Absolutely LOVE this restaurant. We are always treated like family. My husband and I love it here. The service is great and they always have a smile on their face while serving the most delicious meals. Thank you so much. read more

Loveee the food and the ladies to work here! Always so nice! Very affordable and it's locally owned!

Love this place. They are cozy and delicious! They serve simple good food for a reasonable price.

Food is prepared fairly quicker here than most Mexican Restaurants.. depends on how patient you are as a human I guess.. love the food and great service.. And if you're into that paranormal stuff.. check this place out.. the building is supposedly haunted.. dare to find out? read more

this is mine and my fiancés favorite local mexican restaurant. that's saying something since we have about 5 in town. the times we come, it's never overly busy. like as i write this review, it's 5:22 on a friday evening and we are one of three other parties. the food is always fresh and tastes sooo yummmm. they don't let you run low on drinks, chips, salsa. the food comes out relatively fast. behind the building you'll see a space ship lookin thing which is probably nice for families to see lol. THE BEST THING THOUGH IS THE CATS. now, they don't come to your tables..:-( but they are behind the restaurant and as you drive out or if you sit outside, you'll see them. they're precious and we love it. the vibes here are great and we love eating here. the staff is super sweet as well. i think that about sums it up but 10/10 recommend read more

Listen, do not come here. You think it's a whole in the wall nice restaurant but it's trash. The food is trash and not good. There was a hair impeded in my tamale. I ate 10 mins ago and now I feel like I want to throw up. 0/10. Save yourself. Update: DO NOT EAT HERE! As soon as I got home I puked three times. read more

This is my favorite spot in Gordon county! Not only is the food crazy good but the view of the north GA mountains is epic! The staff here is like family and they even take special time to know our regular orders... The al pastor tacos with onions and cilantro with some lime and of course ask for the homemade salsa verde THATS MY GO TO! Calhoun is LUCKY to have this place! read more

Best Mexican restaurant I've been to in many years, possibly ever. What makes it great? 1.) Start with the food. I had the Tacos Carlos, one chicken, one steak. The meat itself was juicy (not hastily overcooked and sopping in sauce like so many "street taco" places). The cilantro and onions were fresh. The corn tortillas were perfect. I also had two tamales, happy I ordered two because they were outstanding. But again, simple. My wife ordered the Pollo Loco and the flavors were just fantastic. The table sauces were excellent. My wife had a margarita -- perfection -- and I had a Negra Modelo. Our toddler son in the high chair happily dined on anything we handed him; having a kid there worked out great. We finished with churros and sopapillas, probably carrying everything too far indulging ourselves, but so fun to go overboard. Simple, perfectly flavorful recipes built around authentic ingredients. 2.) Add atmosphere. Now, Mexican restaurants are an old idea in the United States. You will run the gamut from Taco Bell to some very fancy places that char the meat, put on a show, all amped up and every dish comes out like a fireworks display. But not El Rayos Authentic Mexican. This restaurant is HUMBLE. and so much the better for it. No one in charge at El Rayos is designing dishes because they look pretty and photograph well. The Pollo Loco in particular was not especially attractive. But it was essentially...homemade. It looked fine, it tasted WONDERFUL. If you want to make a splash on your first date or something like that, this is not your place. If you want to relax for an hour with loved ones or a good friend, come by. So, back to ATMOSPHERE. We were among the first guests to arrive Saturday evening. The radio was on, playing Mexican pop music, and the senior waitress was quietly and unselfconsciously SINGING ALONG. I bet every Mexican restaurant manager in America wishes to God they could get their waitstaff to sing along to the music without affectation or fear. It was just one touch illustrating a hundred small ways that this clean, well-kept, simple place was so welcoming and so easy. You get the feeling you were in these people's home and they were just being themselves. 3.) Value. Are you kidding me? I can't remember the last time we each had a drink and desserts and the bill was (compared to other places with just as much service, care and attention to detail) so *low*. Go online and check out the prices yourself. What you want to pay is your business, For for my money, it was pretty unbeatable. Like a time machine back to the 90s. Anyhow, that's my take. I don't have much reason to be in Calhoun GA often, but I am so so happy we stopped by. I recommend getting in there before it becomes a thing. Pretty awesome. And hats off to the people of Calhoun for supporting such an outstanding restaurant. read more

I enjoyed the homemade taste of the food. Tried different foods on different visits and it never disappoints. It's kinda hard on what to recommend since everything is delicious but the Carne Asada will top my list.I also enjoy the service! read more

Remember when this location used to be called The Place? I thought it was so cool, with its upstairs game room and cute little fireplaces. I don't remember anything about the food, which might be why it closed in the first place. Now, El Rayos occupies the spot. It's just your typical Mexican restaurant with the high chairs stacked in front of the fireplace. I ordered guacamole, a shrimp quesadilla, and a burrito supreme with chicken. The burrito came with shredded chicken and beans inside, covered in red sauce and cheese and topped with sour cream, lettuce, and tomato. I put some of my guacamole on it, too. The food was pretty good, but my server seemed bored. I was more entertained by what was playing on Univision while I ate. read more

El Rayos is probably one of the most underrated restaurants in Calhoun. It is on the little street that runs behind the courthouse. Sometimes I will drive by on a Friday at 8 pm with one car in the parking lot, but other times it will be 6 pm on a Tuesday with both lots full. The staff is very friendly, and the food is delicious. I recommend the dinner special #28 (burrito, enchilada, and quesadilla) with chicken. The only thing their newest competitor, El Nopal, has to offer is the Wednesday night Mariachi band. read more

Spectacular authentic Mexican fare no matter what you get always ask for the special green sauce amazing a taste of Oaxaca

This is a family-run restaurant we have been attending for years. They are very kind and attentive people who really care about their customers. The food has always been very tasty. They make their refried beans with vegetable oil rather than lard which is a wonderful thing for our daughter who has a sensitive stomach and gets sick when she eats beans cooked with lard at every other Mexican restaurant. read more

Got sick after eating here. Place is run down poor shape food seemed ok but not the best and after I got sick I realy don't know if I'll ever return. It looks like an old house that that was converted and needs to be torn down. read more

We have been coming here for years. Service is always good and Street tacos are the best. Love the Shrimp nachos too.

I had a special date planned for my girlfriend and I one evening and recruited the staff at El Rayos to help me pull it off. This quaint establishment and enthusiastic personnel delivered an evening for us beyond expectation in an unlikely but romantic setting that will be etched in our memories forever. The food was good but it was the personal "over the top" service we received that makes this establishment the best thing in Calhoun for my dining dollar. read more

Parents own that restaurant good food and if you go there get the Mexican tacos in steak and order the green salsa

Just tolerable. Portions depend on who is managing that day. Oh, and its haunted.

Love this place! They are so friendly and accommodating! Service is fast. Servings are generous and yummy...and the outside seating is a great place to watch the sunset! read more

I have been going to this establishment for many years and have continued going even after the latest ownership change, the food has always been prepared well, portions have always been fair, atmosphere has always been nice and relaxed, I have never had a negative experience at this establishment. read more