Brunch in the Burbs @ Hola!

I am so sorry I haven’t written this review sooner! This event was amazing! You tell me I can get all you can eat at a Mexican place and it is like my dream. I am a Mexican food lover hardcore. I could eat it all day every day and then add margaritas and you’ve definitely won my heart. I don’t know how Kellie keeps topping herself with each event but she manages to do just that.
One thing that I have really loved about the events in Atlanta so far have been that most of them are Elites only. It really gives a great way for people to talk to each other. If you add a plus one to an event then most people are only going to talk to the person they brought. It usually makes for an awkward event. So, Elite only events are my favorites.
Walking in we had assigned seats and I got to sit by Daniel B, Vyvy T, and Will S which was awesome. I loved the margarita glasses decorated by Kellie with our names and filled with swag. It was a cute touch. Once we had the staff come out and talk to us for a few minutes we were able to order a speciality drink. I chose the Hola! classic margarita per the recommendation from the server. It was strong! When I mean strong I mean I could barely drink it because I didn’t taste anything but tequila. I had to let it water down some before I could drink much of it.
Now for the food, oh the food! I don’t know what everything was that I tried and I don’t remember all of it but it was all so good. I loved the shrimp and grits. I am not normally a grits fan but those were actually really good. My favorite item was the enchilada suizas. I love the sauce that is on those enchiladas. I probably could have eaten a few of those but when I went back up a second time they were gone and I didn’t go back for a third helping. The jalapeño corn was also a favorite of mine. I didn’t try anything that I didn’t like food wise. The dessert, however, was just ok. I got the ice cream, tiramisu and flan. I did not care for the flan at all but the ice cream and tiramisu were both flavorful. I loved this event and love that Kellie does such a fantastic job organizing amazing events!

Nice event put on by Kellie. She had the table filled with swag and handcrafted margarita cups. No sombreros though. :(
The AYCE brunch buffet had some great, authentic Mexican food which wasn’t what I was expecting. You can check Daniel B.‘s review for a complete listing of dishes on the buffet. Everything was good. If you stay in this part of OTP, you should check this place out if you want something besides the usual Tex-​mex. The brunch isn’t even that expensive.
We also received a complimentary margarita which were fairly strong; got a little buzz from the one drink I had. This place had TVs all along the bar too which was great since I didn’t want to miss my Falcons playing.
Our Hola host were all very nice, but our server was not so good. Dirty plates stacked pretty quickly without being taken away.

Kellie You Rock!!! This was a great Elite Event! I was excited to be in this event. Brunch and Mexican you can’t go wrong with that. All of us was seated near the bar. Which was another plus because the falcons were on !! At the table there was awesome personalized margarita cup, name tag and Unilocal swag. I was next to Stephanie M, Jennifer D, across from Renee K, Tuong Vi P., And Elite newbie Sari S.
The staff from Hola Debbie and the chef Luis explain their idea on creating this extablisment. It was intrigued how passionate there are with start of this new restaurant. Debbie also had a Twitter contest the tweets were tagged with hashtag #HolaSundayBrunch. The winner received a 25 dollar gift card.
Each elite received 1 complimentary drink. I ordered the Texas Margarita. It consist jimador blanco, Lime Juice, patron citronge and fresh orange Juice. It was really good. It almost a ticila momasa.
The food.
We all had endless access to the buffet. It was pretty extensive from a brunch. They had something for everybody. I tried to manage to try everything.
My favorite items.
SHRIMP AND GRITS — I was kind of surprised to see this. Especially at Holla,. Living in the south I learned to love this staple. Guys this is the real deal. Grits were creamy not dry and the shrimp was on point.
BRISKET ENCHILADAS — Not bad. Consisted with cheese and beef brisket. It wasn’t dry also.
ENCHILADA SUIZAS (Chicken Enchilada) — really good. consisted seasoned chicken, cheese, and cream tomatillo sauce
CEVICHE — I have to say I am really picky when it comes to ceviche. This was pretty good. Mine had a assortment of white fish, shrimp, Lime juice, diced tomatoes, onions, and cilantro.
TRES LECHES CAKE — All i can say is wow. I can have this every day. Consisted mascarpone cheese, evaporated and condensed Milk, coconut Milk and toasted Coconut
Overall this was a great brunch. Thanks to Kellie and the staff at HOLA making this YEE event a success!

