This is by far my favorite Mexican restaurant now. They're consistent everytime. Portions are very generous, especially considering their prices. The salsa is probably the best salsa I've had compared to thr surrounding mex places. read more

This place was delicious! We had to make a trip to Patel Bros. And thought we'd get takeout at a new spot. Esmeralda Grill didn't disappoint! Between my husband and I we ordered the al pastor burrito, 3 taco platter (2 carnita and 1 asada), and a chicken taco meal for our toddler. Usually I find restaurants to be stingy with their queso, even with this place charging an extra $2 for the option over the burrito they did not disappoint! There was even extra for my chips lol The taco, burrito, everything was spot on. Take out was easy to order and they were very timely. Everything was also reasonably priced. Can't wait to come back. read more

Esmeralda Grill - Chicken tacos kid plate, al pastor burrito with queso, 3 taco platter - Mexican Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Delicious, plentiful authentic Mexican food with excellent service. Came here while visiting Raleigh with my best friend and will be back!

Great atmosphere and the service was excellent. I know this may sound weird but I would go back for the black beans and rice alone. The black beans have been cooked down to a soup-like consistency and they are terrific. They have taco happy hour during the weekdays for $1.50 from 3-6 PM. Also, Tuesday is taco happy hour all day. read more

This place is the real deal. True, authentic Mexican food served - a family run business. Nice people, good service, great menu. Food is authentic and awesome, prices are great. Had chips and salsa, tacos with chorizo, carnitas, and carne asada, and rice and beans. All were excellent. If you like Mexican food, come here and get the food stuff. Not a fancy place when you get inside, but trust me, you won't care. read more

One of my favorites. I usually go here during happy hour to get some tacos for the cheap and catch a soccer game. Service is always good and the servers treat you well. Chill spot and one of my classics for chilling with friends and family. If you don't go during happy hour I recommend the molcajete or carne asada. Que viva Mexico read more

For starters it's not bad. I can't comment on the size of the space since they were renovating so this review is purely on the food. I ordered a combo of soape and tostada. Soape have a thicker tortilla while tostadas have s fried tortilla. They were pretty good. I tried my friend's torta which was delicious. The torta was pretty big. Okay my biggest issues. The fries that csme with the tortas. undercooked and almost tasted like grocery store frozen fries. I LOVE fries. That just :/. The beans and rice were sad. It looked and tasted sad. The meat ( i tried their pollo and pastor) were flavorful, siding with the pollo more. If you are a visual eater then this isn't really going to work in your favor. But if you're just here to eat and don't really care much then go here and skip the fries. read more

Esmeralda Grill - Combo: soape and tostada ( haven't tried it yet but not sure which is what) - Mexican Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Out of this world good. First of all the amount of food for the price is borderline absurd. I was so sad we were heading out of town and couldn't take our leftovers. I could only eat 1/3 of my torta (and I a fat boy!) and my boyfriend barely got through half of his burrito. Everything was super delicious, fresh and perfect. Service was warm and friendly. Just a gem of a local spot. Can't wait to go back. read more

Simple style eatery with minimal decor. Table service, but you pay up front. Service was polite and accommodating. Waitress did the 'hello, can I take your order' thing in Spanish and I had to do the awkward 'Hello, I'm not Latin, I just kind of look like I am' thing lol. Lots of options and combos below 10 dollars. Complimentary chips and salsa, it's that thick and crispy kind and the salsa is served in a long neck bottle. I like it when you're given plenty of salsa like that. Lots of fresh coriander in it, although some spice would make it even a step up better. Ordered a chicken taco and chicken torta, for those like myself who have been living under a Mexican rock for years, that is like a chicken burger/sandwich filled with lettuce, onions, jalapeno, cheese and grilled chicken (dark meat) pieces. It was very big, so wide and tall that I had to request a box to go, which for me is not a very common thing to do. I like that they use large grilled chicken pieces for both the torta and taco. I don't care for that shredded chicken stuff that is so often used, it just looks like a wild wolf got his paws on a piece of meat and tore it into threads. The taco comes with a small serving of thin green sauce. The torta comes with fries and for some reason the fries didn't really do it for me, they had no salt and were kind of over fried. read more

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We decided to try someplace "authentic " for Cinco de Mayo. The restaurant was nothing fancy to look at (in an older strip shopping center) but the food was amazing! We were the only non- Hispanic patrons and although the cashier and our waitress spoke some English, Spanish was definitely the language of choice. They obviously make their own chips which were exceptionally good and the entree that we each had was delicious! I had the taquitos and my husband had beef enchiladas. The cheese dip was perfect. Presentation was on point and flavors so yummy. We may have found our new favorite place! I encourage you to try this place....soon! read more

Great tacos, good sized meat portions and generally one of the better options around here. Their taco happy hour is awesome too read more

4.5 Stars. Authentic Mexican food with reasonable prices. I do recommend and I will go back. read more

Esmeralda Grill - Tejana Fajita - Mexican Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Searched for this based on hood for kids and it was! Super easy to have kids there. Great guacamole (super fresh) cheese sauce was great and a bit for the kids. I loved my chimichanga but the other two adults didn't care for red or green sauce on burrito and enchilada. I think we're used to Texmex and this is definitely more authentic. Great prices and fast service. read more

