Love this place. This place and the old Juanita Greenberg's that was on Wentworth have been favorites since 1996 when I started at College of Charleston. The Nacho Royale is the name sake for a reason! It's great. Love the beer selection and prices!
(4)
Alex H.
My wife and I stopped in here during a rain storm. We grabbed a couple of beers and the corn nachos. They were really good. The bar staff was entertaining as well. Will definitely come back to try the tacos.
(4)
Ryan S.
We came in at 12:30 with four people spicificly for food. After 10 minutes and seeing no server, and after the bartender told me a server would be over and then refused to even give us menus, i had to grab them myself after ten minutes. I then go to the bar again to get our order in in time, the bartender with short hair and goatee who's bday it was then made a comment to the cook that more people wanted to order food and they talked shit in front on me. I'm pissed and as a server I have no respect for this place. But I'm starving.
(1)
Stephanie M.
Loved it. Our server was great and the food was even better. Great experience all around.
(5)
Christian C.
Get the tacos. Blackened shrimp and the chicken tacos were great . The food came quickly. Nice big TVs to watch whatever. Bartender was cool. Good music playing as well.
(5)
Matty B.
The lady friend and I had a serious hankering for some Mexican food one evening and decided to give Juanita Greenberg's a try (despite the mixed bag in terms of Yelp reviews), and simply put it was not good. On the positive side (let's try to be glass half full here), we were seated very promptly and our waitress was friendly and attentive. Also there was plenty of seating available despite the fact that it was peak dinner hours (in retrospect, that may have been a warning sign). Also, the outdoor patio seems like it may be nice, though it was too chilly the night we visited to partake. The main issue is that the food is rather bland and tasteless. My fiancee ordered a chicken burrito, while I got the chicken brown rice bowl. Portion sizes were respectable, but the taste simply was not there. I typically devour every piece of food that is put in front of me (and am often left still hungry), but I couldn't even finish my food here. Uh-oh, major red flag. Similarly, my fiancee could only manage to finish half of her burrito and that was a struggle. From my end, washing it down with a Westbrook IPA that cost $6.50 (and I'm pretty sure it wasn't even their IPA) didn't make matters any better (though I do love me some Westbrook!). In terms of pricing, it wasn't so cheap or affordable here that I could somewhat justify the lack of overall quality. Plus chips and salsa were not complimentary. Boo. Well, at least I can cross good ol' J. Greenberg off my list of potential go-to Mexican spots!
(2)
Michelle S.
Sad to write this review but this is not the same food I remember. Not sure if it's bc I have had really good Mexican since the last time I was here making this seem simple or if they have just gone down hill. Nothing was bad but just simple and lacking any tAste. The salsa and guac were mediocre and the rice bowl really wasn't something to shout about. Recommend drinking and listening to the music.
(2)
Kevin H.
The sign out front says "World Famous Margaritas". I say, "Not at all!" Bad salsa, bad chips, bad margarita, left quickly. We didn't dare try the dinner.
(1)
Jessica G.
We had lunch at Juanita's Monday afternoon and our bartender was amazing. Ryan was very attentive and friendly. He went out of his way to make our experience excellent! Juanita's just gained two more regulars!
(5)
Artemiy Z.
Went here last night for a quick meal. What a terrible and slow service! And I am not that picky with service either... Hostess didn't give us the menus or send us a server till 20 min past we were sitting at the table. Server didn't know the menu or the drinks. The atmosphere was great. The food was average Mexican (fish tacos undercooked and too salty, nachos lacked flavor, rice bowl was good). Women's bathroom did not have soap. ..so all the waitresses were walking around with germy/dirty hands. With abundance of Mexican restaurants in Charleston world not come back again.
(1)
Elaine M.
This place isn't your traditional mexican joint but it is a great establish to grab happy hour at with a large group of friends. Do yourself a favor and make sure you order the corn nachos (i get them with chicken) priced just right at about $8 and they are huge and easy to share. Also they have some of the best happy hour specials in town with $1.50 tacos and $2.00 domestics. They always have 2 tacos and a PBR for $5. Bonus: they just redid the one downtown so it isn't so dirty anymore.
(3)
Frank G.
Went to the one on Colman, Don't bother. No salsa or chips, you have to pay for them. No extra stuff on your plate except for what you ordered?.?? Please, this is not a Mexican restaurant, but a "joint" Frankg
(1)
Keighty N.
My friend and I had an awful experience tonight with our drinks. We ordered a pitcher of margaritas. When we got it though it oddly tasted like soap and there was a full layer of strange bubbles floating at the top (I have eaten/drank here frequently for the past 4 years and am familiar with their menu). Since there was clearly something wrong, we asked for a new pitcher. The new one tasted exactly the same (soapy and disgusting). After explaining to the waiter that there was still possibly an issue with this pitcher he said that since we had poured drinks from the pitchers (none of which we had finished) we still had to pay for them. He comped one but said we had to pay for the second. I couldn't believe that they would expect me to pay for something that was prepared in a gross and DANGEROUS way (soap is caustic and causes chemical burns when ingested). Then when leaving the restaurant we walked by the kitchen and the stench of soap overwhelmed us! All my doubts about this thinking I was imagining the soapy taste vanished. Clearly there was some sort of situation with a cleaning product that was NOT handled properly. In the end our appetizer (under $5) was comped but we were still expected to pay for the $16 pitcher. I have enjoyed this place in the past but the beverages and service tonight was unacceptable and I will NOT BE GOING BACK anytime soon.
(1)
Victoria P.
A fun place to be! Food is good and so are the drinks. Atmosphere is very fun. They have good bands playing as well best queso in town. Can't get enough!
(5)
Kinjal P.
Disgusting Service! Hair and Meat in Vegeterian Food! we have been to this restaurant almost 5-6 times now and everytime it came down to bad service. once we had ordered 2 Nacho Royale, waitress confirmed with us and she brought only 1. We thought Chef is still preparing so we waited and we ate 3/4th of the Food on 1 plate and still the 2nd order wasn't ready yet. so we called the waitress and she said oh you had ordered 2nd one? I told to make 1 only. she is still ASKING us- if we wanted our 2nd order!!!! of course lady we r there to eat and we were 4 people! She did NOT Apologize! then once we had guests come over from Chicago. we took them to this restaurant and as the space is less inside they made us sit outside where few young white males were smoking. we were seated right next to them so we requested to move little farther away from them. They kept smoking and cam closer to us, kept looking at us and laughing. Obviously they were doing it on purpose. it also felt like one of the employee was also involved in this. then once I requested to our waitress to make Nacho Royale crispy as last time we dined it had become soggy. she was so RUDE, she said I am not the chef, I don't cook and I told her that I KNOW U DON'T COOK but you can tell CHEF - right? what she wanted me to go to chef and tell him to make crispy? what is she there for then? and once we had meat in our vegeterian food and we tokd them - they did NOT care to apologize! last time we went it was heights- we found a hair 2-3cm long blonde color of the chef who had long bulk of beard and long blonde hair as well!! MOST DISGUSTING SERVICE!!!! do NOT recommend this restaurant to anyone.
(1)
Molly J.
My fiance and I had such positive experiences here during our Charleston trip. The first time we went, we were on a craft beer tour and so we enjoyed the beer choices offered. We also had the opportunity to partake in the trifecta: queso, salsa, and guac. So yummy! A couple of nights later we went again since we knew there would be great beer choices. This time, we split some nachos. The portion was HUGE! We enjoyed them greatly. The main reason this gets such a good rating from me is because of the atmosphere and the menu-- drinks and food.
(4)
Hillary S.
If you like shitty service, come here! :) !!! They renovated this place and before renovation it was great 5 dollars for 2 tacos and a pbr, different staff and good service. Now, after renovations they have bumped up there prices, foods the same....and like I said the service sucks.
(2)
Lindsay A.
Oh my goodness yum! This place has delicious food and a really cool atmosphere! They recently completely renovated the inside and out back and it's so cool! The margaritas are cold and yummy and the food is hot and fresh! I usually get the fish tacos which I love. They have a whole assortment of hot sauces to add which I think is so cool because you usually only have one option. The chips and salsa are much better than the typical Mexican joint that serves greasy and watery chips and salsa. The chips aren't free but they are worth the extra couple of bucks! All in all I've had nothing but great experiences here and I'll definitely be back!
(5)
Tracey G.
I know this place has low reviews but not sure why We went in here cause the other two places were a no concealed carry place and that will lose our business any day so I am glad they were. I had the fish burrito was absoutely delish! My husband had the sausage nachos royale was way more than we could eat and was outstanding in flavor! The waiters there were very nice!
(5)
Michael C.
As it turns out, this is a place to drink and once you've had too much, then order the food. The food was low quality and lacked flavor and creativity. Our server was excellent and the ambiance nice. The portions were good. However, if you want good Mexican food, keep looking.
(1)
Catey W.
The food is a bit better now that it's redone. Some of the space has genuine personality a lot if it is kind of Ehhh. It's so bright and commercial looking now though and has a sports bar like feel with all the new tv's minus the bar space to accommodate it. I go there to see people I like but it's not my thing. And a huge pet peeve of mine is the servers with super long hair don't keep it in a pony tail or pulled back at all.
(3)
Vu T.
Do you ever have those weeks where you want nothing but a taco? This was one of those weeks for me. Where to go? where to go? Upon entering this fine establishment you are greeted and seated. Menus passed out and drink orders taken. The usual order of happenings in a typical downtown Charleston restaurant. I ordered 3 tacos, 2 steak and 1 fish. I know, the fish taco was a very dangerous taco to order. Its hard to find a place that makes a good one. This fish taco was just average here. Parts of it were a little salty and just didn't do it for me. The steak tacos however were really good. There was chips, salsa, and queso ordered as well. Typical tasting and didn't have any surprises there. Yea I kind of expected a clown to pop out of the queso and say hi. Would I go here again? yea I would. Would I order the fish taco again? yea I would, because I like to live on the dangerous side of town and maybe just maybe the next fish taco will knock me on my booty! They also have Nachos of course, and burritos, quesadillas, and everything has plenty of cheese on it for you cheese lovers!
(3)
Erin K.
Later on a Sunday night, we wanted something small to eat. We sat outside and enjoyed our meal. We all had margaritas, which were awesome! My friend and I both had quesadillas, also delicious and our other friend had nachos, which were a little different, but still good. Service was friendly and quick. For a casual meal, Juanita Greenberg's was perfect.
(4)
Rich G.
This place sucks. Just ordered a steak burrito to go. The diced red onion was big enough to choke a small child. The rice was dry, hard and crunchy. I'm not sure where the steak was either. Yo can't you make a better burrito than what I just tried to eat for dinner..... What a disappointment. I will never go back.
(1)
Emily M.
This place sucks. The service & the food was horrible. I didn't think you could mess tacos up that much. We also didn't get waters until we were halfway through the meal. Will never come here again & do not recommend it to anyone!
(1)
Lizzy J.
I love this place! You don't get free chips and salsa here, which is lame, but the food makes up for it. The staff is nice and the service was quick even when it was super busy. The margarita prices are really awesome - you can get top shelf tequila for not much extra. They are a little on the salty side if that bothers you, but definitely not weak and 90% sour mix like most Mexican places. DEFINITELY order the nacho royale when you go here. Basically thin-crust Mexican pizza on a tortilla with really fresh vegetables and nice cheese. It's massive so I took half home and reheated it the next day and it was still good. Another person at my table got the quesadilla but said it was too cheesy and was jealous of my "nachos." The crowd on Friday and Saturday nights is annoying, drunk college students (I say that like I wasn't included in that group a couple years ago...) but if you can get past that, it's a great place.
