Tacos salad was good I loved it so mush going back soon . The service was amazing . I hope this help with people make the right choice

The good thing is I enjoyed my meal. The atmosphere was nice and the staff was wonderful. Looking forward to going back. read more

Their food is Always good and service is on point! The atmosphere is always upbeat and exciting!

We love the food & service. Fajitas are one of our barometers when evaluating the authenticity. Real good food with that home cooked taste ! read more

Great service and food, everytime!!! Atmosphere is very nice. Friendly staff. Nice Time!

El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant was a great stop while meandering down Interstate 95 for a well-deserved meal break. The exterior facade is rather simple and the inside is nothing overly fancy, but that's okay. I have always contended that the best Mexican food does not come from some fancy, upscale restaurant, but rather these little hole in-the-wall type places. El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant only just reinforced this belief that I have by offering a solid meal in a humble setting. My server was friendly and helpful and, again, the food was definitely good. El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant was a great find for me. The menu had plenty of good looking food items, but I went with a burrito. I truly enjoyed it and it was a great meal and I was back on the road with a smile on my face. Overall, I would definitely recommend El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant. read more

Great food and chips! Traveling by on 95 and stoped for lunch. Staff were friendly and food was quick.

Nice place, good service. The menu listed many options. We got the taco platter and the California burrito. Okay for a quick Tex-mex fix. Took photos of the menu and our meals for folks to consider for themselves. read more

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I ordered a blue margarita and acp! The food and drink were Amazing! Service is always really fast and accurate! read more

El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant - My blue margarita - Mexican Near Me - Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

Service was on point! She was polite and helped us with recommendations. The margaritas are fantastic, we had a large and we were lit.

I felt bad for our waitress due to her having to cover all the tables since no one else was there to assist (accept for the person who appeared to be the owner and doing take out orders and manning the cash register periodically). For being the only waitress to man all the tables, she did great...and had a really good attitude about it all as well! The food came out pretty quickly, and it all tasted good. I still don't understand why they couldn't have just added cheese sauce on top of my entree and just charged me extra...she asked the owner about this and he stated I HAD to get a side of cheese sauce and put it on myself...ok?! I did so, and it tasted great...but think they could have simply made the process more efficient and streamlined by just doing it themselves during the food prep end of things. We had to wait a little here and there due to only one waitress being expected to do everything...which didn't seem fair to the poor waitress or to the customers either! Overall, it was a pretty good meal out with a few kinks in it, however, we were pleased with our food orders...and that's something! read more

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My wife , her mom and I ate here on July 19 2022. We had just crossed over the NC border from VA, and we're jonesing Mexican. Her mom had a great taco. Simple but tasty! My wife had rice, chicken and beans with sautéed vegetables. She loved it. I had My Tenampa - chicken, beef and shrimp with rice and beans. Was incredibly tasty. What topped the food was the service. Our waiter, Dennis made great suggestions, and the entire staff was happy and loved to serve. Talking with Dennis - I'd love To be his friend. Great personality. The place outside - not at all sketchy but wondered what we were Walking into. Kinda looked like a storefront. Then local Hispanics were coming and going and we knew it would be worth a try. Now - every time we head north or return home it will be a stop. The Texas margarita had a nice punch but I wanted to sleep The rest of the way home so I added a shot. The only improvement I would recommend - the salsa was ok - I like a zippy chunky salsa with a kick. They had a hot salsa that was actually pretty darn hot which I wound up Mixing in with the regular salsa. Salsa was thin - tasted ok but lacked body. Still tasty - The service and food quality trumps the salsa so I gave them a 5. read more

El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant - El Tanampa Restaurant Roanoke Rapids NC - Mexican Near Me - Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

What a pleasant surprise, we were on a road trip and took an exit to have something to eat and found this restaurant. Good food and service at affordable prices. Looking to stop there again on the way back. read more

The portions were ok but the Guacamole was old the chips were somewhat old, the food was ok. Nothing to write home about would definitely never go there again read more

Nice family Mexican resrurant with lovely staff excellwnt food, big menu and inexpensive to boot!

