Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant

Stopped in with a group of other parents and kiddos after our daughter's basketball tournament. They were just really, really slow at getting us seated. Like turtles. I get we were a large group of 16, but it shouldn't take over an hour to be seated when it wasn't even busy. It was at lunch too. We've gone in large groups a lot over the years to different restaurants (including other Abuelo's) and never waited even half as long anywhere else! This could have won a world record. The white sauce was not what we were used to. It tasted like blue cheese dressing and had chunks in it. 7 of us tried it at the table and we all agreed it was gross. The enchiladas and refried beans were great. Sweet tea was also really good. The chips and salsa were delicious. The decor was really cute and nice to look at. I do think they are overpriced compared to other Mexican restaurants.

The atmosphere was excellent, and the restaurant itself is very elegant with beautiful facilities. However, the food lacked flavor and didn’t quite meet the expectations set by the ambiance.

The service was fantastic. I got there right at the beginning of dinner service, and it was getting busy but no lines. The wait staff was terrific: courteous, efficient, and timely. Food was well presented and tasted very good. I had an appetizer because I was facing a long drive and didn't want a heavy meal. The facility was very clean and well decorated. Eating here was a great experience, and I think you would be very pleased.

Much larger than we thought at first. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and great food! Try the Blackberry Mint Mojito! 😋

We loved our waitress, Miss Lydia. We got there right at 11 for lunch. The food was really good but my friends meal was supposed to have no tomatoes yet she spent quite a bit of time picking them out. I loved what I got but the vegetables were so bland and undercooked I couldn't eat them but the main dish was great. We also loved all of the salsas we tried. The restaurant itself was beautiful

Good Mexican food at a good price. Went there once for lunch and once for dinner…very busy both times—good sign

They need some upkeep. The booth was tore up and it was so loud I had a hard time hearing our waitress. She was sweet but forgot our appetizers sadly. Our food was good. My husband enjoyed the fajitas. My combo plate was not bad but not absolutely amazing. Trying to be positive. Didn't have a bad time.

This place has everything going for it, and if you are looking to get your green chili fix on it can happen here too. Stop by and have a delicioso fiesta for your mouth.

A variety of salsa to choose from to start your experience which was really good! The food is very good as well and comes with large portions! The restaurant is huge and well decorated. The service was good and prompt too! The only downside is that they are slightly more expensive than other places in the area but the portions and quality make up for it. Definitely recommend if you're ever in Abilene!

We arrived at Abuelo's this past Tuesday after a doctor appointment I had at 2 o'clock so we got there about 3 o'clock and waited for an hour to get our food and when we got it, the enchiladas were not even warm. The ice tea was like ice water just colored water and I asked for some regular tea That tasted like tea and this is not the first time that is happened. We finally got up and walked out. We had just been exhausted waiting there and we're actually full of chips and salsa by the time the food finally arrived and we were probably two of about 10 to 15 people in the whole restaurant and the waiter the older tall guy was just not very helpful very short would not stop and even listen to what you had to say and so bottom line is was not a good experience and in the past Abuelo's has been our go to place for Mexican food when we go to Abilene..

Overall rating: 3 My family of four vacationing from Florida decided to stop at Abuelos Mexican restaurant on Friday night . The parking lot was full with people waiting to be seated. To our surprise, we were seated right away. The ambiance was nice with a full dining room. Our waitress was friendly and brought us chips and drinks. My wife ordered the "jefe margarita" and was disappointed (better off ordering water). Appetizer: chicken nachos were borderline ok, bland, lacked flavor. Entrees: Combo fajitas (shared), chicken tacos were below average. The best dish at the table was the sea bass with veggies and rice... Go figure at a Mexican restaurant! #My wife approves this review!

The queso was amazing the service was great I recommend the nachos the Ambiance was also Great I recommend going there

Crystal totally redeemed our past several bad happy hour experiences. She was amazing. She got our drinks and food out quickly and was so pleasant. She is outstanding.

Food has been good the last few times we have been for lunch. Love the chips and salsa, and queso. We had in the past have had, cold food or a mess up on plates, but seems like they have got better.

Food was not outstanding for the near-gourmet price. Beverage had odd chemical odor. Not worth the prices.

In my humble opinion: 5:30- we arrive at the restaurant. The parking lot is packed and the restaurant was full. Still, we didn't wait. Emily was our server and pretty much stayed on top of things with zero complaints there. Chips and salsa plus our queso sauce landed on the table at 5:40. El Jefe at 5:41. (That is an impressive margarita with fire grill fruit like orange and lime.) 6 pm the meals arrive. And everything looks amazing. Tastes even better. The soup and salad meal ($11) is so pretty I want to try it myself, next time. I had the fajita chimichanga. Unbelievable. Really really good.

