I love this place. Great tasting Mexican food and to die for desserts. The staff is always friendly and the food always delicious ( I've tried the chicken fajitas, fish tacos, queso chips, shrimp quesadillas to name a few of the super tasty dishes they serve). The only small issue I have is sometimes the food can take a bit to get to your table so I have ended up getting full on their endless chips and salsa on more than one occasion. Other than that definitely recommend trying if you like Mexican food.
(4)
J S.
We loved this place but they abruptly closed in March, 2015. Best street tacos ever! No idea why they closed. There's another location, however in Sarasota on Cortez Blvd., I believe.
(5)
Casey L.
Chips are great and always fresh! As for the food, not the best Mexican I've had but not the worst! And be careful when you ask for a side of anything.. My meal didn't come with sour cream and it set me back $1.00.
(3)
Mark S.
$9 for a luke warm preprepared burrito is ridiculous. I would recommend saving $8 and having a better meal by buying and microwaving your own freezer burrito. It was not by any means packed for a Friday night but our server had to fill both the roles of a bartender and waitress. Based on what we experienced we will not be back.
(1)
Matthew T.
Basically what you would expect for a fajita place. So if you like those go, if you don't probably not what you're looking for. We tried their "special" tacos, which are closer to what I think of as tacos and not the hard shell version. We had the Mexico street and the sanora ones. .The Mexico ones are a good representative of that type. I've had better but these were good. But at $10 for three, I'm not sure that I'm excited when you can go to a taco wagon not 5 minutes from here and do better. But if you are scared of the wagons give this a go. They come with rice and beans, which also explains the price, which is fine, but the rice is nothing to sing about. The Sanora ones were interesting, but not sure I would get again. Not having had any from that region before I don't have anything to compare, but a lot of "cheesiness" to them. Which for a few bites was fine but got a bit cloying. the fried onions were nice. Service was a little over attentive, probably a response to other review complaining about bad service. Our waiting just keep checking on us every 2-3 minutes, which was odd. But he was young. but I would suggest a bit more training. If you are among the fajita crowd, give it a try, if not go to a taco wagon in oneco.
(3)
Cathy J.
After recently vacay'ing in Mexico, I was craving its cuisine on a random Thursday night. My boyfriend who recently got released from prison (and had NO Mexican food during his stay) and I decided to hit up Mexicali's new location so I could get my tequila fix. This Mexicali is located off 70 in the Bealls & Lowe's shopping mall. It's a small locale, but we were seated right away. We had a card for a free queso which we promptly ordered. My boyfriend loves queso, and I love feeding him chips dripping with it. I also ordered a horny margarita, and I HIGHLY recommend it. Only 100 calories a pop! Or maybe 150, I can't remember. It was good. As for the food. The queso was standard, but I really do enjoy Mexicali's salsa. It's thick and has a kick! Just like I like my men. My boyfriend ordered the steak fajitas, and he gobbled them up like a wild turkey. I ordered the Sonora Street Tacos thinking I was ordering something authentic.....no. Ay dios mio, they had fried onion rings on top! and the garlic sauce on the side was pretty much mayonoaise....gross. A true, authentic Mexican taco should highlight the meat with only an onion and cilantro topping...don't expect that here. We were anxious to get home as my boyfriend is on a strict probation timeline, and it took foreverrrrr to get the bill. Our food took long enough, but I was confused why our server took so long. Maybe she needed a cig break? Who knows. But, we waited 10 min for our check. I am giving all of this a pass as it's a new restaurant and is still undergoing growing pains. We'll probably be back, but I won't be ordering the Sonora tacos.....but I will be ordering the horny margarita.
(3)
Jeremy W.
The hope was high that would have a nice northern Mexican style meal however the reality is this is just generic plain American Mexican and therefore not really too noteworthy. The atmosphere is okay at this location however the food is average at best.
(3)
Gregory P.
