We visited on the exact day Rogers had its network outage, and since their payment system relies on it, we were fortunate enough to have cash with us. It was also because of this that the restaurant was nearly empty during peak dinner hours, which I imagine wouldn't be the case normally. There was a nice traditional Mexican backdrop & music alongside it. The staff were really great; one of them gave gluten-free options to a friend with a gastrointestinal condition, who opted for the taco taco: a double-shelled taco with cheese in between the shells to hold it together. You can get some well-priced dishes with great portion sizes. I myself went for the plato ahora carne with beans and rice as sides. It was great and filling. I believe Ahora's a strong pick if you want to get some authentic Mexican cuisine, and a great pick to bring any friends or family. read more

Ordered from this restaurant on skip the dishes and it was just okay. I realize that delivery will never compare to the in restaurant experience, but usually even if the texture may different, the taste should be the same. The flavours of the dish were just fine. The portions were fine. An overall fine experience. Probably would not order from here again, as there are other excellent mexican options in ottawa. read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - Enchiladas with rice and salad - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Had to wait for my order even though I called it in ahead of time. Was given the wrong takeout order initially. Got my food, but discovered part of my order was missing.. Asked for utensils but did not get utensils. Food was mediocre at best. read more

Our late lunch experience was subpar. The corn tortillas of the tacos were difficult to chew. They were dryer than acceptable. The rice didn't taste right, as if it was cooked in seasoned water only for the color not the taste. The self serve sauce counter was good. Fresh cilantro. The venue was very clean. The restroom was very clean. read more

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I had the best chips and guacamole i've had a in long time! Definitely a must try. Great Mexican food and the staff are lovely. My only concern was the shrimp. I didn't like the cook on them, I think they were overcooked and they were very small. I would be back the next time I crave Mexican to try different dishesl. read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I went there in may I had chicken quesadilla good everything is home made it feels like ur in Mexico read more

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love this place...we were from the u.s. and although using mapquest from our hotel, we walked right past it a could of times...worth the extra effort...a real gem. popular with younger crowd...so better known by locals. great food, outstanding ambiance, good service. definitely will try again on any return trip. btw; we had the enchilada mixta...recommend it. rlw read more

Love this place!! stumbled upon it when we visited Ottawa and was pleasantly surprised. Great portions, flavor's were so yummy! cant wait to come back for a visit. read more

Good price + tasty food = great value. This restaurant is in the basement, and it's nothing fancy inside, but I'd recommend everyone who likes Mexican food to come try the food here. Not only is everything well priced, but food is authentic and tasty, and they have a free salsa bar. The waitress seats you and provides menus upon entering, but you have to go to the front to order and pay. Then, you can serve yourself water and salsa. The waitress will bring your drinks, food and cutlery to your table. In this case, I can't tell if you are supposed to tip or not, because it's like partial service? Anyway, service was prompt and polite. We had large nachos with chicken for the table, and it was really, really good. The cheese was layered well, they were generous with toppings, and guac doesn't cost extra! I highly recommend this dish. I got the tostada with chicken, and this was also very good. The portion was very generous as well. It's a crispy shell filled with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guac, and chicken. I added the pico de gallo, which was labeled as hot but I didn't find it hot at all. My coworkers all got a different burrito, and they all made positive comments, so I assume they were good, too. The burrito portion is also looked like more than enough, plus you get rice, chips, or salad on the side. One thing to note is I saw some people order tacos, which come in 2 and are small, so it doesn't seem as good of a deal for about the same price as a burrito. Overall, I'd recommend this little restaurant for a filling and affordable meal, and I definitely see myself coming back! read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - Tostado with chicken - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

The place is okay and it's a bit small, the servers were nice and friendly but got a burrito plus rice, the rice was very bland so I had to put the fillings of my burrito on it the chicken in the burrito was a bit burn. The food I pretty authentic I guess, but if you come here don't expect to much. read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - people eating at tables - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Very disappointing meal. We ordered a Taco Taco and a burrito pollo. The chicken was almost unpalatable and dry. Like it had been re-heated a few times. I wish we had read some of the reviews before going there. There are so many other reviews complaining about dry and reheated chicken as well as beef it's surprising the restaurant has made no apparent improvement. read more

The environment is really nice, all decorated in the colorful Mexican style! Restaurant is clean and the server is kind. But the food was disappointing, I ordered the Shrimp and Avocado taco. The shrimp was literally just boiled, no salt, no spices, no sauce, nothing! Plus it was 4 tiny shrimps and 3 small slices of avocado in a doubled tortilla. The "cheese" that says in the menu comes between the two tortillas and its almost nothing. Really dry and tasteless, I got really frustrated! You can go and self serve with some "pico de gallo" (tomato), sauces and cilantro, but everything was really tasteless. I also tried the Alfajor and didn't like it. read more

