I loved this place for many reasons.. One being the fact that when asked if anything was canned (which I'm allergic to) they took pride to take me back into the kitchen and show me all of the raw ingredients.. Hard to fins these days. Good service good food and people that care.
(5)
Garrett P.
Authentic, large servings, and great food! Best place to eat in town!
(5)
Jill K.
Tried it for the first time and would not go back anytime soon. The margarita was the worst I've ever had. First of all it was served in a wine glass and it was carbonated. They do not have a bar, so I believe it was one of those margarita wine coolers you buy at a liquor store. The service was poor as well. We were the only ones in the restaurant. After our waitress took our order, we never saw her again. A male served us our food and we sat there waiting to see someone to get our check. No one ever once came back to our table to see if we needed anything. The food was only mediocre. They give you the smallest basket of tortilla chips and salsa I've ever seen at a mexican restaurant. On a positive note.... The tortilla chips were very good and homemade. Very unique tasting. I have to say I was soooo disappointed in the food and service after having higher expectations after reading the reviews. Will keep searching for a better mexican restaurant!!!
(2)
Nathan M.
Excellent service, better food. Everything was fresh and made in house. Corn and flour tortillas, both homemade, were amazing. Carne Asada was outstanding. Easily the best Mexican food I've ever had in Florida.
(5)
Shane L.
My family and I were visiting LegoLand in Winterhaven, FL and looked for a local Mexican place. We found this little gem downtown about 1 mile from our hotel. The service (Marco) was great and the food was excellent. I ran into a couple of locals and they said it is the best in town even though another place in town is also pretty good. She said she would pick El Olivo every time. The Chimichanga was great and the beer was cold! Great experience and will go back.
(4)
Christine B.
Best Mexican in Winter Haven! The service is not very good but the food makes up for it.
(5)
Nicholas C.
A few things struck me as soon as I sat down. First, the atmosphere - this place is dimly lit during the middle of the day, giving the feel of a place that might be a literal "hole in a wall". That's not a bad thing. It lent an authentic feel to the place, and I feel like most of us are probably looking for authenticity when seeking out Latin American food. The chips added to this - the chips themselves were thick and crunchy in a way that leads me to believe they were fried in the kitchen today, and the salsa also felt fresh and had a great mix of flavor and a little spice. So far so good. I was getting lunch and while there was a lunch menu, I was pleasantly surprised to see there were daily lunch specials - specifically today's special was tostadas. It had been a while since I'd had good tostadas so I eagerly ordered that. I'm sad to say that the entree did not live up to the atmosphere or appetizer - while they were certainly tasty, they weren't great. Service was quick and attentive without being overbearing. My server had, at one point, seven tables full of lunch patrons and never seemed to skip a beat. My only complaint would be having to wait a bit for the bill, but I wolfed down my food and am always impatient to leave, so that's perhaps not totally fair. If the entree had been to the level of everything else I'd have to give this place four stars. I wish I could give it three and a half, but in all good conscious I have to go with three. It's a place I will return to but likely won't go out of my way for.
(3)
Vance K.
Family run, small, local, fresh Mexican food. Friendly staff. Easy parking. In the downtown pedestrian friendly section of Winter Haven.
(5)
Heather H.
I absolutely love this restaurant ! The food is amazing I could probably eat here every week and never get tired of it. The chicken enchiladas are to die for . I was sold from day one. I literally ate the home made salsa every day for a week ,because you can bye it from the restaurant it self. Great service and the waiters are so friendly. Doesn't put a dent on your wallet either. Definitely would recommend El Olivos to anyone looking food a great Mexican restaurant.
(5)
Whitney G.
This place was my absolute favorite for lunch when I worked in the area. Authentic Mexican food was always flawless. It's a bit dim inside but they have a couple of tables on the patio as well. Staff is very polite and even remembered our "usuals"
(5)
Tiffany K.
Food and drinks were amazing servers had a wonderful personality. We were a party of 20 and they welcomed us a little rocky with checks but well worth it!
(5)
Lisa K.
Very pleasant family dinner. Fresh and flavorful food, very gracious and accommodating staff! Local treasure- glad we made time to come here.
(4)
Danielle C.
