The salsa is definitely from canned tomatoes. White sauce (which I don't touch) was just ranch dressing according to my date. More to come... read more

El Cerro Azul - Seating area. - Mexican Near Me - Powhatan, Virginia

Hello and what a wonderful dining experience! From the time of entry we had a totally positive experience The atmosphere was warm and cozy with immediate service and of course hot crispy chips served with salsa and a cheese sauce: The menu was not overwhelming but great having everything we wanted. Our waitress was so congenial' smiling and accommodating. The food was authentic and delicious (I had fahitas) and had enough for tasty leftovers the next day. Our waitress name was Carolina and we really enjoyed her service. The chips were so good and fresh and you could see them being made and smell them as you were being seated. We live in Charleston' SC and only wish you had a restaurant there to enjoy on a weekly basis. It was a great evening with friends and nice celebration for a birthday. A great time and food after such a trying year for everyone. Thank you all for everything you all do in creating enjoyment for all who visit your festive restaurant. Also enjoyed the background music!! Mary' Bonnie' Jim and Sterling read more

This is a pretty solid Tex-Mex joint. We were seated quickly, the staff were all prompt and kind. Drinks were never empty and the service was top notch. The tortilla chips are homemade and delicious. The salsa is not spicy at all, but definitely has a fresh taste to it. The guacamole is fine, but just fine. I ordered the tilapia salad and it was so delicious. My dining partners ordered fajitas and a burrito. They seemed to enjoy them and it all looked good. The decor is quaint and pretty standard for a place that is screaming "WE'RE TEX-MEX! ENJOY!" The best part is that it's actually enjoyable and worth a visit. read more

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Gotta update my review for Cerro Azul based on my last experience trying to them to cater an event. Their front of house staff is really, really lacking on the service front. My sons Cub Scout pack has a graduation dinner coming up next month and I was tasked with finding out if our local mexican restaurant could provide the beef and chicken to make tacos for the kids. We estimated the total people with parents to be around 200 people and the date was May 4th. I reached out to Cerro Azul and was transferred to Jorge to handle this size order. I explained the situation to Jorge and he took my information down and our needs for the dinner. We discuss 125 portions of beef and 125 portions of chicken and to price it with meat only and all the fixins, ready for pickup. He said he would call me the next day with the estimate. The next and came and went, no call back. Ok, no problem, I called back on Day 3. I was informed that Jorge is off today but I was transferred to Victor. Victor was very nice , took my information again and he informed me that my request should be no problem since they have done similar events in the past. I asked an approximate cost he said wasn't sure but similar events were a couple hundred dollars. Victor said he was going to call Jorge to see if he already worked up a quote and call me right back. 5 hours later....Day ends with no call back. Day 4, since I receive no back, I call around 10:30AM, I ask for Victor, I get Jorge. He takes down our food request again and recommends that we can source the tortillas ourselves local it would the cost low. I appreciated the advise and we agreed that he would price only the meat portion 125 beef and 125 Chicken. He said he would price it and to call him around 3:00PM but its probably between $350 and $400. I call back and he is unavailable. I call again and reach Jorge, now he says that they can't do it because on date they have too much going on. I let him know that I understand but can he give me the price since there will other events that we cater in the future. I let him know that I'm not working alone and need to report a cost back to my leadership group especially since and it's already been 4 days trying to get an answer. He is annoyed and put a me on hold for about 10 minutes and came back with a price of $2000 to $2500. I let him know that seems really high since we had discussed around $300 to $400. He adds that need to make money and this would be overtime for his staff.. I ask if they have staff working Thursdays, Friday and Saturdays. Jorge says this is above this normal work they they need to pay them more. ??? At this point I'm confused frustrated and ask how much is a typical 2 taco plate at your restaurant. He said around $6 or $7. I asked why he would charge a nonprofit kids organization $10 to $14 when El Cerro is not providing chips, salsa, tortillas, beans, rice, condiments or a wait staff to serve it??? He says sorry sir thats what we want to charge.. ok, thank you.. Where are business ethics? This experience has given me the impression that Cerro Azul no longer cares about its local community patrons. I will be sure to pass on the message.. read more

El Cerro Azul - Seafood and land platter..so good.. - Mexican Near Me - Powhatan, Virginia

Great food! Friendly staff and clean establishment. Big menu so everyone in your group will havent able to find a delicious choice! Kids Menu and American selections too. Both the Powhatan and Midlothian locations are recommended! read more

Love this spot. Easy access, great food, and always quick and easy! My favorite is the enchilada supreme! Yum! Everything is delicious.

Have been going here for years! I love that they can accommodate me being gluten free and love the owners and atmosphere. The food is always great and margs are good too! read more

Best Mexican restaurant in Virginia. Been open since I was a kid and they never disappoint in service and food quality.