Quaint place with fantastic food. Nice servers. Excellent margaritas and tortilla chips Condiment buffet of salsas in all heats. Excellent and unique idea. read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

On a packed Saturday night in Byward Market the kids wanted Mexican so decided to come here as our first choice El Comino was packed but turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Ahora Mexican Cuisine is located in a basement unit offering cheap but authentic Mexican food. Its a semi self serve set up where you get seated, order and pay at the front and then have your food delivered to your table. The food was great and portions large. We all enjoyed our meals from the burritos to the tacos to enchiladas. They also had a great selection of condiments from salsas, hot sauces and even pickled jalapeños! Service was very good and food came out quickly. It seemed to be a popular place for university students as well. Great place for some Mexican fare! read more

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Great spot for cheap Mexican food. Authentic in the way of "Mexican" as popularized by norteamericano Latino restauranteurs, this place will satisfy those who want a damn good burrito, and disappoint those who "discovered" tex-mex in white-walled taco-infused eateries frequented by hipsters and served by basic baristas named Amber and Britney. If you want good cheap Mex eats with a varied salsa bar of unlimited sauces in a kitsch-colourful basement, try here. If you want communal oak tables under wire-frame air plants and filament bulbs as you sip craft microbrews with a vegan tortilla, try someplace else. read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - Colourful kitsch :) - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Unfortunately, I am not a fan of this place. The food is honestly pretty plain and lacklustre which is odd for Mexican fare. There's really no spice or flavour to be had in the dishes. And the ambience is grungy and uncomfortable- more suited to a fast food joint than a dine-in restaurant. read more

Looking for places to eat in the Byward Market, I came across this quaint family-run shop in my interweb searches, and knowing that my wife is a big fan of Mexican food, settled on Ahora for our refueling stop during some Ottawa adventures. Down a couple small set of steps from the street, the brightly coloured resto makes up for the basement location. We were greeted by the friendly staff and took seats in the mostly empty joint, having arrived slightly past the lunch rush. Perusing the menu, it was mostly variations of recognizable Mexican dishes likes tacos, quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas and the like. I was feeling pretty hungry, so I went with the mixed enchiladas plate, along with rice and beans. My wife got the tortilla soup for us to share, and then a chicken burrito, with salad for the side. We ordered at the counter and also got mango juices to drink. There's also a wide selection of Jarritos, as well as some Mexican beers, and a salsa bar to the right. The tortilla soup came out quite quickly. Scorching hot, it was hard to resist the rich tomato flavour and its hint of spice. Damn my delicate mouth! The fried tortilla strips added some flavour, and of course crunch. Our mains came in quick order as well. My plate was quite hefty - filled to the edges with rice and beans, with the cheese-topped enchiladas on top. They were all pretty good - the chicken and steak were tasty, and not overcooked, and the chicken had a nice flavour from roasting. The veggie enchilada was pretty simple, loaded up with tomatoes and guac. There's rarely a rice I don't enjoy, and this rice wasn't about to break that trend. A supple medium rice, with the signature red hue from the seasonings common to Mexican rice, I eagerly dug in. The black beans had the perfect texture - not at all grainy, but not overcooked to mush. The mango juice was light and refreshing, but as far as mango drinks go, pales in comparison to a good Indian lassi. Ahora isn't doing anything groundbreaking for Mexican food, but what they are doing is pumping out quality Mexican favourites that we all love. read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - Mixed enchiladas with rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

The hype is not real. The food is good but not great. Their enchilada special is yummy and large enough to share between 2 people. The quesadilla was below average. I suggest getting rice and beans for your sides not the salad. The price is pretty good for the amount of food you get. I enjoyed that they offer a sauce bar which you can add to your meal. The service was very poor. Our server behaved like she hated her job (maybe she does??) it made us a little intimidated to ask for extra napkins but anyhoo.. for a big serving for a low price, check it out. For authentic food, it's a pass for me. read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - So many sauce options ranging from mild to spicy - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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The "best Mexican restaurant" in Ottawa is decent but not spectacular. It's in a basement but it's got a good vibe and service is friendly. We got a chicken burrito and vegetarian burrito. Chicken was a bit overcooked. Portion size was decent. Vegetarian was standard. Water is self served and comes from a water dispenser with lime. It tasted a bit stale and old. read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - Chicken asado - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Just stopped in for a quick drink but aroma pouring out of the kitchen was fantastic. Dishes were very colorful and generously portioned. They have really good pina coladas and margheritas. Bon appetit. read more

