Great authentic Mexican food if that's what you're looking for- this isn't Americanized or Tex-Mex food. We tried asada tacos, an asada sope, huevos rancheros, a popusa mixta, and a cafe de holla. The asada tacos were our favorite as well as the cafe de holla. I will say the tortillas didn't do it for us, they were flavorless & I couldn't tell if they were corn or flour, that's how flavorless they were. I was raised on authentic & Tex-Mex food, so I'm a fan of both & this was a great experience overall. Will try something different next time. read more

Looking for cozy Mexican food! This is the spot! Everything about this place screams Mexican. The decorations, the music and the novelas they have in the Tv! They also sell Mexican paletas, which is a must! Anyway I had the huevos ranchers and it was so good. The salsa was very flavorful and spicy! (A plus for me) the beans were fresh and who doesn't love homemade tortillas! Also they serve you a complementary soup before hand which was very cozy and delicious! My kids loved the food as well! You do have to order before you sit down, I don't believe they have a server, so the service wasn't there. But other than that, please make sure to try this place! read more

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Came here on a Thursday night. There was absolutely no one here and at first I was a little worried. The lady that took my order was especially friendly and I ordered a Pastor burrito with a few Asada tacos. Absolutely delicious.. The burrito was good sized and it was a good bang for the buck. Let's give this little restaurant some love and try it out! Reminds me of the Mexican food I used to get back at the food trucks in California read more

I've only eaten here three times - Pork Tamale(s) to go. WOW! Soft, moist, flavorful...everything I want in a Tamale. I'll eat in sometime, try some of the other far, and update. Josh - let me know when you've read this... read more

Elaina's Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Roswell, Georgia

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Had a yummy lunch at Elaina's. They start you out with a soup with pasta shells in it. Watch out, its very salty. I had the chicken quesadilla, it was very yummy! My friends had tacos and really liked them. Only corn tortillas here, no flour tortillas. The staff was very sweet and attentive. We even got to meet Elaina! We actually went there because we found it on yelp and my aunt's name is Elaina, so we had to give it a try! read more

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The food was so authentic! I got the enchiladas and the green ones were spicy but soooo good! Their smoothies AMAZING !!

The most amazing and authentic food I've ever had. I'm vegetarian and usually have no problem at a Mexican restaurant but this was over the top good. read more

I usually prefer Tex-Mex to authentic Mexican, but this was an especially pleasant surprise. We used to live outside of DC, where it seemed all ethnic foods were a stone's throw from your residence. We got used to a particular type of Mexican breakfast burrito. On an impulse to find breakfast burritos one Saturday, I ventured out to find Elaine's which I'd heard about. I got there at around 8:30 and was thankful the "open" sign was on, but was disheartened that the four items they served as breakfast items didn't include breakfast burritos. I asked the woman behind the counter if she served breakfast burritos. Her English wasn't too strong, but she shrugged and said, "Okay." She asked me what I wanted in it - eggs, cilantro and beans, then came back from the kitchen and held up two tortilla sized for me to choose from. I got them to go. I got back home, cut them open and found they were perfectly made to order and exactly what I was looking for. That red sauce is quite spicy! I'll definitely be back. read more

Elaina's Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Roswell, Georgia

Arrived at 9:20 am to an empty restaurant. We entered a dirty, dank dining area and observed 3 employees talking in the kitchen. We exchanged eye contact as we entered. We stood at the counter for a couple minutes while the employees within view continued their private conversation. It was OBVIOUS we were unwelcome. Only when our party of three hungry men were headed to the exit did they acknowledge our presence. Too much competition to act that way. read more

This place is a hidden gem I definetely recommend it 100%. GREAT FOOD and very authentic if you really love Mexican Food this is the place. The owner is a Great person and she works hard everyday to make all her clients happy. The customer service is great there is a lady whose name is LILIANA she is amazing. She is always smiling and she cooks so fast she is very professional and attentive I love her she is my favorite. I love this place. I love the tacos, pozole, huaraches, tostadas de pata. Everything is delicious. GIVE IT A TRY YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT and Yes Language can be a barrier but that doesn't take away the great food they offer so if you plan to go make sure you either speak spanish good or have someone translate for you to enjoy this amazing place so Don't let language be an obstacle to try this great place. read more

