Being from Fresno, this restaurant is worth the stop if traveling up North on the 99 Highway! We probably eat here once or twice a year! The food is always so good! I think they recently changed their menu! The soup is only "soup of the day" when prior I recall it was multiple soups available each day! Nonetheless- the albondigas is the best I've ever had! read more

Bella Nita's Restaurant - Large Albondigas Soup - Mexican Near Me - Atwater, California

The food is always great and consistent!!The service is great we come here a lot and enjoy the Family business. The restaurant is clean love the music and atmosphere we usually sit in the bar area. Thank You!! See you soon. read more

I thought $73 had to be a mistake. Tiny bean and cheese burrito for $9.99. Tiny rolled tacos for $13. $9 for a bag of chips?! I called to ask what a "supplemental fee" is and apparently we paid almost $3 just to use our card. Not only was this food so overpriced that it should be a crime, it wasn't even good. The tortillas were dry and tasted old. There was barely any asada in my burrito, which I apparently paid an extra dollar for! It didn't really have any flavor. I went here because I have had their salsa at a family party and loved it. So I thought we would try it out. Never again! With endless options for Mexican food around here, I can't imagine they will be able to stay open for long. What a ripoff. read more

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Great Mexican restaurant in Atwater. I really enjoyed my lunch that day. I'll go back whenever I'm in the area. read more

Bella Nita's Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Atwater, California

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It's been a while since I've been to Bella Nita's. The reason for my hiatus is my last two meals were far from the usual quality. That being said let's talk about todays visit. Our waitress was on top of it, our drink order arrived quickly, part of said order came from the bar.. My mother had a ground beef tostada ala cart, the love of my life also had a ground beef tostada w rice and beans. I opted for a ground beef enchilada and taco ala cart, the food was amazing, the place was spotless and we arrived shortly after the lunch rush. It was clean and ready for a second wave and sure enough more people began to meandered in. A delicious beginning to start my weekend. read more

Bella Nita's Restaurant - Ala cart ground beef enchilada and taco. This what I remember the classic taste from La Nita's. - Mexican Near Me - Atwater, California

My whole family and I came to Bella Nitas also known as La Nita's Cafe on 2/27/21 which apparently my mom and uncle (her brother) have been going there when they were kids and as teens but they had a different location. It was so windy and we thought it would be hard to do outdoor dining but apparently they are doing indoor dining here in Atwater, Ca. We are not complaining. When we arrived we were greeted and confirmed for our reservation. The lady informed us that our table was by the bar. I politely mentioned to her that this is our first time here and unsure where the bar is and asked for her to guide us there. Which is basic hostess professionalism. Which she agreed to do. We were all seated and our waitress came shortly after and took out drinks order. I just got water and lemon as I was planning on going to a local tea shop after we dropped off the great aunt. I ended up getting a Wet Chile Verde burrito on top of a bed of rice. I requested beans to be added as it usually pairs well. The food was alright. The Chips were delicious and you can tell they were made fresh. The salsa on the other hand so tasted like tomato sauce with just Mexican spices which was disappointing but decent. The beans needed more flavors which I spiced it up with their salsa and green verde sauce which did wonders. The rice was pretty good and flavorful no complaints. My Chile Verde burrito was delicious as the meat and the sauce was so tasty. I overall enjoyed my meal and so did my dad! I sat by my nieces who I love dearly. After we ate I walked them over so they could use a quarter and get something from the toy station. They were so happy with their choice which was like the icing on the cake. My uncle and mom said the food tasted exactly as they remembered when they were kids and would like to come back more often! It was nice to dine inside during COVID and enjoy a meal with my family. read more

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The food was not very good, the presentation was not great, and it was overpriced for what it was. Not a very good Mexican restaurant sadly. Josie's is much better. read more

Look I don't like ripping on places but this was unacceptable especially for the price. I took my wife on date night for a drink and some food and we decided to try this place. It used to be really good but I do not know what has happened. We both ordered margaritas and you couldn't taste any tequila in it so we just let it slide. We ordered my wife ordered the garlic shrimp and I ordered the combo that came with an enchilada taco and chile relleno. I should have known the quality went down when their famous carrots didn't taste the same. All oregano and mushy. Shame. We got our food and where do I begin. The rice was dry and hard, the taco was good if you love an abundance of salt. That's all you tasted, but that wasn't the worst part. That chile relleno is an abomination. The sauce tasted like it was on the verge of turning or it might have been the chile itself. Worst tasting relleno I've ever had. I left it on the plate. Really really bad. The only thing I actually thought was ok at best was the enchilada, but 20 dollars to only eat one enchilada and the rest being inedible is crazy. The staff was really nice and quick so no problem there. I really do not know why they get so much business with the food being as bad as it is. Bad bad Mexican food, but if you want to try it go ahead just don't expect much other than paying too much for food that's not worth the price. read more

I have just been looking for at restaurant last week fun Friday money. If we are still open for this afternoon lunch at 11:00am another Bella Nita Grill & Bar? read more

Won't go here anymore. They charged me 2$ for carrots I never got or ordered. Seems like they do this regularly I didn't even complain I just paid and left . No right to do! read more

The waitress was very fast and helpful. The food however, made myself and boyfriend sick. Chili relleno sauce was nauseating. Had a bad flavored salsa taste to it. Price wasn't the cheapest neither. Never going back. read more

Haven't had service this bad in a very long time. Left without even getting a drink. Definitely won't go back.