I'm upset to have to review this place just 2 out of 5 stars as the other reviews speak so highly of this cheap eat. We came here because everyone gloats about it being so inexpensive and the quality so great, but I found neither to be true. My boyfriend and I got tortilla chips with a bean dip and then two soft taco's which came with more chips. This cost us $20 and we weren't even full! The bean dip wasn't anything special and I actually hated the steak and chicken tacos we got. They were dripping with oil and fell apart. I would like to give this spot another chance, but perhaps with recommendations from the people who work there. Don't try this on a limb! Take advice and research first! I wish we had done this. Perhaps we'll come back and try again when we're in the area as I really enjoyed the vibe. read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - Where we sat. I love the decor! - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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When I first heard about the location, I thought it was a little sketchy; a basement on Dalhousie street. But, was pleasantly surprised. Food was delicious. Location is quite small, but it's cozy. read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - Enchiladas with black beans and rice - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Visitor from Toronto, recommended to come here. It was definitely strange at first walking into the basement, but the food and decor were quite decent actually. You order at the counter and seat yourself. The decor is colourful and makes you forget you're downstairs! I could see myself coming here with a couple friends for a casual meal and good chat. It wouldn't be weird to eat here by yourself either actually. Prices are very reasonable and you get your food fast! Many different spices you can try. If I wanted a quick, filling meal for a good price, I'd definitely stop by again. read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - Quesadilla de camarones with chips. I'm the culprit who unceremoniously dumped the salsa on the quesadilla :) - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

The atmosphere here is very vibrant, bright, loud, fun, and colourful! On the two occasions I have been here it has been very busy. The staff here are really pleasant and sweet. They are always bubbly, bright, and smiling and the service is extremely fast. Prices are very reasonable for the amount and quality of food you will receive. I have tried the tacos and the quesadillas. My partner and I found the tacos to be a bit soggy, though delicious. Additionally, there are many vegetarian options! All of the sides are delicious-- the salad, rice, beans! Mmm... More than anything, I cannot say enough about their blended drinks! They are sooo yummy. The mango margarita blended drink is like a glass of sunshine! Overall, I really enjoy Ahora. I love supporting small, local businesses. I would revisit Ahora any day and I would recommend it. read more

Stopped in here for takeout on a Friday night and the place was packed. Basement restaurant. Tight quarters. Friendly staff. Good food. I went with the quesadilla de carne (crispy flour tortilla filled with steak, cheese and guacamole). The steak was well done, as expected, but tender nevertheless. The rice was also good but had a notable tomato base to it. As for local competition, I prefer Corazon de Maiz, but can't speak for Ace Mercado or any other Mexican joints. To be fair, the prices here are about the same as my go-to spot, but the menu at Ahora is more expansive and also has all the authentic Mexican sodas, including Mexican Coke in the bottle. read more

Anyone below complaining that it tastes like Mexican fast food is not from Toronto. In Toronto we don't have any decent Mexican Fast food (unless you count the gems in Kensington market, but thats more like authentic and good food that comes fast). Toronto would LOVE a place like Ahora as really, it was very good. To make a ridiculously long (well 6+ hours) story short the SO and I were rerouted to Ottawa after having some car problems on route to MTL. After dealing with all of our biz we needed a good feed. It had to be Hearty Food quickly as we had not eaten since morning. This place hit the spot. Cute, subterranean with bright coloured decor. I had the vegetarian enchilada with a side salad and beans. SMOTHERED in offerings from the hot sauce/salsa bar. - I was too hungry to photograph just had to tuck in. The SO had Taco/Taco which he also enjoyed. Complete with Corona, Margarita and Tip the bill came to $40. Which we found reasonable since we were literally starving and still could not finish our portions. $8.50 for a fresh made burrito is on par with what we are used to paying, and everything else in this popular touristy neighbourhood was overpriced anyway. Charming, Heavy portions, Decent prices, I would recommend. read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Sit down restaurant but you order and pay upfront where you also help yourself at the salsa bar. Waiter service is strictly to bring your food and clean up (no orders). Excellent lime margarita (ooh freezer head rush). Guac and chips were ok, not worth the $8. Guac tad too limy. Had the steak burrito Ahora with rice and beans. The rice was suuuper bland... nothing to it at all. The black beans were good, though a bit runny. I prefer refried beans or at least beans that can sit up on my plate. Wish they also offered pinto beans. The main attraction (the burrito) was good but there was no guac in it as suggested on menu, of that I'm sure. Also like my burritos stuffed with cheese but that's not authentically Mexican so can't take blame them for respecting culinary traditions. Sadly, I'd say I still prefer Chipotle and a lot of "fast food" burrito joints over this so A-OK, nothing more. Without the slamming margarita, it would have been a straight up MEH. Ottawa needs a Chipotle. Quick. I RECOMMEND: The magharita of course EXTRA TIP: There are two other mexican restaurants on the block. Try them all and see which you prefer. But Ahora has more variety on their menu. read more

