Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Emma's

    4.5 (52 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Emma's Photos

    Business Info

    EMMA'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Emma's

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Emma's.  Sign on the wall.
    John S.

    July 25, 2023. Tuesday. Afternoon. The sign over the front door reads, "Authentic food of the Southwest". It was close to 4 PM, when my wife and I walked through the door of this establishment. Too early for dinner, so no one else sat inside. The host/waiter told us to take a seat anywhere. We sat in the corner, facing the window to the street. Our waiter told us that Emma (Espinoza) was his grandmother. He said the restaurant had been in existence since 1942. Unfortunately, Emma passed away quite a few years ago. On the waiter's suggestion, we ordered two 17-ounce Mexican Cokes ($2.10 each). These have real cane sugar instead of the high fructose sugar in American Cokes. They are infinitely better, and if you've never tried one, then you definitely need to put it somewhere on a bucket list. I ordered the Old Man smothered in Christmas ($15). These were two hamburger patties topping two hamburger buns which were covered in french fries covered with red and green chile and cheese. My wife had the Mexican hamburger smothered in fries and green chile ($13.50). While we waited for our food, our waiter brought out chips and salsa. These weren't your ordinary chips and salsa. No, they were both homemade. The chips were almost paper thin and super crispy. Salsa had a nice bite and tasted super fresh. So good, we asked for seconds. The Old Man coupled with the Mexican Coke really filled me up. Burger patties were juicy and thick, fries crispy and the red and green had a nice medium heat to them. I liked the fact that the red chile had real pork chunks. An excellent, filling meal. We paid a total of $40 for some great homemade food. On my way out, I saw a very realistic painting by a local artist. See attached photo. Visit Emma's for homemade food, great service and some thirst quenching Mexican Cokes.

    Menu on 3/17/2023
    Nikki B.

    Our family found this spot (thanks to Yelp!) on our road trip home from Crested Butte. Street parking on the side was very easy and inside was fairly clean. It's an obvious mom-and-pop kind of place with one server and a cook working the day we visited. The service was phenomenal. Our server took our to go order with lots of smiles and a welcoming attitude. He offered water and a clean table to sit while we waited. Restrooms were very clean as well! The kids' burgers looked great and the fries were fresh to order. He included plenty of disposables and condiments to boot, which were much needed for lunch on the go. My Indian fry bread wasn't the smartest choice for a car lunch - it's very soupy and messy with plenty of red sauce on the bottom, but my unwise decision was not their fault. I expected more flavor in the meat and beans, but the lettuce and tomatoes were very fresh and crispy. The fry bread was delicious and soft. Don't skip on the Italian lemon cookies from a local bakery if they have them!

    Emma's Special
    Ben A.

    Loved this place. This was exactly the meal I wanted and expected. I'm not giving 5 stars for mind-blowing food but for the authenticity of the experience. Really enjoyable stuff in the Southern Colorado / Northern New Mexico style. I had the Emma's Special (pictured) and enjoyed it. Friendly and genuine service as well. Can't wait to get back to Alamosa to try the Old Man!

    Emma's Special

    We stopped by for lunch around 2:30 and the place was empty. The reviews online were great so we decided to stay and give it a try. The service was fabulous and the food was delicious. They had some fun twist to regular Mexican food and everyone enjoyed all their meals. I had Emma's Special and it was fantastic. If you are in the area it's a must try.

    Alex S.

    Delicious Quick Perfect place for anyone living or passing through Alomosa. When you want authentic hole in the wall* but very good quality Emma's is a place you should stop and eat at!! The service was great and friendly. We also had Chili cheese fries half green chili and half red Chili. The free. Chili is amazing nice bite size hatch chilies. Fries were crispy. Burrito was filled with chicken covered in green chili topped with sour cream. Delicious. Highly recommend.

    Red chili sopapilla.
    Morgan K.

    Stop thru Alamosa CO. on our way to NM from NC. My wife Emma found this restaurant online. It matched her name and match the type of food we wanted. Owner and grandson of the founder was so awesome. He let us bring our dog in with us as we were pop up camping across the country and it was a hot day. Who does that! awesome. Other reviews talk about the interior being basic. It is, but we like simple no frills restaurants. It's always about the food and the people. Emma's cafe has both. Great people and great food. We enjoyed our lunches very much. Even our two kids loved it. Would dine there again. Thanks Emma's cafe for the food and welcoming personalities. Best of luck.

    See all

    20 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alisha E.
    411
    17
    63

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Great atmosphere, food was good. Town of Alamosa was pretty quiet on Friday afternoon in November but food was still good!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Daniel W.
    8
    132
    66

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of John S.
    1036
    397
    2095

    3 years ago

    Helpful 11
    Thanks 1
    Love this 11
    Oh no 3

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ben A.
    60
    16
    7

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dee W.
    0
    172
    10

    3 years ago

    Plain, but good and excellent, friendly service. We had tacos and the green chile burger.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jeff M.
    2
    121
    4

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Beth C.
    0
    110
    9

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nants F.
    434
    24
    5

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joy S.
    23
    75
    0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Great food served quickly. Pleasant service. Reasonable prices. Really good green chili!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    I absolutely love their Tacos! Nice restaurant with very nice people. But you'll just have to try the tacos! Yum

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of J F.
    0
    5
    0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    The Emma's plate hit it out of the ball park! The service was excellent! Our dessert of sopapillas was to die for. Recommend highly!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of K C.
    2
    15
    3

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Emma's

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Mexican 274 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Calvillo's Mexican Restaurant

    Calvillo's Mexican Restaurant

    4.2
    (426 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    Great buffet with amazing green chili soup and grilled veggies. Definitely worth it to get to try…read moreso many of their options. Service was lovely. Would definitely stop in again if we're come back through.

