Decided to come down the mountain on a rainy chilly day to stop at Brysons for some supplies and found this yummy Mexican place. Service was amazing,food yummy and drinks Epic! We had sangria which was some of the best I've tasted. My BF got it and let me taste. Since Mexican I did a margarita was delicious! For Highlands NC prices were amazing and service spot on! A must do when in the mountains in Highlands! read more

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The food and service was excellent. We had the sizzling hot Fajitas and they were delicious. We live nearby and just hadn't be there in a longtime and now I feel we being missing out. The meals were definitely quality and plentiful. Had a large cold mug of Modelo to was it all down. The meats were tender and juicy with plenty of sides. Definitely making this place my new favorite. read more

This place has consistently good Mexican food. When all of the visitors are in town, this place seems to be too far off of main street for them to walk. So it never seems too crowded. Outdoor seating on the side is great this time of year. Service was great. My only complaint; and this seems to be a theme with all Mexican restaurants; please give me more tortillas with my fajitas! Overall a good Highlands staple. read more

very nice restaurant with a cozy environment...my wife has repeatedly ordered the fajitas rancheros and the last few times, i have ordered the taco salad with grilled chicken...neither of us have had better mexican cuisine! it's going to be hard, but i want to try some of their other dishes! read more

They food was the worst. The service was good. But the food was very expensive and not cooked properly raw. I don't recommend it. The food presentation was poor. read more

The food was delicious! Traditional Mexican food in the best way....fresh ingredients, lovely staff.

Service team was great Top shelf margaretas ...good Real good Mexican food And the staff ... entire staff understands Gluten Free requirements We had to bail on Altitudes @ Skyline Lodge when the service team and Chef....simply didn't understand gluten free requirements read more

Service is terrible . Margaritas were not good . Go down the road to the other Mexican restauran.

Quite unimpressed. Stopped in to get some food and didn't have to wait long, but had to wait entirely too long to have someone come and take our order. Seem to have a bunch of people who work there, but none of them capable of taking an order. Once we placed our order, our wait wasn't extremely long, but the food was very bland. Mediocre at best. Owner was walking around and having a great time with other tables, but never stopped at our table to talk with us about anything. Anything you asked seemed to always be someone else's job. No one knew what they were supposed to be doing. read more

Chicken quesadilla and chicken taco was very bland and dry. Salsa was not good so I didn't want to out it on then to try and moisten then. I would not eat here again. read more

Great lunch here today. Chicken fajitas were sizzling hot; tortillas were so fresh they were almost too hot to pick up. Grilled shrimp were cooked just right. Delicious fresh salsa. Great queso. Owner greeted us when we sat down and asked for our patience as he was the only one working outside the kitchen - no wait staff, no bartender, nobody else bussing tables. That said, the food came out quickly, and was delicious. Fresh chips appeared when we finished the first basket. Order - complete with additions and substitutions for picky kids - was accurate and all came out together. Service would have been just fine under normal conditions; given the limitations the restaurant is working under, I thought the service was extraordinary. We enjoyed our lunch here and were happy to support this business during these tough times for the restaurant industry. Highly recommended. read more

Haven't eaten here with my wife since covid broke out. I really used to love this place. Went yesterday- wow what happen. Salsa is watered down with no taste. Margaritas has no tequila chimichanga should be deep fried. Is was sauted in a pan. There was tons of food on the plate, but quality was not there. Price have gone up. Maybe focus on quality and taste not filling a plate up with over cooked stodgy rice. Really too bad. read more

Great food, great drinks. Always come to this place when in HIghlands. Good prices and great atmosphere. Good place for a lunch and a family dinner. read more

My family came to visit last minute and we needed to get food. The store had already closed so we settled on El Azteca. From the moment we walked in, they made us feel welcomed and it was a wonderful experience. The food was fresh and delicious. The margaritas are AMAZING!! read more

