I think this place is great and the staff is friendly and attentive. Great music, food, and drinks! Que rico!
(4)
Cam F.
Check out the most delicious new items on the menu. Most delicious Chiles Rellenos I ever had and also the other item we had was the Poc Chuc otherwise known as smoked pork. It was so good. This place gets better and better.
(5)
Emily W.
While the happy hour prices can't be beat (Half off tacos and drinks) the taste was severely lacking. Their tortillas are dry and hard to chew. Unfortunate because the chef and staff were extremely friendly! Tried their mezcal flight which was interesting.
(2)
Natalie S.
Hair in one persons food, another got a slab of undercooked fat in their taco, and they served us the driest juiceless limes in the world. Waiter is also not nice
(1)
Tee R.
We were headed to the Rum House and spotted the happy hour, half off ALL tacos sign out front and decided to give it a try! Me:top shelf magarita- awesome! Him: Spicy Watermelon Magarita - he LOVED IT, too spicy for my taste buds. We order a trio of salsas, the Verde was excellent and the other two were just ok at best. My favorite taco was the Chipotle Shrimp. ...delish, his favorite Shrimp Fresco and Carne Asada. Give them a try yall.....the service was excellent too
(5)
Tiffani P.
The jalapeño margaritas in a pitcher! Super delicious guacamole and ceviche! Ask for Lisa as a server and Brooke as your bartender and you'll find no better place on Magazine Street. Some of the negative reviews I read have proved to be invalid. Service and Food was excellent. I can't compare to other local restaurants as some, but I can say said place boasts some of the best and freshest food I've had during my visit. Locals recommended it and it has lived up to the praise. Will definitely visit again when I return. Brooke is a beautiful Mermaid, but watch out for Kelly. She's a wild one.
(5)
D. D.
Great herb saint margarita. Good ceviche. Crappy service. Karma B was less than interested to wait on us. Slow, disinterested and almost rude. And to top it off she stole from my friend, who was gracious enough to leave her a tip. Karma B. Increased her tip. That's stealing. Next time I am in New Orleans I will NOT be going there.
(1)
Aaron F.
Oh man, Rich makes the best black beans. The chicken mole was so smokey and juicy. Sauce was filled with flavor. Especially liked the addition of roasted pumpkin seeds thrown on top. Everything was warm and presented really well. Took no time at all to arrive. Sitting at the bar, you get great service from their very attentive bar tenders, who make some pretty neat concoctions. BTW there is an excellent tequila list. Gotta try the tacos at happy hour, m-f 5-7. Pork tacos are unbeatable. The nachos, too, gotta get the nachos. The cuisine is distinctly Mexican. Don't expect simple. The flavors are very complex. I really enjoyed the skirt steak too. Great seating arrangement with unique tables and bar stools. The decor is pretty cool, and atmosphere is really great for groups of friends. All in all, its the best Mexican cuisine I've had in town.
(5)
Dieu N.
Came here on a Friday night and tried a handful of the tacos. The baja fish was the best one, but it wasn't anything special. We also ordered the skirt steak and it came out cold and not much flavor. They have good happy hour though. $2 beers on draft. But I've had better elsewhere.
(2)
Mike B.
Ehh good tequila & 1/2 off happy hour. That's about it.
(3)
Ryan S.
Great food. Great atmosphere. Friendly and knowledgeable service. Easy on the Washingtons. What more can you ask for?
(4)
Josh H.
Pretty great consistency. And they have fresh jalapeno and Serrano peppers if you ask for them. Excellent drunk selection. Good salsa collection! Excellent addition to the city. Also a great compliment to Fuego a bit down the ways.
(5)
Michael K.
I've only heard terrible things about Arana... I told our hostess and waiter as we sat down that I've only heard terrible things about this Arana.... They did not disappoint, or did disappoint depending on the way you look at it. Instead of trying to provide quality Tex-Mex (which New Orleans lacks), they instead are trying to rip-off Rum House a block away. The taco menu looks like they took a picture of Rum House's menu with their cell phone, got home and couldn't read it very well and made up whatever they couldn't directly copy from the crappy picture. I had the "two taco platter" (gee, where have I seen that before, oh wait, Rum House) which includes two tacos from their list of non-traditional "chef inspired" taco list and a choice of two sides. I got the chipotle shrimp and whatever the duck taco was called with double rice. The tacos were terrible to be kind. The corn tortillas were stale, the shrimp was over cooked and the duck was floating in some kind of oily sauce that spilled all over me when I tried to pick it up and stained my clothes. The rice was so horrible I won't even bother describing, only that I ate less than one bite I made a point of telling all of their staff that stopped by to inquire about the food how terrible it is. Our waiter was brainless but the hostess was nice and we had a great conversation about the poor start for this restaurant. At the end of the meal, after I had paid, she kindly brought over some fried oyster on a nacho chip appetizer that the sous-chef was working on. She said she told him our complaints and he wanted us to try something new he was working on. This is of course owned by the same guys that previously owned Byblos (and Amici and Salu). I don't expect this current iteration to be around in a year and it makes me miss the old Byblos even more.
(2)
Ryan O.
First off: As far as decor. It is far from halloween, if your child got scared of the cinco De mayo looking spider on the wall quit sheltering him before he grows up being a complete pussy. Also arana means spider in Spanish so spider decor is a given. Now onto the actual review. I did not have any of the regular food items as from 3-7pm it's half priced tacos. The tacos are served on corn tortillas (soft) and are quite good. My favorite would have been the al pastor, shaved pork pineapple cilantro was a good combo. The baja fish was also quite tasty, fish jalapeno and pickled slaw never would have thought of it but it's god damn delicious My least favorite would have to be the carne asada, tad overspiced for my liking and the meat was annoyingly thinly ground to where it just made it a pain in the ass to eat. overall staff was attentive and informative. Food was great and with a 3-7pm happy hour everyday it definitely will be a stopping point. Rum house to busy?? Check this place out. Less wait and the tacos are about the same price during happy hour (2 to 2.50) no more having to wait for tasty tacos and beer. Also the margaritas etc are half off during happy hour to. It would be nice if they had some mezcal cocktails on the menu. If anything if your feeling adventurous grab a sombra mezcal margarita with jalapeno (not a menu item) the sm9kiness of the sombra balances really well with the flavor of the jalapeños and evens out most of the taco flavors. One advice to owners create some mezcal cocktails and stock some higher quality mezzis. Will def be back to check the regular menu items out
(5)
Lilah M.
Easily the best $11 lunch I've had in a long time--two tacos from their listing plus rice and veggies. I've been here twice for the same thing, and it's been delicious both times. I cannot praise the Bloody Maria enough. That alone is worth the five star review, in my opinion. If you're a Bloody Mary person and you like them spicy, make sure you get one!
(5)
Koko B.
Food was mediocre. Service is not good. Attentive? Yes. Accommodating? No. Ordered the nachos, which was okay. My boyfriend ordered the 3 tacos and 2 sides. Server messed up on one of the sides and when we told her, she went to the kitchen and brought the right side but still charged us $3 for it. My friend didn't like her chicken burrito and when we told the server, she didn't care to do anything about it but encourage her to order a new plate. I had the lamb loins which, for being one of the more pricey items on the menu, did not deliver anything special. I was still hungry after the 5 chops because it was not meaty and had way too much fat. I want to like this place. I really do. It would be nice for a change from The Rum House, but for now, I think I'd rather wait the usual 30 minutes to an hour there than to come back to a new restaurant that do not care for feedback or pleasing it's potential regular guests.
(2)
Lindsay F.
Absolutely terrible experience. Food was beyond bad. Meat was extremely tough. Service was so bad, our waitress quit while in the middle of serving us. The only halfway decent thing is the atmosphere. Everything was way over priced. The "pickled vegetables" we're so small and bad it was literally served in a side condiment cup which maybe held only one ounce of contents. DO NOT WAISTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!!!
(1)
El R.
I stopped in to Araña for the first time last night. I was expecting a lot (maybe too much) from what I had heard. I sat at the bar and ordered a beer and a few tacos. I had the Al Pastor, La Lengua, Chipotle Shrimp, & Pato tacos. Looking at the menu all the options looked good. I wanted to try a few tacos (even with the $4-$5 range PER TACO!) I reluctantly ordered the first four tacos that caught my eye...hoping for the best tacos & beer I've ever had for ~$25 (before tax/tip). I think it was way too expensive for what I was served. Everything was okay...and luckily everything I had was reduced to half price. I still spent ~$20, during happy hour, for a few tacos and a beer. I'm definitely not rushing back.... The tacos were rather disappointing. The best thing about them was the tortilla: one of the best I've ever had. Nevertheless the tortilla needed to be griddled a little longer because it fell apart after one bite. The chipotle shrimp was my least favorite. It was empty and bland. The "chipotle" sauce didn't taste like chipotle at all. Needed a little rice (filler) to absorb the sauce and give the taco a little more substance. The Al Pastor came in 3rd. It the sauce was okay and there was just enough pineapple in the taco. The pork was still kind of tough and the sauce needed a little extra something. The Lengua was my 2nd favorite...tomato broth was good. Like the shrimp, I wish there was something to absorb the sauce. I think the pieces of tongue could have been cut a little smaller. The duck was my favorite...crispy, salty, and tender. Wish all the tacos had been as good as this one.
(3)
T-dog B.
Everything is very "zesty" which is interesting. The only thing that really bothered me was when we sent back a 4 dollar taco cause it was just weird. Instead of just gracefully taking it back the waitress sent out the manager who asked "is there a problem" as if we are causing a scene or something. Then he proceeded to tell us that most people aren't used to authentic Mexican food. Hmm we were both from California and sort of wanted to laugh in his face. Also, our waitress kept mispronouncing jicama lol Here is a video on how to pronounce it. youtube.com/watch?v=KWi4… I am hoping Del Fuego is better but I am concerned this new round of " taquerias" are really just tequila bars. Real taquerias have warm beer and cheap food!
(2)
Mignon M.
The guacamole is fresh and delicious. New Orleans has many Mexican restaurants and there's nothing that sets this one apart. Chicken tinga was bland, service was polite and prompt. All in all it's a fine spot, but nothing makes it stand out.
(3)
Matt S.
"Mediocre" is a compliment. From the minute I walked in until the moment I left, out of good faith, I searched for something positive to say. The best that I could come up with was that the quality of the food was average. Otherwise, everything else was significantly below what I expect - and I DO NOT expect much.
(2)
W B.
Disappoinement. Decent atmosphere. I hear the drinks are good. Service decent. But the food was tasteless, bland, & dry. Overall $$ expensive for what it offers. Probably appeals to the post-college crowd. But won't last long in my opinion.....
(1)
Michel D.
Overpriced and under seasoned food. My boyfriend and I went to there grab a Sunday bite after we saw the wait for Rum House was long. We ordered margaritas, queso fundido, chili relleno, and tacos. The margaritas tasted like sour mix. Our appetizer came out well after our entrees (and was severely under seasoned.) My boyfriend liked his relleno, but we agreed that the rice and beans were bland. My tacos were bland as well - and cold. Our bill came out to $50 (not including tip) and we left still hungry. Next time, we'll take the wait at Rum House.
(2)
Candy C.
The staff is friendly. The tacos at happy hour left us underwhelmed. The chips and ceviche was really good. The top shelf margaritas were good. We ordered 8 different tacos from the menu. The fish taco was the best...the rest were really dry.
(2)
Truly R.
I would like to consider myself a taco aficionado and I'm not gonna lie, this place is on blast. The happy hour is amazing, half off taco's and half off top shelf margaritas? Yes, please! I got the al pastor, the gringo, and the grilled fish. The flavor was authentic and taco's so well executed. While I was dining I also ordered nachos and queso fundido and it was delicious! My server was very sweet and was detail oriented down to a tee. I would totally recommend this place to any of my friends!
(4)
Birdie ..
We wanted to try something new tonight and some friends suggested Arana. I checked out the reviews online and they seemed mixed, but we decided to give it a go anyway. The wait at 8:30 pm on a Friday night was about 45 mins. We hung out at Reginelli's while we waited because Arana was packed. I was hoping it was packed because it was awesome...but looking back, Reginelli's $2 draft beers may have been the highlight of the evening. We sat outside, so I can not comment on the decor or noise level inside. Outside was nice for people watching and enjoying the "cool" (78*) fall weather. We started off by ordering the Queso Fundido, Chips and Pico de Gallo, and a pitcher of House Margaritas. The margaritas were actually pretty tasty, not too sweet and pretty refreshing. The Queso Fundido was not what we expected. I was expecting a bowl of delicious, cheesy melty goodness, but instead it was a large, long lump of luke warm cheese. The cheese was served with dried out corn tortillias to put your hard cheese on. Uhhh, boo. The chips were very fresh and tasty but the Pico de Gallo was ALL ONIONS. No real flavor or spice. For entrees, we all ordered tacos. To sum it up, nothing was very flavorful or memorable. My fish taco was tasteless, shrimp taco could have been good but was overly spicy, Pato (Duck) taco was tough. Both the flour and corn tortillas were over cooked and dried out/hard. Beans were from a can and not doctored up at all. We should have stopped ordering here, but I am a sucker for Tres Leches Cake. We also were told they had Sopapillas and ordered those too. Desserts took 25 minutes to come out. The Tres Leches was dry and well, too cakey. I like it spongy and wet. The Sopapillas were fresh but the sauce served with them was HORRIBLE (some kind of honey CHIPOTLE?!!!). It was gross. No sweetness to complement the Sopapillas. To top it off our bill was wrong. We were charged $7 for 4 glasses (for our pitcher of margaritas?). We asked the waitress and she took it off the bill saying there was a glitch in the computer. I wonder how many people ordered pitchers of margaritas that night and unknowingly paid for their glassware. The only highlight of the night was our waitress. She was sweet and attentive. I feel bad that she has to serve lackluster food and she probably suffers for it in bad tips. She probably should have comped a dessert for the long wait and checked the bill before bringing it to us...but then again, it's not a 5 star restaurant either. I would only recommend Arana for a happy hour priced drink, but definitely not for food. New Orleans is full of good food and unfortunately it is not here.
