This El Rodeo on Electric Road is part of the Arellano family's local chain of Mexican restaurants,…read morewhich introduced Tex-Mex to the Roanoke Valley in the late 1980s. The original El Rodeo opened on Williamson Road around that time and due to community demand, the family expanded and operated additional locations across Roanoke and Salem. Their newest and most beautiful of them all, Rodeo Chico, is located at the Daleville Town Center, in Daleville, Virginia. I've had an opportunity of dining and reviewing almost all of them except this one. Today I decided I would go and try this one out. Located at the Brambleton Center, an elevated development in Cave Spring, Virginia, that also includes the Virginia Co-Op Extension, a Recreation Center, and The Bridge Church Roanoke, it is by far their largest restaurant in this area if one includes its extensive outdoor dining area with a solid beautiful gazebo with an amazing view of the surrounding mountains. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place, its creative architectural design, its amazing views, and its high-quality food. After driving in my pearl white Lexus up the hill, I parked in their parking lot in the back and walked around the wraparound porch of their building until I found the entrance. But before I went inside I walked around their extensive outdoor dining area with beautiful views. Once inside a friendly gentleman at the Host's station greeted me and showed me to a comfortable booth next to a window in the bar dining area of the restaurant. The perfect location to be able to capture photographs of their food in natural light. Afterwards I visited their main dining room which was already almost full in the late afternoon / early evening. After I was seated, Freddy who had served as my host, would also be my server. I ordered a large Virgin Mango Margarita to drink, which looked wonderful and tasted marvelous. I enjoyed munching on their basket of Tortilla Chips after dipping them in their red and white salsa as well. Few Mexican restaurants serve the white salsa. For my main meal I ordered the Carnitas, which contained tender chunks of pork and their photo in the menu made them look so good. They came with rice, beans, guacamole salad, pico de gallo and flour tortillas. I drank my Mango Margarita and enjoyed my chips with salsas while I waited and it didn't take long for my main entrée to come out. It looked delicious: both in quality, quantity, the way they were cook and presentation. All of a sudden, after just taking a taste of these carnitas, this restaurant had become one of my favorites Mexican restaurants. My server did an excellent job checking on me to see if everything was all right and check if I needed anything. The amount of food was so generous that I asked for a container to take some home with me. For dessert I had a Flan and it was also large and delicious. The prices were so reasonable and the amount of food so generous and good, not to talk about the exceptional service, that I made sure to leave a good tip when I paid with my Harvard Alumni World Mastercard. In conclusion, I highly recommend this Mexican restaurant for such an extraordinary dining experience that I had today and look forward to returning many times more.

The food and the service is always excellent here! If you ask for it they bring it with a smile…read more We love coming here!

It was my second time here. Friendly and quick seating. The menu is much smaller than I recall it…read morebeing but we got the chimichangas. They are much smaller than they were but still good. The rice was a bit bland and the salsa tasted jarred. Overall it wasn't a bad visit, just not my first choice of mexican in this area. It's a lovely restaurant but the food didn't match the prices. I would come again. Would try something different next time. Plenty of parking and room to use a walker or wheelchair. I forgot to mention that table had been cleaned but you can see food bits embedded onto the tables that won't wipe off unless you scrub it.

