Good, authentic Mexican food in a funky weird but quite appealing new venue. I loved this place when it was in a creepy corner building down the street; they did then and still do have some of the best, not-super-Americanized Mexican food in BMore - fabulous posole, good chiles rellenos and great tacos (beef, pork, chicken, goat, carne al pastor, tongue, tripe, rib). OMG. Always had fine service, and never waited long, although they usually rely on a single server, and have spotty English. Perfect.
(5)
Jeff K.
Been here twice and both times have been solid. Food is spot on, margaritas are huge and the prices are great. Maybe the best salsa I've every had. Recommend the sopes & the beef tongue tacos! The last time I was there our server did not speak very good english but she still got the order 98% correct. Very clean, decor is fun, check out the strange mermaid on the mantle. Do not get the shrimp & rice unless you are in the mood for shrimp with fried rice from your local chinese spot.
(4)
Robert A.
I was going to write a review, but don't need too. Just read what NT wrote. Dead on. Awesome food. New location is great!
(5)
Luis Z.
I get it, I know it's hard to find decent mexican food in this area. I mean, I know this is not California or Texas, but that does not make this place a 4 or 5 stars restaurant just because of the lack of options. This is by far the worst mexican food restaurant in the whole metropolitan area. Everything we tried was poorly made, bland, just spicy and pricey for no plausible reason. I had to send back a tripe soup because it tasted like boiled, spicy tripe with no flavor at all. This is a rough latino neighborhood, still, Los Tres Reyes, just a few blocks away, offers far better food in a much smaller, almost claustrophobic mexican food joint. Poor management is written all over the place in La Sirenita...
(1)
I L.
Lets see where to start, when i first came in, i assumed it was a quiet mexican restaurant which is perfectly fine. However when my boyfriend and i sat down, this is when my visit started to go downhil. My boyfriend is mexican, however i am not. So we sat down, needless to say the server greeted my bf but turned her back to me, strike one. She only bought out two menus and one utensil set which i thought was kind of crazy considering there are two people. She took the orders but never once asked me or directed any questions to me. I ordered the tamales...although they were chicken,they were spicy and dry. She never once sat the plate in front of me. She sat the plate in front of my bf and brought me out a plastic fork. This lady is extremely rude. I watched other families get treated as if they were carte blanche, however i guess you get what you pay for. I will not come back here...other mexican places i have been to have never treated me this way. Oh, and the signs on the table saying don't forget to tip are tacky. I never usually write reviews this bad,but i had to share this experience.
(2)
Joe J.
I'd rather drink a fart.
(1)
Roger Y.
Excellent authentic Mexican food. The shrimp rice was outstanding. The atmosphere is laid back and the decor is "Baltimore meets Mexico"....if you can imagine that. (Think Mermaid mannequin). The downside is the service can be painfully slow depending on how busy they are. Overall great food at an outstanding price.
(3)
Randy B.
Awful. I got the Mole and chicken which was 90% chicken bones and my lady friend got the ceviche which was "alright." The service was fucking terrible! We had 3 different servers come to our table, and they all seemed to be in a big hurry. All in all, they were less than friendly throughout our entire visit. Our food arrived the appropriate amount of time later. Then it came time to get the check. We were virtually ignored for at least 20 minutes. Finally my lady friend went up to the bar where she was treated rudely and basically had the check thrown at her. Meanwhile, the large family next to us, who seemed to know most of the servers, got top notch service. I can say with certainty that we will not be returning.
(1)
Rocky R.
The waitresses are very friendly and the place is authentic-looking. However, the food is average. While the beans aren't very tasty, the pastor meat definitely is. I would go back just for the pastor tacos. I probably wouldn't order anything else again (I've tried the quesadilla, tostada, and other tacos). Also, the salsa isn't great, which is kind of disappointing for a Mexican restaurant.
(3)
debilitatingly f.
Basic Mexican dive restaurant. The city lacks a good mexican dive. That said, this is one of the better ones in the city. Ever go to a mexican place, watch someone else's order come out and think to yourself, "What is that? That's what I want." You won't have that problem here -- the menu has a picture of every item.
(4)
Al S.
I like this place! Pretty authentic food and great margaritas! Look at the more detailed reviews. I'd be reinventing the wheel if I go on... Cool place!
(4)
Gomer K.
