Tlaloc El Mexicano

I went here for the first time here to celebrate two friend’s birthday with a group of sixteen people. Now, those who have come here know that the restaurant itself is not a very big place. However, the employees were able to get us our tables within 15 or so minutes.
It took a bit of time for the waitress to finally come around and take our orders, but when she did, she did so efficiently and quickly. She was also very knowledgeable about the menu. If you don’t know what a word means (since the menu consists of primarily Spanish words) what want any a recommendation, just ask! All the workers who works here are phenomenal.
While waiting for our food to arrive, we all munched on the complimentary chips and salsa that were provided. There was a mild salsa and a hot salsa, both were good.
The food came out pretty quickly and all together. Everyone seemed very satisfied with their food. One friend who ordered to mole described the texture of the chicken as «falls right off the bone» tender. I ordered a combination that came with the highly raved pupusa. Tip pupusa entrees are served side of slaw that you stuff your pupusa with. I really enjoyed it.
The service was phenomenal. The waiter, Oscar, was always around to ask us if we wanted more of anything such as chips/​salsa. He kept our drinks filled and experience very nice. He always had a smile on his face and seemed to be genuinely happy to be serving us.
The owner of the restaurant, an older gentleman, is just the sweetest. My interaction with him wasn’t very long, only when I payed for my meal, but he just seemed to sweet. He asked each person if they enjoyed their meal and he was very happy to see that the 16 of us thoroughly enjoyed the food.
Definitely come here if you want to try delicious, authentic food and great service!

Do you want authentic Mexican food? Are you a foodie looking for a new favorite restaurant? Are you slightly drunk from day drinking at the UGA game? Look no further. Tlaloc will satisfy all your needs.
The pupusas with pork, beans, and cheese are melt in your mouth goodness.

Best Mexican food I’ve ever had. Handmade tortillas, horchata, tortas, everything you can think of! if you’re looking for authentic Mexican food, this is where you need to go.

My mom and I were really looking forward to trying Tlaloc after hearing great things from friends and reading wonderful reviews. The food started on a great note with the fresh salsa and red pepper sauce. After ordering dishes recommended by our waitress, the rest was downhill:
–Fish tacos and shrimp tostada: my mom ordered fish tacos and shrimp tostada. Fish tacos came with a generous portion of fish, but all ingredients lacked seasoning. The tacos were unbelievably bland and she could hardly finish one taco. The shrimp tostada included a confusing and large helping of mayonnaise and lettuce on top of the crispy tortilla, masking the taste of anything else.
–Enchiladas verdes and pupusa: Enchiladas verdes were very bland in comparison to other great mexican food I’ve tasted in the area from restaurants like Agua Linda. Pupusa was the best part of my meal, served crispy and hot.
TL;DR: Food was very bland. I will avoid in the future.

We were looking for a Mexican restaurant after a Georgia game. After a steady day of drinking and pregaming (and taking a nap cause of the day drinking), we were famished. I recommended we check out Tlaloc based on all the awesome reviews from fellow Unilocalers. We were not let down. When you walk in it’s clear that it’s a more authentic restaurant, likely run by a close family. The drinks looked great and affordable, but we honestly couldn’t muster any tequila at this point.
We started off with the queso dip which went well with the complimentary chips and salsa. It was so deliciously gooey and cheesy.
I’m kicking myself because I can’t remember what the name of my entrée was, but it was basically a smörgåsbord of so many things. Anyone who knows me knows I love variety, and this was just that. It came with rice, a salad, avacados, beef, pork, and a fried egg. The campanero? Rancher something? Just follow the picture to see.
Anyway it was really good and authentic. Definitely a lot of food and a great price at that! Will definitely come back next time I’m in the Athens area.

Food was ok. I’m a vegetarian so mexican can be tricky. My husband wasn’t happy with his food. The papusas were good. Maybe we just ordered the wrong things since everyone else seems to love this place. The free salsa was better than most salsa you get at mexican restaurants. The cheese sauce on the burrito was salty but good. Service was very friendly. Margheritas were not good and did not arrive until we were almost finished eating despite ordering them right when we sat down.

Well I honestly thought I had come to the wrong place when I got there. I was the only customer there. It’s a bit dated and smells like an old house. I always drink sweet tea so I asked for tea. The tea was sour so I got a Dr.Pepper. The food was great, sauces, and great customer service. The place was packed by the time I left so definitely a great local restaurant.

Do not judge a book by its cover or you will surely be missing out! This place is amazing! Great salsa, guacamole dip, cheese dip, tacos, Papuans, service… I could go on and on. Moral of the story is, go here and you will not be disappointed.

OMG! Just go, try it. ‘Nuf said!
Each time I’ve come here since arriving in Athens, the food has been the most authentic Mexican/​Central American food I’ve had in years! In Athens, this is the one restaurant where I see Mexican/​Hispanic folks eating on a consistent basis. That should tell you something!
The service is exquisite! The folks who work here are friendly!
The food is great, great, great!

Awesome food, great price. First of all this place starts you out with the best salsa I’ve had at a local Athens/​Georgia/​southeastern joint. The salsas (yes, they give two. free. salsa dips) are very good. The red has an almost meaty aftertaste, which is very odd, but very good. The green sauce is very spicy, so watch out. I had the mixed fajitas, which could probably feed two people easily. Overall, the place was definitely worth the drive, and I will be returning.

The best Mexican I’ve ever eaten.