(2)
Jason T.
I hate doing this but I'm demoting this place to 3 stars. The entrees are nice, the service is mostly good. The salsas are just weird. The tacos are hit or miss. Some of them are divine, almost all of them are at least ok. But about 50% of them have soaked through the bottom of the taco by the time it gets to me, and the damn thing just falls apart. That's REALLY annoying. I should have like a 5 minute grace period before my taco self destructs.
(3)
Maria Christina T.
Sorry wanted to like this place..Underseasoned, over priced and unmotivated staff.
(1)
Charlie H.
Well the idea is good but all of our food was cold. Tacos and sides were all cold. Like they had been cooked and set out and then put together when ordered. We won't be back
(1)
Jill C.
Okay people, this place is just what this lil strip on Magazine St needed...let me tell ya why. This building used to be Nacho Mama's, which was good but missing something (except their half off Margarita pitchers on Wednesday)...Then it was Byblos...which moved down from the next block over (bad idea Cuz they didn't they make it very long in their "new and improved" location)...Now it is Arana's....finally a restaurant worthy of this awesome location! Nice atmosphere, friendly knowledgeable service, and AMAZING happy hour specials! Half price on anything from the bar...including pitchers of margaritas and the tacos! Nacho Mama's eat your heart out cuz these chips and pico de gallo are hands down the freshest and yummiest we've had yet! Yes, It's worth it...the tacos are really good and fresh. The best taco was the fish taco w/ a creamy jalapeno sauce and pickled slaw but we also had the chipolte shrimp, the Al Pastor, the Pibil, the Carne Asada, and the Lengua.... we shared everything and it was all amazing and authentic... except the tongue...I couldn't eat it...Meh lol... overall this is definitely a place to try, locals and tourists alike...trust me I know, I lived behind this place for years.
(5)
Colin A.
Unfortunately, this place fits into the "strip of mediocrity" there on Magazine Street. Nothing was bad. There are just better places to go with better prices. Try Casa Borrega or Johnny Sanchez instead for similar cuisine. For something else nearby, go with Salu or Dat Dog blocks away. Some nicer spots in the neighborhood are Coquette and Atchafalaya. Hit up Stein's, District, or Parasol's down the other side of the Irish Channel for good, cheaper eats.
(2)
Lisa H.
The tortillas were very stale. The cheese was grilled but dry with a charred taste. The shrimp not enough flavour. This is my first ever negative review:(
(1)
Mary B.
I sat at the bar and ordered the two taco dinner to go. While waiting I had a skinny girl margarita and its was so delicious! I also got a complimentary jalapeno margarita because they had extra and it was interesting! I ordered the carne asada and the chipotle shrimp tacos. I must say I was disappointed in them. They had very little meat/shrimp on them and they were extremely bland! I felt like I was eating only a tortilla. The black beans were ok and the mexican veggies were pretty good. All in all, the Rum House tacos are 100% better. It was also extremely loud in there and dark!
(3)
Sara C.
Great specials on Thursdays! Excellent authentic Mexican food. Tried the esquites and nopales tacos for $2 during happy hour, to die for. Quick service and friendly waitstaff. And they bring you free chips while you wait! Definitely a must try in New Orleans, especially if you're a local.
(5)
Jay T.
This is a storefront restaurant in the historic Uptown Magazine St. shopping district. The exterior is plain and the interior has a "contemporary Mexican" design. I ordered the Two Tacos Plate (one pork & one ground beef) with two sides (Grilled Mexican Vegetables & Mexican Rice) for $11.00. It was quite delicious and perfectly seasoned. I would recommend this place and would go again. RJT
(4)
Dan T.
Let's start with the $9 pineapple, cilantro, jalapeno margarita. It wasn't a margarita, it was a glass of dole pineapple juice with tequila in it. The chips and salsa, which for some reason they charge for (not normal at Mexican restaurants), were not good either. The salsa tasted like flavorless tomato paste. I ordered the "carnitas" burrito. This consisted of a store bought tortilla stuffed with 10 lbs of dry rice, canned beans, a bunch of pineapple which didn't even make sense in the dish (mexican dishes do not contain pineapple) and about two or three small bites of "carnitas". I'm not sure what the meat like substance was they were trying to pass off as carnitas but it was the worst meat i believe I've ever had at a restaurant. My fiance's fish tacos were almost edible...that's the nicest thing I can say about any of the food. Taco Bell provides a more authentic Mexican dining experience. I truly can't understand how they didn't do some tests with friends and family on their food before they opened. I was really hoping this place would be decent and truly hope they fix the food soon or they will not last. They have a nice atmosphere and good location so i'm hopeful they take this and the other not so enthusiastic reviews as constructive criticism and turn the place around.
(1)
Aunt S.
Overpriced, loud and tasteless. Decent house margarita, but awful food. I had a two taco combo of under seasoned chicken and a hunk of slaw marinated in only vinegar, the second taco of fried fish was half way decent only due to the fried fish whose freshness was debatable. The hunk of pickled slaw covering the fish taco tasted sour. It was terrible. The rice was dry and tasteless, and black beans straight out of a can. No seasoning anywhere. The oyster/civiche was decent, but the chips were over salted and straight from on the border chips in bulk. Not sure I f the line cooks are not following the orders or if no one is tasting the food before it leaves the tiny kitchen, either way someone needs to check on the food and communicate.
(2)
Robert J.
Excellent bar. Good food. Attentive servers. Wonderful hip decor. A great value. Especially at happy hour. STOP comparing this place to Rum House. If you want a good taco minus the backwards baseball caps and LSU T shirts then Arana is the place to go.
(5)
Dan J.
The meat in the tacos was the best I've ever had, with unusual spices. I had Al Pastor, Pibil, and Fish. It was all exceptionally tender and well prepared. We loved the guacamole. Jicama salad was a very nice palate cleanser - great for hot weather. The margarita pitchers are a great deal during happy hour. Beware - they are stronger than they seem. I'm looking forward to trying the various tequilas - huge flight menu. It's a funny coincidence we ran into so many people we know there - it's one of those kind of places. I'm sure you'll run into people you know there too . . . . Also, our server was very nice. She was there when it was Byblos too, we remembered.
(5)
Megan O.
Loved it! Came in for lunch because the R House was packed. Great service, great food. Would definitely go back.
(4)
Sarah M.
I'm playing catch up on my yelp reviews because I never do this, but I've had an amazing week and I feel the need to brag on the service I've gotten. Ally was my bartender yesterday and not only did she make me awesome drinks she helped educate me on tequila and mezcal, something I knew nothing about. They have a great new program where you get this passport and they hold it behind the bar so you don't even have to keep up with it. I can't wait to try more and learn more with her. On top of that they have the best guacamole in the city. It actually has big chunks of avocado in it and the specials are on point every time I go. Love this place!
(5)
Kimmie R.
If you read my reviews, you would know that I almost never write a negative review. My partner and I love to eat, and we are super easy to serve. We went to this place because it was close to a parade, and frankly, because Rum House had a looooong wait. We sat outside, which was lovely. It took forever before our server came out. We ordered the nachos as an appetizer, and Margaritas. Now, the Margaritas are quite strange. They have a weird color, and boy are they sour! The Nachos were meh. Our server forgot us, again, but we finally placed our order, and then waited a bit longer for our food. The place was almost empty, so I don't understand the delays. Now, for the awful part: When our food was served, all four of us noticed that our server's hands and NAILS were filthy. I mean, crusty, foul looking, haven't been washed for days, gross. We almost left then. But, we were hungry, and used tons of hand sanitizer. I am a big girl, and eat almost anything, but this meal was terrible. The tacos were cold and soggy, and the hockey pucks of rice and beans tasted like pure nothing. I kept quiet until my three companions added their opinions, which were similar. I won't return, mainly because of the poor service, and being completely grossed out by our server's lack of cleanliness. I will wait, no matter how long, at Rum House. Yuk.
(1)
Wes K.
Tacos are delicious and authentic. Friendly and fast service. Dinner and drinks is a great deal during happy hour. Fish tacos were my favorite but it was all good.
(5)
Kim K.
Amazing!! Came here for dinner Friday night. It was very busy so we had to wait a bit but it was totally worth it. The service was spectacular. We had the queso fundido as our appetizer and while it wasn't what we were expecting it was delicious. For the entrees I ordered the torta ahogado and my husband ordered the pork chop. The torta was pretty spicy but nevertheless enjoyable. I've noticed some not so good reviews on here but they're very new and I could tell they are working to make improvements!!! Give this place a chance you won't regret it!!also order the champagne margarita is was to die for
(5)
Jacqui H.
On a Sunday morning, we opted to drive to the Garden District before making our 2 hour drive home from New Orleans. We stopped in at Arana for brunch. The outside seating had a nice appeal! However, this was the worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. We ordered off of the brunch menu, and it took almost an hour, only for our plates to come out cold. The amount of time didn't make sense for the number of people in the restaurant. The sandwich my boyfriend ordered came out with burnt cheese and no eggs as it should have. We should have waited the hour wait down the street to be seated instead of coming to this place!!
(1)
Colleen K.
This place will not be open long unless they completely change everything. The service was slow when there was hardly a soul to be seen. The food was bland...just no flavor at all. It tasted like nothing. The only sides are grilled green onions, rice or beans. I had the onions and beans which were bland and I'm not sure how you are supposed to eat stringy cooked long green onions that won't even cut. We had the house margaritas which were kinda off tasting. They were sourish. Not good at all. Best margaritas are at Juan's and Rum House which are very close by so go there instead.
(1)
Natalie F.
Aranas has definitely found its footing on Magazine street across from the iconic local Breaux Mart. The happy hour is out of this world! 11 dollar pitches half price tacos and other items. Can't be be beat especially since it's M-F 3-7pm! House made marg mix and quality house tequila. This Yucutãn influenced Tequila House and its cuisine is absolutely delicious. Ali behind the bar is amazing and so personable! Chloe was an amazing waitress. Couldn't not
(5)
Lisa C.
The only thing our group liked was the salsas. The food is just not good. Go just about anywhere else. Service was ok
(1)
Elisabeth S.
This place is way over priced for the quality you get. Just go to Rum House. You get better quality for the same price if not cheaper. No flavor. $9 drinks for hardly any alcohol or size. I am used to huge margaritas for that price. The tacos sucked and the ceviche was a little ramekin for $11!!!!! I can get ceviche for cheaper and better quality at Norma's in mid city.
(1)
Abby L.
Went here at 7:30 on a Thursday night. We got a table right away. They had football on and I really liked the atmosphere. There were a lot of young adults there (as a group of friends and couples) and a few older couples. I also really liked how many tequila options they have. The person who recommended this place to me said that when her and her husband came, they sat at the bar and the bartender talked them into drinking tequila straight, which was a new, enjoyable experience for them! When I went I got the house margarita. One of the best margaritas in New Orleans! Besides the above, everything else was poor to mediocre. And by everything else, I mean the food and the service. First, they have a taco called the "El Gringo," which I always learned was an offensive term, so naturally, I felt weird ordering it, but dammit I wanted the non-spicy taco! When it came it was on flour tortillas, which was confusing to me because right under the heading "Tacos" it says that the tacos come on corn tortilla and other tortillas are available among request. Apparently, according to the waiter "Gringos" prefer flour tortillas so that is the only taco that comes on flour (okay...). I sent it back to get corn tortillas and the waiter was understanding. The tacos weren't even that great. The taco meat tasted like sloppy joe. Also, my friend was brought the wrong order. The waiter had to take my friend's food back, too. The Waiter was nice about these mistakes but it still shouldn't happen! Our third friend had her hot food and was almost done by the time we got our food back. Overall, come for the tequila and the atmosphere. I'd probably come here to watch football and drink with friends. Don't come for the food! There's better mexican food in this city.
(2)
Jason M.
Cool atmosphere but overpriced and mediocre flavorless food. It may be working out kinks but that's usually associated with service which was good.
(2)
Ta P.
Terrible tasting tacos! The carne asada steak tacos had not one bit of flavor in the steak...no salt/no spices. The guacamole flavor was ok but the avocados were hard and not mashed up. Our waitress was friendly though.
(2)
Luciana P.
Excellent food. Fresh! Service was excellent. The bartender gave us her full attention and made the drinks perfectly. The food was delicious. Please stop and eat / drink if you are in the area.
(5)
Jay L.
Wasn't really packed when I came. Cant review the food since I was waiting almost an hour just for an appetizer so we winded up just paying for drinks and walked out!! Gave an extra star for waitress being empathetic about it. There's no reason why one should be waiting so long on tacos and chips.
(2)
Lilly D.
Food was terrible. Service was worse. Owner was the worst. Never going back. I know what slop actually looks and tastes like now.
(1)
Mao M.
