Went here for the first time recently with my friends before a concert! It was a Tuesday around 5:30 pm and we were seated right away. We had a lovely seat by the window. We all got the large margaritas and they really are LARGE!! they are delicious and STRONG. I got a traditional lime with sugar rim! My second drink was a specialty marg with strawberry & cucumber - it was refreshing and had chunks of cucumber in it! My friends enjoyed their raspberry margs and jalapeño cucumber margs! We also split the dip trio. The chips are made in house and are so delish! I feel like usually with dip trios something falls short, but everything - the guac, salsa and queso - were all great! The queso had tomatoes and peppers in it I believe. So flavorful! I got the 3 birria tacos for dinner! I honestly think these are some of the best in town - and I don't hear anyone talking about them! I really liked the refried beans on the side too. Our server Andrea was so sweet! There is lots of seating and it's fun to sit by the window and people watch. They also have great nightly specials. read more

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This place started with so much promise. The ambiance was great--a chill little vibe with a nice atmosphere that made you want to settle in and enjoy the meal. The food was just okay. After leaving California, I'll admit I've been on a never-ending quest to find Mexican food that lives up to what I'm used to, and this wasn't the place that finally delivered. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely wasn't memorable. The real downfall was the service. It started off fine, but things went south quickly. No refills, no silverware, and we had to track down our waitress just to get basic things we needed. The chips--something you normally get before the meal--finally arrived only minutes before our food. Then our waitress dropped off our plates and disappeared. A great atmosphere can only carry a restaurant so far. With better service, this could have been an average experience. Unfortunately, the lack of attention turned it into a disappointing one. read more

Visited this spot for a happy hour! Fairly priced classic margaritas. Next time I would definitely ask for no salt on the rim or light salt because it goes right into the margaritas and at one point I literally just drank salt. The triple dip starter is my favorite to try everything. The birria tacos are also delicious and a perfect portion with some leftovers to take home! Service was incredibly quick it felt like the food came out in literally 5 minutes. There is also a great view of market square and lots of seating! read more

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Las Velas was just ok! I did feel the authenticity in there. We ventured up some stairs to the main dinig are. It was a large group of us. I ordered a prickly pear margarita and some fried shrimp tacos. I wanted birra tacos but they were out. Bummer for sure but the waitress was good. She was very apologetic for them not having what I wanted for dinner. If I am ever in Pittsburgh again, I will go back to see if the birria showed back up! Lol thanks Las Velas. SYOY! read more

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Stopped in on a Saturday afternoon for some lunch. We were seated right away and the waitress took our orders. She was friendly and helpful. The strawberry margarita was very sweet and had lots of berry flavor. It wasn't my fav but I tend to like less sweet margs. We ordered the shrimp and the chicken lunch tacos that came with two tacos and beans and rice. The chicken tacos were super good and served on soft flour tortillas. The shrimp came on lightly fried corn tortillas that were a little chewy and didn't have much shrimp at all. The star of the lunch was the cup of Chicken Tortilla soup. They serve you a bowl with deep fried tortilla strips and a red sauce packed with flavor and pour the homemade chicken bone broth over the strips table-side. The soup was absolutely delicious. When she brought the check, she just presented us with a total on her handheld POS device and not a paper check to review. It was sort of strange. I did some quick math in my head for the dishes we had and the total seemed about right so I just paid it. We've been going here for many years and enjoy their homemade food. read more

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Las Velas was an okay experience for us. We were in the mood for Mexican food so we decided to stop by. You do have to go upstairs when you arrive, and it was pretty empty when we got there, which I guess makes sense for a Sunday evening. We sat at the bar and ordered a couple of drinks. I really enjoyed the mojitos and honestly could see myself coming back just to drink those. They were definitely a highlight for me. For food, I ordered the chicken tacos. I enjoyed them overall, but I personally prefer pulled chicken over diced chicken for tacos since I feel like it tastes better with Mexican flavors. The Mexican street corn was a little overcooked for my liking, but the rice and beans were pretty good. My boyfriend ordered the chicken quesadilla which he enjoyed and he also helped me finish my tacos. The service was fine. The bartender was sweet, answered all our questions, and took care of us well. Overall, it was not bad, but I have definitely had better Mexican food. I am not sure if we will come back for dinner, but the mojitos alone might bring me back. read more

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There was a 20 minute wait with an empty restaurant not one employee even greeted us for those 20 minutes. As well as the food took approximately an hour after us sitting down for us to get it. As well as you better learn Spanish before coming none of the servers speak a lick of English. read more