Came here for lunch with coworkers. I ordered the vegetarian fajitas and I ended up with steak in my veggies. Disgusted is an understatement, this tells me the same stove/grill is used to cook multiple things. read more

Waitress forgets to brings our waters every time she came up we had to tell her she didn't bring what we wanted. But the food was good

We ate there on dollar taco night. We got there early because it gets really crowded. The tacos were excellent. Fully stuffed with meat. I got one of each; chicken, beef and pork. All very tasty and good. The waitress was ok but could have done better. She was hard to understand and not really friendly, which is so important to me. read more

Standard Mexican restaurant, think Plaza Azteca with a smaller and more local atmosphere.

Always pleased with takeout order! The fajitas, nachos and tacos are always really really good.

I live for Taco Tuesday, but I'm very picky about my tacos. I want authentic! This place fit the bill! The tacos were excellent, the atmosphere was vibrant, and the decor was pretty cool. I'm a sucker for brick walls. They had a large menu available and amazing margaritas (a must for taco night)! Our waiter wasn't super attentive, I had to flag him down a couple times for a refill, but that didn't take away from the all over good experience! read more

Usually order food Togo, always delicious & perfectly packaged! Great margaritas to go!!

One of the best Mexican restaurants in our area. Good service, good food, reasonable priced. Usually crowded on Friday nights.

Great food, fast & friendly service! Vegan friendly, never disappoints. Best. Fajitas. Ever. Also $1 margaritas with lunch on Thursday! read more

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Another strip mall Mexican place, but this one is pretty good. My wife had vegetable tacos and I had the burrito el special. Both were good, and the service was fine. The salsa with the chips was very good, the fresh guacamole just okay. Place seemed clean, and wasn't overdone with the cheesy Mexican decorations. read more

LOve, Love, Love! Not only is thier food delicious, but their margeritas are too! It is also extrememly economical, family of four can eat for about $35. WOW read more

Our favorite Mexican joint! Good food, good portions, good drinks, good people! Favorites include the Texas Fajitas, Texas Quesidilla, Chimichangas, and who doesn't love Dollar Taco Night? read more

This place was unexpected. The best nacho plate i have ever had. Clean, the service was right on time. I will recommend this place to everyone read more

I am curious about something. Two times I have ordered the Campestre fajitas. And both times they had hardly any spice. The chorizo is supposed to be red/orange in color because of the smoked paprika. Both times I've gotten it and it looks like to be honest...hamburger meat. I've ordered chorizo at other restaurants and it's always been red because of the smoked paprika. My question is are you trying to pass off lightly spiced hamburger meat as chorizo? Because honestly that's what it tastes and looks like. Thanks. read more

Forgive the short review but I'm not stoked enough to embellish this. Average Salsa Average Service Average Beans Average Rice Country/Bumpkin Atmosphere Average Food Only worth eating here if you are in the area but otherwise don't venture out. read more

I've eaten dinner here a few times now and each time I have been so impressed with the wait staff. It's a very family feel restaurant and the servers are all attentive and personable. They can roll with my sarcasm too :) We have had to wait a few times but never longer than 15 minutes. This place can get packed! Ok, so the food. I haven't had a bad meal yet! My husband always gets a burrito or fajitas and I usually switch it up. I do wish they had more enchilada options. Hint hint, wink wink. Poblano enchiladas, please. Mondays are $1 taco night and Thursdays are $1 Margarita night. Expect a wait on these nights. read more

Absolutely terrible, I got a taco and the meat was undercooked.Also when i went to the bathroom, crap was smeared all over the toilet seat and on the mirror was a ton of scratches. read more

El Cerro Azul - The crap i found - Mexican Near Me - Powhatan, Virginia

I have to update my review. I use to go here all the time but now I only go occasionally. Once they updated their menu and took some of our family favorites off, it went from wow to okay. We are a nacho loving family. No nachos a la casa, nachos fajitas, steak nachos, etc and you can't even special request them. I'm super bummed. Everything's kind of gotten pricier and I get it, we are pretty far out in Powhatan but their prices aren't comparable to surrounding restaurants with comparable food quality and taste. We commute to Midlothian again when we want Mexican food. read more

Great family run business with quick and friendly service and great food that is very affordable. The chips and salsa are better than most Mexican restaurants. They have dollar taco nights on Mondays which are super popular with all the locals. My personal favorite dish Mar Y Tierra (Grilled scallops, shrimp, steak and chicken cooked with zucchini, mushrooms, red and yellow peppers, and onions on a bed of rice, topped with cheese sauce, served with tortillas). My only negative about the restaurant is they have two locations. (Powhatan and Midlothian) and their Powhatan location is closed on Sunday. Selfishly speaking it was a place we used to go to after church. read more

We have been going here since it opened. The food is constantly improving. It was good, but now it is even better. Their take out is awesome too. read more

FOOd CRITIC I honestly think this is the best restaurant ever even though They have long waits sometimes even if you have to tell them twice to get your order right but otherwise it's perfect , clean and everyone is really nice great atmosphere read more

