Abuelo’s

I’m not being dramatic but this is the worst Mexican food I have ever tasted. I’m not the only one that’s saying this because last Thursday our team had a social gathering here so about 20 people showed up and a lot of people said the food had no taste. I’m only giving them two stars because: one star for good service, another star for their chips and salsa, their chips are hot and thin, you dip in 3 different kinds of sauces which were mouth watering. I had so much expectation about their food because of this. But let me tell you everything went downhill when our food came to the table… It was bipolar like the weather in Kentucky– one day it’s sunny and 70 °F got you thinking about heading to the pool the next day it’s snowstorm severe weather warning. Let me just say when i got my vegetable fajita I took a bite and I was instantly confused– I was pretty sure they forgot to put any seasoning in it. Literally I tasted nothing but burnt oil… I thought I was hallucinating from being so tired all day but my co workers around me also expressed their disappointment. One girl was so sad about her pasta bc it had no taste, and the guy next to me ordered their chicken medallion and it is supposed to be from their chef choice menu, he offered me to take a bite and it literally tasted like something they would serve at chuckie cheese. I sure would not return for their food, but I would return for their happy hour drinks and their chips and salsa.

Ate lunch today with a friend. Service was excellent and food was very good.

Wonderful authentic Mexican food. So good! Everything is made to order. They give you chips and a trio of salsas to try, and they will bring you more of your favorite salsa. I get the Laredo with two hand rolled enchiladas, a taco and rice and beans. Being I don’t like beans, I get double rice. My hubby gets the choose 4 enchiladas and double rice. Peices are very reasonable with each of our meals being $ 12.99 each. It’s a lot of good food! I typically eat that one meal and could be good all day! If your in the area try it out, you won’t be disappointed!

Flavorful, spicy, fresh, consistent, more expensive but worth it. Best in town by quite a bit (small town and not near Mexico)

My wife and i were very excited to go and eat here. unfortunately our food was not so good. The salsas and queso were good but when our food came it was like it was cheap steak and was burnt … We were very disappointed

A very mediocre place. I was not pleased with this place 100%. The atmosphere is just OK and does not feel like a real Mexican restaurant. The food was OK but not traditional Mexican food. It was just boring to me.

I’m usually quite hesitant to try out chain restaurants, but I loved this place! Warning: it’s very Americanized tex/​mex but still delicious. The tortillas and chips are made in house and are outstanding. We got the fajitas for two that were so good — plus it comes with four sides. The portions were unreal and totally worth what you pay for.

I don’t understand all the hate!
I’ve eaten at many Mexican restaurants in Lexington, and this is by FAR my absolute favorite!!! I’ve recommended it to all my friends and family.
It’s beautifully decorated inside, without being cheesy or overdone. We’ve eaten here several times and the staff is always very friendly and we’ve yet to have bad service. The prices are very reasonable, too.
The food is wonderful! I can’t understand how other reviewers can honestly say that it is flavorless, Not at all!!! IMO, there is a very nice variety for the people that prefer the more Americanized Mexican food. I mean, c’mon, if you don’t want ‘overly authentic’ food and ‘just’ want a burrito, take your basic taste buds to Taco Bell!
That being said, the trio of salsa they serve is great! My favorite of the three is the (green) pineapple salsa. We had to order more of it the last visit! The tapas & small bites menu is a good idea, because the meal portions are fairly large, and you will be full when you leave! I recommend the spinach stuffed mushrooms! YUMM!!!
I have to admit here, that every time I go, the menu options are very appealing, but I can’t make myself order anything except the Enchiladas de Cozumel. I’m hooked! Here is the menu description:
«Three delicious crepes filled with fresh guacamole, covered in a rich white wine sauce with a medley of seasoned shrimp, scallops, mushrooms, fresh spinach and roasted peppers.»
OMG! I’m telling you, with every bite I take an involuntary «Mmm!» comes out of nowhere! It is so freaking good!
I suggest that when you try a new restaurant, go in without expectations of what you think it SHOULD be, and allow the restaurant to show YOU what it is about.

Mexican is my favorite type of food and this is one of the last places I would go in Lexington. Service was terrible. Food was just average. If you want to go to an upscale Mexican place then go to Coba off Richmond Rd. Much better option.

Our favorite Tex Mex restaurant in Lexington. The chips and salsa is so good I would make a meal out of them. They also have a good happy hour other than Saturday.

This is a chain restaurant but their enchiladas are better than any of the authentic restaurants that I have been to locally. The chilli con carne is great.

Our party of 19 had a great time. The food was great and the waiter Julian was outstanding. The part room was perfect and so was the entire evening.

Overpriced, salty, flavorless food.
The Ambience is nice, but that is about it.
Don’t waste your money here.

great times and food!

