Came here last night and it never disappoints! Even though our last review was 10 years ago - we've enjoyed many, many evenings here with great food & exceptional service. Every Friday night our extended family will meet up somewhere in town for dinner. Don Luis is definitely in the rotation as one of our favorites. The remodel years ago still gives the place a fresh cantina-vibe. We were greeted & seated right away. We ordered the chips with trio dips to start; creamy hot queso, fresh guacamole & saucy salsa. Everyone at our table then ordered something different and we were all happy with our choices. I had the chili relleno entree. To be honest my measure of a Mexican restaurant is based on how well this dish is prepared. Don Luis does not disappoint. The chili was fresh, stuffed with just the right amount of cheese and smothered in the most exceptional homemade sauce. And don't even think rice on the side is just the co-star. This Mexican rice has an unexpected amazing flavor. After leaving the restaurant we were still talking about how each of our meals were so good and very reasonably priced. read more

First time I've ordered since the remodel. My favorite used to be the Tony Romo Spicy Beef, which is no longer on the menu, but they have the El Rancho Grande and it is described exactly the same way with the addition of cilantro, which I love, so I went for it. Now, I love spice and can handle quite a bit, but this was beyond next level. You can see the overload of jalapeño seeds in the photo. It was inedible. And sadly the rice and beans were so mixed in that they were a loss as well. Really disappointing. Also, no cilantro that I could taste or see. read more

Don Luis Restaurant - El Rancho Grande - Mexican Near Me - Billings, Montana

This place used to have so much charm and top notch food. Unfortunately the remodeling of the restaurant and menu has left this place devoid of personality and flavor :( The ambiance feels generic and empty with unnecessary bright lighting that is very mood disrupting. The food is bland and basic. My circle used to love this place, but sadly we all agree that we won't be back. Such a sad story. read more

The food was amazing and loved the ambiance. The service was spot on and I urge everyone to come and try it! Will definitely be coming here for years to come. read more

Don't waste your time. Literally. Hours posted were 430pm - close. We walked in at 8pm on a Friday. We were seated right away, restaurant wasn't that busy, but just busy enough that you would think they'd still be serving food. First - they charge for chips and salsa, which doesn't seem right for a Mexican restaurant. Second - they informed us they ran out of rice.... A Mexican restaurant.... Ran out of RICE Thirdly - after the first hour of waiting for our meals, we noticed two tables that had been waiting well ahead of when we came in had not received their meals yet. After waiting another half hour we offered to pay for the drinks and chips, which they declined - so we left. Extremely disappointed since they were recently featured on Restaurant Impossible, and I had high hopes that the service had improved. read more

Don Luis is a very good place to eat. The food is authentic Mexican. Very like being in Mexico. Great Mexican music on the sound system. Helpful, friendly wait staff. This is not run of the mill tex-mex. esta comidas autentico .. If you miss eating here,you have missed a good thing. read more

Very cute little place. We were the only ones there on a Friday evening. Customer service was good which is a positive. Food was pretty pricey. Food was decent but no where near amazing. Queso was not good. read more

Don Luis Restaurant - Toppings with rice - Mexican Near Me - Billings, Montana

See all

The ladies hustling the food are attentive, friendly and great at what they do. Camarones a la Diabla - $26 for four shrimp in an onion and mushroom soup with 3 tortillas and some blah beans and dry rice. The plate is massive and has been heated to the temperature of the sun for some reason, which continues to dry the beans and rice and well that is all that in on this massive plate. The shrimp are served boiling hot in a bowl. The tortillas are served hot in foil. I knew the plate was hot when I burned my hand and dropped one of the four shrimp on the floor. I had one shrimp for each tortilla with some onions and mushrooms and a watery soup. The flavor is heavy on the wine with a little spice and the shrimp are good quality, but it was disappointing. Nothing one the side to add, no sour cream, no salsa, no gaucamole, no cheese, no onions, no lettuce, no tomatoes, no cilantro, no lime. Blah beans and dry rice. I felt welcome. I was attended to. A person would have to work half a day at minimum wage day just to eat this meal. I would recommend walking down the street to Guadalajara and getting a better quality meal at a much lower price. read more