Good food, varied selection, great atmosphere, and friendly staff. We love coming here. Even during the pandemic they were efficient and consistent with food and services. read more

My husband come here twice a week. Great service and food. Everyone is always friendly and we appreciate that. Best Mexican food we've had in a while which is great because it's one of the few restaurants around. read more

We have came with friend to have some quick tacos - they were ok - but service was horrible - male server did not refilled our drinks ( nor offered ) didn't brought napkins nor ketchup for the fries - after while sitting when done eating we approach hostess to find us server so we can get boxes and check - she went looking for him ( bare in mind 4 pm restaurant empty ) finally we get boxes no napkins - we ask for cup to go for remnants of beer ( and being told he can't do it ) - we were here two weeks ago ( lady was our server ) and I got cup to go without issues ... - so food is ok - and if elderly dude is your server just pass... read more

What can I say...the food was pretty good, large portion sizes, service pretty good...the issue essentially? The prices...I'm sure everyone is noticing prices increasing due to multiple factors, right now...however, this wasn't just a small increase...We were seated without menus, but noticed the QRCode attached to the corner of the table. Unfortunately, I had left my phone in the car, so when the waiter finally came by, we asked for actual menus, which we received. He then told us some of the prices had changed, however, it was a bit hard to communicate with each other...between the broken English and his mask, we received very little information. Anyway, we ordered and received our meal. It was good...but then we received our bill! Holy crow! Usually a meal (like what's happening at fast food restaurants) will increase by a dollar, maybe two? Which is still too high all at once, to me...but our meals had gone up by $6 each! $6! At $16.99 it seemed a bit high...at $22.99?! Ridiculous! And my margarita...which would be $1 on Thursday, was $8.99 on Wednesday! What I truly thought would be about a $45-50 meal with tip included became a $70 meal! What if I had only a certain amount of cash? With those price increases, you're telling me you can't make new menus? Tape over the old and write the new? Explain to your customers that the increases were significant?! No, because the waiter had a hard time explaining the contents of the meal; trying to explain the change in prices would have been too daunting while waiting on other tables...do yourselves a favor, management, please print new menus with the correct prices! Transparency is just as important as good service! It will be a while before I get over the sticker shock and return to this restaurant... read more

Don't go anywhere else to eat authentic Mexican food. Hands-down the best in Richmond. Forget the well-known chains and high dollar downtown eateries. El Cerro Aziul is worth the drive to Powhatan, or try the sister restaurant in Midlothian. Unlimited chips and salsa arrive as you are seated. For starters I recommend the Queso Fundido which is loaded with perfectly seasoned homemade chorizo. The quesadillas are out of this world. Top your meal with a frozen margarita! read more

The food is delicious and I love the atmosphere. Since our first visit, this has been the choice for all of our birthday dinners! It's worth the drive to the Powhatan location. It's only about ten minutes from Westchester Commons. read more

Great food...good drinks...and friendly staff...! We were a party of 15 and we recieved great service from Leo and the rest of the staff. The La Reina was delicious (chicken, steak, and shrimp), as was the arroz con pollo. Chips and salsa was good as well...they give you both a red and white sauce with complimentary chips (I personally loved the red salsa, it uas a kick!). We love mexican and well be back for sure. read more

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So I have gone here for years and I have never been disappointed. I have gone here many times and the food is always good. This place feels very homey and welcoming. The food comes very nicely prepared. The food is very nice and warm. The chips that they give you taste very nice and fresh. The people working there are very nice. I also want to mention that I have gone there for my birthday and they do a thing for your birthday and they sing happy birthday and they give you this delicious dessert for free for your birthday. The price is great for the food that you are getting. It is a place that I love, my family loves, and my friends love. I highly reccomend this place! hola mi amigos es restaurante muy bueno! read more

I know what part of Mexico this food represents but I grew up in Colorado and have had Mexican food from all over the Southwest and I can tell you this is not good Mexican food. A sweet white sauce....how does sweet compliment Mexican food.....and a marinara type red Chile which in no way is a red Chile sauce. Green Chile is almost unheard of and when present is more like a relish than a true Chile sauce. But, in all fairness, all of the Mexican restaurants in Virginia does it the same way so I don't mean to imply that it is not legitimate or "authentic". TexMex is also a great example of really good Mexican food. There is only one Mexican restaurant in Virginia that serves up TexMex and the only one I'll dine in. read more

My favorite place to eat!! The burrito valiente is excellent! Love love love this place.. We eat here weekly Everything we eat here is ALWAYS fabulous and on point. Cannot get enough of it and we always feel like were in a food coma when we are finished! The waitstaff is always kind and very efficient in bringing our food to us. read more

This was our first time here. Excellent food and service at a very reasonably priced. Chips and salsa are fresh; very authentic Mexican food. Kids menu offers a good variety including chicken nuggets and fries read more