If you are looking for a low key place to hang out or a family friendly restaurant on a Sunday night this place fits the bill. Don't expect authentic Mexican food. Expect decent service and prices, and basic menu options - most of which are quite good. I have had many nice happy hours with friends on the deck over looking the golf course, but my favorite time to visit is Sunday nights. Kids eat for free from 4 - 8 PM and we LOVE the magician who visits our table. He is talented and entertaining! We meet up with the grandparents and have lots of fun. We are laid back family people who enjoy a fun family night out - and this is perfect. If you are high maintenance or looking for strong drinks or gourmet food, go to New Haven. read more

On Friday nights this places turns into a bar with dancing on the first and second floor. The place has four bars located on both floors and on the outdoor patio. Add them on social media to find out when they have themed nights such as pjs, ugly sweater, country, and twin night! Mixed drinks tend to be strong, and the bathroom lines on the first floor are crazy long. (Tip: go to the second floor for less crowded bathrooms). Five stars for the memories, music, staff, themes, and aunt chilada herself. She is terrifying, but keeps the place alive week after week. read more

We love it here! The service was excellent, very yummy food. The specialty tacos are stellar. Go here to eat!

Thumbs down. The food is so-so, and the staff are unpleasant. I tried the place three times, and had a bad experience every time. First time, a piece of grout or something in the food. Staff response? Too bad. Gave it a second shot. Cheesecake had NO SUGAR in it. Tasted like cream cheese. Waitress didn't believe me! I said try some, and later she came back and said I was right. Third time, my elderly mother ordered a grilled cheese sandwich, and the waitress said it was only available on the children's menu. I said, c'mon, what's the difference? Only after the surly manager was called over did they reluctantly agree to serve her one, for a higher price! There are so many good restaurants around, why bother with this dud? read more

Service was good, food was ok, upset because I was charged a $1 for sour cream. SOUR CREAM!!!! really? a $1??

Completely inauthentic Mexican that thankfully abuts a gorgeous park and the Sleeping Giant mountain range. So you have that going for you. Chips were mediocre and salsa may very well been out of a bottle or can. I'm not sure there's that much freshly made here. Guacamole was a bright green and too smooth to have been prepared by a human. Complete lack of seasoning on most of the sides, and tomatillo "sauce" was sweet -- sweet (!). Wait staff was friendly enough, but most inattentive, checking in if only to check-in. Worst part was waiting for the check. We couldn't get out fast enough. read more

This is more a warning than a review. We had read the reviews & was hoping for an experience at the low restaurant week prices. Attempted to go last night & saw that the parking lot was completely empty for a Wednesday night at 8pm. We thought it was closed until we saw a server inside walking around among the low lighting. Walked up to door & discovered why no one was there. This place has a "C" health code grade. No low of a price is enough to eat somewhere that's one letter away from being shut down from unsafe food handling & poor sanitation. If you want to take a chance on food poisoning or later in time if they ever raise that score up then let us know how that works for you. Otherwise, it's not worth the risk. read more

Delicious Mexican food! We love this place. It's always so yummy and the portions are huge. Burritos, quesadillas and guac are our usual choices, and the salsa is Fire! We usually get takeout, but the bar is fun yet chill and the outside is very nice. Looking forward to summer margaritas on the deck! read more

Went to have Mexican for dinner with a few friends at a place that was suggested to me. Atmosphere was decent and reminded me more of a restaurant that would get busy on the weekend. We first sat on the deck for dinner, which we were all pleased with, and then came in for trivia night. All round a decent time. Plates of food were $17 plus which is 2 or 3 dollars out of my comfort zone to spend. Drinks were great and service was good too. They also had a gluten free menu (good idea) which could use a few more plates and appetizers added. read more

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I haven't reviewed? Great for sitting outside and enjoying chips, salsa and margaritas. Everything else is fairly average and I don't ever go for the food alone. Patio is lovely next to golf range. read more

I'm really surprised by how poorly rated this place is on here. We went on another Restaurant.com food adventure out to the far ends of Hamden. This place is way up Whitney Ave. The fireplace was on, the waitress was very friendly, attentive and fast. Now, the food was not authentic, but it was good. The southwestern egg rolls blew Chili's out of the water. They were huge and half price. Very flaky and plenty of spice. The burrito was good, and my enchiladas were good as well. We were both really happy with this one, and it was ridiculously inexpensive. After reading the other reviews, we are going to go back and try it again to see if we caught them on a really good night. I'll update this after we judge their consistency. read more

