Tacos Rojas is one of the major family-owned chain Mexican Restaurants here in Roanoke, Virginia. I…read morehave visited several of them, and they have gotten mixed reviews. Today while I was driving down 13th Street looking for a place to have lunch, I drove by this tiny Mexican restaurant that at first seemed like a run down shack, or a hole in the wall eatery, with only two cars parked in its small parking lot. I missed seeing the restaurant's sign with its name. But for one reason or another, I decided I had to turn back to try it out. After being awarded the NC Triad Yelp Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, 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 this what I first thought was a no name Mexican Restaurant in Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. When I turned around and drove back, as I got closer and closer to the restaurant's sign, I saw it was pretty new, and had a Mexican Hat, a Guitar, and some maracas, and read: "Tacos Rojas Mexican Grill Authentic Mexican Cuisine." Little did I imagine that this place was where it all started. Afterwards, after doing my research I found out the whole story about this place. Primary, that it was that it was the first Taco Rojas Restaurant, and where it all started. How appropriate that to conclude Hispanic Heritage Month, I ended up eating and reviewing this Hispanic Historic Restaurant in the history of Taco Rojas. Tacos Rojas was founded by Octavio Rojas, who moved to America from Pueblo, Mexico, 20 years ago. He opened this first restaurant on 13th Street, 12 years ago which had been a convenience store, and has since then expanded to six locations in the Roanoke Valley, including a location in Salem, which features a party room.The family-run business serves authentic Mexican food and has seen growth, including during the pandemic, partly due to its popularity for takeout. The business is family operated, with Octavio's wife, daughter, brother, and other relatives all involved in the restaurants. As I went inside, even though you can tell the place was once a convenience store because it still contained a wide display refrigerator with bottles of bottled drinks, it was clean and well-maintained, painted with lively colors, and different posters on the wall.The small dining area contained a combination of tables and chairs and some booths.The ambiance was warm and relaxed. One that made you feel at home. A young lady came out to greet me and gave me a warm welcome. I took a seat in the first booth and she handed me the menu and took my drink order. I ordered an Horchata. Afterwards I ordered a Carnitas Burrito as my main entrée. While I waited my server brought a basket of Chips and Salsa. Even though in the menu it was listed as an appetizer, it seemed like the first one was complementary. When the food arrived it was amazingly delicious. The shredded pork inside the burrito was seasoned and cooked to perfection, it was nice and hot, and the sauces on top were very tasty without being too spicy. Now I better understood how the humble beginning of Taco Rojas in this place had taken off and grown so quickly. Octavio's mother's recipes for the food were not only authentic Mexican food but delicious. They gave the cuisine here that special magical touch of satisfaction the first time you came, that made you want to come back and tell your family and friends about it. Sometimes it is in places like these that one can have the most extraordinary dining experiences.

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.

I stopped here for lunch! Amazing food! I ordered the agua fresca melón, which was very hydrating…read moreand refreshing. Alongside the chips and guacamole! Peaking to the appetite! Yum! For my main course, I ordered the street tacos. One carne asada, pollo, barbacoa, tripa frito. All delicious and flavorful! The salsas also hit the spot. The reason for 3 stars instead of 5, is the fact that service was mediocre. After my food was dropped off, my waitress Joselyn did not check in once. When she dropped off the check, she never picked it up. I had to walk to the front to pay for my meal. Great place, but customer service can be improved. I did share my concerns with management. Ambiance is nice and upbeat!

Oh man, I'm so happy we got to dine here and on Cinco de Mayo - fun! The food was delicious,…read moreeveryone was so friendly - I even recognize people from TikTok (super cool) - it was a vibe. We got there fairly early - the parking lot was BUSY but we got seated right away, and had the sweetest young gal as our waitress (she had mentioned she only had been there 3 months) - very polite and explained things well. You must get the fresh guacamole and chips - SO FRESH - you can taste it! Everything we had was so fresh, flavorful, hot and delicious! If you're in the area or visiting - must try!

I ordered the carnitas lunch special to-go. Ordering was a breeze, and picking up was quick and…read moreeasy. I received a bag of chips and salsa; a full, hot to-go platter of perfectly cooked carnitas, rice, and beans; another full to-go platter of lettuce, guac, and pico; and still steaming hot corn tortillas. I don't usually tip for to-go, but I'm glad I did this time. I'll be coming back

Large portions of delicious, authentic mexican at a great price...need I say more? If that is not…read moreenough, the staff is friendly and the decor inside is fun and festive. My husband got the combo quesadilla which was STUFFED with veggies, steak, chicken and shrimp. I ordered the chicken burrito suprema and the chicken was chargrilled with tons of flavor. Their queso dip and rice are also so tasty. You get complimentary chips and queso. Lastly, margaritas are half price on Thursdays. This may be my new favorite place in town for big flavor for an amazing value!

