We love going here for Taco Tuesdays. The $1.49 tacos are such a great deal and always hit the spot. Everything I have had here has been amazing, but I especially love the chori pollo. It is one of my favorites and I find myself ordering it again and again. The staff is always really friendly and makes the experience even better. From the outside, the location looks a little run down, but do not let that fool you because the inside is nothing like that. This place is truly a hidden gem and definitely worth trying. read more

The food was good, but the waiter seemed like he didn't have time to take my order, as I had to shout it to him as he was walking away from the table. read more

This place gets a 5 star due to the comparison to all other Mexican restaurants within 30 minutes of me, and there are probably 20. The salsa is made with charred vegetables, similar to the since out of business, Chevys. Chips are light and always warm and crispy. There are multiple dishes they do much better than others, it's just a matter of trying a few things and finding your sweet spot. Priced well and service always attentive. Sux it took me a while to get here.. pics included read more

See all

The food is always amazing. All the workers are very attentive. My favorite is chorizo and chicken. It never disappoints! Fun atmosphere, laid back. Good for date night or lunch with friends! read more

Food is AMAZING every single time. The fajitas and beef tacos are my husband and I's go to. The margaritas are amazing also and you can't go wrong with any flavor. Service is always great and staff is very friendly. read more

The Shrimp soup is my favorite dish from a Mexican restaurant if available. Cholulas has some of the best in the area, it's always fresh and flavorful! Service is never lacking when I visit and very personable. Check them out! read more

Cholulas Mexican Restaurant - Caldo Camarn - Mexican Near Me - Swansea, Illinois

This building has been so many different businesses over the years. I came in with a friend for dinner. We were told to seat ourselves. The server was over fairly fast. A deal was going on for $17 on the rocks margarita pitchers. We opted for strawberry, and it was delicious. My street tacos were okay, a bit greasy but the rice was tasty. Ask for your check, then bring it to the front counter to pay. I enjoyed my experience here. read more

Cholulas Mexican Restaurant - Street Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Swansea, Illinois

See all

We LOVE Cholulas! Their spicy salsa is not for the weak, but is an absolute must. We also love their tacos de carne asada & pretty much any burrito. Great value & so close to home. The service is also consistently excellent. read more

Cholulas Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Swansea, Illinois

Food was really great and hot when served!! Nice atmosphere and friendly staff I would recommend trying it to see if you like it!!

Our go-to Mexican restaurant. Food-top notch Service-top notch Ambiance-warm and friendly The BEST Mexican food in the area, hands down read more

Excellent Mexican resturant!! Best in the area!! They have a great menu and so many selections others don't have!!

If you were looking for real authentic Mexican food, you will finally found it here at Cholulas!!! Very cute place great for a party of two or just a party. The food taste fresh and you must have the Cholula dip. I got the El Gordo burrito and it was stuffed with all kinds of awesomeness and could only eat half of it. Service was great and the people that were here certainly seemed to care. read more

See all

The atmosphere is cheerful, the food is quite tasty, and the staff are attentive and friendly!!

I do like trying new things and this was a great choice!!! Shrimp, rice and pico de gallo, simple and filling. Don't know what to get? The staff will lead you in the right direction!! I love sittin outside but the inside looks like a cantina, gotta love the music too read more

Cholulas Mexican Restaurant - Outdoor patio - Mexican Near Me - Swansea, Illinois

See all

If I could give them 10 stars I would. This is our favorite Mexican restaurant ever. The staff knows us and always comes over to chat and asks about our kids. The prices are very inexpensive and the food is great. They pretty much wake up and piss excellence . No one can hang with heir stuff. Ambiance is normal for this style of restaurant. read more

By looks and location, it is probably not the most appealing but definitely delicious food and really nice customer service. I've done dine in and carry-out and had good experiences with both. The homemade salsa is a really nice highlight. Also, when it comes down to basics, they don't skimp. The beans and rice actually have a little love in them that you can taste. They're not after thoughts on your plate. The chimichanga and fajitas are top favorites for me. My oldest daughter enjoys the enchildas. Literally, all of them because she's tried each one. Don't let the outside or location through you off, this is a family business doing their best and serving good food. read more

This is the only Mexican restaurant we go to anymore. The prices are super reasonable, the service is top notch, and the food is literally amazing! We're here every week! read more

Cholulas Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Swansea, Illinois

Food was terrible, ordered to go and items were missing and food was cold, will not be back