From the outside this Mexican restaurant is located in one of the most largest and attractive…read morearchitectural designed building of a restaurant that I have ever seen. With a beautiful outdoor front patio and a second floor balcony facing the patio, it sort of captures your attention everytime you drive by it and captivates you with a desire to want to go visit someday. For me that someday was today, the "Cinco de Mayo." Considered a day of celebration with good food, good drinks, and good music and dancing, especially here in America. I'm not sure if you knew but the "Cinco de Mayo" is a celebration of Mexico's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla. It symbolizes Mexican patriotism and unity, and represents the ability to overcome great odds. When I arrived at the restaurant, located near the Valley View Mall in Roanoke, Virginia, at around 5:30 pm, their large parking lot was already filling up. Outside in the front patio, a DJ was playing Mexican music under a blue tarp, and customers were seated at very nice outdoor furniture round tables covered with red and blue table umbrellas, drinking and eating, and having a good time under a beautiful blue sky with white clouds. I entered the restaurant through their majestic entrance to find an amazing open space interior design with high ceiling, many windows, and an elegant staircase leading to the second floor. The host greeted and welcomed me with a friendly smile and took me to a table in a wonderful location where I could observe the beauty of the entire restaurant. On my way there, we walked by the bar which was enclosed in a glass area with large windows looking to the front patio. Everything was designed to create a relaxed and festive environment in which to enjoy yourself by drinking and dining and having an amazing dining experience, alone, or with family and friends. Soon after having a seat at my table and looking over the menu which the host had given me, my server, a friendly young lady with a great personality came over to welcome me and take my order. I asked if they had any non-alcoholic drinks and she mentioned they had Virgin Daiquiris of several flavors. I ordered a Mango Daiquiri which came in a large glass, was thick like a smoothie, and a wonderful ripe mango taste. I love mangoes. They're my favorite fruit. So this drink tasted like heaven. To eat I ordered the Chorizo Dip, to enjoy with my complimentary Tortilla Chips with Salsa. And as my main course I ordered the Fajitas Texanas. Rather then describe them, I invite my readers to view my photographs and video-clips accompanying this review. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. All the food was amazingly delicious and the server came by several times to check on me, as well as the manager of the restaurant who was very kind and hospitable. For dessert I had the Fried Ice Cream and that's the only thing that wasn't good. The tortilla bowl in which it came in was stale, and the quality of the ice-cream was poor, not creamy as expected. It also was not wrapped and fried, but just a simple scoop of vanilla ice-cream covered with whipped cream. I should have had instead the Churro Cup but my server was not knowledgeable enough about this dessert to describe it to me correctly and in the menu it had no description. But I didn't allow this to spoil my dining experience. I wrote it here to not only make customers aware of this but also the manager so he can take action on this room for improvement positive feedback to make the dining experience just perfect. In conclusion, I highly recommend this Mexican restaurant for its amazing atmosphere, genuine food, and wonderful customer service which all contributed to an extraordinary dining experience.

We came in on a very busy Sunday night for dinner and got the last table available. I'm not sure if…read morethey take reservations, but you might want to check before heading there as they're very popular. Service was decent. Menu is nice. The back page of the menu has the "street style" food. I got a few tacos; a carnitas, a chorizo, and a pollo. The tacos come with corn tortillas and those tortillas were very fresh and tasty, though they ripped easily. The meats inside were pretty flavorful, with the chorizo being my favorite. They also make a house jalapeno cream sauce, which was really good and they make a habanero sauce, which was very spicy, but not too flavorful. Overall... Dinner was really good. I can see why this place is so popular and why the reviews are so good. Definitely worth stopping in!

This is our go to Mexican restaurant in Roanoke. The food is fantastic. The service is great. The…read moreatmosphere is welcoming and everyone has fun. Mexican food at its finest!

