The custom service is A1!Everything is made to order!So brace yourself for some authentic fresh Mexican food.I love the fact that the restaurant is very homey.Not over the top and loud like newer places.We definitely will back.Highly recommend.Great people! read more

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One of my favorite Mexican spots in town. Worth the wait! Try the steak ala mexicana!!

If you're not coming here - you're missing out. This place is a religious experience. Chile con queso - . Salsa bar - . Customer service - . Camarones a La Diabla - . Everything is made fresh to order so be prepared to stay a bit - but get one of the margaritas and you won't be disappointed. 10000/10. Will come back EVERY TIME I want Mexican. read more

Lily's Mexican Restaurant - Small margaritas - do yourself a favor and just go ahead and order the large cause you'll end up getting a second one. - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Came for the Margaritas but stayed for the service and the customer service! This is a family run business and every member who we got to interact with was incredible! Each Margarita is made by hand and they are so good and strong! I would recommend going the 24 oz size! I order tacos and they were so good! They have a salsa bar so I got to sample some of their selections and every meal starts with chips and salsa! Loved the decor and the home feel of the restaurant! read more

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Lily's was okay. I don't need to go back, but I am glad to have tried it and supported them because the workers were all very nice. However, the service was incredibly inefficient and the food was just okay. Further, the inside had some authentic touches, which was nice, but it could use a little bit of a face lift read more

Lily's Mexican Restaurant - Outside - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Wonderful place. It's unassuming on the outside, but don't let it fool you! Their margarita is one of the best I've had! Everyone that worked there was so kind, and you could tell there was a lot of love for what they were doing. It was busy on a Saturday night but not overwhelming. read more

Lily's Mexican Restaurant - Chorizo Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Don't let the hole in the wall vibe scare you away; the food is incredible! They have a salsa bar. The chili con queso was stellar! I had the half chicken with rice, beans, and guacamole salad with corn tortillas. The tortillas held up well, and they were warm and fresh. The chicken was super tender and moist with a nice sear / char. Everything was seasoned nicely. The rice was great as well. The place could use a good deep cleaning, but I'll definitely be back! read more

Lily's Mexican Restaurant - Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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A humble establishment offering the taste of Mexico at its most authentic. Environment: when you walk into the restaurant, it feels like you're entering the Esparza family home. There's nothing fancy about this restaurant, but when you're eating authentic Mexican food, you don't need that type of ambience at all. There are several tables set up for parties of 2 and 4, and a small bar in the back that's mixing up margaritas and more. You order at the counter and then grab a seat wherever there's an open spot. You're given a basket of chips and there's a salsa bar near the back where you can self serve among 4 different types of delicious salsa. We will know that the chips are on the crunchier side, they aren't thin, Cantina style like you would find at other restaurants. Once you're done with your meal, you come up to the bar table to pay your tab. The family of this restaurant are some of the kindest and most authentic people I've met, and they deserve all the praise for the heart and soul they've put into this restaurant. Food/Drink: to eat, we got one plate of three cheese, enchiladas and one plate of two chicken enchiladas and a chile relleno. Plates are served with rice and beans. This food was extremely fresh and spectacular-- the most authentic we've had in St. Louis and one leaves you extremely satisfied but that makes you wish you had more. The enchiladas are cooked to have a crispy exterior and come with a deep and full bodied sauce, a combo that makes them super crave-able. we will say that the enchiladas were a little bit dry, but if you add some of the salsa from the bar on top, it fixes everything. The chile relleno what's the perfect balance of rich, salty, fresh, and crispy... exactly what a chile relleno should be. It was true highlight of our meal. With regards to the salsa, they have a bar with four to choose from-- all of heat/spiciness. All are homemade, fresh, and authentic... unlike any other Mexican restaurant in the city. Options are: hot tomatillo with chile de Arbol, medium traditional, hot smokey, and mild smokey. The hot tomatillo with chile de Arbol was our favorite, but the traditional was also light and refreshing with a small kick at the end. The margaritas here are an absolute star as well. We highly recommend getting the Lily special Margarita. It comes in three flavors-- we got the amaretto flavor and kahula flavor. The first one is more on the sweeter side, and the Kahlua flavor is less sweet and has some notes of cacao. Highly highly highly recommend with your meal. They made fresh at the bar and have a nice foam on top that adds something special to the margarita that we've never had before. Rating: 4.5/5, truly one of the most authentic restaurants we've been to that delivers immensely on the food. We took off points for the confusing ordering scheme and the slightly dry enchiladas, but that really should not distract you from coming to this restaurant. We will most definitely be back sooner rather than later. We found a new favorite Mexican restaurant in the city! We recommend coming early, this restaurant fills up very quickly! You might have a longer wait time for your food the later you come! read more

