Cielito Lindo

I’ll start with the positive. If you’re wandering around Forrest Hill and would like to stop and sit for a beer, this would be a fun place to do so. They always have something good on tap and you could get some passable chips and salsa (but it’s hard to mess that up).
I would not recommend eating here however. I suspect that this place largely relies on lack of nearby competition in this category and a lack of experience with truly good Mexican food in its core customer base. It would seem they use a lot of canned ingredients and nothing tastes fresh. I had a special there on my first visit that included shrimp. The shrimp they used were those little canned salad shrimp.
I won’t eat here anymore but I certainly appreciate that whoever selects the taps seems to always ensure there is a good craft beer available.

Just don’t eat here… the place dirty and smelly. It’s not like the staff are busy… why aren’t they cleaning?
The reason they get two stars and not one is that they have decent beers on tap, they have a nice big patio, and they have some pretty awesome lucha libre/​Jesus and Mary dioramas built into their walls.
I eat Mexican food all the time. I’m from California and I must say, Richmond is not the meca of good Mexican food… but this place has got to be on the bottom of my list. I’ve tried the place twice and with my partner, that means four meals that were all totally appalling. I think everything comes out of a can or jar. Even then, things are not heated properly.
Just don’t…

This is my first review ever and I felt as though I needed to warn ANYONE & EVERYONE who considers reviews before choosing a place to eat at. This had to be the WORST Mexican food and just general meal I have ever eaten out at a restaurant in my lifetime. Mexican food has NEVER let me down before (& I’m a fan of good olé cheap Mexican fare).
The salsa tasted of metal like it came from a can, totally flavorless. I ordered the enchiladas verdes & was disgusted by the verdes sauce to the point I could not enjoy the enchiladas or anything else on my plate because there was so much soaked into my side corn salsa (a disgusting sweet relish concoction) and Mexican rice (which was also terrible).
I don’t think I’ve ever been so bummed out about my meal. There was no seasoning, no flavor, and certainly no fresh, quality ingredients.

I’ve eaten lunch here about 25 times in the last 10 years and have been pleased with each experience. The food is made fresh and the service is friendly and prompt. My personal favorite is the Celito Special (a chili relleno with rioja sauce and a chicken enchilada with verde sauce). The outdoor patio is a great place to sit on a nice day.

Really cute space in my neighborhood. But that’s about all it has going for it.
I was unimpressed at the service (pretty apathetic feeling), the drinks (watery margarita in a dirty glass), and the food (rubbery chicken like you buy in the supermarket bags, precooked… Unseasoned black beans, boring rice).
I really wanted to love this place, so cute and close to home, but I likely won’t return.

I love this place. Friendliest staff, the margaritas are awesome, great salsa, and a cute space. I’ve been coming here for years and at times have had a disappointing meal but recently it’s been its usual amazing self. The blackened chicken tacos on the specials board are always perfect. Last night I tried the mango margarita special and it was full of fresh mango which was a nice surprise considering most places use processed juice. I branched out and ordered the steak and shrimp soup (forgot the name) but it was hot, rich, tangy, and super tasty. There isn’t much to choose from in the neighborhood so it’s great to have somewhere that’s convenient and delicious with staff that make the experience extremely enjoyable.

So we are not the type of folks who write reviews, negative or positive, but we honestly feel we have a duty to warn after having the worst meal in many years tonight at this establishment. We just relocated to the neighborhood and have had luck with other local restaurants like Galley and Maldinis, so we figured we’d give this place a try. It looks cute enough from the outside and inside, but walking in the first bad omen was a bored server watching Entertainment Tonight on TV, which was competing with Mexican music. Chips were mediocre, salsa totally tasteless. Looking at the printed menu we remarked that it was like a children’s menu for adults. We thought we were in a Mexican restaurant, but saw no traditional Mexican entrees, just Fajitas, wraps, Cesar Salad?!? We were relieved to see a specials board with a couple of more traditional looking items. I ordered the Mole Chicken, which was a piece of defrosted white meat chicken covered in what can best be described as some kind of sickly sweet BBQ sauce that perhaps had some cocoa in it. My husband ordered something with Chorizo and chicken which was marginally better (not sickly sweet) but tasteless, which is remarkable considering how flavorful a product Chorizo is. We can’t figure out if this is their attempt to dumb down Mexican food for an American audience, but one things for certain, the meal was neither fresh nor flavorful, our bill totaling $ 50. Do yourself a favor and cross the Nickel Bridge in search of better food.

I used to love this place. It is near my house and HAD great fresh salsa & margaritas. However it has really gone downhill in both food quality and service. The last time I went, the chips were obviously from the day before: oily from being reheated and chewy. The pork tamales had no pork. The beans were bland. The chile relleno was cold in the middle.
The time before that, we came an hour after the restaurant was supposed to be opened, but the owner hadn’t showed up yet to open the restaurant. A waiter apologized and said he was on the way. We waited outside with other customers and some of the staff before deciding to go somewhere else.
I’m not sure what has happened, but we won’t be back to find out.

The fajitas are always a good bet and always do the trick! Good place if you are looking for a quiet place and some good Mexican fare.

My husband and I went to lunch here yesterday. We were very dissapointed and will not return. It took about ten minutes before we were given menus. Another ten minutes before anyone took our orders. These orders, for which we had to wait about 30 minutes, just tasted bad. I had chile verde and it tasted as if it were loaded with sugar and vinegar. I’m no stranger to Mexican cooking and know how it should tast. This was simply awful. We were the only ones in the restaurant, now, I think I know why. Today, a day later, my stomach is very torn up from the food. To stay healthy, take my advice and stay away from Cielito Lindo.