Tacos Rojas started 14 years ago when Octavio Rojas moved to the United States from Pueblo, Mexico,…read moreand opened the first Tacos Rojas location on 13th Street SW in Roanoke's Mountain View neighborhood. That first location opened around 2012 inside a small, unasuming space that was formally a convenience store. Octavio runs the business with close family members, including his wife, daughters, brother, nephews, and nieces. The business has grown from that single neighborhood spot into a regional favorite with multiple locations across the Roanoke Valley, including restaurants in Salem, Vinton, Keagy Village in Cave Spring Roanoke, Hollins in North Roanoke, and the Roanoke City Market Building. The restaurants are known for homemade, traditional Mexican dishes like street tacos, birria, large burritos, and fresh salsas. And have gain great popularity for combining a casual, welcoming atmosphere with scratch-made food. Today I happened to be in Salem to do some errands and try out the Tropical Sno Hawaiian Shaved Ice, which happened to be located in this restaurant's parking lot. Since it was around lunchtime and the Shaved ice place didn't open until 12 noon, I decided to visit Tacos Rojas and have lunch there. The restaurant was very clean inside and decorated with paintings that I later found out were of family members. It had a nice size main dining room and another spacious one that could be set-up to accommodate larger groups. A young lady greeted and welcomed me at the Host's station and took me to one of the booths. I ordered a Virgin Mango Margarita to drink, and by the time she came back with some freshly made chips and salsa, I was ready to order. I ordered the Lunch Special of the Day which was a California Burrito with Beef. While I waited I enjoyed their amazing salsa with the chips. The Mango Margarita was also delicious with the prefect flavor and consistency to comfortably flow up the straw. The California Burrito was gigantic in size and very good. It filled me up but I still had space for a flan for dessert. Made in-house the Flan tasted amazingly delicious. I invite you to view my photographs and videos accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the high-quality of their food and drinks. The restaurant also had a stage setup and I was told it was mainly used for group parties and special occasions. In conclusion, I enjoyed my lunch dining experience there and look forward to returning another day for dinner to try out one of their other larger dinner items on their menu.

Excellent food in a great atmosphere. Service was wonderful and our needs were attended to with…read morecareful attention to detail. Highly recommended!

Came here with my entire frisbee team after a tournament, and they sat all 20 of us on about 15…read moreminutes notice, so shoutout them for that to start. As a whole, they handled the logistics of such a large group very well and got food out in time and on schedule. I got the arroz con Pollo, which was decent and a large portion. Also, regarding service, they kept the chips + salsa coming which was awesome. Never had the margaritas yet, but El Rods is pretty solid from what I've seen.

As a true Mexican food lover, I highly recommend El Rodeo in Blacksburg, VA. If you enjoy bold,…read morespicy flavors, you must try the Burritos Texanos with poblano sauce--absolutely delicious. The Tacos Poblanos (also with the poblano sauce) are another top pick and full of flavor. The restaurant is often packed, so expect a bit of a wait for your food. That said, don't hesitate--place your order as soon as you're seated. If you go with either of these dishes, you won't be disappointed and avoid the wait!

I wanted to try something different since I love Mexican food. The camarónes à la crema was with…read moredelicious grilled shrimp ... more than enough and hot! Included squash, corn and mushrooms in the sauce! Wow! Rice and salad... filling after eating a bunch of chips! Friend had grilled shrimp fajitas and ate it all! That's always a good sign. All washed down with draft beers. Good friendly service.