Water is not free. I visited this restaurant for dinner with a party of 4 adults. The food was delicious if you enjoy Mexican cuisine. The serving size was generous as is my experience with most Mexican places. The prices are higher than most Mexican places however is comparable to the prices in the area. If you are seeking budget friendly, you will have to drive outside of the town. The service was great and quick. No reservations required and no wait time (this was on a Monday night). Considering the workforce shortages and that everyone is doing their best, this restaurant was really close to 5 stars. My only complaint is regarding their discreet pricing. A glass of water costs $2.00 and they did not have a sign or any verbal heads up about that. A fountain drink is $2.50. And the beverages are self serve. A waiter comes to take your food and alcoholic beverage order but the water, tea, and fountain drinks are self serve. read more

Great food! Gourmet Mexican cuisine and wonderful cocktails! Fabulous atmosphere and very clean. Thank you Enrique and Luis

While we were in the Highlands, we ate at almost all of the restaurants and this was by far our favorite. It's one of the best Mexican spots we've been to. Really tasty salsas and their ceviche was delicious. Loved the tacos. The service was great so I'm not sure why reviewers are complaining about that. The margaritas are good, not fantastic but they do have their own mix. I wish we discovered this place early into our trip because we would have dined there more than once! Highly recommend! read more

The food was decent, margaritas were absolutely horrible. Never should've ordered a pitcher read more

Rainforest Bar and Grill - The food was pretty good. Margaritas were absolutely horrible never should've ordered a whole pitcher - Mexican Near Me - Highlands, North Carolina

We always come to Azteca Rainforest when in Highlands! The best Mexican Food- very authentic and the staff is very friendly. Excellent service as well. read more

Being from Texas I was a little weary of trying Mexican up here in Highlands... What a pleasant surprise! Great margaritas, authentic Mexican, good service. Highly recommend the fajitas, top shelf margarita, and jalapeño dip. Give it a shot - you won't be disappointed! read more

Hands down the best Mexican food! My favorite restaurant in highlands! The restaurant is always clean, the staff are so kind, the food is exceptional and the margaritas are perfection. Great place, family friendly! read more

El Azteca is a step above the typical Mexican place. The menu is more interesting, with some twists on the usual. My veggie burrito was stuffed with flavorful veggies, including squash and broccoli. It was served with a cup of black beans and a white garlic rice. Fresh cilantro, which I love, was plentiful. My husband had a steak burrito and thought it was great. And he couldn't quit raving about the salsa,which was distinctly different--maybe fire roasted tomatoes--not sure. The service was quick and pleasant. Portions were plentiful, we both left half of our meal. read more

We recently had takeout in Highlands from El Azteca. The takeout included a pork enchilada plate and a chicken enchilada plate. Both were very good, with a nice mix of flavors. Considerably better than the average Mexican dishes in this area. For tony Highlands, which in summer is Buckhead North, it is quite reasonably priced. The two takeout orders, plus ceviche and iced tea at the restaurant, were $29 before tip. read more

The drinks r all homemade the best berry Margaritas I've ever had and the fish tacos r my favorite! Can't wait til season starts I miss the food and drinks! Mary read more

You have to try their tacos. Yummy! The Poblano soup is delicious. They have great tasting salads. My favorite is the taco steak salad, but the Cesar is great too! Try the cheese enchiladas. Great ceviche tostada. Cold beers on tap too! Great sangría! Great service! read more

Our friends have been coming here for over 10 year When we get seated the owner tells my friend that last time he forgot to charge them for one drink so he was going to charge them today They were dumbfounded who does something like that to loyal costumers. As a business owner you should know better you don't treat costumers that way, I would understand it from the staff but the owner That drink cost him a couple of dollars if that I hope the drink charge was worth loosing costumers We live in the area and we will never go back read more

Food was pretty ok. I certainly was full with my burrito. Huge shrimp on wife's mixed fajitas. Be aware of the 4% charger to use a credit card. I get that things are going to be pricier up here in the hills. But I figured I paid that premium in the cost of the food, not in BS credit card fees. Now wondering if everyone in Highlands does that. read more

