The food was delicious, but I must write that the service was A-MAZING! The server (Daniel) was attentive and brought our appetizers, orders, and even the check at insanely quick speeds. Almost impossible to believe how fast it all came out. Super friendly as well.

Las Velas is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Pittsburgh. Their food and service are consistently great - waiters are friendly and very attentive, enchiladas suizas, queso con chorizo and a fresh orchata are my top choices here. This is also my son's favorite downtown restaurant, so this is a must go for me whenever we are in the area.

Food was fresh and tasty. Service was good. Definitely get the 23oz margarita tho. The 18oz is to small. 😁🥂

Angie was amazing we love your drinks here ❤️

Food was incredible. The manager gladys was great

An overall 10/10 experience. This food is the best food I’ve had in Pittsburg. Amazing and underrated.

The guacamole was fantastic! And the fish burrito was wonderful!! Even the sour cream was fresh and tasty. Yummm-yyy!

+1

Food was delicious. Friendly staff. But a little inattentive and slow. Other than that, a fun and yummy place

Excellent! I had a burrito with pork and grilled pineapple. It was delicious. Fresh ingredients, great flavor. Also had a "tall" classic raspberry margarita. From the picture, you can see it was huge, but also made perfectly!

Excellent place. Food is very tasty and healthy. Throughly enjoyed the food.

+3

Best food!!! Excellent service! Cucumber Jalapeño Margarita was perfection 👌🏻

Tacos were fantastic. The short rib taco was the best I’ve had. Could eat ten. Sauces were really great too. Will visit again next time I’m in town.

I'm a seasoned executive chef and I love this slice of heaven and hidden gem in market square. Cochinata taco is a must!

+1

Some of the best Mexican food I've had in town. Great atmosphere. Definitely recommend their street corn!

Excellent Mexican food, reasonably priced. Our server was great. Very patient and attentive.

Such a cute place! Great people, great food!

Really good food and good prices for how much you get!

Quick, friendly service in a cool spot overlooking Market Square. Margaritas are on point and so are the tacos. Highly recommend if you're downtown and looking for some quality authentic Mexican food!

Great Mexican food. Extra hot 🔥 hot sauce if you're brave/foolish enough to ask for it

+1

Very nice meal! The prices were reasonable and the food was great. Staff was nice, and our server (I believe his name was Jackson) was conscious of our needs and friendly! Will be returning soon!!

I just had a wonderful time at Las Velas, enjoying the Thursday half off margarita special. Nicole was a fantastic server. Very attentive and efficient! Drinks and food came out quickly and everything was perfect. No complaints at all. I’d recommend the frozen margaritas and fajitas to get the most bang for your buck.

Be prepared to spend all your money here. Try ALL the margaritas!! The tacos, burritos, and enchiladas are all fantastic. It's a pretty spacious place too, so even on a crowded night we didn't wait to get a table.

Always a wonderful time here. Amazing food, drinks, and service. Scenic location, especially if you are placed by a window. Their Mole sauce is amazing; get rice and mix leftover sauce in the rice. Mmm. The seafood soup is also amazing. Also: giant modelo!

Great food. Loved the Halloween themed drinks. It's on a 2nd floor walk-up for all my fellow disabled peeps.

Incredibly friendly staff. Came with a party of six and our food was out very fast on a friday night. My spicy margarita wasn't very spicy and honestly was kind of mediocre, but I thought the food was phenomenal. Their chips and guacamole are worth the price. So much better than the guacamole at other places around Pittsburgh. They have a few labeled vegetarian options that can be easily made vegan. The atmosphere isn't the most interesting but I kind of enjoyed the openness of the space.

I had the enchiladas with all 3 sauces, the molé was the best in my opinion, but the whole dish was delicious. I tried the margarita Cole slaw, it's different but good. The rice was on point. Margaritas were refreshing. We sat at the bar and the bartender Cyra was awesome. Quick service and nice to talk to too! We'll definitely be back.

Las Velas in Market Square is a great place to grab some delicious Mexican food. The atmosphere is wonderful and there is a nice commanding view of the square below as they are on the second floor. The bar has a lot of different tequila, you won't be disappointed if a fan! Just be careful on the way out...stairs.

Whenever the square is done with construction, this will be a nice place to sit overlooking everything. Massive portions! Decent guac, corn tacos are solid.

I found some really interesting traditional Mexican foods in there menu. The Diablo was awesome and they have best steak fajitas. Also, the ambience is pretty and the service was decent.

We only came for drinks, but still the experience was great. The bartender was friendly, knowledgeable, and quick. Bar was clean and with plenty of seating. I recommend this place as a great place to gather with friends.