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Everything. Lily and her husband are so sweet and caring. The food is excellent and you need to put this place on your go to Mexican experience. Bravo. You have a customer for life read more

Interesting place. We've been twice, this last time was during the pandemic. It's a little oddly layed out. When we were there there was no one in the restaurant which was fine with us. It was about 6:30, I forget the day of the week. The routine is not well defined, at least not by us, but you go up to the counter, order, sit down, they bring your food, when it's time to pay you go out to another table that's set up and pay at the cash register. The food itself was really good. You can tell that they put a lot of their heart into it. The tortillas for the taco and all are fried fresh. We spoke to the owner a little bit and he said they get them in in packages and then change them up a bit to make them better. It really works. What took me aback a little were the refried beans. Now I don't like refried beans. I generally tell mexican places to not give me the beans, it would be a waste. But I did get them at Lily's. Wow... I was truly wowed. They are freshly made, they didn't just open a fresh can like the do everywhere else. I commented to the owner about them and he said they make them fresh. It really shows. Look at the pictures on the Yelp listing to see what I mean. They are well worth it. The food was extremely good. Tacos and enchiladas were perfectly made, as I mentioned a lot of it is cooked differently than other mexican places you'll go to that, if you covered your eyes, you'd not be able to tell the difference from one to the other. On the whole the experience was good. The atmosphere is one of the downfalls of Lily's and doesn't lend to a nice relaxing meal, there's a mish-mash of tables and decor and things just lying around. The carpet needs replacement in a huge major way. Because of the atmosphere, the interior, and the ordering/sitting/paying process I give this place a three. If they just cleaned up a little I'd bump that up to a four. But well worth a visit if all you're about is the food. read more

Great restaurant on S. Kingshighway. Mom, Dad and Son family business. You go up to the window to order food. We started with margaritas and queso. We tried the margaritas with grand marnier and it was smooth and very enjoyable. Salvador, the father, is the bartender and cashier. Salvador is very friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. We ordered from the son who pointed out his favorites on the menu. He said they've been in business 24 years, 21 years at their current location. The son said his Mom is the chef. After you order you receive a tray with tortilla chips and small containers for salsa. They have a small bar with three salsas from mild to spicy. The queso seems homemade and not from a jar. It has a cheesier taste and consistency which we liked. I got the steak fajitas and they were good. The meat needs more seasoning. Most of the meat pieces were tender. I really like the grilled bell peppers. There's no parking lot but it was easy to find street parking near the restaurant. read more

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The rice is absolutely delicious, family run business with kind and good people. Good experience (:

Very good local, family business. Very fresh margaritas, delicious! Best queso I've had ! You feel like you are at home or someone's house! read more

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My favorite Mexican food in STL! The food is all made from scratch is incredibly flavorful. The owners are so friendly and the service is always amazing. We brought a large group of out-of-town friends last night, and everyone raved about Lily's! read more

Have been twice. The food and margaritas are off the charts. Have had several entrees, all fantastic. Favorite is the Diablo shrimp (by a lot). The chili con queso, phenomenal. Everything is made from scratch, so be prepared to sit for a bit. But that's where the margaritas come in. One of the best margaritas I've had (and that's a large sample size). Can't recommend the place enough. read more

Great authentic food. Very delicious. The tamales were awesome. Yelp needs more characters so here they are.