(5)
Gerald T.
We ordered the steak nachos royale and a chicken burrito. These are not your ordinary nachos..if you like spicy then its a homerun. They load them with jalapenos. Service is good and fast. Great place for a quick lunch with great food.
(4)
Caroline W.
Last Wednesday I found myself in beautiful Charleston. I met up with my best friend, a Charleston native, and we went on a hunt for mid-day drinks. Since we were on King Street, I suggested Juanita Greenberg's for margaritas and patio seating. I've always had pleasant experiences there. This Wednesday was different. We walked in and stood next to the hostess stand that read, "Please Wait to be Seated". We stood there for 3 minutes as the guy behind the counter toiled around, looked at us and asked us how we were doing and then went back to what he was doing. Two servers came up to the kitchen "window" mere feet from us and looked past us as we stood there obviously waiting for someone to seat us. During all of this, a server then starts up an argument with one of the guys on the line, (I believe his name was Tito). The argument escalated to the point where the other server had to step in. As a customer, the last thing you want is to be ignored. We turned around, and started to walk out, but not before we saw the appalled look on the faces of the other patrons that were already dining. Extremely bad experience.
(1)
Shonda M.
I'm a fan of the quesadilla. I wasso happy to discover that their kitchen was open late one night after work. All of my friends had been there having drinks and I was starving at about 10:30pm. The service was quick and the black bean quesadilla was delicious. Get it.
(4)
tom j.
You know, I have had better Nachos, but these were pretty damn good! Nacho Royal with white shrimp, more like a light pizza, but tastier. Chips WERE home made, like a chip crust pizza. Very inexpensive for the area, a great place for lunch. The location is excellent, service is excellent and friendly, and the place is pretty cool. Sweet outdoor seating in the rear of the restaurant. I'm not too sure of the beer selection, but I was told this place is pretty happening with the locals for drinking on the weekends. I will return, for food and drinks. Thumbs UP on this place!
(4)
Vic B.
Halfway through our night of "mild" drinking, we got the munchies (go figure). We went in, sat out back (there's only a few tables but services is quick). Great food at super reasonable prices! We had chips salsa, beer, a margarita chips and quac and salsa plus a huge quesadilla for about 18$. Did a shot with my waiter. Really cool spot. Didn't get a chance to sit at the bar and eat but that is an option.
(5)
Mark L.
This restaurant will not surprise you at all. It is what it seems. Small easy Mexican menu of burritos, quesis, and nachos, a good bar menu and lots of different tequila. There is a great outdoor patio in the back with has great large group seating options. If you want a quick bite or a drink or two before you head out for the night, this is a good starting point.
(3)
Tom G.
I think the Yelp rating is accurate. Can't understand why so many bartenders and hotel concierge's recommend it. It's OK, it's fine. Service was OK. Food was OK. Ambiance was OK. All just OK. Nothing really special. With so many other great choices in the area I don't think I'd go back.
(2)
Deb B.
What happened? I LOVE Juanita Greenberg's. At least I did. The service was way too slow and the nachos were getting skimpy. This used to be one of my places eats. Get back to it Juanita's!
(2)
Sam G.
Came here because they are conceal carry friendly... Left a lover of the food everything was awesome
(5)
Jennifer R.
Food is ok if you just want something cheap and a beer or margaritas. Salsa is odd, tastes ok but it has no onion, tomato, or veggie chunks. More like mainara. They charge for chips and salsa. Burrito was good and the steak was tender. Generous portions except for the 2 oz salsa cup. Would probably be a fun hang out for college students. We were hust visiting.
(3)
Larry B.
A non-touristy spot that offers relatively healthy Mexican. The navhos were awesome - bug enough for two on a crisp pizza flan type bread. Very affordable prices and they have a happy hour.
(4)
Matt P.
I just moved to charleston recently and was looking for a lunch spot. Went to Juanita's on a whim and was not disappointed. I got the $5 lunch taco and pbr special and was very surprised. The tacos are excellent and the bartenders are friendly and very attentive. I think I have found my regular spot. The funk band on Thursday nights is unbelievable and definitely worth the trip there, they're some of the most talented musicians in charleston.
(5)
Mary B.
Good service, cheese dip, and margaritas. Also, loved the outside seating Ming the trees. But the salsa needs some spice. Overall very good experience and would definitely go back.
(4)
Ian W.
While the beers are cheap, the food here is barely what I would call edible. At minimum the chips and salsa should be good but I would take a bag of Tostitos over the chips here any day. The fish taco looked like tunafish out of a can and tasted like high tide smells. Sorry Juanita but you should stick to what you know best and clearly, Mexican food is not it.
(1)
Josh S.
Simple n clean......Awesome bartender each time I've been in(katie) Location is key, but service is keen. Food is well put together, hot sauce bar is a plus......Sausage has a nice kick.......
(4)
Avi C.
Food is ok. I have had better also have had worse. Margaritas are really good! Good place to go with friends for drinks and snacks. If you get the nachos with flour tortillas it comes on a large flour tortilla and is cut like a pizza. The corn are the more traditional with chips. Bathrooms could use a little more attendance and the dining room seemed gruff. To be fair This could also be due to low lighting in the back seating area.
(3)
Bill M.
Walking in on a clean slate, expecting a beer and some light, mid-afternoon food, I was met with the most charming and friendly service I've ever had in Charleston. Ask for Abbey and if it's not her shift, consider coming back when she's working. The shrimp tacos, yelp.com/biz_photos/nmz3… , were simply the best "fish" taco I'd ever had. The wife got the fish tacos (grilled Mahi). I agreed to split with her. It's truly love that she got one of the shrimp tacos. Both were very good, but I think the fish tacos at Poe's are better. Turns out the two places are owned by the same people (along with Taco Boy). The PBRs were cheap and went well with the tacos. The complementary chips, yelp.com/biz_photos/nmz3… , were average but the salsa, guac and queso sauce dressed them up nicely. The price was right, the PBRs coming in at $1.50 a piece and the tacos going for $6.95 a piece. I plan to come here every time I visit and if my plans to relocate here work out, I will hit this place once a month. It could have been a one time thing, socializing with Abbey, sitting out back, choosing the best thing on the menu. Regardless, I'll take it
(5)
Chris O.
Very disappointed with service. Food was OK - nothing to brag about. I would have rather gone to Chipotle for the food. Margaritas had way too much sour. This is the only restaurant I've experienced in the service industry that doesn't value the customer. I don't know about the Mt. Pleasant location, but the "manager"/bartender at the downtown location is a joke. Story time: Server spills my dinner (chicken taco salad no beans) before reaching the table, then, after everyone else is done eating she brings me a new one - with beans. Didn't want to have to be "that girl" since she was having a bad day; however, I wanted to make her aware that it had beans but I was going to eat it anyway. She (or any other employee) was nowhere to be found and came back with the checks about twenty minutes later. When I asked if she could comp the guacamole or something, she said it was fine. The "manager" then comes over and defensively asks "what's the problem here?" I explained what happened and he told me he could get me a new salad....AFTER we got our checks. He let me know that he is "not in the business of giving away free food." I never asked or expected to be comped for my entire meal, but I thought that the service was beyond awful and he could definitely make up for it here with a freakin free side of guac! He wasn't having it - he kept pushing as to why I didn't send back the salad with beans. Me (baffled): "Because there were no servers to be found. I'm not going to chase people around the restaurant to replace a mistake that wasn't my fault. You may not be in the 'free food' service, but you are in the customer service business. If you don't care to make up for poor service, this is really simple: I won't be back." He leaves in a huff and then, after all of that, he comps my salad! Even with free food at the end, all of that drama is not worth another trip in there.
(1)
Windy F.
Nothing spectacular. Pretty bland burritos. Quesadilla was dry and tha salsa had a weird taste. The flour tortilla was alittle on the burnt side. Service was good, attentive and the food came quickly. Quick meal if you're just starving and nowhere else to go.
(2)
Jamie P.
My boyfriend and I chose this spot for our before-concert meal. EPIC WIN. My quesadilla is the best I've ever had, and his burrito was delish, too. We sat outside (on a church pew!), and our server was just attentive enough to be helpful but not annoying. The decor is a Charleston take on Mexico, and compliments the food well. Our only complaint was the limp music. It was like 1990's soft rock hell. If Juanita's got some Tito and the Tarantulas or Reverend Horton Heat, the experience would be complete.
(4)
Dave D.
The worst meal I have had in the 9 months of living in Charleston came to me at the hands of this establishment. Took two bites of the food and pushed it away. My burrito was served nearly cold. Marguarita's were aslo terrible. Stay far far away from this place.
(1)
Rachel M.
First time at Juanita Greenberg's Nacho Royale Atmosphere: 2; maybe because we were sitting on the second floor as there was no room below...simple, rustic, not much to look at except the Budweiser Clydesdales mural Staff/Kitchen: 2; our server was nice and all, but the food took forever Drinks: 2; no local beers; the margarita was tasteless Food: 2; limited menu; store-bought chips and salsa; the nacho royales were ok Overall: 2; no need to go again
(2)
Michael T.
They have beer and tequila. That is it. The food is lame!
(2)
Monica M.
Mount Pleasant Location - great atmosphere. Very disappointed in the margaritas, when I go to a Mexican restaurant I expect large or even decent sized drinks. The margaritas were tiny in rocks glasses. Bartenders were good - hostesses were a little too young, almost not confident in the job they were supposed to do. Overall good experience except for the drinks. Mexican = GOOD margaritas, they need to step it up un that area.
(3)
Monique M.
I decided to take a chance on this place. After reading the Yelp reviews I figured it would be iffy, but we were headed out of town and wanted something fast to eat. This place is a dump. Someone needs to go through here with a broom & a mop. I watched a guy drop tortilla chips on the floor and no one ever swept it up. The bathroom was a mess. Paper towels were spilling over in the wastebasket, the towel dispenser machine was broken and sitting on the floor. The mirror was dirty. I couldn't believe it! The food was not bad, but not the greatest either. I had chicken nachos and my mom ordered tacos. When my mom asked for sauce the waitress pointed to a back table where the condiments were and she didn't offer to bring to the table. Recommend skipping this place on your visit to Charleston.
(1)
Kyle E.
What?! Why are people ripping this place so bad?! We went here as a alternate to Taco Boy. I ordered the Nacho Royale, its basically a mexican pizza, it was huge and delicious. Just because it has "nacho" in the name doesnt mean it needs to be a standard chip piled with tons of junk on it. We also ordered the trifecta, chips with guacamole, queso and salsa, each was very tasty. I was glad nobody at my table liked the guac, all to myself! The burritos looked huge! The only thing that kept Juanita's from a fifth star is the noise. Its kinda like a bar with a lot of people having a good time. Sometimes its not bad for a lively atmosphere but other times not yelling to your friends is better. I really liked this place and will go back without a doubt.
(4)
Laura M.
Went to try out their happy hour special and was very disappointed. The house margarita was small and not good. The chips weren't very fresh, and the salsa came pre-packaged in plastic tubs with lids. Their traditional taco was alright, but nothing to rave about. Based on how colorful the entrance is, the inside was pretty dark and odd. If I ever get the craving for a margarita again, I'll be heading to Taco Boy.
(2)
Amy C.
