Stopped in for a quick bite & was pleasantly surprised! Service was quick & friendly, our server…read morewas so sweet. I'm a bit picky with my salsa & think it could've been just a touch hotter, but the flavor was still soooo good! And our food was delicious! I got an enchilada & burrito combo with beans & rice. The rice was a bit plain but still good, the beans and burrito were both awesome, and the enchilada was aaaamaaaaazing! We're only in town for a few days to visit family, but this place is definitely on our list to return to when we're in the area again!

This is the best Mexican you're going to find around Elgin, seriously dont waste time anywhere…read moreelse. This is NOT a chain, so you're getting some of the best home-cooked food. The staff and owners are AWSOME!! Super friendly, pleasantly attentive, and people who will remember you with a smile the next time you come in. Chavelas has it's own private parking along the side of their building. They offer limited seating outdoor (which is covered) and ample seating indoor with both booth, tabletop, and Bartop options. It's football season, but dont worry as Chavelas has several T.V.'s for your viewing pleasure throughout the restaraunt and at the bar. The restaraunt is always clean which is one thing I always admire about here, they truly care at Chavella's. Lets talk food!! Today I ordered the Chavella's Special which is "a little bit of everything"; absolutely hit the spot!! The menu has all your favorites and some new ones you didn't know about, but be sure to look at the "Specials board" at the front as you walk in. Chavella's offers your normal fountain drinks, Jarritos (my favorite), Horchata, and many others. The full bar can bring a smile as well whether it's a beer, Michelangelo, or their own Sangria!!! If you are loving the fall weather and are looking for soup try their Carne En Su Jugo, it's one of their specials and for a great reason. Ask for their "House hot sauce" if you want a bit more Ying; it's soooooooo goooooooooood and not overbearing. If you make it into South Carolina, and find yourself close to Elgin, be sure to make Chavella's one of your planned stops.

I went for lunch on Friday with a coworker friend and was quickly met by good prices, great…read moreservice, and an insanely huge margarita. We both got the Friday special (two burritos - one beef, one chicken, with a side of delicious rice) for $9.99 and I'll be back for just that. The meat was delicious and had the perfect amount of seasoning (and the chicken wasn't dry!), the rice was perfectly done, and the burritos filled me up. Also, the MARG? My god! When they say large, mama, they MEAN IT! Also the music playing was fantastic, and although it was pretty busy, it was clean and we could have a good conversation. I'm definitely coming back!

Enjoyed a family lunch at La Fogata today and the food was good being served quickly by our great…read moreserver #11! He was attentive and so kind! unfortunately, it was difficult to talk with one another as the music played in the background was a bit louder than we would have liked. Thanks for a nice meal, though.

A fan favorite the fan is me you see come here you will much glee. One of the best Mexican lunch &…read moredinner spot in Columbia in my rankings. Love the people here warm and friendly always. Table or bar you get the best service.

Nice decor. Friendly staff and good customer service. Food was good, chips and salsa and queso were…read moregood. Definitely had a kick to it. The cocktails were good and a little strong lol. Overall good food. Will try again

One of my favorite spots in Columbia! I love that they have been able to expand so there is plenty…read moreof room. We were seated right away and greeted with chips and bean dip, which is delicious. They have a salsa bar with about 6 or more salsas people are able to choose from. The traditional salsa as well as the tomatillo salsa is my favorite. The ranch-style salsa is also one of my favorites. In addition to the salsas and bean dip, we also ordered queso, which is creamy and delicious. The grand margarita is amazing! Definitely will be my go to margarita here. They make it beautiful with the garnish. I ordered the chicken and steak fajitas. The chicken and steak were seasoned well, along with the vegetables, all of which were cooked to perfection. The rice and beans were delicious as well. I love how fresh everything is. Our server was very pleasant and attentive. The parking can get tight, but it's totally worth the wonderful experience.

Stopped by here with a colleague for dinner and so enjoyed the experience!…read more I arrived on a Wednesday evening just before 7pm and was able to be seated straight away. The parking lot was full (was able to park in the log of a a nearby business that was closed) but there's plenty of seating inside so even with the full lot, we were easily able to get a table. Our server greeted us straight away and brought water, chips, and bean dip. They also have a salsa bar where you can help yourself to salsa! For my cocktail, I got their oaxaca old fashioned. Which was a reposado twist on a traditional whiskey old fashioned. It was great! For a starter, in addition to chips, bean dip, and salsa, we ordered some of their queso, which was silky cheesy deliciousness. For my dinner, I got the #19--chile relleno, small cheese quesadilla, and mexican rice. The chile relleno was flavorful, delicious, and had just the right amount of heat. It had a lovely drizzle of their queso as well which was a nice addition. It was so good! The dining room is clean, brightly lit, and nicely decorated. Our server was friendly and attentive. Truly, a wonderful experience from beginning to end. Get to it!

