Checked out this restaurant on a weeknight for dinner. We easily got a table even though they were…read morea little busy. The customer service was great and the food was really good. I wasn't too impressed with the vegetable dumplings (lacked some flavor), but the pad see ew with chicken was very flavorful. We requested a spice level of 3, but that was not spicy at all. I would probably try a 4 next time if you can handle the spice. Highly recommend this place!

Manny the bartender/server was really great! Very friendly, made good suggestions and made me feel…read morewelcome! I came in close to closing and he did not make me feel rushed at all! He made me a really good skinny margarita with Tajín rim, he even suggested good tequilas to try! The chips and guacamole were amazing! I was a little disappointed that they don't have a queso appetizer. I tried the beef sope which was pretty good. I got the Michoacán fajitas and even though he did tell me that they use some of their Thai sauce in them, I did not like it. It was very sweet and had a weird flavor. I much prefer traditional fajita seasoning, so keep that in mind when you are ordering. It is a very large portion for the price so expect leftovers! The beef was definitely overcooked and dry. Even though these items weren't marked as gluten free I assumed they were because I got corn tortillas but I did end up having a reaction so I should have clarified better before ordering. He let me try all the salsas - mild was no spice and honestly not much flavor, medium was very spicy and hot was basically inedible for me. I did not try the Thai food, but might if I am ever back in the area. As for ambiance there isn't much to be honest. The bar was sad. All the liquor just sitting on metal wire racks with no actual bar or shelves. The restaurant furniture all looks old and needs to be updated.

Small spot with big taste!! Really good food nestled into south gate!…read more Great little spot. Fast friendly fresh and fantastic Mexican food. Recommend the quesadillas!! And the hot sauce is so good. But hot.

So my husband and I came over here to try the ice cream shop, but it was closed, so we ended up…read morecoming right next door to the Mexican cuisine store called Soto's. It's a bit like a crodd between a lunch truck vibe mixed with a food court, but in the 'rotunda' of this mega-barn in Elkhart with a brewery supply store, and many other open sourced stores. I ordered a chicken quesadilla, and my husband ordered gorditas. Nom, nom, nom! Definitely get the green sauce to pour on top, and take your chances with the hot red sauce as well, but it's not for the faint of heart... Even though it's a bit more cafeteria style in seating, one of the workers came out to us with the above-mentioned sauces and made sure we were doing well. All in all, I thought that for what it was, it was excellent, and if we are in the Farmers Market again, I'm certain we will be eating here again!

Cam in last night for my birthday dinner. Prime rib was still just as wonderful as the last time…read more Love the atmosphere and the staff are always friendly.

Went to Heinies about 3 ago on a Saturday night. Good meal. They specialize in great cuts of…read morebeef. We love the prime rib which is available on Tuesday Friday & Saturday. Had the smallest cut which was plenty of food. It is accompanied by a choice of sides. This is not a fancy place but a simple restaurant with fairly traditional offerings. Have eaten the fried chicken which is very good too. The service was friendly & efficient. We didn't have to wait long but the do not take reservations so an early dinning time is the best way to avoid a long wait. Would recommend Heinies to any one looking for good traditional food, especially beef

If you have allergies proceed with caution. This place can be great when they get the orders right…read more Unfortunately, there isn't much attention to detail when it comes to things like allergies when they're stated. I had two different burritos remade today because they each contained dairy even after stating a dairy allergy. The first one had sour cream on it. One of the people at the restaurant stated they didn't realize that sour cream is dairy. The second time, they re-made it there was no sour cream, but it had cheese inside. Just something to note if you're going there with any kind of food allergies. I've been here a handful of times and there's often this kind of issue unfortunately.

I spent most of my birthday this year on a plane. We did eat a late dinner at Huck Finn in Oak…read moreLawn, Illinois, but my parents wanted to celebrate my (and Marlene's) belated birthday(s) with, well, Tom and Marlene, so my parents asked me to pick a spot. I love finding good places that Tom and Marlene haven't been. At first, I thought this was the Mexican restaurant on the south side of McKinley Street, but that one is long gone. I believe it was was called Cancun--or was it Acapulco? In any case, we drove separately because Tom and Marlene had some of their typical do-gooding to do, and I was a little surprised at how late they were. Well, they had gone to a takeout version of Puerto Vallarta (the same business?) located near where that other old closed Mexican restaurant was, but on the north side of McKinley. In any case, Puerto Vallarta--the real one tucked way behind a secret strip mall with this weird fire lane between the first line of parking spots and the storefront curb itself--is a great place. The menu is pretty vast for a sit-down Mexican restaurant in South Bend, and it's not just different versions and combinations of the same items, although you can seemingly get anything as part of a combination plate. The service is excellent and attentive. It was very busy when we came, and we were seated right when a lot of other people were seated, so our food did take a long time, but it wasn't ridiculously long, and our server continually stopped by to let us know what was happening and to refill water and complimentary chips. There are two or three dining rooms total, and we were seated in the one to the right as you walk in the door. I'm glad we weren't seated in the main (?) central room, because that's where they had a speaker on one of the tables playing music very loudly. I thought this would annoy me, but when you're in one of the other rooms, the music is at a reasonable volume. I guess their method is cheaper than actually installing a sound system throughout the restaurant, but I don't know who actually sits in that main room, because it was empty when we entered and had only two parties dining when we left. There was basketball on the TV when we were here, but the volume was turned off, and they have what looks like an antenna service without an actual antenna, so the broadcast was constantly dropping out for long periods during the entirety of our dinner. I wasn't interested in watching, so I didn't care, but if you're coming here to watch a game, you will be torturing yourself. Our dining room was festive and fun. It was also reassuring to see so many Latino families eating here and to hear them speaking Mexican-accented Spanish. I grew up in Southern California and have lived in the Golden State most of my life; I never judge a Mexican restaurant by who's eating inside it at home, but in the Midwest? Yup, Mexican restaurants get the same treatment as Chinese restaurants everywhere: The more Chinese people you see eating at the restaurant, the better the restaurant. It's also nice to see how many more Latinos there are in Michiana than when I lived there.

The rice is my favorite thing they offer. I tried birria tacos for the first time tonight. Was not…read moreimpressed. I was hoping/expecting a rich beef broth but was serious let down. Very bland and under seasoned..will never have it again. Tasted like their steak tacos with beef bouillon from the store. On this order they also forgot to give me my large rice.

Best Mexican food in the Elkhart area. Can't be beat. If you want good food, this is where you…read moreshould go.

Extremely pleased with our dinner experience at Essence. Highly recommend to anyone looking for the…read morebest restaurant in Elkhart hands down. Thank you Brad

This place is Incredible! The absolute best service and even better food. I was in a work trip and…read morewent to Essence 2 nights in a row that's how good it was. Such a beautiful restaurant with a date night vibe. We had the best waitress who was so kind to just chat for a bit and even met the owner. I can't wait to come back and try new items on the menu. Best food, best mocktails, best service!

It's was fantastic! The sauce was so good. This place is so good and the service is awesome.read more

Food was good and the waiter was excellent. We were just traveling thru and it was a great stop!read more

The first time there. The atmosphere was wonderful; spacious and bright. Carribean music playing…read moregave it an even greater vibe! The owner/chef was quite personable. He put us at ease and was very friendly. The food was spectacular! I will definitely return! Oxtail was extremely tender and flavorful!

Food was amazing and the staff were very welcoming and friendly. Will definitely go again.read more