Abuelo’s

Pulled in at 6:40 pm to a nearly full parking lot… Walked into no one waiting to get a table, but almost every seat in the restaurant and bar filled. We looked over to find two seats available at the bar, and quickly said we’ll take them. We were immediately welcomed, even as we were still putting our coats down, and offered drinks, chips and salsa from the bartender. For the rest of our dinner, we were perfectly attended to and chatted up by the two bartenders managing the bar and restaurant orders that evening. I’d never been to Abuelo’s before and asked our female bartender more questions than I usually do at any restaurant, (not sure why on this one night) and she was exceedingly helpful, cheerful and didn’t appear agitated as I inquired about all their different sauce options I could layer on top of my burrito. She ended up bringing me two sides, and I decided I loved the chile con queso… When I was low on that… she brought an add’l serving. Happy hour is until 7… so we made it under the wire, they had $ 3 off most of their signature margaritas — many with hand squeezed fresh lime juice. Even though we sat directly at the bar, the seating adjacent to the bar looked like comfortable spots for two to enjoy the scene and were strategically lit with direct lighting from above I noticed, so people could easily read their menus.

Thr food was great here, and the drinks were even better! They give 3 different salsas to try with the chips, all were good. Atmosphere is nice, and the staff is great. Our waiter was fantastic, even gave us a free desert and congratulated us for moving to AZ and buying a house. We are definately coming back!

I’ve never heard of this restaurant and when I did, I had no interest of going. BUT, I was in the Arrowhead area for a beauty appointment and my friends wanted to get together for a dinner. Since I was already in the area, and since it was within driving distance for my friends, they suggested we meet at Abuelo’s.
I of course assumed there would be absolutely nothing here for me. I don’t eat meat, egg, or dairy and I avoid canola/​vegetable oil, non-​organic corn, etc. Some may say I’m a «picky eater» but I say I’m an educated one. I had stopped at Sprouts prior to coming and stocked up on snacks because what’s this restaurant going to have for me? NOTHING!
I came early to ask the staff if they had a vegan menu, the hostess asked her regional manager and he said that they do not but that they can accommodate. «Yeah, sure, sure,» I thought, «he probably doesn’t even know why vegan means» I also thought to myself. He stated that he will come to my table and go over the menu options once I am seated. I somewhat was feeling better but not really because restaurants always say that, but are completely uneducated what vegan means. I didn’t get my hopes up.
Once I was seated he really did come to my table and talk to me about what my options were. I was shocked. He even went over what the ingredients were in the guacamole, the rice, the beans, etc. WHAT!!! Can it be! Then he said that he will check the ingredients in the corn tortillas or I can have my veggies in a lettuce wrap! WHAT!!! Then I asked him about EVOO instead of vegetable/​canola oil and he said they absolutely can accommodate! WHAT!!! Can you say how incredibly shocked I was that 1. He was educated. 2. He ACTUALLY cared! 3. He didn’t make up stuff, like on the tortillas, he said he would check the ingredients instead of, «I think they are vegan.» Which is what I usually hear.
All my friends were really impressed by this. My server informed me that the regional manager was actually making my meal himself. I’m still so shocked I can’t believe it. Our server informed me that the regional managers name was George (I believe is what he said), I tried to look for him after to personally thank him again, but was unable to find him.
5 stars strictly goes to Abuelo’s regional manager, George! Thank you for being educated but also for actually caring! Whoever is his manager NEEDS to recognize him! His style of managing and how caring he was is so rare to find in the industry.

Very disappointing. We have much better Mexican food in Seattle. I felt like I was in an old refurbished El Torito’s (was I?) that is now the Cheesecake factory of Mexican food with the huge portions. Did like the pico de gallo and fajitas were fine. I will likely give this place another try because I want to find out more about their specialty dishes. I wanted to like this place more. Just disappointed.

Excellent service!
Prompt, fast and very friendly. Thank you Jose for great experience!

