Great ambiance, we liked the music and the pretty plants. We visited for lunch and it had a very relaxed atmosphere. The staff were very friendly and provided efficient service. The complimentary salsa was pretty spicy! I got The Volcan, which was a great 'arroz con pollo' with pico de gallo and lots of queso on top. My husband got the enchiladas, which were made with beef. We both really enjoyed our food! read more

La Esperanza - Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Elkhart, Indiana

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Food was delicious! The drinks were divine. The service was excellent. It is very clean! At the right price!

Friendly staff the food was good the desert omg!!!!! The fried ice cream is a MUST!!! You will not be disappointed read more

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Cute little spot. They have some options other than Mexican if someone in your group wants something different. Service was good and prompt. Food was fine, nothing fantastic but it hit the spot! read more

La Esperanza - Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Elkhart, Indiana

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Food is amazing and I would say it's my favorite Mexican food until I realized it's the same experience with staff every single time - I won't be returning again. Staff is extremely disrespectful and rude - I've came in 3 different times and get the same attitude out of every employee. They are very very stingy as well - what Mexican restaurant doesn't give out limes with carne asada?? But charge you instead? read more

Food and service were excellent. Quick and friendly service. Good recommendations for the server. The food was brought out quickly after ordering and was hot at service. (temperature). Accurate. Prices were very fair IMO. Definitely will come back again. read more

Had a quick lunch there Wednesday. As always the food was very good. I love the cheese enchiladas. Gooey cheese & a tasty but mild sauce. The service was fast & friendly which I appreciated because I did not have a lot of time. Have also had fajitas & tamales. Both very good. There are a lot of Mexican restaurants in the area This one is my favorite. read more

The food was amazing ! Coming from California and eating the food from here was like a piece of home! Authentic Mexican food at its finest. I will be coming here a lot ! Service was amazing !! read more

So first off I have been here multiple times. I just enjoy this place. From seeing the same people every time I am in there. Always pleasant, professional, and smiling. I love the lighting. And I really enjoy the food. I've had the steak tacos, chicken chimichanga, and steak quesadilla. All very good. Love their rice and I'm not the biggest rice person. And they carry Mr Pibb on the fountain! read more

La Esperanza - Rice & beans - Mexican Near Me - Elkhart, Indiana

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This place was above my expectations! I always passed by and never thought of it much and the one time I stopped in my experience was above amazing . From the decorations , ambiance , service and food everything was excellent! Highly recommend this place and their prices are very reasonable and good not overpriced. Will be coming back again and will recommend to everyone read more

Ordered the fajitas burrito and received the seafood burrito. Pointed out this error to my server and she returned with a different version of the fajitas burrito with rice and no beans. Pointed it out to my server and she came back with the third burrito that was a version of what the menu described but still no beans. Never received an apology or a discount due to their continued errors. Between the kitchen and server this should have never have happened. There were only two other tables / customers in addition to us in the restaurant at this time. There are many other Mexican restaurants in Elkhart. Choose one of them if you want to eat what you ordered. Every version of any of the burritos I tasted were bland and the steak was over cooked. read more

Food and service was exceptional. Always excellent. It is nice and cozy. Would highly recommend.

The heat of their food is very inconsistent. And their service can be really great, and mostly it's pretty awful. I think the 2 women who are the worst servers there have something to do within management or are in ownership, and they are rude whenever they want to be rude. My husband loves the steak tacos. So we kept going back but today. The server was just very rude and we're not going to be going back. read more

The food at this restaurant is really good and the prices are decent. The atmosphere is nice and unique. With that being said, I feel like we were treated like absolute garbage. We were nice, polite and not at all demanding. I don't ever want to hear anything about white people being racist...ever!! We weren't offered any refills and the waitress had a terrible attitude towards us. I noticed the Hispanic customers were not treated rudely at all. If you are caucasian, there are nicer places to go. I, personally, will not be returning. read more