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...

Absolutely delicious Mexican food! Been going here for forever and I've never been dissatisfiedread more

Slow Service and unclean watched them clean menus and they pretty much sling rag on it and that's…read moreclean they are dirty but what do you expect nothing less the ambiance is awful it's so loud can't hear yourself think food is terrible wait time is minimum one hour so I suggest getting this business up out of Bedford hope they legal

Driving down from Pennsylvania and stopped for lunch. My husband and I had the the chicken tamales…read moreand beef burritos with beans and rice and red mole sauce. I had a pome rita drink and my husband had a Modelo. The food was pretty good especially with the green pepper sauce. The ambiance was fine, nothing fancy. I will say however, the woman's room has peculiar doors to the stalls, you have to straddle the toilet in order to get in to close the door, which is obviously too big. Anyway, it's a nice place.

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.

My husband and I were here visiting. This was recommended to us by three different people…read moreseparately, so we decided to stop in on our last evening in Virginia and try it. We were seated pretty quickly after walking in. It's a very casual place and there was a bar with seating inside and out. But we were seated in somewhat of a patio area, not inside or outside. The hostess closed the shades for us because the sun was beaming in bright. Our server was nice and was a Virginia Tech student. We told him it was our first time there and asked him what he might recommend. He said to stick to the signature tacos and specific sides. He also brought us chips and salsa which was a good starter. I got the bang bang shrimp tacos and jalapeño cheddar mashers. It was all delicious. My husband got the honey soy salmon tacos and fried plantains. He really liked it. The only thing is that the plantains were not fired as we expected and weee more like the usual sweet plantains. All in all still delicious. I'd definitely want to visit here again. The sauce and everything on the tacos were amazing!

The server and service was fine. The vibe with the decor and music was good. They were playing…read moreisland music so when I hear island music I think I'm going to get some food with some flavor, some soul, a little spice! None of it had any flavor or seasoning. If you want real mexican american food go elsewhere. EL Grande Rodeo, Rocas, Alejandro's anywhere but here. If you enjoy bland food, knock yourself out. This is your place. Can't believe I fell for the 4.5 stars on google. Some of those people are either lying or were paid. Felt like I was on an episode of Punk'd.

Doesn't matter what you order off the menu. It's delicious. Great staff. Absolutely consistent, you…read moreget what you order every time.

Word of mouth is still the best way to find out about new restaurants that have opened in the area…read more Just yesterday a friend of mine told me about this new Mexican restaurant that had just opened last Thursday. So this evening, I headed towards the restaurant to be one of the first ones to try it out and review it. After being awarded the NC Yelp Triad Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, 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 Santa Lucia Mexican Restaurant, in Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. The previous restaurant sign "El Toreo Mexican Restaurant" was still up. The new owners didn't even bother to cover it up. They just put a small vinyl banner sign under it that read "Santa Lucia Mexican Restaurant OPEN NOW!!!" Not too professional you would think, but the most important thing in a new restaurant is it's ambiance, its food, and its customer service. So I arrived to its parking lot in my Lexus and parked my car. The place was empty and I could see the employees looking out the glass door to see who just parked and was approaching the restaurant. It was me. When I walked in the Host gave me a warm greeting and asked me if I would prefer a booth or a table. I chose a booth. As he went away to call my sever while I looked at the menu, I also was observing the interior of the restaurant. It was clean and comfortable, with a minimalist decor. My server, Jasmin, a friendly Puerto Rican young lady, greeted me with a smile and asked me what I wanted to drink. I asked her if the bartender could make me a Virgen Mango Margarita. When it arrived it looked nice but tasted like water with mango flavor so I was not too impressed with their drinks. To eat I ordered a Fajitas Santa Lucia for one. While I waited I ate their chips with salsa. The chips were fresh and crispy and the salsa was just the right texture with the right ingredients. When the Fajitas Santa Lucia came out, they were sizzling hot, served on a sizzling hot skillet. They had grilled chicken strips, steak, chorizo and carnitas, along with green peppers and onions. On a separate plate, it had rice, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and refried beans. I missed the pico de gallo that this dish is mostly served with in top of the line Mexican restaurants and the scoop of guacamole. But the Fajitas were made with quality meats, and with a green salsa that they brought me, everything tasted very good. For dessert I ordered a Xango with a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream. It looked somewhat good, but the batter was soggy. It tasted like it was pre-fried or cooked ahead of time. When I asked for a glass of iced water, the water tasted bad, just from having a sip. This is something I can't stand in a restaurant, and I sincerely recommended that they get a water filter. This new Mexican restaurant has potential of becoming a very good one. If the owner pays attention to my informal recommendations in this review and takes action to implement my suggestions. I truly wish he / she does, because one of its best assets are its friendly and hospitable employees.