Food was Good! Service was Excellent and the ambiance was just like any other Mexican restaurant but its location is what makes It a cool Place! read more

First off, the space overlooking Market Square and downtown Pittsburgh's skyline has a great view. The bar is very long too - a great place for drinks with friends. Inside ambiance is cool too. I came here mid-afternoon Friday for a late lunch. Was hoping to get the birria tacos but the server informed me they were out. I got the carne asada tacos instead. The rice was so-so, not particularly flavorful. The carne asada did have good flavor, but was slightly on the tough / dry side, as if cooked a little too long. Beans and cheese were good, but that's difficult to screw up. The tea unfortunately was completely watered down (see photo) and tasteless. The server (who was very nice and upstanding) I'd seen was running around as quickly as he could; I'd suspected they were short-staffed so didn't complain about the tea (he confided that they were short on servers that day when he apologized for the food wait time). So bottom line, decent Mexican food, but nothing particularly special about it. If looking for a spot downtown to enjoy some tequila / margaritas etc with a big group in a festive atmosphere, I think this would be the place. read more

Las Velas - Carne asada tacos with beans and rice - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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This spot had very fresh and flavorful food. The chips were still hot when they came out! Everything was very well made and came out how we were expecting. The server was also very attentive and gave us suggestions. Overall a very enjoyable lunch experience. read more

Las Velas - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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This is upstairs so look for the door on the square and go up one flight of stairs. The room is large with tall cathedral ceilings and a wall of windows. They have an excellent drink Menu tons of beers, wines margaritas and mules. The tacos have so much meat as did did alambre we had tons of left over and were very full. The chips a salsa are not complimentary but well worth the $5 charge. read more

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Good food, service is okay. Don't get to come here too often but the drinks are usually pretty good. Nice to overlook market square

Atmosphere gets better as the sun goes down! Save your money and don't get the dip Trio... Everything was super lumpy... Very odd, especially when it comes to queso and guacamole... My grandma literally pulled out at least a quarter of an avocado from our bowl... our enchiladas on the other hand, we're delicious! Per our servers recommendation, we ordered the enchiladas Suiza. They were delicious and had a great and flavorful sauce with them! Our server was great and knew the menu well! A great spot if you have a Mexican craving and don't want to travel out of the downtown area! read more

Yeas I'm not sure why this place is absolutely empty on a Sunday night... It was pretty dang good overlooking chipotle and most maybe why it struggles? Idk I enjoyed my burrito pastor. Now you know I used these reviews to remind myself of things this is a reminder that I love all things pastor when chipotle does their pastore chicken mwah when last velas does their pastor burrito mwah. Me lady go the three fish tacos and it was too much food to handle so I tried one and yea they were very nice crispy delicious. We also got the queso which yea it was good and yummy. Would come back sad that it was so empty here read more

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Great place, food was great, service was great, would come back. Absolutely no idea why the reviews are so low. People are out here saying "best tacos of my life" and giving 4 stars. read more

We were in town for Picklesburgh and thought we would go upstairs to Las Velas for some food and drinks. When we were sat, we sat at our table for almost 10 minutes before we could get someone to wait on us and half of the tables in our area were empty. There were two servers in our area and the female server would literally look at us and either look the other way or turn around and walk the other way before coming to our table. After about ten minutes we asked her if we could place an order. She said yes and walked away. Thank God she was not our server. Another gentleman came over to take our order. We received the wrong drinks, which he fixed but we asked for water as well and he never brought them. The food was okay, but nothing I would go back for. Not sure what they are like when they are busy, but I don't think I would want to see either. When we did get the right drinks, the Cheladas were very refreshing. read more

Came here for a Friday lunch and was blown away. The server was so attentive. They had many margarita flavors to choose from. I had mango and it was delicious! The food was one of the best I've had. Definitely a must try in the area! read more

Las Velas - Cheese Enchiladas with verde sauce - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This place has the best shrimp tacos i've ever had in my LIFE. So so very good. I went for my birthday and they gave me free fried ice cream. It is slightly expensive (in my opinion) but again you get what you pay for. Right when we walked in, we got seated right away. All the workers are very nice and attentive. The aesthetic of the place is super cute and a great environment! One complaint I have is that you have to pay for your chips and salsa. At the end of the day, it's not a huge deal. Food also came out quickly. As someone who is extremely broke, I would definitely come back here! read more

Las Velas - fried ice cream was fire flame - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

