Helena’s Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Virginia

Absolutely delicious! We were blown away by how great the food was. As your resident Flavor Analyst and taco expert, I give these tacos high marks!

Our complete order: Fish taco, al pastor taco, mole chicken enchiladas, steak/chicken fajitas with corn tortillas, rice and pinto beans, guacamole, Kiki's house margarita, the mango margarita, and the tres leches cake.

Fish tacos are hard to get right but they did it to perfection. So crunchy and moist. The al pastor was tender and spicy. The fajitas were cooked exactly right. I asked for medium on the steak and that is exactly how they came out. They basically melted in my mouth. Same with the chicken. The mole chicken enchilada was very different from what I am accustomed to growing up. It was delicious but not as sweet and chocolatey as I like. But it was so good and I could eat that sauce all day! The guacamole was done up really well with just the right amount of onions and tomatoes. The corn tortillas were so good I wondered if they were freshly made on site. The margaritas were also very good. Not too much sugar and you tasted the flavorful tequila. Finally, the tres leches cake was very good. Great coconut flavor. However, I think our tres leches needed to sit longer because the cake had not fully absorbed all the milks and was a tad dry. I will try it again next time and hopefully it is much more creamier.

My only minor criticism, and it's mostly a personal preference, but the food was not super spicy. I requested a large grilled jalapeño with my fajitas and it was so delicious but I felt zero spice. Even the salsa for the chips had a phenomenal flavor profile....but no spice. Maybe they know their clientele in the area and spicy food isn't preferred. My wife loved that it wasn't spicy so she was happy. Maybe I have to specifically ask for spicy next time!

Anyways, the food was overall so good and we will definitely be returning. We will try to catch happy hour next time. Although my reviews are solely based on the food experience, I will mention that service was great and everyone was extremely friendly. I'm happy they are doing well and I wish them the best of luck and much future success.

If anyone is curious about other very good Mexican places in the area I highly recommend El Paso Restaurant (great margaritas and fish tacos), San Antonio Bar and Grill (amazing fajitas and tacos), La Mexicana Panaderia (the best tortas in the DMV), and Tacos Costalilla...

It’s really refreshing to visit a new restaurant and be genuinely impressed with my experience. It’s been a while to be with servers who actually genuinely care about their customers. That shows that they’re training their staff well and want to follow a good business model. Multiple servers checked up on us throughout our meal to make sure all our needs were met and promptly provided us with anything we asked for like more salsa and napkins.

The food is also fantastic! You won’t find your typical blah Tex Mex here. The Mexican flavors are complex and unique. I got their pork mole and I was impressed that it comes with actual real grilled ribs rather than mashed up slow cooked pork that I expected. The flavors were absolutely spot on. My wife’s tacos were equally impressive, as well as the sides. The free salsa was roasted which pairs well with everything. To top it off, they have house made sauces that come in three different spice and flavors. And they have happy hour specials throughout the week. Their spicy one is actually spicy and packs a pinch! I love it!

I live nearby and it’s a huge bonus that they’re a local business that I can support. Provided they continue to provide the same level of service and food, this restaurant will absolutely be in...

Absolutely incredible! FINALLY there are delicious tacos in this area!!

I was excited to try Helena’s for lunch on their opening day, and it did not disappoint. I ordered birria, carne asada, and fish tacos (one of each for me and my wife to try) and sat at the bar with chips and salsa while I waited.

The salsa was top notch, I wish I had taken a serving or two (or three or four…) to go!

The carne asada taco was delicious and the fish taco was out of this world, but I cannot overstate just how earth-shatteringly perfect the birria taco was. I took one bite and was already working on my plans to go back for more.

The staff were extremely friendly and helpful, and the restaurant had an upbeat and excited energy that I enjoyed relaxing in while I waited for my food, which they had ready to go quite quickly for me.

I wish I could give more than 5 stars for Helena’s! I’m excited to come back and try more of the menu...