I really liked this place...I came here to have dinner with one of my best friends from high school and had a great time! We met there on a Saturday at about 530, and it was happy hour; since weather in Charleston is always amazing in March, we decided to grab one of their patio tables. Let me just say that their basic Margarita is delicious and so is their frozen strawberry Margarita...hey, nothing beats a refreshing tequila drink in the South :D I had their burrito, being a picker eater, and asked for almost everything on the side except for my meat and lettuce...I must say, the burrito had plenty of meat and overall was quite delicious. My steak was not overcooked and everything had nice balance of seasons which made for great Mexican flavor. The people I had dinner with got fish tacos which they thought was ok to lacking flavor so while they are supposedly known for that, I'd read more reviews before getting that item on the menu. Overall, it's got a great vibe, great cheap drinks during happy hour, and a great restaurant if you're on King street wanting to unwind :)
(4)
Colleen M.
Let me first start off by saying I LOVE Mexican food! Althought the service was really good and their margaritas were DELICIOUS (one of the best margaritas I have ever had), the food was not impressive. I got a burrito and there was nothing special about it but my friends got the nachos and they looked delicious. Although I was not overly impressed with the place, I would go back and try another food on their menu.
(3)
Robert S.
My man and I ate lunch at Juanita Greenberg's last year and had a pretty good Sunday afternoon lunch. This past weekend, we were in the mood for a giant burrito for Saturday night dinner, so we thought we'd try it out again. The restaurant wasn't too busy, so we thought we'd get to eat in resonable time. We waited in a short line for about 5 minuted before being seated next to the bar. I used the restroom, expecting to return to at least water on the table, but I found just my man and two menus. The minutes started to tick by and there was no sign of a waiter at our table. There looked to be one waitress for our section who seemed to be slowly bringing out drink orders to other people seated nearby. In between the drink orders, she was taking her sweet time doing what looked to be reading and writing text messages on her phone. More time passes... we're still ignored. No drink. Not even a "be back in a minute". I look around for the waitress... she's still next to the bar screwing around with her phone. That was the end of our trip to Juanita Greenberg's. We stood up and waked out. I don't think anybody noticed... we strolled past the restaurant about 5 minutes later and the menus were where we left them. Do yourself a favor and try our some of the better local places up and down the street. We ended up at Virginia's on King and had a FANTASTIC meal.
(1)
Josh A.
What the hell happened to this place? I remember going here in high school and college. It was cheap, fast, tasty, and consistent. Had it tonight and it was none of those. It was slow, over priced, ok taste, and the service was crap at best. It really pained me to give this place a 1, but I've got to be honest with the other Yelpers out there. This is a place that needs to get back to where it started. Simple, cheap, fun, and great tasting. Sorry Juanita, but it hurts me more than it hurts you.
(1)
aerin m.
Not impressed. I was with a group of 6, so expected the food to take a little longer than usual, but was pretty shocked that it took over an hour, with very few customers inside. The lights were very low in the back room, and it was hot, hot, hot! Our waitress was friendly enough, but didn't bring water until the third request, and my diet coke was never refilled despite me asking. Even though I requested a take-out box twice, the waitress never brought me one, and I ended up just leaving my leftovers. The food itself was decent, but nothing to write home about. I had the taco salad, and others at the table had the nachos and the quesadilla. I recommend the quesadilla, if anything.
(2)
Adam A.
The patio smelled strongly of beer, even at noon, and most surfaces were sticky. Feels like a margarita bar that would be better experienced in the dark. The food was underwhelming, although they do have a good array of hot sauces. With so many other good food options around, I wouldn't waste your time with this one.
(2)
Kelly R.
Went here last weekend after a girls weekend in Edisto. Was looking for cheap, fast hangover food and really, how can you screw up chips and salsa?? Place seemed fine, not crowded at all, but once we were seated we realized that there was apparently only one server for the entire place, inside and out. Took about 20-30 minutes just to get our water and teas. Debated leaving but saw that other tables sat after us were getting their orders. Two other parties did decide to leave after waiting forever for service. After being there for 45 min out food order was finally taken, and another 20 minutes later the blandest, most mediocre Mexican food arrived. Our server never once apologized for the delay, I think since there were six of us (auto-grat) she didn't care. After TWO HOURS we were finally out of that place. Never again...
(1)
Bob B.
Inexpensive, very casual college joint. Come for happy hour (4-7) and order a Texas Grandma Margarita. Very simple tex-mex. You will pay for chips and salsa. Expect Ozzy Osborne rather than Mariachi music....
(1)
C R.
Would be better of eating at home! Food was something you could make better yourself and service was not good. Felt like we were inconveniencing the wait staff by eating there. They brought two vegetarians chicken burritos and said they were bean. We will definitely not eat here again!
(1)
Whit R.
A breath of fresh air in an otherwise mostly boring mexican food scene. Pretty much everything can be made with steak or chicken or beans. The nachos here are HUMONGOUS! Plenty of good cheap cold beer and pitchers of margarita will help finish you up once your belly is chock-jam full of yummy mexican food from Juanita Greenberg;s!
(3)
Sunday G.
I loved this place. Simply divine. Very low key, very local loved. Very hip. I loved the decor, the wait staff and yes, the food. The food was fabulous. I love Mexican food, it's my favorite. And yes, this is an americanized version of a wonderful thing. But it was made so well, I can't help but adore. I loved the crisp lettuce in the burrito, the lightly spiced black beans, the plethora of hot sauces to chose from. The huge quantity, the great music from the new wave 80's. Even the margarita was pleasant. Now I'm not gonna lie and say this is the best Mexican joint, but seriously, there ain't much wrong with it. A simple menu with to-the-point burritos, tacos and so on. One thing I did notice was the lack of chips and salsa at the table while you sat and waited, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Try this place out, especially if you're catching a show at the Music Farm down the street.
(4)
Jasen F.
Stumbled in after catching the name one night on King Street. Greeted at the door by an older gentleman, very friendly, sat me outside by a television, and explained the 'nachos' to me. The nachos are unique, almost like a mexican pizza, but not some crappy thing you get at taco bell. Fresh ingrediants and plenty of them pile upon an oven toasted and very large set of tortillas. Good beer selection and nice location. My only gripe is the quality and quantity and presentation of the chips & salsa, which are not free (not my gripe), but too little salsa or guacomole and the chips appear very generic. Odd considering their awesome nachos. Give it a try.
(4)
Jonathan T.
I didn't try the food here, but the alcohol was cheap. Margaritas were decent and the service was excellent. They even have outdoor seating, which is an advantage over other restaurants. The music selection was the icing on the cake--a soothing blend of late 90s and early 00s hip hop (Nas, Outkast, Tribe Called Quest). Not a very "Mexican" restaurant, but a great place to chill on some drinks and cheap food downtown. Probably great for groups.
(3)
Morgan K.
Juanita's used to be awesome... But sometime in the beginning of the recession they seemed to just let quality go... The nachos royale were very well priced and came with copious amounts of cheese (and optional) blackbeans, chicken and salsa. The last two times ive eaten here i have felt almost ripped off. Service has gone downhill a bit but the waiters/waitresses are very friendly still... but the food just doesnt taste as good. Bring back the old Juanita's!
(3)
Matt G.
An interesting idea & nice, relaxed vibe. A bit too oniony on the nachos though. Go there in the evening for a beer & have a good time.
(3)
Eric S.
We are from Texas so maybe we're a bit biased but I dont think so. This place was just not good. First, don't tout that you serve fresh food then bring out stale store bought chips and brown guacamole (with the explanation being that it would all be brown "unless we wanted them to make it fresh" (WHAT???). No thanks, just bring more crappy jarred salsa). Then don't serve something called a margarita that contains club soda(?). My chicken quesadillas were okay but they sure know how to skimp on chicken. My brother got a rice bowl with tofu and after sending it back twice because the tofu was ubedibly salty he settled on chicken. On the positive side the wait staff and manager were very nice. There was a reason this place was empty at 12:30 on a Wednesday. Our fault...we should have taken the cue.
(1)
Damith F.
Was a late Saturday night and I wanted some food - probably cant expect much going in at 11pm for a Burrito here. But it was a bit worse than I expected, hence the 2 stars. The server/waitress, though sweet in speech, was brusque in action - she sort of 'whisked' my beer away from behind me while traveling around the tables as if she was in a big hurry (the restaurant area perhaps had 3 occupied tables), and her chatter seemed perfunctory. She did bring me some extra napkins though, which was thoughtful, and they changed the channel on the tv so I could watch some football on ESPN. However, the burrito was mediocre, worse than I expected it to be - sour creme and bean sauce overpowering the other ingredients and playing their part in a particularly soggy concoction. Tough to give better than a 2 for a Charleston joint, where the bar is set quite high.
(2)
Tim P.
There are so many good restaurants in Charleston, and this is definitely NOT one of them. Don't even waste your time and money. We love Mexican food and have eaten at many restaurants. There is no doubt that you get what you pay for here - the restaurant was dirty and the food was far from high-quality. In fact, the food did not agree with my stomach at all. I would never recommend this restaurant!
(1)
Kevin H.
Looks like a great place from the outside but it goes down hill from there. Very loud and bar service was extremely slow for the amount of people they had sitting there - seemed more interested in talking with workers than serving drinks. Food is very limited - only your basics of nachos, burritos, tacos and quesidillas. Yep, that is it. You would think that they would perfect it if that is all they made, not the case. The Chicken burritto was OK, nothing special. Chips and salsa were mediocre at best. Chips were straight out of the bag and salsa may have come from the jar. Side of Guac cost $3.50 and came in a little sample cup. Again, for the price, should have been great and was not. I would suggest looking for other restaurants in that area of King street since there are many.
(2)
Jonathon W.
Bad service, worse food.
(1)
Ind R.
Post renovation *Juanita's loses a star. I like silverware as much as the next environmentally conscious girl- but the tv? And the waiting? You wait for a guy to take your drink order, then come back and take your dinner order, then bring your check... In the meantime, he asks you how you're doing, and if you're done with that plate. Dude, I came here to be left alone, not to have my conversation interrupted every five minutes. And the food seems a little different... but I may just be paranoid and resistant to change.* Simple, affordable, quick burritos and quesadillas. Portions are generous, vegetarian options are plentiful. Despite the name, order nachos, and you won't recognize them. They are more like open faced quesadillas. Don't take the clarification as discouragement, I usually go for the Bean Nachos Royale. Cheap beer and margaritas are always available! Yes, it's a favorite with college students. But I've also seen the state treasurer, and local school superintendent patronize Juanita's (not together). The collection of retro clocks and lighting creates a very unique, casual look. Associated with Andolini's Pizza.
(3)
Molly N.
Stopped for lunch. 4 adults and 1 child. Was told 25 min wait but found a table in the bar. Bartender was working too hard for 1 person for such a crowd! Someone forgot about our food. Not sure if it was kitchen maybe. 1 hr later we had to leave for a tour and asked for our stuff to go. They made no effort to satisfy us. No discount nothing. We got to eat while walking. 90 mins should have been enough time for lunch here. Guess you need a few hours!!!
(1)
Devon M.
Great place to grab a cheap pitcher of beer and great nachos with a few friends and enjoy the charleston weather!
(4)
Dee F.
Blah. Cheapest place to eat in charleston. But still..... PBRs are cheap.... but don't pass off as mexican food.
(2)
Kirk W.
Boo. A place with Nacho Royale in the name is not allowed to serve nachos that are more like a thin crust pizza with some cheese and chicken. Where's my big pile of awesome nachos?
(2)
Rochelle D.