    All four of us did the buffet. There is a good variety of options there, from starters, entres, and…read moredesserts (actually, tons of desserts). However, the labeling is atrocious and it's often hard to tell what each item is (like, the churros were labeled as tacos). I think they are just always shifting things around, so they must have trouble keeping up with things. I wish they had a bit more variety of vegetables for the buffet that aren't part of a final dish (like in an enchilada). It's mostly just meats there. A few of the things seem a bit suspect, too. The smaller make-your-own tacos have sad looking ground beef and "queso." But I guess that's to be expected at the "American style" taco part of the buffet. I see that some reviews have mentioned there being grilled veggies, but that was not around on the day we were there. I'm not sure if that's a part of the menu you can order from, or if there's just that much variety in what they offer day-to-day. What's not to be missed, though, and it very good, are the fresh tortillas and made-to-order street tacos. Very yummy. I could just eat the tortillas all day. Best of all, everyone there is very friendly, welcoming, and accommodating. If the labeling were a bit better and some more vegetables (beyond salad), I think it would be 5 stars. As is, I'd give it 4.5.

    Photos
    Souvenir shop
    Souvenir shop
    Chile Relleno plate with rice and beans
    Chile Relleno plate with rice and beans
    House margarita--2 for $12. 10/28/2023

    See all

    House margarita--2 for $12. 10/28/2023
    Juanitos Mexican Kitchen

    Juanitos Mexican Kitchen

    3.8
    (77 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $

    Stopped by for some quick lunch. I really enjoyed the decor, hospitality, the homemade jams. The…read moretakeout was fresh, delicious, came out quick. Support local food, it's so convenient to find good well priced food out here

    My significant other claims Juanito's Mexican Kitchen in Alamosa, CO, to be the best in the area…read more I haven't eaten much Mexican food in these parts, but I relied on my trusty rating breakdown (further below) for guidance with this matter. FOOD There was complimentary chips and salsa. It was okay. I started craving a stuffed sopapilla ($17.99) as soon as I saw it on the menu. The pork was so tender and the green sauce I requested was full of flavor. Highly recommend this meal. My daughter asked for the quesadillas ($12.49) from the appetizers. It was strange that in the middle of the triangular goodies with requested ground beef was a huge pool of red sauce. She enjoyed the side of guacomole ($1.99). My SO had the steak Mexicana ($17.99) which he seemed to enjoy. My other daughter had the shrimp Mexicana ($17.99). She gobbled the shrimp. I tried her beans and rice which I didn't have with my own meal. They were pretty good. SERVICE I really enjoyed meeting the owner. He came to our table and helped clean up some water my daughter accidentally spilled. The only thing I wish that had happened that evening was that all of our meals would have been served all at once. They were spread out minutes apart. AMBIANCE The parking lot was in construction as of 5/26/2023. Inside, the place may be small, yet, there were large and small tables and booths. It's a seat yourself type of place. There were vibrant colors everywhere. A white board with their daily specials was on the wall near the kitchen. I wish I had seen it earlier. Finally, no background music, yet, there was a flat screen with some kid-friendly movies playing. MY RATING BREAKDOWN Food: 4 | Service: 4 | Ambiance: 4 | Price: 3

    Photos
    (5/26/2023)
    (5/26/2023)
    Fiesta Platter
    Fiesta Platter
    (5/26/2023)

    See all

    (5/26/2023)
    Oscar's Mexican Restaurant

    Oscar's Mexican Restaurant

    2.8
    (56 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Highly recommend: we had large group and they had great service, great food, drinks were very…read moretasty. Everyone loved the food and drinks. Dolores the family member owner introduced herself and staff. Food is authentic. Prices were mostly $12-$14 for dinners! It was clean and they let us stay a bit for a game/ gathering for our group. I would come again.

    I should've read the reviews before my husband and I tried this Mexican restaurant for lunch on…read moreThursday, Oct 26. SERVICE. Very slow. Our server was too frazzled to serve everyone in the restaurant efficiently. There were two 5-top tables, and three booths with 2 to 3 people each. It took about 10 min after we were seated before the server came to take our order. I asked for water with lemon, but she forgot the lemon. She brought lemons 10 min later when she brought the food to the 5-top next to us. Our food took another 15 min after we ordered. After food was served to everyone in the restaurant, our server came by to check on us...we were 3/4 done with our meal. FOOD. We were provided chips and salsa (enough for 1-1/2 people only) after we were seated. Since food was slow coming, we asked for more and was told it would cost us $1.99 for another round. Huh?! We agreed to the charge because we were starving! I loved the chips though because it was not store-bought. For our meal, I had a combination meal of chicken enchilada, cheese enchilada and crispy relleno with green chile. Taste wise, the food lacked the UMPH to make the food taste really good although the crispy relleno was REALLY CRISPY! My husband had a beef burrito meal. Like mine, he said it was nothing to write home about. Not sure why this restaurant was given the title of best Mexican restaurant in the SLV. No way! We are not returning.

    Photos
    Their Sopapilla Surprise.
    Their Sopapilla Surprise.
    "Green chili" Actually, they accidentally brought out red
    "Green chili" Actually, they accidentally brought out red
    Oscar's signage outside the restaurant. Where it quotes "The Best Mexican food in Town" not so fast Oscar's.

    See all

    Oscar's signage outside the restaurant. Where it quotes "The Best Mexican food in Town" not so fast Oscar's.

    Emma's - mexican - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...