Authentic Mexican food with lots of choices. You can get nearly anything from here ranging from full Mexican dinners, to combo plates, to more familiar burritos, tacos, fajitas, and tostadas. They even have a kids menu. Choices range from steak, pork, chicken, shrimp, and even red snapper. Several salads to choose from. Appetizers ranging from nachos to jalapeno poppers to quesadillas. We were a group of 4 and got a mix of appetizers, a salad, fajitas, and a combo dinner - made fresh, tasty, and filling. read more

First time we have ordered food from them. We will definitely order from them again!! The burritos were grand, as well as the beans and rice. Chips, salsa and guacamole very good. Salsa too spicy for me, but my husband liked it. read more

La Esperanza - Chicken burrito dinner including rice and beans with chips and salsa and guacamole! It was excellent! - Mexican Near Me - Elkhart, Indiana

Me and my beautiful wife visited this restaurant for the first time. Out of the countless Mexican restaurants in our area, I must say this one is among the top. The service was fast and attentive and the food hot and fresh. Even the shredded lettuce was actually green not white like most places. Overall had a great experience and look forward to returning soon. read more

Great food and friendly service. We passed by here several times before finally stopping to try it and we are glad we did. We will be back next time we come to the area. read more

This meal and all my family's food was delicious. We can't wait to come back. So, much food we had to take half to go. My 8 year old grandson had a hamburger and French fries. He said it was "the best ". read more

The food is good and big portions. The service is very friendly and great. I enjoy eating in but the take out is quick and well served.

Went for the first time while in Elkhart after reading the reviews and I am happy we stopped in. Customer service was good and our food was delivered to our tables in a timely fashion. I ordered the chicken chimichanga and it was good lots of chicken and perfectly fried. The beans and rice were really good too. I had an unsweetened iced tea for my drink and it was good. I will return if I ever go back to Elkhart oh the only thing I didn't care for was for the chips and salsa that was awful they should really try to get a different brand of chips and the salsa didn't taste homemade it was super runny with no consistency. Change that and everything else will be great! read more

Typical Mexican food not over the top but I ordered a take out fiesta chicken salad and it was good I would return

We loved this place. We have spent a lot of time in California, Arizona and Mexico eating really great Mexican food, and La Esperanza is right up there with some of the best we've had. Everything was fresh and made to order. Spices and seasonings were bright, and everything was very flavorful. The salsa is exceptional, and packs some heat. We got a recommendation for the carnitas and got big, tender juicy chunks of roast pork in an amazing salsa verde. We practically licked the plate clean. Service was attentive. La Esperanza shows true pride of ownership in the quality of their food and the adorable restaurant, itself. Very charming space, cheery decor and absolutely spotless. Highly recommend and hope our travels bring us here again, we would love to go back. read more

One star for padding our bill by $3 and our beans were cold. Margarita was a limeade and tortillas were half sized. Service was also slow and a slight language barrier. read more

Consistently good food. I haven't ate anything I don't like. Ambiance is lively and fresh. Staff are always attentive. Restaurant is always clean. read more

I'm not sure why I've never eaten at La Esperanza, but I've found my new favorite place for authentic Mexican food. I drive past this restaurant every day on my way to work but never stopped in to try it. We went a little early on a Friday but it was already busy. We were greeted and seated quickly by a friendly wait staff. The complimentary chips and salsa were brought to us. The chips were disappointing as they appeared to be store bought. But their salsa was great. It's a little warm so be aware. My margarita was ok. Their guacamole is great. I ordered the chimichanga with ground beef. It was really flavorful. My wife had an enchilada/taco combo which she said was very good too. Our waitress was very attentive and pleasant. Overall we really loved the entire experience. We have found our new go-to place for Mexican food! read more

The food and service are always great here. I stop by on my way home from teaching, and they have my food ready very quickly. It stays hot all of the way home, and the flavor is amazing! I also love their salsa - it packs a little bit of heat. 10/10 read more

The salsa is addicting. Burrito especial goes a long way. Can't wait until they open back up.

