Esmeralda Grill
Esmeralda Grill
Flour tortillas with cheese, grilled onions, and peppers. Served with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
Crispy tortilla chips covered with melted cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, salsa, guacamole, and onions.
Melted Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, and white cheddar cheese. Served with nacho chips.
Fresh avocado, onions, tomatoes, serrano peppers, cilantro, and fresh lime juice. Served with tortilla chips and pico de gallo
One box of chips and one salsa
3 fried tortillas topped with chicken picadillo, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, avocado, crema, cheese, and jalapenos.
5 deep-fried rolled tacos filled with chicken picadillo. Topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, crema, avocado, and jalapenos.
3 corn tortillas filled with your choice of chicken picadillo, cheese, bean and choice of meat. Topped with lettuce, tomatoes, crema, mayonnaise, onions, cheese, jalapeos, and avocado.
Filling with chicken or beef topped with lettuce, pico de gallo, and crema.
1 deep-fried poblano pepper filled with chicken picadillo chicken with diced tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and carrots or queso fresco, covered with flour and battered eggs. Served with tomato sauce, rice, and bean.
4 chicken picadillo enchiladas with your choice of red mole or green sauce. Served with onions, crema, and cheese.
2 thick handmade tortillas stuffed with refried beans and cheese then topped with your choice of meat. Served with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalapeos, crema, cheese, and avocado.
3 thick fried tortillas topped with your choice of meat. Served with lettuce, sliced tomato, onions, crema, avocado, jalapenos, and cheese.
Braised beef.
Mixed greens and iceberg lettuce with our lemon dressing. Topped with grilled chicken, tomato slices, black bean and grilled corn. Garnished with avocado, crispy tortilla chips, and queso fresco.
Romaine lettuce and mixed greens tossed in our creamy dressing. Topped with grilled peppers, grilled onions, tomato, grilled corn, and queso fresco.
Grilled steak.
Chicken.
Marinated pork
Pork.
Cheek.
Pork stomach.
Mexican sausage.
Beef tripe.
Beef tongue.
Shrimp.
Fish.
3 tacos served with rice and beans. Topped with onions and cilantro.
Grilled steak.
Chicken.
Marinted pork.
Breaded beef or breaded chicken.
Ham and white cheese.
Ham and Mexican sausage.
Ham and hot dog sausage.
Ham, hot dog, pork, and egg,
Grilled steak.
Chicken.
Marinated pork.
Pork stomach.
Braised beef.
Mexican sausage.
Mexican sausage and egg.
Ham and eggs.
8Roasted chicken. Served with salad, rice, and bean.
Grilled steak. Served with salad, rice and bean, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, and pico de gallo.
The perfect trio. Grilled steak, chicken breast, and marinated pork. Served with rice, beans, lettuce, sour cream, pico de gallo, and guacamole.
Grilled steak, chicken, pork, shrimp, cactus, hot sauce, grilled cheese, lettuce, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.
Beef slowly cooked in a special red stew. Served with rice.
Fresh all-natural chicken slowly cooked in our special red mole. Served with rice and beans.
Grilled marinated pork with dried peppers and herbs. Served with rice, beans, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo.
Marinated grilled chicken served with rice, beans, lettuce, guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream.
Bell peppers, onions, chorizo, bacon, and melted cheese. Served with rice and bean.
Served with rice, beans, and side salad. Lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole, and tortillas.
Sauted shrimp tossed in a very spicy chili hot sauce. Served with rice, beans, and side salad. Lettuce, pico de gallo, and sour cream.
Fresh butterfly shrimp cooked in lime juice, cucumbers, onions, cilantro, salt, pepper, and serrano peppers. Served in a molcajete bowl with a side of salted crackers.
Served with french fries and salad.
Fresh fried whole tilapia served with rice, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, and homemade tortillas.
Sauteed shrimp with chipotle sauce and cream. Served with rice and bean and homemade tortilla.
3 fried tortillas topped with chopped shrimp marinated in lime juice, tomatoes, onions, serrano peppers, lettuce, avocado, and cilantro.
Whole tilapia charbroiled with rice, bean, and salad. Lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, and radish.
Grilled chicken breast marinated in special red sauce.
Marinated steak.
Shrimp, steak, and chicken. Served with lettuce, guacamole, sauce, and sour cream.
Bell peppers, tomatoes, nopal cactus, grilled zucchini, cilantro, and handmade tortillas.
7 seafood soup.
Shrimp soup.
Beef soup.
Chicken soup.
3 pieces.
One salsa
One box of chips
Served with french fries.
Served with rice and beans.
Served with rice and beans.
Small flour tortilla with beef or chicken.
Your choice of 2 selections below. All combos come with a side of Mexican rice and black refried beans.
Marinated pork in red sauce. Served with Mexican rice, refried beans, small salad, and handmade tortillas.
Lettuce, rice, beans, tomato, jalapeno, onions, sour cream topped with red or green sauce, cheese, pico de gallo and cilantro. Choose meat: chicken or beef
Filling with chicken or beef topped with lettuce, pico de gallo and sour cream.
With bell pepper, onions, and tomatoes. Served with salad, rice, bean, and homemade tortillas.
Roasted chicken. 1/4 chicken served with Mexican rice, refried beans, and small salad.
Eggs with hot dog sausage. Served with Mexican rice, refried beans, and handmade tortillas.
Eggs with ham. Served with Mexican rice, refried beans, and handmade tortillas.
Eggs with Mexican sausage. Served with Mexican rice, refried beans, and handmade tortillas.
Seared chicken breast. Served with Mexican rice, refried beans, small salad, and handmade tortillas.
Sauteed onions, serrano peppers, and tomato. Served with rice and bean.