The outside looks like it's falling apart, since it's the best rated "Mexican restaurant" in the area, I thought maybe the food would make up for it. It did not. We ordered the pork rice bowl, Pollo con Mole and the chips and salsa trio, the rice bowl barely had any meat. $16 worth of 80% rice and beans and the rest was meat and toppings. Not worth it at all! Pollo con Mole, was not good either, tasted more like curry than mole and it was very spicy, not to mention the rice that tasted burnt. The chips and Salsa were probably the most decent tasting item we ordered. There are plenty of other restaurants in the area, I would recommend skipping this one! read more

A friend and I stopped in for dinner. Street parking only if recall correctly. You get the complimentary chips & salsa but I think the menu said just the first basket...after which there'd be a charge. Regardless, our waitress didn't charge us for more. I tried the taco & tamale combo..it was average tasting. My friend got an entree meal and his plate was pretty full. He passed off chunks of food onto my plate because he knew he wouldn't be able to finish it all. He had one of the fajitas plates. Again, the fajitas were just average tasting. The tortillas were good though! Quiet atmosphere inside and most patrons were taking home their leftovers. Our waitress was nice and our food hot. It was also pricey. Growing up in the southwest, I've come across unlimited Mexican restaurant options throughout my life. In my opinion, Mexican food in the southwest is much better tasting. This place isn't bad, but for me, I can't rate it average...anyone that has sample Mexican food in the southwest would most likely agree. But again, it not bad here. read more

This place use to be good !!service was ok but they are in dire need of a good cook everything was bland don't waste your time or money here you better off going to taco bell no lie ! read more

Don Luis Restaurant - Extremely bland food and burned rice. - Mexican Near Me - Billings, Montana

It took forever to get service Usually Mexican restaurants give you chips and salsa not this one The waitress was unprofessional She served us and never came back to ask if we need something read more

Over priced and no flavor! We had the arroz con pollo and a veggie quesadilla. The serving size for arroz con pollo was huge, but it was SO bland. I asked for a cheese quesadilla with fajita veggies, and I got broccoli, carrots, and onions? It was the smallest quesadilla I've ever had. I also ordered a side of black beans- for $3, they were under cooked and had no flavor. It WAS cinco de mayo, so I'd like to think it was an off day, but I won't be going back to try again. (They also ran out of chips and didn't have corona light) Seriously, save your money. Taco Bell is better. read more

Don Luis Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Billings, Montana

I've never eaten such tasteless food in my entire life. Sauce on the enchiladas was the same sauce on the chimichanga and it had absolutely no flavor. Nothing. It did have a brown color tho. No cheese on or in the chimi or enchiladas. I don't know where the chips came from but they were like eating cardboard. Waitress was oblivious. Had to ask two times for silverware and napkins. Not like it use to be. Not going back. Miss the red booths and the good food. read more

Being from Southern California, I've been fortunate to have had access to good, authentic Mexican food my entire life ... now "life" has brought me to Montana and so my search for "comfort food" begins. I decided to visit Don Luis this evening based on their 4.4 star rating on Google. After being seated at our table, was a good 5 or so minutes later that we received a menu. Chips and salsa were "meh" ... Wasn't too impressed with the menu ... alot of "weird" dishes not typically seen on a Mexican menu. The waiter informed me that they could make anything so I asked for a plate with a crispy chicken taco, cheese enchilada w/ verde sauce, beans & rice. Ordered a chile rellano on the side as well. Food took about 45 minutes ... no lie! A family that had come in 20 minutes or so after us were served their food first, not cool. As to the food ... disgusting. The "verde" sauce had the consistency of a thick gravy and was bland AF. The chile rellano resembled an omelette and again, doused in this green, lumpy, nasty gravy crap. The taco, beans & rice were just OK. I left the enchilada and rellano uneaten. Waiter asked if I needed a box ... nah dude, just a trash can. The bill was shocking, wayyy overpriced and so not worth it. You couldn't pay me to go back ... read more

Don Luis Restaurant - WTF is it? - Mexican Near Me - Billings, Montana

The food was garbage and was cold we ate nothing because it tasted by and is was 200 dollars wasted we were expecting much more from here

Ordered to go thru Uber ... missing half order. Greeesy for fajitas. Mex pizza not even cut. Manager when I called rude AF. Hung up on me. Too bad Jon Taffer couldn't help... read more