The two star rating says it all. Meh. Food meh. The tacos are way better at Sabor de Parque and they have more options. I had the goat stew tacos. Whatever meat wasn't dry was disgusting fatty pieces. Same with the spiced pork tacos. And if by spiced they mean cinnamon then great, but for me... Ugh. The chorizo tacos were fine, not great. Same with the beef burrito. Meh. The service was fine but not friendly. They are much nicer at their other place. With all the Mexican I've had in the area this place was disappointing.
(2)
Stephanie P.
My friends and I checked this out on the heels of the recent glowing city paper review. We tried the sopas, and the three of us couldn't even manage to put them away because they were filling. The bread base was a super awesome fattening fried pastry dough. The salsa served with the chips was outrageously good, tart and fresh and spicy. It reminded me of the salsa at La Fondita (which I wish I could teleport to). I ordered mole enchiladas. The mole itself was definitely a product of chiles and chocolate and time. I could only eat one. I am normally quite the eater but those sopas really did us in. The decor in the restaurant is vibrant and fun - intricate wood archways over the booths and mermaid-emblazoned everything. If I were a child I would find this to be a magical place. Our server was good. We didn't have the experience of being ignored that other reviewers mentioned. The only complaint is that our drinks were way too expensive. Standard margaritas should not be $10. You can park for free at el oasis parking lot across the street - same owner. I plan on eating my way through the rest of the menu, although next time I'll smuggle in a flask.
(4)
Eva W.
Pretty good Mexican food (but don't go by me, I'm not an expert, and I have wimpy taste buds) but service could be more attentive (we were the only ones in the restaurant, and for long stretches were ignored by our server with regard to water refills, bringing guacamole for our chips, bringing the check, etc.) Hard to talk with both LOUD music AND Spanish-language TV.
(3)
Danny P.
I was so disappointed. Came on a Thursday night. I ordered a margarita and three tacos and it took 2 hrs to come out. Then because we were so hungry, we decided to order chips and salsa thinking it should come out quick... Only, the waitress ignored us for half an hour more... Food was good but not worth the wait... Definitely bad service... Never again...
(1)
N T.
This is probably one of the few 5-star ratings I will give for 2010, and La Sirenita deserves it. It gets the following accolades: - Best Mexican restaurant in Baltimore - Best tacos in Baltimore - Best La Bistec Mexicana in Baltimore - Best Huarache - Best Enchilada - Best Tostada - Best Posole I've up'd the rating from 4 to 5 stars because the restaurant has moved a few doors down to a new and larger space. The interior is clean, spacious and the wood carved furniture is impressive. As of the writing of this review, the restaurant is waiting for it's liquor license to transfer from it's old location. I can't emphasize enough how rare it is for me to give a 5-star rating. I think Haley's comet comes around more ofter. Check this place out and I dare you to find a better Mexican restaurant in Baltimore, Baltimore county, or arundel November 2010 update They have a Full Liquor Bar: Tequila anybody?
(5)
Michelle K.
The lack of food options around Bayview Hospital is staggering. The nice thing about summer is that we can normally convince one of the summer interns to go get lunch for everyone. This week it was La Sirenita. I had been there once, and the food was decent. Burritos for 4 dollars can fit anyone's budget. But how would they be able to handle 12 lunch orders. Quite well actually. The food was all fresh piping hot. The food was not spectacular, but compared to the horrible horrible food I had gotten at Nacho Mama's multiple times, it is almost gourmet mexican.
(3)
Joe Nam D.
Went here for a Spanish Blackbelt Baltimore meetup. Company was great but my food was horrible. Tamale with chicken and green salsa fell flat. The masa was so incredibly dry and the chicken was so bland. I only got a very small whiff of the chile verde sauce in each bite- so weak. Had to use the bottled hot sauce on the table to digest the tamale. My taco al pastor and beef taco were overcooked and once again, bland. It was just meat, cilantro, radish, and onions. The soft taco shell wasn't a hard corn but a stale softish flour tortilla Even my licuado wasn't up to snuff. Basically it was banana milk. No extra sugar to sweeten the deal and no crushed ice to give it texture. Ugh...
(1)
Kristie C.
Best tacos in Baltimore! Love the Ceviche de tostada also. Great place, friendly service, exceptional prices! A must try for REAL mexican food.
(5)
Nick C.
Best Tacos in Baltimore; maybe best I have had anywhere. Mexican style with homemade corn tortillas, radishes and limes on the side. I have tried all the flavors, including goat, steak, tripe, but none can live up to the Al Pastor. A well marinated pork that is the best. Sopes and soups are great too. But at only $2 per taco, get three, a couple of Tecates and call it a night. Service ranges from friendly to awkward, but never bad per se.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Ale X.