We just went here for lunch and I'm not sure if business isn't going well, or if we happened to come in after the rush, but we were the only table in there. The tortilla chips are homemade, which is awesome, but they were over cooked and hard. The salsa tasted like mashed tomatoes that has been warmed up, I couldn't taste anything else in the salsa. We got some guacamole and cheese dip to start. They serve these with about 5 chips each and only the first basket of chips are free and it definitely wasn't enough for 4 people. 99 cents to get another basket. The serving of guacamole was very small and tasted like it had too much lime in it...I've made better guac at home. The cheese dip seemed like it was melted shredded cheese with some vegetables thrown in. We had the chimichanga, nachos, burrito, and the El olivo plate for lunch. It took awhile for our lunch to come out and we expected the quality would have been better for the time it took. It tasted like leftovers. The chimichanga was more like a meat and bean pie. There was practically no cheese in it at all. The nachos had melted cheese on them, the chicken was dry and flavorless, and the chips were hard. The burrito and the olivo plate weren't any better. We also had some margaritas which are not fresh made, but out of a premixed bottle. The service was also terrible. We had to ask for service multiple times. I worked in the restaurant industry for 7 years, and if I had only one table, the service would have been stellar. I will give the server the benefit of the doubt and hope our service was bad because he was having to help out in the kitchen. The decor was great, which is why we chose to eat here, but great decor doesn't make up for bad food and service. All in all, the food was overpriced for the quality and service.
(2)
Kellie K.
This family owned Mexican restaurant is the best in town. Period. The ambiance is great, the prices are reasonable, the food is awesome and the beer is cold. What's not to like? It's been a favorite of my family for years. If you're looking for authentic Mexican food, this is where it's at!
(5)
John P.
Great authentic Mexican food served hot and fast. The place fills up fast during lunch time.
(5)
Jessica H.
Authentic Mexican food and a friendly service. The sangria was spot on ..a must try!! ...best I've had in a while, and the guacamole was full of flavor. Fresh corn tortillas: made in house!!!! Super energetic sweet waitress that made the sangria made it an enjoyable experience. Sat on the porch at dusk- it was perfect! If ever back in Winter Haven I would definitely come back for more Sangria on that porch.
(5)
Lindsey H.
Authentic an delicious food! Quiet, small, & family oriented. We loved every bit of the food.
(5)
Pam E.
Absolute best Mexican food I've had since moving away from Southern California. Super friendly staff. Yum!!!
(5)
Jeffrey O.
Excellent authentic Mexican food! Great family spot with great service! We loved this little gem!
(5)
Karen W.
Wow, what happened to this place? On a Fri night, only two cooks and one inexperienced server. Chips are made of flour and too hard and crunchy two tables left rather than wait so long. All tortillas are smaller size and they even ran out of the "rose" wine we ordered. Hope they bring their higher standards back, this was disappointing.
(2)
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Address :223 W Central Ave
Winter Haven, FL, 33880
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : 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.
Constantine S.
I loved this place for many reasons.. One being the fact that when asked if anything was canned (which I'm allergic to) they took pride to take me back into the kitchen and show me all of the raw ingredients.. Hard to fins these days. Good service good food and people that care.
(5)Garrett P.
Authentic, large servings, and great food! Best place to eat in town!
(5)Jill K.
Tried it for the first time and would not go back anytime soon. The margarita was the worst I've ever had. First of all it was served in a wine glass and it was carbonated. They do not have a bar, so I believe it was one of those margarita wine coolers you buy at a liquor store. The service was poor as well. We were the only ones in the restaurant. After our waitress took our order, we never saw her again. A male served us our food and we sat there waiting to see someone to get our check. No one ever once came back to our table to see if we needed anything. The food was only mediocre. They give you the smallest basket of tortilla chips and salsa I've ever seen at a mexican restaurant. On a positive note.... The tortilla chips were very good and homemade. Very unique tasting. I have to say I was soooo disappointed in the food and service after having higher expectations after reading the reviews. Will keep searching for a better mexican restaurant!!!
(2)Nathan M.
Excellent service, better food. Everything was fresh and made in house. Corn and flour tortillas, both homemade, were amazing. Carne Asada was outstanding. Easily the best Mexican food I've ever had in Florida.
(5)Shane L.
My family and I were visiting LegoLand in Winterhaven, FL and looked for a local Mexican place. We found this little gem downtown about 1 mile from our hotel. The service (Marco) was great and the food was excellent. I ran into a couple of locals and they said it is the best in town even though another place in town is also pretty good. She said she would pick El Olivo every time. The Chimichanga was great and the beer was cold! Great experience and will go back.
(4)Christine B.
Best Mexican in Winter Haven! The service is not very good but the food makes up for it.
(5)Nicholas C.
