Our waitress was very helpful and attentive and made great suggestions. The red is not your typical…read moreMexican place but the food was a pleasant surprise for Roanoke. It was spirit just the right extent and had great flavors. The restaurant was clean and had the normal noise level for a place this size. It could easily accommodate 25-30 people and not feel crowded. I would definitely recommend a stop in if you are looking for authentic Mexican food with good flavors and spice.

There is a new Mexican restaurant on the block: "Tacos Los Toros." Housed in a small, bright yellow…read morebuilding on Hershberger Rd, we must not let its size fool us; for its menu, quality of food, attention to detail, and extraordinary customer service are nothing but amazing. After I found out from a Mexican friend of mine that it just had opened a few days ago, I immediately made plans to go visit and try it out. And what I discovered by doing so far exceeded my highest expectations of the restaurant. I arrived at the restaurant on a late afternoon, after quickly finding it with the help of its exterior bright yellow color and colorful restaurant signs: one in front of its front patio dining area, and another high above on the building itself. The restaurant has a parking lot for the convenience of its customers, and the main entrance is through a door on the right side of the building. As one enters its door, one can't help but notice the cleanliness of the place, which its interior design is in the minimalist decor, with walls painted golden-yellow, black ceiling, with black furniture, and imitation cherry wood hardwood floors. No wall nor other decorations. Its elegance is reflected in its simplicity of decor and in the beautiful bar glassware with thick quality glass and blue highlights, displayed on the bar shelves with mirror background. Next to the bar located in back of the restaurant are a pair of rotating doors that lead to the kitchen. As soon as I entered the door of the restaurant, I was immediately greeted by the host who gave me a warm welcome, asked me to pick the table of my choice, and handed me a copy of the menu and took my drink order of a glass of Iced Orchata non-alcoholic drink. Then my server, Ruth came by, warmly greeted me, answered some questions of the menu I had, and took my order. By the way, the menu had a great selection of familiar Mexican food items and some unique ones as well. As appetizer I ordered Tortilla Chips with Guacamole dip. As the main entrée I ordered the Molcajete. I invite the readers of this review to view my photographs of the menu and of the food enjoyed for a more detailed picture of my food. After all, it is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. The food was amazingly delicious. In presentation, quality of items, seasoning, and cooked to perfection. Simply, a Mexican culinary delight. For dessert, I ordered the house Tiramisu. Amazing, from a Mexican restaurant. In conclusion, I highly recommend this one of a kind Mexican restaurant. This family-owned business has it all to receive a Five Star review. Entrepreneurial owners with very creative imagination and wonderful personalities. I was able to chat with them before leaving. A distinguished yet relaxing ambiance. Wonderful menu. And excellent customer service. All together contributing to an extraordinary dining experience.

Out of all family-owned Mexican restaurants mini-local-chains with more than two restaurants in the…read morearea, Alejandro's Mexican Grill is one of them. The others being El Rodeo, Tacos Rojas, and Pancho Mexican Restaurant. Besides this Alejandro's Mexican Grill in Salem, Virginia, there are two more locations in Roanoke, Virginia. One is on Campbell Ave in the Historic Roanoke City Market area, and the other is in the Hollins area at the corner of Peters Creek and Williamson Rd. Established in Downtown Roanoke, in November of 2007, by co-owners Moises and Lisa Nucamendi. Their second location in the Hollins area was then opened in December of 2008. And finally this, their third location, located in the Mill Lane Commons Shopping Center, in Salem, Virginia, was opened in June of 2019. I have already dined and reviewed the other two restaurants and invite you to read those reviews and view my photographs accompanying them. The restaurants are known for their authentic California-style Mexican Food, their popular salsa bar, and award-winning margaritas. Their menu includes traditional and authentic Mexican items such as Mexican Sopes, Tacos, Enchiladas, Tortas, Chiles Rellenos, and Flautas, among others. Their dessert Flan is made in-house by their head cook, and have the reputation of being delicious. When I arrived, their restaurant's front did not look at all very fancy. And from what my server told me, the restaurant used to be twice the size, but they gave up the extra space due to the poor economy caused in part by the Covid years. Their interior decor and furniture is outdated yet in good condition, clean and very comfortable. Mexican artworks decorate the walls of the place and is what gives it an air of distinction. The ceiling lamps and lighting treatment also help give the restaurant some class. As soon as I entered the restaurant, a gentleman Host greeted me and took me to one of the booths of the restaurant. It was early for dinner but since I hadn't had lunch so I didn't seen to mind, and there was a large party dining there at the moment as well. My server, a friendly young gentleman from Honduras, gave me a warm greeting and took my order. To drink I had a Virgen Mango Margarita and a glass of iced water. For appetizer I just enjoyed their wonderful chips and the salsa from the Salsa Bar. As my main entrée I had 4 Flautas (2 pork carnitas and 2 shredded beef). They came accompanied with Mexican rice and refried beans. And topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and shredded cheese. The salsa bar was very clean and the salsa looked very fresh. The tortilla chips were also freshly made and one of the best tortilla chips I've ever had. However the flautas had much to be desired. The tortillas that they were wrapped in were not fried crunchy as they should have been, and the shredded beef was overly seasoned and too spicy. Yet the pork from the carnitas was seasoned and cook to perfection, and the rice and refried beans were good as well. My servered came to check on me at the appropriate times and in time for me to order dessert for the Grand Finale of my dining experience. Of course I ordered their in-house made Flan dessert. And I can assure you it was delicious and wonderfully presented. In conclusion I found the ambiance of the place to be pleasant and friendly, even though the decor was not too modern. Most of the food was good, and the customer service was excellent, so I wouldn't hesitate to return next time I'm around the area. I particularly enjoyed the Virgen Mango Margarita, their Chips and Salsa, and their in-house made Flan.