We haven't been inside yet. Twice we have picked up our food, I believe the food might have been better the 2nd time. They are quick bringing it to the car. Definitely our go to for fast Mexican food!

Don't know order to go, fist time came out cold, said they would make another order waiting for 1 HOUR Simple's order of nachos. Won't ever happen again. Plenty of other restaurants in town. Y'all sure dropped the ball on this one

Started out fine. 4 delicious salsas, decent Chips. OK margaritas. Dinner came. Vegetarian chili rellenos, because I felt like something light. It seems like everyone else's dinner was ok, but mine was a decent cheese chili relleno paired with another deep-fried Anaheim chili placed on top of microwaved steamed frozen mixed vegetables. WTF? The accompanying rice was fine, but the black beans were bland and tasted like they were fresh out of can. Overall, a pretty expensive meal that was very sub-par. Being from Houston, I'm kinda biased toward Mexican food, but damn - no self respecting restaurant should serve steamed frozen vegetables. There's plenty of fresh produce in Texas, especially if you are charging a premium price.

We were seated immediately. It smelled fantastic! Our waiter, Brandon, was very attentive. The place is huge and beautiful. But one of their ovens was broken and it took a very long to get our food! Brandon kept us supplied in tea, chips, and salsa. The food was great and portions large. Building could use some repair.

Delicious meal and drinks, fast friendly service. Love all the different salsas and dips. We enjoyed the ambiance of the water fountains and the overall decor. Very happy with our meal.

My family celebrated a birthday on election day. We enjoyed great food and drinks, and with the waterfalls and lights we all had such a good time. This was a very memorable day for us, and to top it off we had a server named Madison and she was exceptional. We will definitely recommend Abuelo's to our friends and we will be back to make more fun family memories! Thank you The Vandenberg's

Lots of parking, nice, bright open interior that isn't as loud as a lot of places, feels like being in the town square (with air conditioning) and NO TVs! (In the main dining area) Woohoo! Always good food here. The chips aren't great though. We are a little older and the lunch sizes are still a lot of food! Dinner we always need a to go box.

This is one of my most favorite Mexican restaurants. Of. All. Time. I could live on the papas (potatoes) alone. I fell in love with it in college and go any chance I can get. Most Mexican restaurants only offer beans and rice as sides, but they also offer mashed potatoes. What's not to love about mashed potatoes? BUT these are no ordinary mashed potatoes. These have green chili in them. And cheese. They add flavor but not hot heat. I don't know what's in them, but I think green chili's and cheese. (They call them papas con chile). I have just ordered sides of papas some times, or at least ordered an extra side of papas. Did I mention their potatoes are good? Also, their frozen sangria swirl is. The Best. Love frozen margaritas? They got you. Love sangria? They got you. It's two in one. Somehow the swirl makes you notice the taste of the other better. I guess it's the contrast. If you don't know if you like sangria, but you know you like margaritas...you should definitely at least try it. (Let me know what you think). Love their fajitas, queso, enchiladas, chicken breast (pechuga), and chimichangas. And also their salsas. You know how Tex Mex brings you chips and salsa while you wait for your order? Well...they have a salsa TRIO I like them all, but for those of you picky salsa eaters, I bet you'll like at least one!

I was looking for a good place to eat dinner , since I'm here from out of town. I looked up Mexican food and decided to go with Abuelo's since they had good reviews. Did not disappoint at all! Great food good prices, I highly recommend the Ambassador. A perfect grilled Medium Rare steak with 3 large bacon wrapped stuffed Shrimp, Charro beans, Cheesy mashed potatoes, a long green Chili stuffed with cheese.

Skylar gave us great service and delivered delicious food and drink! We've enjoyed this Abuelo's for twenty plus years! Great job "Team Abuelo's"!

John was our waiter. Excellent. Food was very good and served at correct temperature. Will definitely be back.

Great service! Delicious food with a great variety. I ate here while in Abilene on a business trip. My coworker and I really enjoyed the Ambiance as well. We even stopped and took pictures of the statues inside the restaurant . I would definitely go again if ever in Abilene

This was very good. Our waiter (Mike Brown) was AMAZING! He was very attentive and fast. He also had a great attitude.

