A Hidden Gem at Smith Mountain Lake…read more As residents of Smith Mountain Lake, we're always on the lookout for great local dining spots, and El Sinaloense Mexican Restaurant never disappoints. The food here is absolutely fantastic. We enjoyed their tacos and fajita salad, and both were bursting with flavor. The chicken and shrimp were especially delicious, cooked to perfection and seasoned just right. Beyond the food, the service was exceptional. The staff is friendly and attentive. If you're looking for an authentic Mexican dining experience with incredible food and top-notch service, this is the place to go. We love supporting our local restaurants, and El Sinaloense is definitely a favorite. Highly recommend it to anyone in the area or passing through. You won't be disappointed.

First of all this is obviously a new ownership group. Please call the previous owners immediately…read more Let's start with Parmesan cheese on top of enchiladas verdes. No! Then a cheese stick in the bottom of the tacos. No! An absence of flavor on both dishes was such a let down. Taking brisket nachos off the menu was an epic fail. Not to mention circling tables and basically grabbing your plate from beneath you. I will say the white sauce and chips were good but that can't save the meal that followed.

I ordered takeout for myself and another person, we had chicken enchiladas and a chicken…read morequesadilla. The chicken was like a salt lick, it was not even edible, it was horrible, a total waste of money. It was ordered from their location in Hollins.

Food is delicious. Ambiance is nice as you can sit inside or out. Weather was great so we choose…read moreoutside. Service was great and food came out quick and hot.

There is a Spanish saying "El Sabor lo dice todo," that translates to "The Flavor Says It All." In…read morea nutshell that is the Mission of QDOBA. They believe that flavor inspires flavor and that is why they celebrate guests like us in their mission to make the world a more flavorful place. After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I was also awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Photographer of the Year Award at their Yelpies 2025 Award Ceremony, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, and where last year I was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Yelper of the Year Award, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And QDOBA Mexican Eats in Salem, Virginia is a perfect example. Located on W Main St across from Lowe's, this modern fast-casual restaurant delivers on its flavorful mission as I found out today when I visited it for the very first time. I had an opportunity to attend the Grand Opening of their branch in Roanoke and in that occasion was so impressed with the brand that I downloaded their app and joined QDOBA Rewards. In the meantime I had made so many delivery orders that I qualified for a free entrée, so today I decided to give this new QDOBA who had very reasantly opened a visit and use this reward before it expired and in the process see how true to their mission this branch was. I arrived in my pearl white Lexus in the late afternoon to find the parking lot empty. After parking and entering the restaurant I was delighted at how nice it looked and how clean it was. Its simple yet modern decor created a relaxed environment in which to enjoy some flavorful food. I was warmly greeted by a friendly young lady whom I immediately told about my free entrée offer and showed her my app with it. She quickly replied that I was good for a free entrée and asked what I would like. I decided to try their Grilled Quesadilla and she pointed out all the proteins from which I could choose. They all looked so fresh and appetizing. I could almost taste their flavor with my eyes. I chose the Pork Carnitas, and she proceeded to go around asking me what other items I wanted in eat and then finished it off pouring all this cheese that later I found out how flavorful it tasted after being melted by the grill. She then gave me a small container with the free Guac and I proceeded to the cashier where another very friendly and welcoming lady whom I think was the manager scanned my app with the free entrée offer. She then asked if I wanted something to drink with my food and when I answered in the affirmative gave me a cup so that I could choose the fountain drink of my choice. This friendly gesture might have cost them a little more but really meant a lot to me and was greatly appreciated. I felt treated like a guest and right at home. Needles to say I truly enjoyed every bite of my quesadilla, and while I was eating the establishment was blessed with many customers. As I was about to leave the manager gracefully made a gesture like acknowledging my satisfaction with the food and dining experience. Outside the parking lot was full of cars and people getting out of their cars going to ate there. I most fervently recommend this casual counter-serve restaurant and am sure that after trying it out once you will want to return and become a steady customer.

First time visiting this new fresh-mex restaurant. Fast food with flavor and fresh ingredients…read more The employees were super nice to tell us about the options (similar to mod pizza where you pick all the toppings you want) and we loaded one bowl. The two of us shared and could only eat half for $10. Best of all it was DELICIOUS. Felt satisfied and that we ate nourishing food. Restaurant was clean, bright, but needs an "open" sign to show in the window. Bowl, two sodas, tax, total $20. We will definitely be back! Located on a road with half a dozen Mexican style places, from Taco Bell to Alejandro's. A better option than chipotle's down the street.

Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant is located in a nicely designed but older restaurant building with…read morecolorful furniture off Peters Creek Road in Roanoke, Virginia. Many times my friend and I had driven by this restaurant wondering how it would look inside and how the food would be. From past experience Mexican restaurants were either amazingly good or unfortunately poor. So today we decided to go and try it out. No longer would it be a mystery to us. We had no idea of how the ambiance would be inside, nor the customer service, nor the quality of the food. We arrived around 4:45pm for an early dinner on a Tuesday late afternoon. The outside architectural design of the building was full of arches, hence the restaurant's name of "Los Arcos." It had a nice outdoor patio dining area surrounded by a low wall full of upside-down arches. Since it was a record high temperature day, there was no one dining outside, but the area looked nice with each round iron table having a large red umbrella to protect customers from the sun. When we entered the restaurant, we were greeted and immediately taken to our table and given copies of the menu. The menu was very well organized with subject tabs and color photographs of their most popular items. When our server came by to take our order, we both ordered iced water to drink and as our main meal my friend ordered the Enchiladas Mixtas and I ordered the Burrito Jalisco with grilled steak rirfrom the Specialties of the House page of the menu. As we waited for our server to arrive with our meals, we munched on the complimentary Chips and Salsa. The chips tasted good although they didn't look that fresh and the salsa looked nice but tended to be on the hot side, with no mild available. When our food arrived, my friend enjoyed his. Mine had missing the pico de gallo side. The chorizo was very tasty as it should be, but I question the steak quality. Not that it was hard or brittle, on the contrary, I felt that it was too soft and spongy. It was seasoned right with lots of lemon juice, but it's texture left a lot to be desired, especially to me who am a steak connoisseur and afictionado. The side of rice was a bit dry and lacked freshness. The dessert menu selection was a very good one, and their photographs made them look so good, yet they were the greatest disappointment of our meal and dining experience. We both ordered Churro Cups. By now the restaurant was almost half full, but this was no reason for the time to prepare and serve our dessert to have taken longer than to serve our food. Then the crust of the Churro Cup was overcooked and hard. By hard I mean I was not able to cut it nor eat it. Yet it looked so good that you would have never imagined that it was inedible. I even asked for a knife to cut it and was unsuccessful. I asked one of the servers for the manager and he told me there was no manager, that he was out until 6:00pm. So I was not able to complain about the dessert or have it comped. The menu of this Mexican restaurant is amazing but I find that the quality of the food and execution of cooking them is lacking from the part of the cooks there. And the absence of a manager on the premises is questionable. For this reason and for the problems I encountered with my meal there, I don't think I will return, especially with so many good Mexican restaurants around. It's a pity because otherwise this restaurant has the potential of being a great one.

Food: The best Tex-Mex in the Valley with great margaritas…read more Service: Good Ambiance: crowded, but worth the hassle Parking: Its bad. Small parking lot which fills up quickly.

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!

My kids loved the nachos supreme and the enchiladas supreme. The food was great. I had the ACP,…read morethey gave me way too much chicken. The service was great!! They were friendly and sang happy birthday song and fed them cake to some of the customers. The restaurant ambiance was clean and very decorative.

Ok, this is the best Mexican restaurant I've tried! I'm cautious w them as I've felt portions were…read moresmall and options are generally an enchilada or taco something and lots of soupy bean "sauce." New to the area, we went for dinner. It was busy, but we were instantly seated. The vibe was fun, with many families and groups present. The menu is comprehensive with many options. I ordered a Choose Three Combo of chili relleno, enchilada, and chimichanga. She had the Choose Two and had two chili relleno. After munching the standard tortilla chips and very hot thin sauce, our orders came quickly. The entree plates were huge, food was very hot (temperature) and included rice and beans. So here's where I became a convert... helpings were huge, and very yummy! The menu huge with variety! We both gobbled down our dinners, and brought home boxes! The chili relleno are the best we'd ever tasted. My enchilada and chimichanga delicious! I'm definitely humbled by the quality, the portions, the service, and overall experience with this Mexican restaurant! I'll be back...

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.

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.