The best Mexican food in the city, hands down. Well-decorated interior that's kept clean. Amazing service. Friendly and helpful.

La Dona is a family-run restaurant serving authentic and fresh Mexican food. Warning: they do not have a liquor license yet, so if you are hankering for a margarita or Modelo with your food, you'll have to look elsewhere. The restaurant is small and simple, with cheerful Mexican decor. Our server was very sweet and patient as we perused the menu. On to the wonderful food. You start with warm chips and three salsas: tangy red, fiery verde, and interesting (and delicious!) brown, peanut-based. We got the guacamole diablo to go with, and it was fresh, tangy, spicy, and very generous portion. It is some of the best guacamole we've eaten in a long time. We also got queso fundido with chorizo and it did not disappoint. Creamy, gooey with a bit of a tang. So good! For entrees we tried al pastor tacos, quesabirria tacos, and chile rellano. All three were excellent. The quesabirria tacos were the standout: crisp tacos filled with shredded beef and cheese, with a lovely consommé for dipping. The al pastor tacos were very tasty, especially with some of the salsa verde. The only minor complaint is that the pork was slightly dry. We will mention that next time; it wouldn't stop us from ordering them again. The chile relleno are authentic and filling. We are happy to find this little spot and can't wait to go back.

Authentic, delicious, fresh. Great customer service. Quaint decorative space but enough room for our family to enjoy. We'll be back!

Authentic delicious Mexican food, excellent service and decorated with so much color. I frequent as much as possible and am never disappointed.

Tucked away in an unassuming area of town, this little Mexican restaurant is a real hidden gem, easy to be missed unless you know where you're going. The food is fresh and packed with flavor, making you feel like you've stepped right into Mexico. The guacamole, with a nice kick from the Serrano peppers, starts things off perfectly. The quesabirria tacos are rich and delicious, especially when dunked in the clean, tasty consommé. But the real star is the tacos al pastor--marinated pork with a sweet and salty balance, paired with grilled pineapple, all on a corn tortilla that holds everything together beautifully. Add on a splash of some of the tangiest and spiciest green salsa I've ever had and the flavor profile of all of the dishes transforms into a whole new range of flavors. The service here is friendly and attentive, making sure you have everything you need without hovering. The vibe is authentically Mexican, with lots of Spanish being spoken by both the staff and the diners. It's refreshing to eat somewhere that stays true to itself and doesn't try to be anything more than what it is. If you're looking for an honest, flavorful meal, this place is definitely worth checking out. Definitely worth a visit over all of the big box bland Mexican eateries that have become so prevalent these days.

My daughter treated me to a Mother's Day meal at La Dona Cocina Mexicana and it was a very delicious visit! The dine in space bright and not too big. It's filled with colorful festive decor and a great playlist is playing in the background! They have a photo wall setup if you want to take pictures as well. For starters we had queso fundido with steak and my daughter had the guacamole. She loved hers and I really loved the fundido. So good! It was super flavorful. The Elotitos was delicious! It's similar to Mexican street corn. We also had the tacos Dorados and tacos al pastor which was soooo good! Go check them out y'all!

Very cute little restaurant along Horsepen rd., nestled right next to Mexico restaurant. We met the owner who greeted us warmly and we sat down to eat. The ambiance is cute with lots of flowers everywhere and a bright interior. The menu is very short but offers a lot of decent choices to eat, but I will say the first thing I noticed right out of the gate is that everything is a little pricey and the whole menu is a la carte. Most of the entrees are around the 12.50 mark and go up from there, but are offered without rice or beans and even the tacos came with no salsas on the side. The guacamole was very fresh and tasty and the esquites (think elote) was just sort of ok. We got al pastor tacos and chicken tostadas. They were served beautifully but again, no salsas were offered with the food and we had to ask. I will say the salsas were quite tasty but the food was overall a little bland and dry. I can't say enough things about the owner who was lovely and I wanted to like this so much more than I did. I would go back if I felt I either got great value or exceptional food, but I felt both left me feeling slightly lacking. I think most people would find this restaurant pretty exceptional, but with so many new and great Mexican places popping up, I feel like there has to be something a little more.

Wow! When you first open the door, you can tell you're in for an amazing experience; not just food - experience. To say the decor is beautiful artwork is an understatement. It's all gorgeous! The host and server, Daniel, is a gem and is happy to talk about the origin of their menu and what makes them different. Surprise, it's everything. His mom is the amazing chef. The attention to detail in every presentation, the unique menu, the presence of every distinct flavor, it's truly a gem I hope RVA will support. A+ and can't wait to try everything on the menu.

This authentic newly opened Mexican restaurant is a great find! Quaint little family owned cozy restaurant with great service and food. The server/owner was very kind and patient as he walked us through all our questions. He explained that his parents were in the kitchen making all the homemade Mexican dishes. The homemade tamales and tortillas may have been they best I've ever tasted. After our meals the owner shared a warm horchata milk drink with us on the house. The restaurant has only been open for a month now but they plan on having brunch on weekends eventually. The goal is to share authentic Mexican cuisine not normally available in some Tex-Mex type restaurants. The dining area is bright and clean and there's a private parking lot available in the front and back of the building. Open 7 days a week.

Yelp for the win......again! I don't think we would have found LA Dona without seeing a Yelp review. What a find! Real, authentic Mexican food,different from the sea of tex/mex places. Bright, fun interior, great service, DELICIOUS fresh food! Oscar, our server/owner, was so proud of his mom putting her heart into the food! They plan on offering brunch soon, which sounds great! What we ate: Tamales: Corn dough wrapped and cooked in corn husks, stuffed with chicken Huevis al gusto: Scrambled eggs with refried beans, rajas de jalapeno, and handmade corn tortillas. Esquite: Corn with butter, chile de arbol, epazote, mayo, cotija cheese, and lime Atole de Arroz: Warm rice drink, cream, cinnamon My rating rationale  +1 Service +1 Food~Taste/flavor/quality +1 Presentation +1 Atmosphere/vibe +1 Value