Had a wonderful dinner here for my husband’s birthday. The atmosphere is classy, yet casual. The bar area is darker and cozy. The center of the restaurant is bright and airy as the ceiling is painted like the sky. Very nice murals on the walls and a really cool fountain.
The food was great. The chips come with 3 types of salsa… I preferred the green one with pineapple. The quality of the food is so much better than your typical Mexican restaurant. They also have lots of options for sides, so it’s not your typical refried beans and Spanish rice. The lime rice was really good. The menu was long with many options, unique Tex Mex food and traditional Mexican.
Lastly, the service was great. Our server was prompt, attentive and very friendly.

I wasn’t impressed with the food at all here. The scenery is nice but bordered with stereotypical hispanic exploitation. I almost felt bad for some of the folks working there. Just seemed too much, maybe that’s just me.
The service was great. No complaints there.
The food was not very good at all. First off their meals come on a platter, not a plate. It’s almost awkward to have that placed in front of you when you just want a burrito. The cheese sauce seems to cover everything they make and it doesn’t even taste like cheese. Just flavorless oily orange sauce. The food itself wasn’t anything that was flavorful but then again, that could be because of the over use of cheese sauce and condiments. It’s rare that I’d say this but save your money and go to Taco Bell if you want texmex this bad!

So I was down in Lexington for about a 24 hour period (if that) to see my first niece who had been born 2 days prior.
Anyway, since this was a super quick trip and my brother was so tired (mind you, he was not even the one who gave birth), no one wanted to travel far for his impromptu birthday meal so we ventured down the street from his house to Abuelo’s. I know that my parents (who live in Virginia) have one about 45 minutes from them and I’d heard them mention it from time to time.
So we get there and the inside is quite nice. The décor and ambiance didn’t really match the price on the menu, I didn’t think. From the looks of it, I figured it was a place that was definitely out of my budget (which can be classified as «cheap»), and thusly would take advantage of being there on my parents’ dime.
The chips and salsa were reaaaaaal good. They had those really light airy tortilla chips. I don’t like the very thick ones. I don’t care if those aren’s «the real ones» those are the ones I happen to like.
I’m trying to remember what the hell I ordered. It was a vegetarian thing (obviously) and it came with the apparently infamous papa con chile or whatever. My husband is Mexican, you’d think I’d be more knowledgeable of the Latino cuisine but I’m not. It must’ve been a cheese enchilada. There was another thing I wanted to order but it came with chile con carne (wtf!). I’m sure I could’ve asked for a non-​meat sauce but doing so always makes me nervous.
Despite what I’d overheard someone say about this place being «too authentic» for her taste, I would disagree. I didn’t think it was anything like what I’d seen my mother-​in-​law cook, or like anything from any of the restaurants in East LA where mi esposo is from. This place was far more appetizing than some of the stuff I’ve seen my husband attempt to make and I still have nightmares about the tupperware container labeled «LARD» that sits to the left of my mother-​in-​laws oven.
Whatever the cheese filling was that was in my enchilada was the best part and it wasn’t any of the Mexican cheeses I’ve seen. It was very «moist» and «rich» and «gooey.» Almost a velveeta consistency, actually. The papa con chile was muy fabuloso. I devoured everything on my plate in a matter of minutes, leading to some gratuitously smartass comments from my Dad, who took notice of my speed-​eating.
Our waitress was awesome, my Dad made it a point to tip her rather generously. I don’t remember what her name was but she was an older lady.
I wish we had an Abuelo’s up here, but we don’t.

I really liked this place. It is definitely Americanized like one person said, but still tasty. I ordered a plate that came with 2 enchiladas and a chile relleno. It was tasty, and food came really hot which I love. I think they put their plates in the oven before bringing it to you. The sides were good too: I got refried beans and the papas con chile. Refried beans were just okay, not the best. The papas con chile I really like. It was like mashed potatoes with some green chile flavor to it. This place also has good tortilla chips, thin chips which I like. It comes free with 3 types of salsa — regular, spicy, and a pineapple+cilantro one which was delicious.
Also, it didn’t strike me as particularly spicy. Just normal Mexican food levels.
Atmosphere was very nice, service good.

Truly enjoyed the new «make your own salsa» experience. Got to choose between a traditional, a spicy roasted habanero, and a new tomatillo-​pineapple sweet salsa, and combine the flavors for my own unique taste. Very interesting.
My wife ordered the prime rib special which, at a Mexican restaurant, I was skeptical. It was amazing — perfectly cooked, succulent, well-​seasoned. My lunch-​portion sized fajitas, which were still tasty and filling, just paled in comparison. Thankfully, she is a gracious wife, and she was willing to share. We will definitely be going back for more!

Nice looking establishment… Crappy food. Not authentic whatsoever. Fake cheese slathered on top of everything and hardly any damn flavor. How the hell is this place still open? Oh… Cuz Lexington has no palate.