Yummy and well priced local Mexican spot that you should try! I haven't gotten the chance to eat in because of the current COVID situation, but getting take out was super easy. We ordered sopes with beef and chicken and chicken and beef tacos. Both were spot on- fresh ingredients, simple and well flavored. Also great price point for a cheap dinner or lunch! read more

This might be the best Mexican food I've ever had. Not only that, but the staff was very kind and service was very quick. Definitely our new go to! read more

I'm very confused why other reviewers are giving this place less than 5 stars. These are legit tacos for a good deal ($1.50 taco Tuesday). Service was excellent. All the ladies that waited on us were sweet and on top of it. The tacos we got were similar to street tacos with tasty fresh ingredients. Great value for great food read more

They messed up my orders and wouldn't correct it. their attitudes were horrible. worst customer service ever! The food was horrible.

Super tasty! This is the closest to authentic Mexican that I've found in Cary so far. My husband had the shrimp, chicken, and steak fajitas that came out beautifully seasoned and sizzling. I had a combo platter of chicken empanada and steak taco. Both of our dishes had Spanish rice and black beans. The only thing I wasn't crazy about is that they weren't full black beans, they had been ground to a paste. Still tasted good, just a texture thing for me. Service was prompt and friendly. Chips from the chips and salsa were crispy and thick. Guac that came with the fajitas was just ok - a little more lime or spice and it would've been perfect for me. Either way, we'll definitely be returning and trying other items on their menu! The combo platter was $8 and the fajitas were $14. We each also had a Pacifico which was $3.75. Very reasonably priced for everything, in my opinion. read more

A non-descript place off Hwy 54 outside of Chapel Hill that has fabulous mexican style food including great chile verde. On my several visits there on weekdays and weekends I found it is patronized mostly by hispanic workers, so it must have authenticity to it. You won't be disappointed read more

I did not feel safe picking up food here. The people standing around were not wearing masks (the staff members were) and there was very little social distancing. The food was good, I tried the cheese dip and camarones a la diablo. I would not return during COVID-19 though. read more

I live in Cary and this is my go to place for authentic Mexican. Their molcajete is a must.

Love, love, love Esmeralda Grill. Food is fantastic. My chicken fajita was fabulous. My wife's el pastor was also fabulous. The chips and tortillas tasted fresh and homemade. It wasn't expensive either. I highly recommend this restaurant for great food and service. read more

Went for the first time with a friend who lives close to Esmeralda and had enjoyed takeout from there a few times. Overall it's a really comfortable space that's definitely more of a sit-down place than a traditional taqueria. They have some pretty good lunch deals as well as some reasonably priced combos. Lots of stuff on the menu that you don't see too many places (buche tacos, cabrito and aguachile to name a few). After getting complimentary chips (fantastically crisp) and regular salsa (terrible -- tastes like ketchup) I asked for a bowl of hot sauce. The very nice waitress brought out a bowl of really thin dark red salsa and assured me it was the only hot sauce available. I pointed to the bowls of orange and green salsas at the next table and she said 'oh I didn't know you wanted the habanero salsa and the salsa verde'. She brought both our promptly so I guess you have to ask for each by name (though the fiery and bright orange habanero was the only one that was good). Tried four of the meats in taco form (all dressed with onion and cilantro and housed in a delicious homemade tortilla) -- 1. Asada -- just had a bite of my friends but it was very flavorful and not gristly; 2. Buche -- delicious and full of flavor, probably the best throat meat I've had; 3. Tripe -- very tasty but incredibly chewy. Considering Rancho Grande's is excellent and it's like 1/2 a mile away I would not recommend Esmeralda's; 4. Tongue -- stewed to the point of being almost mushy and cut in way too large pieces. Potentially the worst tongue taco I've ever had. My friend got the enchiladas in salsa verde and they tasted pretty good. He also recommends the roast chicken so I'll be back to try that most likely. All in all it's kind of on par with Rancho Grande -- the meats and salsa bar make me lean Rancho but Esmeralda's tortillas are better, it's a little bit cheaper and it's way more comfortable. read more

Esmeralda Grill - Taco trio, from left to right: Buche (throat) -- great Tripa (intestines) -- ok Lengua (tongue) -- horrible - Mexican Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Consistently good food and friendly staff. Also, the portions are pretty big so bring your appetite!

