30 Best Mexican Restaurants in Charlottesville

“I'm a huge fan of Oaxacan cuisine and CONMOLE did not disappoint! The mole guajillo with pork ribs was excellent. My only suggestion would be: if mole is the pride and namesake of the restaurant and serving as a gateway into tasting more of Oaxaca, why isn't mole even more of a star? What is mole, what makes it so complex, and why is it so special to Oaxaca? I know how much work it must take to make your mole pastes - I think there's even more of an opportunity here to share and show off. Could you offer an appetizer tasting flight of your house moles, maybe with some warm tortillas and a quick run-through by the waiter of the key ingredients of each/what they are tradionally served with? I would have ordered that in a heartbeat. Hopefully next time I'm in town, I can try your delicious barbacoa. Thank you so much!“

“Delicious Great customer service Friendly staff“

“Clean. Fresh. Friendly. Try the Shrimp! 🍤 and Brisket! Both are delicious.

If you want a small bowl to try a taste, you can get one for only $6.95!
I got:
White rice, shrimp, regular queso, cilantro, mild corn salsa, salsa verde(green salsa), pico (mild tomato salsa), guacamole, chili creme salsa (kind of a creamy orange color)

It was a good flavor balance.

Vegetarian options: I love that this restaurant offers fresh cilantro as a topping and so many sauce/salsa options!

Veggies on the bar: black beans, pinto beans, Fajitas, regular queso and spicy queso, lettuce, pico, tomatillo salsa, mild corn salsa, chili creme salsa, (cilantro), guacamole, hot salsa, Parmesan cheeses, pickled onions, sliced jalapeños, tortilla chip strips, spicy ranch, and a few more.
•You can get toppings on a flour tortilla burrito 🌯 or a bowl of rice 🍚 or a salad 🥗 or a quesadilla, nachos.

Dietary restrictions: Everything is super clean, always being wiped down, & guards against cross-contamination.

The staff offered to change their gloves between making my spicy burrito and my mom's mild bowl.

Some hot salsa got on her gloves and my mom does not like spicy food.

I appreciated that because it is that level of thoughtfulness and respect that you do not always find at every restaurant you go to.

They have two different rice options: white rice with lime and cilantro and brown Spanish-style rice

Parking: Parking on the strip in front of the rest as well as additional parking in front of BJ's restaurant.

Kid-friendliness: High chairs available.

You can get salsas and queso's and different "new" ingredients on the side, so they can be tried for flavor and spice level without ruining the entire entree.

Wheelchair accessibility: Decent amount of distance between indoor and outdoor tables.

Space at round tables to have a wheelchair ♿️ between the curved bench seating.

Exterior entry and exit

Ramp from parking lot at the front door.“

“Had a delicious breakfast burrito with chorizo this morning! Bravo y'all!“

“100% recommendation!! Delicious all around! We had tacos, tortas and quesadillas; all amazing and the salsas were great too!“

“Excellent food, nice atmosphere, fair price.“

“I can’t say enough positive things about Torchy’s! The staff is top notch and we especially love the Happy Hour Specials! If you haven’t been before and decide to check it out… ask for Maggie, Dak, or Brian and this review… and they’ll hook you up!“

“My husband and I enjoyed lunch here today for the first time and highly recommend this small family operated and friendly Mexican restaurant with numerous fresh and homemade options to customize and built your own plate. Access from the downtown mall or from Water Street. Good wine, beer and soft drink choices. Planning to return soon!“

“lo recomiendo un lugar donde querrás regresar si vas por primera vez. querrás volver... apetitoso. mojarra frita. cóctel de camarón🍤 chilaquiles de luxo.. todos los platillos mmm delicioso 🙏🙏😋😋😋“

“Standard mexcian restaurant. You get a lot of food for the price & the staff is very friendly! The tortilla chips seem homemade, but not salted, so they're very bland. The salsa that comes with is a tad too spicy. We all enjoyed the dinner & had leftovers. The glasses that soda & water come in are really neat. Their high chairs are very good quality too. I didn't like how large the forks are tho. They seem like serving forks & are hard to eat off of.

