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...

Our family of four visited Helena’s a few days ago after searching for truly authentic Mexican food in the area. We’ve tried so many places that claim to be authentic but fall short—so when I came across Helena’s and saw the glowing reviews, I knew we had to try it.

My husband is very picky when it comes to Mexican food since he grew up in California and knows the real deal. From the moment we walked in, we were warmly greeted, seated in a booth, and served fresh chips and salsa. We ordered horchata, which was absolutely delicious—definitely homemade.

Next came the guacamole and chips, which were just as tasty. For our entrees, we ordered the chicken fajitas, birria tacos, and two orders of the birria enchiladas with mole sauce. We all shared and got to taste a little bit of everything, along with several sides. Every single dish was fantastic. My favorite sides were definitely the plantains and elote—both were incredible.

The birria enchiladas with mole sauce were out of this world. I’m gluten-free, and I usually struggle to find more than one option at most restaurants, but Helena’s had so many choices for me.

By the end of the meal, we were all completely full, so we skipped dessert—but we loved everything we ordered. The service was friendly and attentive, and the restaurant was clean and welcoming.

We’ll definitely be back and highly...

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...