Went here with a few friends after an event, and was really impressed with the food and service here. You wouldn't necessarily know it from the outside. But inside it's colorful and vibrant and the food is amazing. This is probably my favorite restaurant salsa to date (I like my salsa smooth with lots of cilantro). And I'm pretty predictable, I always order a chimichanga, and mine was great. It's a lot of tortilla compared to filling, but still delicious haha. I'll definitely be back sometime. read more

Cholulas Mexican Restaurant - Chimichanga - Mexican Near Me - Swansea, Illinois

I go to Cholulas every week at least once. Great food and great margaritas with extremely reasonable prices. Great customer service and it's always a fun experience. read more

First time eating here. I was pretty impressed with my shrimp fajitas. The shrimp were perfectly cooked. I'll definitely be back to try more from this place. read more

I'm not sure how this place has 4.5 stars but I will say this in no way compares to other local Mexican food joints. Pros: salsa tasted nice & fresh, shrimp was not overcooked. Cons: the cheese dip was served room temp and chunky, steak was chewy and flavorless, quesadilla was so soggy and not cooked. Maybe we came in on a bad day but this definitely did not hit the mark. Another small but annoying detail, I pulled out my card and handed it to the waiter to pay and Upon his return I reached out for the check and my card and he handed it to my husband Not a huge deal but wasn't a fan of that. Photo is of the inside of quesadilla, doesn't look great. read more

Cholulas Mexican Restaurant - Inside of shrimp quesadilla. Soggy mess. - Mexican Near Me - Swansea, Illinois

First visit to this small restaurant. Light and crispy chips with very mild salsa for the table. Our server was Carmen and she was great. Drinks kept full, several check ins, and communicated in Spanish and English so all could understand the conversation. Tacos had well seasoned meat and rice was proper texture. Chimichanga was a little doughy and could have been fried a little longer. Guacamole is also mild but Carmen brought us some extra limes and a little hot sauce to fix it up to our taste. Reasonable prices and quick kitchen. We will be back soon! read more

Cholulas Mexican Restaurant - Frosted giant mug. Yesssss. - Mexican Near Me - Swansea, Illinois

See all

I can't believe this is my first visit. I should have been going here so many times before today. The food at Cholulas Mexican Restaurant is the best in town! The service is top notch! The ambiance is authentic! I ordered the beef enchiladas. They were amazing. Three enchiladas were definitely plenty. The sauce was something out of this world. My wife ordered the chimichanga's. Normally she likes my chimichangas, but she said that these might be some of the best. My son is a picky eater and was happy to find that they had tasty chicken tenders on the menu. He devoured each and everyone of them. I look forward to coming back soon! Real soon! read more

Had a chicken dish it was dry. The chicken was dry as a bone flavor. Good beans, good rice good chips good salsa slow service slow service.

Always good food! Service is always good. I am in there enough that they know what I get to drink and if I am trying something different than my normal go-to orders. They know my family when they come in with me, and they are good people. read more

I am learning that in Saint Clair County Illinois, curb appeal is not an area of concentration. Cholula's Mexican restaurant at 1500 N. Illinois Street Swansea IL to is a diamond in the rough. Carnitas being a typical dinner meal is always a risk at lunchtime. I ordered the Carnitas and a Chile Relleno and found them both to be full of flavor and delicious. The Carnitas were perfectly tender, I could cut them with my fork. Although there were no green peppers in the Carnitas platter I did not miss them. The two waitresses working the dining room during the lunch rush did not neglect any table. Their genuine hospitality and concern for the customers showed clearly on their faces. I will return to Cholula's and sample more of their menu. The chips and salsa alone were worthy of a return visit. The salsa was fine, made from roasted tomatoes and red peppers. I'm not certain the flour tortilla were made on site, but they were warm and soft and a perfect compliment to the meal. read more

When I walked into the restaurant it was very confusing on where to wait an who was the host to take me to my table. After about 5 minutes I was asked how many and was directed to a table. I was brought chips and salsa right away. I am not a fan of the taste of the salsa in this restaurant, but find this so in many places up north in the Mexican Restaurants. I ordered a cheese dip, which is white cheese and ordered the Enchiladas Supreme. The cheese dip was brought out and was not warm and very thin. My enchiladas were good and filled me up. Not sure if I will return for a second visit to this restaurant. There were very busy with lots of patrons drinking many margaritas. This maybe the reason for the good reviews!!! read more