Elite Event Mexican brunch at Hola upon seeing this immediately had to sign up and wait to see if I made the list? This event was held during regular brunch hours that said we Elites had a large table in the bar that would accommodate about 22 of us.
The staff talked to us about when they had opened and today’s offerings of which were plenty! Not really knowing what to expect was super surprised at the amount of food and the different options available to us. Ceviche, meatballs, fajitas, pork carnitas, the biggest Chile relenos I’ve ever seen (it had to be cut in two to be shared), two kinds of beans, two soups, a chili and a version of shrimp n grits (trust these grits were good) and more.
Several small trips had to be made in order to try just some of what was available, after sampling a few plates the hands went up, Unilocal cup raised and was done.
The desserts looked appetizing but there was no more room. The food was interesting and we all got to try something new in the afternoon.
Thanks to the staff at HOLA and Kellie.

What a spectacular event! Beads, mustaches, margaritas, and delicious Mexican food. It was a mini fiesta! Kellie decorated margarita glasses with our names on them & filled them up with lots of Unilocal schwag. You’re the best Kellie! Thank you for planning such an awesome event! I had no idea this place existed before this Unilocal Event. A Mexican brunch buffet? What a genius idea.
It was great to see familiar faces like Vyvy, Daniel, Kwame, Jennifer, Will, Stephanie, & our awesome photographer Jang. It was also nice to meet new Unilocalies like Melissa, Eren, Shana, Wynter, & Tricia. Great conversation and amazing atmosphere.
I started the meal off with an ancho margarita. It was by far the strongest margarita I have ever had. Mellissa & I were surprised at the color of the margarita. This place does not skimp on the liquor. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my margarita, even though I only drank half (; The food was all delicious. However, my favorites were: arroz verde con rajas (green rice), ceviche, arroz con mariscos (rice with mussels & other seafood), albondigas, camarones el caliente, & carnitas. I took at least one bite of each on the buffet, which includes the dessert part! I tried the chocolate mousse, flan, tres leches cake, & the tiramisu. The presentation was great, but many of the desserts had a weird consistency or lacked flavor. The true winner out of all the desserts was the chocolate mousse. I have always liked chocolate mousse, but I LOVE this chocolate mousse. It wasn’t too sweet, the consistency was right, and it was fluffy!
Overall, I am super impress. Not only is the food delicious, but it is also extremely fresh! This is a rare case where you can have quantity & quality instead of just one or the other. The only flaw about this place is that it is a long drive for me, but I will definitely be back. I can not get enough of this delicious Mexican food! Last, a big shout out to Luis, Debbie, and the staff at Hola for accommodating us & showing us what an amazing place Hola is! Can’t wait to come back!

I have driven past HOLA many times, but I had no idea they served such delicious food. What a treat to discover their Sunday Brunch through this Unilocal Elite Event.
As a brand new Elite Unilocaler i was thoroughly impressed by the afternoon we spent sampling the interesting dishes and margaritas provided by HOLA. Kellie M organized a great experience. I got to meet some Unilocalers I had only known online.
The brunch foods were varied and interesting and give the diner a wide set of options. As a «brunch» I was surprised there was no egg dish nor much coffee service. But the quality many dishes offered was really nice. I loved, of course, the Chile rellenos, ceviche, arroz con rajas, shrimp and grits, and more.
I look forward to returning to