Outstanding.. I do not do a lot of reviews. But these chicken enchiladas verde rivaled my wifes.. and nice hot chips and salsa. Tortilla soap was great.. Atmosphere also pleasing, clean, and lots of Mexican memorabilia. Love was put into this place and effort.
(5)
Carey Y.
On the recommendation of a friend, Gabriel and I decided to stray from our go-to Mexican place, Mi Pueblo, to try something new. We were happy to see that chips and salsa were complimentary since Gabriel has been known, historically, to walk out of a few Mexican restaurants where they charge extra for this staple. We told the waiter that we are pescetarian (and then explained what that means) and asked him for suggestions. It turned out there were quite a few good choices for us on the menu- and most under $12. Sounds good to me! I ordered the seafood Chimichanga (stuffed with shrimp, lobster, crab meat, portabella mushrooms and mixed cheese. Wrapped in a Garlic Herb Tortilla with Cilantro Sherry Cream Sauce, salsa and guacamole) but asked that it not be deep fried as the menu described it. He said that was no problem and told us both we had 2 options for the beans, but then corrected himself and said only one was vegetarian and that he would make sure that's what we'd both get. The food came out quickly and looked awesome. We each started with a taste of the beans which were a little on the salty side, but pretty tasty anyway. Gabriel offered a taste of his beans to me- and I said, we got the same ones, didn't we? I then noticed that his looked totally different and called it to the attention of the waiter. He immediately looked embarrassed and said they looked different because apparently someone in the kitchen didn't get his message that we both wanted the vegetarian option. Gee thanks...Gabriel was pretty pissed that he'd just had a bite of beans cooked with pork. The waiter apologized- sort of, but really just blamed the kitchen staff instead of taking responsibility for it. Other than that, the meal was really quite good. My chimichanga had tons of flavor from all of the different types of seafood and big pieces of portabellas. The rice was not cold or overcooked (one of the only things I don't like about Mi Pueblo) and the salsa and sauce that I asked for on the side was fresh, full of fresh, pureed cilantro (which I LOVE) and very flavorful. Overall, I thought this was a great lunch with plenty of options for us non-meat-eaters and I will definitely be happy to go back.
(4)
Amy W.
My husband and I were in town on vacation and saw a commercial advertising this place. We came in for the 2-for-1 deal on fajitas. Got a ton of great food for a very low price. My spouse has traveled all over Mexico and Latin America and can be quite picky about his Mexican cuisine, but this even earned his stamp of approval. The staff was prompt, friendly, and attentive. If we lived in the area, we'd be back for sure.
The food has always been great tasting but the wait times have been horrible. From order to eat is just to much of a gap. Be prepared to sit a while during this meal. I have seen a lot of staff turnover since opening and its better. I have eaten there and every time i tell myself it will be great but i am always let down.
(2)
Dave C.
Severely disappointed. Got take out last night. Picked it up at exactly the time they said to be there. Food was soggy, tacos were missing ingredients (i.e. queso), and overall the food was bland.
(1)
Mary V A.
Good service and the food was hot and tasty. I noticed that a few server, not mine were a little too chatty. They didn't leave the table as quick as some of the customers wanted them to. Food came out very quickly and was hot. Will go again
(3)
Lisa M.
ZERO customer service. Went there with a friend for a quick lunch. Took 15 minutes to get chips and salsa. Took our order, 45 minutes later our food never came. We asked to get it to go. The food still didn't come out of the kitchen. We asked for our check, which never came. I had to go back to work and had absolutely no more time to wait. We left with no food or anything. So I have no idea what the food tasted like. The chips were a bit heavy and the salsa was mediocre. I could understand if they were busy. However, including us, there were only people at three tables. And there are at least 2 to 3 waitstaff to take care of them all.
