Honestly this is by far the best location in Cville for Guadalajara. Right next to the downtown mall with easy access to all the fun things it has to offer but also easy to park and leave whenever you want. The food here is always solid. The staff is fantastic. And for some reason or another their drinks just taste better. We're very pleased they allowed dogs on the outdoor patio. It certainly makes life so much easier when bringing our little partner around. Would absolutely come here again read more

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Good service. Ambiance as expected. Food was not. This is not authentic Mexican food. It does not taste freshly made on site. It is standard chain restaurant fare with premade ingredients. Prices have increased substantially. read more

I'm a Charlottesville native that now lives in NYC, and I come back just to eat Guadalajara. My mom begged the owners for their salsa recipe before moving away because we didn't know how we were going to live without it, lol. Give it a try! read more

Piss poor service many servers and we sat for 20 mins without any drinks and stale chips. The queso they brought out was freezing and tasted off. (Still have not gotten water) The patio was filthy. It's extremely over priced for lightly microwaved gross food. Sad because we use to love this spot. We won't be back. read more

I have always enjoyed the bean soup here but tonight either there must have been a new employee who prepared it or someone messed up the proportions because it was completely watery and disgusting looking. It had hardly any beans in it and the cheese was melted and gross. It was basically bean water with congealed cheese. read more

Guadalajara - Mexican Black Bean Soup - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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The food and service was amazing. They had a menu with so many options and were very considerate of my allergies! I will be back again and again!! read more

Busy night! My ratings: Margs: 6 (classic) Food: 6 (I got a fajita and we also shared chips and guac) read more

They have some pretty decent Mexican food here - none of their dishes were really standout, but everything was still good. Good enchiladas, good burritos, and good salsa. They have seating both inside and outside, which is nice. Service is kind and efficient. Their margaritas were a little too sweet for my liking, but everyone else at the table really enjoyed them. Wouldn't make a trip to Charlottesville to eat here, but it would definitely be a place I'd stop by if I was already in the area. read more

Charged twice (after mixing up the order. Served beef when chicken taco was ordered). Please make sure to check your statements! read more

Guadalajara - Charged twice! - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Food was amazing; I had the shrimp tacos. I don't leave reviews very often but it was that good. Service was outstanding. Bathrooms not ADA accessible. read more

Best Mexican food in town! Their dishes taste very authentically Mexican which is always a hit or miss for Mexican food so far away from Mexico. The arroz con pollo is fantastic and their French fries, ironically, are so incredibly tasty. Carlos at the downtown location is amazing! read more

Guadalajara - mexican food and drinks on a table - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

WAY over priced!!!!! Not only was the place kinda dirty, the waitress did not speak a single word to us the entire time. She seems like she doesn't speak and English and resented having to bring the food out. Bizarre. The food was good, but it's exactly the same food at nearly every "Mexican" restaurant out there. I had the Carnitas & a water; my bill was over $21.00. That's just insane. No more Guadalajara at E. Market for me. read more

Guadalajara - Ridiculous prices. - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Went here with my fiancé and to be honest we were not very impressed and won't be back. The biggest issue we had was the insane price of the food. $18 for a run of the mill Tex-mex burrito is ridiculous. Everything else on the menu seemed to be ~30% more than similar restaurants. The salsa was standard for this type of restaurant, not great but not bad. My burrito California was actually pretty good but more than I wanted to pay. You can get the whole experience and food at numerous other restaurants for a fraction of the price. read more

Guadalajara - Burrito California - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Service here is super friendly! Margaritas are deceptively dangerous - the flavor is on the sweet side and you can tell that it's definitely made from a mix. You don't 'feel it' until.. dare I say... you stand up! Next time, I will personally order a beer. Food was nicely portioned, flavors were solid. I ordered the Huarache Veloz, but had to order extra tortillas on the side, since I did not fancy the soaked tortilla bed upon which the food came atop. Overall, this is a pretty affordable spot if you want to satisfy a quick craving. Chips and salsa are on the house - make sure you ask for the spicy salsa! read more

Guadalajara - Huarache Veloz - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This is a review for the Downtown (East Market) location only! Ok, the food is fine. But honestly, there aren't a whole lot of better options in Charlottesville. But the service is very good, unlike a couple of the other locations (AHEM, PANTOPS and Greenbrier to a much lesser extent). I go here occasionally. I'd visit more but it's a little out of my way. I know what I'm getting and I'm cool with that. PANTOPS, on the other hand, I will NEVER EVER EVER VISIT AGAIN...and neither should you!!! See my review that I will be leaving shortly under that location. read more