Elaina's Cafe - Tacos de Asada solo cilantro - Mexican Near Me - Roswell, Georgia

Great food! We ordered the quesadilla, pozole, tostadas, tacos and tamales. Everything was homemade and really delicious! We'll definitely be back m. read more

This was one of those food experiences than left me confused on exactly how to rate it, but I would say 2.5 is pretty accurate for my recent visit. THE SCENE I arrived here around noon for the fabulous Angela M's UYE. My yelp darling Lindy F was there waiting, so we spent a few minutes catching up while waiting for the others. The interior is "cozy" in size and first impressions lead me to believe I was in for some truly authentic good food considering we were the only English speaking people in the place. Once we were all seated, we spent a little time going over the menu and placed our orders. T H E F O O D The masa used in their tamales is spot on! They even use banana leaves to shape them! However, there was barely any meat filling inside. My UYE tablemates had more filling than I, but still skimpy in my opinion. There should be a good 60/40 balance of masa-to-filling, but the balance here was around 90/10. Since masa is truly what makes or breaks a tamale, I will still give them a better than average rating. (3.5 stars) The Enchilada I ordered on the other hand was nothing like what I expected. They were basically rolled & folded corn tortillas with some sort of clumping feta-like cheese inside. It was topped with slices of avocado, lettuce, tomatoes and flank steak that tasted like it might have been on the verge of spoiling before they cooked it. Not at all like any enchilada I've ever had in the past. In retrospect, perhaps they misunderstood me and brought out the wrong dish. (1 star) I expect an enchilada to look like this: http://foodnetwork.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/food/fullset/2011/5/12/0/VM0402H_chicken-enchiladas_s4x3.jpg NOT this: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/elainas-cafe-roswell?select=QHJahwTmLeM2_qbzzUkx-Q The rice was not flavored and the beans were bland. I felt so bad when the little older lady serving us asked if I wanted a to-go container like others at my table. "You no like?" she asked. I tried my best to play it off and tell her I was very full, but she kept insisting I get a container since I had so much left over. So I gave her the truth, that I didn't really enjoy it. She shrugged her shoulders and walked back into the kitchen (daaaaang)!!! I may never be welcome here again. F I N A L T H O U G H T S I swear if I keep being so picky I'm never gonna get invited back to UYE's. It just goes to show although we are all food lovers on Yelp, we also all have different ideas of what good is. For me, the enchilada was a terrible misrepresentation, but the masa used for the tamales was very, very good! Too bad the tamales didn't have more filling. They would have easily been one of my favorite restaurant bought tamales ever. read more

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I bookmarked this place ages ago when Boris said they had the best tamales in the area. But I was never brave enough to go by myself or convince others to try it with me. Then they announced that my sector was spinning off and that we would be moving further north. I decided to take action. On a slow Friday in the summer, when I was hungry and had no other plans and in the area, I decided to do it. The place is old and worn, inside and out. I said just enough to order 1 chicken and 1 pork tamale and a grapefruit Jarrito. I sat at one of the worn booths and waited. The tamales are already made and stored in the cold case with the drinks. They take them out to heat them up. There was a white board full of other items, all in Spanish, but I wasn't confident in ordering any of those. Soon the tamales were out, and I was offered green sauce (spicy) and red chili oil (also spicy) as conidments. The tamales were indeed awesome. Soft, fluffy masa. There wasn't much meat, but at $2 each, there was enough to add some flavor. The pork comes in red sauce, the chicken in green sauce. Also, not much sauce, but enough to flavor the tamale. So good and so comforting. I paid in cash (it was $4), and the server/cashier said to come back with my friends. So I posted a UYE and brought some friends back. This time, since there were four of us who were clearly not regulars, there were laminated picture menus. I chose the same 1 pork, 1 chicken, and an asada huarache (thick corn sope with refried beans, meat, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and avocado). The elder lady was waiting on us, and she got confused with the enchilada order, so we ended up with an extra order of enchiladas verdes (corn tortilla cooked in the sauce, wrapped with crumbly mexican cheese, served with more sauce, steak, lettuce, tomato, and avocado), and I ate a good portion of that. Everything was tasty, but in the future I'll stick with tamales. Per Richard's review, the enchiladas are not what I've grown accustomed to, and the huarache, while very good just wasn't as good as the tamale. I've used cash both times, though I haven't confirmed whether or not they take cards. read more

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Not much English spoken but a fantastic pozole and great tamales. I think they serve alcohol now too.