Bad food service, took 45 minutes for a table of 6. Asked for clean dishes for our salsa and guacamole bowl. Waiter gave us an attitude about asking. Took a solid 10 minutes for drinks and left before even receiving the drinks. Would rather eat at a gas station knowing I would have a better experience

My husband and I had, "The Grande" Beef, chicken, cheese enchiladas, with a cheese chile relleno, tamale, crispy beef taco, guacamole. We were so hungry that I forgot to take a picture!! My Bad... our server Calvin was wonderful. He made sure we were comfortable, hydrated, and fed! Our meal was Delicioso! Absolutely recommend this restaurant and we will definitely be coming back.

First time customers and you know what they say, you don't until you try it . Well, we won't try it again. Service was good. Our server was Luis. We are not reluctant to pay for good food but the first I noticed was the high prices, for a lunch meal. The food was hot when we got it but it was not good. Needless to say, we won't be back

We've been coming to this Abuelos for years. I normally prefer local restaurants over chains, but Abuelos is considerably the better Mexican food in Abilene in my opinion. Their food is consistently good. You'll leave full and ready to take a long nap. Service can be a bit iffy depending on the day, but for the most part it's been a good experience.

This is normally our Thursday date night place to go to . We order at the bar and have a few drinks. The large young punk behind the bar was not only a douche but consistently ignored us after he let our food sit at the warmer station too long oit of shame. All he needed to do was apologize and do bletter. I never send food back but today was the day. The bar tender ignored us moving forward ENTIRELY so I asked for the manager . She only made excuses for the bar tender . Hot food replaced the cold food after all the excuses were made . Then as stated earlier the bartender ignored us without asking if we needed another drink or anything at all but made his rounds to the rest of the guest and meanwhile cackling to his coworkers about the complaint I had made . Youve lost our business !! No grown ups working at this place!!

We love this place! The staff are always attentive and welcoming when we go and we sit at the bar. The drinks are great and the staff interacts with you. We usually get the same things to drink and eat. Ours is the enchiladas and mojitos/margaritas. Their award system saves us from $5 to $15 each time we attend. It's relax and laid back environment. We enjoy every time we go.

Ordered fajitas and grande. No tortillas at all. The chicken for the fajita tasted nasty. Veggies were not grilled at all. I love Abuelo's but they are not very good at all. I was very disappointed.

I'm not a fan of the food here. I usually get the nachos or Queso with pork rinds which are both good. What I love here though, are the El Jefe Margaritas! so so good! I keep coming back for the El Jefe's!!

We always love coming home to Texas and eating us some Abuelo's!! The atmosphere and service were just amazing and the food was on point!!!

Food was okay Service wasn't exceptional Chips not crunchy Salsa not what I would have wanted

I eat at Abuelo's on a regular basis and for a while during and after Covid they had a hard time keeping up with staff and sometimes are still short like everyone else now. Lately the service, food, drinks and decor have been excellent. I have always thought the decor was good and appropriate. The only issue I have is sometimes it too noisy inside. I'm eating lunch there today with family for my son's birthday.

I'm a huge fan of Tex-Mex food and eat it more than I'd like to admit. Unfortunately this place was a total bust for me. Starting from the salsa samples, which were all super bland. The chicken fajita platter which did not taste like fresh meat. The enchiladas with sour cream sauce hardly had flavor. The tortillas were not homemade. And the margarita i paid $13 for did not have hardly any alcohol in it! Super disappointed about my food experience here and felt it was a waste of money.

Every time I go, the food is alway delicious. On my last visit, we had a good server. She took some time getting to us to start with but after that everything went smoothly.

First of all I must have got them on a bad night the first time. we tried it again and had nachos and split the triple fajitas with chicken beef and shrimp: Shrimp good but leave off bbq apply butter Beef very good tasty and tender Chicken was the star of the show, I can honestly say some of the best chicken ever had that alone deserves 5 stars! Nachos were pretty good need a little less beans and a lot more taco meat. However the service we had from a very tall Hispanic young lady was 5 star wish would have gotten her name! She was very attentive and friendly, super helpful! I asked if their strawberry Margarita had a lot of strawberry flavor ? Her answer was if you want it that way I will have it made that way! She did and was fantastic! I never had to ask her for anything she just knew when to come and check and always suggested what we might need! I pray she is there when we go again! She should be the trainer of the food service team! I will definitely try to figure out what her name is really don't want any other waitresses there! Our overall visit was 5 star experience and so glad we gave it one more shot! Really appreciate the experience! See you soon Abuelos!