If you are looking for authentic Mexican food, this is the spot. We each got different style tacos and each were super yummy. Fresh flavors, family friendly. Husband and wife that have run the shop for almost 25 years. It was great chatting with the owners, proud parents of 3 successful kids raised at the restaurant. read more

Extremely delicious. Owners were kind. Best marg I've ever had. Very authentic. Can't wait to go back! read more

Lily's Mexican Restaurant - Rice, beans, sope, taco, tostada - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Extremely friendly family run spot. A vast menu of options, and the portions are made fresh and plentiful. Hard to go wrong with any of the options. Expect to wait a little bit since everything is made fresh, but it's completely worth it. read more

If you like authentic Mexican and want to support family owned businesses, add Lily's to your list immediately. The atmosphere is very casual--you order at the counter and get your own salsa from the salsa bar. Everything is made fresh to order but believe me it is worth it! Make sure you get a margarita. The Esparza family makes you feel at home and is so warm and genuine. I had such a good time I forgot to take pictures of my food, but trust I will be back! read more

If you are looking for "tex-mex" or Americanized Mexican food you'll need to travel elsewhere, Lily's is too busy serving up some of the most authentic mexican food you will find in St. Louis city. When you walk in you will find a seemingly unorganized restaurant and probably consider turning around--don't! The family that owns Lily's is incredibly nice and they love talking with customers. You can truly feel good about yourself supporting this small business. They will bring you a cup of water for a drink that you will serve yourself behind the ordering area. You walk up to the counter whenever you are ready to place your order. Let's start with the margaritas. They are arguably the best I have had in St. Louis-- one large sized margarita can about do me in! They have a long list of tequilas to choose from to customize your drink and a couple of options that include a shot of one of three liquor options (Amaretto, Grand Mariner, or Kahlua). They come out frothy in a large mug and have a great taste. You can choose blended or on the rocks. The food is very reasonably priced and everything I have tried has been delicious and authentic. My favorite is probably the combo #4 that is a tamale, enchilada, and chile relleno. Meals all come with chips and salsa. There is a "salsa bar" that normally has about 4 fresh salsa options that vary in heat and smokiness as well as a jar of whole jalapeños and juice. When you are ready to pay you will find one of the owners at what appears to be a standard wooden desk. Behind the desk is a liquor shelf where he doubles as the margarita maker. The bathrooms and restaurant were both clean. They are open until 9pm on weekdays and don't mind you staying late while they begin to clean up and close the store. The friendly staff, tasty well-priced food, and AMAZING margaritas makes this south city hole-in-the wall one of the best Mexican restaurants the region as to offer. read more

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Great food and great owners! It is a piece of Mexico in St. Louis. I need to return soon.

Still just as good, definitely try their Lily's Special Marg and I wanted to upload a picture of their chorizo torta because I can't get enough lol read more

Okay so definitely do not go on Cinco de Mayo because they were super busy and I don't think they were prepared for the constant amount of people coming in. We waited almost two hours for our food but they kept the chips coming so we were holding off pretty well. The food was much better then I expected except our pork was fried a little too much. I liked that they didn't use ground beef for the beef dish and I didn't have any weird pieces in it. I always judge a Mexican place by the rice and it was good. I just wish my food was hotter because the guy there was raving about everything was made to order. Oh except the tortillas. Those are not homemade. Hmmm read more

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I came here a couple weeks ago for the first time on a Friday. We randomly came across this place, on Yelp of course so decided to try it out! Upon coming in, there were almost no tables, which I took as a very good sign! We luckily grabbed the last open table! The best part, salsa bar! If you order an entree you get little cups for salsa and can pick any of their 6 different salsas. So of course we filled up on chips and salsa before our meals arrived... who doesn't do that at a Mexican restaurant!? You order at the counter and your food/drinks are brought out to your table. I went with the shrimp fajitas and my boyfriend had the pork tacos. The shrimp fajitas were 13.95, which is super reasonable for shrimp fajitas anywhere. They were good, and I'd go back to eat them here again. I will say, my boyfriend mentioned that the meat in his tacos was a little dry so he'd order something different the next time we come back. Oh and we tried their queso with chorizo added. It was good my boyfriend loved it and devoured it! Last but not least, the staff were super friendly, warm, and welcoming. Even if the food was bad (which it wasn't) I would totally come back because of how sweet the family is that works here. Definitely 5 stars for service! read more