I love this place, they have the best everything. You pay for what you get! Thursdays lime margaritas are 50% off!!

Food was amazing. Drink was kinda alright. Bartender need to put more effort.. Margarita without salt on the rim

Delicious Mexican food at reasonable prices. Will recommend going here.

One of the best mexican restaurants I’ve had... ever! I had the tamales and elote and it tasted just like when I visited Oaxaca. The drinks were nice and strong and the views were awesome. Highly highly recommend

Jessica and Ange and everyone at las Vegas are always so great to enjoy your trip to velas with. They always make sure you are well taken care of, the food is always made with the utmost care and love and everyone at velas will treat you just like they are, GOLDEN!

I absolutely LOVE this place. I’ve been back many times since discovering this them tasty tacos, not to mention their staff is warm, welcoming & attentive. Growing up Mexican and vegetarian was difficult so I am glad there’s a place that actually offers authentic Mexican food Their tacos and steak skirt are to die for!

Really great margaritas and daiquiris- Go for the large, don't bother with the small!!! The guacamole is like no other and you can get the El Trio for $10 includes chips salsa and queso cheese dip! The "Velada" is like nothing I've ever seen before on the menu and comes Complete with an impressive presentation with steak, chicken, shrimp, fish, chorizo and moreA A MUST experience!!

+1

Last weekend I came in to eat at las velas for the first time and was very impressed with the quick and phenomenal service, truly the best Mexican food, I’ve had in Pittsburgh. If you want a great dining experience with authentic Mexican food, I can’t recommend enough las velas for your next outing. The server Mauro was so efficient and kind, he did a great job recommending dishes and drinks, I felt well taken cared of and my food came right on time and it was fantastic. 10/10, truly can’t recommend enough.

Nelly Camacho

Delicious food! The sopecitos and barbacoa tacos tasted like authentic Mexican food and the calm atmosphere made the experience even better.

Rebecca Bernarding

We were there yesterday for dinner. The margaritas were phenomenal. The Margarita Claus was a work of art with all of the little festive adornments. 🎄😊

John Roth

Food and margaritas were excellent as always. Very short staffed with only 2 servers for the entire place, but the server was still wonderful. Great view of Chipotle and Moe's.

Harmony Sheftall

Ate there after seeing their drink specials sign outside (half off certain drinks on certain days). We had some large half off Mayan sunsets and split a dip trip w/ queso, guac, and salsa—all delicious! We all had a pretty cheap bill and leftovers from our large entrees Definitely will be back!

Renee Prince

Went and got some tacos on my lunch had the steak and shrimp ones definitely recommend took less than 15 minutes to come out. Very good food I’ll be back again!!!

Cindy

I like the Asada and Mahi tacos. Meat was tender and moist and delicious. I had Cancun soup was very light, refreshing, and tasty. My boyfriend got Large margaritas and he loved it while watching the birds outside. I had mango margarita and was very good. Love the Fajitas and tacos 🌮

fatima aguayo

Absolutely loved this place! The food was bursting with authentic Mexican flavor, you can really tell everything is made with care. The staff was friendly, the atmosphere was warm and colorful, and the whole experience just felt special. If you’re craving real Mexican food, this spot is a must!

Reetu

Located on the upper floor of a building in Market Square, Las Velas can be a little tricky to find at first, but it’s absolutely worth it once you get there. The atmosphere is vibrant and welcoming, and despite being a random weekday, the place was bustling—always a good sign! I visited solo and chose to sit at the bar, which turned out to be a great spot to enjoy the quick service and friendly staff. I ordered the Al Pastor tacos, and they did not disappoint—flavorful, well-prepared, and satisfying. As someone visiting Pittsburgh, I had heard great things about Las Velas, and I’m happy to say it lived up to the hype. I’d definitely recommend this spot to anyone looking for delicious Mexican food in the heart of the city.

Jennifer Spinney

Las Velas has always consistently deliver exceptional food over the years! Very happy that the full menu is back and get the sopecitos off the appetizer menu, a meal in itself! Also, do not miss the enchiladas with molé sauce, I can't get enough! And the chips are unsalted, the best!!!

+1

Lucky Blackwell

Awesome place, Great Food, Service and Atmosphere. I ordered Chicken Enchiladas Mole... The Enchiladas need to be a little warmer and a touch more salt, the refried beans were Great... I believe they are made in house as well as the great Spanish rice. The Margarita was good too. But most of all my waitress Ash or Ashton was Fast, Nice and friendly and was Amazing to watch her work She had such a Rhythm about her when she was working and never missed a beat, I asked for the manager so I could compliment her to the manager and she said that's me... Amazing experience at this place and I highly recommend this place !!! From me a Top 10 USA Google food blogger Ask for Ash and you won't be disappointed. Way to go Ash !!!