We were really surprised to see how dirty this restaurant was. Food on the floor, old dirt in the corners, dirty tables, etc. The bathrooms were dirty too. Overflowing trash and wet floors. Our server was busy but good (Jacky) she filled drinks, was quick to respond to a request and pleasant. The food was solid but nothing special. It took forever to get our entrees and we had to ask for chips that weren't just crumbs. Overall the food was alright but the place was really dirty. We won't be back.

So many raves about this place. Tried it twice, everything is greasy and bland. Do not plan on going back again. My husband loved it 20 years ago, now he notices it not as great as it use to be.

Food was really good, but the highlight was our service! Michael was attentive, our drinks never ran empty, nor did the chips! Thanks for the excellent service! The inside was lovely and bathrooms were very clean!

It's with a heavy heart that I pen down this review, as I generally seek to find the silver linings in every situation. However, my recent experiences with the management at this location, specifically with the GM Mel, have left me no choice but to voice my concerns in a public platform. Mel, as the general manager of this establishment, has significantly hampered the quality of service and the overall ambiance through her interaction style with her team. Leadership in such a role requires a level of respect and understanding that appears to be missing entirely. The attitude displayed towards subordinates was nothing short of disturbing - disrespect peppered their interactions like unwanted condiments on a meal. At first, I thought perhaps it was a one-time occurrence, a bad day that we all have from time to time. But repeated visits confirmed my worst fears - this wasn't an exception but a norm. Conversations often turned confrontational, with Mel's voice amplifying across the room, casting a pall of unease over the diners. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, and downright disrespectful at its worst. Good leadership reflects in the morale of the staff, their willingness to go above and beyond to ensure a fantastic experience for patrons. Sadly, Mel's leadership style, if one can call it that, has stifled the staff's enthusiasm, their spark, and it reflects in their service - they seem to be functioning on auto-pilot, devoid of the warmth and hospitality one expects in such a setting. As a patron, I come to a place not just for the food or the ambiance, but also for the people. The staff's energy can make or break an experience, and a great leader knows to harness and elevate that energy, not suppress it. I truly hope the ownership considers these factors seriously. Mel, in her current state, is a detrimental presence to the staff's spirit and the establishment's reputation. No one should endure a workplace environment where they are not treated with respect and dignity. It's essential to foster a positive, encouraging, and respectful culture, and unfortunately, under Mel's leadership, this does not seem possible. In conclusion, until there's a radical change in leadership style or a new manager, I must encourage others to rethink their decision to patronize this establishment. There are plenty of other establishments that not only provide great food and ambiance but also respect their employees and treat them with the kindness they deserve.

They were very busy. Seated us without wait. Waiter did a great job. Food was good as always. I tried something new, Reynosa salad. Very good.

Absolutely the WORST Abuelo's I have been too! The manager that was working tonight tried to "comp" ONE of our meals.... WE NEVER GOT THE MEAL! So how do you "comp" a meal that you never received? The large manager tried to speak to us like we were stupid and not educated enough to understand that "comping" a meal we never received (over an hour with a table of 8) was doing us a favor..... WE NEVER RECEIVED IT!!!! That is NOT a "comp"!!!! Treated us like we were idiots! Lived here for over 20 years. Will NEVER go back for ANY reason! If I was able to give a negative rating, I totally would give them a -5!!!!!!

Front of house fully staffed. Greeter seemed preoccupied very cold welcome no goodby or come again. Kitchen must be short staff food seemed to take longer than it should have. The food is not all fresh tamale and Chile relleno seemed to have been frozen and heated. Good price for the food I received. Fajitas were cooked as requested. Fajita plate had all the trimmings and extra onions and bell pepper, didn't even have to ask for extra. Hubby had the Grande Plate. Our server was especially kind and attentive. Thought the baby tortillas were cute and thin. A plus to keeping my blood sugar from going to high. Asked for hotter salsa than the very mild chipotle salsa. Was brought out some habenero that was spicier but not a fire starter. Food must have been sitting a while because it came out cold but still tasty. Overall, entire experience was a good one, Will definitely be back. Location obviously has a good reputation because they had a good bit of patronage after lunch rush.

