This is a family-owned and family-run authentic Mexican restaurant located across the street from the Kroger gas station of the Towers Shopping Center, in Roanoke, Virginia. I dined here with a friend a year ago and we both loved their Choriqueso appetizer (a thick sauce made up of chorizo and melted cheese) to be enjoyed with tortilla chips. I enjoyed it so much that I checked-in and posted a close-up photograph of a chip being dipped in the melted cheese with chorizo sauce. However, my visit was soured when the owner mixed up my beef chimichanga order for chicken and refused to fix it, which stopped me from posting my planned positive review back then. Hoping they've improved service, because that appetizer was delicious. Today, I decided to return and give it a second chance. I arrived around lunch time and the place was deserted. Only one car parked in the parking lot, which I assumed was the owner's and the only sign of life was a red OPEN sign posted on the front of the restaurant. I parked my Lexus in their parking lot, walked to the entrance, and slowly pulled on the door to see if it opened, and it did. I found the dining room empty and no one around. Then after a while, a very friendly and respectful lady came out of nowhere with a warm, welcoming greetings. She tried to talk to me to see what I wanted to drink, and when I noticed she was having problems with her English, I immediately switched to Spanish, and asked her for an Horchata. Then I proceeded to order the Choriqueso appetizer, and asked her if the chips were included because I noticed on the menu that chips and salsa were listed as an appetizer with a charge. Luckily they were. After she came back with my drink, I asked her for the name of an item I saw its picture on the menu. It was called Molcajete and I ordered it as my main entrée. It was listed as having chicken breast, steak, shrimp, chorizo, cactus, and onions, and was served with rice, refried beans, and corn tortillas. It seems this dish got its name from the bowl where it was served. A molcajete is a traditional mortal and pestle made from volcanic rock that's heated to serve dishes like grilled meats, keeping them bubbling and steamy at the table. In all this time I was the only customer at the table, and only a party of two visited the restaurant while I was there. I believe that it might be the view of an empty parking lot that steers people away. Plus, the fact that Towers Shopping Center has Pancho Mexican Restaurant, one of my favorites, for its decor, ambiance, quality and variety of food, and its amazing customer service. Finally, my server's husband and owner of the restaurant showed up to serve my main entrée since the molcajete was heavy. He was cold and didn't even say hello, just put the entrée on the table and left. The husband and wife had completely opposite personalities. My server came to check on me several times during my meal, which by the way was very delicious with the exception of the steak that was thin and tough. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food. For dessert I had a Flan. It was well made and delicious. At the end I ask my server for the bill and while I waited went to the restroom to wash my hands. When I come back the bill is on my table, but my server is no where to be seen, only the owner was out. So I paid him with a credit card at the cashier's counter. He goes to the back and comes back with my slips to sign. I find strange that he didn't allow my server, his wife, to come out to thank me for coming and say goodbye, because with her personality and good manners I know she would have. When I got home I checked the receipt and to make sure I had my credit card and found that it was missing. Immediately I called the restaurant and he answered the phone. He checked around and told me it was not there that I must have it, again with this defiant attitude, and way of saying things. I told him I had checked and it was not here, and asked him to please check again carefully. He finally comes out and tells me he found it inside the credit card machine. I drove all the way back to pick it up. He gave it back to me when I got there, with not even an apology. I hope you understand why I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. I wouldn't hesitate to dine there again, but to enjoy the positive I would have to tolerate the negative. read more

See all

Had lunch with a friend here recently, and was greeted walking in, a small eatery, with friendly service. The interior is remin of an old pizza hut interior thats been converted. Opted for the chili releno with rice and beans was well prepared and cooked near prefection, nice golden brown breading, in a freshly queso stuffed pablano, the sauce very good, the beans and rice basic but good, added some red sauce to the rice and it helped. The soft chicken taco, a large flour tortilla, shredded chicken seasoned well with lettuce, and a full flavored green sauce. The taco was a great choice. 4 Stars - a solid choice and well worth the effort and your support. Recommended 01046 read more

See all

Came in one evening with co-workers and selected this place due to all the reviews. But when we pulled up, at dinnertime to find a dead dining room and empty parking lot, we were a little worried. Their menu has some recognizable Mexican items, but several unique items I'd never heard of, like Huarache. We asked what a Huarache was - they described it as a long plate with a big corn tortilla on the bottom, then refried beans spread on top and then the protein you choose and the rest of the toppings are like a taco. One member of our party got it and it was absolutely huge, and tasty looking too! We also tried items that were exceptionally good, like their pico de gallo, their guacamole, and their hot salsa. Their pico was some of the absolute best I've ever tasted - it had fresh avocado in it and the fresh lime flavor was incredible! The texture and flavor of their guac was also excellent! But if you like spicy, ask for their spicy sauce... it's very interesting and extremely tasty, not just spicy! The only issue was the service... both the lady and guy (husband and wife?) working their had grimacing faces and borderline poor attitudes. Not sure why, we were decent and respectful, but that's just how they were and if it wasn't for that, I'd definitely give them 5 stars, because their food definitely deserves five stars. read more