Tried out this place after a trip to Monticello, it was amazing! I got the enchiladas and they were delicious. Our server was nice and helpful. It was very colorful and they had fun decor inside. read more

When the Fontaine store shut us out, the Market St location opened their arms and welcomed us with warm smiles and enthusiasm. I am so very thankful to you all for filling our empty stomachs and satisfying an urgent need for a warm meal after a long evening at a marathon swim meet. read more

We were looking for a basic Mexican restaurant in Downtown Charlottesville serving good margaritas and typical latino favorites. This is my second time trying Guadalajara while in Charlottesville and each time I have enjoyed it! We started with yellow chips and salsa and I had a mojito. We sat outside on the patio which was covered and protected from the road. They have a whole assortment of frozen margaritas, mojitos and beers. We had the mojito and frozen lime margarita. Both were very tasty and definitely strong! I opted for the coctel de camarones and my friend had the chicken burrito. This is one of my favorite items since it's so fresh, spicy and fulfilling. The shrimp were large and the tomato base sauce had the perfect amount of sweetness and tanginess from the lime and cilantro. I ended up using the chips to scoop the remainder of the vegetables and sauce. Everything is so reasonably priced, service is fast, water was filled and the drinks/ food was tasty. If you are looking for a low key Mexican restaurant this is a good option. read more

Guadalajara - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This restaurant serves Mexican food that's more on the authentic side! It's not amazing food, but it's definitely convenient for people who live on JPA. It's a cute little hut that makes you feel like you're in Mexico. I ordered the fajita steak quesadilla which had grilled onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes inside. The dish also includes a side of lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and tomatoes. It's not your ordinary sized quesadilla- it's quite massive for a quesadilla in my opinion. The quesadilla had a nice crunch and the cheesy was very gooey. The first few bites were very delicious but it got kinda tiring to eat after a while. I struggled to finish my meal because all the flavors were overwhelming. I also tried a bit of my friend's chicken tamale and it's pretty delicious. I regret not getting one for myself! One of the main perks about eating here is that you get a free order of chips and salsa! They're generous with the amount of chips and salsa. The salsa comes in a cute hour-glass container. Overall, this place is the place to go for descent Mexican food at great prices! read more

Guadalajara - mozzarella sticks! - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Came here on vacation with my bros and Dad while on a guys weekend. It hit the spot after a long day of exploring the Charlotteville area- Monticello and cider tasting. Food was amazing with the perfect amount of spice. Had Nachos, guacamole, Burrito de Carnitas (pictured) and Tacos de Carna asada. Everything was amazing. Service was outstanding. I highly recommend this place and would come back anytime I am in Charlottesville! read more

Guadalajara - Burrito de Carnitos- Dad and bro #1 - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Good service and the food is authentic also the most noticeable was is not a fake smile like other restaurants when you try to make a small conversation about the place and who you want to bring for the good food thanks for that Guadalajara read more

Food is standard Mexican and is fast and very affordable. I give five stars as it is AUTISM-FRIENDLY. The will turn off music outside if you ask. The chips are on the table as soon as you sit and warm. They will separate foods and do sides to fit a picky palette. We need more places like this everywhere You still have road noise outside so hearing protection may still be needed Support this place read more

Really great food AND service! Came in for lunch with a decent size group. When we arrived we got drinks and chips/salsa which were warm and fresh! I expected there to be a little slowdown since it was lunch rush but we got our food very quickly and it was delicious! Would definitely return and would love to try it for dinner to see how it compares! read more

Guadalajara is a lovely Mexican restaurant near downtown Charlottesville. There aren't a lot of parking spots available but if you take a Lyft, like I did, you'll be fine! Otherwise, plan ahead! The restaurant itself seems small but they were still able to make a space for my group of 16. We had a wonderful time with excellent service. The Margaritas are large but seem to be more syrup than tequila so if you're adverse to a lot of sugar, try something else on the menu! Service at this restaurant is spectacular! All of the servers were friendly and knowledgeable and our food came out quickly, without a hitch! The food is typical food for a Mexican restaurant. The chips and salsa are complimentary and there are plenty of choices on the menu. I ended up going with a nice carne asada with a side of guac salad and rice. It was super tasty and very filling. They have desserts but you may not have room for any after their large portions. Overall this is a great place if you're craving Mexican food. read more

Literally the worst tacos I've ever had. I'm serious when I say that taco bell's taco supreme (or even the regular crunchy taco) is better than their beef taco. The chicken was *better* than the beef, but it doesn't make up for the store bought pre-fried taco shells and really bland taste. 3 tacos and I ended up paying $6.45 with tax. Tip is over $7 total. Doesn't even come with sides. I was really really disappointed. Bathrooms are insanely tiny. read more