One of the better treatments of Tex-Mex food I've ever had the pleasure of trying. Chef Luis has developed some side dishes that are absolutely fantastic. Besides the standard Rice and Refried Beans, they offer Pappas which are mashed potatoes mixed with cheeses and peppers - not pepper hot, but very good, and there is a Spinach dish that is done the same with the cheeses and peppers...both very good. If you haven't tried the Pork Tenderloin Abrigada, I highly recommend it! The smoked pork is fabulous! I can honestly say I've eaten there many, many times in the past 20 or so years and have never had a bad meal there. The variety is excellent. Oh, and if you haven't tried it - only from Thanksgiving day to New Years - Chef Luis created a bread pudding that is to die for!

Abuelo's has been in Abilene for as long as I can remember. I also remember it being really, really good. As for the last two times I have been, the service and food both, have been disappointing and not without a cost. To be fair, Abuelo's is not awful. The experience is a hair above average. The prices are, in my opinion, to high for the service and food. The service as with the food is decent. I sat in the bar area which is fairly large and there was only one waitress. This meant that it took much longer than expected to get our drinks and food orders in. To be fair, when the server was at our table, very attentive with fun loving personality; however, it took several minutes to be served and checked up on, especially at first. ‍ I finally ordered my drink, which was an agave margarita that was good if you like sweet. I for one didn't enjoy how sweet it was but it had an okay flavor. DosXX for me after that. There was an incident where when trying to ask for an Old Fashion the server had no clue that it was a cocktail and not an "old fashioned drink, like maybe something from the 70's?"....I just laughed it off and went with my beer. I went with the Juevos Rancheros with a side of beans and potatoes and it was good. This dish comes with two eggs atop of two cheese enchiladas, cooked to your choice. I enjoy getting mine cooked over-easy. The yolk pouring town the cheese and tortilla makes for a savory bite!!! The potatoes are okay, hot and filling so nothing to rave about, nothing to complain about either. All in all, you will more than likely enjoy the atmosphere and the free chips and salsa. I also ordered the layered dip that was pretty tasty and would recommend it if you're very hungry. I was about 50% full by the time the food got to my table which could have a lot to do with how long it took for us to get a hold of the server and order our food. I definitely had plenty of time to indulge on the chips and salsa. I wouldn't recommend this spot as a regular spot to frequent (especially with a big family, because of the cost) but if you're looking for a nice date, I'll have to say that Abuelo's is probably one of the nicer places to come eat Mexican food in Abilene when it comes to atmosphere, even if the food and service isn't the best. Enjoy, MLA

I have only eaten here a couple of times. Once in (Dec 2018), and last year (Oct 2022). My impression of the food is that it is Americanized Mexican/Tex-Mex. Both times, the restaurant was extremely busy and crowded with folks. Accomodations of tables do exist for larger parties. The first time I went, we had a large party of people. The second time I went, a smaller group of friends. The service was fine both times, though it did take some time to receive our bill. Because of the large number of people, it was a bit difficult at times to hear because of constant ambient noise: people talking, dishes clattering, music playing, etc. Moreover, many folks from the healthcare sector in attendance in an area, large table, near the front entrance which made it uncomfortable, especially when you hear things in passing like, "I thought I'd never see HER again." Personally, everyone is at the restaurant to enjoy their time without hearing gossip. If you don't like someone, be civil, respectful to everyone else, and get over it. Not likely to come back to Abuelo's, too busy for my taste. The food was decent, but expensive for this type of food. I am a purist and enjoy authentic Mexican food, not watered down gourmet tidbits. Plenty of OOT places to go. In the meantime, enjoy yourselves while dining out with good friends.

If you are looking for a great catering team this is a very outstanding team to provide catering.they catered my daughters wedding of 108 and they we excellent. Worth every penny spent.

Amazing food! Danielle was our server excellent customer service and personality. I would definitely recommend and will be going back soon!!!!!!

Abuelo's is absolutely the best Mexican restaurant my husband and I have been to in a long time! There was a first, we ordered salsa, guacamole and queso, they served them with fresh made pork rinds. YUMMY! We are definitely going back!

We picked this restaurant out of the blue as we traveled through Abilene. The decor is great, with a large area in the center that feels like an outdoor courtyard. Our server was attentive and brought us extra chips and drinks without being asked. And speaking of the chips - they are thin and homemade, with two types of complimentary salsa. Delicious! We got the tortilla soup which was tasty, the vegetarian fajitas, and the chili rellenos. Portions are huge - if we ate there again we'd definitely split the fajitas. Servers were all wearing masks, and we watched the cleaning of a table - it was cleaned with spray disinfectant and the chairs were wiped off as well. All the COVID precautions are in place. Overall, a great experience with authentic Mexican food. Would highly recommend!