I didn't think I would be able to enjoy delicious Mexican food, while in Roanoke Rapids. NC. Everything was muy delicioso! Great service. They margarita was fantastic, too! read more

I had heard mixed reviews from friends and coworkers but I wanted to form my own opinion. I arrived at about 7:30. The place wasn't too busy and there was only one table of 4 in the bar area. Waitress was slow to address and serve me but she got to it eventually. I will start by saying the white sauce served with the chips is to the moon, excellent!! The guacamole was average, mixed up, not chunky. I had fajitas Trio and it was very very good. This made up for the slow initial service. It's a good place. I will go back. Definitely have the white sauce with your chips. read more

El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

I enjoy the food and drinks here. The last time I came however I had to find a server In Order to be serviced and they forgot our tortillas but I've never had an issue with the food quality. I've had the tenampa and the fajitas. I wouldn't recommend the water though it is not good. read more

I went here yesterday for lunch I am so glad I did. We ordered of course guacamole and Pico Galo to go with our meal. Both were delicious and fresh. I ordered taco salad and husband ordered vegetarian plate. Both were delicious. We will definitely be back. read more

Needed a break from the long drive home to Virginia up I-95 and felt like having some Mexican. El Tenampa popped up on my map and I'm glad it did. Nice quiet, clean dining area, very nice and polite staff, but most importantly the food was delicious! Got there in time for the lunch specials so we got a couple things. Chicken and chorizo was awesome! Definitely part of the clean plate club. I like variety, so got the chicken flautas in mole sauce, chicken tamale, and Chile rellenos were all amazing. Nice little find and worth the short detour from the highway. read more

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Love there taco salad .and homemade guacamole was awesome. Grandson loves to go there for the bbq nachos and tacos.

Food was great! Service was great. Good prices for lunch. We will be back next time we are in the area. Easy on and off of 95.

The food was delicious. It has been a long time since the chips and salsa have been this good. The chips came out hot and delicious. My husband had the Guadalajara Especial and I had the Combo. We both had to get to-go plates. This doesn't happen very often. Would definitely recommend this restaurant!! read more

Basic but good food. Not getting anything fancy but a place to get good food cheaply and quickly. read more

El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant - Menu cover for the Restaurant. - Mexican Near Me - Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

They habitually overcharge you here to the point where I am sure it is intentional. Make sure they ring you up right if you decide to go.

One of our favorite places to eat in town. The food is always good, the service is great, and you can be in and out fairly quickly. Some of our favorite meals are the chile verde, the tacos de carne asada, and enchiladas rancheras. There are many other great items and there is something for almost everyone with the combo menu that has a lot of choices. Highly recommend for locals and travelers! read more

Took a chance on this place while doing a long-haul drive on I-95 and needing lunch. Looking for something better than the usual burgers and fried mystery foods that you usually find at interstate exits, we searched for Mexican with our smartphone and this came up in the results. We pointed the GPS at the address and we were off. We were a little concerned about the plain appearance of the exterior of the building as we drove up, but as the old saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover. The interior is sparse, yet very clean, tidy and quiet. Business was slow and we were the only customers in the place. It was the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, so I really can't tell you what it's like at other times. We were greeted by a woman who sat us at a booth and presented our menus. Our server came by shortly and presented a bowl of fresh, warm tortilla chips and salsa. The chips were light and crunchy and the salsa was very tasty, if a little on the non-spicy side. They might tone down some of the heat for folks who they think might be overwhelmed, I don't know. It wasn't until after I was halfway through my tumbler of fountain Coke, that I saw they had a cooler of Mexican Coke across the room. I would have definitely gone for the MexiCoke if I'd seen it earlier or had been prompted by our waiter. Regarding our waiter: He was a very nice young man, but we could tell he was in training mode--still learning the ropes of being a waiter. It was probably his first day working as a waiter, because we kept seeing him look over at the woman who seated us (we assume she was one of the owners and/or maybe even his mother) for approval and coaxing. He did a very good job in spite of his nervousness and unfamiliarity with the nuances of the job. When he brought our food, we were very impressed with the authenticity of the meals. Very Mexican and not Americanized stuff that mainstream places like Taco Bell have conditioned us about Mexican cuisine. The refried beans were tasty and fresh, the lettuce in our dishes was fresh, crisp and green. My enchiladas were very tasty, if a bit un-spicy (again, I think they may have to tone things down somewhat for the NC locals), but that was quickly fixed with a couple of splashes of the pepper sauce that sits at every table. We had a very good authentic Mexican meal that didn't cost a whole lot. El Tanampa is a hidden gem. read more

