Abuelo’s

Lots of space so it’s a good place for a big group and to go with kids. Standard mexican fare with average prices. There’s some tables on the patio outside when it’s warm.

Would give this a lower rating if possible…
Cheese dip was completely unauthentic; wasn’t warm and tasted like it came out of the jar from Kroger. Guac was served in a small portion over a bed of lettuce. Had very little flavor and seasoning. We were convinced it was just avocado.
We both got enchiladas and paid $ 10 for 2. They were mediocre at best.
To top it all off, the service was slow and inattentive. When we asked about the sauces for Enchiladas, our server was condescending.
¹⁰⁄₁₀ would not recommend. We each paid $ 20 for a meal we all felt was very unsatisfying. Had to make a Unilocal account just to write this review. If you enjoy REAL Mexican food, good service, and don’t wanna break the bank, I’m sure Roanoke has many more restaurants to offer.

Service was good, food was decent. I do think they are slightly overpriced for the portion you get. Will visit again, just not any time soon.

Highly recommended.
One of the great joys of traveling is trying the cuisine everywhere we go. We eat out 365 days a year traveling all over the world. It’s always a pleasure, but sometimes surprising, when we find great places to eat. This is one of them.
The menu is extensive offering plenty of choices to guests. Our two entrees — Enchiladas de Cozumel & Ribeye with Enchiladas — were both excellent. And the Flan is the best we’ve ever eaten — without exception. We can see why Consumer Reports rated this chain the best in 2011.
The facility is large and impressive. The owners spent some money on «doing it right» and they have.
Try this place. You’ll like it. We’ll be back.
Visited January 2016

Really good Mexican and TexMex food. We had a great waitress-​Alexis-​who was attentive and quick. The enchiladas were really good, especially the carnitas! Good selection of options for the kids and coloring book and crayons to keep them busy while you wait. Overall great meal on a Saturday night-​just don’t understand why it wasn’t busier. Roanoke you need to come out to this place!!!

I’m only giving 1 star because that’s the lowest rating! Anyone who says this food is good, needs to have their taste buds checked!
I visited this place 1 time in the 10 years I have been living in Roanoke. The food had no flavor, tasted like something from a can. Don’t let the name fool you. If you are looking for a good Latin meal find some place else. Very expensive here! For 3 people we paid $ 75

Two people got gastric distress and I got gluten even though I ordered off the gluten free menu.
It seems like a very a nice restaurant. The atmosphere is very pleasant and even though the gluten free menu is very small it was still adequate. To bad the food didn’t live up to the buildings appearance. Not only was it bland but in the middle of the night it sounded like we were being hit by bombs when everyone’s stomach rebelled. Not an experience I will be repeating.

I have to say, the food here definitely calms the craving for some great chips and salsa. The chips are super thin and crispy, which is my favorite type. The assortment of salsas are great too. The lunch menu has great prices, so if you’re looking to save some $$ go during that time of day! While the food was pretty good, the service was incredible!!! We had Deborah as our server, and every time we asked for anything she went above and beyond to answer questions or get anything to our table.
We travel a lot through the country, as my husband is in a band, and this place I would for sure go again and ask for Deborah!!! Hope this review was helpful!

Left tip on table of 10.– for less than 50 dollar meal… next day saw that they charged a 20 dollar tip to my charge card. complained to management and they offered to pay back 10.00. that is poor business. they should have paid back whole meal. That is stealing. Watch how you pay for your meals here. Someone will rip you off.

went here with a large work group. It took for ever. for ever to get drinks ordered… forever to get drinks… forever to get food ordered… for ever to get the food… forever for refills.
The food was good but the wait pissed me off to much to return.

Food is okay at best. The jalapeño and cheese fritters and tortilla soup are pretty good. The Reynoso salad (or however you spell it) is gross. I don’t recommend it. My daughter loved the hamburger taco and French fries.

This is my new favorite Mexican restaurant! There are a wide variety of menu selections. Simple mexican and tex-​mex dishes to entrees that are more complex but just as delicious. The atmosphere in Abuelo’s is very laid back, the lighting is awesome, and the décor is beautiful.

My wife and I were in town visiting family and we went out here. I am typically a bit picky when I eat at chain Mexican restaurants but I have to say — Abuelo’s was great.
We came here on a Saturday night and were able to sit down right away. Our host, Adam, was friendly and courteous.
The salsa had enough heat — you get three salsa options here — and the chips were crispy and not greasy at all. Beware, you won’t be satisfied with just one basket.
Our service was awesome. Our server, Dillon, made some great recommendations and we ended up following them. My wife got the firecracker shrimp tacos, which were not too heavy. I got the enchiladas with some sauce recommendations from our waiter (you have a ton of enchilada and sauce options) and my father-​in-​law got one of the signature pork dishes which was also excellent.
Overall you’re not going to find anything out of the ordinary here — if you want Mexican you’ll find all the standard options plus a few more.
If you’re looking for a great place to eat out Mexican, Abuelo’s has good food, but more importantly great service.

After dining here several times in the past two years, I had dinner at Abuelo’s with my brother on a recent Saturday night. As I have come to expect, the food and service was very good. The salsa bowls have been shrunk (yikes!), but the excellent flavor variety of the 3 choices remains. The green tomatillo salsa is a favorite! And you can get a larger bowl just by asking. The server was very polite and accommodating, without being overbearing. The menu and combination dish choices offer a wide variety of selections and our food arrived piping hot and in plentiful amounts. Freshness is key at Abuelo’s, and from the deliciously light and thin tortillas to our entrees, everything was exceedingly fresh tasting and the plating was spot on. Definitely a favorite restaurant in the Roanoke area.

I am from California and love my mexican food. I go out for mexican food at least a few times a month maybe even once a week sometimes. I found Abuelo’s on the Unilocal search nearby me feature. SCORE! We went on May 8^th. One of the best mexican food experiences I’ve ever had! They have a selection of three salsas with the thinnest and freshly made chips. Yum! I want to go back! I had chili rellenos. BEST I’VE EVER HAD. The service was great and everyone with me (5ppl) absolutely loved their meal and said it was some of the best mexican food they’ve ever had. I highly recommend this joint!

First time dining there last night, not impressed, food was OK, nothing to shout about, beautiful décor, service was OK… a bit of advice plate presentation means a lot.

I had dinner with friends and we were in a slight hurry to get to the movies. I orderd Chicken Fajitas and they were so salty i couldn’t barely eat them. I ate about half of the chicken, which was over marinated and dry. The veggies on the other hand were barely cooked.
I had the waiter bring the manager over to discuss the issue. He lead the conversation with «what’s up?» and was overall unprofessional. He told us that the chicken is pre marinated and that he wasn’t a fan of it either. He didn’t offer to bring something different out or to take it off the bill. Just that I shouldn’t order it next time.
I was unimpressed with the manager’s service and will not be going back.

As a local I have eaten here many times. The food has always been good and the service excellent. I recommend those who had a previous bad experience, try again.

The food here tastes like it was pulled out of the freezer and microwaved. Even the rice. By far the worst place I have ever eaten in Roanoke. Will not come back.

This is probably the worst pseudo-​Mexican food I have ever had. The waitress just asked me how everything was… I lied hard and told her it was good. Never coming back.