(1)
S. H.
I am very saddened to have to update my review of this restaurant from great to poor. Today I ordered a carry-out as I have done many times before. Among the items ordered, I ordered the large white queso dip with one small scoop of seasoned hamburger. When my husband returned home with the food, I immediately noticed that the queso dip was in a small container and not the large, (I have ordered both sizes on many occasions). I then called the restaurant and told the girl that answered the phone what had happened. She told me that to save money, they now sell the large queso for the size of the small and small has gotten even smaller. I really thought this girl was mistaken, so I called back and asked for the Manager. Sure enough, it's true....I paid $7.99 for just a few ounces of cheese and one scoop of hamburger. I was not happy with the price of the queso before, but now I'm LIVID. I then received a call from a fellow named "Marshall" in their home office, (I believe he is the District Mgr). Marshall had the nerve to try to convince me that the size had not changed, only the container! He said that the container they were using was the wrong size and now they are using the correct size for the large queso....what a joke!!!!! Seth, the manager at the Cortez location had already confirmed to me that they are now selling the large queso in the small container to cut costs. He also said that he has had other complaints. They have lost my business as well as my familys' and friends' for good. It's bad enough that they have decided to rip off their long term customers....lying on top of it really "takes the cake" so to speak.
(2)
Kate S.
We are new to the area so we were looking for good Mexican food. This place was just ok. Pretty average for us coming from the west coast. Our service was excellent, fast and friendly. The salsa was very good and fresh.
(3)
Jenna T.
First time there and disappointed for the amount of money the dishes are. The only reason why I put a 2 star is because the owner / or cook noticed that our food was all still there and he offered to make a new one. The wait staff was not attentive and later we realized it was the waitress that messed up our order. She didn't even apologize.
(2)
christine a.
Dined here several times. Pretty good for the standard Mexican chain restaurant fare. I like the pulled pork quesadilla, it's not authentic carnitas, but actually tasty. Their sangria is good and plentiful. Basic chips, salsa, etc. nothing earth shattering but serviceable American style Mexican food. (The great stuff is found on 15th or in one of the Mexican grocery stores.) but they are probably too "out there" for Lakewood Ranchers. Attentive service.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Heather B.
I love this place. Great tasting Mexican food and to die for desserts. The staff is always friendly and the food always delicious ( I've tried the chicken fajitas, fish tacos, queso chips, shrimp quesadillas to name a few of the super tasty dishes they serve). The only small issue I have is sometimes the food can take a bit to get to your table so I have ended up getting full on their endless chips and salsa on more than one occasion. Other than that definitely recommend trying if you like Mexican food.
(4)J S.
We loved this place but they abruptly closed in March, 2015. Best street tacos ever! No idea why they closed. There's another location, however in Sarasota on Cortez Blvd., I believe.
(5)Casey L.
Chips are great and always fresh! As for the food, not the best Mexican I've had but not the worst! And be careful when you ask for a side of anything.. My meal didn't come with sour cream and it set me back $1.00.
(3)Mark S.
$9 for a luke warm preprepared burrito is ridiculous. I would recommend saving $8 and having a better meal by buying and microwaving your own freezer burrito. It was not by any means packed for a Friday night but our server had to fill both the roles of a bartender and waitress. Based on what we experienced we will not be back.
(1)Matthew T.
Basically what you would expect for a fajita place. So if you like those go, if you don't probably not what you're looking for. We tried their "special" tacos, which are closer to what I think of as tacos and not the hard shell version. We had the Mexico street and the sanora ones. .The Mexico ones are a good representative of that type. I've had better but these were good. But at $10 for three, I'm not sure that I'm excited when you can go to a taco wagon not 5 minutes from here and do better. But if you are scared of the wagons give this a go. They come with rice and beans, which also explains the price, which is fine, but the rice is nothing to sing about. The Sanora ones were interesting, but not sure I would get again. Not having had any from that region before I don't have anything to compare, but a lot of "cheesiness" to them. Which for a few bites was fine but got a bit cloying. the fried onions were nice. Service was a little over attentive, probably a response to other review complaining about bad service. Our waiting just keep checking on us every 2-3 minutes, which was odd. But he was young. but I would suggest a bit more training. If you are among the fajita crowd, give it a try, if not go to a taco wagon in oneco.