+7

The churros and margaritas were great, and our waiter was really helpful and knowledgeable. When he didn't know if something was vegan, he would go back and ask the chef. He took great care of our group. Portions were great too, though ask if the desserts are sharing size because the churros definitely could've been marked for sharing! (Not that it mattered, they were so good I ate all mine anyway!)

Went here for lunch, the refried beans are the best I've ever had! Very smooth and very deep flavor. I cut a star cause I got a tamale lunch, and while I realize lunch portions are usually smaller, one tamale wasn't enough. Would definitely go back

Cool little restaurant. Tacos were delicious and beer was cold. Great tequila selection as well.

Stopped in for some dessert after an event downtown and love me some flan. This flan, however was more gritty than custard, as if it had been overcooked. Taste was still on point, but texture was lacking. Can't say much else about the food but atmosphere is definitely a vibe.

Most authentic Mexican I have had in Pittsburgh so far. Reasonably priced with good service, lots of options, and seemed to be family friendly.

Overall great meal, only thing bringing this down, and DRASTICALLY at that, was the ceviche.

My meal was delicious. My wife felt the tacos were mediocre. The street corn is delicious. Drinks were tasty and decent prices for being downtown. Our server that night was super slow... painfully slow. For the most part, our experience was pretty good. We’ll be back.

What a great treat!! Went to dinner with colleagues and thought why not Mexican?!? Landed here didn’t have high expectations but it was absolutely amazing. Their drinks, service and atmosphere was on point. Everyone enjoyed their dish and the shareable apps were delicious. My Carne Asada was incredible! Perfectly seasoned and full of flavors. If you’ve never had Pas Velas and you’re craving Mexican you will not be disappointed!

Made a delicious choice, with plenty of food to be taken home. Wish they had more of a homemade authentic hot salsa or at least some hot sauces at the table to mix in with it. Delicious Margaritas, bit pricey, but would definitely go back.

Good service, very quick, food was above par. Prices were also above average...but acceptable. Paying for chips and salsa is a bit of an ask...but ok. Would visit again.

The food was good, I ordered quesadilla and it was well prepared. The only issue was that it took some time for our orders to come which could be because of the high demand during holiday season. Overall a great atmosphere and experience.

Las Velas has a great collection of Tequilas and Mezcals, they also serve Mexican style Chiladas and Micheladas. Visited on a weekday for lunch and ordered the chips and Salsa and Tamales. Both were good and service was quick.

The ONLY problem is I didn't know it was there! I live 3 blocks from here for six years now and didn't know it was even there. Entrance door is tucked between other places because it's on the second floor, really easy to miss. Don't miss it though. From the time we got there, the service was impeccable and super friendly and informative. And if you want authentically prepared Mexican cuisine, this place is it (and you MUST order their 'street corn'!!! Wow! From the homemade chips and salsa, both of our meals, and the expedient and friendly staff, it was a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience! My only suggestion would be to have a presence outside during peak hours, with maybe samples of chips and salsa, or just passing out a coupon or something to let customers know they are there. This place is the definition of a 'hidden gem'! I highly recommend!

matthew

I got a pork plate, taco,burrito enchilada with rice and beans. The food had good flavor. Everything was lukewarm. My taco had hard reheated pork in it, I thought they were bones. Good atmosphere, clean, good service. I think all the businesses in that area are suffering from construction right outside their door. First Mexican restaurant were you didn't get chips and salsa. They were extra.

Jason Harnois

I ate dinner here based on reviews. Did not disappoint. Service was extremely fast, but almost to a point where it felt like we were rushed to order. The food was great, however the stuffed jalapenos felt like they were missing something. Couldn't put my finger on it though.

Jackie Adler

Great views of Market Square from their 2nd story location. The queso that came with the chips and the watermelon Cucumber margarita were 🔥. My husband and I both ordered a combination platter that came with a taco, burrito, and enchilada. He ordered pork and steak (steak was good, just a little well done).

+3

Restaurant is located in an upstairs building. Parking is zero to none outside of parking garage. The Fajitas were amazingly cooked with everything fresh. I received the wrong margarita as did two others from my party. Instead of remaking them they added a "flavor". Our food came out about 20 minutes apart but all I heard was how good it was. Pretty small space. Restrooms located down a landing.

