Had to come back. It's worth the 40 minute drive. Still a quiet place with soft music and really fast service. I saw my favorite server "F." again -- mi camarera favorita! She kindly remembered me and was so very gracious and generous. The Enchiladas Suizas are just as delicious--the sauce is bold and zesty without being spicy. This time I asked her to bring more shredded cheese--"por favor dame más queso rallado!" She answered with pleasure and brought back a generous cupful. I promptly poured all over the refried beans and enchiladas. Much better! I saw that $3 queso was added to the check but I love cheese and don't mind. Now you know it's an option for ANY order. Choose as you prefer. If anything, I recommend this place even more. Take the extra drive! This is real Mexican, served to true Lexican flavors. read more

El Olmeca - Enchiladas Suizas as delicious as it comes...you can't get them at most Mexican restaurants - Mexican Near Me - Ardmore, Tennessee

See all

The service (with lots of smiles!), was amazing! We were looking for a place to eat dinner, and as we passed El Olmeca, the parking lot was packed. We turned around, and weren't disappointed. They can serve a lot of people here. The food was great, and they provided very generous portions! The margarita was the best, too! Andrea was very attentive and served us well! read more

I met a client here for lunch and found it to be generally a good overall experience. It had a good ambiance not unlike other Mexican restaurants that I have been to all across the country, but that is not a bad thing. It makes for a comfortable setting. My client spoke with passion about this establishment and told me that it was once one if the only restaurants in Ardmore, Tennessee. That is certainly not true anymore, but by the amount of people here, it is still a beloved fixture in this community. We had their queso dip, which was pretty amazing. I also went with their chile Colorado. It had a nice bite to it. I have to commend the staff here. They were honestly amazing. I would definitely recommend here if you find yourself in Ardmore, Tennessee and craving Mexican food. read more

El Olmeca - Mexican Near Me - Ardmore, Tennessee

Food is bland and flavorless, service is lacking any manors or ability to get any order correct. The only reason anyone goes here is it's in Ardmore and there are literally like two other restaurants to go to. This place is terrible, better Mexican from the taco truck in front of HP Gas station. read more

I was promptly seated and brought the usual chips and salsa - the latter was not chunky, but my usual addition of hot sauce made it good. If you've read any of my Mexican Restaurant reviews, ya know I am a fan of Chimichanga. The Chimi arrived, and first observation was the re-fried beans. If I could give a "half star" off, I would - it was thin, but with good flavor. The rest of the meal was excellent! The chimi was really good. The atmosphere was excellent, the staff really nice and helpful. A quick visit to the restroom showed it to be spotless. read more

El Olmeca - Mexican Near Me - Ardmore, Tennessee

A small town on the Tennessee-Alabama border. Not the most promising spot for a Mexican restaurant, right? Actually wrong. El Olmeca is a fun, inexpensive and tasty Mexican restaurant, well worth the mile detour from interstate 65. It's bright, roomy interior is welcoming and the place can get busy. Excellent standards--steak fajitas were cooked perfectly, tender not chewy. Pollo supremo is another lunch favorite. My fav, huevos con chorizo was excellent and a generous portion. The salsa is not just out of a jar either. Food is solid--the service, solid, prompt, courteous, and everything is really served piping hot. Today was my third stop--hopefully many more to come. read more

El Olmeca - the entrance to el olmeca - Mexican Near Me - Ardmore, Tennessee

Always so nice and friendly and the food is always excellent fast service and very attentive

Excellent shrimp fajitas and margarita! Our waiter was very attentive. Nice atmosphere and it was trivia night!

Only place in Ardmore that hasn't made me sick. Super fast service. Clean restaurant. Food was fresh and excellent. They make a nice margarita too. read more

Used these guys to cater a meal for one of my doctor's offices in this area. They did a great job and the food was very good. Loved the fact that they put each meal in a separate bag for each person. read more

See all

If I could give this 0 stars I would. My wife and I came for dinner tonight and there was a worm on my wife's plate. When I told the waiter and the manager they both just nonchalantly said "ah yeah the lettuce". They so graciously made her another plate...with more lettuce. Will NEVER go back. read more

My son loves going to get tacos along with the cheese dip. The service is great. All the food that we have tried has been really good I would highly recommend. read more