Sunday’s Unilocal OTP Elite Event at Hola! Taqueria & Bar in Roswell was special for a couple different reasons:
1. It was a weekend brunch.
2. We had unlimited access to the restaurant’s all-​you-​can-​eat buffet.
That was pretty awesome! Sure, some restaurants might have a buffet-​style setup for a Unilocal event, but the buffet’s offerings are typically and understandably limited. For example, at the YEE at Nori Nori in Sandy Springs (
), instead of indulging in Nori Nori’s standard sushi buffet, restaurant staff set up a «light» version of their buffet for the event (which was still pretty good by the way). The only other YEE I can think of, off the top of my head, where we had access to a restaurant’s regular buffet was at Fogo de Chao in Buckhead (
).
Many thanks to Hola! chef and owner Luis Ramirez for inviting us into his restaurant during a peak time and allowing us to feast on his buffet and try his popular margaritas on the house.
By my count, 18 Unilocalers attended including myself, Wynter F, Will S, Vyvy T, Melissa W, Diana T, Kevin G, Tammi D, Carolina M, Renee K, Tuong Vi P, Sari S, Jennifer D, Kwame O, Lily (Lillie? Not sure how to spell her name and I missed her last initial), Tricia S, Shana B, and Eren C. New in-​person faces to me included Melissa, Carolina, Lily, and Tricia. I was already familiar with Melissa on Unilocal (and Instagram) and recognized Carolina from her numerous posts on Talk, but this was the first time I’d seen either of them in person. Also, this was Sari’s first Elite Event as a newly minted OTP Elite. Welcome to the Elite Squad, Sari!
We had assigned seating at a long communal high-​top table near the restaurant’s bar. The 3 – 0 Falcons were playing the Texans on TV and Kellie had each person’s table setting ready to go with name tags, Hola! menus and promotional materials, plastic cocktail glasses with our names written on them, and assorted Unilocal schwag (sunglasses, shot glasses, Unilocal stick) and festive beads inside the glasses. The bar’s windows were completely open with temperatures in the 60s. It was a great afternoon for a Unilocaly brunch in the ‘burbs.
Debbie Rosen from the PR firm The Rosen Group was on-​hand as was Luis. Debbie and Luis spent some time talking to us about Hola! — how they got started and what the restaurant is all about. Debbie told us about a Twitter contest where the winner would get a $ 25 gift card to Hola! I’m not sure who won, but the tweets were tagged with hashtag #HolaSundayBrunch (
). Since I didn’t win, I’m guessing Tricia did based on the search results that pop up. ;)
Here’s a short video clip I took at the event:
Buffet items included:
* Kale Salad
* Arroz Verde con Rajas — green rice with poblano
* Arroz con Mariscos — rice with seafood
* Pozole Verde Estilo Guerrero — green pozole, Guerrero style
* Seafood Soup
* Chile Coronado
* Ceviche (all the ingredients to make your own)
* Carnitas
* Charro Beans
* Black Beans
* Jalapeño Corn
* Brisket Enchiladas
* Enchilada Suizas — chicken enchiladas with a creamy tomatillo sauce
* Shrimp & Grits
* Camarones el Caliente — spicy shrimp
* Mac & Cheese
* Bistec con Cebollas — steak with onions
* Red Potatoes — bacon, cheese, onion
* Chicken Taquitos
* Castillas en Salsa Verde — pork ribs in green sauce
* Albondigas — Mexican style meatballs
* Chiles Relleno — cheese-​stuffed poblano peppers
* Pollo en Salsa de Poblano Gratinado — chicken breast in a poblano sauce au gratin
* Chicken Fajitas
* Chicken Thighs in Adobo Sauce
Salsas:
* Salsa Verde
* Morita Salsa
* Salsa Cruda
* Habanero Salsa
Desserts:
* Tiramisu
* Chocolate Mousse
* Tres Leches Cake
* Flan
I tried to take at least one bite of everything, but failed. There was just too much food, not to mention the endless supply of addictive chips and salsa at the table. My favorite items were the carnitas (surprisingly good quality for a buffet), creamy grits, rich mac & cheese, savory bistec con cebollas, tasty castillas en salsa verde, flavorful albondigas, and tender pollo en salsa de poblano gratinado. The only thing I didn’t like was the chicken taquito (too dry). I thought it was awkward where the taquitos were placed — in the far back on the bottom shelf of a two-​level, heated serving tray. It was a bit of a safety hazard. Of the desserts, my favorite was the chocolate mousse. Yum!
Thank you, Kellie, for organizing yet another wonderful food-​filled event. Thanks to Ralph for missing out on the Giants-​Bills game to be with and support his wife. Thanks to Jang C for being the official photographer. Finally, thanks again to Luis, Debbie, and the entire crew at Hola! for showing us a fantastic time.
I know I had a good time — I suffered from severe food coma after the event. Zzz…

First visit to this establishment today due to the OTP Unilocal Elite Event organized by Kellie M. Good food & good company makes a great combo!
Top 5 Entrée/​Side Picks:
1. Brisket Enchilada! Wow! I truly have never had an enchilada this delicious! Flavor of the brisket and juiciness was perfect!
2. Shrimp and grits were a must have as well. Okay. more the grits: D Believe it or not… the grits complimented the Brisket Enchilada quite well. Don’t knock it till you try it ;) And yes, I love grits enough to know when grits are delicious and when it simply is not.
3. Arroz Verde con Rojas (Green rice with Poblano) — I have a weakness for green peppers. So this was yum!
4. Arroz con mariscos (Rice with seafood) — Loved both rices, depends on what you have a craving for.
5. Pozole Verde Estilo Guerrero Soup — Overall soup was great! Clear broth based, not too heavy. Only negative of this soup… the fat content. A little bit of fat is okay, but I got chunks of fat here and there and after a while… I didn’t want to eat anymore of it. I say a little is okay because I’m sure it greatly contributes to the flavor of the soup, but too much for my personal preference. I would’ve tried the other soups but I was too full. So I’m sure their other soups would’ve been more to my preference.
Dessert Reviews:
1. Flan — Perfect amount, texture, and flavor. I’m glad it wasn’t too sweet nor too mushy. The consistency was great! And yes, gotta have the freshly sliced strawberries to balance it.
2. Tres Leche Cake — I had a bite of this and I’m not a big fan of rich desserts such as this, so. I am biased. You can certainly taste the heaviness of the milk. Not exactly my cup of tea. However, for Tres Leche Cake fans, I heard it was delicious ;)
Alcoholic Beverage:
Ordered the Mojito and it was great! I’m not a connoisseur when it comes to alcohol, so please do try their famous margaritas!
The establishment itself has great space to throw a small dinner party or group gathering. You have a delectable array of Mexican food and drinks, how can you go wrong if that’s what you are craving? If you’re interested, reach out to Debbie Rosen (President)! I’m sure she’d be excited to help you put a scrumptious gathering together!