(3)Cathy J.
After recently vacay'ing in Mexico, I was craving its cuisine on a random Thursday night. My boyfriend who recently got released from prison (and had NO Mexican food during his stay) and I decided to hit up Mexicali's new location so I could get my tequila fix. This Mexicali is located off 70 in the Bealls & Lowe's shopping mall. It's a small locale, but we were seated right away. We had a card for a free queso which we promptly ordered. My boyfriend loves queso, and I love feeding him chips dripping with it. I also ordered a horny margarita, and I HIGHLY recommend it. Only 100 calories a pop! Or maybe 150, I can't remember. It was good. As for the food. The queso was standard, but I really do enjoy Mexicali's salsa. It's thick and has a kick! Just like I like my men. My boyfriend ordered the steak fajitas, and he gobbled them up like a wild turkey. I ordered the Sonora Street Tacos thinking I was ordering something authentic.....no. Ay dios mio, they had fried onion rings on top! and the garlic sauce on the side was pretty much mayonoaise....gross. A true, authentic Mexican taco should highlight the meat with only an onion and cilantro topping...don't expect that here. We were anxious to get home as my boyfriend is on a strict probation timeline, and it took foreverrrrr to get the bill. Our food took long enough, but I was confused why our server took so long. Maybe she needed a cig break? Who knows. But, we waited 10 min for our check. I am giving all of this a pass as it's a new restaurant and is still undergoing growing pains. We'll probably be back, but I won't be ordering the Sonora tacos.....but I will be ordering the horny margarita.
(3)Jeremy W.
The hope was high that would have a nice northern Mexican style meal however the reality is this is just generic plain American Mexican and therefore not really too noteworthy. The atmosphere is okay at this location however the food is average at best.
(3)Gregory P.
Outstanding.. I do not do a lot of reviews. But these chicken enchiladas verde rivaled my wifes.. and nice hot chips and salsa. Tortilla soap was great.. Atmosphere also pleasing, clean, and lots of Mexican memorabilia. Love was put into this place and effort.
(5)Carey Y.
On the recommendation of a friend, Gabriel and I decided to stray from our go-to Mexican place, Mi Pueblo, to try something new. We were happy to see that chips and salsa were complimentary since Gabriel has been known, historically, to walk out of a few Mexican restaurants where they charge extra for this staple. We told the waiter that we are pescetarian (and then explained what that means) and asked him for suggestions. It turned out there were quite a few good choices for us on the menu- and most under $12. Sounds good to me! I ordered the seafood Chimichanga (stuffed with shrimp, lobster, crab meat, portabella mushrooms and mixed cheese. Wrapped in a Garlic Herb Tortilla with Cilantro Sherry Cream Sauce, salsa and guacamole) but asked that it not be deep fried as the menu described it. He said that was no problem and told us both we had 2 options for the beans, but then corrected himself and said only one was vegetarian and that he would make sure that's what we'd both get. The food came out quickly and looked awesome. We each started with a taste of the beans which were a little on the salty side, but pretty tasty anyway. Gabriel offered a taste of his beans to me- and I said, we got the same ones, didn't we? I then noticed that his looked totally different and called it to the attention of the waiter. He immediately looked embarrassed and said they looked different because apparently someone in the kitchen didn't get his message that we both wanted the vegetarian option. Gee thanks...Gabriel was pretty pissed that he'd just had a bite of beans cooked with pork. The waiter apologized- sort of, but really just blamed the kitchen staff instead of taking responsibility for it. Other than that, the meal was really quite good. My chimichanga had tons of flavor from all of the different types of seafood and big pieces of portabellas. The rice was not cold or overcooked (one of the only things I don't like about Mi Pueblo) and the salsa and sauce that I asked for on the side was fresh, full of fresh, pureed cilantro (which I LOVE) and very flavorful. Overall, I thought this was a great lunch with plenty of options for us non-meat-eaters and I will definitely be happy to go back.
(4)Amy W.
