Emiliano's Mexican Restaurant & Bar

First time to the newer Cranberry Twp location. It was fantastic. The decor was awesome, they had a fountain midway back in the dining room that gave the place a real Al-fresco feeling.

Food was delicious, they have a nice vegetarian section on the menu.

Our server did disappear midway through our meal and only turned up to deliver our check, not to refill our drinks.

Next time, I'd like to sit at their bar which looks real neat too.

I too like non-chain Mexican.  In Pittsburgh this is nearly nonexistent and I am still unsure of Emiliano's is a chain.  Best non-chain place in Pittsburgh for me, is Hector the taco vendor from Mexico City in the Strip District.

Maybe we came on a bad day, but the salsa was bland.  It was 97% pureed tomatoes with a "hint" of cilantro, garlic and chilies and zero jalapeno.  For every Mexican restaurant, the salsa is critical and has to be right because it goes on everything.  

Ordered Enchilada Suiza - Always good and highly recommended.  It comes with it's own green chili salsa.
I ordered the Flautas.  I should have copied my wife and got the Suizas.

If you want a good salsa recipe, message me and I will send you Marylin's Salsa recipe, the best salsa made.

Up front disclosure: I really prefer mom & pop Mexican restaurants over chains.  If the hostess rolls her eyes when I say "Buenas tardes", it's not my type of place.  So right off the bat, Emilianos loses half a star.

That said, there are several things to like about Emilianos.  First the décor is great, and the acoustics are good.  The guacamole made fresh at the table was a delight.  Service is good and our waitress was attentive to things like empty plates and refills.

I don't usually comment on matters of taste because they are so individual, but the "huevos" I had were easily the worst I've ever had anywhere.  On the other hand, the chicken chimichanga that my wife had was sensational, and I'm glad she brought half of it home.  Apparently food quality is highly variable here, and that cost them another 1.5 stars.

Overall, if I'm back in Cranberry and have a hankering for Mexican, I'll try Emilianos again, but I sure won't order anything with the word "huevos" in it.