El Olmeca - Soft tacos (without the tortilla) - Mexican Near Me - Ardmore, Tennessee

The service is excellent! Very friendly and polite. I was seated quickly and my order came out fast. The sweet tea was a generous sized glass. The chips and salsa were tasty. I ordered the Tacos al Pastor with rice and beans, and cannot say enough about how delicious it was!!! I am from California and I have loved all over the state and these are the BEST tacos al pastor I have ever had. They were filled with pork, grilled onions, grilled pineapple, and fresh onions and cilantro. Delightful!! Thank you! I recommend this to anyone, especially hungry travelers looking for healthful, real food! Que bueno! read more

We have eaten here a handful of times over the past couple years. The food is always just ok. Last night the food was not good and my husband ended up getting very ill. We won't be back. read more

Great service, good food and good prices. Haven't tried their margaritas yet but hear they are fabulous.

Great food, love their chips and salsa, great service. Everyone is very nice and helpful

A fantastic Mexican restaurant! It's a hidden gem, off of the interstate, in a small town. Some of the best Mexican food I've had in a while. Their margaritas and chips and salsa are excellent. The two things I use to grade all Mexican restaurants. Their staff is very friendly and efficient. My only complaint is that I wish it was closer to home! read more

Great Mexican restaurant! Always good service and great food! Go at least once a week! read more

This place is a great! They are super accommodating with any request or want! The biggest downside is the location. Due to being in Ardmore, you won't find any margaritas here unless you consider the Bud Light Margarita one. They do have a beer selection tho. The cheese dip is a great way to start the meal, just creamy and thick enough. The chips and salsa are super fresh. My husband loves the Burrito El Omeca, and I love the Fajitas! If you want any substitutions just ask, it might be some extra, but they take great care of you here. The staff are also nice and generous! We will definitely be back! read more

El Olmeca - Fajitas with added veggies to substitute rice and beans. Super awesome flavor! - Mexican Near Me - Ardmore, Tennessee

See all

This is definitely the best Mexican restaurant in the area. The shrimp fundido is our favorite! We get take-out from here probably twice a month, and it is definitely worth the 20 minute drive from Athens. Their salsa is so fresh and delicious, and the chicken and rice is my daughter's favorite around. read more

Shady business practices. I ordered lunch at 1pm over the phone while looking at the menu for the Ardmore location online. I ordered the taco lunch (5.99) and additional taco (1.99) and queso (3.50) a for a total of 11.48 before tax. When I arrive I'm told the total is 18.33. I say, oh I got the lunch special, thinking it must have been rang up incorrectly as dinner. I was sharply told the total was correct. I ask to see the receipt and all the charges are incorrect 8.99 for the taco lunch, 2.50 taco, 4.50 for queso, and a pick up charge that was rang up on the order twice. I politely stated these prices are different than the menu. I was rudely told I was wrong and that was not possible. Another server came over and told me I must have looked at the children's menu. As I'm being publicly humiliated the cashier pulls up the menu only to further scold me on how stupid I am. But as she looked at the menu the price I had remembered were correct. They refused to correct the mistake or take off the double charge for pick up. I should have not accepted the order but was a tight time frame for lunch. To top it all off the tacos were mediocre and the chips were so stale they were inedible. Needless to say I will not be going back there. read more

El Olmeca - Online menu - Mexican Near Me - Ardmore, Tennessee

See all

While the food is great, they are consistently woefully understaffed. Once again I called in an order and was told it would be 30-40 min. Not inly was it not done at 45, I was told it would be another 25-40. It may be the best offering in town but I'm done. read more

Do not go to this joint. Total rip-off $20 for a margarita and $12 for a Smirnoff/club soda. Lied about the pours. The "Mexican Rice" had carrots and peas in it. I think they call that stir fried rice? Steak fajitas were inedible and disgusting. Horrible service. I Rarely give a thoroughly negative review but this place is simply terrible. read more

Put it to you like this Taco Bell's better. And the server might come by once if you're lucky.

Was visiting family in the Ardmore area and we came here for dinner. The service was okay but the food was fairly bland in taste. Maybe I am spoiled from living in Las Vegas. This is the only Mexican restaurant in the area so it is the only game in town. read more

El Olmeca - Mexican Near Me - Ardmore, Tennessee

See all

We eat here for lunch every Friday. The food is always good. The service is almost always excellent. They are short staffed, like everyone else these days, so that is not their fault. The workers are always very nice!! read more

Love the food there. Service is always great. Never any issues . Drinks are amazing too !