I used to love this place. Sad to see they've completely lost their touch. We went in a while back with some friends and ordered food. Waitress was very short with us, they charge $5 a basket for chips and salsa (what Mexican joint does that????), waited almost an hour for food, and got attitude when we asked for refills on our water and sodas. We finally gave up and asked to pay for our chips and beverages and were rudely told to just leave. When we did the owner came flying out of no where and accused us of dining and dashing. Lo siento Señora, but you you guys gotta get it together... read more

Very disappointing....they don't give u chips and salsa to munch on and u have to pick rice or beans with your dish...I'm used of getting rice and beans!! Also the lady who brought our food had a crying baby on her hip...so she had to bring our 2 dishes out one dish at a time, because she only had one hand free...very unprofessional!!! I will never go back...I recommend Guadalajara for Mexican food...u get chips and salsa and beans and rice with your food!!! read more

Authentic tasty food. Very freshly made so have a beer or two and relax before it comes. We did the chip trio before... very yummy, but it's a lot for two people with an entree. Very nice staff. read more

Don Luis Restaurant - Bar area - Mexican Near Me - Billings, Montana

I miss the old Don Luis. I feel they have fell victims to the Restaurant impossible joke to give rating to the Food Network and feed Robert Irvines ego. Google says 108 of 169 restaurants have closed, 3 have sold after their "makeover." Yikes. Another restaurant they turned into a bistro. I sure hope they dump this and make some successful changes to stay open. read more

Mexican food? Really? Could be called Chinese, Italian, whatever as it has absolutely no taste, flavor, aroma, anything. Very long wait for food and no complementary chips and salsa to munch on during the 45 minute wait for the very overpriced meal. $50 for two tasteless lunches with no booze and no appetizers. There are many better choices in downtown Billings. read more

Post Kitchen Impossible: i had such high expectations knowing that recently Robert Irvine had filmed Kitchen Impossible at Don Luis. i had eaten here prior to the makeover and enjoyed it so i thought wow it's gonna to be amazing! That's on me, i should have gone in with zero expectations and i probably wouldn't have been so critical. They definitely streamed lined things from decor to menu. Less is not always more if you know what i am saying. So let me start from the beginning, the wait staff was incredible. Pleasant and for the most part timely and efficient. i ordered the chips trio, basically a basket of chips served with Salsa, guacamole, and Queso. The salsa although junky, which i like, was on the watery side. Guacamole was creamy and flavorless, queso tasted grainy and was more of a Mac and cheese flavor than a traditional queso we all come to expect when dipping tortilla chips. my meal for the night, asada street tacos. The street tacos that i am use to growing up in Southern California are simple. Corn tortilla, carna asada, cilantro, and onion. These tacos were well just what you come to expect from a taco from the bell. They were good mind you, the meat was well seasoned and tender, they just weren't street tacos. i was not disappointed by Don Luis, but i was disappointed it Kitchen Impossible and Chef Robert Irvine. i am looking forward to watching the episode, i have so many questions! (Air date: sometime in January 2021). read more

See all

Food was terrible! had been there back in September and it was so good! This time sucked very sad I wasted money on garbage

After an 8 hour drive into town, my fiancé and I were in the mood for a cocktail and nachos, which is just what we got. minus the cocktail. I'm not one to give many bad reviews, but this place was just plain awful and disappointing. FOOD: terrible. we ordered the nachos with chicken and were greatly disappointed. we felt as though we could make better ones at home! the chips were soggy, the cheese was liquid and nothing about it tasted authentic. DRINKS: the restaurant doesn't have a liquor license, so beer and wine is all that's offered. I was in the mood for a good margarita - but settled for a corona with lime. they do have a wine based margarita, but that hangover didn't seem worth it to me. SERVICE: pretty attentive and friendly. prompt in delivering our drinks, and refilled our waters. nice people. let's face it, you're not missing much. Sorry, not sorry! read more

Service was good. They charged $4 got chips and salsa. Salsa was very watery. Food was very bland and tasteless.