AMAZING FOOD and for a great price! They had plenty of gluten free options as well. The staff was so friendly and knowledgeable - it couldn't have been a better experience. I can't wait to go back. read more

We stopped in here to play some trivia on a Monday night. The decor is nice and relaxed (think Jimmy Buffett), and the service was fine. On the food front, the house margaritas were passable and the chips were warm and crunchy. OTOH, the grilled fish tacos were not great. The "fresh pico de gallo" advertised on the menu made it a watery mess with soggy tortillas. Not much taste and hard to eat. Stay away from that dish. read more

I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD! Seriously, when you are the product of decades of Taco Bell, real mexican food is pure ambrosia. So I was happy when the GF suggested this restaurant. The decor is mexican styled with tiled tables and bright colors. A poster of chilis on the wall for some reason and weird cartoon fish images here and there, apparently the logo of the restaurant. A Corona box with salt, pepper, and chili sauce decorate the simplistic tables. One side of the restaurant is a few tables and a bar with a couple TVs....the other side is all tables and a "party area". Ive had the big beef burritos and quesedillas and they are good sized and very delicious. The staff are friendly and you dont wait long for you food (you get chips and salsa to snack on while you wait. Prices are very reasonable and the restaurant is family friendly....which leads me to the clown..... Yes...the clown. Or "magician" as the restaurant advertises. On Sundays from 4-8 children eat free and a clown wanders the restaurant performing tricks and making balloon animals for the kids. I have to admit, Im biased here as I have NEVER liked clowns. This clown is the same guy every week and Im sure he is a great guy but he creeps me out the way he hovers around kids at their tables. If you dont want to be bothered by a creepy clown and want to bring the kids, dont come on Sun evenings. Otherwise, you will be happy with this restaurant. read more

The husband and I have been to this place a few times in the past six months because it so close to home...That being said...it has a cool vibe to it... The service has been quick and friendly... I always have the Spinaca Chicken. My husband always opts for the Big Butt Burrito (much to my dismay because of how the name sounds).... We have not tried dessert because we are always too full...If you are looking for a quick bite....stop by.... read more

I don't understand these reviews at all- I thought it was great! Me, husband, two children under three made it in and out and had a great dinner. The chips and salsa were fresh and on the table as we were being seated. Our order was taken within ten minutes and brought our VERY quickly. I got the fish tacos- fresh, grilled fish. Delish! My littlest guy dined on the rice and beans and my two+ year old sucked down his chicken. Husband loved his...I forget what he got- but it looked great. I will echo some of the sentiments of the others- the flavor didn't stand out- some of the food was a little on the bland side (like the bean soup) but I hope they'll read these reviews and tweak just a little- it would take this place from good to great in an instant. The staff was very nice- the FOH manager stopped by to see how we were doing. It was busy, it was buzzing...AND don't like Mexican? Great! there are burgers and other bar food that really don't need to be on a Mexican joint's menu at all- but it's there! This place was good- I was going to do four stars, but I love a good pun...Aunt Chillada? Come on... :-) read more

When I moved here in December, someone told me their food wasn't that good and boy they were right! I am no chef, but my Mexican food I make at home is way better. I make enchiladas using sauce from a can and it is spectacular compared to their food. The food is bland and lacks any real authenticity. I really wish they would get a new chef and redo the entire menu. The drink prices are ridiculous too for a restaurant that is not upscale. The happy hour margarita was $6 and not big. The typical mixed drink price I saw was around $9. It's a cute building, but I can't see ever going back unless they get a new chef. read more

Went there with friends after a hike. The waitress gave us a pitcher of water. After drinking one glass, I went to fill my glass back up. There were crumbs and paper pieces floating around in the pitcher.. So digusting! I sure hope I don't get sick. I will never go back. read more