What a random place to eat lunch. My friend and I were driving from Raleigh to DC, and we had gotten on the road for a bit before we got hungry. Somehow we found this place through Yelp and decided to come for a cheap lunch. I had the fajitas and my friend had the quesadilla. Both decent, but not amazing. But the price was really low, like $6 or $7 for each plate. Definitely good value, and free chips and salsa. read more

Cheap--you get what you pay for. Fairly big portions, though. Don't order the guacamole. read more

El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant - Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

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Service and atmosphere were excelLent, fast and efficient! We had the vegetarian chaluPa, enchilada and shrimp fajitas! All were delicious. The white sauce served with the tortilla chips to start is good but super sweet. All in all I highly recommend this restaurant. The Texas margaritas were good too! read more

I'm a practical person, but i whole-heartedly believe in "out of sight out of mind". My boyfriend was holding the door open for me when I saw something whiz my my feet, I backed up and over the edge of the sidewalk and across the parking lot- a mouse or rat. It was dim so i couldn't see how big it was. Big enough for me to see in dim, 8:30pm~ish setting sunlight. Now I'm not saying it was in El Tenampa, but I am saying it came from under the door. I turned around and headed back to the car. Never been there since. I'm sure most restaurants have pest, i don't want to see them while i'm in there though. They should at least have the decency to come out when the place is closed and people are stomping around and playing loud mariachi music. read more

Great quiet area. Awesome food that is not talk about! Way better than San Jose!!!!!!! Great specials and you don't pay for all sides individually, I love queso, rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes and sour and this restaurant only makes u pay extra for the queso! Im sold! Going back soon! read more

We stopped here during our travels and ordered take out. The food took forever to make, with people constantly asking what our order was. The food was the same you would get in any hacienda. But usually when I go for Mexican food the wait is much much shorter. read more

I was excited to see a Mexican restaurant with good reviews. If you are from California, this Mexican food does not come close. The enchilada sauce is a cross between regular enchilada sauce and Tex mex nasty gravy enchilada sauce. White sauce to dip chips in??? What is it? A knock off of ranch? I hate to sound negative because this food is obviously really good to some people. It's just not what this Cali girl expected. I should have taken pictures. The food was very flat. My chimichanga was not a beautiful, crispy, flaky burrito. It was a flat, open ended (like a big enchilada), covered in what appeared to be white cheese sauce and hiding under guacamole, sour cream and lettuce. It wasn't disgusting but it was just "ok". There was definitely no flakiness to me chimichanga. I guess I'm still searching for authentic, Tijuana style Mexican food read more

Best Mexican food in Roanoke Rapids, very quick and friendly service. You can never go wrong with the chicken taco salad, or fajitas, that is if you aren't already full off the chips with white sauce and fresh salsa that you are greeted with as soon as your seated, this is a weekly spot for us! read more

Love the fajita burritos! You can't find chips and white sauce anywhere else. Best Mexican in RR!

The waiter was very friendly and attentive. The fajitas were delicious! We didn't have to wait long for the food. The ambiance was very pleasant-quiet Spanish music, low noise level, with nice decor and comfortable seating. read more

Not much of a presentation but the quesadillas ranchero is good. Margaritas were good. .. if you like them on the sour side.

Chips and salsa are awesome! Right off of I-95. The food came out quickly and was very tasty. The place would've earned a 5 if there was music at all-and not just a TV going, and if the server would've smiled at least once (perhaps she was having a bad day). Overall, it was good though! read more

This is my second dining experience here. I've drove down from Pittsburgh, PA today & haven't stopped to eat as I have been craving their white cheese & nachos & #14! Simple but delicious! Tamale, burrito & enchilada! I have a sensitive tummy & palate so I try to stay away from hot & spicy. If you enjoy the same, give #14 a try!! read more