This is one of Roanoke's must beautiful architectural designed Mexican restaurants…read more A third generation family-owned and operated restaurant from the first family to bring Mexican cuisine to Roanoke in 1986. It is well known for its authentic Mexican cuisine, including fajitas, tacos, and margaritas. Agave Azul originally opened as El Rodeo in 2001. Then in 2019 the Lopez family rebranded the restaurant, changing its name and design but retaining their style and original recipes. The change in redesign was made to better reflect the way one should experience Mexican Food in contemporary society, and to honor the vibrant, evolving culture of contemporary Mexican cuisine. As I arrived today in my pearl white Lexus and parked it in their very convenient parking lot, I couldn't help but to admire the beautiful structure of the restaurant's architectural design of its building. Once inside, a welcoming gentleman greeted me and took me to one of the booths next to the windows of the dining room and handed me a copy of the menu. Shortly after a friendly young lady came by and introduced herself as my server and took my drink order. I ordered a virgin mango margarita. While she went to request it at the bar, one of their employees brought me their complimentary basket of chips along with the tiny bowl of salsa. What can I say, they were irresistible and amazingly delicious. I found myself looking at the menu and at the same time dipping my chips in the salsa and eating them. When the margarita arrived it looked amazing. So fresh that one could see the lime slices juice dripping onto the table. To dine I ordered the Parrillada Fajitas and asked her to also include chorizo for an extra charge. She acknowledged that could be arranged and went to the kitchen to place my order. She then disappeared. I suspect they had given her a large table in the other dining room because the restaurant was not so full and yet she took so long to bring me my fajitas that when they arrived they were not sizzling hot with smoke coming out of the cast iron skillet. Before I had time to mention this to her, she had quickly disappeared again. I tasted the fajitas and they were so good that I ate them and didn't bother complaining. Besides I was so hungry that I couldn't wait for them to remake them just to see the smoke coming out of the skillet when served. But this was a bit disappointing because it was the first time it had happened at any Mexican restaurant before, and I felt it took away from the excitement of watching your fajitas being served sizzling hot. A side plate came with delicious Mexican rice, refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and guacamole. Also I received some hot flower tortillas wrapped inside a piece of aluminum paper. The time went by and I had finished with my meal and my server hadn't showed up. I was looking forward to having a dessert. When she shows up she does so with my bill. I told her I was planning on having a dessert if it was possible, and that if she could please clear my table. I ordered a Xango Cheese Cake that was supposed to come drizzled with caramel and chocolate. But instead it came drizzled with sugar and honey. After having a bite of it I didn't seem to mind because it tasted so good like this as well. Then another long wait to get the bill. Luckily in this restaurant you paid the bill at the cashier's counter. It's a pity that I let my dining experience escalate up to this point. I hope the owner and manager of the restaurant reads my review and takes action so this doesn't happen again. Next time I will definitely not allow this to happen again. In conclusion the food tasted very good but did not arrive sizzling hot; the ambiance was pleasant but lacked the Mexican background music, and the service was definitely lacking, but I'm willing to give this restaurant another try honoring its generational history.

A few months ago I had the privilege to have discovered el Rodeo Chico Mexican Restaurant located…read morein the Daleville Town Center in Daleville, Virginia, and write a Five Star review on this majestic yet colorful Mexican Restaurant that opened in February of 2018 by the Arellano Family. The father of this local family opened his first restaurant, El Rodeo, on Williamson Road, Roanoke, Virginia (this restaurant), along with his brother in law, in 1988. Since then, I have been wanting to visit this Arellano Family's first Mexican Restaurant that started it all, and has become a family legacy. From the outside, El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant, on Williamson Road, doesn't look that fancy, nor is it located in a wealthy location as El Rodeo Chico is. But what makes it so unique is that it's "The Original El Rodeo," and this is the one I set out to explore today. As I walked in on a late afternoon for an early dinner, the first thing that impressed me was that even with its age, the restaurant was neatly decorated and extremely clean and inviting with a very pleasant lighting treatment and elegant atmosphere. The host warmly greeted me and had me take a seat in one of the booths of the main dining area and handed me the menu. It was clean and very well designed with some color photos of some of its popular items. My server arrived with a friendly smile and a basket of tortilla chips and little bowl with salsa, shortly after. He took my order. I ordered a lemonade to drink and from the Pork section of the Specialties of the House page, the Burrito California as the main entrée. As I waited enjoying my chips and salsa, I noticed that even though it was early, customers were already starting to arrive to the dining room and cozy bar area. I also noticed that there was a very clean room with a set-up for a Lunch Buffet they have daily. On the other side of the restaurant, beyond the bar, they also have a large room with pool tables for enjoyment. The chips and salsa tasted very fresh, crispy, and appetizing. The main entrée was a nice size portion Burrito with melted cheese on top and around bowl with green sause inside. The Burrito was filled with carnitas and other exquisite ingredients, all amazingly delicious, but what captured my attention the most were the carnitas themselves. It was the best carnitas I've ever had. You could tell they were fresh pork meat very well marinated, and shredded. They also included the outside of the roasted pork, which is always the tastiest part of the pork meat. You can say I was able to experience first hand the flavor of the Arellano Family Mexican Cuisine that is like none other I have ever had. My server provided me with excellent customer service, coming by at the appropriate times. For dessert, I ordered a Churro Cup, one of my recent popular Mexican desserts. When it arrived, I noticed that it was missing the cherry on top, and mentioned it to my server. He apologized that they had ran out of them. I was somewhat disappointed but from the view of the Churro Cup itself, I decided to dig in the dessert and to my surprise, the crust of the freshly fried Churro Cup, was the best that I have ever had. It was crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside. This is achieved by promptly deep frying it and serving it right away so it doesn't turn stale and hard to cut and taste. It was clearly a Masterpiece of a dessert, even without the cherry. I highly recommend this restaurant for its authentic Mexican cuisine, comfortable and pleasant ambiance, excellent customer service, and an extraordinary dining experience.