If you're looking for mediocre white people Mexican food this is the place. I want to start by staying I did not think any part of my experience was bad, it was just very okay. The service was good, not great. The ambiance was fine. The food wasn't bad but wasn't anything to write home about. I had the al pastor tacos, the strawberry margarita, and the chips and queso. The tacos were a little dry and the queso was just meh. The margarita was exactly what I wanted, a regular fine margarita. I didn't go into this expecting anything crazy so it wasn't bad but definitely not great Mexican food. read more

Las Velas - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Had a late lunch and was pleasantly surprised! The tacos were full of flavors, great tasting water (all water tastes different even though it has no taste) and the staff were super nice! Clean establishment read more

Las Velas - Pittsburgh Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Came for Friday lunch and loved it! Attentive service, lots of margarita flavors, mango was amazing. Food was top-notch. A must-try in the area! read more

Great location overlooking Market Square. Lunch was fast and excellent. The chips & salsa were soooo good. Both homemade for sure. Restaurant was very clean too. Will be back! read more

Always feel like home here. The staff treats you so well, the margs are unmatched, and the food is enjoyable. You gotta come here!

What a great treat!! Went to dinner with colleagues and thought why not Mexican?!? Landed here didn't have high expectations but it was absolutely amazing. Their drinks, service and atmosphere was on point. Everyone enjoyed their dish and the shareable apps were delicious. My Carne Asada was incredible! Perfectly seasoned and full of flavors. If you've never had Pas Velas and you're craving Mexican you will not be disappointed! read more

Las Velas - Carne Asada - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Mediocre Mexican food. Nothing special to talk about. Staff was friendly but I wasn't impressed enough to go back.

Went to La Velas in Market Square on a Tuesday afternoon after work. The place was empty (I think the location is kind of hard to find and it doesn't stick out) so a large party of us were seated very quickly. The restaurant over looks Market Square so it's a great view! For a drink, I got a Paloma but it just tased like a margarita and was too sweet for my liking. For food, I got a Barbacoa, chicken and mahi mahi taco which were all delicious! TLDR Service - 5/5 Ambience - 5/5 Food and Drinks - 3/5 read more

My boyfriend and I were so excited to have a date night. I wanted Mexican, so he suggested Las Velas because it is his favorite Mexican restaurant. The service was good and we ordered our drinks and chips, salsa and queso. Everything up to this point was great. We ordered our main entrees. I went with the tamales, which said " Cornmeal tamale baked in banana leaf. Chicken, pork, or veggies. Rice and beans". I have a known severe peanut allergy, so I thought this to be safe. When the plate came out, it was covered in a dark brown sauce. Knowing food, I assumed it was a mole sauce. I was right. I know other restaurants that serve mole will indicate if there's peanuts in their sauce. So, out of caution we asked. They confirmed there was NO nuts in the sauce. So out of caution, I pushed most of the sauce to the side and took a few bites. Immediately I felt my throat and tongue start to itch. I walked up to the manager/ host again to ask about the ingredients. She told me again there were no nuts. I asked her to double check. She went to the kitchen and asked again. She then gave me a 3rd confirmation that there were no nuts, and handed me the recipe sheet. I quickly google-translated each word on the card, because it was in Spanish, and found "5 cans of mole". I asked to see the can of mole, and lo and behold, the can of mole ingredients included peanuts. My boyfriend and I rushed to the hospital, where they gave me life saving epinephrine and Benedryl to keep my throat from closing up. We will not be eating here ever again, and I caution anyone with a peanut allergy to eat here. We tipped the server on the cost of the bill that we were not charged for, because we work in the industry and it was not his fault. It's now almost midnight, and my boyfriend and I are still at the hospital. So much for a nice date night. Hopefully they start taking allergies seriously, correct their menu to actually include all of the ingredients of each dish, and know that if they're just doctoring-up a jarred mole sauce, to actually know if this store-bought sauce ingredients have an allergen to indicate to customers. read more

Las Velas - Image of the ingredients of Tamales: Cornmeal tamale baked in banana leaf. Chicken, pork, or veggies. Rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Best Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh! This was the only Mexican restaurant I could find that had more than just tacos. The food was delicious and authentic with a variety of options. Not only was the food good but their margaritas were fresh and big! They use fruit purée in their margs rather than syrup and I loved it, we got the watermelon and raspberry. If you're craving Mexican food bypass Condado Tacos and come to Las Velas. read more

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Decent Mexican food in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh Pros: good to downtown restaurants busy again at lunchtime. Las Velas offers a nice, compact menu, offering a taste of some of the regions of Mexico. Their huarache was pretty good. Lunch prices were reasonable. Cons: restaurant seemed understaffed. One pet peeve of mine when dining Mexican is if there is an up charge for chips and salsa (which were average). Summary: everything was slightly above average, but not exciting, hence the 3 stars. read more