El Cielito Lindo - Chicken Fajitas - Salad Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

See all

LOVE LOVE! Amazing authentic Mexican food! We ordered carne asada tacos, red rice, shrimp tacos and red chicken pozole. All the food was very delicious and reminded me of home! read more

El Cielito Lindo - Salad Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Absolutely delicious!! I keep coming back for their chicken tinga and salsa! Really enjoyed the huarache, arroz con pollo and enchiladas with cheese sauce. J has enjoyed the al pastor tacos. I've already been there 3 times in a very short span of time :) By far my favorite Mexican place in Roanoke. read more

Visiting the area and arrived for lunch around 12:15. No other patrons were there but were greeted by a nice gentleman once we sat down. The menu has a nice variety. Hubby opted for birria and I got the chicken quesadilla with rice and beans. I was worried that my choice from the lunch menu would not be enough BUT let me tell you - that was more than enough food for anyone 1 person. The hot salsa given to each of us with our lunch dishes was definitely hot but so good! 2 lunches, a soda and Horchata, $34.00. clean restaurant and bathroom was nice as well. read more

El Cielito Lindo - Chicken quesadilla with rice and beans. - Salad Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

See all

Oh my goodness- incredible authentic Mexican food! I had the Mexican style chicken tacos for lunch. They were delicious. The wait staff were attentive. The price was reasonable and a great value for the excellence. It's next door to Cleaner World on Brandon, across the street from the Towers Kroger. I dropped off my cleaning and turned into the parking lot just to see what was being offered. I'm so glad I did. read more

New and inviting. Mexican decor & music. Many menu items; including breakfast all the time. We enjoyed very tasty chicken enchiladas and an egg & chorizo burrito . A side order of cactus was delicious. Service friendly and fast. read more

Highly recommend--clean, pleasant inside. Excellent food with authentic menu items not found at most Mexican restaurants around here. Reviewers say the birria tacos are wonderful--and they are, served with a dipping sauce made from broth that the birria is braised in. The guacamole/chips and salsa served together were really, really good. Dining partners got enchiladas and liked them a lot. Very reasonable prices, nice service. read more

See all

This place is very new & it's clean. The server is a sweet lady that is very respectful & makes an amazing horchata. The food was spot on. Has the authentic taste of Mexico. No one was in there but this place should be full of people! So good read more

See all

This is legit Mexican- no free chips or sour cream and iceberg lettuce on tacos. It's good authentic food made with love. More Williamson Rd than Taco Bell. Make sure to check out the poster menus on the wall which feature more traditional authentic fare tha n they more American inspired plastic menu that they hand out My tacos de Birria were fantastic. Double dried small corn tortillas, dipping sauce. Yum. My wife had the Shrimp Soup. Full of shrimp, tomato base, cilantro, very good They're still waiting on their ABC license as of April 2023 but expect it soon. If you want authentic Mexican, check this place out. read more

I LOVE this place! The food is fantastic and the owners are so kind. I feel like not many people know about this place, its truly a gem from the fun decorations inside to the flavorful food. The portions are also great, prices are fair and I always have food to take home and enjoy again. I cannot recommend it enough!! read more

El Cielito Lindo - Arroz con Pollo - Salad Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Delicious! Excellent service, good coffee and very fulfilling and tasty breakfast. Caution, the red salsa is very spicy in all the right ways! read more

El Cielito Lindo - Chilaquiles Rojos with Eggs Breakfast - Salad Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Before even coming here, I could tell by the menu this was an authentic Mexican restaurant. It did not disappoint! The food was very tasty. I will definitely be back. read more

El Cielito Lindo - Beef and chicken tostadas with rice and beans - Salad Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Try it for breakfast! Scrambled eggs can come with an array of toppings of your choice and come with 3 warm wraps to make your own burritos. ( or just order a big breakfast burrito) I chose chorizo, mushrooms, and Cactus (a superfood) excellent! It came with two sauces as well as the normal beans and rice on the side. If you need pancakes then stand in line at the wonderful nearby First Watch. But if you want a delicious generous breakfast at half the price and no crowd - run over here. read more