Visited a couple of times and never was impressed…Okay food, okay environment. Nothing was bad and burrito Cancun tasted as a burrito does :) it’s just very basic and I wont be back unless I just want drink and appetizers. We have better Mexican foods in Pittsburgh at a better or same price. An additional note to restaurant: maybe play Mexican music at background. The place is really quiet sometimes.

We went for a Sunday lunch & were the only customers. We were hopeful seeing such high marks for reviews. We were however disappointed. Chips & queso was fine. Tortilla soup was bland. Chili rellenos were fine but the rice & beans were room temperature - not appetizing at all. Twice we had to request our server to come over for things we needed. Maybe we hit it at an off day but this wasn't a 4.3 star experience.

Place is good , nice staff but late service , beware of spicy dishes they were extremely spicy .

Queso was good and margaritas are super strong. The rice and pinto beans were both good. I got a chile relleno. It wasn't very well breaded and the meat inside was a bit underseasoned. The sauce on the pepper was the weakest part of the meal. It lacked spice and tasted like marinara. It was overall still a decent experience, I just wouldn't get the relleno again.

They charge for their chips and salsa. Not authentic Mexican food... honestly really disappointed for the price. I'd expect this quality from Moe's, which is a 1 minute walk across the market square and half the price. Very little decor, no music, mumbling quiet staff. I was the only customer at 5:30pm on a Tuesday and a couple came in 5 minutes after me...my server went to them first. They didn't ask what flavor margarita I wanted, or if I wanted it blended. They just gave me what they had. They have a large array of tequila choices, but when I asked the server what tequila they have they named three and gestured to the bar across the restaurant - didn't know their full selection. I ordered an elote and chicken fajitas. Elote is NOT authentic, authentic Mexican elotes have a lot more mayo and real chili powder and lime juice spray, not the microscopic mayo and sweet chili powder I got. Chicken fajitas... chicken seasoning left a lot to be desired. I didn't finish my food and left early. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't worth the price! I paid $40 for an elote, a small margarita, and chicken fajitas. I'd expect the same for $25-30 from an authentic, much more delicious place... yikes 😬

Nice place. Had to ask for male waiter to take my order even though place was less than half full at 1:00. I also had to ask him for napkin and silverware. Fajita took a long time, had about three bell peppers in it, but was tasty. I will go back and get it again but will ask them for more onions and less peppers. I was glad a female waitress took over

The food was good maybe not super authentic though!! Thought was a little pricey.

My boyfriend and I got recommended to try this place because we wanted authentic Mexican food. And while it filled the criteria, it did miss a few points. While they could make any of the margaritas frozen, which we appreciated, the mango chipotle margarita didn’t have much spice or much tequila. The raspberry Chipotle margarita was pretty good! My boyfriend got street tacos and they were what we expected, very standard. I got the Tamales, which we decent. Overall, this place was okay and I would probably let go back but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

Service is great, nice place and has a nice bar with 2 tvs. Food was average at best imo. Drinks are well priced.

Michael M

Service was a bit slow, seems understaffed. Our server was running around a lot of tables. I waited 15 minutes for a soda refill. Not impressed with the queso, it was very watery and dripping all over us and the table. I wasn't expecting all of the pork/carnitas tacos to be al pastor style; I'm personally not a fan of the pineapple taste in my carnitas but it wasn't bad per se. This is one of the most sparsely decorated Mexican restaurants I've ever seen, kind of disappointing. And if it matters to you, there is a discount if you pay with cash.

David “Pino” Jackson

Date night with the wife. Not a spot to take your wife, maybe a friend or co worker. They were under staffed and that took a star away, the food was averaged at best for being so pricey. The photos I uploaded is all we got as it ran us $88 bucks. The only plus was the waitress was very centered and focused as she served half the establishment. That's why you got a 3 star without her it would been a 2 at best.

Visiting from DC and was hoping for some good food at this rating. The best part about this place was the server and the chips and salsa. The negatives were as follows: You had to pay for the chips and salsa. The $15 alcoholic drink was filled with mostly ice. The tamales I got had the texture of noodles. The elote shaved off the cob had a sprinkle of seasoning on it, but mostly tasted like canned corn. The guac was decent but could really use some more seasoning and some jalapenos. I was excited to try the dessert, but after experiencing the rest of the menu, I decided not to. The prices do not justify the quality of food here.

You might be tempted to go here even if there’s an hour left since they’re in a high traffic area but don’t do it. They stop making fresh food and will serve it proudly like it’s not food that’s been sitting out for hours. Drinks were great. Strong drinks actually. The food might’ve been better if it was actually warm. Still doubtful.

Mediocre with a higher price tag.

If you've never had good mexican food before, you may think this place is tasty. In reality, it falls short in flavor, texture, and volume compared to anywhere else. Save your time and money. Go somewhere else.