We enjoyed a fabulous meal in June 2026 at Alejandro's restaurant in Salem, VA. The prices were a…read moregreat value with large portions of terrific tasting food! Our order was not quite right (they brought 3 floats instead of 4), although eating just two of them with beans and rice was more than enough after snacking on delicious chips and the MANY choices of salsa. They then over compensated by giving us even more floats that we had to take home afterwards. The server was very competent, attentive, professional, courteous, and quite helpful. We are eagerly planning our next visit to this restaurant we very highly recommend you enjoy!!

I rarely eat food after 9pm, but you make exceptions for places like this. My top-tier chum who…read moreliterally went to the school of hospitality (down the street at VA Tech!) and I came by here this past Tuesday night after a few other potential dinner spots fell through - the week after graduation is not the best for college town restaurant reliability. This was one of the few businesses with a kitchen still open, and had the distinction of being the only restaurant she'd actually been to when she was in college here over 20 years ago. Certainly a testament to the power of Mexican food and the young pups who will eat it any hour of the day and night. Unlike her last visit, El Rodeo apparently isn't as dark and divey as it used to be. A shame in my view, but it is what it is. The walls are painted a bright white, and if you didn't have the menus and margaritas roaming around, it could have hosted any genre of cuisine. There was an outdoor dining area that was pretty hopping but we opted for indoors and were immediately seated in a spacious booth with views of giant TVs showing a wild Cavs/Knicks playoff game. I wasn't obscenely hungry so I avoided eye contact with the burritos and instead went for a chicken/cheese quesadilla and a large glass of water. The quesadilla showed up within a few minutes and honestly really hit the spot. It was SUPER cheesy (in terms of flavor, not quantity, which I liked - I'm all about an ingredient equilibrium with my food), and I loved the crispness of the tortilla. The chicken was nicely shredded and seasoned, and it was generous portion to the point where I was only able to eat about half of it. The rest came back to the hotel with us to be consumed at a later time. The service was excellent. The turnaround time of the food was insanely quick, and the only noticeable delay was when our waiter understandably needed to attend to a wild 21st birthday celebration at a nearby table. Happy Birthday to her, and I hope the margaritas treated her well. College town restaurants kind of are what they are - it's not really the land of bougie gastropubs but rather affordable tasty shizzle that you might impulsively eat in the middle of the night. Solid recommend.