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant! The triple quesadilla is the best. No where else sells it…read more Only bad thing is the cilantro in the salsa. Service is always fast

Amazing food great price this is our go to place for Mexican food. Service is always good and top…read morenotch. Enchiladas supreme are the best. Ambiance is amazing and well lit plenty of room. Will be back again next week.

We come here each time we visit family. Never have we been disappointed. So glad we found this…read moreplace. Char

We finally checked El Poblano out, after numerous times driving by. They have plenty of parking on…read moresite. Customer service was ok, kinda slow at first. Honestly I tried to like this place, but the waitress made my drink. I knew then that it was gonna be horrible. I kindly sent drink back after taking a sip of pure sugar, non crafted. The food was just basic Mexican food, nothing special. I will probably never go back in the near future. Not sure if the staff is really wanting to serve the public or not, customer service needs to welcoming at all times. The food and service was not good at all. Not sure what else to say, but just do better.

We've been here a few times and each time the food has been fantastic. It tastes delicious and you…read moreget a good amount of food for a decent price. The service is great (I've not eaten in the restaurant, only have done take out). Each time we have ordered we waited about 15 minutes for our food. It comes with a ton of food and extra sauces etc. the restaurant itself is nice and clean, it's inviting and spacious. This is our favorite local restaurant.

I've now been here over 10 times since my last review. I cannot get over the authenticity of their…read morefood. I'm heavily addicted to their chicken tacos. I have business that brings me past this restaurant every Saturday and I never pass it up. Even if we aren't hungry, I'll order food to take home and eat later. (Yes it's that good!!) I spoke to the owner's brother and he was such an awesome person. (Go Steelers!) The young lady usually at the front counter is so wonderful to deal with. I'll be back again and again! If you haven't tried this place, you need to! They also have some of the spiciest red sauce ever!! And it's soooo delicious! Serving Pepsi is a major win as well!! Tacos deserve Pepsi!!

Coa was definitely a fun restaurant! I went during happy hour, and I'd say that the major thing…read morethat stuck out to me was the awesome customer service. Although I don't remember the bartender's name, he was such a cool guy and did a great job of introducing me to the restaurant. I got a margarita to drink, which was a little more expensive than most other margaritas I've gotten, but the quality easily made up for the price. To eat, I simply got three (3) cheese quesadillas, as the rest of the menu was a little too complicated for me. Although they're a simple dish, they were still really good! As for the ambiance, Coa was also a really cool, upscale, and atypical Mexican place! I think it nailed the vibe it was going for, and there are few, if any, comparable places in the surrounding area (that I've been to at least!) Overall, Coa was an awesome upscale Mexican restaurant. I loved stopping in, and I will be back in the future. As such, I'd recommend it to anybody looking for the same vibe!

We were really looking forward to celebrating our 44th wedding anniversary at COA, but…read moreunfortunately we never made it past the seating experience. I made our reservation about two weeks in advance and specifically noted that we were celebrating our anniversary--44 years on September 11. We arrived at 4:15 for our 4:30 reservation, and the restaurant was nearly empty. At the hostess stand, we initially seemed to be treated as walk-ins until I mentioned that we had a reservation. That didn't seem to make any difference. We were led past three booths occupied by parties of four, two, and three. The fourth booth was empty. Instead, we were seated at a very small two-top with other two-tops about two feet away on either side--not exactly the setting we had hoped for on our anniversary, and barely enough room for dinner plates and drinks. I asked whether we could have the empty booth and was told it was reserved for a party of four. Fair enough, so I asked whether there was another table available. The hostess said she would check, despite the restaurant being almost completely empty. Our server then came over and began pouring water. I had to say "wait a minute" twice so we could find out whether we were changing tables. She then told us they were completely booked and there was nowhere else they could seat us. Perhaps every one of those empty tables really was committed to later reservations, but at 4:15 in an almost empty restaurant, it was disappointing that no effort seemed to be made to accommodate a couple who had reserved well in advance and specifically told the restaurant they were celebrating their 44th anniversary. So we left. We walked across the street to Blue Marlin, where we were warmly welcomed and had an excellent anniversary dinner. The contrast in hospitality could not have been greater. We never had the opportunity to try COA's food, so I can't comment on it. But restaurants are about more than food. Hospitality begins the moment a guest walks through the door, and on a special occasion we had planned weeks in advance, COA simply made us feel like they didn't particularly care whether we stayed or left. We left.