Donald Keller

I have gone to Las Velas for years with groups from work. In the past, I have always had a good experience with quick service and hot, flavorful food. Yesterday, however, was terrible. I was part of a group of eight. We were seated in the main dining area, which had not a single other customer in it--the place was obviously not in the least bit busy on a Tuesday afternoon. The waiter was speedy and attentive in seating us and taking drink orders, but he did not come back to take the food order for nearly a half hour. Once we had ordered, the food took 45 minutes to arrive--we were now running so late that a few of us worried about returning to work in time for critical appointments. Although some of my colleagues were satisfied with their food, mine was terrible. I ordered a steak fajita, and it came with only filling, no shell (that was promised but never delivered), and everything on the plate was room temperature as if it had been sitting out for a long time. Only the refried beans had a hint of warmth and were halfway appealing to me, but I ended up eating everything because I was starving and desperate. I notice that suddenly the chips and salsa are an extra-cost item, not a great way to keep customers happy for an hour while they wait on their food. I cannot envision taking another chance on this place. If they cannot handle eight customers total on a weekday afternoon, I can only image what a mess they would make of the situation when they are busy. I will take my business elsewhere.

Kay

The restaurant is located in a super dope spot overlooking market square, but it almost feels like a waste of a great space. The service was slow and the waiter was unknowledgeable about the menu. The Margaritas were terrible, which is crazy at Mexican restaurant. The food was pretty good, but not worth making me want to ever return. I do not recommend going here.

Salsa was good Queso was good but cold, waitresses extremely friendly we waited about 30 minutes for our food and when we got some of it was cold like the beans, the rice and the tortillas and not to add our meals weren’t hot they were room temperature and after all that our bill came out to 250+. Overall it was a horrible experience for a family of tourists that have never been to PA.

I order carne asada with 2 dippy eggs and cilantro like rice with no beans. I get an overcooked steak and egg with Mexican rice and beans. When I asked them about the cilantro lime rice they said, the kitchen is backed up and will take 45 mins. I look around and the restaurant is empty except for 2 other tables. I later order flan and 20 mins later they come and tell me they don’t have it . When I spoke to the manager and complained he just stood there smiling like he does not care.

Updating my review: this place used to be great. Great location, food, and view. However, they have cut their menu into an eighth or smaller of its former self. They no longer have the Velada dish (their flaming pineapple). We would bring friends and family here specifically to get that. Being from Texas, the rest of their food is lackluster to me. We will likely not be back.

I could have not been more upset leaving this restaurant, and will not be going back. We got seated, waiter took our order. I ordered taquitos, never once did he mention to me that they were out. Finally he comes back 30 minutes later to let me know that they were out, at this point our dip was cold. He also never brought straws, silverware, or napkins. May I add when he came back he did not bring a menu just expected me to know, so I asked for one. Then he left it with me and disappeared for several minutes, finally I go to order tamales and he informs me they are also out. So on the spot I ordered tacos because I knew if I did not he would never come back. My tacos awful, it was all grease with a side of ground beef. My boyfriend and I never got our water filled either, when eating grease I would like some water. Overall very very upset, I hope they see this and fix the service for people who enter that disaster next.

Never got seated so I don't know the food and service. I was the only one waiting so i left. Tried again the next day, called first. Voice mailbox is full. Done.

Ordered the flour tortillas with my meal and received corn. They said no, they are flour. They weren't. Then I found a bone in the meat. Couldn't eat it and still got charged. The sangria was good.

Throw Away

Poor management. Bad service and miscommunications between managers on different shifts. The kitchen doesn’t know what’s going on and the managers are incompetent. Plus, lackluster and mid food. If you come here make sure you’re prepared to not eat good food

Carl Snyder

First, they charge for chips and salsa. Then the soft drinks had no carbonation. Next, asked for tacos with no pico de gallo and they came with it. Took plate and just scraped it off. Fish tacos were VERY fishy. That means the fish is almost bad. The manager would not come out to discuss our experience and left it on the poor waiter. Worse ”Mexican” food ever. I would stay away. May be hard to believe but this is a completely honest review.

Kimberly

Service here was not good , server took a long time to get our appetizers and food. And when the food did come , most of it was wrong or missing, when we told the server it was wrong she said she would check the receipt which is weird because we know what we ordered . We didn’t get any refund on the 3 orders that were messed up. I’m ok with paying my food but at this point there was 3 orders messed up and we only changed one of them because we didn’t wanna take up even more time waiting .i don’t remember the servers name but she was tall Hispanic with glasses and brown/blonde highlights .Here are the pics