Cilantro Mexican Grill

The place is bright, clean, and classy. The food was uncomplicated and absolutely delicious. We were seated promptly. The staff are friendly, courteous and quick! They are now on my list for another visit.

I don’t hand out 5 stars easily, but Cilantro’s absolutely earned it. We’ve been visiting Smith Mountain Lake for over 20 years, and while most restaurants are just okay, this one genuinely wowed me. It’s tucked away and parking can be a bit tight on busy nights, but trust me—the food is more than worth it. Authentic Mexican flavors shine through every dish, and you can tell it’s Mexican-owned from the heart behind the menu. I went with a simple order of beef enchiladas to get a feel for the basics, and wow—this is not your average Mexican joint. I never clear my plate, but this time I did. We also ordered guacamole, which was made fresh right at our table. Every bite was bursting with freshness… we may have even licked the bowl. And the margaritas? Generous, strong, and no shortcuts taken there either. This has got my recommendation.

Had read that Cilantro had the best Mexican food in Moneta. And I agree. Maybe our first visit should not have been Cinco de Mayo - the place was packed even at 5:15 - but we were able to grab seats at the bar after it was determined there would be a wait. Margarita menu was fairly large. Black raspberry for me, presidential for him. Delish. Got the fresh guacamole made "table side." Served with warm homemade tortilla chips. Also, need to add that as soon as we were seated, they brought over chips, salsa and a ranch type dip that was good. Dinner: husband had enchilada verde. While it was good, my California burrito was a show stopper. The mixture of shrimp, chicken and steak with avocado, rice, spices and "cheese dip" was one of the best tasting dishes I have ever had. Servers were friendly but extremely busy because of the date. We will go back another time when it is less crowded to really dig in. If you like Mexican and are in the Moneta area, stop in. Update: we went back! Burrito California was still a good. This time we got Pollo Fundido. It got a kick from the chorizo. And the drinks were HUGE! Next time we will not up-size. It was $60 with tip. Great value. Still my favorite Mexican place in the area.

Fantastic place. Food is top-notch! Staff is great!! Margaritas are some of the best, definitely legendary!! My new best favorite restaurant!!

Great service. Reasonable prices. The food was amazing. Fast, fresh and delicious!! Highly recommend! P.S. I am a margarita snob, very picky, because the ones I make at home are top-shelf. Ordered a frozen margarita…perfect!

We were in town for 3 nights and ate at Cilantro’s 2 of the 3 nights. The service is fast and friendly! The food was great on both nights. They were very accommodating when I asked to replace the mushrooms with other veggies. I highly recommend Cilantro’s and we will be back the next time we visit Smith Mountain Lake!

Best Mexican food ever. I ordered Mexico steak, because steak with cheese sauce sounded different. It was the bomb. Steak was thin, probably nothing special by itself, but with the cheese sauce and the vegetable drippings it was awesome. Well done.

Had dinner here last night, and it was pretty packed (good sign). I ordered the Especial la Casa, which was just a touch overcooked, but I didn't mind- the flavors were pretty solid. The service was also good; it's obvious that the manager/ owner is trying to run a tight ship service-wise, and it didn't go unnoticed. I would recommend trying to put a different spin on the fried ice cream (it was the same corn flake semi-covered scoop of ice cream in a tortilla bowl you see everywhere in Southern VA). I have high hopes this place will elevate their dishes over time. Overall, it was a good experience here.