This was the first & last time we will ever eat from here. We called in our order and the gal that took our order was rude. I asked for a bean/​cheese chimi without meat & she said if it wasn’t on the menu then they wont do it. So I ordered an over priced bean & cheese burrito & my husband got the Durango burrito. What I ended up with was a tortilla with beans spread very thinly and wrapped up. The beans tasted like someone spilled the pepper all over them. A Taco Bell burrito has more beans & cheese and is more filling than this and a lot cheaper. My husbands was bland and was not filling at all.
Very disappointed.,

Expensive and crowded when I went. Slow service, nonexistent refills.
Damn it. I wanted to like Abuelo’s more, since I had gone there years back and remember a great meal with friends. This time, the entire city of Peoria decided to show up there to eat. My girlfriend and I did have to wait a bit before they could find a seat for us.
Our sever was a nice guy, very focused on all of the tables he had. Unfortunately, this also meant that we would only get drink refills sparsely throughout the night. This included our waters as well, which was disappointing.
For dinner, my girl had the salmon and rice. I had enchiladas and pork tenderloin. Both of us were impressed with our food. My plate was amazing. But that did come at a price. So with the price and lack of service considered, this was an average experience.
I’m not mad or anything, I can’t say whether or not I would come back. It’s a long shot to be honest.

Outstanding! Again! Loved the drink, the appetizers, food and drink! My enchiladas were great, the combo is the way to go! Our server Jose did a great job with a large party with lots of substitutions. Only wish there was one closer.

Abuelo’s has always been kind of a mixed bag.
I really like the variety of salsas they provide with their chips, most notably, the green pineapple. If they don’t give it to you with your order of chips, I’m pretty sure you can still request it.
I’m a huge fan of their signature papas con chile and consider it an essential side for whatever you order. It’s a great deviation from the usual rice and beans you get at pretty much every sit-​down Mexican restaurant in existence.
As for the entrees themselves, I’ve had their chimichanga and found it to be acceptable. I’ve also had their Del Rio, which is a combination platter that has an enchilada, taco, and tamale. For some reason, none of them really seemed to pop flavor. I requested a side of chili con queso, which I was told would cost extra. It ended up being almost four dollars extra. Seriously? It wasn’t worth it, as I’ve had better elsewhere.
For dessert, the only thing we’ve ever had is their tres leches, which isn’t the best I’ve ever had, but is decent enough by the standards of a chain.
They emphasize that all of their food is made from scratch and is completely fresh. Some stuff? Probably. But virtually everything? Eh. They’re probably cutting some corners back there somewhere.
Servers here are really nice and well trained. During one of our visits, the place was so insanely busy that it took forever to get our drinks, but the server was apologetic and took very good care of us.
I’m not a big fan of the tablets at the table. I don’t even want to imagine the amount of germs built-​up on these things. I’m sure it makes things easier on the servers, as well as customers that don’t want to wait around to pay their bill, but there’s just something about the concept that declassifies the restaurant (a la Olive Garden), despite having very beautiful décor.
There’s a few other things I want to try on their menu (namely their fajitas), so I’m sure we’ll swing by here every once in awhile.
Go in with realistic expectations and you’ll be fine.

Enjoy the atmosphere here and the delicious authentic food. It’s quiet and we get excellent service. But this time our service was very poor. They forgot our appetizer. They brought me a dish I didn’t order. So this trip was a disappointment.

I would guess it has been between 10 and 12 years since we have dined at Abuelo’s. It was relatively close to an event we were attending and we decided to give it another try.
This restaurant used to be fantastic when it first opened. Not so much anymore. Back in the day they had a medallions of filet mignon in a chipotle cream sauce that would knock your socks off it was so good. That item has been gone from the menu for years (which was largely why we stopped going) and the place has only gone downhill from there.
I ordered a chicken angel hair dish with veggies in a cream sauce and it was bland and awful. The sauce tasted like it was from a can or bottle: terrible. The chicken was bland, flaccid and worthless. The veggies, although fresh and crisp added nothing to the dish.
My husband, who ordered a chimichanga, was also unimpressed with his meal and said, «there is no reason to ever come back here.»
All that said, the service was good and the chips were light crispy and warm and the salsas were good, but that was not enough to salvage the meal or create any expectation that we will ever return or tell anyone to go there.