My husband and I were in town on vacation and saw a commercial advertising this place. We came in for the 2-for-1 deal on fajitas. Got a ton of great food for a very low price. My spouse has traveled all over Mexico and Latin America and can be quite picky about his Mexican cuisine, but this even earned his stamp of approval. The staff was prompt, friendly, and attentive. If we lived in the area, we'd be back for sure.
(5)Tony F.
I've been eating here for the past few months at least once or twice a week. Good selection of Mexican entrées and desserts. I often sit at the bar to watch sports and the service is awesome and friendly. When I sit at a table Ive learned to be patient because the severs seem out of touch and not well trained.
(4)Rich M.
The food has always been great tasting but the wait times have been horrible. From order to eat is just to much of a gap. Be prepared to sit a while during this meal. I have seen a lot of staff turnover since opening and its better. I have eaten there and every time i tell myself it will be great but i am always let down.
(2)Dave C.
Severely disappointed. Got take out last night. Picked it up at exactly the time they said to be there. Food was soggy, tacos were missing ingredients (i.e. queso), and overall the food was bland.
(1)Mary V A.
Good service and the food was hot and tasty. I noticed that a few server, not mine were a little too chatty. They didn't leave the table as quick as some of the customers wanted them to. Food came out very quickly and was hot. Will go again
(3)Lisa M.
ZERO customer service. Went there with a friend for a quick lunch. Took 15 minutes to get chips and salsa. Took our order, 45 minutes later our food never came. We asked to get it to go. The food still didn't come out of the kitchen. We asked for our check, which never came. I had to go back to work and had absolutely no more time to wait. We left with no food or anything. So I have no idea what the food tasted like. The chips were a bit heavy and the salsa was mediocre. I could understand if they were busy. However, including us, there were only people at three tables. And there are at least 2 to 3 waitstaff to take care of them all.
(1)S. H.
I am very saddened to have to update my review of this restaurant from great to poor. Today I ordered a carry-out as I have done many times before. Among the items ordered, I ordered the large white queso dip with one small scoop of seasoned hamburger. When my husband returned home with the food, I immediately noticed that the queso dip was in a small container and not the large, (I have ordered both sizes on many occasions). I then called the restaurant and told the girl that answered the phone what had happened. She told me that to save money, they now sell the large queso for the size of the small and small has gotten even smaller. I really thought this girl was mistaken, so I called back and asked for the Manager. Sure enough, it's true....I paid $7.99 for just a few ounces of cheese and one scoop of hamburger. I was not happy with the price of the queso before, but now I'm LIVID. I then received a call from a fellow named "Marshall" in their home office, (I believe he is the District Mgr). Marshall had the nerve to try to convince me that the size had not changed, only the container! He said that the container they were using was the wrong size and now they are using the correct size for the large queso....what a joke!!!!! Seth, the manager at the Cortez location had already confirmed to me that they are now selling the large queso in the small container to cut costs. He also said that he has had other complaints. They have lost my business as well as my familys' and friends' for good. It's bad enough that they have decided to rip off their long term customers....lying on top of it really "takes the cake" so to speak.
(2)Kate S.
We are new to the area so we were looking for good Mexican food. This place was just ok. Pretty average for us coming from the west coast. Our service was excellent, fast and friendly. The salsa was very good and fresh.
(3)Jenna T.
First time there and disappointed for the amount of money the dishes are. The only reason why I put a 2 star is because the owner / or cook noticed that our food was all still there and he offered to make a new one. The wait staff was not attentive and later we realized it was the waitress that messed up our order. She didn't even apologize.
(2)christine a.
Dined here several times. Pretty good for the standard Mexican chain restaurant fare. I like the pulled pork quesadilla, it's not authentic carnitas, but actually tasty. Their sangria is good and plentiful. Basic chips, salsa, etc. nothing earth shattering but serviceable American style Mexican food. (The great stuff is found on 15th or in one of the Mexican grocery stores.) but they are probably too "out there" for Lakewood Ranchers. Attentive service.
(4)