Fresh new look and feel at this restaurant we've been coming to for 15 years. The flexible new menu (web site has not been updated) puts a new spin on old favorites and boasts some tasty new selections. We enjoyed the roasted corn on the cob - Elotes- as well as the old favorite: chips with salsa, queso and guacamole. My husband had fun creating his custom chimichanga which was carnitas served enchilada style and very tasty. The fish tacos were also delicious! read more

Wow. So good!!! The last time I ate here was several years ago and it was ok. Before, I had a really hard time deciding what to order because the menu was literally separated into chapters. But now everything is so much more streamlined and the pork chili verde was fantastic! My new fav Mexican restaurant to go to! I do wish that they wouldn't have taken away the chips and salsa that is customary at a Mexican restaurant. Instead we ordered a trio of dips, and it honestly wasn't worth it. But that chili verde..... read more

Soooo good, I love this place and will definitely be coming back. Delicious food and great service.

Horrible Service by the owner Carmen Salazar (Wife of the owner Luis). We were kicked out of this restaurant on May 6 2017 during the special event of the Canelo/Chavez Boxing match after we paid a hilarious cover charge to watch the fight in their basement. At about 6pm we sat at one of the few available tables in the basement and after being there for 3 hours we were told by Carmen we had to move spots because that table was reserved for the Lopez Party. This was after we spent lots of money on overpriced drinks and unsatisfactory tacos. We told Carmen we never saw a reserved sign on the table and we were not going to move after all that time being there. She got aggressive and said we are moving. She went ahead and called her goon security who aggressively pulled me and my wife upstairs where they tried to kick us out. We stayed in the front and waited for the cops to arrive. All we asked for was our money back for spending our evening there and not being satisfied but they denied us and called the cops, who by the way sided with us. My question is why were we not notified about the table reservation throughout the evening by Carmen's bartender, server or daughter while we were being served? How come nobody was supervising the table situation and how come nobody was able to accommodate us? Don Luis's restaurant ethic is a disgrace for a Mexican restaurant and is extremely unprofessional when it came to customer service and satisfaction, I as a Mexican born man feel greatly disrespected. Carmen does not know how to properly deal with customers and run an event at a restaurant. I will never recommend this place to anyone.b read more

Don Luis Restaurant - These is the peice of crap table we got kicked out of for a reserved party that never showed up. We paid a hilarious cover charge. A JOKE!! - Mexican Near Me - Billings, Montana

See all

Went for lunch. 2 tacos with rice OR beans was $12. The price is slightly high especially because you don't get both rice and beans. Chips and salsa - extra charge. OK now it is a bit more over priced. Tacos came with no salsa so I asked if I could get some for the tacos. Brought a small container with just enough salsa for the 2 tacos. When I get the bill they have added $3 for side of salsa. Now the 2 tacos with a few refried beans and NO chips is $15. Service efficient but without a smile. No issues with the taste of the food but not spectacular. Over priced! I guess the price is probably why at 1 PM on a Saturday there was only 1 other table filled. read more

We were passing through town and was in the mood for some good mexican after about 8 hours of driving and stumbled upon this "gem". This was some of the worst service I've ever experienced. Upon seating, I ordered a beer from a younger (18-15 year old) looking server. After a few minutes he asked if there was something else I could get for him. I said, I would love a good margarita. He said.... "I think you'll have another beer." This took me aback but he went on to say they only had a wine margarita. No thanks. My wife ordered fajitas but found them totally inedible because of the spice. I tried a bite of it and it was so spicy that one bite had beads of sweat rolling across my forehead. We called the server over and mentioned our concern. His exact words to my wife were, "It's not THAT spicy," followed by "man up." This irritated me so I called over the manager to express first of all the quality of the food and then the attitude of her wait staff. She barely offered an apology for her staff. She then said that she talked to the cooks and they only used one jalapeno, so it can't be that bad. We insisted that the food was inedible, so she picked up the plate and tried a bite of the food as she stood over the table. One of the most unprofessional things I've ever seen. She finally agreed that the food was really spicy, more than usual and apologized and took the fajita plate back to the kitchen while leaving behind the usual fajita condiment tray, (cheese, guac, sour cream and tomatoes). She took the dish back to the cooks whom you could see in the open window looking at us and smirking. I shared the rest of my dish with my wife, which was mediocre in itself. When the bill came, the manager said that she put a discount on there. The fajitas were $19.00, she took $12.00 off the bill. I asked why we were still charged $7.00 for an inedible dish. She said, well you still have the guacamole, sour cream and cheese there. I said, "What do you expect her to do with this?" When she realized how ridiculous this must have sounded she went back and took off the remaining $7.00. It was still a $60 tab for 3 people, 2 of which ate. As we walked out the door we found a note taped to the door that read, "Vacation Needed. Sorry for any inconvenience. Don Luis restaurant will be closed from August 31 to September 7." Any place that closes down because they need a vacation has serious management issues. I also feel sorry for anyone wanting to eat there on September 8. Do you think any fresh items will be ordered in ahead of time or will there be a weeks worth of frozen food? Ponder that one. Bottom line...... Food not worth the spendy bill, HORRIBLE customer service. There's gotta be better in Billings! read more

Fabulous! My new favorite Mexican restaurant!! Service, food, ambience. I'm picky but can't find one thing they don't do amazingly.