Our three meals were absolutely lush. Two Carnitas and I had the special of the day; Tortitas de Pollo, simmered slowly in salsa verde. My meal was to die for. The green chili salsa we asked for to compliment our meals had a hint of habanero with garlic, cilantro and tomatillos. Service was awesome as well!

I always go with friends and share La Barca (amazing cheesy goodness) or get carnitas tacos (the best in town!) my boyfriend is a taco specialist and agrees that they are the best. Nothing special by the look and location– but aren’t all the best Mexican restaurants?
Addicted to their fresh salsa– also the best in town!

Well, well, well. What a find! I’ve been roaming around with a new tribe of foodies and after a planned Athens food road trip fell through, I stumbled across a review for Tlaloc. We agreed to try it, and guess what? Score. Amazing food. Like really amazing. I must have said «I love this place, I’m mildly obsessed with this place, I’m so glad we tried this place» or some other combination of this at least after every 3^rd or 4^th bite. And I meant it. I cannot wait to go back.
So. Outside? Not visually stunning. As a lover of dive bars and food shacks, this made my heart skip a beat. I spotted the kitchen while parking, and a guy in there gave me a big smile. Yay! I walked in with a good feeling. It smelled absolutely heavenly, a football match was on the tv and the waitress was super friendly. Excellent start.
While waiting for my pals, I salivated over the menu, happily scorched my tongue on the most exquisite green salsa ever, and enjoyed half a portion of delicious guacamole.
When it came time to order, I went with a pupusa, gordita and sope combo. Do not sleep on the combination page of the menu. So many fantastic options. I opted for a pupusa with chicharron, beans and cheese, a carne asada gordita and a lengua sope. Because I’m a curious fatty, I also added a taco al pastor, cuz you know… you gotta try a taco. Let me just say. All delicious. Every. Single. Morsel. Nothing tasted the same… every meat was cooked and seasoned to perfection, nothing was greasy, the beans on the sope were so flavorful and creamy… need I go on? Oh. My taco? Hands down the meatiest, tastiest little taco I’ve had in a really long time. My food tribe agreed. In fact, I’m likely going to be going with an all taco option with my next visit.
I loved this restaurant. Loved it. Cannot wait to return and explore the menu. I already have my mouth ready for pozole, a torta tasting and I gotta try the horchata. I left happily stuffed, and not much poorer. This is amazing food at an amazing price.

I don’t see what all the fuss is about. I tried it, to me it was average Mexican food. I did try a papusa, it was not an out of body experience for me like it was for everyone else on Unilocal.The portion sizes were amazing, great value. I will give it another try and get a different entrée. I had steak fajitas last time, next time I will venture into the more authentic part of the menu.

Been here before, but for this visit, the salsa tasted too salty, the queso, was salty too. The chips didn’t really taste fresh. I think they need to taste before they serve.

Where can one go in the Atlanta area to get truly authentic and DELICIOUS Mexican food? …all the way to Athens!!! And a little out of the way, even so. My wife and I often plan our trips to Athens AROUND a meal at Tlaloc.
The food here is truly exceptional and apparently very authentic, as evidenced by the large numbers of Spanish speaking clientele evident every time we go. Whether for lunch or dinner this place is usually packed, and mostly with Latin Americans. Come on Dogs fans, let’s get out and explore your town.
Yesterday I had a chicken fajita special for lunch. Okay, nothing new here? Think again. The chicken itself had such tenderness and flavor it didn’t need to be hidden by heavy spices. The peppers and tomato were equally special and fresh tasting and the tortillas were corn tortillas made «in house», as was the farm cheese used on my wife’s enchiladas.
Service here is behind compare. Fast, efficient, friendly and it clearly shows that they care about how you feel about their food.
I’m renewing my five star review. Would make it seven if I could!

I love this place. Always friendly. Always fresh food. Family owned personal service. came in today and the owner remembered last time we were there, my dad inquired about fish. So today the first thing he offered was the tilapia special. It wasfantastic! I’m nota fan of whole fish but this was a hit!
We often go in with groups and i always have a baby. Always a great place to go.

This is the most authentic Mexican restaurant in Athens. My dad is Mexican, and this food is on par with what my family cooks at home. The owner is also really great and attentive. I come here every time I’m in Athens.
I usually get tongue sopes and pupusas. It’s my favorite meal and you can never go wrong with it.

I was really looking forward to trying Tlaloc after reading some great reviews, but our expectations were unmet throughout the whole experience. We walked in and had to look around to figure out if we were to seat ourselves or if someone would seat us. No big deal… it happens…
We received our menus and water promptly and ordered a small cheese dip, but it was probably about 15 minutes before we got the cheese dip and even then our waitress did not take our order right away. She said she had to go do something first. No big deal… we just enjoyed our chips and cheese dip.
Finally we ordered and my husband who is a vegetarian asked them to make a few changes to his entrée, and they quickly agreed, which was nice. That is not always the case, so we appreciated it and it was noted. Things started looking up.
Then we waited for our food… and waited and waited and waited. I received my entrée, the asada con camarones, and I dug into so it wouldn’t get cold. But it was already cold. I tried to enjoy it. My mind was telling me it had to be good — the reviews said it would be good. It looked just like the picture in the menu, too — that rarely happens. But it wasn’t. It had potential, but cold shrimp and steak is just not good.
One of the enchiladas my husband ordered was hot and the rest was cold. Our waitress never came and asked us how our food was and we had to ask someone else for our check since our server was missing in action.
I can only say that we must have just had a bad experience and assume that this is not how it usually is. But it was bad enough that I will not be visiting again