We made a return visit to Elaina's today. Two of us had the 4 tacos (taquitos) with rice, beans, and drink for $8 - a delicious bargain. Others had Pollo Asado and something else. This was more than enough tasty food for four hungry adults. The cost, tax included, was under $28 for four adults. read more

Yes even before Richard and Angela mentioned, I had noticed they cut down on the amount of meat in the tamale. So we are in agreement. Still great, but I was not happy that they reduced the meat. read more

You must stop here for a tamale! I love this place, ran by sweet mother/daughter team who know how to make kick ass tamales! Get the pollo verde, and get more than one! read more

Elaina's Cafe - So sad they're gone... Best tamale I've ever had! - Mexican Near Me - Roswell, Georgia

This is the most authentic Mexican food I have had!! The breakfast was phenomenal! Caution- it is a hole in the wall. Prices are less than $5 for every entree. The food is so fresh and wholesome. It's cooked in the kitchen by two ladies and they use real ingredients! Nothing is pre made. It is Mexican food lovers heaven. Also just keep in mind- they don't speak English. It is a true authentic experience. read more

Elaina's Cafe - I couldn't wait to eat before taking photo! It's so authentic spicy and yummy! - Mexican Near Me - Roswell, Georgia

I ate the best tamale ever. Soft, moist and fluffy. Authentic Mexican (or Salvadoran?) home cooking. Homemade corn tortillas in everything. Tlacolla is a black bean-filled corn tortilla topped with salsa verde and chopped onions. Small place, homey; language can be a barrier. read more

I read lots of good reviews about Elainas So I decided to give it a try. Wow not good. I ordered to go, 1 pork tamale. The masa was good but maybe an 1/8 of a teaspoon of very shredded pork. No sauce. Then we had one chorizo taco and one chicken taco. The chicken was old. Do you know the flavor the chicken has one it's old that's what it tasted like it was terrible. The chorizo was nothing special. The BEST CHORIZO IS AT MR TACO. Homemade goodness. Then we had the chile rellenos the poblanos were so small, greasy awful!!! Drowned in sauce. I love Mexican food. I know good Mex. Born in Puerto Rico and lived in Dallas Tx. This place I'm so sorry to say is not good. I'm really surprised by all the good reviews. read more

So, lets start with the good. the staff was polite. the food was delisious and the portion was generous. I did come for a late lunch 2:40 PM. the bad. I ordered food at the counter. I was handed a menu by the lady behind the counter. the menu I was given orderd gave a clear price. I ordered an entry and a glass of water. when I returned to pay my bill the price the offered was not the price I was expected to pay. Additionally they charged me a dollar for a cup of water. I was told that the menu was " old" the new menu they handed me did not have prices on it maybe that is the normal menu for the time but the confusion left me feeling swindled. read more

My family had breakfast here and every dish we had was delicious! The salsas were perfectly spicy. The rice was flavorful, excellent amount of cheese and the tortillas were right. read more

Very authentic Mexican dishes, friendly service, great value. Will definitely be coming back.

We have been wanting to visit and finally got around to it after church and it was beyond amazing! The chips and salsa are so good! This place really reminded us of where we moved from in New Mexico. We will be back! Oh and the service was great everyone was so nice read more

Traveled from Buford to try this for dinner but they were closed about 3 hours prior to the time they said they would be. I didn't get to try anything and won't be wasting my time to trek back. read more

This honestly has been the best place I have found thus far that make me feel like I'm eating my moms authentic mexican tamales!!!! I live in the windward area and have found it nearly impossible to find an AHNTHENTIC place! Elaina's takes the cake for sure! Homemade tamales, tortillas, sweet bread they've got it all! I will for sure be coming in as often as possible! read more

The BEST restaurant in all of North Fulton. Get the Papusas, Tchlacoyo and chilli Rellenos with a horchata to drink. The best!