What a treat to be included in this weekend Unilocal event! I’ve been wanting to try Hola! Taqueria for a long time, and this brunch get-​together was an absolutely wonderful excuse to do so. Thanks to Kellie for the invitation, and thanks to the terrific people at Hola! for making us feel so welcome and giving us a chance to try their yummy food. Before I get into the specifics, I’ll just say that I was certainly impressed enough to come back.
Like others have noted, when I think about brunch, I don’t usually think about Mexican restaurants. However, Hola! is a solid option in the Alpharetta/​Roswell area. It’s a very cute place with an inviting patio and a festive dining room. An attractive bar can be found on one side of the restaurant, and we were seated in this area. The Sunday brunch is set up on the other side of the restaurant. It appeared small, but there was *plenty* to choose from, though overall the pickings definitely slanted more toward lunch than breakfast.
My favorites:
* The brisket enchiladas — Oh my goodness, these were terrific! I had never had such a thing before, but it was the star of the show by everyone’s estimation. Just the right amount of cheese, and the perfectly-​seasoned brisket is as juicy as it comes. Absolutely loved these.
* Shrimp and grits — Who would expect to find the best shrimp and grits around right here at Hola? Certainly not me. As a true blue, born and raised Georgia girl, I know from grits. And these are LEGIT. Creamy, delicious goodness, and the shrimp were spiced just enough.
* Carnitas — Some pieces were a little overcooked, but for the most part this roast pork was delicious and perfectly crispy on the outside but nice and juicy inside. Wonderful.
* Tres Leches — I am a huge fan of this dessert, and the version served at Hola does not disappoint.
* Mojito — I ordered this classic cocktail and didn’t regret it. The drink went perfectly with my brunch, and was just strong enough to be felt but certainly not overpowering.
I was not quite as into the rice as some of my fellow diners — felt it was a little dry (both the seafood and the poblano versions) — but it certainly wasn’t bad. Next time I’d get another enchilada and skip the rice, though!
Thanks again to Kellie and Hola! for a great time!

When I got to the «Brunch in the Burbs» event I was surprised to see I was the first one there and thought I was in the wrong place for a second. Then I spotted Kellie’s amazing table spread and saw my beloved Kellie who is always ready with a smile and a hug! Her table spreads are always so cute and this one featured the names of the Elites written on Margarita glasses with more cool Unilocal swag inside them. Sweet! :)
After a brief intro by CM Kellie, Debbie Rosen, Hola Taqueria’s PR agent and Luis Ramirez their main chef; it was time to start the eating. The food was served buffet-​style and it was a cornucopia of delicious AUTHENTIC Mexican food, no Tex-​Mex here!
Everything looked and smelled delicious and I wish I could remember the names of all the dishes but the spread was just too large! In fact, there was so much food that even though I only put a tiny bit of each item onto my plate, it still couldn’t fit all the options.
Some of my favorites items included:
The brisket enchilada: YUMMY and flavorful!
Carnitas: best carnitas I’ve ever had! So tender and juicy!
Ceviche: refreshing and tasty
Mac and cheese: covered in white cheddar and super creamy!
Chicken with green sauce — a moist chicken breast smothered in sauce. wish I remembered the actual name of it because it was delicious!
I enjoyed the food and had fun as usual meeting and conversing with my fellow Unilocalers like Daniel B, Will S, Melissa W, Shana B and Diana T.
After brunch, our dessert options included small servings of Flan, chocolate mousse, tres leches cake and Tiramisu all served in martini glasses. I must admit the desserts weren’t my favorite and I think most people around me agreed that the chocolate mousse was the obvious winner of the four. It was rich, creamy and chocolatey whipped cream and a few tart strawberries to balance the flavors. It was great.
We were also treated to a free cocktail which was nice because nothing goes better with Mexican food than Margaritas right? I ordered a classic margarita versus some of the flavors but when it came it was straight alcohol, I barely tasted any other flavors including the lime. It was STRONGGGGG and so were some of my fellow Elites drinks. I guess Hola just likes their drinks to have some bite! :)
I left Hola full and very satisfied! I’ll totally be back for their brunch because the amount of quality food you get for just $ 15 is unbelievable, not to mention the restaurant’s décor and great service!
Thanks Kellie for such a great event and thanks Hola! for treating us to your delicious brunch! I’ll be back!