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I've heard mixed reviews about this place so I really wanted to see for myself... I'm personally not a fan.. The food was bland and the rice was verrrryyyy salty! The salsa bar is a nice addition, but I don't get why everyone is raving... There are 7 options.. 2 which are repeated.. The options are spicy tomatoes and onions, mild salsa, spicy green salsa, spicy red salsa and coriander stems. The serving cups on the side are TINY and don't fit much (especially the tomatoes and coriander).. Make sure to double and even triple cup them as they will soak through... As for the place, it's a cute setting but not very clean.. The service was also very slow. I personally wouldn't recommend. read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - Vegetarian nachos :) - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Located on Dalhousie Street within Ottawa's famous ByWard Market, the restaurant is in the basement. Though it is in the basement, the restaurant is decorated with bright colours, and it is well lit because of the natural sunlight coming in. The restaurant was half full when we arrived, and the waitress was busy cleaning tables where customers just left. Throughout our dinner, there was a consistent flow of customers coming in and leaving! We decided to get 2 mains, the Plato Ahora and Quesadilla suprema, and a Pina Colada to share. I originally wanted to get an appetizer as well, but I didn't, and it ended up being a good decision because the portions were very large. When you're ready to order, go up to the counter and give your order to the cashier and pay ahead. Beside the ordering station, lime-infused water is also available for self-service, as well as all you can take sides which includes numerous sauces at various spice levels, salsa, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, and more. Our pina colada was very authentic and fresh, and for its price, it was smaller in size than we expected. Yes, there is alcohol in it, so the price is undestandable, but still, it was quite small and difficult to share. The steak burrito (you can also get chicken) was very rich in flavour, and with Ahora's black beans and salsa, it was really authentic Mexican cuisine! At first bite, it had both hubby's and my hearts; we were both blown away at the taste. The burrito was slightly salty, but aside from that, it was one great tasting burrito that I knew I'd reorder again and again. My quesadilla was filled with chicken, cheese, black beans, rice and guacamole. At first bite, I knew this was how quesadillas were supposed to be done. The chicken was cooked well, and you could really taste the fire in the meat which was really surprising. I paid $10 for this! With sour cream and guacamole on top, the quesadilla tasted even better, and Ahora's salsa (from the self serve station) really balanced everything out at the end because it was very refreshing. Ahora's sour cream looked like butter at first glance, but it was really sour cream, and it tasted home made, and it was good. The guacamole was also fabulous, and really made my quesadilla and hubby's burrito (we shared the guacamole, I'm so nice) much richer in flavour. If I go back to Ahora, I would definitely reorder this plate and also recommend it to anyone who visits the restaurant! After our meal, I had a difficult dilemma between churros and alfajors as my dessert, and in the end, I let myself have one alfajor. Ahora Restaurant had the biggest and thickest alfajors I had ever seen! When I tasted it, the shortbread cookie was more dry and crumbly than the past alfajors I had before, and there was less filling in the middle than I expected. read more

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3.5 stars. Came on a Tuesday evening with my boyfriend as we were craving some Mexican and love trying tacos from all the local establishments whenever we're visiting somewhere new. The place is downstairs, and once you arrive you'll be greeted by a bright display of Spanish decorations. Small, but welcoming. The place was fairly empty and we chose a seat. We ordered a chicken taco, steak taco, and the large nachos. You order up front & they bring it out to you, which is convenient. The food was delivered quick. Upon trying both tacos, both of us felt they were very basic. No sauces, just bland. They were served with a fresh salad, which was a nice touch. The nachos were large but nothing special. Service was friendly and fast, food was cheap but nothing to write home about. read more