Good, authentic Mexican food in a funky weird but quite appealing new venue. I loved this place when it was in a creepy corner building down the street; they did then and still do have some of the best, not-super-Americanized Mexican food in BMore - fabulous posole, good chiles rellenos and great tacos (beef, pork, chicken, goat, carne al pastor, tongue, tripe, rib). OMG. Always had fine service, and never waited long, although they usually rely on a single server, and have spotty English. Perfect.
(5)Jeff K.
Been here twice and both times have been solid. Food is spot on, margaritas are huge and the prices are great. Maybe the best salsa I've every had. Recommend the sopes & the beef tongue tacos! The last time I was there our server did not speak very good english but she still got the order 98% correct. Very clean, decor is fun, check out the strange mermaid on the mantle. Do not get the shrimp & rice unless you are in the mood for shrimp with fried rice from your local chinese spot.
(4)Robert A.
I was going to write a review, but don't need too. Just read what NT wrote. Dead on. Awesome food. New location is great!
(5)Luis Z.
I get it, I know it's hard to find decent mexican food in this area. I mean, I know this is not California or Texas, but that does not make this place a 4 or 5 stars restaurant just because of the lack of options. This is by far the worst mexican food restaurant in the whole metropolitan area. Everything we tried was poorly made, bland, just spicy and pricey for no plausible reason. I had to send back a tripe soup because it tasted like boiled, spicy tripe with no flavor at all. This is a rough latino neighborhood, still, Los Tres Reyes, just a few blocks away, offers far better food in a much smaller, almost claustrophobic mexican food joint. Poor management is written all over the place in La Sirenita...
(1)I L.
Lets see where to start, when i first came in, i assumed it was a quiet mexican restaurant which is perfectly fine. However when my boyfriend and i sat down, this is when my visit started to go downhil. My boyfriend is mexican, however i am not. So we sat down, needless to say the server greeted my bf but turned her back to me, strike one. She only bought out two menus and one utensil set which i thought was kind of crazy considering there are two people. She took the orders but never once asked me or directed any questions to me. I ordered the tamales...although they were chicken,they were spicy and dry. She never once sat the plate in front of me. She sat the plate in front of my bf and brought me out a plastic fork. This lady is extremely rude. I watched other families get treated as if they were carte blanche, however i guess you get what you pay for. I will not come back here...other mexican places i have been to have never treated me this way. Oh, and the signs on the table saying don't forget to tip are tacky. I never usually write reviews this bad,but i had to share this experience.
(2)Joe J.
I'd rather drink a fart.
(1)Roger Y.
Excellent authentic Mexican food. The shrimp rice was outstanding. The atmosphere is laid back and the decor is "Baltimore meets Mexico"....if you can imagine that. (Think Mermaid mannequin). The downside is the service can be painfully slow depending on how busy they are. Overall great food at an outstanding price.
(3)Randy B.
Awful. I got the Mole and chicken which was 90% chicken bones and my lady friend got the ceviche which was "alright." The service was fucking terrible! We had 3 different servers come to our table, and they all seemed to be in a big hurry. All in all, they were less than friendly throughout our entire visit. Our food arrived the appropriate amount of time later. Then it came time to get the check. We were virtually ignored for at least 20 minutes. Finally my lady friend went up to the bar where she was treated rudely and basically had the check thrown at her. Meanwhile, the large family next to us, who seemed to know most of the servers, got top notch service. I can say with certainty that we will not be returning.
(1)Rocky R.
The waitresses are very friendly and the place is authentic-looking. However, the food is average. While the beans aren't very tasty, the pastor meat definitely is. I would go back just for the pastor tacos. I probably wouldn't order anything else again (I've tried the quesadilla, tostada, and other tacos). Also, the salsa isn't great, which is kind of disappointing for a Mexican restaurant.
(3)debilitatingly f.
Basic Mexican dive restaurant. The city lacks a good mexican dive. That said, this is one of the better ones in the city. Ever go to a mexican place, watch someone else's order come out and think to yourself, "What is that? That's what I want." You won't have that problem here -- the menu has a picture of every item.
(4)Al S.
I like this place! Pretty authentic food and great margaritas! Look at the more detailed reviews. I'd be reinventing the wheel if I go on... Cool place!
(4)Gomer K.