All I can say is PRAISE THE LORD baby jesus for this place! Thank the gods FINALLY there is some amazing Mexican food in this town... FINALLY! Not only is the food INCREDIBLE and extremely reasonably priced, but the staff is AWESOME-- so friendly and lovely (love that Natalie!) AND the atmosphere is very cool and relaxing. We had the queso fundido AND the carne asada tacos and fish tacos... I am STILL savoring the delicious, juicy, savory delectableness of that carne asada. The fish was fried ever so delicately not to overwhelm you with greasiness. The ingredients were ALL SO FRESH -- you could tell from not only the several layers of flavor that just kept coming, but also from the fact that I PIGGED out hard and still didn't feel disgustingly full-- a sure sign of quality food! The amazing Chef Richard came out and talked to us when we were all ooo-ing and aw-ing and drooling all over the place and he was SO delightful and had all the time in the world (despite being busy) to talk with us- AND he sent us a comped tres leches which was TO DIE FOR. I will be back here every day of my entire life. I give it 10 million stars.
(5)
Rusty S.
I would have given them three or four stars except they served me rotten fish in the fish tacos. Seriously, only a cook with no sense of smell could not whiff rotten fish. And then you cook it and smells even worse. On top of that, it got past the chef expediting. I would rather have gotten a live (or dead!) cockroach in my food than rotten protein. Cockroach is accidental, bad fish shows that the place is too cheap to toss it and/or hires incompetent cooks. For me, this is the worst thing a kitchen can do. After I complained, they only took off that one taco off the check. Any nice place would have comped my meal. I do like their margaritas, but at $10, them's NYC prices. Authentico Mexicano? No.
(1)
Candice S.
I like this place. what a happy hour! None of this dollar off crap. 1/2 price beer, wine, margaritas, and tacos from 3-7. Had the grilled fish tacos and enjoyed the sidewalk seating. Great service. Highly recommend.
(5)
Michele C.
Sat at the bar and found the bartender extremely helpful and attentive. The drinks were unusual and delicious, the atmosphere was wonderful, and the food was great. The chef has a talent for melding various flavors. Looking forward to teturning.
(5)
Bree P.
I went during happy hour and was very pleased. My waitress was very informative about the menu and our water glasses remained full throughout our meal. We ordered the guacamole which was as pretty darn good as guacamole gets. It definitely was homemade and had the perfect amount of citrus to onion/garlic ratio. I ordered the chorizo and beef tacos and was pleasantly surprised by both of them. Both came with a generous amount of meat and the garnishes matched the meat really well. My boyfriend ordered a bunch of tacos and he is a complainer if he doesn't like something... No complaints from him and he also particularly liked the chorizo taco. We finished our meal with a chocolate flan which was to die for. I highly recommend this desert to anyone. As far as the margarita prices are concerned, I feel that their $8+ cocktails are fair... It's a tequila bar and the drinks are made with top quality products. And they are DELICIOUS! If you want $4 margaritas then go to some place that uses gross margarita mix from a grocery store. I think this restaurant is a wonderful addition to Magazine Street and I will definitely be returning.
(5)
Sunni G.
Kelly was the most amazing bartender ever! We had a blast drinking champagne margaritas and talking with her! We totally freestyled the evening and somehow ended up sitting at Kelly's bar and just having an amazing time. Thank you so much Kelly!
(5)
Dena S.
For a city that doesn't have very good Mexican food, Arana is a nice addition. That being said, it's still working out some of the kinks. We ate there on a Friday night during happy hour. Whoever sat us decided not to speak to us...simply to point and throw menus on the tables, which was weird in a place that small and that crowded. We ordered chips and salsa and they were out of chips. I ordered a glass of Vinho Verde and they were out. About half way through sitting there, someone walked in with a giant container of bleach and went into the back. The entire restaurant (which is not very big) smelled like bleach for a good 10 or 15 minutes. This might be the fault of the people sitting next to us, but it sure was loud. I had to ask our poor waiter to repeat everything two or three times. However, the tacos were good and you can't beat the happy hour prices. Our waiter ended up bringing us some chips and salsa on the house and if you check in on facebook, you get a free dessert. The bill for two people ended up being $15 and the waiter was great. I can excuse the learning curve they're clearly going through. I'll definitely try this place again and hopefully they'll have everything on the menu.
(4)
Hillary K.
Two stars, because I'm giving this place slight leeway since we stupidly chose to eat here on opening weekend. Also, the few bites of nachos I had were pretty decent. Basically, the service was awful and the food was mediocre. Being that I have worked at a large corporate restaurant when they opened, I wanted my server to do a great job(even if she did make a couple mistakes), and I wanted the food to be delicious. However, I could immediately tell our server was inexperienced. It took forever for her to bring a sugar packet out to my friend's son for his tea, she kept forgetting which person ordered which drink(once you've served enough, this is second nature), my guacamole came out after my entree(could've been the kitchen's fault, but she proceeded to push me to keep it when I politely declined it), she took more than five minutes to bring out a small side of sour cream, and she took over 15 minutes to split our check(it wouldn't have been a big deal had she would've sent someone over to let us know what was going on, and apologized for the wait). By the end of our experience my friend had to yell across the restaurant to reiterate the fact we'd been waiting 15 minutes for our split bill. My friend also got elbowed in the back countless times by another server, and didn't receive one apology. I don't understand the logic of hiring such inexperienced servers for a high volume restaurant on Magazine Street. I hate not tipping, because I've been in the service industry(I have not skimped on a tip since I was an idiot 15 year old, either); but because the service was so terrible with no apologies from our server or a manager, I couldn't bring myself to leave anything. The food was also way too overpriced for what it was. I ordered the carne asada burrito, and it was nothing special. The meat was pretty decent, but there was nothing there to make it worth $13 dollars(should've gone to Juan's and got a gutter punk to devour), and it was super small. The side order of rice was also very bland, and not worth the $3. One friend complained that her duck taco tasted like cat food and her chicken tinga taco was really dry. My other friend ordered the nachos, which were pretty good due to the queso fresco sprinkled all over them, so that was one thing they did right. I may give this place another shot, but not until they seem like they've gotten it together.
(2)
Cory H.
Amazing staff!!! Delicious food and fresh cocktails!!! Highly underrated...everyone needs to check it out! Try a chinaco blanco shot with blueberry!!!
(5)
Rob T.
What a great little taqueria on Magazine Street. Came here on Cinco de Mayo and had a really great experience heightened by 1/2 price margaritas and tacos! Tacos you basically can create your own way with choices of a plethora of ingredients on the menu. Maragritas come in every kind of conceivable combination. My favorite is the pineapple habenero for a nice kick! Place is festively decorated and their selection of tequilas is very impressive! They had an awesome live flamenco guitarist when I was there which added to the lively scene. Highly recommend Ãrana Taqueria Y Cantina for deliciously authentic mexican food and creative margaritas. Tip: go for happy hour when tacos and margaritas are 1/2 price. Well worth it!
(4)
Tom R.
Note: This review is strictly for Arana's margaritas. With that said, I like them! Made an impromptu stop here during their happy hour, M-F 3-7, where ALL their drinks and tacos are 1/2 off. Decided on a house rocks with salt ($4) and was not disappointed. They aren't too sweet and the lime-salt was great. The restaurant atmosphere was lively and they have a few tables outside, but with this summer heat sitting out there during happy hour times may not be very pleasant. Service was on-point-- attentive, but not overly done, and friendly. Overall, I have to go back soon to give their tacos a try and drown in margaritas!
(4)
David C.
IT'S VERY GOOD. The wife and I came here more than a few months ago and I remember being pleased but not overwhelmed, especially in light of the fact that Taqueria Corona, the best kept secret on Magazine, is right down the street. The food at Arana is not as good as TC, but Arana does have better ambiance and a superior bar. If you're looking for some decent Mexican themed cocktails, this is the place to go.
(4)
Charles H.
GO FOR THE HAPPY HOUR It's by far one of the best deals uptown (M-F 3-7PM). Half priced margaritas and sangrias, pitchers and tacos. Our happy hour club recently held a birthday get together here. Four of us split 4 pitchers of potent tasty margaritas, plates of tacos and apps, and left buzz-stuffed for just $84 before tip. BUT IXNAY ON THE GRUESOME TACOS As others have commented, these truly are the worst tacos in New Orleans. The mealy housemade tortillas are a pastel shade of nutria tooth. We had to send our fish tacos back because they were over breaded and incinerated (see pic). The chorizo and traditional were the only passable varieties. The apps weren't much better.
(3)
Lynn W.
Let me just say I passed this place 20 times. It wasn't until a friend told me about the happy hour that I decided to go. We sat outside before the rain (on a Sunday). The calm before the storm out there was beautiful. We ordered the 3 salsa dips that were really okay. They would be really good if they were spicier. Then we ordered what we really wanted which was margaritas. The strawberry was good but wasn't strong enough. The drink was $10. Had we chosen to come on m-f during happy hour the drink would have been $5. It was totally a $5 drink. So, to enhance my losses, I ordered another. This time I told him I needed more killer and less pain. He added more alcohol. This drink was all I really needed. The end result equals me going back during happy hour and requesting a better mix on the drink.
(3)
Joseph C.
Fajitas precooked and tough as hell. Happy hour is good for drinks...but not sold on the food after numerous visits....even Tacos and Beer has better food than this.
Bastante deliciosa! 4 estrellas! This restaurant has been open for a while and I finally made my way to the place that was once a Byblos which was once a Nacho Mama's. It was a pretty slow night and we were eating early, so it was a light crowd. I was looking over the menu and I found myself in the mood for a margarita. Since the "house" margarita seemed to call to me, that was the first one I ordered. I got it and- I don't know. Something about it was a bit off. It was a little too sweet. I like a sweet cocktail, but I like my margaritas to lean more towards the tangy side. I decided to try another one, so I got their "top shelf" margarita. It was a little better, but it didn't blow my socks off. Well, I wasn't wearing socks but if I had been they would have remained on. Next time I just might add more lime to it. Maybe it's me and my weird palate. Ok, enough of the drinks. For our appetizer we got the guacamole and it was fresh and perfect. I'm a big fan of when the guac has chunks of avocado in it and that's how this was, so it was an immediate win. For my entree, I got the burrito con pastor. I loved this! The meat was spiced to perfection and the entire burrito had tons of flavor. My dining companion (he had the tacos), who has been to Mexico many times, remarked that this is the most authentic tasting Mexican meal he has had in the city. I really love it and I am anxious to go back and try more of the menu.
(4)
S B.
Araña Taqueria Y Cantina kept showing up in publications all over the city so after reading about the "spider" restaurant many times, decided to try it one weekend. I love all cuisine Latin inspired so it wasn't a tough sell. Right in the middle of magazine street, it's a perfect lunch spot. Food was great, service was great, drinks were great - very enjoyable meal. Definitely would recommend trying Araña Taqueria Y Cantina.
(4)
Hannah G.
The owner contacted me after reading my Yelp review. He was very receptive to constructive criticism and not defensive at all. His restaurant is his baby and he wants to make sure everything is perfect when he is there and when he is not. He immediately addressed my criticisms and everything is perfect again. I definitely recommend Arana for their delicious food, awesome happy hour, people watching and a great location on Magazine Street. Thank you Rich for taking the time to connect with your customers! You're the best!
Great margaritas!!! It was my first visit and I went for happy hour. I had the spicy watermelon margarita and the jalapeño pineapple cilantro margarita. Both were awesome! Refreshing and delicious. I also had the tacos: gringo, fresco shrimp, pato & carne asada. The pato is duck and it was delicious. I was pleased and I can't wait to go back!!!!
(4)
Lauren O.
Atmosphere was nice. Food was really salty. Had two different tacos and black beans and rice. I couldn't even finish the tacos or black beans because of how salty they were. I would recommend the nachos to start though, although those were really messy, they tasted pretty good. Service was decent. Biggest selling point were the half priced drinks during happy hour but the food wasn't all that great. I'd recommend trying it at least once, you might have a better experience than it did.
(3)
J O.
Came here Saturday. Waitress was excellent (girl with dreads). Food still poorly executed for Mexican standards. I'd suggest that if they insist on serving bag tortillas, just make the order of three tacos to maybe add "value". But $5 a taco seems steep for what you get. I ordered the carne asada salad, tasted great but seems more of an appetizer than a meal portion. May I suggest maybe chopping the lettuce. Location still is awesome.
(3)
Javarus W.
I would live in this place if I could!!! Love it!!! The staff is amazing the ambience is everything and I love the fact that it's so chill! Great for a night out with friends or a quick lunch break!
(5)
Tess L.
Absolutely love this place! Happy hour every day 5-7, doesn't get better than $4 mojitos/margaritas. Best mojito in the city 100%!
(5)
Shannon S.
Food inspired by the Yucatan with drink prices inspired by New York City with $4.50 Abita Amber, $5.50 Negra Modelo, $8 house margaritas (served in a small glass) and $8 for a glass of sangria. Food service is fast and the flavor of most things is good. The drink prices are too expensive and while the food is good the prices are a bit too much for what you get. The spider theme of the interior decor is too year round Halloween for this section of town and doesn't seem to contribute anything other than scaring young children. My part of the bill came out to $27.16 (before tip) which was for the 3 tacos with 2 sides combo, a shared tamale, an iced tea and one house margarita. Mexican food is cheap peasant food with most things wrapped in some form of tortilla and no valid reason to be pricey and the same goes for Mexican beer and house margaritas. There are as good or better Mexican options in the city for a much better value on food and drinks so I'm not confident in the longevity of this place and I probably won't make many return visits. Tip: the à la carte seafood tacos are probably one of the better values on the menu. Hint: The main competition in the area for this joint is Rum House. The drinks at Rum House are substantially cheaper and larger.
(3)
Kelleigh E.
This is a great spot to grab tasty Mexican fare. Though it was full with a Friday night dinner crowd, we were seated immediately. Our server was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Our evening began with specialty margaritas and chips and guac. The margarita was perfect and delicious. The avocados were a little chunky for my taste, but the flavor of the dip was spot on. For the main course, I had the tortilla soup and the pato taco. Both were delightful. The restaurant offered a casual environment and a younger crowd. It was a little noisy because of the small space. Overall, it was a great experience. We were in and out and left satisfied. We'll be back for sure!
