Estrella Hondumex — Restaurant in Gatlinburg

This place came as a recommendation from a coworker. I can use one word to sum up this place. "WOW!!!" If I could give this place 6 stars I would. This is a quaint little Honduran/Mexican eatery with market. And I do mean little. It's best to get it to go but they do have some limited seating. I have frequented quite a few Central and South American restaurants and this one almost blew them all out of the water. One of my first indicators that I'm in for some good food is the fact that I am one of the only non-latino people in the place. It was just myself and my coworker and then a lady came in as well, but everyone else was latino/hispanic. I got the Al Pastor chimichanga with rice, beans, and cheese sauce. (I would have gotten the beef tongue but they were unfortunately out when I went. Maybe next time.) It took a little bit of time to get the food but that is to be expected from a small kitchen with just two or three cooks during lunchtime. Got my box and also picked up a tasty guava necter beverage by the name of "BOING!" The drink is wonderfully light and refreshing and only lightly sweetened so you can really get all the subtle flavoring of the guava. Absolutely recommend this on a hot day. The chimichanga is massive. Stuffed to the brim with Al Pastor, rice, and beans. I get it back to where I'm staying and finally sit down to take my first bite. I had to take a second after that first bite. The flavors just exploding in my mouth. The only way I can think of to describe how it was seasoned is perfection. I would be perfectly contented to just have the rice and beans, but throw it together with wonderfully tender al pastor pork, wrap it in a tortilla and fry it to a perfect golden brown, then top with cheese and some cheese sauce on the side. And WOAH. Needless to say this place is absolutely deserving of a more visits to try other Honduran/Mexican dishes. Go in expecting to spend $8-$20 per person depending on what everyone gets. The servers were very friendly. Above all else, be patient. This place is absolutely worth the wait and while you wait peruse the...

The food here is amazing. Staff is very friendly. We almost didn't get to experience this wonderful place because if you park on the side when you first see the sign, there's like 3 or 4 little parking spots and there is a little side door that says restaurant above the door with a lit open sign. This door can sometimes be locked and when no one is in the dining area they keep the lights turned off, so it would appear to be closed. What you do is walk around the right side of the building to the store entrance. Ask the cashier for a menu and they'll offer you take out or to eat in dining room, which they will then light up. The dining area has a bar, flat screen tvs, booths and a pool table. Most of the pool sticks had broken tips and there was no chalk so if pool is your thing bring chalk and a good stick ! Food prices are cheaper than anything I've experienced in Gatlinburg besides fast food. I ordered the steak and shrimp fajitas, $13, the steak was tender enough to cut with a fork. There was so much I had to get 3 extra shells and I stuffed those things to the max each time. People go to the fancy river side restaurants expecting food to be amazing because it's super expensive, but you're paying for the fancy building, the food is usually rushed and the place packed with a wait time. If you're looking for good prices and actual amazing food, give this a shot, you will NOT...

It's hard to find a place to eat in Gatlinburg that isn't some chain relying on gimmicks or aesthetics.. This is one of the few. I had the Diablo Shrimp, my daughter had the chicken chimichanga. We were both very pleased with the service, food, and for dessert we had Tres Leche. We had never had that before and it was delicious! The salsa was not your typical salsa. It was obviously homemade and was one of the best salsas I have had!

I know everyone has a bad day. I hate that these low star reviews didn't have the same experience as us. If we lived here we would vist this restaurant weekly!

So if you are in Gatlinburg and want a delicious Mexican or Honduras meal served with a smile give this place a chance. As for prices they are higher than what I am used to, but I don't live in a tourist town. It is somewhat lower than those chains everyone...