A few things struck me as soon as I sat down. First, the atmosphere - this place is dimly lit during the middle of the day, giving the feel of a place that might be a literal "hole in a wall". That's not a bad thing. It lent an authentic feel to the place, and I feel like most of us are probably looking for authenticity when seeking out Latin American food. The chips added to this - the chips themselves were thick and crunchy in a way that leads me to believe they were fried in the kitchen today, and the salsa also felt fresh and had a great mix of flavor and a little spice. So far so good. I was getting lunch and while there was a lunch menu, I was pleasantly surprised to see there were daily lunch specials - specifically today's special was tostadas. It had been a while since I'd had good tostadas so I eagerly ordered that. I'm sad to say that the entree did not live up to the atmosphere or appetizer - while they were certainly tasty, they weren't great. Service was quick and attentive without being overbearing. My server had, at one point, seven tables full of lunch patrons and never seemed to skip a beat. My only complaint would be having to wait a bit for the bill, but I wolfed down my food and am always impatient to leave, so that's perhaps not totally fair. If the entree had been to the level of everything else I'd have to give this place four stars. I wish I could give it three and a half, but in all good conscious I have to go with three. It's a place I will return to but likely won't go out of my way for.
(3)Vance K.
Family run, small, local, fresh Mexican food. Friendly staff. Easy parking. In the downtown pedestrian friendly section of Winter Haven.
(5)Heather H.
I absolutely love this restaurant ! The food is amazing I could probably eat here every week and never get tired of it. The chicken enchiladas are to die for . I was sold from day one. I literally ate the home made salsa every day for a week ,because you can bye it from the restaurant it self. Great service and the waiters are so friendly. Doesn't put a dent on your wallet either. Definitely would recommend El Olivos to anyone looking food a great Mexican restaurant.
(5)Whitney G.
This place was my absolute favorite for lunch when I worked in the area. Authentic Mexican food was always flawless. It's a bit dim inside but they have a couple of tables on the patio as well. Staff is very polite and even remembered our "usuals"
(5)Tiffany K.
Food and drinks were amazing servers had a wonderful personality. We were a party of 20 and they welcomed us a little rocky with checks but well worth it!
(5)Lisa K.
Very pleasant family dinner. Fresh and flavorful food, very gracious and accommodating staff! Local treasure- glad we made time to come here.
(4)Danielle C.
We just went here for lunch and I'm not sure if business isn't going well, or if we happened to come in after the rush, but we were the only table in there. The tortilla chips are homemade, which is awesome, but they were over cooked and hard. The salsa tasted like mashed tomatoes that has been warmed up, I couldn't taste anything else in the salsa. We got some guacamole and cheese dip to start. They serve these with about 5 chips each and only the first basket of chips are free and it definitely wasn't enough for 4 people. 99 cents to get another basket. The serving of guacamole was very small and tasted like it had too much lime in it...I've made better guac at home. The cheese dip seemed like it was melted shredded cheese with some vegetables thrown in. We had the chimichanga, nachos, burrito, and the El olivo plate for lunch. It took awhile for our lunch to come out and we expected the quality would have been better for the time it took. It tasted like leftovers. The chimichanga was more like a meat and bean pie. There was practically no cheese in it at all. The nachos had melted cheese on them, the chicken was dry and flavorless, and the chips were hard. The burrito and the olivo plate weren't any better. We also had some margaritas which are not fresh made, but out of a premixed bottle. The service was also terrible. We had to ask for service multiple times. I worked in the restaurant industry for 7 years, and if I had only one table, the service would have been stellar. I will give the server the benefit of the doubt and hope our service was bad because he was having to help out in the kitchen. The decor was great, which is why we chose to eat here, but great decor doesn't make up for bad food and service. All in all, the food was overpriced for the quality and service.
(2)Kellie K.
This family owned Mexican restaurant is the best in town. Period. The ambiance is great, the prices are reasonable, the food is awesome and the beer is cold. What's not to like? It's been a favorite of my family for years. If you're looking for authentic Mexican food, this is where it's at!
(5)John P.
Great authentic Mexican food served hot and fast. The place fills up fast during lunch time.
(5)Jessica H.
Authentic Mexican food and a friendly service. The sangria was spot on ..a must try!! ...best I've had in a while, and the guacamole was full of flavor. Fresh corn tortillas: made in house!!!! Super energetic sweet waitress that made the sangria made it an enjoyable experience. Sat on the porch at dusk- it was perfect! If ever back in Winter Haven I would definitely come back for more Sangria on that porch.
(5)Lindsey H.
Authentic an delicious food! Quiet, small, & family oriented. We loved every bit of the food.
(5)Pam E.
Absolute best Mexican food I've had since moving away from Southern California. Super friendly staff. Yum!!!
(5)Jeffrey O.
Excellent authentic Mexican food! Great family spot with great service! We loved this little gem!
(5)Karen W.
Wow, what happened to this place? On a Fri night, only two cooks and one inexperienced server. Chips are made of flour and too hard and crunchy two tables left rather than wait so long. All tortillas are smaller size and they even ran out of the "rose" wine we ordered. Hope they bring their higher standards back, this was disappointing.
(2)