(4)
Cody H.
Never again....authentic mexican....no Best thing about this place was the drinks...they do have good drinks. I'd skip this place and head to el gato any day.
Maybe the third time will be the charm! That is if we make it back a third time. Well to be fair we didn't eat on our first visit to Arana Taqueria Y Cantina. Well not for lack of ordering food, but because we didn't receive the food we ordered. Picture it a hot humid evening in New Orleans (not hard to do...HA!). The Magazine Street Champagne Stroll was in full force and every place was packed with patrons flowing out onto the sidewalks when we spotted two open barstools. YES, JACKPOT! First we sat at the bar over fifteen minutes before the bar tender approached our side of the bar. We decided to be exceptionally chill, unlike others who chose to continue to stroll. Finally, almost a half hour after arrival the bartender took our order and we eventually managed to get a couple of champagne Margaritas. But no food. After an hour and another drink and many new friends arrivals and departures.... no food. The folks who arrived after our first drink had come, eaten and gone and still we had NO FOOD! OK. It was a crazy night. We found out the actual bartender had walked out during the peak crowd. Our waiter/bartender was a new guy and everything was crazy in the kitchen. After another drink and NO FOOD we said adios.. Hungry but determined not to be unhappy.... Hey how would that help? Besides by now were several tequilas in. Since that night Arana has been on the must try their food sometime ~ list. Well we finally stopped in and had 1) No crazy experience... 2) Good service and... 3) Fair food. The tacos were very flavorful although rather small. The sides were just ok. 4) Margaritas were good, but not exceptional - understand some friends have considered me 'extremely' picky about the art of tequila spirits. Just sayin'.... All-in-all, even with our first crazy experience (it is NOLA after all crazy is always on the menu), overall an enjoyable experience and we will give it another go.
(3)
Roxanne I.
Food was excellent, wasn't too impressed with the salsa mexicana. Margaritas: house was only so so, but the strawberry cucumber was very refreshing. Service was solid. Nice place for a date or evening out, very intimate atmosphere.
(4)
Sareena N.
Probably my new favorite happy hour spot. 3-7 with half price margaritas and tacos. People need to stop with the comparison to Rum House, it's a false equivalency. The space is great and has a nice vibe. Our server, Isaac, was attentive but not overbearing and very genuine, which I feel is a rarity with servers in our fair town. My strawberry margarita was delicious, not too sweet with muddled strawberries. I had the Baja fish and carne asada tacos, my husband had the al pastor and pibil tacos The best tacos ever? No, but at HH prices, generously portioned and a tasty treat. My biggest complaint? The tortillas aren't up to par and tacos should be double tortilla-ed, otherwise you end up with torn taco syndrome. Araña probably needs time to find it's footing, but I think it's got a nice foundation and we'll definitely be back to try more.
(4)
Mary Z.
I stopped in for lunch and couldn't help but come back a week later for happy hour. I gotta say, coming from Texas, I wasn't too impressed with Juan's (too pricey) and felt lukewarm at best for Rum House (excessive portions). Araña however? I am a fan! Food wise, I have loved everything that I've ordered so far and can't wait to try their whole menu! Their flavors are bold, unique, and yet keep true to the authenticity that you'd find from a neighborhood taco truck. Heck they even have tacos de lengua! Their 2 taco 2 sides combo is a perfect amount of food. My only issue, if I had to really pick one, is that their tacos run a bit too juicy...by the time that you get to your last one, it's guaranteed to be soggy and crumble. (But I am a slow eater so maybe it's me?) Their menu prices are pretty good and the 1/2 off all drinks/tacos for happy hour is phenomenal (3-7PM, only $2~3 a taco!!). Overall a fantastic place. Be sure to ask for some of their special hot sauce!!
(5)
Andrew W.
I just ate at Araña for the third time and couldn't postpone this review any longer. In short, the current 3-star rating is criminally low. Also, anyone comparing Araña to Rum House really missed the point, and their opinion on food shouldn't be taken at face value. Now for the review. After three visits to Araña I've learned there are many ways to enjoy your visit here. Sit outside for happy hour on a nice day, drink pitchers of delicious margaritas, and enjoy half-priced tacos while people watching. Bring a fun date for dinner and drinks, sit at the bar, enjoy some light conversation with the bartender, and sample some delicious tequilas. Come by yourself for lunch or dinner, sit at the bar or sit outside. You name it, Araña is great. Eat the torta ahogada. The artfully-slow-roasted pork isn't even the highlight of this sandwich. It's presented on a delightful, fluffy roll that is substantial enough to maintain its integrity even while drowned in delicious salsa. Then, it's topped with pickled red onions, crema, cotija cheese, avocado, and black bean puree. My words can't do it enough justice so hurry up and go try for yourself. Araña also boasts one of the best tequila selections around. You'll find a tequila that suits your tastes. If you're a tequila newbie, try out one of their tequila flights. If you're in the mood for a lighter cocktail, their margaritas are pretty tasty. The house margarita is nice and light, refreshing without too much tartness. The jalapeno margarita adds a little kick without overpowering the tequila. Their tacos are much larger than most restaurants. I especially enjoyed the duck taco although several others were very tasty. I will return to Araña many more times and plan to taste the chicken mole and tortilla soup during upcoming visits. Cheers!
(5)
Mallory E.
I can here for our annual friendsgiving and the food was great. The happy hour doesn't end until 7 pm, Monday-Friday, so I was able to get three champagne margaritas in (half price!!) at that time. We also got some delicious tacos (half price) while we were at happy hour. We split three salsas, the queso, and the guac. I wasn't really impressed by the guac, the cheese was different (baked cheese and you pulled it apart) and the salsas were just ok. The service was ok, I was a little disturbed that the bathroom did not have soap in it when I went to the bathroom, but I told our waitress and hopefully she did something about it. Overall, I would come back here because it was some pretty decent Mexican food.
(4)
M A.
Received pretty much the worst service of my life from "Karma B." She refused to serve us until I had requested service from the hostess and then the bartender - who apparently told her to do her job. We waited an unreasonable amount of time and she was extremely rude, ignoring us and not allowing us to order, etc. (too busy entertaining her friends and filling water glasses). With it being the worst service of my life, she was lucky for a tip at all, and I tipped 10%. She, however, took it upon herself to increase her tip to 20%. That's credit card fraud (which I just reported). On top of awful service. The bartender was great. That's all the good that I can say, and I will never return again.
(1)
Cristen F.
This is a moderately good Mexican restaurant. The food is good, and tasted fresh. I had the grilled fish and grilled shrimp tacos and would definitely order those again. All of the drinks are way overpriced though, even the wines by the glass that were all "cheap" wines. The redeeming factor here is fresh seafood and having a few outside tables.
(3)
Ivana D.
So this review is based on service alone and that is why I didn't feel comfortable rating it a one-star which is what it would be on service alone. We did not even get a chance to experience the food or drinks. My boyfriend and I had just finished participating in the Mother's Day Magazine Street stroll and were only looking for a way to continue the party. I had wanted to try Arana for a while because it looks so pretty on the side and I really like the decor. When my boyfriend and I entered, both dressed really nice, we were able to get a seat at the bar right away. We were planning on both ordering margaritas and then going from there. However, that is where the horrible service began. A younger man took the order of a couple next to us. They only ordered like 3 food items. He then turned around and went to put their order in without even asking my boyfriend and I for our drink order or at least acknowledging us. Then he comes back like a min and half later to the couple next to us, this time with a pen and paper in hand, and asks them to repeat their simple order to him because he quote, "smokes weed and can't remember things" They were visibly shocked, as were we. Then, to further annoy us and make things weird, he STILL fails to take our order and acknowledge us. Finally, when he came back from putting in their order again, this time with additional assistance of the notepad, he not only again finally to take our order or acknowledge us, but then began going counter-clockwise around the bar: the total opposite direction of us, even though we had obviously been waiting the longest. To explain what I mean: dude literally leaves the floor, leaving zero attendance in the bar, and just acts like he is purposely ignoring us from the back of the restaurant. We waited at least ten mins with zero acknowledgement, in a non crowded bar sitting at the actual counter while everyone around us was being served, My boyfriend felt it was very disrespectful, and so we left and went to Salu instead. Not cool.
(2)
Katie R.
Hooray for Araña's happy hour! Half price tacos and half price on ALL drinks? Uh, yeah I'm all in. Extra hooray for the spinach mushroom special taco. It was garlicky and delicious. Don't expect authentic, do expect inventive and yummy. Sat at the bar (per my usual MO) and got great service. One better, it was the bartender's first day and you would never know it. Two better, Cam Jordan was eating there with his family. Who dat!!
(5)
Ellen Y.
Very good - enjoyed the tacos - although a bit small.
Service is very friendly. Portions are small for the price, so no bargains here. I had the bean burrito with chorizo. Brother and wife had tacos: shrimp, pulled pork and beef. All very tasty. The beans are very good.
(3)
Rhonda E.
Having a very hard time figuring out why this place has only a three star average at this point. My son and I ducked in here because it was about to rain and we didn't have time to investigate options. What a fantastic decision. Of course the fact that it's happy hour and drinks and tacos are only half price is a big part of the thrill. My four dollar Margarita was actually a little too liquor heavy for me and she brought me extra mixer with a smile. Even though I'm vegan and my son is a pescatarian, we still had delicious options even just picking from the taco menu. The music is vibrant and just loud enough to create a fun vibe and there are big screen TVs showing the soccer championships as part of the background. There are tables outside under an awning along the boulevard in the Garden District, lots of exotic hanging lights, and just a very comfortable welcome scene. The head chef/owner even stopped to check on us after I had written everything before now and I have a greater understanding for why this place has such a radiant charm. I hope you have as good of a time here as we did.
(5)
Patricia O.
Pineapple pork tacos, that is all you need to know! Food is really good, some authentic Mexican definitely. Service is a bit slow and not as friendly but good nonetheless. If you crave gourmet delicious tacos look no further.
(4)
Remy O.
Guacamole was good but their hot salsa is top shelf. Baka fish taco (**** stars) and most filling. Lengua and nopales look plain (**** stars) but are tender and tasty. Nopales could use some braised tomato and onion to finish them off. The pastor was a bit dry (*** stars) the mole tacos taste better on flour tortilla (*** stars) baja shrimp taco was (***** stars) main event today. They have a 3-7 happy hours where all menu tacos and drinks are half off. Parking is always a bear here but the staff and chefs are friendly and available. They offer aguas that's they turn into margaritas which are great as well. All in all seems like a grey place for lunch brunch or drinks with your pals.
My friend suggested this place...I was game I had heard about it and even walked by a few times but nothing really drew me in for some reason. I was wrong not to have tried it sooner Order the pineapple jalapeño margarita its freakishly good and strong!! A big plus when it comes to margaritas!! Our waitress couldn't have been nicer was super attentive and we never wanted for a thing I had the il pastor tacos which were superb!! I'm going to update this review further when I have a chance to try some other things but totally worth a visit
(4)
Anthony L.
Who in the holy h___ made my tacos? Lucifer! I couldn't finish them even though it felt like a episode of Man vs Food. I'm sorry you win! I heard about hemorrhoids and I will pass on that life experience. These Tacos were hotter then all my female Yelp friends! Hotter then a Whore house in the 50's on nickel night. Really it felt like an assassination attempt... What did someone mistake me for Kim Jong-Un. I'm a brother!!! Only thing I like hot is my coffee and my woman & her desires.... The list is longer but use your imagination for the rest. I have to keep it clean for the kids.
(1)
Nancy C.
We come here often- great happy hour mon-fri 3-7, 1/2 price drinks and tacos. Great margaritas, great tacos, great service.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes 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.
Joe L.
I think this place is great and the staff is friendly and attentive. Great music, food, and drinks! Que rico!
(4)Cam F.
Check out the most delicious new items on the menu. Most delicious Chiles Rellenos I ever had and also the other item we had was the Poc Chuc otherwise known as smoked pork. It was so good. This place gets better and better.
(5)Emily W.
While the happy hour prices can't be beat (Half off tacos and drinks) the taste was severely lacking. Their tortillas are dry and hard to chew. Unfortunate because the chef and staff were extremely friendly! Tried their mezcal flight which was interesting.
(2)Natalie S.
Hair in one persons food, another got a slab of undercooked fat in their taco, and they served us the driest juiceless limes in the world. Waiter is also not nice
(1)Tee R.
We were headed to the Rum House and spotted the happy hour, half off ALL tacos sign out front and decided to give it a try! Me:top shelf magarita- awesome! Him: Spicy Watermelon Magarita - he LOVED IT, too spicy for my taste buds. We order a trio of salsas, the Verde was excellent and the other two were just ok at best. My favorite taco was the Chipotle Shrimp. ...delish, his favorite Shrimp Fresco and Carne Asada. Give them a try yall.....the service was excellent too
(5)Tiffani P.
The jalapeño margaritas in a pitcher! Super delicious guacamole and ceviche! Ask for Lisa as a server and Brooke as your bartender and you'll find no better place on Magazine Street. Some of the negative reviews I read have proved to be invalid. Service and Food was excellent. I can't compare to other local restaurants as some, but I can say said place boasts some of the best and freshest food I've had during my visit. Locals recommended it and it has lived up to the praise. Will definitely visit again when I return. Brooke is a beautiful Mermaid, but watch out for Kelly. She's a wild one.
(5)D. D.