Lily's Mexican Restaurant - Margarita time! - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

If you're looking for the best margarita in the tri-state area, come here! You choose the tequila, and the place is run by the nicest man!! And don't forget the smokey salsa! read more

This place is awesome!!! What you would call a hole in the wall restaurant but everyone knows those are the best!!! This is a mom and pop shop and felt like home. The food was made super fresh the owner even let us stay past their closing time to that we could finish our meals. Got the shredded chicken burrito with jalapeños. read more

The food is amazing, service is perfect! I love the atmosphere and the people working here!

Had a great experience at Lily's! It is a small-ish indiscreet restaurant in south city that you probably would not have noticed if you weren't looking for it driving down Kingshighway blvd. They serve a combination of authentic and tex mex cuisine. I ordered a burrito and it was very filling and delicious. Service was quick and friendly. Chips and salsa were very good as well. This place hits the spot for good Mexican food. read more

Lily's Mexican Restaurant - Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Authentic home style Mexican food, delicious margaritas, and run by a beautiful family. This spot is a must for anyone who enjoys Mexican food. It's not on Cherokee street, where many of St. Louis' authentic Mexican food lives, but this spot is good enough to go out of your way. Every single drink and meal served at Lily's is made to order. While that can mean you have to wait a little longer than you might be used to for your food or drink, it's certainly worth it. Made to order margs with options y'all. They have a long list of tequila and liquor options for you to choose exactly the drink that serves you. They come out in cold mugs and are frothy. Unique and tasty. On our most recent visit, we kicked our meal off with their guacamole. You have to have Lily's guac. For dinner, I got the chicken breast plate, which is a filling entree with all the works. Rice and beans, perfectly seasoned chicken, and all the fresh tomatoes and avocado. I added cheese on top of mine and got a side of sour cream, too. It was fantastic. Julia R, got her classic: a bean and cheese burrito. She said it was the best she's ever had. It was substantial, piping hot, and had all the melted cheese one could want. Lily and Salvador are a beautiful couple and their family is so kind. I am so happy that this place is still cranking out awesome Mexican food, for over 17 years. You've got to check this place out. read more

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Lily's is a cross between the authentic Mexican restaurants down on Cherokee and a Qudoba. What? I know it is a weird combination, so let me explain. The food is good and authentic reminding me of Cherokee street, but the service is order at a counter go sit down and that reminds me Qudoba. We had top shelf Margarita's which are made from scratch and Poppa is proud of his creation. Our dinner was a Lily's Special, Chile Relleno, Chicken Enchilada and a Beef Tamale. I enjoyed all three, you could tell they were hand made with love. We also had appetizers, Queso and Guacamole. Their guacamole is the best I have had in the city, even better then some I've had down on Cherokee. When your food is ready, the girls or momma bring it to your table and are chatty when making the delivery. My question is, if you bring the food out why not take the order at the table as well. I think providing complete table service would add to Lily's experience and may even get an increase in stars and patronage. read more

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The food is fantastic. The owner is incredibly nice and accommodating and went out of his way to make sure we didn't have any allergies. Also, the best margarita I've ever had. I don't live in St. Louis but I would come back weekly if I did. There's a salsa bar with 4-5 different salsas. They're all good. It's a small place but comfortable and homey. 11/10. read more