Choice of meat, lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapno, avocado, cheese, sour cream, rice, and bean.
1 taco choice of all meat with cilantro, onion, rice, and bean.
Choice of meat with lettuce, tomato, onions, avocado, jalapeo, cheese, sour cream, rice, and bean
2 chicken enchiladas with rice and bean.
Lettuce, mayo, tomato, onion, jalapeo, avocado, cheese, sour cream with rice and beans.
Molcajete
Molcajete
Chicken Fajita
Tejana Fajita
Molcajete Dish
Fajitas
Molcajete comes with a side of rice and beans
Lunch portion of red mole enchiladas w/black refried beans & rice.
Tejanas Fajita
Molcajete
Mole de pollo Guerrerense
Tejanas Fajita
Molcajete
Chicken tacos kid plate, al pastor burrito with queso, 3 taco platter
Torta de Lengua
Camarones en Crema de Chipotle
Torta de Lengua
Enchiladas
Taco Al Pastor and Taco Chorizo
Torta Cubana
Beans and rice
Torta de Lengua
Torta de Lengua
To go box for leftover and container for leftover salsa ! I love when they do this!
Noah B.
Sep 8, 2024
Fire food crazy portions and quality Service was goodMexican beer was cheapI've been here 3 times and friends always love it
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Christine W.
Jun 15, 2024
We ordered molcajete, which was phenomenal! We got it because of the rave reviews, and let me tell you, the chicken and the shrimp are fantastic! Service was good. Food was authentic. Ambiance was great, kind of a family style restaurant. We definitely will be back to try other dishes off their menu!When we went back, we ordered the Pollo A La Plancha. It was so tasty!I also got the Camarones en Crema de Chipotle. Very creamy and tasty, tho I got sauce all over myself trying to separate the tails from the shrimp.
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Natalie P.
May 25, 2024
Molcajete comes with a side of rice and beans ( that actually taste really good and authentic) and toppings for the tacos you make (lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream) AND HOMEMADE corn tortillas that actually taste good !! I say this because I've tried "homemade" tasteless tortillas at some other restaurants and nasty beans and rice that set the mood at other places. All proteins were seasoned very well! ( The pork I didn't taste because I don't eat pork and it's included. Taking it home for someone else.). I'm Mexican and have struggled finding authentic or even well seasoned Mexican food in Raleigh/Durham. I've tried a couple Mexican restaurants and usually leave feeling disappointed or I like I didn't enjoy my cheat meal. Im a bodybuilder and treat myself to a cheat meal every Saturday. So I hate wasting my calories on mediocre food! I've actually tried all other types of food for my cheat meal and rarely do Mexican because I'm always dissatisfied. This is the one ( and the only) place I give an approval! I'm from Vegas and have amazing Mexican food at my disposal. Sadly I took this for granted and since I've moved to Raleigh I usually opt out to cooking my own Mexican food. This place, and this dish specifically, is the one I've come back for.
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Brilynn C.
Feb 20, 2024
Best Tacos - fresh tortillas, authentic fillings, and fresh toppings. Open every day 10-10 with authentic Mexican flavors. Located in a no frill shopping center, this is a hidden gem. I went with co-workers and we all very much enjoyed our meal. I would highly recommend checking out this restaurant. I loved the salsa and chips! My tortilla was the best I have tasted in a long time. So fresh and flavorful. Yes - 5
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Liann A.
Jul 24, 2023
Ooooo this place is a hidden GEM in Cary! Or maybe not hidden but it was hidden to me! These are some of the best tacos I've tried since moving to Cary and If you have not tried them please drop your phone and get in the car and GO! It's a very Hispanic restaurant, playing music like Romeo Santos which I loved because it made me feel like I was home with my family back in Miami. The service is good and quick and I have no complaints! They have a taco happy hour Mon-Fri from 3-6 so if you're skeptical I'd take that opportunity to try a few tacos! 10/10 love this place and so glad it's so close to me!
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Rhianna F.
Jun 2, 2024
This might be the best Mexican food I've ever had. Not only that, but the staff was very kind and service was very quick. Definitely our new go to!
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Chris K.
Jun 16, 2022
I've always wanted to stop at one of the restaurants in this strip that offers such a wide variety of ethnic foods. Esmeralda is bigger inside than you'd think and very busy at lunch!When going to a Mexican restaurant for the first time, if mole is on the menu it's my go to. I've always had a darker, almost black mole, which I love. At Esmeralda theirs is a reddish color, which I've not had before. Let's just say I prefer the other. Just a personal choice. What was also different for me is the refried beans here are made from black beans. I enjoyed them, but find the more typical tan/brown ones are more flavorful. The salsa was good, not too spicy, but the cord were thicket than I'm used to and not warm. The service was good, even as busy and hectic as it was. Overall my review would be 3.5 for the entire experience. For me, the flavor just wasn't what would draw me back.
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Don T.
Sep 25, 2024
One of my favorites. I usually go here during happy hour to get some tacos for the cheap and catch a soccer game. Service is always good and the servers treat you well. Chill spot and one of my classics for chilling with friends and family. If you don't go during happy hour I recommend the molcajete or carne asada. Que viva Mexico
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Andrew C.
Aug 31, 2024
Good, authentic Mexican food. They may have the more common "Tex-Mex" as well, but everything I've tried has been closer to what I've actually gotten in Mexico.
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Sandra P.
Jun 30, 2024
I ordered two tortas. One beef tongue and one Cuban. Both were made very sloppy. The Cuban was missing the sausage and the egg.. the customer service here is very rude. They kept saying they were made right. Offered no help and had me waiting over 20 minutes when they finally offered to remake them. They took my food to the back and said they would remake it and when I checked it, it was the same order. At this point I just wanted a refund and they refused.
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