Great herb saint margarita. Good ceviche. Crappy service. Karma B was less than interested to wait on us. Slow, disinterested and almost rude. And to top it off she stole from my friend, who was gracious enough to leave her a tip. Karma B. Increased her tip. That's stealing. Next time I am in New Orleans I will NOT be going there.
(1)Aaron F.
Oh man, Rich makes the best black beans. The chicken mole was so smokey and juicy. Sauce was filled with flavor. Especially liked the addition of roasted pumpkin seeds thrown on top. Everything was warm and presented really well. Took no time at all to arrive. Sitting at the bar, you get great service from their very attentive bar tenders, who make some pretty neat concoctions. BTW there is an excellent tequila list. Gotta try the tacos at happy hour, m-f 5-7. Pork tacos are unbeatable. The nachos, too, gotta get the nachos. The cuisine is distinctly Mexican. Don't expect simple. The flavors are very complex. I really enjoyed the skirt steak too. Great seating arrangement with unique tables and bar stools. The decor is pretty cool, and atmosphere is really great for groups of friends. All in all, its the best Mexican cuisine I've had in town.
(5)Dieu N.
Came here on a Friday night and tried a handful of the tacos. The baja fish was the best one, but it wasn't anything special. We also ordered the skirt steak and it came out cold and not much flavor. They have good happy hour though. $2 beers on draft. But I've had better elsewhere.
(2)Mike B.
Ehh good tequila & 1/2 off happy hour. That's about it.
(3)Ryan S.
Great food. Great atmosphere. Friendly and knowledgeable service. Easy on the Washingtons. What more can you ask for?
(4)Josh H.
Pretty great consistency. And they have fresh jalapeno and Serrano peppers if you ask for them. Excellent drunk selection. Good salsa collection! Excellent addition to the city. Also a great compliment to Fuego a bit down the ways.
(5)Michael K.
I've only heard terrible things about Arana... I told our hostess and waiter as we sat down that I've only heard terrible things about this Arana.... They did not disappoint, or did disappoint depending on the way you look at it. Instead of trying to provide quality Tex-Mex (which New Orleans lacks), they instead are trying to rip-off Rum House a block away. The taco menu looks like they took a picture of Rum House's menu with their cell phone, got home and couldn't read it very well and made up whatever they couldn't directly copy from the crappy picture. I had the "two taco platter" (gee, where have I seen that before, oh wait, Rum House) which includes two tacos from their list of non-traditional "chef inspired" taco list and a choice of two sides. I got the chipotle shrimp and whatever the duck taco was called with double rice. The tacos were terrible to be kind. The corn tortillas were stale, the shrimp was over cooked and the duck was floating in some kind of oily sauce that spilled all over me when I tried to pick it up and stained my clothes. The rice was so horrible I won't even bother describing, only that I ate less than one bite I made a point of telling all of their staff that stopped by to inquire about the food how terrible it is. Our waiter was brainless but the hostess was nice and we had a great conversation about the poor start for this restaurant. At the end of the meal, after I had paid, she kindly brought over some fried oyster on a nacho chip appetizer that the sous-chef was working on. She said she told him our complaints and he wanted us to try something new he was working on. This is of course owned by the same guys that previously owned Byblos (and Amici and Salu). I don't expect this current iteration to be around in a year and it makes me miss the old Byblos even more.
(2)Ryan O.
First off: As far as decor. It is far from halloween, if your child got scared of the cinco De mayo looking spider on the wall quit sheltering him before he grows up being a complete pussy. Also arana means spider in Spanish so spider decor is a given. Now onto the actual review. I did not have any of the regular food items as from 3-7pm it's half priced tacos. The tacos are served on corn tortillas (soft) and are quite good. My favorite would have been the al pastor, shaved pork pineapple cilantro was a good combo. The baja fish was also quite tasty, fish jalapeno and pickled slaw never would have thought of it but it's god damn delicious My least favorite would have to be the carne asada, tad overspiced for my liking and the meat was annoyingly thinly ground to where it just made it a pain in the ass to eat. overall staff was attentive and informative. Food was great and with a 3-7pm happy hour everyday it definitely will be a stopping point. Rum house to busy?? Check this place out. Less wait and the tacos are about the same price during happy hour (2 to 2.50) no more having to wait for tasty tacos and beer. Also the margaritas etc are half off during happy hour to. It would be nice if they had some mezcal cocktails on the menu. If anything if your feeling adventurous grab a sombra mezcal margarita with jalapeno (not a menu item) the sm9kiness of the sombra balances really well with the flavor of the jalapeños and evens out most of the taco flavors. One advice to owners create some mezcal cocktails and stock some higher quality mezzis. Will def be back to check the regular menu items out
(5)Lilah M.
Easily the best $11 lunch I've had in a long time--two tacos from their listing plus rice and veggies. I've been here twice for the same thing, and it's been delicious both times. I cannot praise the Bloody Maria enough. That alone is worth the five star review, in my opinion. If you're a Bloody Mary person and you like them spicy, make sure you get one!
(5)Koko B.
Food was mediocre. Service is not good. Attentive? Yes. Accommodating? No. Ordered the nachos, which was okay. My boyfriend ordered the 3 tacos and 2 sides. Server messed up on one of the sides and when we told her, she went to the kitchen and brought the right side but still charged us $3 for it. My friend didn't like her chicken burrito and when we told the server, she didn't care to do anything about it but encourage her to order a new plate. I had the lamb loins which, for being one of the more pricey items on the menu, did not deliver anything special. I was still hungry after the 5 chops because it was not meaty and had way too much fat. I want to like this place. I really do. It would be nice for a change from The Rum House, but for now, I think I'd rather wait the usual 30 minutes to an hour there than to come back to a new restaurant that do not care for feedback or pleasing it's potential regular guests.
(2)Lindsay F.
Absolutely terrible experience. Food was beyond bad. Meat was extremely tough. Service was so bad, our waitress quit while in the middle of serving us. The only halfway decent thing is the atmosphere. Everything was way over priced. The "pickled vegetables" we're so small and bad it was literally served in a side condiment cup which maybe held only one ounce of contents. DO NOT WAISTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!!!
(1)El R.
I stopped in to Araña for the first time last night. I was expecting a lot (maybe too much) from what I had heard. I sat at the bar and ordered a beer and a few tacos. I had the Al Pastor, La Lengua, Chipotle Shrimp, & Pato tacos. Looking at the menu all the options looked good. I wanted to try a few tacos (even with the $4-$5 range PER TACO!) I reluctantly ordered the first four tacos that caught my eye...hoping for the best tacos & beer I've ever had for ~$25 (before tax/tip). I think it was way too expensive for what I was served. Everything was okay...and luckily everything I had was reduced to half price. I still spent ~$20, during happy hour, for a few tacos and a beer. I'm definitely not rushing back.... The tacos were rather disappointing. The best thing about them was the tortilla: one of the best I've ever had. Nevertheless the tortilla needed to be griddled a little longer because it fell apart after one bite. The chipotle shrimp was my least favorite. It was empty and bland. The "chipotle" sauce didn't taste like chipotle at all. Needed a little rice (filler) to absorb the sauce and give the taco a little more substance. The Al Pastor came in 3rd. It the sauce was okay and there was just enough pineapple in the taco. The pork was still kind of tough and the sauce needed a little extra something. The Lengua was my 2nd favorite...tomato broth was good. Like the shrimp, I wish there was something to absorb the sauce. I think the pieces of tongue could have been cut a little smaller. The duck was my favorite...crispy, salty, and tender. Wish all the tacos had been as good as this one.
(3)T-dog B.
Everything is very "zesty" which is interesting. The only thing that really bothered me was when we sent back a 4 dollar taco cause it was just weird. Instead of just gracefully taking it back the waitress sent out the manager who asked "is there a problem" as if we are causing a scene or something. Then he proceeded to tell us that most people aren't used to authentic Mexican food. Hmm we were both from California and sort of wanted to laugh in his face. Also, our waitress kept mispronouncing jicama lol Here is a video on how to pronounce it. youtube.com/watch?v=KWi4… I am hoping Del Fuego is better but I am concerned this new round of " taquerias" are really just tequila bars. Real taquerias have warm beer and cheap food!
(2)Mignon M.
The guacamole is fresh and delicious. New Orleans has many Mexican restaurants and there's nothing that sets this one apart. Chicken tinga was bland, service was polite and prompt. All in all it's a fine spot, but nothing makes it stand out.
(3)Matt S.
"Mediocre" is a compliment. From the minute I walked in until the moment I left, out of good faith, I searched for something positive to say. The best that I could come up with was that the quality of the food was average. Otherwise, everything else was significantly below what I expect - and I DO NOT expect much.
(2)W B.
Disappoinement. Decent atmosphere. I hear the drinks are good. Service decent. But the food was tasteless, bland, & dry. Overall $$ expensive for what it offers. Probably appeals to the post-college crowd. But won't last long in my opinion.....
(1)Michel D.
Overpriced and under seasoned food. My boyfriend and I went to there grab a Sunday bite after we saw the wait for Rum House was long. We ordered margaritas, queso fundido, chili relleno, and tacos. The margaritas tasted like sour mix. Our appetizer came out well after our entrees (and was severely under seasoned.) My boyfriend liked his relleno, but we agreed that the rice and beans were bland. My tacos were bland as well - and cold. Our bill came out to $50 (not including tip) and we left still hungry. Next time, we'll take the wait at Rum House.
(2)Candy C.
The staff is friendly. The tacos at happy hour left us underwhelmed. The chips and ceviche was really good. The top shelf margaritas were good. We ordered 8 different tacos from the menu. The fish taco was the best...the rest were really dry.
(2)Truly R.
I would like to consider myself a taco aficionado and I'm not gonna lie, this place is on blast. The happy hour is amazing, half off taco's and half off top shelf margaritas? Yes, please! I got the al pastor, the gringo, and the grilled fish. The flavor was authentic and taco's so well executed. While I was dining I also ordered nachos and queso fundido and it was delicious! My server was very sweet and was detail oriented down to a tee. I would totally recommend this place to any of my friends!
(4)Birdie ..
We wanted to try something new tonight and some friends suggested Arana. I checked out the reviews online and they seemed mixed, but we decided to give it a go anyway. The wait at 8:30 pm on a Friday night was about 45 mins. We hung out at Reginelli's while we waited because Arana was packed. I was hoping it was packed because it was awesome...but looking back, Reginelli's $2 draft beers may have been the highlight of the evening. We sat outside, so I can not comment on the decor or noise level inside. Outside was nice for people watching and enjoying the "cool" (78*) fall weather. We started off by ordering the Queso Fundido, Chips and Pico de Gallo, and a pitcher of House Margaritas. The margaritas were actually pretty tasty, not too sweet and pretty refreshing. The Queso Fundido was not what we expected. I was expecting a bowl of delicious, cheesy melty goodness, but instead it was a large, long lump of luke warm cheese. The cheese was served with dried out corn tortillias to put your hard cheese on. Uhhh, boo. The chips were very fresh and tasty but the Pico de Gallo was ALL ONIONS. No real flavor or spice. For entrees, we all ordered tacos. To sum it up, nothing was very flavorful or memorable. My fish taco was tasteless, shrimp taco could have been good but was overly spicy, Pato (Duck) taco was tough. Both the flour and corn tortillas were over cooked and dried out/hard. Beans were from a can and not doctored up at all. We should have stopped ordering here, but I am a sucker for Tres Leches Cake. We also were told they had Sopapillas and ordered those too. Desserts took 25 minutes to come out. The Tres Leches was dry and well, too cakey. I like it spongy and wet. The Sopapillas were fresh but the sauce served with them was HORRIBLE (some kind of honey CHIPOTLE?!!!). It was gross. No sweetness to complement the Sopapillas. To top it off our bill was wrong. We were charged $7 for 4 glasses (for our pitcher of margaritas?). We asked the waitress and she took it off the bill saying there was a glitch in the computer. I wonder how many people ordered pitchers of margaritas that night and unknowingly paid for their glassware. The only highlight of the night was our waitress. She was sweet and attentive. I feel bad that she has to serve lackluster food and she probably suffers for it in bad tips. She probably should have comped a dessert for the long wait and checked the bill before bringing it to us...but then again, it's not a 5 star restaurant either. I would only recommend Arana for a happy hour priced drink, but definitely not for food. New Orleans is full of good food and unfortunately it is not here.
(2)Jason T.
I hate doing this but I'm demoting this place to 3 stars. The entrees are nice, the service is mostly good. The salsas are just weird. The tacos are hit or miss. Some of them are divine, almost all of them are at least ok. But about 50% of them have soaked through the bottom of the taco by the time it gets to me, and the damn thing just falls apart. That's REALLY annoying. I should have like a 5 minute grace period before my taco self destructs.
(3)Maria Christina T.
Sorry wanted to like this place..Underseasoned, over priced and unmotivated staff.
(1)Charlie H.
Well the idea is good but all of our food was cold. Tacos and sides were all cold. Like they had been cooked and set out and then put together when ordered. We won't be back
(1)Jill C.
Okay people, this place is just what this lil strip on Magazine St needed...let me tell ya why. This building used to be Nacho Mama's, which was good but missing something (except their half off Margarita pitchers on Wednesday)...Then it was Byblos...which moved down from the next block over (bad idea Cuz they didn't they make it very long in their "new and improved" location)...Now it is Arana's....finally a restaurant worthy of this awesome location! Nice atmosphere, friendly knowledgeable service, and AMAZING happy hour specials! Half price on anything from the bar...including pitchers of margaritas and the tacos! Nacho Mama's eat your heart out cuz these chips and pico de gallo are hands down the freshest and yummiest we've had yet! Yes, It's worth it...the tacos are really good and fresh. The best taco was the fish taco w/ a creamy jalapeno sauce and pickled slaw but we also had the chipolte shrimp, the Al Pastor, the Pibil, the Carne Asada, and the Lengua.... we shared everything and it was all amazing and authentic... except the tongue...I couldn't eat it...Meh lol... overall this is definitely a place to try, locals and tourists alike...trust me I know, I lived behind this place for years.