I've been on a search for a good Mexican in St. Louis. As a St. Louisian I grew up eating El Maguey all over the St. Louis area. El Maguey fulfills my Mexican needs, but every location seems very different. Also, I tried a few places off Cherokee, but they all close stinkin' early... only in St. Louis you will find Mexican restaurants closing at 7 or 8pm... Lily's sits quietly off Kingshighway. It's an unpretentious, family-run Mexican restaurant and one of best Mexican restaurants in the city. Five reasons you need to try Lily's: 1. LILY'S MARGARITAS ARE THE BEST! You have to get the Lily's Special Margarita on the rocks. The owner makes the drink in a milkshake machine and presents you frothy, heavenly concoction. I hate ordering a Margarita that makes your lip pucker because it's too sweet. This margarita has the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. Lily's Special is mixed with brandy, tequila, and your choice of amaretto, Grand Mariner, and Kahlua-I recommend the Grand Mariner as the third choice. 2. I love supporting local businesses when I can. The interior may not look top notch... don't like the interior deter you from trying it out. 3. The salsa bar is pretty awesome. When you order at the counter, the server gives you chips and each diner gets a small sauce cup for their home-made salsa. 4. The food is good. The overall menu is reasonably priced, the Mexican rice has flavor, and the tamales are delicious. 5. The family who owns Lily's are super nice! read more

This is the best Mexican food I've ever had. After living 0.2 miles away the past 4 years, we discovered it. It will now be our frequent go-to spot. read more

Lily's is a favorite dinner spot among my in-laws so I am here regularly. However, I am not that impressed with their food. It's not bad, it's just not that exciting. Some highlights: - salsa bar for choice of salsas with your chips. I do a mix of the 2 smoked salsas - high quality margaritas - they make EVERY order fresh so nothing is sitting under a warmer. The owners take your order, serve your food. They are very sweet and personable. read more

Possibly the worst place ever. You can see them washing dishes but fixing meals. No buouno.

My boyfriend and I LOVE Lily's!!!! Sometimes we go out of our way to come in and support because the family is SO sweet. Salvador is the owner and he loves to chat and is the most genuine soul. They have the best queso I've ever had!! Love trying something new every time we go in. The place is cute, quaint, and has such homey vibe to it. We love supporting this family business! read more

Great authentic Mexican food, friendly staff. Area was a little smoky initially, but don't let that turn you away. Check them out!!

OK, so it's been almost a year since I first reviewed Lily's Mexican Restaurant and after several visits over the last 12 months, I really think this place deserves an extra star. Lily's has a few menu items that no one in St. Louis can do better: chili rellenos and authentic Mexican soups. The chili rellenos plate comes with 2 huge cheese stuffed peppers, beans, rice and a side of soft warm tortillas for about $10. Honestly I've never been a big fan of chili rellenos, but Lily's are just scrumptious! I like to make a mini burrito with the tortilla by slathering a layer of beans on the tortilla, then adding rice, then adding slices of the chili relleno, and then adding one of the salsas from the salsa bar. Yummy goodness! Even better than the chili rellenos are the soups at Lily's. Keep in mind that the good ones are available on the weekends: menudo, pozole and birria, AND...once they run out, that's it for the day! I'd suggest the pozole if you've never had it, but for the more adventurous...get the birria or goat soup which showcases the delicious taste of goat meat. Be sure to add onions, cilantro, hot sauce and lime juice to the birria. Those things should come on the side with your order as well as fresh warm corn tortillas. For your first bite, take a warm corn tortilla, rub some lime juice on one side, then salt it, roll it up, and dip it into the birria soup. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! On a side note, as others have stated, this place is a family run business with Mom, Dad and the kids. If they ever want to adopt and adult gringo male, then I'm first in line! read more

Lily's Mexican Restaurant - Birria goat meat soup...yum!!! - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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We love Lily's! It has been several years since we have been there so we decided to go back last night and it did not disappoint! My husband and i stopped in for after dinner drinks and each enjoyed the Lily's special margarita. They put amaretto in it and wow! I will never be able to enjoy a normal marg again. It's a family run restaurant and the environment is just lovely. Lily's is a little hidden gem that everyone needs to discover. read more