Meh - ok cocktails. We were seated inside so we missed the lovely outdoor experience on the porch. Instead we got a loud mix of rap and 90s R&B. The food was fresh. My wife got the fajita and there were a ton of fresh veggies. I got the traditional mole and it was tasty. The guacamole app left a lot to the imagination and the salsa was a smoky base that was pretty much ok. May be we missed a house specialty. But it kind of felt boring. read more

The food was amazing and fresh. The owner Enrique came and talked to us and told us about how fresh his food was, he must drive to the large market in Atlanta to get it all up here in the mountains, and you sure could taste the difference. The food, drinks, and service was all top notch at a very reasonable price I would highly recommend El Azteca. read more

An unique little Mexican restaurant near Bryson's. The food here was pretty decent. Service was a bit slow but the place is nicely decorated and furnished with a bar. read more

Bar/grill located in grocery store plaza. It has bar, inside restaurant or outdoor seating. My steak fajitas were the best I have ever had - enough tender/flavorful meat for 2 people. My husband enjoyed the chicken enchiladas, after removing spicy pepper on top of sauce. read more

Very reasonable and good quality food. Menu was impressive. Much more than usual "Mexican" food. Service was attentive. Location isn't great, but a nice place for a quick lunch/dinner. read more

Great food. Great menu. The Poblano soup is delicious. So glad Highlands has this jewel.

We've been 4-5 times over the past few years and the quality is hit and miss. Wish I could offer a recommendation but there is inconsistency in the same dish visit by visit. Maybe drink more margaritas ? read more

Food quality seems poor. We did not consider this to be good food for the Highlands area. Service was also slow and our last visit was food served lukewarm. We got up and left our food on the table read more

Very good and cheap compared to other Highlands restaurants. Great for the family. Very good service

I got take out, paid and went home. When I got there they did not get my $6.50 guacamole, they included beans (specifically asked for no beans) and what I did have was sub par (lacked flavor). read more

We have nothing like this where we live in Florence, SC! The food here is very fresh, flavorful and delicious. Try the Chile Poblanos for a enormous size portion of filled peppers deep fried with perfect seasoning. In fact, everything I've eaten or tried from another plate has been really good from tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas it's all top notch food. The Friendly staff and tropical decor makes this a must stop when we visit Highlands. read more

We walked in hopeful for both good service and good food. Upon entering the hostess starts walking towards us stops halfway to us and with as unfriendly a manner as I have ever seen from a hostess proceeds to seat us with a look on her face that was nothing short of unfriendly and hostile. I even went out of my way to say hello after we were seated and the hostesses sour disposition soured even more. My wife and I looked at each other surprised at the hostesses surliness and decided there was no way we wanted to be anywhere around this hostess. We got up and ordered our meal to go. Fish tacos were tasty my wife says, my fajitas were decent and tasted good but let me tell you this. As we sat and waited for our meal I watched a food prep employee in the kitchen bring his gloved hand to his mouth cupping it for more than 5-7 seconds mouth opening and closing...kind of gross, wish I had taken a picture of that to send to the Health Department. When I paid for out food I was kind enough to tip the waitress 20% for a to go order and didn't get so much as a thank you. "Si se offendio el señor" in response to what I heard the waitress say to the hostess because your customer service is a disaster and your kitchen employees do gross stuff in the prep in line of site of customers. Hasta La Vista Azteca staff my gift to you in response to your terrible service is the business you still got from me, the 20% tip you didn't earn and this review you most definitely deserve. P.T. read more

An authentic, gourmet Mexican Restaurant! The entrees are amazing!!! The presentation of food, textures, degree of doneness, and flavors are out of this world delicious!! The waitstaff is pleasant and efficient! The chef "Juan" is very creative in his specialty. The combination of food items to create any dish is usually surprising as well as pleasing! The live band brings another dimension of enchantment to El Azteca as well as to Highlands! read more