This place is so unassuming from the outside that had it not been for my fellow yelpers raving online I would've never thought to try it. So the food is as fantastic as everyone says it is! However if you like Tex Mex this isn't the place for you. This is real authentic Mexican we had in Mexico and it is very flavorful!We had 3 entrees and an appetizer and the bill was still under $45. You can't get better value for better tasting Mexican anywhere else in Ottawa. You order at the cash but the service is great. She bright our food promptly and even gave us a pitcher of water for our table. The décor was the icing on the cake. It was sunny outside and sitting in the back under those windows you feel like you are sitting in a veranda. I will definitely come back again! read more

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Pretty cute spot in this underground location, pretty quick and cheap considering the neighborhood and the prices of eveything else around. I got the burrito de Carne with rice 9.75$ (can pick Salad or chips as side). And they have a really good salsa /hot sauce open bar. Food was pretty simple but good and the vibe would be fun with a group of friends or a date! Would come again... read more

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My friend took me here as one of the must try spots in Ottawa and I can see why!! 1. Food: I got the vegan burrito and it was HUGE and filled with delicious veggies. It comes with side of chips fries or salad. There's so many vegetarian friendly options and they actually taste good too so kudos to this place! We also got the sangria and it was also deeeeelicious. And def enough for 4 people. 2. Atmosphere. Very local and authentic. They got a fantastic salsa bar and cute decor that reminds me of Mexico! Very fast service as well. Would def recommend if you're craving Mexican food! read more

My favourite spot in Ottawa for Mexican cuisine! I always get the nachos (it is piled with toppings!), and one other main (enchiladas are really good, and burritos are stuffed full of goodness)! Servers are very friendly and efficient. Décor is really bright and sunny, which heightens the experience of eating here. My favourite part is the condiment bar! There are a variety of sauces to try, plus I also get more pico de gallo, AND I pile on extra jalapenos, so your dish ends up bursting with flavour! read more

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Nothing special though the decor is pretty cool. Make your own taco place. Burrito is okayish. The real mexican flavours were missing. Drinks look like some premade stuff. Good point: free salsa and sauces ! read more

It's been a quite some time since I've been to Ahora, so when I walked by today I dropped in for a quick bite. My favourite thing about Ahora is that it's good and that all the food tastes fresh. The vegetables do not taste like it's been in the fridge for a week or more. The salsa bar has decent tomatoes and all the sauce taste fresh. The most important thing is that the food is made to order. The cooked meats would NEVER sit around in a tray or container for any amount of time. I normally get the Plato Ahora as that is my favourite and I cover it in their tomato salsa with some extra hot sauce. The thing about the menu is everything is decent but nothing stands out as fantastic. It's the only place in Ottawa that fills my Mexican food craving and is probably my favourite place I go to for Mexican in Ottawa as the Tex Mex and other Mexican restaurants aren't that great. I know some of you are going to ask why I have this place as a 3 star. Even though this place is the best Mexican fast food in Ottawa it doesn't hold a torch to anything you would find in say Mission District or LA. Even the places that aren't as good or great are as good if not better than here. read more

The food we ordered was average. I ordered the Burrito Grande with chicken which was pretty good but the rice it came with was under cooked and lukewarm. The restaurant is small but has some character to it. There's a self serve salsa bar which includes three or four different sauces, salsa, chopped onions and sliced Jalapenos. They have some good cocktails and a somewhat limited choice of beers. You order the food at the counter and the waitress will bring it to you when it's ready. Our waitress was friendly and offered up some good recommendations. If I'm in the mood for Mexican again I certainly would give this restaurant another try but there's some pretty outstanding restaurants in the area and I just wasn't overly impressed with this one. read more

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Ahora served Authentic Mexican food in a large portion. The most amazing thing in this restaurant is the salsa self-served bar with different levels of spicy. My friend and I walked there after visiting the Byward market. It decorated in bright color because its was basement place. The staff was nice and served the food quickly. But she didn't inform us that side dish need extra fee!! She just asked about the choice of black beans or rice, salad or nacho. Plato Ahora was very delicious and avocado sauce was so creamy~ Three tortilla also looked very tasty. They all served in a large portion...We cannot have it all! The horchata was very special because it added some cinnamon powder on the top. Overall, the restaurant was good and not very expensive. read more

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Average Mexican food... The salsa bar was awesome and the staff were friendly. I shared the nachos with my boyfriend and got half the grande burrito it was good but nothing special.... The sangria was also nice so definitely try it! read more

Ahora Mexican Cuisine - Grande burrito with chicken and salad - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

We found this place and gave it a try. The restaurant looks like a hole in the wall and feels not so clean though it is. The food was fairly mediocre and pricey for what it was. IMHO you're better off at chipotle because at least you know the quality. read more