Kid-friendliness: Kids menu & top quality high chairs“

“I'm not very well-versed with Mexican food, but I really loved the quality of the meat and the size of the portions. I got enchiladas on my first visit. The green sauce was fresh, and the rice + beans combination tasted like they were home-cooked.“

“Every time I've been here the Bartenders have been insanely friendly. And the owner is a friend of my good friend Jackie and I only hear good things about her! I hope to be back sometime soon. 10/10 every time. Unsure if this is something already done. I didn't see a changing drink menu. But it'd be really awesome seeing a seasonal mezcal cocktail menu with the fruits of the season. Maybe just one a month or every few weeks. if this is something already done ignore me! I love this place and can't wait to come back. I recommend it to my friends all the time.“

“Simply the best kept secret in town, super reasonable prices with good portions and an incredible taste! Some of the best cuisine is America is served out of a good truck and we are lucky to have this amazing family here to feed us. Don’t hesitate to give it a try!“

“Such interesting snacks! tried the Dubai strawberry cup, it was delicious.“

“Such tasty food & a large menu. Worth the drive up 29.“

“Outstanding Food And Service“

“They have the best birria tacos in town as well as the best service. But when it’s cloudy or light rain for an hour they are closed. They recently have been closed due to location switch. I can’t wait to see them open back up to give them my moneyyy…. Love their birria tacos. They are Chefs kiss ?“

“The quesadilla(carna asada) here is the best we have ever had. Super cheesy, not shy on meat, the tortilla has an authentic taste. We tried the pastor tacos as well very good, plenty of meat and homemade corn tortilla. Also had our first Papusa, it blew my mind on how good it was. Was not disappointed at all. Located in the back of shell station took us ten minutes for hot fresh food couldn't ask for better. We are road tripping so it was great food to take with us.“

“I got the choripollo (a standard for me) and my wife got a couple baleadas. We both loved our meals, and the portions where enough that they were 2 meals. My wife also got the tres leche for dessert and that was awesome as well.
There were kids playing in the restaurant, which was fine with us, they were being very cute. Everything seemed clean, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. They even gave my wife a rose for mother's day.
This is a bit out of the way for us, but I'm guessing we'll be back next time we're in Charlottesville.“

“Did get hung up on on the phone twice, not sure what was going on. Third time was the charm and got an order placed quickly. Food was ready when I got there and delicious.
Food was just over $20 + tip for just me, but I got a meal (entree + side), and extra side of rice, and chips and salsa and utensils.“

“100% recommendation!! Delicious all around! We had tacos, tortas and quesadillas; all amazing and the salsas were great too!“

“Fabulous meal, yummy drinks! table side guacamole was delicious!!!“

“The food and service was excellent.“

“LOVE THIS PLACE! It’s fantastic from top to bottom, from Barbie to barn. Can’t wait to come back (probably tomorrow morning for lunch!)“

“Great service and the nachos are over the top!“

“El Lugar es espectacular, la comida exquisita y tengo que decir que tienen el mejor servicio que he experimentado. Muy amables y serviciales.“

“This place was wonderful! I have both dairy and gluten allergies, and they were easily able to accommodate my needs. The outdoor patio was spacious and lovely, and people were super nice. The food was delicious and we will come back over and over again!“

“Food was excellent!! I got the shrimp tacos and my husband got the wings.“

“Our first order from this restaurant was a delicious discovery! We tried the Chicken Bowl, Spicy Chicken Bowl, and Brisket Bowl, requesting most sauces on the side to accommodate our children's taste preferences.

The food was exceptional - truly wholesome and flavorful. Each bowl was beautifully presented with vibrant colors, interesting textures, and a wonderful variety of flavors that made the meal feel special. The quality far surpasses similar fast-casual concepts like Chipotle, offering more unique and thoughtful ingredient combinations.

My only suggestion would be to incorporate more non-starchy vegetables. While the corn and plantains were delicious, adding more green vegetables would elevate the nutritional balance. Even so, we found the meal absolutely scrumptious.

The portions were generous, providing plenty of leftovers. Though we opted for takeout this time, we're eager to return and possibly dine in for our next visit.

However, we did have less positive experiences on our second and third visits. We encountered lengthy wait times, communication difficulties with staff who didn't understand our requests for no spice (resulting in six nearly inedible bowls), and ordering confusion. These inconsistencies were disappointing after such a promising first impression.

Despite these challenges, that initial meal was impressive enough that we're willing to give them another chance, hoping our first wonderful experience becomes the norm rather than the exception.“