(5)Colin A.
Unfortunately, this place fits into the "strip of mediocrity" there on Magazine Street. Nothing was bad. There are just better places to go with better prices. Try Casa Borrega or Johnny Sanchez instead for similar cuisine. For something else nearby, go with Salu or Dat Dog blocks away. Some nicer spots in the neighborhood are Coquette and Atchafalaya. Hit up Stein's, District, or Parasol's down the other side of the Irish Channel for good, cheaper eats.
(2)Lisa H.
The tortillas were very stale. The cheese was grilled but dry with a charred taste. The shrimp not enough flavour. This is my first ever negative review:(
(1)Mary B.
I sat at the bar and ordered the two taco dinner to go. While waiting I had a skinny girl margarita and its was so delicious! I also got a complimentary jalapeno margarita because they had extra and it was interesting! I ordered the carne asada and the chipotle shrimp tacos. I must say I was disappointed in them. They had very little meat/shrimp on them and they were extremely bland! I felt like I was eating only a tortilla. The black beans were ok and the mexican veggies were pretty good. All in all, the Rum House tacos are 100% better. It was also extremely loud in there and dark!
(3)Sara C.
Great specials on Thursdays! Excellent authentic Mexican food. Tried the esquites and nopales tacos for $2 during happy hour, to die for. Quick service and friendly waitstaff. And they bring you free chips while you wait! Definitely a must try in New Orleans, especially if you're a local.
(5)Jay T.
This is a storefront restaurant in the historic Uptown Magazine St. shopping district. The exterior is plain and the interior has a "contemporary Mexican" design. I ordered the Two Tacos Plate (one pork & one ground beef) with two sides (Grilled Mexican Vegetables & Mexican Rice) for $11.00. It was quite delicious and perfectly seasoned. I would recommend this place and would go again. RJT
(4)Dan T.
Let's start with the $9 pineapple, cilantro, jalapeno margarita. It wasn't a margarita, it was a glass of dole pineapple juice with tequila in it. The chips and salsa, which for some reason they charge for (not normal at Mexican restaurants), were not good either. The salsa tasted like flavorless tomato paste. I ordered the "carnitas" burrito. This consisted of a store bought tortilla stuffed with 10 lbs of dry rice, canned beans, a bunch of pineapple which didn't even make sense in the dish (mexican dishes do not contain pineapple) and about two or three small bites of "carnitas". I'm not sure what the meat like substance was they were trying to pass off as carnitas but it was the worst meat i believe I've ever had at a restaurant. My fiance's fish tacos were almost edible...that's the nicest thing I can say about any of the food. Taco Bell provides a more authentic Mexican dining experience. I truly can't understand how they didn't do some tests with friends and family on their food before they opened. I was really hoping this place would be decent and truly hope they fix the food soon or they will not last. They have a nice atmosphere and good location so i'm hopeful they take this and the other not so enthusiastic reviews as constructive criticism and turn the place around.
(1)Aunt S.
Overpriced, loud and tasteless. Decent house margarita, but awful food. I had a two taco combo of under seasoned chicken and a hunk of slaw marinated in only vinegar, the second taco of fried fish was half way decent only due to the fried fish whose freshness was debatable. The hunk of pickled slaw covering the fish taco tasted sour. It was terrible. The rice was dry and tasteless, and black beans straight out of a can. No seasoning anywhere. The oyster/civiche was decent, but the chips were over salted and straight from on the border chips in bulk. Not sure I f the line cooks are not following the orders or if no one is tasting the food before it leaves the tiny kitchen, either way someone needs to check on the food and communicate.
(2)Robert J.
Excellent bar. Good food. Attentive servers. Wonderful hip decor. A great value. Especially at happy hour. STOP comparing this place to Rum House. If you want a good taco minus the backwards baseball caps and LSU T shirts then Arana is the place to go.
(5)Dan J.
The meat in the tacos was the best I've ever had, with unusual spices. I had Al Pastor, Pibil, and Fish. It was all exceptionally tender and well prepared. We loved the guacamole. Jicama salad was a very nice palate cleanser - great for hot weather. The margarita pitchers are a great deal during happy hour. Beware - they are stronger than they seem. I'm looking forward to trying the various tequilas - huge flight menu. It's a funny coincidence we ran into so many people we know there - it's one of those kind of places. I'm sure you'll run into people you know there too . . . . Also, our server was very nice. She was there when it was Byblos too, we remembered.
(5)Megan O.
Loved it! Came in for lunch because the R House was packed. Great service, great food. Would definitely go back.
(4)Sarah M.
I'm playing catch up on my yelp reviews because I never do this, but I've had an amazing week and I feel the need to brag on the service I've gotten. Ally was my bartender yesterday and not only did she make me awesome drinks she helped educate me on tequila and mezcal, something I knew nothing about. They have a great new program where you get this passport and they hold it behind the bar so you don't even have to keep up with it. I can't wait to try more and learn more with her. On top of that they have the best guacamole in the city. It actually has big chunks of avocado in it and the specials are on point every time I go. Love this place!
(5)Kimmie R.
If you read my reviews, you would know that I almost never write a negative review. My partner and I love to eat, and we are super easy to serve. We went to this place because it was close to a parade, and frankly, because Rum House had a looooong wait. We sat outside, which was lovely. It took forever before our server came out. We ordered the nachos as an appetizer, and Margaritas. Now, the Margaritas are quite strange. They have a weird color, and boy are they sour! The Nachos were meh. Our server forgot us, again, but we finally placed our order, and then waited a bit longer for our food. The place was almost empty, so I don't understand the delays. Now, for the awful part: When our food was served, all four of us noticed that our server's hands and NAILS were filthy. I mean, crusty, foul looking, haven't been washed for days, gross. We almost left then. But, we were hungry, and used tons of hand sanitizer. I am a big girl, and eat almost anything, but this meal was terrible. The tacos were cold and soggy, and the hockey pucks of rice and beans tasted like pure nothing. I kept quiet until my three companions added their opinions, which were similar. I won't return, mainly because of the poor service, and being completely grossed out by our server's lack of cleanliness. I will wait, no matter how long, at Rum House. Yuk.
(1)Wes K.
Tacos are delicious and authentic. Friendly and fast service. Dinner and drinks is a great deal during happy hour. Fish tacos were my favorite but it was all good.
(5)Kim K.
Amazing!! Came here for dinner Friday night. It was very busy so we had to wait a bit but it was totally worth it. The service was spectacular. We had the queso fundido as our appetizer and while it wasn't what we were expecting it was delicious. For the entrees I ordered the torta ahogado and my husband ordered the pork chop. The torta was pretty spicy but nevertheless enjoyable. I've noticed some not so good reviews on here but they're very new and I could tell they are working to make improvements!!! Give this place a chance you won't regret it!!also order the champagne margarita is was to die for
(5)Jacqui H.
On a Sunday morning, we opted to drive to the Garden District before making our 2 hour drive home from New Orleans. We stopped in at Arana for brunch. The outside seating had a nice appeal! However, this was the worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. We ordered off of the brunch menu, and it took almost an hour, only for our plates to come out cold. The amount of time didn't make sense for the number of people in the restaurant. The sandwich my boyfriend ordered came out with burnt cheese and no eggs as it should have. We should have waited the hour wait down the street to be seated instead of coming to this place!!
(1)Colleen K.
This place will not be open long unless they completely change everything. The service was slow when there was hardly a soul to be seen. The food was bland...just no flavor at all. It tasted like nothing. The only sides are grilled green onions, rice or beans. I had the onions and beans which were bland and I'm not sure how you are supposed to eat stringy cooked long green onions that won't even cut. We had the house margaritas which were kinda off tasting. They were sourish. Not good at all. Best margaritas are at Juan's and Rum House which are very close by so go there instead.
(1)Natalie F.
Aranas has definitely found its footing on Magazine street across from the iconic local Breaux Mart. The happy hour is out of this world! 11 dollar pitches half price tacos and other items. Can't be be beat especially since it's M-F 3-7pm! House made marg mix and quality house tequila. This Yucutãn influenced Tequila House and its cuisine is absolutely delicious. Ali behind the bar is amazing and so personable! Chloe was an amazing waitress. Couldn't not
(5)Lisa C.
The only thing our group liked was the salsas. The food is just not good. Go just about anywhere else. Service was ok
(1)Elisabeth S.
This place is way over priced for the quality you get. Just go to Rum House. You get better quality for the same price if not cheaper. No flavor. $9 drinks for hardly any alcohol or size. I am used to huge margaritas for that price. The tacos sucked and the ceviche was a little ramekin for $11!!!!! I can get ceviche for cheaper and better quality at Norma's in mid city.
(1)Abby L.
Went here at 7:30 on a Thursday night. We got a table right away. They had football on and I really liked the atmosphere. There were a lot of young adults there (as a group of friends and couples) and a few older couples. I also really liked how many tequila options they have. The person who recommended this place to me said that when her and her husband came, they sat at the bar and the bartender talked them into drinking tequila straight, which was a new, enjoyable experience for them! When I went I got the house margarita. One of the best margaritas in New Orleans! Besides the above, everything else was poor to mediocre. And by everything else, I mean the food and the service. First, they have a taco called the "El Gringo," which I always learned was an offensive term, so naturally, I felt weird ordering it, but dammit I wanted the non-spicy taco! When it came it was on flour tortillas, which was confusing to me because right under the heading "Tacos" it says that the tacos come on corn tortilla and other tortillas are available among request. Apparently, according to the waiter "Gringos" prefer flour tortillas so that is the only taco that comes on flour (okay...). I sent it back to get corn tortillas and the waiter was understanding. The tacos weren't even that great. The taco meat tasted like sloppy joe. Also, my friend was brought the wrong order. The waiter had to take my friend's food back, too. The Waiter was nice about these mistakes but it still shouldn't happen! Our third friend had her hot food and was almost done by the time we got our food back. Overall, come for the tequila and the atmosphere. I'd probably come here to watch football and drink with friends. Don't come for the food! There's better mexican food in this city.
(2)Jason M.
Cool atmosphere but overpriced and mediocre flavorless food. It may be working out kinks but that's usually associated with service which was good.
(2)Ta P.
Terrible tasting tacos! The carne asada steak tacos had not one bit of flavor in the steak...no salt/no spices. The guacamole flavor was ok but the avocados were hard and not mashed up. Our waitress was friendly though.
(2)Luciana P.
Excellent food. Fresh! Service was excellent. The bartender gave us her full attention and made the drinks perfectly. The food was delicious. Please stop and eat / drink if you are in the area.
(5)Jay L.
Wasn't really packed when I came. Cant review the food since I was waiting almost an hour just for an appetizer so we winded up just paying for drinks and walked out!! Gave an extra star for waitress being empathetic about it. There's no reason why one should be waiting so long on tacos and chips.
(2)Lilly D.
Food was terrible. Service was worse. Owner was the worst. Never going back. I know what slop actually looks and tastes like now.
(1)Mao M.
All I can say is PRAISE THE LORD baby jesus for this place! Thank the gods FINALLY there is some amazing Mexican food in this town... FINALLY! Not only is the food INCREDIBLE and extremely reasonably priced, but the staff is AWESOME-- so friendly and lovely (love that Natalie!) AND the atmosphere is very cool and relaxing. We had the queso fundido AND the carne asada tacos and fish tacos... I am STILL savoring the delicious, juicy, savory delectableness of that carne asada. The fish was fried ever so delicately not to overwhelm you with greasiness. The ingredients were ALL SO FRESH -- you could tell from not only the several layers of flavor that just kept coming, but also from the fact that I PIGGED out hard and still didn't feel disgustingly full-- a sure sign of quality food! The amazing Chef Richard came out and talked to us when we were all ooo-ing and aw-ing and drooling all over the place and he was SO delightful and had all the time in the world (despite being busy) to talk with us- AND he sent us a comped tres leches which was TO DIE FOR. I will be back here every day of my entire life. I give it 10 million stars.
(5)Rusty S.
I would have given them three or four stars except they served me rotten fish in the fish tacos. Seriously, only a cook with no sense of smell could not whiff rotten fish. And then you cook it and smells even worse. On top of that, it got past the chef expediting. I would rather have gotten a live (or dead!) cockroach in my food than rotten protein. Cockroach is accidental, bad fish shows that the place is too cheap to toss it and/or hires incompetent cooks. For me, this is the worst thing a kitchen can do. After I complained, they only took off that one taco off the check. Any nice place would have comped my meal. I do like their margaritas, but at $10, them's NYC prices. Authentico Mexicano? No.
(1)Candice S.
I like this place. what a happy hour! None of this dollar off crap. 1/2 price beer, wine, margaritas, and tacos from 3-7. Had the grilled fish tacos and enjoyed the sidewalk seating. Great service. Highly recommend.
(5)Michele C.
Sat at the bar and found the bartender extremely helpful and attentive. The drinks were unusual and delicious, the atmosphere was wonderful, and the food was great. The chef has a talent for melding various flavors. Looking forward to teturning.
(5)Bree P.