The owner is awesome and extremely hospitable. The food was fantastic, and there were a lot of options. read more

El Cielito Lindo - Huarache and Quesadilla all super good. Big portions. - Salad Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Okay wow. This place was amazing. The food was great. Full of flavor and authenticity. The woman who served us was so sweet. The way we felt sitting and eating at this restaurant was like being at my husbands Tita's house. Everything about the ambiance was welcoming and homey. I'm from California and I know authentic Mexican food and this is it. It was $55 for my family of three. We ordered two taco plates a side of rice and beans, a cheese quesadilla, horchata and two sodas and chips with salsa. I will definitely come back here. read more

The food is the best Mexican in Roanoke. Very authentic. Service is friendly and helpful. The setting is nice. It is a old Pizza Hut but redone nicely. I have vyet to have a bad visit. Get the catus if you are looking for a treat and the mole is to die for. read more

El Cielito Lindo - Chicken in mole sauce with sides. - Salad Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

This was our first time here. The service was exemplary, the location is clean and very well decorated. On a high note, their salsa is amazing, quite possibly the best salsa into which I have ever dipped a chip! The problem unfortunately was the food. It was cold, not luke warm but actually cold. My daughter and I had cheese enchiladas as part of our meals, the cheese wasn't melted and was actually still cold inside the enchiladas. We could hear the microwaves being used prior to our food being brought out, (which didn't bode well) but apparently they just didn't heat the enchiladas up enough. My beef burritos filling was also cold inside in the middle. The refried beans tasted like they had coffee in them, and the rice had a taste of fish. They were cold as well. I could deal with the off taste as I figured maybe these were regional flavors from different parts of Mexico, but I can't get past the fact that every single item, including my wife's Tostado, was cold. Again, not luke warm, but cold like out of the refrigerator cold. We didn't wait but a couple minutes for our food to be delivered to our table, but I'd have gladly waited another 10 minutes for my food to be delivered hot or even WARM! We really wanted to like the place but this was a $60 mistake. We won't be back! read more

Excellent food and friendly staff. Loved my chilaquiles and my daughter loved her chicken quesadilla

Delicious authentic Mexican food. Ordered the mole poblano and tamales which were both delicious. Homemade mole sauce with a side of spicy salsa and lovely moist chicken tamales. Yum! read more

Best Authentic Mexican restaurant in Roanoke, hands down the best tasting food around. Salsa and chips were great, salsa the best I've had in a long time. Friendly wait staff always checking up on us and full of smiles. ATMOSPHERE IS GREAT, Again, LOVE THE FOOD!! read more

Roanoke is not limited in the number of Mexican restaurants, but the number of quality, authentic Mexican places are lacking. El Cielito Lindo is the real deal. Friendly service, great tasting food, and a nice decor. A most stop if you are near towers for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. read more

So much more than traditional Mexican/American fare. Terrific selection of both familiar and different "new to me" food. I have enjoyed everything I've tried. read more

We were on a road trip and wanted Mexican food. After reviewing many Mexican restaurant options, we chose El Cielito Londo. We could not have made a better decision. We knew after tasting the salsa that the restaurant was authentic. We got chili relleno and cheese enchilada. Both were delicious because of the tasty sauces and the freshness of the food. read more

For the love of all you consider holy, try this place!!! It is so good! In my 40+ years of life, most living in the South West United States, I have never had such good and authentic Mexican food. I have gone there nearly every other week since they opened and never had the same meal twice and have yet to be disappointed. The price is on point for the amount of food you get, but the taste....dear god the taste.....it is so freaking amazing! I would pay twice that for that good of flavor. The owner's are the nicest people and were very attentive. I want this place to succeed so much I tell everyone I meet about it because I want it to be here forever! El Cielito Lindo,you are the best, tastiest, friendliest place in Roanoke and I hope you stay forever. read more

We stopped by for dinner after my husband had surgery at Carilion. It was early, so we were the only customers at first. The hostess/waitperson/owner fixed us Huevos a la Mexicana and a big Colorado burrito filled with veggies. We also had guacamole. Hubby ordered lemonade --homemade while we waited. Everything was FANTASTIC!! I was particularly pleased with the guacamole--fresh and simple, not dressed up but instead seasoned to perfection. My huevos were excellent, as was the HUGE Colorado burrito. Roanoke Mexican food fans, put this on your list --it's at the top of mine!! read more

EXCELLENT. Unique dishes, reasonable prices and attentive staff. They mostly speak Spanish but we didn't have any trouble communicating.