You won't leave hungry. They bring enough food that you have leftovers tomorrow. Great tasting combos and great value. Friendly, expedient service. read more

We love el omeca! It's a favorite from the buffet lunch bar to dine in or order out. 100% order accuracy. And quality food for decent prices! Family friendly. read more

BEWARE OF NON-DISCLOSED CHARGES! Apparently this place finds it appropriate to charge for the additional salsa from the kitchen and for EACH cup requested. This is not acceptable and NOT a standard practice at Mexican restaurants. The manager as quite rude and offered no apology for the lack of communication The waiter was ok at best. No personal engagement and little actual service provided. Needless to say we will never return and hope you consider more friendly options for dining. read more

Amazing service & food. Food came out so fast even during the lunch rush. Rey was the best waiter!

Food here was excellent! We stopped for a quick dinner on our way to Birmingham from Nashville. The staff was attentive & sweet. They did a great job of describing what was in all of their dishes (were pescetarian). We ordered the seafood fajitas with side of vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, onions, peppers). Everything was well prepared : vegetables were well seasoned, not overcooked, and warm. We had two great coffee to round off the meal. This will be a regular stop on this route. read more

I'm giving 2 stars for the dessert selections on the buffet. The desserts were great and home-made and delicious. The buffet was basically an American buffet with a few trays of Mexican stuff thrown in. Rice, beans, pre-rolled tacos with cheese sauce on top, and not-so-great fajita meat in a steam table. Ribs are of the "boiled and covered in sauce at the last minute" variety, and the rest of the buffet is fried chicken, wings, tenders, rolls, etc. They do bread their own chicken and tenders, but it's so over-cooked that it defeats the purpose. Unlike my kids/wife, I ordered off the menu. I figure a good Speedy Gonzalez is the best way to determine if a mexican restaurant is up to snuff. The ground beef was average. The shredded chicken at least had some flavor (cumin, mainly), and they use actual shredded cheese on stuff. The enchiladas were put together seconds before coming to the table, just a corn tortilla with meat rolled inside, a splash of generic red sauce and a sprinkle of cheese on top. It didn't have any depth of flavor or anything that you associate with good enchilada. It was a taco with sauce on. I'm from Nashville, which may or may not be a great place for authentic Mexican food, depending on where you choose to eat, but other than the excellent Mexican deserts (cinnamon flan, peach cobbler and banana pudding), this was on par with the typical El Cheapo Mexican restaurants that dot most small cities and towns. Service was perfectly fine, and the price was nice. Kids under 4 eat free. My son loves tacos and guacamole (the more authentic, the better!), but he didn't really like anything at El Olmeca except for the beans. We needed lunch, and El Olmeca provided lunch. The two glowing reviews on Yelp are over-stating the case, to put it mildly, but it's probably the best hispanic food in Ardmore, so maybe it's just a scarcity issue. read more

This is by far the best Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. The food was amazing, great meat , salsa and cheese dip was to die for. Great service ,good prices. My dad and I loved it. I live with a big family and we eat out a lot all I can say is this was amazing! We don't live near but will definitely be coming back! read more

Try the Taquitos Mexicanos off the menu. They all have a lunch buffet, Monday-Friday. read more

I can say how disappointed I was to eat here. You would think the only Mexican restaurant in the area would be good. Nope not the case at all. The salsa was like eating slightly texture tomato soup. It lacked flavor. I got the "tamales" if these were tamales then I'm the Queen of England. I will never go back it was just sad. That said everyone was nice and the place was clean. read more

Stopped here on our way back home and it was a delight. The staff was very friendly, the salsa was great, and the food was delicious!

We went for dinner we had a great service; cozy atmosphere and the food was delicious!! Definitely recommend!!!

Good Mexican food. It's hot and fresh and ever so filling. The staff is on top of the service, quality and hospitality. The restaurant has some good decor warm and welcoming. The cheese dip, salsa and chips are fresh. Only reason I gave 4 stars is because of Rosie's in Huntsville there tortillas and some other items are homemade. read more

Omg, awesome!! I almost had my beer before I even sat down. The portions are huge!! Food was great!!