I was not super impressed with this place. A friend recommended it to me for our trip down to Charleston, and my husband and I miss good mexican food, so we gave it a try despite the mediocre reviews. The food was just okay. We each had a marg, I had the one made with lime juice rather than the marg mix, and he just had a basic house marg on the rocks. They were both okay but to be honest his was a bit better - super strong. We were there on a weekday afternoon for lunch and sat at the bar. Bartender was nice and helpful enough. Nothing special, really, and if I were in the neighborhood I might stop in for a marg but probably wouldn't go back for food.
(3)
Neale N.
Good drinks but the tacos I got were tiny and didn't have a ton of flavor. The nachos were standard (which is good, hard to screw up nachos) and a friend had a quesadilla that was better than my tacos. I'd go back for a drink but wouldn't go just for food
(3)
mis h.
I made the mistake of going here once. The only reason I said one star is because I can't put zero. First of all, you have to pay like four dollars for chips and salsa. And those chips and salsa? Are straight from a bag. You know how most Mexican restaurants have like the chip warmer so the chips are perfectly crispy and warm when they bring them to you? Well we sat there and watched the "cook" open a new bag of chips and put them directly in our serving bowl and then our server bring them out. It was ridiculous. And at that, the chips are the same like thick round ones they sell you at the movie theater and ball games. We also got chicken tacos. Our chicken was cold! We debated for a few minutes if it was even cooked all the way through since they were leaking everywhere. And the chicken had never even been warm because the cheese wasn't melted in any sense of the word. Oh yeah, and our server never refilled our drinks then rolled his eyes when we asked him to. He was standing behind the bar reading a paper. If you want Mexican food, make the drive to Santi's. Trust me!
(1)
Daniel S.
The restaurant smells faintly of burnt plastic, and the meat I ordered tasted the same way. It was also cold, and the service was slow. I ordered a "brown rice bowl," but it came with the same white rice as everything else. The fast food chains Qdoba and Chipotle are better than this restaurant. Not worth your time in a city with so many great restaurants.
(2)
Tommy B.
Juanita Greenberg's was breathtaking. Breathtakingly bad. I have wanted to try Juanita's for years, a friend of mine took me tot he new location on Coleman today. It was so bad, I could not believe it. I ordered the Nachos Trifecta. The chips were possibly from the Piggly Wiggly up the street. The salsa tasted like pizza sauce from next door, the guacamole had no taste, and the cheese sauce was high school stadium quality. With a name like Nacho Royale, you would think they could at least get that right. I also had the traditional taco which had more of the salsa/pizza sauce on top. The whole experience was just gross. Will never go back.
(1)
Heather M.
Juanita Greenberg's Nacho Royale is a quirky taste of Tex-Mex. It's as if two artists in college got hungry and only had ingredients for Mexican food but were slightly in the mood for Italian food. Not your typical Mexican Restaurant where you get bottomless chips and salsa for free, and receive "hot plates" within fifteen minutes, so please don't go there if you are expecting just that. At first, I thought I was going to be disappointed with the chips because they had the audacity to charge me for them (at this day & age!) but with the extra layering of black beans, homemade cheese, guac or even just the atypical white corn round chips (automatically comes with pico), it's worth the extra dollars. The Royale Nachos are where I lean heavily when I order. They remind me of an open-faced quesadilla with a different crust. A large, thin and crunchy nacho shaped like pizza crust, is coated with Monterey Jack cheese, & pico & sour cream on the side with your choices of black beans, cheese, chicken, sausage or steak (each topping costs extra). They are generous with these toppings. So far I've only tasted the beans & chicken and am very satisfied because I keep ordering them. I have tasted their burritos, and they are good and filling. I have yet to try the quesadilla, though. But if you want something different, their signature item is the Royale Nachos. The actual restaurant is small, however. It's long and narrow and can feel even more crowded. They do have a back room which is more like a patio so it may not be good for larger groups past 12 people. Because I've been there on weekends, it's always busy. At least the staff is cordial enough among the hectic atmosphere.
(4)
Qbz Q.
OK, so perhaps Charleston is not the best place for Mexican food. we really did wonder if the Greenberg name made them make nachos on matzah, because the weird thin crust thing bother me, as it did some others, I guess. Wasn't crowded at all -but not very friendly folks at all - they didn't seem to want us there, or care.
(2)
J M.
The first time I came to Juanita's was last year, my sister, two cousins, and I came to get some tacos and we really enjoyed the food. We were kind of annoyed that our waitress wasn't very friendly or attentive, and this really turned us off to Juanita's....but not enough to pass up the opportunity to get more delicious fish tacos this year while visiting Charleston again. We decided to try out Juanita's again this year (we figured the same salty waitress probably wasn't there anymore, and we were right!). We were in Charleston for four days and my sister went to Juanita's 3/4 days and I went 2/4 days. We honestly loved this place! I got the fish and steak tacos and my sister got steak and blackened fish. The tacos are so good it's almost hard to believe that they're so cheap. I also got the margarita with the tequila shot on top, it was so good and I hardly tasted the alcohol but it got me so drunk! My ONE complaint is that the chips aren't freshly made, they're from bags. Fresh made tortilla chips would really taste so much better, especially combined with that delicious guacamole! But honestly, this is a very very small complaint because the rest of the food was so good :) Sidenote: The second time I went we had a really great waiter, he was so friendly and engaging and I really wish we had gotten his name so he could be recognized for how great he is! I left my Ray-Bans at the table and came back a few hours later and he immediately recognized me and gave me my sunglasses. Some people would have kept them for themselves so I'm really happy that we had him as a waiter!
(4)
Clare L.
I am shocked at the low reviews here. My friends and I absolutely LOVED our experience at Juanita's this past weekend. Sure, it wasn't particularly a Southern type place or a foodie joint by any means, but the food was delicious. Some of the best Mexican I've had anywhere in the world. Our server Joe was really friendly and humored our group since it was my birthday. We started out with margarita pitchers and ended the night with several rounds of Rumpleminze shots. At $3 a shot, who is going to say no to that? I had one chicken taco and one fish taco and both were excellent - really flavorful and two was the perfect amount for a light dinner. I was kind of disappointed that you had to pay for chips and salsa here, I thought that it was a Mexican restaurant standard to get free chips and salsa, but no harm done. I'd come back again for the nachos and quesadillas. Both looked amazing and we regretted not ordering more.
(5)
Curtis S.
Eating my way through Charleston - Part 4 After Husk we decided it was time to take little man through the South Carolina Aquarium and since the parking lot guy said it was close by... we decided to walk :) After a couple hours at the Aquarium it was time to get back to Restaurant Hopping so we set out for our next stop... Butcher & Bee. On the way to Butcher & Bee we passed by Juanita Greenburg's Nacho Royale (a repeat favorite of mine) and the temptation was way too strong for me to pass up so I stopped in for a quick steak taco and reminisced about my last visit to Juanita's. The taco was seriously on point and served up only a couple minutes after I ordered. The corn tortilla was crunchy and hot, the steak was well seasoned and grilled to perfection, and despite already being on my way to get food... I was really happy I stopped in and got a little something light and refreshing from Juanita Greenburg's Nacho Royale.
(4)
Carmela O.
I love a restaurant that let's my dog sit with me on the back deck. I don't love a Mexican restaurant that doesn't have complimentary chips and salsa (like, not even with the purchase of an entree.) I also detest salt with my margarita, but I guess I can't expect my waitress to remember every detail. Despite the pooch love, I really don't see how this place competes with the absolutely divine food scene that is downtown Charleston. It was just okay, at best. But the name has always fascinated me (I was disappointed there wasn't Jewish and Mexican fare on the menu - who wouldn't eat a Mazzo ball burrito?) so I'm glad I gave it a shot.
(3)
Alexa R.
U know how nachos are usually just OK? Not here. Here they are better than ok. They are better than good. They are great. The portion is insane. The chips are the most delicious. Also, and this is super important, they have a solid Amount of toppings each layer of chips. That's right. No dry chips. Respect. And JAws was playing on like 3 of the TVs WITH closed captioning. GTFO.
(5)
Virginia W.
So I wrote a review a while back about them and how their happy hour deals changed and their chips are pretty crap, but I have to write another one after the horrible experience I had last night. My friend and I decided to stop by for some beers and food. I got a taco and she got the "nacho royale" we assumed that would be nachos. It was basically a flatbread pizza with a weird combination of things on it. When we asked our server about it, she immediately said she'd get the manager. Clearly this is a menu item they've had issues with before, because he came out and was very rude and defensive. He didn't even ask us if there was an issue, he just went into a spiel about how we were told 3 times what the order actually was. We both worked f&b for years and were pretty shocked at how he spoke to us. I've never had anyone be so blatantly rude to a customer. We weren't even going to ask for our money back, we were just curious as to why it's labeled as nachos when it's not. He SHOULD NOT be in a manager or any customer service position. We had been going to Juanita's for years. We will not be returning. It has definitely gone downhill.
(1)
Matt N.
I hate ordering nachos out at dinner. My wife on the other hand does. My intention was to let her get nachos and me tacos...when I saw how awesome the nachos looked I was sold...this place rocks and is the best cheap dinner in Charleston!
(5)
Liss M.
This was fine for what we wanted . Good service and drinks . Not 5 star but you're not paying for 5 star . We were happy with everything .
(3)
Dano M.
Has nothing to do with Mexican Food...Real Mexican does not have Nachos... Save your money....Horrible attempt at being mediocre....Canned everything...How can you serve canned beans.....Quesadillas are not even close....Makes you crazy....
(1)
Dante G.
On February 21, 2015 at approximately 1630 hours Tom H., Elle H., and I, Dante G., responded to Juanita Greenberg's Nacho Royale located at 439 King Street which is located in the city of Charleston, in reference to a late lunch. We entered through the door located on the A Side of the business. We made contact with a male white subject at the Host Stand which is located approximately one third of the way into the business, at the end of the bar. The subject allowed us to sit at a table located at the interior D-A corner. Menus were produced and choices made. I do question not producing a children's menu when you can see that there is an obvious four-year-old there. I went with a beef quesadilla with a side of nachos and queso. I washed it down with a sweet tea. Elle H. had a children's quesadilla. She wanted Mac and Cheese. She's four and therefore lacks a certain amount of self-determination. Someday she will realize not every restaurant serves chicken nuggets or mac and cheese. Tom H. had a little more difficulty with his choice. Tom H. wanted the special listed on the sidewalk board (see attached photo). His initial order was two tacos, one beef and one shrimp with a Negro Modelo to drink. Two tacos and a beer. It seems there is some fine print somewhere. It seems shrimp is not available for the special. Additionally, Negro Modelo is not available either. It seems they have to keep the special "near seven dollars". Available beers were Busch, PBR, Miller Light; essentially cheap American stuff. Questions about substitutions and up charges went unanswered. I'll take this moment to point out that the price difference in a beef taco and a shrimp taco was $0.50. Fifty cents. The menu difference for the beers was $1.00. One dollar. The chips and queso arrived. The chips tasted slightly of popcorn. Weirdest thing I ever encountered. I don't think they even serve popcorn here. If I had to describe the chips and queso in a word; that word would be bland. I saw the queso. I felt its warmth. I tasted nothing. Kind of like eating hot paste. Just less tasty. The food arrived. The tacos were average according to Tom H. Elle H. was not hungry. The adult quesadilla really made up for the chips and queso. Fresh ingredients, served hot, and we'll above average in taste. And the serving size was filling. We requested the check. I requested separate checks. The male, possibly Kristopher, brought one check. When we gave him two cards, he asked if we just wanted the bill split in half. Tom H. politely explained what separate checks meant. All in all, it was an experience I would not be opposed to repeating. Not one I would be adamant about, but would not stand in the way of. End of Report.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Adam B. J.