Fantastic Mexican! Had the Empanadas and it was awesome. This restaurant is definitely going into our rotation of favorite restaurants! read more

Wow! After living in Texas, I've developed strong preferences for affordable and authentic Mexican food. Now the only place I want to go in the area. The patronage is mostly Mexican folks- a very good sign when I popped in by chance. The tortilla chips are actual thick fried tortillas and the salsa is a simple fresh concoction. Terrific empanada and enchilada plate at lunch for $8. It's not fancy, which is refreshing. Sometimes I get worn out from restaurants forgetting the food and customer service is most important and leaning on decor and atmosphere. read more

Excellent Guacamole & Molcajete Combo! Pros: 1) Very Economical. 2) Family Owned and Operated. 3) Friendly Full Service (Not Counter Service) 4) Great Variety. 5) Excellent Guacamole (Not tableside, but very fresh and well seasoned!) 6) Clean Restrooms. 7) Plenty of Seating. 8) Not too loud. 9) In my humble opinion, they offer the best Molcajete in the Triangle. *This can easily be shared with two people. 10) They provide free chips (thick-cut) and a high quality Salsa. 11) Unlike many chains, this place has some real authentic dishes. 12) Free Parking 13) Very Clean Restaurant. 14) Wonderful Aromas. 15) Nice assortment of cold drinks and a few hard to find beers. Cons: 1) It's a retro-fit restaurant. They've clearly done the best they could on a limited budget, however there are a few tight spots. read more

Esmeralda Grill - Esmeralda's Molcajete: Chicken, Shrimp, Beef, Carnitas (pork), cheese, grilled onions and fresh Nopales (cactus- yes, you can eat it). - Mexican Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

We came here for tacos on the Monday right after the eclipse at 3pm, just in time for $1 taco happy hour! Coming from NYC, I still can't believe how cheap these tacos are! And they're so delicious too!! Taco Happy Hour is weekdays from 3-6pm. We got 5 tacos: pollo (chicken), barbacoa (braised beef), buche (pork neck), al pastor (marinated pork), and cachete (cheek). And that's roughly the order I'd rank them in as well. This is certainly a no frills restaurant. There were some booths that didn't have tables. It was large with loads of space, and we were initially the only ones there with one or two tables filled by the time we left. read more

Esmeralda Grill - Taco menu $1 tacos weekdays 3-6pm - Mexican Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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This place is LEGIT. Tacos, fajitas, queso, guac - all straight . They also have a lot of authentic options. Can't recommend it enough. And the service was so good. read more

First and last time we visited. The service was poor. The open hours are until 10pm but at 8.30pm they wanted to shutdown major side of restaurant already. While there is only one vegetarian option - the fajita veggies were overcooked. salsa and guacamole didn't taste good. We ordered one entree for kids and they brought out the adult version. The server took it back to "change it" three times and brought exactly the same plate back! They could have just told us. The lemonade we ordered had a bug/fly in it. The place looks dirty and booths are super tight. read more

Love that this popped up on my local lunch delivery! I was able to get 3 tacos for $5 and they were amazing. I ordered the carnitas and el pastor. All were super flavorful and came with lime/salsa and onions. I will be back!! read more

Esmeralda Grill - 3 taco lunch special $5 - Mexican Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

The food was amazing !! We got tacos and taquitos. Would definitely eat here again. We are stuffed now ! read more

Beat carne asada tacos I've ever had and I mean it. The carne asada is so juicy and tastes like pure heaven. Typically carne asada steak is cooked too dry and then you require the lime and sauce to make up for it NOPE not these it's just dripping with flavor Also, fresh fried chips super delicious and INCREDIBLY huge burritos. You'll come in here and spend 20 for a huge meal for two it's amazing value and quality. Best Mexican food in the area hands down, wow. read more

I had really high hopes for this place based on all of the great reviews listed here. I've searched high and low for an authentic Mexican restaurant. Highlights: Food looks amazing, tortilla chips and corn tortillas taste/look homemade, chicken enchilada filling was very nice and tender, relatively big proration of 4 enchiladas (most places give you 3), price is great. Cons: Didn't really taste seasoned, missed the salt, no margaritas (which I already knew before coming)...idk...the seasoning and spice/heat was just missing. read more

Esmeralda Grill - Chicken enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Esmeralda Grill has the best authentic Mexican food! This three taco meal included your choice of three tacos and a side of rice and beans. The tacos I chose were: barbacoa, chorizo and pollo. ⁣ read more

Esmeralda Grill - barbacoa, chorizo and pollo tacos - Mexican Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Went here on rec from our neighbor and we are literally NEVER DISAPPOINTED. They seem to be sensitive to our child's peanut allergy (we just always mention it wherever we go to be safe. I've never had to use the epi pen and basically, I don't want to ever have to use it) - we always get carry out. Order and pay online, pickup in no time, never any errors on order. read more

Our new favorite spot! Delicious, beautiful food in a super casual place. Service was great- really nice, helpful and a pleasure to meet. We look forward to returning!! read more

Esmeralda Grill - Mexican Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

I'm Mexican and I recently moved to the US. I've tried a bunch of Mexican food and tacos restaurants but this is the only place that makes me feel back home. I love the empanadas (we know them as quesadillas fritas in Guadalajara but exactly the same thing), the Asada tacos are delicious and my husband loves Caldo de Res. Also love the Jamaica agua fresca. We still have a lot to try from the menu but I'm super excited for it. read more

This is now my go to spot when I'm in Cary. Each time I've been here the food has always been great, portions are generous and the staff is always friendly. I cannot comment on the dine-in service since I've only done take out. Next time I'm in town I'll be back here. read more

Open late. Fresh food. Great flavors. Nice Mexican soda and beer selection. Attentive staff. Great prices.