I got the Arroz Con Pollo, along with a Jumbo Pina Colada Margarita…read more This dish isn't a traditional Mexican dish - it's actually more Caribbean - but due to the massive demand for it in the South, it's a staple of menus here but not really found anywhere else in the US - that's why I had to make sure to get it while I was here as I hadn't had it before and I know this place is known for it This food was absolutely fantastic The dish came with a TON of grilled chicken pieces on rice, along with a lot of vegetables, and a cheese-like dip Starting with the chicken, it was really good, and as I mentioned, there was a lot of it it was also soft and not quite juicy - but definitely not overcooked/dry either. it was really satisfying to bite into it wasn't super well seasoned - but there was enough that it was detectable the rice itself was pretty nice and well-flavored. it wasn't anything too special but it served as a solid base for the rest of the toppings the vegetables were pretty fantastic - and served as a great complement to the chicken. I was especially a big fan of the grilled onions and the peppers, as these were cooked really well. however, the tomatoes weren't great. charging extra for these was a little strange, but I didn't mind it what really brings the dish overall together and takes it to another level is the cheese dip that mixes throughout everything if this was too cheesy - it would ruin the entire dish by making it practically inedible if it didn't have a strong flavor, the entire dish would basically feel plain however, this was just perfect. It had a hint of cheese, but most surprisingly, it had a bunch of other flavors in there too that created a sauce that coated every part of the dish and significantly increased the flavor of everything it touched this resulted in the overall meal having a comforting, deep flavor profile that was really, really good The margarita was also decent - it was super sugary and you couldn't taste the alcohol that much, but it was enjoyable to drink For the price, this was a pretty great deal. When adding the vegetables onto the ACP, it came out to around 15 dollars, and this was a really nice portion size given that price. The jumbo margarita was also a really large drink for around 9 dollars

Established in 2007, this family-owned Mexican restaurant located at Westlake Corner in Hardy,…read moreVirginia (near Smith Mountain Lake) is a very popular spot for serving fresh authentic Mexican food in this area. It has a large menu including favorites like fajitas, burritos, seafood, and steaks, plus vegetarian options. It is also well known for its great cocktails, including margaritas, and a good beer selection. It offers the option of dining-in in one of its colorful dining rooms, at its full-bar with a large screen TV, or dining outdoors in its enclosed back patio seating area. You also have the option of ordering on-line or over the phone for pick-up, as well as ordering on the premises for take-out. It also offers catering for special events. After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I was also awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Photographer of the Year Award at their Yelpies 2025 Award Ceremony, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, and where last year I was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Yelper of the Year Award, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants, businesses, and important landmarks, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And Cancun Mexican Restaurant & Grill, located in the in Hardy, Virginia is a perfect example. I had the opportunity of dining at the restaurant for lunch last Wednesday when I was in the area. After arriving in my pearl white Lexus and parking in their parking lot the first thing that caught my attention was Carlos, their new Cancun rooster, a colorful statue that stood in front of the restaurant. The architectural design of its building with its restaurant's sign on a tower high above was also very impressive. As I entered the restaurant I was particularly surprised by its fun, festive, and colorful environment. The restaurant was very clean and decorated with some one-of-a-kind items that gave the place a very unique character. A gentleman whom later I found out was the manager gracefully greeted me and gave me a warm welcome to their restaurant. He then took me to my table. Shortly afterwards my server arrived with some chips and both red and white salsas. Only very exclusive Mexican restaurants serve the white salsa. He took my drink order of a large Virgin Mango Margarita. As he went to have it made I browsed through their extensive menu and saw some very unique items which I would like return another day to have for dinner. But since it was lunchtime I ordered their Quesadilla Rellena with shredded beef. They were served with pico de gallo and sour cream and I asked for Guacamole extra. While I waited for the food order to be made I enjoyed my delicious Virgin Mango Margarita which was amazing, while also having my chips and salsa. The Quesadilla arrived fresh and hot and filled cheese and a well seasoned shredded beef. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the high-quality food served here. When I was finished eating my server brought me the bill without first asking me if I wanted dessert. Since it was late I decided to have it at the movie theater I was going later on. But next time I come for dinner I will definitely have their Mexican Fried Ice Cream. As I was leaving the manager showed me around the restaurant as well as the outside seating area in the back patio, and again thanked me for dining at their restaurant. In conclusion I highly recommend this Mexican restaurant for its exquisite, genuine Mexican cuisine, its amazing margaritas, its festive, welcoming, and relaxed environment, together with wonderful customer service.