Love this place. This place and the old Juanita Greenberg's that was on Wentworth have been favorites since 1996 when I started at College of Charleston. The Nacho Royale is the name sake for a reason! It's great. Love the beer selection and prices!
(4)Alex H.
My wife and I stopped in here during a rain storm. We grabbed a couple of beers and the corn nachos. They were really good. The bar staff was entertaining as well. Will definitely come back to try the tacos.
(4)Ryan S.
We came in at 12:30 with four people spicificly for food. After 10 minutes and seeing no server, and after the bartender told me a server would be over and then refused to even give us menus, i had to grab them myself after ten minutes. I then go to the bar again to get our order in in time, the bartender with short hair and goatee who's bday it was then made a comment to the cook that more people wanted to order food and they talked shit in front on me. I'm pissed and as a server I have no respect for this place. But I'm starving.
(1)Stephanie M.
Loved it. Our server was great and the food was even better. Great experience all around.
(5)Christian C.
Get the tacos. Blackened shrimp and the chicken tacos were great . The food came quickly. Nice big TVs to watch whatever. Bartender was cool. Good music playing as well.
(5)Matty B.
The lady friend and I had a serious hankering for some Mexican food one evening and decided to give Juanita Greenberg's a try (despite the mixed bag in terms of Yelp reviews), and simply put it was not good. On the positive side (let's try to be glass half full here), we were seated very promptly and our waitress was friendly and attentive. Also there was plenty of seating available despite the fact that it was peak dinner hours (in retrospect, that may have been a warning sign). Also, the outdoor patio seems like it may be nice, though it was too chilly the night we visited to partake. The main issue is that the food is rather bland and tasteless. My fiancee ordered a chicken burrito, while I got the chicken brown rice bowl. Portion sizes were respectable, but the taste simply was not there. I typically devour every piece of food that is put in front of me (and am often left still hungry), but I couldn't even finish my food here. Uh-oh, major red flag. Similarly, my fiancee could only manage to finish half of her burrito and that was a struggle. From my end, washing it down with a Westbrook IPA that cost $6.50 (and I'm pretty sure it wasn't even their IPA) didn't make matters any better (though I do love me some Westbrook!). In terms of pricing, it wasn't so cheap or affordable here that I could somewhat justify the lack of overall quality. Plus chips and salsa were not complimentary. Boo. Well, at least I can cross good ol' J. Greenberg off my list of potential go-to Mexican spots!
(2)Michelle S.
Sad to write this review but this is not the same food I remember. Not sure if it's bc I have had really good Mexican since the last time I was here making this seem simple or if they have just gone down hill. Nothing was bad but just simple and lacking any tAste. The salsa and guac were mediocre and the rice bowl really wasn't something to shout about. Recommend drinking and listening to the music.
(2)Kevin H.
The sign out front says "World Famous Margaritas". I say, "Not at all!" Bad salsa, bad chips, bad margarita, left quickly. We didn't dare try the dinner.
(1)Jessica G.
We had lunch at Juanita's Monday afternoon and our bartender was amazing. Ryan was very attentive and friendly. He went out of his way to make our experience excellent! Juanita's just gained two more regulars!
(5)Artemiy Z.
Went here last night for a quick meal. What a terrible and slow service! And I am not that picky with service either... Hostess didn't give us the menus or send us a server till 20 min past we were sitting at the table. Server didn't know the menu or the drinks. The atmosphere was great. The food was average Mexican (fish tacos undercooked and too salty, nachos lacked flavor, rice bowl was good). Women's bathroom did not have soap. ..so all the waitresses were walking around with germy/dirty hands. With abundance of Mexican restaurants in Charleston world not come back again.
(1)Elaine M.
This place isn't your traditional mexican joint but it is a great establish to grab happy hour at with a large group of friends. Do yourself a favor and make sure you order the corn nachos (i get them with chicken) priced just right at about $8 and they are huge and easy to share. Also they have some of the best happy hour specials in town with $1.50 tacos and $2.00 domestics. They always have 2 tacos and a PBR for $5. Bonus: they just redid the one downtown so it isn't so dirty anymore.
(3)Frank G.
Went to the one on Colman, Don't bother. No salsa or chips, you have to pay for them. No extra stuff on your plate except for what you ordered?.?? Please, this is not a Mexican restaurant, but a "joint" Frankg
(1)Keighty N.
My friend and I had an awful experience tonight with our drinks. We ordered a pitcher of margaritas. When we got it though it oddly tasted like soap and there was a full layer of strange bubbles floating at the top (I have eaten/drank here frequently for the past 4 years and am familiar with their menu). Since there was clearly something wrong, we asked for a new pitcher. The new one tasted exactly the same (soapy and disgusting). After explaining to the waiter that there was still possibly an issue with this pitcher he said that since we had poured drinks from the pitchers (none of which we had finished) we still had to pay for them. He comped one but said we had to pay for the second. I couldn't believe that they would expect me to pay for something that was prepared in a gross and DANGEROUS way (soap is caustic and causes chemical burns when ingested). Then when leaving the restaurant we walked by the kitchen and the stench of soap overwhelmed us! All my doubts about this thinking I was imagining the soapy taste vanished. Clearly there was some sort of situation with a cleaning product that was NOT handled properly. In the end our appetizer (under $5) was comped but we were still expected to pay for the $16 pitcher. I have enjoyed this place in the past but the beverages and service tonight was unacceptable and I will NOT BE GOING BACK anytime soon.
(1)Victoria P.
A fun place to be! Food is good and so are the drinks. Atmosphere is very fun. They have good bands playing as well best queso in town. Can't get enough!
(5)Kinjal P.
Disgusting Service! Hair and Meat in Vegeterian Food! we have been to this restaurant almost 5-6 times now and everytime it came down to bad service. once we had ordered 2 Nacho Royale, waitress confirmed with us and she brought only 1. We thought Chef is still preparing so we waited and we ate 3/4th of the Food on 1 plate and still the 2nd order wasn't ready yet. so we called the waitress and she said oh you had ordered 2nd one? I told to make 1 only. she is still ASKING us- if we wanted our 2nd order!!!! of course lady we r there to eat and we were 4 people! She did NOT Apologize! then once we had guests come over from Chicago. we took them to this restaurant and as the space is less inside they made us sit outside where few young white males were smoking. we were seated right next to them so we requested to move little farther away from them. They kept smoking and cam closer to us, kept looking at us and laughing. Obviously they were doing it on purpose. it also felt like one of the employee was also involved in this. then once I requested to our waitress to make Nacho Royale crispy as last time we dined it had become soggy. she was so RUDE, she said I am not the chef, I don't cook and I told her that I KNOW U DON'T COOK but you can tell CHEF - right? what she wanted me to go to chef and tell him to make crispy? what is she there for then? and once we had meat in our vegeterian food and we tokd them - they did NOT care to apologize! last time we went it was heights- we found a hair 2-3cm long blonde color of the chef who had long bulk of beard and long blonde hair as well!! MOST DISGUSTING SERVICE!!!! do NOT recommend this restaurant to anyone.
(1)Molly J.
My fiance and I had such positive experiences here during our Charleston trip. The first time we went, we were on a craft beer tour and so we enjoyed the beer choices offered. We also had the opportunity to partake in the trifecta: queso, salsa, and guac. So yummy! A couple of nights later we went again since we knew there would be great beer choices. This time, we split some nachos. The portion was HUGE! We enjoyed them greatly. The main reason this gets such a good rating from me is because of the atmosphere and the menu-- drinks and food.
(4)Hillary S.
If you like shitty service, come here! :) !!! They renovated this place and before renovation it was great 5 dollars for 2 tacos and a pbr, different staff and good service. Now, after renovations they have bumped up there prices, foods the same....and like I said the service sucks.
(2)Lindsay A.
Oh my goodness yum! This place has delicious food and a really cool atmosphere! They recently completely renovated the inside and out back and it's so cool! The margaritas are cold and yummy and the food is hot and fresh! I usually get the fish tacos which I love. They have a whole assortment of hot sauces to add which I think is so cool because you usually only have one option. The chips and salsa are much better than the typical Mexican joint that serves greasy and watery chips and salsa. The chips aren't free but they are worth the extra couple of bucks! All in all I've had nothing but great experiences here and I'll definitely be back!
(5)Tracey G.
I know this place has low reviews but not sure why We went in here cause the other two places were a no concealed carry place and that will lose our business any day so I am glad they were. I had the fish burrito was absoutely delish! My husband had the sausage nachos royale was way more than we could eat and was outstanding in flavor! The waiters there were very nice!
(5)Michael C.
As it turns out, this is a place to drink and once you've had too much, then order the food. The food was low quality and lacked flavor and creativity. Our server was excellent and the ambiance nice. The portions were good. However, if you want good Mexican food, keep looking.
(1)Catey W.
The food is a bit better now that it's redone. Some of the space has genuine personality a lot if it is kind of Ehhh. It's so bright and commercial looking now though and has a sports bar like feel with all the new tv's minus the bar space to accommodate it. I go there to see people I like but it's not my thing. And a huge pet peeve of mine is the servers with super long hair don't keep it in a pony tail or pulled back at all.
(3)Vu T.
Do you ever have those weeks where you want nothing but a taco? This was one of those weeks for me. Where to go? where to go? Upon entering this fine establishment you are greeted and seated. Menus passed out and drink orders taken. The usual order of happenings in a typical downtown Charleston restaurant. I ordered 3 tacos, 2 steak and 1 fish. I know, the fish taco was a very dangerous taco to order. Its hard to find a place that makes a good one. This fish taco was just average here. Parts of it were a little salty and just didn't do it for me. The steak tacos however were really good. There was chips, salsa, and queso ordered as well. Typical tasting and didn't have any surprises there. Yea I kind of expected a clown to pop out of the queso and say hi. Would I go here again? yea I would. Would I order the fish taco again? yea I would, because I like to live on the dangerous side of town and maybe just maybe the next fish taco will knock me on my booty! They also have Nachos of course, and burritos, quesadillas, and everything has plenty of cheese on it for you cheese lovers!
(3)Erin K.
Later on a Sunday night, we wanted something small to eat. We sat outside and enjoyed our meal. We all had margaritas, which were awesome! My friend and I both had quesadillas, also delicious and our other friend had nachos, which were a little different, but still good. Service was friendly and quick. For a casual meal, Juanita Greenberg's was perfect.
(4)Rich G.
This place sucks. Just ordered a steak burrito to go. The diced red onion was big enough to choke a small child. The rice was dry, hard and crunchy. I'm not sure where the steak was either. Yo can't you make a better burrito than what I just tried to eat for dinner..... What a disappointment. I will never go back.
(1)Emily M.
This place sucks. The service & the food was horrible. I didn't think you could mess tacos up that much. We also didn't get waters until we were halfway through the meal. Will never come here again & do not recommend it to anyone!
(1)Lizzy J.
I love this place! You don't get free chips and salsa here, which is lame, but the food makes up for it. The staff is nice and the service was quick even when it was super busy. The margarita prices are really awesome - you can get top shelf tequila for not much extra. They are a little on the salty side if that bothers you, but definitely not weak and 90% sour mix like most Mexican places. DEFINITELY order the nacho royale when you go here. Basically thin-crust Mexican pizza on a tortilla with really fresh vegetables and nice cheese. It's massive so I took half home and reheated it the next day and it was still good. Another person at my table got the quesadilla but said it was too cheesy and was jealous of my "nachos." The crowd on Friday and Saturday nights is annoying, drunk college students (I say that like I wasn't included in that group a couple years ago...) but if you can get past that, it's a great place.