The old "big John's pizza" (for the old school Elkhart crowd) is a terrific place for authentic Mexican food. They always have soccer on TV (South American League), have great service, and the price is right. Love the salsa as it's home made and spicy. Kicks the tail off Hacienda and I do think its a step above El'Maguey (for food not ambience or margaritas). They pre-mix the margaritas (even with tequila) and don't have a top shelf option. read more

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My wife and I come here just about every time we are in the mood to get Mexican food. And just about every time we come here, I order 4 Tacos de Alambre--2 with chicken and 2 with steak. And just about every time I finish my meal, I find myself wondering why I shouldn't order 4 more. But my wife insists that 8 tacos in one sitting is a bad idea. What does she know? Anyhow, this place beats El Camino hands-down. The salsa is tasty, the service is excellent, the prices are great. (A little known secret about El Camino is that they charge you for drink or chip refills. Strange, but true.) And if you go on my recommendation, order yourself 8 Tacos de Alambre so that I can convince my wife that it's not all that unusual. read more

If you are craving real Mexican cuisine, this is the place to go. One of my favorite Mexican dishes is Tacos de Alambre. The only problem is that it's very hard to find. La Esperanza is the only place around here that makes them as far as I know. They also have a very fresh tasting Taco Yucateco. The Bistec A La Mexicana is also very good. Now if you are more into Tex-Mex and don't know what real Mexican food tastes like, then you may not be happy with the food you get here, but if you want authentic Mexican food done right you won't be disappointed. read more

For a hole in the wall place in Indiana, this is pretty good. It's a small spot, and we ended up waiting for a table around dinner time. The interior is a little kitschy--this is definitely not fine dining, but it's a good family spot. They brought chips and salsa to the table when we sat down, which was very welcome considering how hungry we were. The chips were fresh, but the salsa wasn't that flavorful. The entrees and margaritas were on point. No complaints there. We had two or three different servers throughout our meal, which made it hard to figure who to ask the check from. Fair prices, good food. read more

Definitely the best Mexican food I've had in Elkhart! I had been on the hunt for a go-to Mexican restaurant here for a few months, and La Esperanza definitely takes the cake. Their 3D art wall is pretty unique! It's hilarious that they have a little Christ the Redeemer painted on there because he's actually in Brazil, which is not a Spanish-speaking country nor was it colonized by Spain or have any cuisine similar to TexMex... oh well! Their flautas are delicious, and they have a very good selection in general. Service can be a little slow, and there isn't always someone at the register, so I wouldn't recommend going there if you're in a rush/quick lunch break. If you do have time, though, the food is definitely worth the wait. read more

The tacos pastor are the best. I honestly haven't ordered anything from here I didn't like. Great service great food.

Most Mexican restaurants claim to be authentic but serve "Tejano" (Americanized) food containing too much salt, vinegar, jalapenos, and bleached flour hidden under a mountain of tasteless cheese - especially in Michiana, a long way north of the border, I have eaten the good stuff in Colorado and New Mexico, but it has been a while. The first time I went to La Esperanza, I was amazed. Great menu, they actually prepare and cook the food instead of nuking something from a can. The presentation is excellent, and so are the flavors. You can get it from mild to hot; but unlike most places, hot does not mean "battery acid". The chili arbole sauce is fire with flavor, without obliterating the flavors of the food - producing a nice glow on a cold Indiana day. I have yet to find another Mexican restaurant in the Elkhart area that can hold a candle to this one. read more

This place is just okay to me. The salsa is too hot for my liking and the atmosphere not the most warm and friendly experience. The food is okay. I ordered the pork carnitas and wished they were most tender and juicy as I've had at a couple other Mexican restaurants, but someone may think its okay. The food isn't terrible... I've just had better. read more

La Esperanza - Wish it was on draft - Mexican Near Me - Elkhart, Indiana

After reading reviews, decided to visit. Friendly staff, good food and prices. Would definitely visit again while in the area.

The food is just ok and not what I would consider authentic Mexican food. Food was bland and tasteless I would not recommend.

Awesome fish tacos. I have never had a bad meal here. There are a few legit Mexican places to eat at in Elkhart and this is one of them. read more

La Esperanza - It looks like a fish taco 3-some gone awry, but they are tasty. - Mexican Near Me - Elkhart, Indiana

This place has great decorations. And awesome unlimited chips! The tastiest burritos ever! But, they usually mess up the order! Do go here if you want to something new! "This place has the best burritos! But they messed up my order! How dare you!" read more