I decided to go to this place because of the great reviews. I was sorely disappointed. I don't know whether they had a bad day or not but the food was certainly bad. The "special" I ordered was anything but. It was billed as an "XX-Large" burrito with grilled chicken and an assortment of other things. It had a lot of "other things" but was way light on the grilled chicken. Additionally it came out cold. It was obviously prepared in advance and then "nuked", but not long enough. When I brought the temperature of the food to the attention of the waiter, he mumbled something to the effect that it was the cold lettuce. On a better note the chips were fresh, the salsa appeared to be fresh and the margaritas were decent. Read less read more

I have been going to Cholula's for almost a year now. I have gone every day of the week that they are open (not Mondays), and I have NEVER, EVER had to wait more that 30 - 45 seconds to be seated, even when they were packed to the hilt! I am from Arizona, so I know Mexican food. The biggest difference is that white cheese is used in this part of the U.S. for enchiladas as opposed to cheddar cheese in the southern states, the smooth salsa does not differ at all. In Arizona, though, you can choose between chunky and smooth. Cholula's salsa is cool and delicious and the chips are thin, warm, and salty, but not overly so ... they are just right. I have had many menu items, and I have loved them all. My favorites are the Chimichangas and the Enchiladas! Their white cheese sauce, while a little on the thin side, is not thin on taste. Está muy delicioso! The flavor of the food in this little establishment is to die for! read more

CONSISTANTLY excellent food! We enjoy is couple times a week I do wish they would vet their Blue Moon beer back read more

This is my daughter's favorite Mexican restaurant. The food is amazing, I'm a big fan of their enchiladas and burritos.

The best Mexican restaurant in Swansea. Food is great, haven't had anything bad here. Service is always super quick and friendly. Ambiance is that of a typical Mexican restaurant in the Midwest. Will continue to visit here as I have for several years read more

We recently moved to this area and hoped to find a more authentic, friendly and nearby Mexican restaurant. YES, we lucked out and have returned several times. The home cooking is great; tasty, fresh and well priced. The staff are very efficient and friendly, and the physical space is always clean and inviting. We love their food!!! Besides tasty margaritas, their style of cooking is outstanding! We love even the simple items, rice and beans, and both the Chimichanga and Chili Verde are delicious!!!!! read more

By far one of the best Mexican restaurants I've been to! The staff have always been so kind and welcoming; it's almost like being at home with how welcoming the atmosphere is. The food is almost as amazing as the staff! I've never been disappointed with my food out of the 4+ times I've visited. 10/10 would recommend read more

Cholulas Mexican Restaurant - Fajita Mix Nacho - Mexican Near Me - Swansea, Illinois

Fantastic Mexican restaurant. I had the fajita burrito and it was awesome. Best Mexican in the area. I'll be coming back.

Shrimp nachos are awful. Plate full of tortilla chips, drizzled with white liquid cheese and about 8 shrimp on top. That's it. NO beans, no pico de gallo, no cilantro, no shredded cheese, no peppers. Nothing else. Awful. read more

Food was pretty good and the serving size were adequate. Wait were staff very polite and helpful.

We moved to Swansea in July of 2017. We see this place almost every day. Over the course of the months there have been times when it looks closed, I don't mean for the day- but like closed for good. We were riding our bikes on that trail that goes over 159, and we looked down, saw cars and said, finally what the heck. We had planned to go down into "downtown" Swansea/Belleville and try one of the many places that we haven't made it to yet. We've been to the Jimmy John's across from Lincoln Theater and the theater itself last summer...but we just don't go downtown much. Perhaps after fighting the rat race of Baltimore for 14 years prior to moving out here, the idea of any "downtown", no matter how quaint (A free parking lot- are you kidding) gave me hives. So I digress, I am talking about the very local Cholula . I (we) are glad we did. It's not a luxury place on the Sonoran coast. It's the little bit run down, "dive restaurant" place that it looks like. However, just like that Food show with the cartoon character spiky hair guy...you will miss some good food if you skip these places because they are not fancy. I got carnitas, my wife got a combo, we split a pitcher of margarita. The food arrived quickly, piping hot and tasty as heck. It wasn't pretty, there is no chef de cuisine plating happening here. It is the various shades of brown, with hints of red and green that marks all "sloppy plate" TexMex. We have no complaints. We will be back. It is not the best either of us have ever had, but for two people to leave stuffed and buzzed for $40 (with tip) a mile from your house- yeah A Okay. read more

Very good Mexican restaurant. Large menu with a variety of choices. Spicy Shrimp Tacos are awesome!