(5)Gerald T.
We ordered the steak nachos royale and a chicken burrito. These are not your ordinary nachos..if you like spicy then its a homerun. They load them with jalapenos. Service is good and fast. Great place for a quick lunch with great food.
(4)Caroline W.
Last Wednesday I found myself in beautiful Charleston. I met up with my best friend, a Charleston native, and we went on a hunt for mid-day drinks. Since we were on King Street, I suggested Juanita Greenberg's for margaritas and patio seating. I've always had pleasant experiences there. This Wednesday was different. We walked in and stood next to the hostess stand that read, "Please Wait to be Seated". We stood there for 3 minutes as the guy behind the counter toiled around, looked at us and asked us how we were doing and then went back to what he was doing. Two servers came up to the kitchen "window" mere feet from us and looked past us as we stood there obviously waiting for someone to seat us. During all of this, a server then starts up an argument with one of the guys on the line, (I believe his name was Tito). The argument escalated to the point where the other server had to step in. As a customer, the last thing you want is to be ignored. We turned around, and started to walk out, but not before we saw the appalled look on the faces of the other patrons that were already dining. Extremely bad experience.
(1)Shonda M.
I'm a fan of the quesadilla. I wasso happy to discover that their kitchen was open late one night after work. All of my friends had been there having drinks and I was starving at about 10:30pm. The service was quick and the black bean quesadilla was delicious. Get it.
(4)tom j.
You know, I have had better Nachos, but these were pretty damn good! Nacho Royal with white shrimp, more like a light pizza, but tastier. Chips WERE home made, like a chip crust pizza. Very inexpensive for the area, a great place for lunch. The location is excellent, service is excellent and friendly, and the place is pretty cool. Sweet outdoor seating in the rear of the restaurant. I'm not too sure of the beer selection, but I was told this place is pretty happening with the locals for drinking on the weekends. I will return, for food and drinks. Thumbs UP on this place!
(4)Vic B.
Halfway through our night of "mild" drinking, we got the munchies (go figure). We went in, sat out back (there's only a few tables but services is quick). Great food at super reasonable prices! We had chips salsa, beer, a margarita chips and quac and salsa plus a huge quesadilla for about 18$. Did a shot with my waiter. Really cool spot. Didn't get a chance to sit at the bar and eat but that is an option.
(5)Mark L.
This restaurant will not surprise you at all. It is what it seems. Small easy Mexican menu of burritos, quesis, and nachos, a good bar menu and lots of different tequila. There is a great outdoor patio in the back with has great large group seating options. If you want a quick bite or a drink or two before you head out for the night, this is a good starting point.
(3)Tom G.
I think the Yelp rating is accurate. Can't understand why so many bartenders and hotel concierge's recommend it. It's OK, it's fine. Service was OK. Food was OK. Ambiance was OK. All just OK. Nothing really special. With so many other great choices in the area I don't think I'd go back.
(2)Deb B.
What happened? I LOVE Juanita Greenberg's. At least I did. The service was way too slow and the nachos were getting skimpy. This used to be one of my places eats. Get back to it Juanita's!
(2)Sam G.
Came here because they are conceal carry friendly... Left a lover of the food everything was awesome
(5)Jennifer R.
Food is ok if you just want something cheap and a beer or margaritas. Salsa is odd, tastes ok but it has no onion, tomato, or veggie chunks. More like mainara. They charge for chips and salsa. Burrito was good and the steak was tender. Generous portions except for the 2 oz salsa cup. Would probably be a fun hang out for college students. We were hust visiting.
(3)Larry B.
A non-touristy spot that offers relatively healthy Mexican. The navhos were awesome - bug enough for two on a crisp pizza flan type bread. Very affordable prices and they have a happy hour.
(4)Matt P.
I just moved to charleston recently and was looking for a lunch spot. Went to Juanita's on a whim and was not disappointed. I got the $5 lunch taco and pbr special and was very surprised. The tacos are excellent and the bartenders are friendly and very attentive. I think I have found my regular spot. The funk band on Thursday nights is unbelievable and definitely worth the trip there, they're some of the most talented musicians in charleston.
(5)Mary B.
Good service, cheese dip, and margaritas. Also, loved the outside seating Ming the trees. But the salsa needs some spice. Overall very good experience and would definitely go back.
(4)Ian W.
While the beers are cheap, the food here is barely what I would call edible. At minimum the chips and salsa should be good but I would take a bag of Tostitos over the chips here any day. The fish taco looked like tunafish out of a can and tasted like high tide smells. Sorry Juanita but you should stick to what you know best and clearly, Mexican food is not it.
(1)Josh S.
Simple n clean......Awesome bartender each time I've been in(katie) Location is key, but service is keen. Food is well put together, hot sauce bar is a plus......Sausage has a nice kick.......
(4)Avi C.
Food is ok. I have had better also have had worse. Margaritas are really good! Good place to go with friends for drinks and snacks. If you get the nachos with flour tortillas it comes on a large flour tortilla and is cut like a pizza. The corn are the more traditional with chips. Bathrooms could use a little more attendance and the dining room seemed gruff. To be fair This could also be due to low lighting in the back seating area.
(3)Bill M.
Walking in on a clean slate, expecting a beer and some light, mid-afternoon food, I was met with the most charming and friendly service I've ever had in Charleston. Ask for Abbey and if it's not her shift, consider coming back when she's working. The shrimp tacos, yelp.com/biz_photos/nmz3… , were simply the best "fish" taco I'd ever had. The wife got the fish tacos (grilled Mahi). I agreed to split with her. It's truly love that she got one of the shrimp tacos. Both were very good, but I think the fish tacos at Poe's are better. Turns out the two places are owned by the same people (along with Taco Boy). The PBRs were cheap and went well with the tacos. The complementary chips, yelp.com/biz_photos/nmz3… , were average but the salsa, guac and queso sauce dressed them up nicely. The price was right, the PBRs coming in at $1.50 a piece and the tacos going for $6.95 a piece. I plan to come here every time I visit and if my plans to relocate here work out, I will hit this place once a month. It could have been a one time thing, socializing with Abbey, sitting out back, choosing the best thing on the menu. Regardless, I'll take it
(5)Chris O.
Very disappointed with service. Food was OK - nothing to brag about. I would have rather gone to Chipotle for the food. Margaritas had way too much sour. This is the only restaurant I've experienced in the service industry that doesn't value the customer. I don't know about the Mt. Pleasant location, but the "manager"/bartender at the downtown location is a joke. Story time: Server spills my dinner (chicken taco salad no beans) before reaching the table, then, after everyone else is done eating she brings me a new one - with beans. Didn't want to have to be "that girl" since she was having a bad day; however, I wanted to make her aware that it had beans but I was going to eat it anyway. She (or any other employee) was nowhere to be found and came back with the checks about twenty minutes later. When I asked if she could comp the guacamole or something, she said it was fine. The "manager" then comes over and defensively asks "what's the problem here?" I explained what happened and he told me he could get me a new salad....AFTER we got our checks. He let me know that he is "not in the business of giving away free food." I never asked or expected to be comped for my entire meal, but I thought that the service was beyond awful and he could definitely make up for it here with a freakin free side of guac! He wasn't having it - he kept pushing as to why I didn't send back the salad with beans. Me (baffled): "Because there were no servers to be found. I'm not going to chase people around the restaurant to replace a mistake that wasn't my fault. You may not be in the 'free food' service, but you are in the customer service business. If you don't care to make up for poor service, this is really simple: I won't be back." He leaves in a huff and then, after all of that, he comps my salad! Even with free food at the end, all of that drama is not worth another trip in there.
(1)Windy F.
Nothing spectacular. Pretty bland burritos. Quesadilla was dry and tha salsa had a weird taste. The flour tortilla was alittle on the burnt side. Service was good, attentive and the food came quickly. Quick meal if you're just starving and nowhere else to go.
(2)Jamie P.
My boyfriend and I chose this spot for our before-concert meal. EPIC WIN. My quesadilla is the best I've ever had, and his burrito was delish, too. We sat outside (on a church pew!), and our server was just attentive enough to be helpful but not annoying. The decor is a Charleston take on Mexico, and compliments the food well. Our only complaint was the limp music. It was like 1990's soft rock hell. If Juanita's got some Tito and the Tarantulas or Reverend Horton Heat, the experience would be complete.
(4)Dave D.
The worst meal I have had in the 9 months of living in Charleston came to me at the hands of this establishment. Took two bites of the food and pushed it away. My burrito was served nearly cold. Marguarita's were aslo terrible. Stay far far away from this place.
(1)Rachel M.
First time at Juanita Greenberg's Nacho Royale Atmosphere: 2; maybe because we were sitting on the second floor as there was no room below...simple, rustic, not much to look at except the Budweiser Clydesdales mural Staff/Kitchen: 2; our server was nice and all, but the food took forever Drinks: 2; no local beers; the margarita was tasteless Food: 2; limited menu; store-bought chips and salsa; the nacho royales were ok Overall: 2; no need to go again
(2)Michael T.
They have beer and tequila. That is it. The food is lame!
(2)Monica M.
Mount Pleasant Location - great atmosphere. Very disappointed in the margaritas, when I go to a Mexican restaurant I expect large or even decent sized drinks. The margaritas were tiny in rocks glasses. Bartenders were good - hostesses were a little too young, almost not confident in the job they were supposed to do. Overall good experience except for the drinks. Mexican = GOOD margaritas, they need to step it up un that area.
(3)Monique M.
I decided to take a chance on this place. After reading the Yelp reviews I figured it would be iffy, but we were headed out of town and wanted something fast to eat. This place is a dump. Someone needs to go through here with a broom & a mop. I watched a guy drop tortilla chips on the floor and no one ever swept it up. The bathroom was a mess. Paper towels were spilling over in the wastebasket, the towel dispenser machine was broken and sitting on the floor. The mirror was dirty. I couldn't believe it! The food was not bad, but not the greatest either. I had chicken nachos and my mom ordered tacos. When my mom asked for sauce the waitress pointed to a back table where the condiments were and she didn't offer to bring to the table. Recommend skipping this place on your visit to Charleston.
(1)Kyle E.
What?! Why are people ripping this place so bad?! We went here as a alternate to Taco Boy. I ordered the Nacho Royale, its basically a mexican pizza, it was huge and delicious. Just because it has "nacho" in the name doesnt mean it needs to be a standard chip piled with tons of junk on it. We also ordered the trifecta, chips with guacamole, queso and salsa, each was very tasty. I was glad nobody at my table liked the guac, all to myself! The burritos looked huge! The only thing that kept Juanita's from a fifth star is the noise. Its kinda like a bar with a lot of people having a good time. Sometimes its not bad for a lively atmosphere but other times not yelling to your friends is better. I really liked this place and will go back without a doubt.
(4)Laura M.
Went to try out their happy hour special and was very disappointed. The house margarita was small and not good. The chips weren't very fresh, and the salsa came pre-packaged in plastic tubs with lids. Their traditional taco was alright, but nothing to rave about. Based on how colorful the entrance is, the inside was pretty dark and odd. If I ever get the craving for a margarita again, I'll be heading to Taco Boy.
(2)Amy C.