I went during happy hour and was very pleased. My waitress was very informative about the menu and our water glasses remained full throughout our meal. We ordered the guacamole which was as pretty darn good as guacamole gets. It definitely was homemade and had the perfect amount of citrus to onion/garlic ratio. I ordered the chorizo and beef tacos and was pleasantly surprised by both of them. Both came with a generous amount of meat and the garnishes matched the meat really well. My boyfriend ordered a bunch of tacos and he is a complainer if he doesn't like something... No complaints from him and he also particularly liked the chorizo taco. We finished our meal with a chocolate flan which was to die for. I highly recommend this desert to anyone. As far as the margarita prices are concerned, I feel that their $8+ cocktails are fair... It's a tequila bar and the drinks are made with top quality products. And they are DELICIOUS! If you want $4 margaritas then go to some place that uses gross margarita mix from a grocery store. I think this restaurant is a wonderful addition to Magazine Street and I will definitely be returning.
(5)Sunni G.
Kelly was the most amazing bartender ever! We had a blast drinking champagne margaritas and talking with her! We totally freestyled the evening and somehow ended up sitting at Kelly's bar and just having an amazing time. Thank you so much Kelly!
(5)Dena S.
For a city that doesn't have very good Mexican food, Arana is a nice addition. That being said, it's still working out some of the kinks. We ate there on a Friday night during happy hour. Whoever sat us decided not to speak to us...simply to point and throw menus on the tables, which was weird in a place that small and that crowded. We ordered chips and salsa and they were out of chips. I ordered a glass of Vinho Verde and they were out. About half way through sitting there, someone walked in with a giant container of bleach and went into the back. The entire restaurant (which is not very big) smelled like bleach for a good 10 or 15 minutes. This might be the fault of the people sitting next to us, but it sure was loud. I had to ask our poor waiter to repeat everything two or three times. However, the tacos were good and you can't beat the happy hour prices. Our waiter ended up bringing us some chips and salsa on the house and if you check in on facebook, you get a free dessert. The bill for two people ended up being $15 and the waiter was great. I can excuse the learning curve they're clearly going through. I'll definitely try this place again and hopefully they'll have everything on the menu.
(4)Hillary K.
Two stars, because I'm giving this place slight leeway since we stupidly chose to eat here on opening weekend. Also, the few bites of nachos I had were pretty decent. Basically, the service was awful and the food was mediocre. Being that I have worked at a large corporate restaurant when they opened, I wanted my server to do a great job(even if she did make a couple mistakes), and I wanted the food to be delicious. However, I could immediately tell our server was inexperienced. It took forever for her to bring a sugar packet out to my friend's son for his tea, she kept forgetting which person ordered which drink(once you've served enough, this is second nature), my guacamole came out after my entree(could've been the kitchen's fault, but she proceeded to push me to keep it when I politely declined it), she took more than five minutes to bring out a small side of sour cream, and she took over 15 minutes to split our check(it wouldn't have been a big deal had she would've sent someone over to let us know what was going on, and apologized for the wait). By the end of our experience my friend had to yell across the restaurant to reiterate the fact we'd been waiting 15 minutes for our split bill. My friend also got elbowed in the back countless times by another server, and didn't receive one apology. I don't understand the logic of hiring such inexperienced servers for a high volume restaurant on Magazine Street. I hate not tipping, because I've been in the service industry(I have not skimped on a tip since I was an idiot 15 year old, either); but because the service was so terrible with no apologies from our server or a manager, I couldn't bring myself to leave anything. The food was also way too overpriced for what it was. I ordered the carne asada burrito, and it was nothing special. The meat was pretty decent, but there was nothing there to make it worth $13 dollars(should've gone to Juan's and got a gutter punk to devour), and it was super small. The side order of rice was also very bland, and not worth the $3. One friend complained that her duck taco tasted like cat food and her chicken tinga taco was really dry. My other friend ordered the nachos, which were pretty good due to the queso fresco sprinkled all over them, so that was one thing they did right. I may give this place another shot, but not until they seem like they've gotten it together.
(2)Cory H.
Amazing staff!!! Delicious food and fresh cocktails!!! Highly underrated...everyone needs to check it out! Try a chinaco blanco shot with blueberry!!!
(5)Rob T.
What a great little taqueria on Magazine Street. Came here on Cinco de Mayo and had a really great experience heightened by 1/2 price margaritas and tacos! Tacos you basically can create your own way with choices of a plethora of ingredients on the menu. Maragritas come in every kind of conceivable combination. My favorite is the pineapple habenero for a nice kick! Place is festively decorated and their selection of tequilas is very impressive! They had an awesome live flamenco guitarist when I was there which added to the lively scene. Highly recommend Ãrana Taqueria Y Cantina for deliciously authentic mexican food and creative margaritas. Tip: go for happy hour when tacos and margaritas are 1/2 price. Well worth it!
(4)Tom R.
Note: This review is strictly for Arana's margaritas. With that said, I like them! Made an impromptu stop here during their happy hour, M-F 3-7, where ALL their drinks and tacos are 1/2 off. Decided on a house rocks with salt ($4) and was not disappointed. They aren't too sweet and the lime-salt was great. The restaurant atmosphere was lively and they have a few tables outside, but with this summer heat sitting out there during happy hour times may not be very pleasant. Service was on-point-- attentive, but not overly done, and friendly. Overall, I have to go back soon to give their tacos a try and drown in margaritas!
(4)David C.
IT'S VERY GOOD. The wife and I came here more than a few months ago and I remember being pleased but not overwhelmed, especially in light of the fact that Taqueria Corona, the best kept secret on Magazine, is right down the street. The food at Arana is not as good as TC, but Arana does have better ambiance and a superior bar. If you're looking for some decent Mexican themed cocktails, this is the place to go.
(4)Charles H.
GO FOR THE HAPPY HOUR It's by far one of the best deals uptown (M-F 3-7PM). Half priced margaritas and sangrias, pitchers and tacos. Our happy hour club recently held a birthday get together here. Four of us split 4 pitchers of potent tasty margaritas, plates of tacos and apps, and left buzz-stuffed for just $84 before tip. BUT IXNAY ON THE GRUESOME TACOS As others have commented, these truly are the worst tacos in New Orleans. The mealy housemade tortillas are a pastel shade of nutria tooth. We had to send our fish tacos back because they were over breaded and incinerated (see pic). The chorizo and traditional were the only passable varieties. The apps weren't much better.
(3)Lynn W.
Let me just say I passed this place 20 times. It wasn't until a friend told me about the happy hour that I decided to go. We sat outside before the rain (on a Sunday). The calm before the storm out there was beautiful. We ordered the 3 salsa dips that were really okay. They would be really good if they were spicier. Then we ordered what we really wanted which was margaritas. The strawberry was good but wasn't strong enough. The drink was $10. Had we chosen to come on m-f during happy hour the drink would have been $5. It was totally a $5 drink. So, to enhance my losses, I ordered another. This time I told him I needed more killer and less pain. He added more alcohol. This drink was all I really needed. The end result equals me going back during happy hour and requesting a better mix on the drink.
(3)Joseph C.
Fajitas precooked and tough as hell. Happy hour is good for drinks...but not sold on the food after numerous visits....even Tacos and Beer has better food than this.
(2)Yu Z.
The problem with this place is that their authentic ethnic culinary aspirations do not mesh well with their hip location. This place wants to do more interesting tacos that involve more traditional ingredients such as beef tongue, but the clientele that frequents this area of Magazine are your typical pumpkin-spice-latte-loving-and-Uggs-wearing basic b's who love fish and shrimp tacos, guac, queso, and salsa and chips. Los putos no quieren tacos de lengua, nopales, y comidas auténticos. Lo siento, pero es la verdad, amigos. Anyway, as a result, the more interesting tacos probably do not sell as well and have some problems. The pork belly taco was a touch dry. The tomatillo sauce that accompanies it helps, but it can't work miracles and save the tacos from the dryness. The dryness problem was also present with the al pastor, but once again, the flavors were all there and were fine. The tongue and cactus taco was just flat - the cactus was neither interesting texturally or had very distinct flavors. The tongue could have used a bit of a sear on the grill top and was overall underwhelming. The fish taco was fine, and the fish was flaky and tender. Was it memorable though? Not really. Chips, salsa, and guac were all fine. The entire experience was like going on a movie date with a nice, semi-attractive, boring person. You don't end up wanting to run away mid date, but it's also not something you're eager to do again. The sugar skull spider is kinda cool though.
(3)Marielle S.
Bastante deliciosa! 4 estrellas! This restaurant has been open for a while and I finally made my way to the place that was once a Byblos which was once a Nacho Mama's. It was a pretty slow night and we were eating early, so it was a light crowd. I was looking over the menu and I found myself in the mood for a margarita. Since the "house" margarita seemed to call to me, that was the first one I ordered. I got it and- I don't know. Something about it was a bit off. It was a little too sweet. I like a sweet cocktail, but I like my margaritas to lean more towards the tangy side. I decided to try another one, so I got their "top shelf" margarita. It was a little better, but it didn't blow my socks off. Well, I wasn't wearing socks but if I had been they would have remained on. Next time I just might add more lime to it. Maybe it's me and my weird palate. Ok, enough of the drinks. For our appetizer we got the guacamole and it was fresh and perfect. I'm a big fan of when the guac has chunks of avocado in it and that's how this was, so it was an immediate win. For my entree, I got the burrito con pastor. I loved this! The meat was spiced to perfection and the entire burrito had tons of flavor. My dining companion (he had the tacos), who has been to Mexico many times, remarked that this is the most authentic tasting Mexican meal he has had in the city. I really love it and I am anxious to go back and try more of the menu.
(4)S B.
Araña Taqueria Y Cantina kept showing up in publications all over the city so after reading about the "spider" restaurant many times, decided to try it one weekend. I love all cuisine Latin inspired so it wasn't a tough sell. Right in the middle of magazine street, it's a perfect lunch spot. Food was great, service was great, drinks were great - very enjoyable meal. Definitely would recommend trying Araña Taqueria Y Cantina.
(4)Hannah G.
The owner contacted me after reading my Yelp review. He was very receptive to constructive criticism and not defensive at all. His restaurant is his baby and he wants to make sure everything is perfect when he is there and when he is not. He immediately addressed my criticisms and everything is perfect again. I definitely recommend Arana for their delicious food, awesome happy hour, people watching and a great location on Magazine Street. Thank you Rich for taking the time to connect with your customers! You're the best!
(5)Renée H.
Great margaritas!!! It was my first visit and I went for happy hour. I had the spicy watermelon margarita and the jalapeño pineapple cilantro margarita. Both were awesome! Refreshing and delicious. I also had the tacos: gringo, fresco shrimp, pato & carne asada. The pato is duck and it was delicious. I was pleased and I can't wait to go back!!!!
(4)Lauren O.
Atmosphere was nice. Food was really salty. Had two different tacos and black beans and rice. I couldn't even finish the tacos or black beans because of how salty they were. I would recommend the nachos to start though, although those were really messy, they tasted pretty good. Service was decent. Biggest selling point were the half priced drinks during happy hour but the food wasn't all that great. I'd recommend trying it at least once, you might have a better experience than it did.
(3)J O.
Came here Saturday. Waitress was excellent (girl with dreads). Food still poorly executed for Mexican standards. I'd suggest that if they insist on serving bag tortillas, just make the order of three tacos to maybe add "value". But $5 a taco seems steep for what you get. I ordered the carne asada salad, tasted great but seems more of an appetizer than a meal portion. May I suggest maybe chopping the lettuce. Location still is awesome.
(3)Javarus W.
I would live in this place if I could!!! Love it!!! The staff is amazing the ambience is everything and I love the fact that it's so chill! Great for a night out with friends or a quick lunch break!
(5)Tess L.
Absolutely love this place! Happy hour every day 5-7, doesn't get better than $4 mojitos/margaritas. Best mojito in the city 100%!
(5)Shannon S.
Food inspired by the Yucatan with drink prices inspired by New York City with $4.50 Abita Amber, $5.50 Negra Modelo, $8 house margaritas (served in a small glass) and $8 for a glass of sangria. Food service is fast and the flavor of most things is good. The drink prices are too expensive and while the food is good the prices are a bit too much for what you get. The spider theme of the interior decor is too year round Halloween for this section of town and doesn't seem to contribute anything other than scaring young children. My part of the bill came out to $27.16 (before tip) which was for the 3 tacos with 2 sides combo, a shared tamale, an iced tea and one house margarita. Mexican food is cheap peasant food with most things wrapped in some form of tortilla and no valid reason to be pricey and the same goes for Mexican beer and house margaritas. There are as good or better Mexican options in the city for a much better value on food and drinks so I'm not confident in the longevity of this place and I probably won't make many return visits. Tip: the à la carte seafood tacos are probably one of the better values on the menu. Hint: The main competition in the area for this joint is Rum House. The drinks at Rum House are substantially cheaper and larger.
(3)Kelleigh E.
This is a great spot to grab tasty Mexican fare. Though it was full with a Friday night dinner crowd, we were seated immediately. Our server was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Our evening began with specialty margaritas and chips and guac. The margarita was perfect and delicious. The avocados were a little chunky for my taste, but the flavor of the dip was spot on. For the main course, I had the tortilla soup and the pato taco. Both were delightful. The restaurant offered a casual environment and a younger crowd. It was a little noisy because of the small space. Overall, it was a great experience. We were in and out and left satisfied. We'll be back for sure!
(4)Cody H.
Never again....authentic mexican....no Best thing about this place was the drinks...they do have good drinks. I'd skip this place and head to el gato any day.
(1)Mauricio P.
Clean good looking environment, a little upset, I don't know who told chef torta Cubana has mostard, my partner ordered a burrito which is a tex-mex and was tasteless, food names on the menu are very deceiving, and I'm saying this as a Mexican who has traveled México and tasted real, nice and delicious original mex food, this don't get even close to original. Really if that's the way they prepare torta Cubana I was glad I did not ordered chile reyeno. I'm just saying they should not be putting names there on menu if they don't know the original recipe.