The two star rating says it all. Meh. Food meh. The tacos are way better at Sabor de Parque and they have more options. I had the goat stew tacos. Whatever meat wasn't dry was disgusting fatty pieces. Same with the spiced pork tacos. And if by spiced they mean cinnamon then great, but for me... Ugh. The chorizo tacos were fine, not great. Same with the beef burrito. Meh. The service was fine but not friendly. They are much nicer at their other place. With all the Mexican I've had in the area this place was disappointing.
(2)Stephanie P.
My friends and I checked this out on the heels of the recent glowing city paper review. We tried the sopas, and the three of us couldn't even manage to put them away because they were filling. The bread base was a super awesome fattening fried pastry dough. The salsa served with the chips was outrageously good, tart and fresh and spicy. It reminded me of the salsa at La Fondita (which I wish I could teleport to). I ordered mole enchiladas. The mole itself was definitely a product of chiles and chocolate and time. I could only eat one. I am normally quite the eater but those sopas really did us in. The decor in the restaurant is vibrant and fun - intricate wood archways over the booths and mermaid-emblazoned everything. If I were a child I would find this to be a magical place. Our server was good. We didn't have the experience of being ignored that other reviewers mentioned. The only complaint is that our drinks were way too expensive. Standard margaritas should not be $10. You can park for free at el oasis parking lot across the street - same owner. I plan on eating my way through the rest of the menu, although next time I'll smuggle in a flask.
(4)Eva W.
Pretty good Mexican food (but don't go by me, I'm not an expert, and I have wimpy taste buds) but service could be more attentive (we were the only ones in the restaurant, and for long stretches were ignored by our server with regard to water refills, bringing guacamole for our chips, bringing the check, etc.) Hard to talk with both LOUD music AND Spanish-language TV.
(3)Danny P.
I was so disappointed. Came on a Thursday night. I ordered a margarita and three tacos and it took 2 hrs to come out. Then because we were so hungry, we decided to order chips and salsa thinking it should come out quick... Only, the waitress ignored us for half an hour more... Food was good but not worth the wait... Definitely bad service... Never again...
(1)N T.
This is probably one of the few 5-star ratings I will give for 2010, and La Sirenita deserves it. It gets the following accolades: - Best Mexican restaurant in Baltimore - Best tacos in Baltimore - Best La Bistec Mexicana in Baltimore - Best Huarache - Best Enchilada - Best Tostada - Best Posole I've up'd the rating from 4 to 5 stars because the restaurant has moved a few doors down to a new and larger space. The interior is clean, spacious and the wood carved furniture is impressive. As of the writing of this review, the restaurant is waiting for it's liquor license to transfer from it's old location. I can't emphasize enough how rare it is for me to give a 5-star rating. I think Haley's comet comes around more ofter. Check this place out and I dare you to find a better Mexican restaurant in Baltimore, Baltimore county, or arundel November 2010 update They have a Full Liquor Bar: Tequila anybody?
(5)Michelle K.
The lack of food options around Bayview Hospital is staggering. The nice thing about summer is that we can normally convince one of the summer interns to go get lunch for everyone. This week it was La Sirenita. I had been there once, and the food was decent. Burritos for 4 dollars can fit anyone's budget. But how would they be able to handle 12 lunch orders. Quite well actually. The food was all fresh piping hot. The food was not spectacular, but compared to the horrible horrible food I had gotten at Nacho Mama's multiple times, it is almost gourmet mexican.
(3)Joe Nam D.
Went here for a Spanish Blackbelt Baltimore meetup. Company was great but my food was horrible. Tamale with chicken and green salsa fell flat. The masa was so incredibly dry and the chicken was so bland. I only got a very small whiff of the chile verde sauce in each bite- so weak. Had to use the bottled hot sauce on the table to digest the tamale. My taco al pastor and beef taco were overcooked and once again, bland. It was just meat, cilantro, radish, and onions. The soft taco shell wasn't a hard corn but a stale softish flour tortilla Even my licuado wasn't up to snuff. Basically it was banana milk. No extra sugar to sweeten the deal and no crushed ice to give it texture. Ugh...
(1)Kristie C.
Best tacos in Baltimore! Love the Ceviche de tostada also. Great place, friendly service, exceptional prices! A must try for REAL mexican food.
(5)Nick C.
Best Tacos in Baltimore; maybe best I have had anywhere. Mexican style with homemade corn tortillas, radishes and limes on the side. I have tried all the flavors, including goat, steak, tripe, but none can live up to the Al Pastor. A well marinated pork that is the best. Sopes and soups are great too. But at only $2 per taco, get three, a couple of Tecates and call it a night. Service ranges from friendly to awkward, but never bad per se.
(5)