I really liked this place...I came here to have dinner with one of my best friends from high school and had a great time! We met there on a Saturday at about 530, and it was happy hour; since weather in Charleston is always amazing in March, we decided to grab one of their patio tables. Let me just say that their basic Margarita is delicious and so is their frozen strawberry Margarita...hey, nothing beats a refreshing tequila drink in the South :D I had their burrito, being a picker eater, and asked for almost everything on the side except for my meat and lettuce...I must say, the burrito had plenty of meat and overall was quite delicious. My steak was not overcooked and everything had nice balance of seasons which made for great Mexican flavor. The people I had dinner with got fish tacos which they thought was ok to lacking flavor so while they are supposedly known for that, I'd read more reviews before getting that item on the menu. Overall, it's got a great vibe, great cheap drinks during happy hour, and a great restaurant if you're on King street wanting to unwind :)
(4)Colleen M.
Let me first start off by saying I LOVE Mexican food! Althought the service was really good and their margaritas were DELICIOUS (one of the best margaritas I have ever had), the food was not impressive. I got a burrito and there was nothing special about it but my friends got the nachos and they looked delicious. Although I was not overly impressed with the place, I would go back and try another food on their menu.
(3)Robert S.
My man and I ate lunch at Juanita Greenberg's last year and had a pretty good Sunday afternoon lunch. This past weekend, we were in the mood for a giant burrito for Saturday night dinner, so we thought we'd try it out again. The restaurant wasn't too busy, so we thought we'd get to eat in resonable time. We waited in a short line for about 5 minuted before being seated next to the bar. I used the restroom, expecting to return to at least water on the table, but I found just my man and two menus. The minutes started to tick by and there was no sign of a waiter at our table. There looked to be one waitress for our section who seemed to be slowly bringing out drink orders to other people seated nearby. In between the drink orders, she was taking her sweet time doing what looked to be reading and writing text messages on her phone. More time passes... we're still ignored. No drink. Not even a "be back in a minute". I look around for the waitress... she's still next to the bar screwing around with her phone. That was the end of our trip to Juanita Greenberg's. We stood up and waked out. I don't think anybody noticed... we strolled past the restaurant about 5 minutes later and the menus were where we left them. Do yourself a favor and try our some of the better local places up and down the street. We ended up at Virginia's on King and had a FANTASTIC meal.
(1)Josh A.
What the hell happened to this place? I remember going here in high school and college. It was cheap, fast, tasty, and consistent. Had it tonight and it was none of those. It was slow, over priced, ok taste, and the service was crap at best. It really pained me to give this place a 1, but I've got to be honest with the other Yelpers out there. This is a place that needs to get back to where it started. Simple, cheap, fun, and great tasting. Sorry Juanita, but it hurts me more than it hurts you.
(1)aerin m.
Not impressed. I was with a group of 6, so expected the food to take a little longer than usual, but was pretty shocked that it took over an hour, with very few customers inside. The lights were very low in the back room, and it was hot, hot, hot! Our waitress was friendly enough, but didn't bring water until the third request, and my diet coke was never refilled despite me asking. Even though I requested a take-out box twice, the waitress never brought me one, and I ended up just leaving my leftovers. The food itself was decent, but nothing to write home about. I had the taco salad, and others at the table had the nachos and the quesadilla. I recommend the quesadilla, if anything.
(2)Adam A.
The patio smelled strongly of beer, even at noon, and most surfaces were sticky. Feels like a margarita bar that would be better experienced in the dark. The food was underwhelming, although they do have a good array of hot sauces. With so many other good food options around, I wouldn't waste your time with this one.
(2)Kelly R.
Went here last weekend after a girls weekend in Edisto. Was looking for cheap, fast hangover food and really, how can you screw up chips and salsa?? Place seemed fine, not crowded at all, but once we were seated we realized that there was apparently only one server for the entire place, inside and out. Took about 20-30 minutes just to get our water and teas. Debated leaving but saw that other tables sat after us were getting their orders. Two other parties did decide to leave after waiting forever for service. After being there for 45 min out food order was finally taken, and another 20 minutes later the blandest, most mediocre Mexican food arrived. Our server never once apologized for the delay, I think since there were six of us (auto-grat) she didn't care. After TWO HOURS we were finally out of that place. Never again...
(1)Bob B.
Inexpensive, very casual college joint. Come for happy hour (4-7) and order a Texas Grandma Margarita. Very simple tex-mex. You will pay for chips and salsa. Expect Ozzy Osborne rather than Mariachi music....
(1)C R.
Would be better of eating at home! Food was something you could make better yourself and service was not good. Felt like we were inconveniencing the wait staff by eating there. They brought two vegetarians chicken burritos and said they were bean. We will definitely not eat here again!
(1)Whit R.
A breath of fresh air in an otherwise mostly boring mexican food scene. Pretty much everything can be made with steak or chicken or beans. The nachos here are HUMONGOUS! Plenty of good cheap cold beer and pitchers of margarita will help finish you up once your belly is chock-jam full of yummy mexican food from Juanita Greenberg;s!
(3)Sunday G.
I loved this place. Simply divine. Very low key, very local loved. Very hip. I loved the decor, the wait staff and yes, the food. The food was fabulous. I love Mexican food, it's my favorite. And yes, this is an americanized version of a wonderful thing. But it was made so well, I can't help but adore. I loved the crisp lettuce in the burrito, the lightly spiced black beans, the plethora of hot sauces to chose from. The huge quantity, the great music from the new wave 80's. Even the margarita was pleasant. Now I'm not gonna lie and say this is the best Mexican joint, but seriously, there ain't much wrong with it. A simple menu with to-the-point burritos, tacos and so on. One thing I did notice was the lack of chips and salsa at the table while you sat and waited, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Try this place out, especially if you're catching a show at the Music Farm down the street.
(4)Jasen F.
Stumbled in after catching the name one night on King Street. Greeted at the door by an older gentleman, very friendly, sat me outside by a television, and explained the 'nachos' to me. The nachos are unique, almost like a mexican pizza, but not some crappy thing you get at taco bell. Fresh ingrediants and plenty of them pile upon an oven toasted and very large set of tortillas. Good beer selection and nice location. My only gripe is the quality and quantity and presentation of the chips & salsa, which are not free (not my gripe), but too little salsa or guacomole and the chips appear very generic. Odd considering their awesome nachos. Give it a try.
(4)Jonathan T.
I didn't try the food here, but the alcohol was cheap. Margaritas were decent and the service was excellent. They even have outdoor seating, which is an advantage over other restaurants. The music selection was the icing on the cake--a soothing blend of late 90s and early 00s hip hop (Nas, Outkast, Tribe Called Quest). Not a very "Mexican" restaurant, but a great place to chill on some drinks and cheap food downtown. Probably great for groups.
(3)Morgan K.
Juanita's used to be awesome... But sometime in the beginning of the recession they seemed to just let quality go... The nachos royale were very well priced and came with copious amounts of cheese (and optional) blackbeans, chicken and salsa. The last two times ive eaten here i have felt almost ripped off. Service has gone downhill a bit but the waiters/waitresses are very friendly still... but the food just doesnt taste as good. Bring back the old Juanita's!
(3)Matt G.
An interesting idea & nice, relaxed vibe. A bit too oniony on the nachos though. Go there in the evening for a beer & have a good time.
(3)Eric S.
We are from Texas so maybe we're a bit biased but I dont think so. This place was just not good. First, don't tout that you serve fresh food then bring out stale store bought chips and brown guacamole (with the explanation being that it would all be brown "unless we wanted them to make it fresh" (WHAT???). No thanks, just bring more crappy jarred salsa). Then don't serve something called a margarita that contains club soda(?). My chicken quesadillas were okay but they sure know how to skimp on chicken. My brother got a rice bowl with tofu and after sending it back twice because the tofu was ubedibly salty he settled on chicken. On the positive side the wait staff and manager were very nice. There was a reason this place was empty at 12:30 on a Wednesday. Our fault...we should have taken the cue.
(1)Damith F.
Was a late Saturday night and I wanted some food - probably cant expect much going in at 11pm for a Burrito here. But it was a bit worse than I expected, hence the 2 stars. The server/waitress, though sweet in speech, was brusque in action - she sort of 'whisked' my beer away from behind me while traveling around the tables as if she was in a big hurry (the restaurant area perhaps had 3 occupied tables), and her chatter seemed perfunctory. She did bring me some extra napkins though, which was thoughtful, and they changed the channel on the tv so I could watch some football on ESPN. However, the burrito was mediocre, worse than I expected it to be - sour creme and bean sauce overpowering the other ingredients and playing their part in a particularly soggy concoction. Tough to give better than a 2 for a Charleston joint, where the bar is set quite high.
(2)Tim P.
There are so many good restaurants in Charleston, and this is definitely NOT one of them. Don't even waste your time and money. We love Mexican food and have eaten at many restaurants. There is no doubt that you get what you pay for here - the restaurant was dirty and the food was far from high-quality. In fact, the food did not agree with my stomach at all. I would never recommend this restaurant!
(1)Kevin H.
Looks like a great place from the outside but it goes down hill from there. Very loud and bar service was extremely slow for the amount of people they had sitting there - seemed more interested in talking with workers than serving drinks. Food is very limited - only your basics of nachos, burritos, tacos and quesidillas. Yep, that is it. You would think that they would perfect it if that is all they made, not the case. The Chicken burritto was OK, nothing special. Chips and salsa were mediocre at best. Chips were straight out of the bag and salsa may have come from the jar. Side of Guac cost $3.50 and came in a little sample cup. Again, for the price, should have been great and was not. I would suggest looking for other restaurants in that area of King street since there are many.
(2)Jonathon W.
Bad service, worse food.
(1)Ind R.
Post renovation *Juanita's loses a star. I like silverware as much as the next environmentally conscious girl- but the tv? And the waiting? You wait for a guy to take your drink order, then come back and take your dinner order, then bring your check... In the meantime, he asks you how you're doing, and if you're done with that plate. Dude, I came here to be left alone, not to have my conversation interrupted every five minutes. And the food seems a little different... but I may just be paranoid and resistant to change.* Simple, affordable, quick burritos and quesadillas. Portions are generous, vegetarian options are plentiful. Despite the name, order nachos, and you won't recognize them. They are more like open faced quesadillas. Don't take the clarification as discouragement, I usually go for the Bean Nachos Royale. Cheap beer and margaritas are always available! Yes, it's a favorite with college students. But I've also seen the state treasurer, and local school superintendent patronize Juanita's (not together). The collection of retro clocks and lighting creates a very unique, casual look. Associated with Andolini's Pizza.
(3)Molly N.
Stopped for lunch. 4 adults and 1 child. Was told 25 min wait but found a table in the bar. Bartender was working too hard for 1 person for such a crowd! Someone forgot about our food. Not sure if it was kitchen maybe. 1 hr later we had to leave for a tour and asked for our stuff to go. They made no effort to satisfy us. No discount nothing. We got to eat while walking. 90 mins should have been enough time for lunch here. Guess you need a few hours!!!
(1)Devon M.
Great place to grab a cheap pitcher of beer and great nachos with a few friends and enjoy the charleston weather!
(4)Dee F.
Blah. Cheapest place to eat in charleston. But still..... PBRs are cheap.... but don't pass off as mexican food.
(2)Kirk W.
Boo. A place with Nacho Royale in the name is not allowed to serve nachos that are more like a thin crust pizza with some cheese and chicken. Where's my big pile of awesome nachos?
(2)Rochelle D.