I LOVE the enchiladas! Juicy on the inside with pasty bean mesh. I got there around 1pm and got seated by the window, which gives me a peak into the gorgeous plaza. Food is served with speed, in less than 10 minutes. They played cozy Christmas themed music in the background, very calming, read more

Las Velas - enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

We came here right when they opened on the weekend for lunch, and it wasn't very crowded. This is a hidden gem that is tucked away on the second floor. I got the taco pastor and it was really good. I liked the pineapple with pork. It came with two sides of your choice. The waitress was very nice and the food came out reasonably fast. The tables were spread out sufficiently. This is definitely one of my go to spots downtown. read more

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Food was average for Mexican, definitely for the price have had better. There was an up charge for chips, who does that at a Mexican place!? The burrito was more like a wrap, very small. Nice location and good atmosphere. The waitress snuck in a 20% tip for over 5 ppl and she was not great. Won't be back. read more

Second trip was back amazing.. as expected. I ordered the three tacos. It was so hard to choose I wanted everything on the menú. I loved the tacos! Everything is so fresh. The lime potatoes are still one of my favorites on the menú. I also ordered a mango salsa as my side. The sides aren't very large. My side salad and mango salsa came on the same plate as my tacos. At a glance I thought they were missing. Sometimes I forget so always pull up the menú of the restaurant before I write my review - as a refresher. The website has the menú but the sides aren't listed. They are one of my favorite parts of the menú!! So if you are checking out the menu on line - there is more to the menu than what is online. The portions were plentiful and we had enough to take home for dinner. I look forward to returning. read more

Las Velas - "Three tacos" comes with two sides (pictured here on my plate - tossed salad and mango salsa) - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

It is Thursday night and I was hungry for Mexican. The great thing about Las Velas is they have things other than the standard tacos of all the other restaurants in downtown. I have had enchiladas in the past here, but tonight I opted for the Chile Rellenos. I had mine with pork and they were delicious! You can also get steak, chicken or shrimp. They use real poblano peppers which is always 5 stars for me. Believe it or not, some places I've been to use green bell peppers. That is not a Relleno! These were coated with the traditional egg batter and fried, but they weren't greasy at all. The pork was really delicious and tender. I also got the chips and salsa. Of course, I couldn't eat it all and they packed me up fresh chips and salsa to go! The bartender, Philippe, made me a very tasty and different cilantro margarita. I loved it! Service was fantastic and very friendly. I sat at the bar which is always my first choice. I happened to sit next to the owners nephew who is attending Duquesne. We had a lovely dinner conversation. I think Las Velas is much better than Condado and Tako is way over priced. This was perfect! read more

Very fine staff and service. Excellent menu and comida/ meals. Very fine bar. Enjoyable view overlooking Market Square, Downtown Pittsburgh. Intend to return often! read more

excellent service and food note hard to find its above babk of america ...................................... read more

Las Velas - a rainy day in the city - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Great Food and Great Service! Came here for a birthday dinner with friends and the view was amazing :) I'd highly recommend the steak!

The food was pretty good! But it wasn't out of the ordinary, if you are feeling like eating Mexican food this place is what you are looking for. The service was okay but the restaurant itself is really nice as it's on the second floor! read more

Las Velas - the churros with the raspberry dip was amazing!! - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

We had the greatest service here at a dinner before a show in the cultural district! She let me sample one of each type of tamale in the order of two- chicken in mole and pork in green sauce. Unfortunately the tamales were hard and dry. I'm not sure if they were really steamed inside the leaves or just laid on top of leaves for show as a steamed item should not be so dry. The mole sauce was pretty good but the chile verde was tasteless. My husband also thought his enchiladas were tasteless. His favorite part of his meal was the elote corn on the cob -- don't get the esquites. Although served in a cute little tortilla dish, it was like canned corn with a tiny sprinkling of seasonings completely unlike the seasonings and cheese on the elote. The salsa, guacamole and queso were each very delicious with the chips -- however it was a bit expensive for the small amounts. We ordered on separate checks and the waitress nicely split the cost of the Trio of dips three ways without being asked. It's a great location, ok food and great service. read more

Las Velas - Lime potatoes, esquites, chicken tamale with mole, pork tamale with chile verde. Tamales were dry despite sauce on top. - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

We were visiting Pittsburgh for the weekend. We stopped here after the pirates game freezing and hungry. The fajitas totally hit the spot. Service was fast and friendly. Prices were very reasonable. read more