My boyfriend took me here for a date on Friday night. It was lovely! The restaurant was beautiful and the servers were very friendly and quick. We ordered a few adult beverages, a side of guacamole for the chips, and The Grande (Thee enchiladas — one beef, one cheese and one sour cream chicken — a cheese chile relleno, tamale, crispy beef taco and guacamole). I am so glad we shared this meal because it was a BEAST! It was so tasty that I could not stop eating. I am drooling thinking about their food right now. There were no leftovers to take home.
I also thought the little touch screen on the table was cool. You can pay $ 1.99 to order games (we did not), order food, and pay your bill. We used it to pay the bill which let us leave as soon as we wanted. This is a really neat piece of technology that I hope to see in more places in the future. For those who do not like it they can always set it aside if they want the slower, old fashioned way of cashing out.

For take out, the Durango Burrito was sensationally delicious and so was the Cilantro Lime Rice. Yes, tortilla chips are tortilla chips, but at Abuela’s, the tortilla chips were so light and airy, quite mouthwatering good.
The inside of the restaurant reminded me of an upscale-​type eatery. I’d like to try a different dish inside the restaurant next time!

Conveniently located among a cluster of other midscale dining chains in Arrowhead Fountain Centre, Abuelo’s offers an impressive variety of fare, but unfortunately fails to deliver in terms of flavor and quality.
I came in to preview their food, in preparation for my daughter’s upcoming graduation. She wanted to find a nice place to go with her grandparents so I was sent on a recon mission.
When I first walked in, I was struck by the beautiful interior design, every detail trying to replicate the experience of being in the courtyard of an old Spanish villa. Weathered columns. Trees. An odd statue in the middle. The ceiling was painted to simulate a pale blue afternoon sky, white clouds frozen in time. I have to admit — it was rather well-​executed. But it did reminded me of the malls of Las Vegas (think the Forum at Caesars or the Venetian) with their simulated marble finishes and mock skies that hope you forget just how fake everything is.
Unfortunately, this lack of authenticity carries over to the food as well.
The first thing I noticed when I sat down was the Ziosk machine on the table. What?! I thought I was at a real restaurant. If you’re not familiar with Ziosk machines, they are mini-​touch screen computers used for ordering food so you don’t have to talk to a waiter, playing games so you don’t have to talk to your family, and paying your bill. Thanks Ziosk! These machines are sometimes seen at casual dining restaurants (ex. Chilis) and airports. Actually, those are the only places I’ve seen them. Thankfully, as soon as I sat down a real person came to greet me.
The waiter was actually very friendly. He offered me chips with three kinds of salsa. The chips themselves were thin, unsalted corn chips that tasted like they just came out of a huge 5-​gallon plastic bag — you know the ones. The salsas were… interesting:
Salsa one — bland, red sauce. No reason to waste your time with this.
Salsa two — chunkier salsa with a roasted tomato flavor, nice kick and mellow burn.
Salsa three — tomatillo based salsa with a curiously sweet/​tart flavor brought to you by pureed pineapple. Interesting, but not something I want on a tortilla chip.
The menu is HUGE. Very extensive. Like Cheesecake Factory extensive. For those of you who came to «America’s Favorite Mexican Restaurant» but don’t want to actually try Mexican food, don’t worry — they have you covered with dishes such as Hickory-​smoked Ribeye, Lobster Seafood Pasta, and Prime Rib.
I went for the Monterrey Plate — a ridiculously huge platter that is probably intended for two people to share. I say that because I could only get through about half of it before I was just plain tired of eating. The Monterrey features:
Chile Relleno — nicely-​charred poblano pepper, stuffed with cheese buried under a pile of salsa — Not bad.
Rice — Ok.
Cheesy Mashed Potato — Ok, but probably unnecessary.
Crispy Chicken Taco — The crunchy shell was a nice change of pace. It seemed like its only purpose was to provide contrasting texture against the platter of mushiness.
Two Chicken Enchiladas — Quite flavorful. Probably my favorite part of the meal.
Avocado Enchilada — Sounds like a good idea. It is not.
Sour Cream Spinach — more mush
Yes, it is a TON of food. It looks nothing like the pictures because everything seemed to be smothered with sauce or cheese.
All in all, if you are looking for typical chain Mexican fare, then this is typical chain Mexican fare. Right along the same lines as El Torito or Macayos. Rather bland and uninspired.
Needless to say, we didn’t take the grandparents here…