Great cooking, fresh food, and fun makes Don Luis' one of the best restaurants in Billings. The chefs at Don Luis are the best in town. They have tremendous skill. They are a fast team, and they keep a close eye on what they are sending out of the kitchen. It's great to see so much pride and attention going into a meal. The team can prepare any dish well. Prime rib, seafood, and Mexican food. The specials are great. The selections are seasonal and well prepared. I ordered the seafood enchilada's and I was extremely surprised by the amount of real seafood inside. It wasn't imitation, or canned. It was grand. I also recommend the prawns. My prawns were fresh, huge, and hot. The atmosphere is hip. The place can really get crowded. It's a great place to enjoy a meal and drink a few beers. The only problem I have had at Don Luis is with the other customers. For instance, I have been scolded by old ladies for holding the door open too long in order to help my mother into the building. I am always amazed by the behavior of people. Especially when it comes to treating restaurant staff. For instance, if you think you know how to prepare Chile Relleno's better than the experienced chefs at Don Luis, STAY HOME! Despite all this, Don Luis will always treat you well. P.S.- I get lots of smiles every time I go. Whenever I go to Billings, I make a special trip to Don Luis. read more

Went it for the first time. Waited for an hour to get our food, the food was less than desirable. Our food sat underneath the hot lamps so long that our plates were so hot we could not touch them, the refried beans were actually baked to the plate. I ordered a beer and it took them 30 minutes to bring it to me. I love to support local however I cannot support this business with the service or the quality of food that I ordered. read more

2 only cuz Jasmine was a nice waitress and the homemade salsa was good. Heavy on cilantro. Chips were bricks. But Aye Caramba "shrimp" burrito was gross. Shrimp were the baby salad shrimp. Perhaps caned and the fish odor was overwhelming. Also an imitation seafood shredded something was in there. Oh god it was bad. Just a handful of sautéed shrimp with butter and Mexican spices on Spanish rice, sautéed onions/peppers and enchilada style. Done! If they go the cheap route they will certainly lose return customers. read more

Don Luis Restaurant - Bigger is not always better... - Mexican Near Me - Billings, Montana

The new menu is VERY small. No free chips and salsa. The food was mediocre at best. I realize the old menu was probably too extensive but I would like a few more options. My husband had encrusted fish that was okay but didn't resemble Mexican food. I had 2 tacos with shredded beef. The meat tasted like pot roast. I feel like Taco John's tacos would have tasted better. I preferred the old decor as well. The food used to be much better imo. Sorry, we won't be back unless things change read more

I can't account for the past, all I can do is report my 3 visits (courtesy of gift cards), and the results were awful. Twice we ate lunch for 2, and it was the worst Mexican I've ever had. The chile relleno was an omelette (!!) with some gross "green" sauce splattered all over it. The regular enchilada had another abomination disguised as a sauce inflicted upon it. It tasted like chile powder added to water. Bitter. Nasty. Inedible. We thought dinner might be better some we came back and tried the steak and prime rib. The rib eye was 35 dollars, and while not disgusting, it was not good and not worth the price. So much garlic and salt I could barely taste the meat. Prime rib was not bad. Quesadillas for the kids were terrible. How do you screw up a quesadilla? read more

Hmm. Standard Mexican food. Not horrible. However: The service is really slow. The prices are really high. The space looks like an old Chinese restaurant that's been painted colorfully. I was not impressed with this place. Now that we are relocating permanently to Billings, it will be my mission to find a better Mexican joint. Disappointed. read more

Not sure what happened... when it first opened it was something special. Now it's something to avoid. Hopefully they go back to their roots. Now it's over priced, flavorless, and sure doesn't have that made from scratch quality that once made it stand out. read more