I was not super impressed with this place. A friend recommended it to me for our trip down to Charleston, and my husband and I miss good mexican food, so we gave it a try despite the mediocre reviews. The food was just okay. We each had a marg, I had the one made with lime juice rather than the marg mix, and he just had a basic house marg on the rocks. They were both okay but to be honest his was a bit better - super strong. We were there on a weekday afternoon for lunch and sat at the bar. Bartender was nice and helpful enough. Nothing special, really, and if I were in the neighborhood I might stop in for a marg but probably wouldn't go back for food.
(3)Neale N.
Good drinks but the tacos I got were tiny and didn't have a ton of flavor. The nachos were standard (which is good, hard to screw up nachos) and a friend had a quesadilla that was better than my tacos. I'd go back for a drink but wouldn't go just for food
(3)mis h.
I made the mistake of going here once. The only reason I said one star is because I can't put zero. First of all, you have to pay like four dollars for chips and salsa. And those chips and salsa? Are straight from a bag. You know how most Mexican restaurants have like the chip warmer so the chips are perfectly crispy and warm when they bring them to you? Well we sat there and watched the "cook" open a new bag of chips and put them directly in our serving bowl and then our server bring them out. It was ridiculous. And at that, the chips are the same like thick round ones they sell you at the movie theater and ball games. We also got chicken tacos. Our chicken was cold! We debated for a few minutes if it was even cooked all the way through since they were leaking everywhere. And the chicken had never even been warm because the cheese wasn't melted in any sense of the word. Oh yeah, and our server never refilled our drinks then rolled his eyes when we asked him to. He was standing behind the bar reading a paper. If you want Mexican food, make the drive to Santi's. Trust me!
(1)Daniel S.
The restaurant smells faintly of burnt plastic, and the meat I ordered tasted the same way. It was also cold, and the service was slow. I ordered a "brown rice bowl," but it came with the same white rice as everything else. The fast food chains Qdoba and Chipotle are better than this restaurant. Not worth your time in a city with so many great restaurants.
(2)Tommy B.
Juanita Greenberg's was breathtaking. Breathtakingly bad. I have wanted to try Juanita's for years, a friend of mine took me tot he new location on Coleman today. It was so bad, I could not believe it. I ordered the Nachos Trifecta. The chips were possibly from the Piggly Wiggly up the street. The salsa tasted like pizza sauce from next door, the guacamole had no taste, and the cheese sauce was high school stadium quality. With a name like Nacho Royale, you would think they could at least get that right. I also had the traditional taco which had more of the salsa/pizza sauce on top. The whole experience was just gross. Will never go back.
(1)Heather M.
Juanita Greenberg's Nacho Royale is a quirky taste of Tex-Mex. It's as if two artists in college got hungry and only had ingredients for Mexican food but were slightly in the mood for Italian food. Not your typical Mexican Restaurant where you get bottomless chips and salsa for free, and receive "hot plates" within fifteen minutes, so please don't go there if you are expecting just that. At first, I thought I was going to be disappointed with the chips because they had the audacity to charge me for them (at this day & age!) but with the extra layering of black beans, homemade cheese, guac or even just the atypical white corn round chips (automatically comes with pico), it's worth the extra dollars. The Royale Nachos are where I lean heavily when I order. They remind me of an open-faced quesadilla with a different crust. A large, thin and crunchy nacho shaped like pizza crust, is coated with Monterey Jack cheese, & pico & sour cream on the side with your choices of black beans, cheese, chicken, sausage or steak (each topping costs extra). They are generous with these toppings. So far I've only tasted the beans & chicken and am very satisfied because I keep ordering them. I have tasted their burritos, and they are good and filling. I have yet to try the quesadilla, though. But if you want something different, their signature item is the Royale Nachos. The actual restaurant is small, however. It's long and narrow and can feel even more crowded. They do have a back room which is more like a patio so it may not be good for larger groups past 12 people. Because I've been there on weekends, it's always busy. At least the staff is cordial enough among the hectic atmosphere.
(4)Qbz Q.
OK, so perhaps Charleston is not the best place for Mexican food. we really did wonder if the Greenberg name made them make nachos on matzah, because the weird thin crust thing bother me, as it did some others, I guess. Wasn't crowded at all -but not very friendly folks at all - they didn't seem to want us there, or care.
(2)J M.
The first time I came to Juanita's was last year, my sister, two cousins, and I came to get some tacos and we really enjoyed the food. We were kind of annoyed that our waitress wasn't very friendly or attentive, and this really turned us off to Juanita's....but not enough to pass up the opportunity to get more delicious fish tacos this year while visiting Charleston again. We decided to try out Juanita's again this year (we figured the same salty waitress probably wasn't there anymore, and we were right!). We were in Charleston for four days and my sister went to Juanita's 3/4 days and I went 2/4 days. We honestly loved this place! I got the fish and steak tacos and my sister got steak and blackened fish. The tacos are so good it's almost hard to believe that they're so cheap. I also got the margarita with the tequila shot on top, it was so good and I hardly tasted the alcohol but it got me so drunk! My ONE complaint is that the chips aren't freshly made, they're from bags. Fresh made tortilla chips would really taste so much better, especially combined with that delicious guacamole! But honestly, this is a very very small complaint because the rest of the food was so good :) Sidenote: The second time I went we had a really great waiter, he was so friendly and engaging and I really wish we had gotten his name so he could be recognized for how great he is! I left my Ray-Bans at the table and came back a few hours later and he immediately recognized me and gave me my sunglasses. Some people would have kept them for themselves so I'm really happy that we had him as a waiter!
(4)Clare L.
I am shocked at the low reviews here. My friends and I absolutely LOVED our experience at Juanita's this past weekend. Sure, it wasn't particularly a Southern type place or a foodie joint by any means, but the food was delicious. Some of the best Mexican I've had anywhere in the world. Our server Joe was really friendly and humored our group since it was my birthday. We started out with margarita pitchers and ended the night with several rounds of Rumpleminze shots. At $3 a shot, who is going to say no to that? I had one chicken taco and one fish taco and both were excellent - really flavorful and two was the perfect amount for a light dinner. I was kind of disappointed that you had to pay for chips and salsa here, I thought that it was a Mexican restaurant standard to get free chips and salsa, but no harm done. I'd come back again for the nachos and quesadillas. Both looked amazing and we regretted not ordering more.
(5)Curtis S.
Eating my way through Charleston - Part 4 After Husk we decided it was time to take little man through the South Carolina Aquarium and since the parking lot guy said it was close by... we decided to walk :) After a couple hours at the Aquarium it was time to get back to Restaurant Hopping so we set out for our next stop... Butcher & Bee. On the way to Butcher & Bee we passed by Juanita Greenburg's Nacho Royale (a repeat favorite of mine) and the temptation was way too strong for me to pass up so I stopped in for a quick steak taco and reminisced about my last visit to Juanita's. The taco was seriously on point and served up only a couple minutes after I ordered. The corn tortilla was crunchy and hot, the steak was well seasoned and grilled to perfection, and despite already being on my way to get food... I was really happy I stopped in and got a little something light and refreshing from Juanita Greenburg's Nacho Royale.
(4)Carmela O.
I love a restaurant that let's my dog sit with me on the back deck. I don't love a Mexican restaurant that doesn't have complimentary chips and salsa (like, not even with the purchase of an entree.) I also detest salt with my margarita, but I guess I can't expect my waitress to remember every detail. Despite the pooch love, I really don't see how this place competes with the absolutely divine food scene that is downtown Charleston. It was just okay, at best. But the name has always fascinated me (I was disappointed there wasn't Jewish and Mexican fare on the menu - who wouldn't eat a Mazzo ball burrito?) so I'm glad I gave it a shot.
(3)Alexa R.
U know how nachos are usually just OK? Not here. Here they are better than ok. They are better than good. They are great. The portion is insane. The chips are the most delicious. Also, and this is super important, they have a solid Amount of toppings each layer of chips. That's right. No dry chips. Respect. And JAws was playing on like 3 of the TVs WITH closed captioning. GTFO.
(5)Virginia W.
So I wrote a review a while back about them and how their happy hour deals changed and their chips are pretty crap, but I have to write another one after the horrible experience I had last night. My friend and I decided to stop by for some beers and food. I got a taco and she got the "nacho royale" we assumed that would be nachos. It was basically a flatbread pizza with a weird combination of things on it. When we asked our server about it, she immediately said she'd get the manager. Clearly this is a menu item they've had issues with before, because he came out and was very rude and defensive. He didn't even ask us if there was an issue, he just went into a spiel about how we were told 3 times what the order actually was. We both worked f&b for years and were pretty shocked at how he spoke to us. I've never had anyone be so blatantly rude to a customer. We weren't even going to ask for our money back, we were just curious as to why it's labeled as nachos when it's not. He SHOULD NOT be in a manager or any customer service position. We had been going to Juanita's for years. We will not be returning. It has definitely gone downhill.
(1)Matt N.
I hate ordering nachos out at dinner. My wife on the other hand does. My intention was to let her get nachos and me tacos...when I saw how awesome the nachos looked I was sold...this place rocks and is the best cheap dinner in Charleston!
(5)Liss M.
This was fine for what we wanted . Good service and drinks . Not 5 star but you're not paying for 5 star . We were happy with everything .
(3)Dano M.
Has nothing to do with Mexican Food...Real Mexican does not have Nachos... Save your money....Horrible attempt at being mediocre....Canned everything...How can you serve canned beans.....Quesadillas are not even close....Makes you crazy....
(1)Dante G.
On February 21, 2015 at approximately 1630 hours Tom H., Elle H., and I, Dante G., responded to Juanita Greenberg's Nacho Royale located at 439 King Street which is located in the city of Charleston, in reference to a late lunch. We entered through the door located on the A Side of the business. We made contact with a male white subject at the Host Stand which is located approximately one third of the way into the business, at the end of the bar. The subject allowed us to sit at a table located at the interior D-A corner. Menus were produced and choices made. I do question not producing a children's menu when you can see that there is an obvious four-year-old there. I went with a beef quesadilla with a side of nachos and queso. I washed it down with a sweet tea. Elle H. had a children's quesadilla. She wanted Mac and Cheese. She's four and therefore lacks a certain amount of self-determination. Someday she will realize not every restaurant serves chicken nuggets or mac and cheese. Tom H. had a little more difficulty with his choice. Tom H. wanted the special listed on the sidewalk board (see attached photo). His initial order was two tacos, one beef and one shrimp with a Negro Modelo to drink. Two tacos and a beer. It seems there is some fine print somewhere. It seems shrimp is not available for the special. Additionally, Negro Modelo is not available either. It seems they have to keep the special "near seven dollars". Available beers were Busch, PBR, Miller Light; essentially cheap American stuff. Questions about substitutions and up charges went unanswered. I'll take this moment to point out that the price difference in a beef taco and a shrimp taco was $0.50. Fifty cents. The menu difference for the beers was $1.00. One dollar. The chips and queso arrived. The chips tasted slightly of popcorn. Weirdest thing I ever encountered. I don't think they even serve popcorn here. If I had to describe the chips and queso in a word; that word would be bland. I saw the queso. I felt its warmth. I tasted nothing. Kind of like eating hot paste. Just less tasty. The food arrived. The tacos were average according to Tom H. Elle H. was not hungry. The adult quesadilla really made up for the chips and queso. Fresh ingredients, served hot, and we'll above average in taste. And the serving size was filling. We requested the check. I requested separate checks. The male, possibly Kristopher, brought one check. When we gave him two cards, he asked if we just wanted the bill split in half. Tom H. politely explained what separate checks meant. All in all, it was an experience I would not be opposed to repeating. Not one I would be adamant about, but would not stand in the way of. End of Report.
(3)