fear of getting sick. The temperature in the restaurant was extreme. I am not sure if that is the reason for the bad food or not. My husband tastes it and made the same remark. read more

Food and service is always good. They appriciate your business.

I got the number 31.. the beef tasted like spaghetti o's wrapped in a tortilla.. yuck

This was near our hotel and we were in the mood for Mexican. Parking lot was packed but we were still quickly seated. The service and the food was good and the beer was cold. We had no complaints and would come here again when in the area. read more

Go somewhere else! Not worthy of consumption! Called for a takeout. They said 20 minutes, and it was almost an hour. My food was cold by the time I drove back 2 minutes up the street at a hotel. Ordered nachos with a protein. There was a layer of chips on the bottom, something like cheese wiz mixed with chicken. The chips were saturated and totally wilted. Purchased guacamole. It was very saucy and thin. There was a small container of salsa which amounted to about 3 tablespoons. They also charged me 25 cents per container plus tax. These very few items came to over $17! Too expensive, and the quality was poor. Never coming back here!! read more

Great food, wonderful atmosphere and friendly service. Large selection of dishes. We had the nachos, quesadillas, great flavors and generous portions. Very good for families or groups. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Passed thru Santee on my way to Tampa Bay. Overnighted and needed a late dinner after 11 hrs on the road. Got a hotel room and asked who might be open for a dinner salad. Needed greens. Directed here and what a pleasant surprise. Had an entree pollo dinner salad and substituted shrimp. It was kinda wet, cheesy, shrimp and really good. 4 stars cuz some of the shrimps were overcooked and tough, but the flavor overall was resonant. Good stuff and a satisfying dinner. read more

This is a neat local place after a day on the Santee Cooper Lakes. We had great margaritas and good food. Service was good too. Food came to the table hot from the kitchen. We liked the salsa with chips too! read more

Armando’s Mexican Restaurant - plates of food - Mexican Near Me - Santee, South Carolina

Great place, diamond in the rough. Food and service is excellent and at a great price.

Several weeks ago, I was driving back from Florida to my home state, NY. It was late, close to 10PM, and even most of the fast food joints were closed. I drove around looking for a place to eat, because I was really hungry, and noticed Armando's Tex Mex restaurant with a full parking lot, and delicious odors drifting out in the air. Traveling by myself, and am an older woman, and was not quite sure what to expect. I was in for a very pleasant surprise. The bar was full of young people, apparently locals, the music was great, and the staff, friendly, pleasant and could not have been nicer. I was seated immediately, given a menu, huge with choices, and the food was some of the best Mexican that I have ever eaten! Service was prompt, and with a smile. Portions were huge, waiter was totally on the ball, service was amazing, and when the bill came, thought they added wrong, because it was so much less than I expected. Chips and salsa, a Mexican beer, gigantic plate of steak and chicken fajitas, guacamole, refried beans, and rice. Total? Less than $11.00!!! What a place! Couldn't be better. Totally recommend!!! read more

First, the staff was excellent and the people were so nice inside. The food is very good, not great, and I have high standards for mexican food. I had the steak fajita nachos, by go-to dish when I don't want to order. Meat was well seasoned, plenty of chips, beans, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce. Rest of my golf group's food was good, too. Try them out! read more

Food is great! Angel was our waitress and she was the best. $2 margaritas and we had to order 2 each because it was almost the end of Happy Hour. Just a great evening! read more

Best Mexican food in Santee SC The staff is nice. The food is served quickly. We go there at lunch and in the evening I take my family there at times. Awesome place Awesome food. read more

Delish !!!!!!! Got take out and was so good and fresh. The portion sizes are perfect and the staff was friendly.

I went to eat with my family last night. Some work crew came in , clearly straight from a construction job site, and started doing shots one right after the other. The restaurant kept serving them. They quickly became drunk and disorderly. They started picking on a couple at the bar. The restaurant didn't mediate or ask them to leave Until it was too late. Twice I watched one of the guys reach for a knife on his hip. The whole thing escalated and was absurd to me. They care about their booze sales and could care less what they expose their customers to. My kids were terrified watching all of that go down, that poor couple had their night completely ruined as did most of the other patrons in the restaurant. The food is OK, but Are you willing to hang out with drunks when the restaurant isn't prepared to handle it?? read more

Food was great! Nice surprise in a small town stopping through on the way to FL. Has something for everyone!