Ouch, we visited in February and I realized we were here once before but apparently I did not write a review. I know when the food is good because I forget to take pictures, hehe, both times I only had pics of the chips and salsa.
I came visit 2 more times and the food has always been good. Service has been from OK to great. Place is roomy and nice. Great for a business lunch or dinner. They have been flexible with the sides and accommodating for low carb requests.

Mexican chain that is average at best.
Good atmosphere and long waits.
Margarita’s are eh. Something was missing. Oh that’s right, the booze!
Food is meh.
I ordered the: Grande Burrito — Shredded chicken with sour cream sauce, Mexican rice, cheese and refried beans all wrapped in a flour tortilla. Chicken didn’t taste very fresh and it was oversalted (normal I guess).
Service was good. He was attentive. Prices were average.
Would not return… food isn’t worth it.

I’ve eaten here quite a few times and have never had a bad meal. They always bring out fresh tortillas and 3 dipping sauces. Today I’m having their bacon wrapped beef tenderloin and bacon wrapped, jalapeño stuffed shrimp. This shrimp is dynamite.
I do recommend getting a table instead of a booth. The booth tables are high and not much room.

We had a decent meal during our visit to this location while in town on vacation. I have to say upon seeing their menu, with its photos and reading reviews, I was pretty excited to try it… and it was o.k.
My son’s both ordered shrimp fajitas, which I won’t question… ordering seafood in the middle of the desert. One ordered the Yucatan version which was to have a barbeque sauce on the shrimp-​seemed like plain shrimp to me.
I had the rib eye and enchiladas (cheese and onion) and it was good-​side choices were interesting, in getting a green chile and having many options. My wife ordered a combo plate so she could get a chile releno and said it was good.
Chips and salsa were o.k. Chips were thin and the salsas were runny, although the verde one tasted good with the pineapple flavor.
The wait wasn’t bad for a Saturday evening and the atmosphere was odd-​kind of looked like what you’d expect for an Italian or Greek restaurant in terms of décor and tables were very close together, but who am I kidding, I don’t base my food opinions on décor!

Wow zero stars. Again same story we had a gift card from Christmas and decided to try it before we saw a movie at Harkins.
We popped in at 330 pm and were seated immediately by our server. She was really nice and took good care of us. This review is on the food and alcohol.
I ordered a $ 5 Carona draft and it came out in this huge 10 pound glass and was Luke warm! NOT GOOD
I then decided to order a «hand shaken» 1800 margarita. ($ 9.50) after drinking half I had to flag down waitress and ask if there was any alcohol in here ! 2^nd mistake! She then brings me back another one on the house and it was soooo strong.
Besides alcohol I ordered a #1 enchilada special and rice, beans, and 2 flavors of different enchiladas and wow it was the grossest Mexican food I have ever had. No flavor at all
Again also a #2 same thing 2 different flavors of enchiladas and again no flavor and very bland.
And for the final straw… They brought us 3 different flavors of salsa before our meal (sry at the end of review) THE WORST SALSA EVER TASTED!!! 1 Red salsa tasted like straight BBQ sauce, another red was straight water, and the green was really sweet.
Overall never again.

We went in on a busy Friday night and had about a 20 minute wait. Once we were seated the server came over and took our drink order right away. He then brought out chips, salsa and our drinks. He didn’t come back for our order for quite some time. I was already done with my margarita by the time he did come back.
Once we placed our order our food came within a decent amount of time. I liked that they gave us three types of salsa with our chips. They were all good and the chips were really good. We also ordered the avocado cream sauce. I really liked it. We also had jalapeño cheddar bites and a steak fajita chimichanga with the specialty potatoes. The potatoes were delicious! I could have just had those.
I am giving 3 stars based on the slow service and small weak margarita.