(2)Violet A.
Maybe the third time will be the charm! That is if we make it back a third time. Well to be fair we didn't eat on our first visit to Arana Taqueria Y Cantina. Well not for lack of ordering food, but because we didn't receive the food we ordered. Picture it a hot humid evening in New Orleans (not hard to do...HA!). The Magazine Street Champagne Stroll was in full force and every place was packed with patrons flowing out onto the sidewalks when we spotted two open barstools. YES, JACKPOT! First we sat at the bar over fifteen minutes before the bar tender approached our side of the bar. We decided to be exceptionally chill, unlike others who chose to continue to stroll. Finally, almost a half hour after arrival the bartender took our order and we eventually managed to get a couple of champagne Margaritas. But no food. After an hour and another drink and many new friends arrivals and departures.... no food. The folks who arrived after our first drink had come, eaten and gone and still we had NO FOOD! OK. It was a crazy night. We found out the actual bartender had walked out during the peak crowd. Our waiter/bartender was a new guy and everything was crazy in the kitchen. After another drink and NO FOOD we said adios.. Hungry but determined not to be unhappy.... Hey how would that help? Besides by now were several tequilas in. Since that night Arana has been on the must try their food sometime ~ list. Well we finally stopped in and had 1) No crazy experience... 2) Good service and... 3) Fair food. The tacos were very flavorful although rather small. The sides were just ok. 4) Margaritas were good, but not exceptional - understand some friends have considered me 'extremely' picky about the art of tequila spirits. Just sayin'.... All-in-all, even with our first crazy experience (it is NOLA after all crazy is always on the menu), overall an enjoyable experience and we will give it another go.
(3)Roxanne I.
Food was excellent, wasn't too impressed with the salsa mexicana. Margaritas: house was only so so, but the strawberry cucumber was very refreshing. Service was solid. Nice place for a date or evening out, very intimate atmosphere.
(4)Sareena N.
Probably my new favorite happy hour spot. 3-7 with half price margaritas and tacos. People need to stop with the comparison to Rum House, it's a false equivalency. The space is great and has a nice vibe. Our server, Isaac, was attentive but not overbearing and very genuine, which I feel is a rarity with servers in our fair town. My strawberry margarita was delicious, not too sweet with muddled strawberries. I had the Baja fish and carne asada tacos, my husband had the al pastor and pibil tacos The best tacos ever? No, but at HH prices, generously portioned and a tasty treat. My biggest complaint? The tortillas aren't up to par and tacos should be double tortilla-ed, otherwise you end up with torn taco syndrome. Araña probably needs time to find it's footing, but I think it's got a nice foundation and we'll definitely be back to try more.
(4)Mary Z.
I stopped in for lunch and couldn't help but come back a week later for happy hour. I gotta say, coming from Texas, I wasn't too impressed with Juan's (too pricey) and felt lukewarm at best for Rum House (excessive portions). Araña however? I am a fan! Food wise, I have loved everything that I've ordered so far and can't wait to try their whole menu! Their flavors are bold, unique, and yet keep true to the authenticity that you'd find from a neighborhood taco truck. Heck they even have tacos de lengua! Their 2 taco 2 sides combo is a perfect amount of food. My only issue, if I had to really pick one, is that their tacos run a bit too juicy...by the time that you get to your last one, it's guaranteed to be soggy and crumble. (But I am a slow eater so maybe it's me?) Their menu prices are pretty good and the 1/2 off all drinks/tacos for happy hour is phenomenal (3-7PM, only $2~3 a taco!!). Overall a fantastic place. Be sure to ask for some of their special hot sauce!!
(5)Andrew W.
I just ate at Araña for the third time and couldn't postpone this review any longer. In short, the current 3-star rating is criminally low. Also, anyone comparing Araña to Rum House really missed the point, and their opinion on food shouldn't be taken at face value. Now for the review. After three visits to Araña I've learned there are many ways to enjoy your visit here. Sit outside for happy hour on a nice day, drink pitchers of delicious margaritas, and enjoy half-priced tacos while people watching. Bring a fun date for dinner and drinks, sit at the bar, enjoy some light conversation with the bartender, and sample some delicious tequilas. Come by yourself for lunch or dinner, sit at the bar or sit outside. You name it, Araña is great. Eat the torta ahogada. The artfully-slow-roasted pork isn't even the highlight of this sandwich. It's presented on a delightful, fluffy roll that is substantial enough to maintain its integrity even while drowned in delicious salsa. Then, it's topped with pickled red onions, crema, cotija cheese, avocado, and black bean puree. My words can't do it enough justice so hurry up and go try for yourself. Araña also boasts one of the best tequila selections around. You'll find a tequila that suits your tastes. If you're a tequila newbie, try out one of their tequila flights. If you're in the mood for a lighter cocktail, their margaritas are pretty tasty. The house margarita is nice and light, refreshing without too much tartness. The jalapeno margarita adds a little kick without overpowering the tequila. Their tacos are much larger than most restaurants. I especially enjoyed the duck taco although several others were very tasty. I will return to Araña many more times and plan to taste the chicken mole and tortilla soup during upcoming visits. Cheers!
(5)Mallory E.
I can here for our annual friendsgiving and the food was great. The happy hour doesn't end until 7 pm, Monday-Friday, so I was able to get three champagne margaritas in (half price!!) at that time. We also got some delicious tacos (half price) while we were at happy hour. We split three salsas, the queso, and the guac. I wasn't really impressed by the guac, the cheese was different (baked cheese and you pulled it apart) and the salsas were just ok. The service was ok, I was a little disturbed that the bathroom did not have soap in it when I went to the bathroom, but I told our waitress and hopefully she did something about it. Overall, I would come back here because it was some pretty decent Mexican food.
(4)M A.
Received pretty much the worst service of my life from "Karma B." She refused to serve us until I had requested service from the hostess and then the bartender - who apparently told her to do her job. We waited an unreasonable amount of time and she was extremely rude, ignoring us and not allowing us to order, etc. (too busy entertaining her friends and filling water glasses). With it being the worst service of my life, she was lucky for a tip at all, and I tipped 10%. She, however, took it upon herself to increase her tip to 20%. That's credit card fraud (which I just reported). On top of awful service. The bartender was great. That's all the good that I can say, and I will never return again.
(1)Cristen F.
This is a moderately good Mexican restaurant. The food is good, and tasted fresh. I had the grilled fish and grilled shrimp tacos and would definitely order those again. All of the drinks are way overpriced though, even the wines by the glass that were all "cheap" wines. The redeeming factor here is fresh seafood and having a few outside tables.
(3)Ivana D.
So this review is based on service alone and that is why I didn't feel comfortable rating it a one-star which is what it would be on service alone. We did not even get a chance to experience the food or drinks. My boyfriend and I had just finished participating in the Mother's Day Magazine Street stroll and were only looking for a way to continue the party. I had wanted to try Arana for a while because it looks so pretty on the side and I really like the decor. When my boyfriend and I entered, both dressed really nice, we were able to get a seat at the bar right away. We were planning on both ordering margaritas and then going from there. However, that is where the horrible service began. A younger man took the order of a couple next to us. They only ordered like 3 food items. He then turned around and went to put their order in without even asking my boyfriend and I for our drink order or at least acknowledging us. Then he comes back like a min and half later to the couple next to us, this time with a pen and paper in hand, and asks them to repeat their simple order to him because he quote, "smokes weed and can't remember things" They were visibly shocked, as were we. Then, to further annoy us and make things weird, he STILL fails to take our order and acknowledge us. Finally, when he came back from putting in their order again, this time with additional assistance of the notepad, he not only again finally to take our order or acknowledge us, but then began going counter-clockwise around the bar: the total opposite direction of us, even though we had obviously been waiting the longest. To explain what I mean: dude literally leaves the floor, leaving zero attendance in the bar, and just acts like he is purposely ignoring us from the back of the restaurant. We waited at least ten mins with zero acknowledgement, in a non crowded bar sitting at the actual counter while everyone around us was being served, My boyfriend felt it was very disrespectful, and so we left and went to Salu instead. Not cool.
(2)Katie R.
Hooray for Araña's happy hour! Half price tacos and half price on ALL drinks? Uh, yeah I'm all in. Extra hooray for the spinach mushroom special taco. It was garlicky and delicious. Don't expect authentic, do expect inventive and yummy. Sat at the bar (per my usual MO) and got great service. One better, it was the bartender's first day and you would never know it. Two better, Cam Jordan was eating there with his family. Who dat!!
(5)Ellen Y.
Very good - enjoyed the tacos - although a bit small.
(3)Brennan P.
I feel like Araña is undervalued because they have to compete with Rum House, but we had a completely different, and equally delicious (maybe even more so) experience at Araña tonight. I felt like I had to share because the 3 star rating almost kept us from going, but luckily we went anyway. We started with the ceviche (shrimp at the time) which was very nice and refreshing. Chips were perfectly salted and crunchy. We then tried the tamale special (braised pork pineapple). Great taste, good size. Last, we split the torta ahogada. We weren't completely familiar with the torta, thinking it's pretty much just a sandwich, but it's so much more than that. The sauce, the pork, the parmesan, every ingredient coming together to create perfection. After one bite my fiancé proclaimed "this might be the best thing I've ever tasted". And we eat a lot :) And we live in a city filled with amazing restaurants. I also ordered the seasonal strawberry cucumber margarita and was very pleased. And our server was very pleasant. Overall, very nice experience.
(5)Enrique O.
Service is very friendly. Portions are small for the price, so no bargains here. I had the bean burrito with chorizo. Brother and wife had tacos: shrimp, pulled pork and beef. All very tasty. The beans are very good.
(3)Rhonda E.
Having a very hard time figuring out why this place has only a three star average at this point. My son and I ducked in here because it was about to rain and we didn't have time to investigate options. What a fantastic decision. Of course the fact that it's happy hour and drinks and tacos are only half price is a big part of the thrill. My four dollar Margarita was actually a little too liquor heavy for me and she brought me extra mixer with a smile. Even though I'm vegan and my son is a pescatarian, we still had delicious options even just picking from the taco menu. The music is vibrant and just loud enough to create a fun vibe and there are big screen TVs showing the soccer championships as part of the background. There are tables outside under an awning along the boulevard in the Garden District, lots of exotic hanging lights, and just a very comfortable welcome scene. The head chef/owner even stopped to check on us after I had written everything before now and I have a greater understanding for why this place has such a radiant charm. I hope you have as good of a time here as we did.
(5)Patricia O.
Pineapple pork tacos, that is all you need to know! Food is really good, some authentic Mexican definitely. Service is a bit slow and not as friendly but good nonetheless. If you crave gourmet delicious tacos look no further.
(4)Remy O.
Guacamole was good but their hot salsa is top shelf. Baka fish taco (**** stars) and most filling. Lengua and nopales look plain (**** stars) but are tender and tasty. Nopales could use some braised tomato and onion to finish them off. The pastor was a bit dry (*** stars) the mole tacos taste better on flour tortilla (*** stars) baja shrimp taco was (***** stars) main event today. They have a 3-7 happy hours where all menu tacos and drinks are half off. Parking is always a bear here but the staff and chefs are friendly and available. They offer aguas that's they turn into margaritas which are great as well. All in all seems like a grey place for lunch brunch or drinks with your pals.
(4)Andrew J.
What can I say about this place that hasn't been already said before... Oh wait, I've got it! This place was so horrible that our server quit in the middle of her shift. That's right, walked out after she handed us the tab. We had to flag down a manager after 10 minutes to ring up the check. By far the most comedic moment of the night was watching 3 different people try to bring someone the wrong dish. The lady behind me sat bewildered as the food runner, manager and kitchen staff all tried to give her the same incorrect dish. Finally the server came back and straightened things out--- only after her husband was finished with his entrée. The drinks were horrible. $28 for a pitcher of margarita that contained about 2 oz of alcohol. I'm not some big lush, but our table expected something a little more than just sour mix and whatever cheap tequila they poured in there. My friend ordered a separate side order of pickled vegetables. They brought him the smallest little steel container of vegetables available on planet earth; I mean the thing looked like a shot glass. And of course, it was $3. The food that my wife and I ate was mediocre. I've had better Mexican food from a taco truck, wait... I've had better Mexican from taco bell. And yes, there isn't one Mexican cook at this "authentic" Mexican restaurant. If you want a fun night, grab a glass of wine and read the rest of the reviews for this place...
(1)darrell h.
My friend suggested this place...I was game I had heard about it and even walked by a few times but nothing really drew me in for some reason. I was wrong not to have tried it sooner Order the pineapple jalapeño margarita its freakishly good and strong!! A big plus when it comes to margaritas!! Our waitress couldn't have been nicer was super attentive and we never wanted for a thing I had the il pastor tacos which were superb!! I'm going to update this review further when I have a chance to try some other things but totally worth a visit
(4)Anthony L.
Who in the holy h___ made my tacos? Lucifer! I couldn't finish them even though it felt like a episode of Man vs Food. I'm sorry you win! I heard about hemorrhoids and I will pass on that life experience. These Tacos were hotter then all my female Yelp friends! Hotter then a Whore house in the 50's on nickel night. Really it felt like an assassination attempt... What did someone mistake me for Kim Jong-Un. I'm a brother!!! Only thing I like hot is my coffee and my woman & her desires.... The list is longer but use your imagination for the rest. I have to keep it clean for the kids.
(1)Nancy C.
We come here often- great happy hour mon-fri 3-7, 1/2 price drinks and tacos. Great margaritas, great tacos, great service.
(5)