La Estrella Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Greenville

La Estrella Lights Up the Neighborhood with Bright Flavors

In a part of town that’s been hungry for a quality sit-down Mexican restaurant, La Estrella arrives with promise—and mostly delivers. I 100% recommend giving it a try before continuing on to Augusta Rd.

The menu is thoughtfully crafted: not overwhelming in size, yet filled with all the right cultural staples. It’s the kind of list that feels intentional rather than thrown together, and that bodes well for a restaurant aiming to strike a balance between tradition and modern appeal.

The chips and salsa came out warm, a small but welcome detail, and were served in modern, clear square bowls that added a contemporary touch to the table. It’s clear the team is leaning into a slightly modern, fresh aesthetic. That said, only one bowl of salsa was brought for a group, and only the mild variety at first. Asking us a question about preferences or spice level would go a long way, and ideally, a second bowl should be standard for larger tables. We didn’t even know there was a spicy option until the waitress mentioned it.

On the food front, flavors hit high notes across the board. The chicken was notably well-prepared + thick, juicy, and seasoned with care. My fajita quesadilla was a satisfying plate, served with rice and beans and filled generously. My wife’s Pollo Fundido came with a twist (could be the norm but I wasn’t expecting it): sautéed mushrooms, a surprise addition that actually worked from my perspective, though it came with rice only and could’ve benefitted from even a small scoop of beans to round out the plate. The biggest letdown was the fajitas, tipped too far in favor of vegetables, with meat making up maybe 20% of the dish. For the price, a better balance would be expected. Also, tortillas were defaulted to corn without asking, so if you have a preference, be sure to clarify flour.

Service was the one area where things needed fine tuning. Our table saw at least four different servers during the meal, and while the first waitress was gracious and welcoming, the bartender who eventually took over brought some awkward energy. He was rearranging our plates to his liking with almost an OCD approach and attempted to clear food without asking. While likely a result of opening-week growing pains and nerves, it did leave the table feeling a little unsettled.

Atmosphere, however, is an area where La Estrella shines. The bar is beautifully stocked and eye-catching, the bright blue ceiling gives the room an airy openness, and the cleanliness was apparent throughout. It feels modern, relaxed, and just upscale enough to stand out without feeling too dressed up. The only real drawback was the table size, very tight quarters for a group of four, so be prepared to cozy up.

All in all, La Estrella shows a lot of potential. Strong flavors, a well-planned space, and clear effort in presentation suggest this could become a neighborhood favorite. A few service kinks and portion missteps aside, there’s plenty of reason to return. I look forward to seeing how this star continues to rise.

Update: went here another time and got the arroz con pollo and it was delicious! The music was so loud it was impossible to talk to one another. Had some trouble with the tables again but still had a...

We absolutely adore La Estrella! From the moment you walk in, the service is outstanding. Seriously, if you get Josué, you're in for a treat – he's incredibly friendly, attentive, and just makes the whole experience so welcoming. The entire staff seems genuinely grateful for every customer, which is really refreshing to see. Their salsa selection is top-notch, but make sure to try the spicy salsa – it's bursting with flavor! Our go-to is always the chicken enchiladas with the green sauce. And believe me when I say, that green sauce is next-level good, probably the best I've ever tasted. The ground beef taco is another must-try; the beef is seasoned perfectly, just packed with flavor. Everything here feels super fresh and perfectly seasoned, and the restaurant itself is noticeably clean. La Estrella consistently delivers fantastic, authentic flavors with a side of genuinely warm...

Second time to eat here, first time was pretty good service and food. This time absolutely bad service and food. Came here around 7:30 when there were 2 other tables and 3 waitresses. Waited over an hour for food to arrive and ended up having to stop another waitress about it. After receiving the rolled tacos, they were so hard it was ridiculous. It is what was ordered the first time and this time it was years old steak and so rubbery. No reason for such bad service and food when it was 2 other tables only. After we sat down and ordered, 2 more tables came in and got their food way faster. Safe to say last time coming here...