Forgot my sauce with my birria tacos very dry no tip never came back to correct need to do betterread more

The food is always delicious at El Mezcal. Servers are very friendly and have good suggestions. It…read moreis a family restaurant and noise level is medium . They have booths and tables . The Taco salad is very tasty and the rice and black beans are delicious! Try the flan as dessert. They add a bit of cinnamon to it and it makes it really tasty

Me and my mom came here for lunch on 2/18 and the food was ok. The beans were obviously from a few…read moredays ago and they tasted weird. The waitress did not even give us any napkins until we were done eating. There was no napkins on any tables either. She was not attending us at all... the whole time she was gossiping with other workers. I had ordered a molcajate it comes with rice and beans and I believe was priced at 25-27$ and my mom got a steak that also comes with rice and beans which was also in that same price range + 2 aguas frescas. when we went to pay we were charged 72 dollars!!! My mom did not want to argue about it and the waitress did not even give us a receipt. Never coming here again !

On a rainy Sunday evening at around 6:45pm I arrived at this small Mexican restaurant and the first…read morelesson I learned was to "Never judge a book by its cover," for when I entered I found an almost full restaurant with just a couple of empty tables. As I waited in front of the Host's station to be seated, a friendly lady came out from the kitchen, greeted me with a warm welcome, took me to one of the few empty tables and handed me the menu. It was four pages, but designed very colorful and creative with lots of tiny photos of some of the food items. To drink I ordered an Iced Horchata (Sweeten Rice Water). This cold non-alcoholic drink tasted sweet, creamy, and refreshing, with a prominent cinnamon flavor. First time I had it but I immediately fell in love with this very unique and comforting taste. As an appetizer I ordered a dish with shrimps, which I had seen being served to another table. As the main dish I ordered a Chori-Pollo, which was basically a grilled chicken breast filet topped with Mexican sausage and cheese dip. And a side steak taco. And for dessert I had the Churros. Everything tasted delicious with an authentic Mexican cuisine. Even the loud background music gave the place an authentic Mexican flavor and atmosphere. In conclusion, this is a local Mexican family restaurant where you feel at home in a relaxed environment, enjoying genuine Mexican food prepared by natives of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

We went in on a Tuesday when the restaurant was mostly empty. They had $2 Birria taco specials…read morewhich you can't beat. They were pretty big and delicious! The apps were just ok- queso seemed watery , salsa very mild. The corn bowl was good but not out of this world. Service was very friendly , waiter checked in on us multiple times. There was some music and some soccer games on. Would def return for the taco deals.

The loud Mexican music was annoying, the waiter (who refused to speak up over the loud kitchen…read morenoise and music) was really hard to understand, the food was some of the worst Mexican food we have had in a long time, the overcooked chips came with a skimpy amount of salsa, no condiments on the table, and the prices were the same as much better restaurants. Other plus side, the place was clean and had clean rest rooms.

Medium review because usually service is mediocre, however, we went yesterday and it was terrible…read more There were like 3 other tables seated max, but all the tables were unclean and the manager had to call someone over to clean in front of us and then didn't even finish cleaning before walking away. The server didn't even talk to us, he just walked over and stared until we said something. The food tasted absolutely amazing but it gave me horrible food poisoning, and I KNOW that it was this restaurant because I had only eaten some light snacks throughout the day, and I only felt sick until after I felt the food hit my stomach. I got so sick that I had to literally run out of the restaurant to go lay in my car while my fiance paid.

Needed a quick and easy dinner to take back to my hotel in Roanoke and tacos sounded like the…read moreperfect option. This tiny shop inside the market building was perfect for just that. The Al pastor 3 tacos set was really good. The portions were nice and it came with a red salsa and salsa verde. I definitely needed more pineapple though. That's my favorite part and it was pretty scarce. I also tried the arroz con pollo and made a few modifications which they were totally ok with. I could hear the cooks reading back my order with the changes and I appreciated that The flavor wasn't quite there for me, but it was pretty good and again the portion was large. The queso and chips hit the spot and were the perfect addition. You could order beer and margaritas to go which I did not partake in, but thought was a nice option. They have outdoor seating or you could stay inside the market building. They also packaged up my to go order nice with all the necessary items.

The food was average but the service was incredible. I'm not sure we did the best job ordering as…read morewe were juggling hangry kids but the nachos that our kids got were unappealing and they wouldn't touch them. Luckily they ate some of my burrito and my wife's enchiladas verdes. None of it stood out but then again, it's called "Tacos Rojas" so maybe we should've orders tacos! The staff were great and I appreciated their help. We ended up eating in the market hall and had plenty of space for our crabby kids to move around which was nice. Also, not every restaurant allowed us to order and eat in the market so that was a selling point for us to Tacos Rojas as well.