Guadalajara - Really sad $7. - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I love Guadalajara. If you want a gigantic cheap margarita and some classic Americanized (not fancy, not ultra-authentic) Mexican food, this is your place. Service is fast and friendly, drinks are massive, they have a lovely patio. If you're looking for the most amazing Mexican restaurant you've ever been to, this isn't the place, but if you want a big plate of fajitas and a $6 all day Saturday happy hour jumbo margarita, this is the best spot for it. read more

Guadalajara - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I went here back in December after an event with my dad, and it was pretty average. I love Mexican food and I try to go to little local Mexican joints whenever I'm out of town, so I've seen a lot of them. I'm usually pretty impressed and often times their food is better than chain places like Pancho Villa's. This one was just okay. The salsa is pretty good, the queso is okay, and the enchilada that I had was sub-par. The fried ice cream was great, though. I love the addition of the rainbow sprinkles. read more

Guadalajara - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

great food! Great service! Stopped on the way home from Fuji jiu Jitsu tournament in Richmond so everyone was excited for carbs and protein and we were not disappointed. read more

They gave me queso with no chips and it was a long wait for everything would not recommend

We took a road trip down to Charlottesville to see Monticello, and I used Yelp to figure out where we should go to dinner while we were down there. I'm a Mexican food addict, and this place had pretty good reviews on Yelp, so we decided to give it a try. We were pleased with our dinner there. The food was good. The service was prompt, professional, and eager to please. The prices were reasonable. The chips and salsa are made fresh in house, and they were VERY good. They had a lengthy menu of authentic Mexican dishes to choose from. I ordered the carnitas. They weren't what I was expecting, but they were still good. I'm used to carnitas coming as small cubes of pork in some sort of green sauce. Here, it came as three very large chunks of cooked pork with no sauce. Even so, the meat was moist and tasty - I just had to cut it up myself to stuff into my tortillas. Thumbs up for their responsiveness and desire to make their customers happy. My 7 year old son ordered a taco and burrito combo. He was expecting a soft taco and a dry burrito. What came to the table was a hard-shell taco and a "wet" burrito (burrito covered in sauce). Totally NOT the restaurant's fault, but the waiter immediately saw that he wasn't happy with it and promptly took it back to have the kitchen make it the way my son wanted. Thank you for that! They have a nice outdoor seating area with about nine 4-top tables, and inside they probably have on the order of twenty more 4-tops that could be pushed together for different group sizes. The main downside of Guadalajara is the building is a little old and run down. The sagging ceiling tiles gave us the impression they might fall on our head at any moment. The men's restroom was so disgustingly dirty, it would have been better to go find a truck stop or nearby gas station. If it had just been me, I would have held it, but my youngest son doesn't have the bladder control to wait that long. read more

Guadalajara - Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

We went for my brother-in-law's birthday. They have a couple of tables that can seat a large group. We arrived mid-afternoon on a Saturday. Great time to go with a large party. Service was fantastic. Even brought us out a new set of silverware and cake plates. Food was very good and enjoyed by all as evidenced by the number of empty plates. read more

Solid may 5 experience much to my surprise. Place was packed for the holiday and waitress looked like a former server or family member with a split section. In spite of that we were seated quickly with fast lunch service that was friendly all around. Chimichanga was tasty and hot, beer was frosty and tall read more

We were in Charlottesville for the VHSL championship game. We wanted some Mexican food and we had a fantastic meal. I had arroz con pollo and it was out of this world. The salsa was perfectly spiced. The chips were a little thicker than I prefer but that just my preference. I can't say it is the best in Charlottesville because I have not eaten at any of the rest but it was awesome. read more

Guadalajara - Arroz con pollo - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This place was the best mexican restaurant in the region is travel 40 minutes to eat here but lately the quality and professionalism of some of the waitress is started going down I strive for the best food and service of course if you don't know and cook the difference between mexican food and other countries then you are going to like it cause for you any mexican joint will do but not me I know what's good what's not THE CHEESE IN THE CHIMICHANGAS PLATE ON TOP OF THE BEANS WAS A LOT NICE AND MELTED NOW YOU CAN barely find the cheese and when ask why they say EVERYTHING GO'S UP IN COST FOR INGREDIENTS THE BATHROOM WAS DIRTY WITH FECES AND THE FAUCET WAS DIRTY TOO SHAME ON THEM FOR NOT CHECKING IT'S FACILITIES read more