Kellie, thanks for such a fun and belly-​filling event. I love brunch in general and was thankful to enjoy such a unique experience at Hola! Taqueria & Bar, as I hadn’t had a Mexican-​style breakfast slash lunch meal before.
As I walked in the front doors, I was happy to see that our group had a nice long table to the left and when I got there, Kellie found me and was quick to show me where I would seat for the event. We got it wrong the first time but eventually, I found my name tag (we remedied the misspelling of my name as well). I saw that there was cool goodies for us, such as colorful margarita (plastic) glass, as well as a shot glass, some Mardi Gras-​style beads, shades, a Unilocalstick, and a stick-​on mustache for those who wanted one. Festive things to start off a brunch fiesta. (Yeah, that was kinda cheesy.)
Anyway, the event kicked off shortly after I arrived (admittedly, I was a few minutes late) and Debbie and Luis (owners, I believe) came out to talk to us and give us info about the restaurant’s story and food. Luis is a well-​known chef in the city for his Mexican grub and he even told us he was classically trained in French cuisine to start out. Nice! They welcomed us and had us rapidly ushered to the brunch buffet, which is more food than you may think at first glance.
I am not a seafood eater so I skipped many dishes that I’m sure my fellow Unilocalers go to enjoy, such as the seafood soup, seafood rice, and shrimp and grits. For us meat– and everything else-​eaters, there were plenty of things that pleased. I really liked the rice with poblano peppers, as well as the meatballs and enchiladas (I got one each of the chicken variety in a green sauce and the beef brisket and liked them equally, with the brisket being heavier just because it was beef). I didn’t go for the shrimp but I couldn’t pass on the grits and they did not disappoint. Creamy and well-​seasoned, I considered going for seconds but used my iron will (and too-​tight jeans) to abstain from gluttony. Once I wrapped up my plate (do you see how much food was on there?!), I got a small bowl of the pozole, which was excellent and light enough to leave room for dessert. I couldn’t leave without getting something to satisfy my sweet tooth, guys. I got the tres leches cake and loved it. It was decadent but the small portion was perfect for wrapping up a meal.
Thanks for all the photos, Jang C. It was cool seeing you work as the official event photographer. Big thanks again to Kellie for organizing such a fun event and to Hola! Taqueria & Bar (especially to Luis and Debbie for their hospitality). I’m glad I got to meet Renee K., Sari S., and Jennifer D., who were all fun brunch companions on my end of the table.

When I think of brunch, I tend to go towards your more traditional choices: waffles, croissant sandwiches, fruit bowls, etc. Brunch this time around took place at Hola! Taqueria and Bar in Roswell, down the street from Tokyo Bay Japanese Buffet. The restaurant is spacious! Hola has ample parking spaces, spacious interior with lots of seating, multiple TVs, and a large bar.
Our group was situated at the community table. We had assigned seating with goodies prepared by Kellie. She prepares the cutest set-​ups! Each guest had a personalized margarita cup, passion-​fruit flavored lip balm, shot glass, sunglasses, and beads. Upon the table were a few sticker ‘staches, which called for some pictures. Speaking of pictures, our official photographer for the event was our very own, Jang C. He does amazing work.
Any way, Sunday’s buffet spread was delicious. I tried to try a little bit of everything and I failed. To start, the table had chips and salsa. For my one plate, I had poblano green rice, the rice with seafood (forgot the name), Mexican-​style meatballs, carnitas, ceviche, chicken enchilada, and chili. To pair with our food, we each got to try one of their margaritas. They do not hold back. Mine was probably the Pink Cadillac Margarita; it’s the only one on the menu with strawberries. I couldn’t hear what our waitress was saying clearly, but I enjoyed mine more than Hola’s Classic Margarita. Out of the desserts I’ve tried, I liked the chocolate mousse the best, then the tres leches cake, and lastly, the flan. I liked that the flan wasn’t too sweet, but it was a little dense.
Another stellar event by our OTP CM, Kellie! Thanks to Hola! Taqueria and Bar for having us. :D