Thursday night and completely empty! This place deserves more hype and attention, hidden gem for…read moresure. Great service and delicious food.

Tucked away in a quaint and charming little house in Salem, Virginia, I stumbled upon a true gem: a…read morefamily-run, hole-in-the-wall, Mexican spot serving up flavors so genuine, they transported me back to a little Tijuana taqueria I had visited years ago. This small and unassuming Mexican restaurant, Diablos Tacos & Tamales, is located on East 4th Street, Salem, in a small strip mall next to a laundromat. At first it was hard find. I actually passed by it and had to turn around, but when I did, its restaurant front beckoned me with its charming facade. I parked my Lexus in a parking space in front of the restaurant, who's parking lot accommodated a fairly decent amount of cars. The restaurant's front comprised of a bay window and a glass door, with a pine swag along the top of the bay window and a red bow underneath of their simple, yet effective, name with logo sign above the bay window. Humble decorations for the Holiday Season, nevertheless, clearly cheering things up. As I entered the restaurant, I immediately found it quaint, with only five tables. It was very clean and had a warm, friendly environment. Its colorful furniture seemed to give it character and transport you to another place in time. A friendly young lady greeted and welcomed me and had me seat at the table of my choice. I sat at the table next to the bay window, which provided exceptional lighting for my cellphone camera to capture the food served here. I already had a feeling that it would be a genuine Mexican Cuisine, one that tasted as home-cooking as possible. My server handed me a copy of the menu and took my drink order. I ordered an Horchata drink. She then brought me a basket with freshly made tortilla chips and a little bowl of salsa. The chips were thin, crispy, and so tasty that they easily melted in your mouth giving you a joyous sensation. One of the best, if not the best tortilla chips that I have ever had. The salsa was also very unique. It was not thick but rather very liquidy, yet tasty. When my server brought me my drink, I complimented her on the chips and she confirmed that they were made in-house daily. Chatting with my server, I found out that the owners and cooks of this family restaurant were from Mexico City, and that they had opened this restaurant around two years ago. The word "Diablos," in the restaurant's name comes from the owners love of one of their soccer team: "Deportivo Toluca Futbol Club," one of the most iconic and winning teams of Mexican futbol. Also known as "Los Diablos Rojos." The team was founded in 1917 and received this name by the inspiration of one of its best players nicknamed "El Diablo." To dine, I started with 3 Street Tacos Al Pastor (made with marinated pork, chorizo, and pineapple). They were absolutely mouthwatering, starting from their in-house made tortilla, to their filling, and cilantro, onion, and salsa. Then I was going to have a Pork Tamale, but since it was Monday, and they are closed Sundays, at 2 o'clock they were still making the tamales, in order to have them fresh for dinner. So, instead I had a Burrito Al Pastor. You have to see it to believe it. I invite you to view my photographs and video clips to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food. For dessert, they were out of Flan, so I ordered their other alternative dessert, Tres Leches, also made in-house. It was the most delicious Tres Leches that I have ever had. By its texture and flavor, one could tell it was home made. For in this restaurant one felt like being at home. I highly recommend it for its quality and genuine Mexican Cuisine, it relaxing ambiance, and its amazing service. All contributing to an extraordinary dining experience.

Nice people! Our order was taken quickly, fresh chips and salsa were delicious and our meal was…read morefantastic! Try the chicken soup adding crushed tortillas. The bomb! It's a hidden gem. Small, but clean and welcoming.