I have tried other Guadalajara locations, and I think this one falls right in the middle, but it definitely isn't the best of them. I'll give the negatives up front: It is tiny and there isn't much of a waiting area for a crowded Friday night. Also, the bathrooms were pretty disgusting on the day I was there. Also, the prices aren't the best, and you can find better Mexican food for less in the area. You have to pay an extra dollar for additional baskets of chips as well, which isn't common for Mexican restaurants. The good, though, is that the service was great and friendly! Also, the food was good, which is of course always a plus. I got a taco salad, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, though felt it could have been stuffed with more rice or beans or something to bulk it up. We had a big group, and I think everyone enjoyed their meals! I would come back for a quick meal, though I know there are other amazing Mexican restaurants around town. read more

Guad was a special part of my life during my 8 years in Charlottesville. Some people throw around hyperbolic phrases like, "I've eaten there hundreds of times!," but in the case of Guad and me, that's true -- in college I'd sometimes go 4 times in a week, and I've gone at least once a week for the past two years with my office (Monday Mexican Madness!) I first started with the one on 29 during my undergrad years, then moved closer to the one on Fontaine, and finally ended up making the Downtown location my #1. But all three locations are awesome. The Downtown and Fontaine locations both have outdoor seating, but all three feature favorites like: 1) Enchilada Supreme 2) Flauta platter 3) Number 6 with beans 4) Guadaritas 5) Fiesta taco salad etc. Also, they have the best chips and salsa, and the staff was always on top of the game -- very rarely would I be sitting with an empty chip basket. Just thinking about Guad for this review is making my mouth water for their delicious tex-mex. I'd give Guad way more than 5-stars if I could, and I'm so sad that I couldn't bring Guad with me to San Francisco. read more

On a hot summer night all I want is to sit outside with a nice strong margarita (extra salt). Oh and this is the place to go baby. Hands down the best Mexican in the 'Ville, which is why it's spread through the town to 3 locations. All the food at the different locations are equally good, but this is my favorite one. It's the perfect location, to eat dinner and go wander around the downtown mall especially if Friday's After Five is going on. The food is also fantastic. It's just good damnit. Ok and you got me there's actually not many options for Mexican in Charlottesville, but that's why the fact it's good is even better. read more

I've been to two Guadalajara locations and they have been equally disappointing. The food was bad and the service was even worse. I can't speak for the margaritas but ladies, be careful how much you drink there because the bathroom is absolutely disgusting. Overall, I'd easily take Taco Bell and a homemade margarita over this place. read more

This is important: we went to this place in part on Nicole's review that it has Enchiladas Suizas...they aren't on the menu. I think this place has potential, but on our visit, it seemed the staff had a bad night. Local tourist advertorials rate this place highly, and anyone who follows me know that I'm looking for enchiladas, while the kids need high-quality chicken tenders. It's not easy for any authentic mexican,/tex-mex/salvadorean place to pull off. So let's start with the atmosphere. On a 90-degree standard June day in Virginia, it was at least 80-85 degrees inside. Ceiling fans were pretty ineffectual. There is outside seating, and we would have done better with that. Service was SLOW. And this was at 4:45 pm...pre-evening rush. Maybe 4 other groups were in the place and a few more outside. Our waiter was covering inside and outside, but there were more staffers floating around, so it's not like they were short-staffed. The chicken tenders came first, and the rest of us waited around for a solid 5+ minutes for the real food. It was awkward, sitting in the heat, and the other food eventually arrived without any sort of explanation for the delay. I can report that the tenders were fine. And the fries were good too, at least for adults -- they're the battered kind. Some kids freak on that. Other kids freak if there's not Heinz ketchup (this restaurant goes with an off brand), but not ours. It was a bonus (for the adults to eat) that they came with deep-fried cheese strips. I also need to add that the salsa and chips are excellent, and the salsa comes in the little decanter, which I find charming. We went through a second bowl of chips, which the menu warns they'll charge you a buck for, but they didn't. Chicken fajitas were bountiful at $15. I could have used a few more condiments and larger portions on the beans. The enchilada sauce was a tad sweet, but perhaps that's a central Mexico thing, if this is really based on Guadalajara, Mexico. Overall, the prices were good. They gave our kids adult-size drinks (and a refill) for the kid-size price. Service was really bad, though. We had to ask twice for the check. Won't be going back. read more

I took a fellow native Texan who was in town visiting here, and was embarrassed by the quality of the food. I have tried nearly every Guad location in desperation to find decent Tex-Mex, and have been disappointed with what I have been able to find. Overall, if you stick to some of the basic items--enchiladas, and beef tacos, for example, you will leave feeling full and somewhat satisfied... but I don't recommend venturing out on their menu, as nearly everything else I have tried has been a complete disaster. Shrimp quesadillas, for example? Terrible! The nachos? Soggy, and not at all flavorful. I have found better Tex-Mex in England... read more