Manolete's Cocina Gourmet — Restaurant in Winchester

I have to start off by saying that I'm from Chicago, home to one of the biggest Mexican communities in the country, so I know authentic Mexican food, and what it's supposed to look like and taste. I'm now living in Nashville, which is home to a big Mexican population, that being said, I've struggled to find a true authentic fine dining Mexican restaurant. Me and my girlfriend visited our closest friend Kevin, in Winchester, Virginia. I'll be honest, I did not picture having some of the best Mexican food I'd ever had in Winchester. Easily a top 3 and Lord knows I've had my fair share. We were greeted by Judith as soon as we walked, she was the manager. She sat us at the bar because that's where we like to be. Let me tell you about Judith. She was running around everywhere supporting her staff as needed, and even saw her doing the small things like cleaning glasses. Me and my girlfriend were beyond impressed at how well she carried herself throughout the craziness of the rush. While we were at the bar, my girlfriend had the Margarita flight which was extraordinary. I had a tall Modelo on draft with extra limes as I always do. Raúl was our bartender and he was nothing short of spectacular as well. I tried my girlfriend's Tamarindo margarita and I was absolutely blown away. Whilst we were tipsy my girlfriend got hungry and we split a sope order, and my goodness were they delicious, the meat on them was juicy and everything was cooked to perfection. Everything was so dang good that we came back two days later. I told Raul I had to come back for the Camarones a la Diabla. Now going onto our second go around there. I was just as impressed, this time we were sober, and we started off with the ceviche order to share. I'm telling you, that's some of the best ceviche I've ever had, and again, I've had my fair share. That got us going. I had another modelo on draft with extra limes, and Raul kept the conversation going. He was courteous, professional, and met the needs of every customer not just us, sitting at the bar. He did that in a timely manner as well. I had my shrimp, and I was just in awe. The sauce was cooked to perfection, my only suggestion to that would be adding a piece of either Texas toast, or bolillo with butter on it to break the spiciness of the sauce, trust me, I've always had it like that and it's been perfection. My girlfriend had the tacos de carne asada, with handmade tortillas. She gave me a bite and my goodness were they good. I can't say enough about the quality of food there, which of all places Winchester, Va, really surprised me. Every time we visit there, we are most definitely stopping by to see Raul work his magic and Judith run around controlling the chaos. This was a very well run restaurant top to bottom. Even the other waiters and waitresses were friendly and courteous. This was most definitely our favorite restaurant, and that's saying something considering the competition is stiff down there in that area. We were sad to leave, gave Raul a handshake, and told him we'll see you come Apple Blossom fest. We hugged Judith goodbye and told we will most definitely be back. I rated this place 5 stars because I couldn't rate it any higher. what a GEM...

Manolete's Taqueria Gourmet was just perfection! It exceeded all my expectations. Look no further for authentic Mexican cuisine! From the service to the food I was wowed the entire visit. Decor is gorgeous which included hand carved dark wood features and huge private booths creating a more intimate experience.We came in for lunch and were pleasantly surprised to find a well balanced menu which included a limited lunch selection. I was even more delighted to find they had a breakfast burrito and other "brunch" (Mexican style) options. We ordered some queso to start which was amazingly gooey and tasty. We were heartbroken to had missed the Oaxacan queso on the menu which was queso with chorizo added. We will definetly try that appetizer on our next visit.I ordered the "Huevos divorciados" which translates to Divorced eggs. Two fried eggs cooked over easy served on corn tortillas. Two separate salsas juxtaposed over it giving a very appealing look. A zesty green salsa with a kick to it and also a spicier red salsa. Served with a side of delicious rice and beans with extra homemade soft corn tortillas. This dish was one of the most delicious I have ever tried. Those salsas were delectable. My buddy tried the beef chimichanga which looked very delicious, he confirmed its deliciousness. Everything is made from scratch and you can truly taste the quality of the food. THE SERVICE WAS AMAZING. I was vacillating between the burrito and the huevos divorciados and the server ( regrettably forgot his name) eagerly and happily helped me lean towards the huevos divorciados although the burrito sounded just as good.Even the owner stopped by to ask how everything was, he was genuine and proud of his work. It was one of the best dining experiences in recent memory. There were many items I wanted to try and can't wait wait to come back and try them. Truly a gem of a restaurant! Guys, get yourselves in...

While we will miss Ellie's Irish grub, the opening of Manolete's in downtown Winchester was a welcome one. We tried the table side guacamole (minus the red onions-this was absolutely spectacular!), birria tacos (still prefer Lolitas for birria but these were good as well), carnitas verde (my friend was highly impressed with this dish), and the ribeye (good flavor and char). The rating is a four overall due to two requests not being fulfilled. The first was the pico de gallo was served with red onions when we were very clear two people in our party cannot eat them due to sensitivities. There seemed to be some debate between our server and the server who prepared the guacamole table side about leaving out the red onion. Eventually, it was made without the onions. However, the pico was still served with them. They were quite tiny so I did take a bite without realizing it (which I will pay for in pain later). Also, I requested my ribeye to be cooked rare. It was served medium well. When I first cut into the fatty side, it appeared to be closer to rare, but then I realized in the next cut it was not. If I eat off the food, I do not return it or request new food since that is a waste. Despite the disappointment in our requests not being honored, we will definitely return. The food had excellent flavor and portions. The guacamole was the highlight to us. Next time, we will probably use Google translate to make sure our requests are...