My friend and I and her son had a great lunch here yesterday. I had Huevos Rancheros and my friend had fish tacos. All good and drink was great!

I have eaten here a lot. It makes me sad to have to post this review.
I went with my two daughters. They each had milk.
It was spoiled.
I asked for lemonade. They were given margarita mix.
Margarita mix.
I got fajitas.
They were laughably bland.
The refried beans were rancid. Yes, rancid.
Rotten beans. How old do beans even have to be before they turn?
Maybe they were made with spoiled fat?
They used to fry up fresh chicken and my daughter loved it.
Now it’s like fried, leathery chicken skin.
Pull yourself together, Cielito.

This is not the first time that I have eaten at this restaurant. I have eaten here many times and finally decided to give it a review. The first thing that I must say is that the food is always been consistently good. And the gentleman that usually serves us has always been very nice and very attentive. Last night I decided to order the chili Colorado. The chili Colorado consists of chunks of beef, peppers, and onions served with Spanish rice and refried beans. I have uploaded a few pictures to show you what it looks like. It is very appetizing, spiced perfectly and very delectable. Last night which was 4 July I decided to have dinner there and when I walked in the place was completely packed. To my amazement there was only one waiter who had the job of busboy, server, and cashier. I was simply amazed at his efficiency. Nobody seem like they had to wait on anything and he was completely focused on his job. To be honest with you I was simply amazed that he could even keep up and I was very impressed with him. Another item on the menu that I highly recommend is the enchiladas verdes. It consists of three chicken enchiladas served with a verdes tomatillo sauce with cheese melted on top. The all-​white chicken is mixed with a combination of sour cream and other spices which are the filling for the enchiladas. It is also served with Spanish rice and your choice of refried beans or black beans. I would have to say that it is an absolutely amazing dish and that is usually what I order whenever I eat here. Also if you ever decide to have a margarita, he makes them absolutely amazing. There is definitely not a shortage of alcohol in their margaritas, that is for sure. My hat is definitely off to this wonderful restaurant and I wish them many more years of success. Oh by the way, they also have a food truck that is at the farmers market most weekends. If you are ever there make sure you try their breakfast burrito!

Great service, always very personable. Of course the food is excellent. There is parking on the back.

I had dinner here tonight for the first time. It was delicious and made even better by sitting on the patio. I hope to come back the next time I am in Richmond.

Terrible or average. Depending where I went.
The first review of average– At their food truck. Nothing crazy good but not bad. I liked their huevos rancheros and chorizo burrito.
The actual restaurant– terrible in both food and service. I ordered their chicken mole which had a sauce that tasted burnt. When asked 20 mins in how my food was, I said ok except my sauce tasted burnt. The waitress had the nerve to ask if I’d ever had mole sauce before condescendingly (FYI yes) because it tastes like that. And even if I hadn’t, that’s not what you say or how. I still ate the rice and beans, but will never return.

I dont know what the deal is with this place… I live close by and Ive been going there since it opened. At first it was not very good, then better, then very good and then, not good. In fact, the last time it was awful. The red enchilada sauce was basically unseasoned, crushed canned tomato sauce dumped on top of my plate. Pretty bad.
Ill give it another chance down the road. Maybe after they hire someone else in the kitchen.

Go there. Now! Best Mexican in the city. I love that it’s like a little secret, so unassuming that I drove past it about a hundred times before noticing it and stopping in. I have eaten there quite a few times and each time I am pleased. Best carne de res/​barbacoa I’ve ever had, seriously-​order it with anything! Tacos, quesadillias, burrito, it doesn’t matter. Pretty sure they could serve it on cardboard and I’d try it.
The salsa is awesome, not your standard watery tomato, lime and cilantro mixture. It has a smokey flavor to it that will surprise you. Another surprise? Great fries! You heard me. I accidentally got the fries when I forgot to sub black beans once, but they’re great! Crispy, double battered maybe?
The black beans are a solid choice as well. Seasoned nicely and goes with just about anything. If you’re in the mood for a more healthy option, try the El Forestal Wrap. Sliced carne asada, rice, spinach and cojita cheese, it’s delicious! But be warned, it is also pretty big!
Another great surpise? Great outdoor seating and local beer ON TAP!

Interesting. A slight cut above most of the Mexican places around town. Quick service. Very fresh, but inconsistently flavored food. I enjoyed the smokey house salsa [I almost don’t care if they just unloaded a bottle of Chipotle Tabasco into tomato purée — entirely possible, but it was hard to tell] and the freshly made guacamole full of rough-​cut cilantro was a real hit.
I sampled some very, very tasty chicken fajitas with lots of fresh vegetables. That was a winner. I wasn’t so sure about my «carnitas» which were prepared very differently from any other carnitas dish I’ve had. Instead of using traditional fattier shredded Boston butt, this was like eating a bunch of lean pork chop chunks in a verde sauce, with wayyyyy too much salt. Despite the salt-​lick, it tasted pretty good, but that was no plate of carnitas…
I’m glad I finally went, though, and will probably return in the future. But dang, use the right cut of meat next time, please!

Never disappoints, great happy hour specials and the freshest mexican cuisine I’ve had in RVA. I usually go for the chicken and shrimp fajitas or the el picante wrap w. their delicious roasted corn and black bean salad.
Great outside deck too and Southside’s little secret :)