I visited this place on a Saturday evening. The wait wasn't long and the hostess, and servers were prompt in getting my party of five seated. The menu has a lot of options, and that is probably this restaurant's pitfall. Too many options, none of them really spectacular. I ordered the vegetable chimichanga, before ordering I asked the waitress what vegetables were in it. She seemed stumped but eventually said that there would be mushrooms, peppers, spinach. When I got my chimichanga, there were olives and onions. It was the worst chimichanga I've ever had. The beans and rice on the side were edible but unseasoned. The other four people in my party were unsatisfied with their meals as well. Our server didn't put utensils at our table until we asked her. And she even rested the bare utensils on the bare table. The service was poor. And usually I can deal with poor service if the food is great, but the food was barely edible. The rest of my party left their plates with leftovers. We didn't even bother to pack it up. I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

Have not been to this place in years. Decided tonight was the night to help a small business and order takeout. What a disappointment. If you are are a fan of bitter, grey colored guacamole (extra charge of course) and stale chips this is the place for you. Bonus points if you want cheese on your fajitas you will have to pay for it....: read more

Ok, nothing great - had fish tacos and taco salad, typical. Most likely will return, prices are good. Next day - both wife and I are sick to our stomachs, up all night praying to porclean god ..,,, - never again will Mexican food pass my lips! read more

I came here for dinner with my boyfriend for the first time. I heard some good things about the place so I figured why not. My boyfriend got quesadillas and I got some tenders and they were great. I also ordered the Berry margaritas which was fantastic and made with the perfect kick on tequila. I gave the restaurant a 4 out of 5 because I truly believe the inside has major potential in looking better, also the odor of reused cleaning bleach water wasn't very appealing to me. Also, the upstairs turns into a college party scene after hours which is pretty neat. Hope this review was helpful! read more

The food was okay, I got a shrimp quesadilla which was nothing special but pretty good (they didn't skimp on the shrimp either). I also stole a couple fries which were also good. We got a slice of the oreo ice cream, which was a bit hard right out of the freezer but quite good. 3 stars is a bit of a stretch, but the prices make the quality of food and service completely reasonable. read more

The waitress was so very kind ! Unfortunately the food was only a 3/5. I ordered the enchiladas with rice and beans. There was so much cheese in the enchilada that the cheese never fully melted. The rice was not home made it tasted like bagged rice mixed with salsa. It really is Americanized Mexican food not true authentic. As an appetizer we ordered the broccoli balls. Very tasty but the middle was not fully cooked again! read more

Food was kinda ok,they need to spice it up a little Waitresses were all very nice and ..um...stacked!! read more

So yelp keeps filtering my reviews...no idea why...but I'm making it a point to post another one here because it seems like there are some people out there that actually enjoy this place... buuuut i can assure you that NO ONE will ever like the food... and to another poster...yes...the place absolutely looks like a clown died on the inside. The ceilings are leaky and stained, and that's what i can see from my table!! imagine what the kitchen looks like!!!--definitely not coming back...but ill be checking to see if i get filtered again... read more

they charge for chips after 2 baskets... what kind of Mexican restaurant charges for tortilla chips? They didn't put ice in the refilled drinks Charged us for something we didn't order read more

Restaurants have taken a hit during Covid and should be bending over backwards to get customers in the door now that they can stay open late. Instead - despite a bunch of tables full - we're turned away at 10 of 8 on a Friday night cuz "we're closing at 8." Taking our dollars elsewhere. read more

Went a last year not very good ,mostly for college crowd,once was a really nice place ,not N.kjow

Great place to come to sit outside and margarita pitcher is a great deal for 2 people . 30$ . Not my go to Mexican place for food as it does not compare to other places in the area. Continue to visit for drinks and patio! Always nice service. read more

We got there about 7:30 on Sunday evening. We were seated immediately. Service was very good. We'd been outside all day so we opted for the air conditioned indoor dining but the deck was inviting and several tables were filled out there. The view - well, Sleeping Giant. Amazing. The decor was interesting but the lights weren't turned on and I left my glasses in the car so it was hard for me to read the menu. The food was a disappointment. Not very authentic. The portions were generous. I had the combo platter w/enchilada, chimichanga, burrito. All chicken. I asked for tomatillo sauce only because they didn't have the white quesa cheese sauce I'm so used to having. The chicken was unrecognizable. Seems the chef stews it down in the red/mild sauce. WHAA? We were told on taco Tuesday people argue that the chicken wasn't really chicken. (that should be a clue for them to revise their preparation) Normally chicken is a safe/sure bet at a Mexican restaurant. Sadly not the case here. My partner raved about the shrimp enchilada. Looked to me like he got the yellow canned nacho cheese sauce poured on his. Although there was a small portion of salsa fresca and a couple of olive slices on the plate, we had to ask for sour cream. We weren't aware of all the craft beers mentioned in another review so my partner got Shock Top. I got the special listed on the board as we walked in: Blueberry Lemonade Margarita. What do you envision when you order a margarita in a Mexican Restaurant? It was served in the same glass the draft beer was served in. Ah well. I'm sure we'll be back. I'll bring my glasses in and try something else. read more