What awesome food and excellent service! Becca was a great server! The fajitas were yummy, margaritas were on point and a good selection of draft and beer. All in all it was a fantastic experience. Can't wait to go back! read more

Armando’s Mexican Restaurant - Inside - Mexican Near Me - Santee, South Carolina

When we sat down and ordered our food we seen a cockroach crawling on our table and when we called the manager over he didn't care not one bit or apologize he just shrugged his shoulders. We told our waitress about the bug and she told him again about it and he came over again and said next time to hold the bug there to show him. WTF? He was very rude ! read more

Food was bad only good Robert the server beef extremely salty and pork fajitas were terrible thank for nothing

Couldn't believe the crowd at this place! Wow! Still...no wait. Ambiance is good. Kinda loud due to the size and crowd. Food was delicious! The carne asada was amazing. Tender and flavorful. Jumbo margaritas are a great value during happy hour. Would recommend this place to anyone! Great find. read more

BEWARE!!! My husband, our son and his wife ate here this past Saturday night. We had chicken and steak. We suffered a terrible bout of FOOD POISONING!! All four of us out of work for two days and my son had to visit the ER to get fluids.. the doctor confirmed salmonella poisoning. We have reported to DEHEC. I'm sure there were more people who suffered the same fate at this restaurant. read more

A letdown that goes much farther than a scorching case of heartburn and buyers remorse when signing the check. Armando's is in desperate need of a complete overhaul/rehabilitation than only Gordon Ramsay or John Taffer could deliver. Monday night in Santee is a veritable desert in choices to dine when the heavy hitters of restaurants are closed....if only one could read the dour and grossly disappointed faces of the patrons exiting the building one could avoid the veritable shit show that is the cuisine. Watered down refried beans, tasteless rice, and taco meat that I wouldn't serve to my dog, ever. The highlight: Ashley the bartender, who worked her ever loving butt off behind a helplessly understaffed bar, and still delivered effervescent and impeccable service despite her dire situation. read more

We have been eating there for quit awhile. The last couple of times we went there the quality of their food has gone down big time. The last time we went for happy hour. I ordered a skinny margarita. Got the medium and was charged $7, which is what I normally pay. When I got my bill, there was an additional charge of $5. When I ask why there was a $5 extra charge I was told because they had to hand make my margarita. My friend got a handmade frozen mango daiquiri and was not charged an extra fee. When I question the manager it was like talking to the wall! They just lost 4 used to be loyal customers! read more

Wow. Fun lively atmosphere. Food out of this world !!! First class service. Great place to go on a date or take a family. Very cool place. Takeout was good too. Lunch great. Dinner. Great The kind of place you want to go to weekly. Ladies. Try the drink. Good and Evil. Delicious. read more

Found this on Yelp while traveling. Easy to find off of I 95. Friendly service by Cinnamon. Delicious food.

We love Armando's. As several of us have food allergies, it is wonderful to have a place close by that allows us to order exactly what we want. read more

I ordered taco de asada which I assumed should be a staple or at least good. Let me just say that the corn tortilla had more flavor than the steak. Same thing went for the fajitas. It smelled good coming out but had no flavor. read more

If I could give this place 0 stars I would. My fiancée and I stumbled upon this place think, "Hmm, Mexican might be good." Upon receiving the chips and salsa, visually I noticed the salsa had no seasoning. My tastes buds confirmed that. We didn't order anything crazy but the wait was long. The food was okay. It at least had salt on it. The chicken was hard, which makes me feel like it has been sitting out. That is concerning. This is where it gets good.... Our waiter, seemed like he was having a hard time with his section. He apologized to us for not waiting on us immediately. Once he left my fiancée asked me if I could smell alcohol on his breathe. I thought she was joking, until she noticed the bartender and our waiter taking shots. The longer we sat, the more it seemed like they were drinking. Now, while this was mildly entertaining, it left for an unpleasant experience in a hot restaurant. All that to say, don't come here for the food. However, if you are bored and looking for some entertainment, please come to this place, you won't be disappointed by what you might see. read more

We LOVE Armando's. More often than not, we order online...but this is the best part. I have odd food allergies and their online ordering allows me to go through pretty much every ingredient for each item. Many places kind of do this, but they often don't include all of the ingredients so I have ended up with many meals I can't eat. Taco Tuesday is a lot of fun and their margaritas are wonderful. read more

Delicious! Mexican food was authentic and portions were plenty. Waitstaff was very attentive and helpful. I recommend the Sopapillas.