This is a joke of a restaurant that caters to the very middle class with bland food and service. It's next to a huge golf range, just in case you weren't sure how middle class this place is. This is for people who voted for Bush in 2000, because someone told them Al Gore said he invented the internet, then didn't vote in 2004, because they don't think votes matter. It's the whitest place in the area, and sitting on the Hamden-Cheshire line, that's really saying something. The name is even vanilla. Did the owners really think naming it "Aunt" Chilada's will make people think it's a down-home folksy place. Do they think Auntie Chilada will let them openly carry? Or do they think people will just get turned off by having to pronounce a foreign word and maybe learn something. I used to go here as a kid and loved it. That's when I was a dumb kid and there weren't many other Mexican restaurants around. Not that this is a Mexican restaurant. Not one person who works here is Hispanic or Latino in any sense, and the way that the entirety of their customer base are white college dudes and nuclear families, I think everyone prefers it that way. If you want real Mexican food, or at least something closer, go five minutes down the road to Ixtapa, and don't be afraid of a name that's not in English. The end. Oh yeah, we went here because they advertised Cinco de Mayo specials at the bar and no other place had specials. The downstairs bar was empty so we went upstairs. The upstairs bar was dark, empty, and had one "bartender" who said she was just thrown up there. She wasn't happy to see us and we had to ask for a menu and about the specials. She said there weren't any specials and we said that downstairs had specials at the bar. She left for ten minutes and came back saying there were no specials. She either didn't feel like serving anyone or didn't think we would tip her as we were gay. Either way, we left and went to Ixtapa and got drunk. read more

Weak and needs new management. I would love to take over this place as all the fixes are easy. Big parking lot, with plenty of space, and handicapped ramp. good access for anyone. Made a reservation, not needed, was seated immediately in the tiniest table for two under a TV set. There was plenty of space for larger roomier tables. Had to move the table away from the wall, and away from the TV, simply to have room to sit. I should have demanded a table for four. Those seemed sized right for two. Mexican food can be served on many plates. I don't get why they have small tables give the size of the place. The waitress who was rather cold, served OK. Akin to a robot. The place was understaffed as server was not attentive enough. Something wasn't right I did not feel welcome, unlike every other place I've been in the last year. Overall the service made me think I should try another place. Do you want a fabulous experience or a flat somewhat unpleasant experience? It got me thinking it was a management issue. Water was left at the edge of the table, begging to be knocked off. Honestly there was little room for it on the table, still the waitress could have poured it before coming to the table and placed it in the middle. She took the easy way out and placed the glass on the edge and then poured, and then split. I wanted another napkin but the server was rarely around and in a rush. A better waitress would have noticed I my napkin was used up. Extra paper napkins are always welcome when eating out. I made a bad choice from the menu, scallop fajitas--they just don't go we'll with Mexican. I'd rate the food OK with serious but easy to fix issues. The tortilla plate was difficult to open--no hand grip in the middle like normal restaurants. The plate to make the fajitas was hidden under another plate because there was no room on the table for it. The waitress cleared some of the things off the table for me--the empty fajata tray when i found the prep dish, and rice and beans which I ate first to make space. Seriously, I had to eat with a plan to remove dishes? How about a hot cast iron plate. It should come out with wonderful aromas to breath in and savor and sizzling! Mine was warm, not hot. My food was left to get cold before they brought it out. How can something on a cast iron plate be cool. I could not figure it out. The sautéed onions and peppers were tasteless cold, the scallops, my favorite food were unremarkable. I saved half of it for my dog who was not impressed either. She loves seafood but needed to be prompted to eat them. The salsa tasted like it was made fresh. It was a bit sweet, but I loved it. It was different. But they served it a small light paper cup which made it a two hand affair to get any of it out on a chip. How much better would it have been in a heavy ceramic curved dish. Salsa needs a curved ceramic dish, shaped for a chip to scoop, and refill if needed. Paper cups makes for less clean up and an unsatisfactory dinning experience. A heavy curved bowl would have been so much nicer. I love fajitas. I eat them everywhere. Here you are limited to three extras. The problem was the quantities. I like a bit of everything. I chose rice, beans, and cheese. i got a massive amount of cheese--a whole plate--it was ridiculous--more than I needed or wanted, and a normal sized portion of rice, and beans. The rice and beans were fine with melted cheese on top. I would have liked a smaller quality of cheese and instead a modest amount of chopped tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream on the same size plate. This is what every other restaurant serves without forcing the diner to chose only three. Overall, I'd say this place is in trouble. The are pinching pennies, making odd rules and not watching close enough, such that the staff is not allowed to make smart decisions is my guess. Thy need more servers each with fewer tables. I expect there is resentment and confusion among the servers at being micro managed and being told to do things that don't make sense. What would you do as a cook when faced with a diner wanting cheese as one of only three toppings? Give a big place I suppose. The management screwed the whole concept up. I am convinced it is management that is screwing up here. 1. The servers are not happy. 2. Using paper cups for salsa. 3. Portions that don't make sense. Weird unconventional restrictions on the menu. 4. Seating and tables in awkward locations. The management is managing by making rules, not by watching or fixing things on the fly. Many of these things are easy fixes. Why don't they do they fix them? They are economizing at the expense of quality and loosing business as a result. I made a few mistakes here: I should have insisted on a larger table. I should have sent my food back. I should have walked out. read more

Great service and great food. I don't understand all the mediocre reviews. The staff is always polite and my order is always correct. I have been eating here about once a week these last few months... I love it! read more

This place is horrible. It's worse than every chain restaurant in the state. The fact that it keeps ending up with "best Mexican" votes in the Advocate Reader's Poll makes me cringe with embarrassment for our state. Go to Mezcal....heck, run for the border and hit the Taco Bell Drive-Thru! read more

Crappity CRAP! I went here with my husband on a double date a while back because I heard they had karoake on Fridays. GARBAGE. First the drinks and food were NOT good. Second the staff SUCKS. Especially the bartender. One of the people we were on the double date with put in CLOSER by Nine Inch Nails to sing...the karoake DJ had the song in his book and when this person deciced to sing it the bartender and other staff got VERY angry at us and threw us out saying "This is not that type of bar"..excuse me but the DJ YOU HIRED has it in his book of songs to choose from, but you blame us and throw us out??? Middle fingers arise, we left this dump and never looked back. read more

Went here for happy hour which is only served in bar area and it was a great deal. 6.00 yummmmmmy margaritas and buy one appetizer, get one free. There were more deals but that was one we decided on. We had such amazing margaritas. Really good size and fresh for the price. We got jalapeño poppers which were definitely homemade and so tasty. Very hot the way I love them. We also got chips with Con queso dip which was really so great and was a good size bowl. And one of those apps was free so can't beat that. The salsa we got that are served with chips for free was some of the best salsa I've ever had. The bartender was very attentive and informative. Love the atmosphere of the place too. Very cozy. Not sure why the bad reviews on here. My experience was perfect. read more

Disclaimer: I only went to this place because the friend I was meeting suggested it and I didn't want to be rude. I had read the reviews on Yelp and therefore had low expectations. Despite my low expectations, the restaurant did manage to disappoint me. I've had mediocre Mexican food - it's all over CT - and amazing Mexican food in Texas, California and Mexico. This place serves awful Mexican food. I sat at the bar with my friend and it smelled like a bathroom. I couldn't finish the food, nor did I want to. So find another place for a meal because this restaurant will leave you feeling sick to your stomach and yet again thinking "Where can one get a good Mexican meal around here?" read more

Earns the single star only because the margaritas are decent representations of the fake, Americanized ones served almost everywhere. I highly recommend six or seven before eating. 90% sure the "Valium Chimp" was cooking. Deplorable food and embarrassing, forgetful service. Unless you have to go there to serve somebody papers, don't. read more

The food was okay, but the service was very poor. Our waitress blatantly was not paying attention to our table, and then charged another table's bill to my card- $88. When I called to speak to a manager, she was rude and spoke over me, completely unwilling to listen to my complaint or make it right. 5 days later and I'm still waiting for the money to be refunded to my account. I will not be returning, and advise you not to visit either. read more