I waited days before writing this review. I don't like to give negative reviews, but I have to warn you! A Mexican restaurant? By what standard? It looked like Waffle House. Country music, bad service, they were out of everything. 2 out of 5 people could not eat past one bite. Salsa was like ketchup with Tapatio in iGround beef tasted heinous. Red sauce was inedible. Cocktails disgusting. Chile verde, rice, beans, fries were good! Chips were good but waited an hour for them. We only tried it because Isabella's was closed on Tuesday. Never again! Waste of $100 Hit Isabella's two days later because I had to get my fix! They never disappoint ! read more

If I could give 0 starts I would. I don't even know where to begin to make this review short!! We have been going to La nitas since we were very young kids. Since the new family members took over. This place has gone down hill. Very rude waitresses and unprofessional staff! The last two times we were there we were rushed to order our food so she can get us out of there because she has big parties coming in. Food is not authentic anymore and is gross. Dry and blah! I do not recommend going here, If you want real authentic Mexican food go down the street to Isabellas!!!! read more

Ahhh . Hard to review this place as I have been a customer all my life. #9 chili Verde dinner. It's not the same. Family cooks different. Abouleta did it the best. read more

*Health Inspection Report is updated as on 4/26/18 and states that this restaurant is Satisfactory!* 6/26/18 We've been coming here for many and many years, so it's more of a family with the servers when we're there. We walked in, got seated in less than a minute, and got our drink orders in. The chips and salsa were delicious, same as always but the salsa was a tad bit spicier this time compared to last time. Our waitress was fantastic, again, more like family. She came and took our food orders within 3 minutes of sitting down at the table, and constantly kept our chips and salsa filled and our drink cups too. We all got 3 tacos, the meat was good, wish it had more flavor to it and was a bit warmer than what it was. There was a lot of lettuce and tomato on them but was a good ratio with the meat and cheese and the size of the taco shell. Will definitely keep coming here! read more

First off, the woman was very nice this is nothing against her. She repeated everything and it was all correct. So. I ordered the super quesadilla WITH guacamole. My husband got a burrito supreme WITH guacamole AND sour cream. NO tomatoes. My quesadilla was DROWNING in some sauce and NO guacamole. Husbands burrito had NOTHING he asked for and they put tomatoes. On top of that the burrito was terribly wrapped and falling apart. The "side" of rice and beans we got was barely anything and cost almost $5. That's crazy. And chill on the salt will you!!!? I think I got my weeks worth of sodium in this one "meal". Way too expensive for what we got. This place is a rip off and I will not be coming back. Only went there because Isabella's was closed. read more

Bella Nita's Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Atwater, California

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Only good thing here was the beer food is trash and a disgrace to Mexican food. I'm a chef and this place is totally disgusting breaking so many Serve safe rules. Chile relleno was slimy you can tell they were old salsa tasted like marinara sauce you can tell it was rancid. Chips were stale in need of some salt. Only good thing that saved the experience was the michelada I ordered cudos to the bartender. I'd only come back to drink, if that.. food is disgusting I was in fear of food poisoning when I left! Might have to call chef Ramsey to do an episode of kitchen nightmares up in that place! read more

Went in for some "menudo"... the worst menudo I've ever had.... They should honestly just take it off the menu...... don't waste your money on their "menudo" ..... read more

Chili verde is the bomb!! Hot sauce is awesome too. Love to eat here on weekends for breakfast. Chili verde with eggs and hash browns. Yum

The best salsa around! They offer a salsa bundle deal that includes pickled carrots and a large bag of chips and large salsa. Food wise good shredded beef tacos and cheese enchiladas. The chili Colorado is good as well. read more

I went with my family today for lunch and had a curious experience. None of my Family besides me had a decent plate of food. Beans were bland and stale. Rice was mushy and tasteless. The micheladas were watered down. My cousin ordered Asada fries that featured frozen crinkle cut fries with cold nacho cheese sauce, smothered with overly greasy meat. This place is suspect at best. I've watched a lot Of breaking bad...you said it not me. read more

What a major disappointment. Completely understaffed for Friday night. Party of 7. We were told.."we are cleaning a table for you" said table was clearly visible and no one touched it for about 10 minutes. As we waited staff avoided talking to us. We saw numerous tables with people with empty drinks and no food Just as we thought we would leave ...drinks finally arrived. The weirdest nastiest margarita I have ever tasted...it was like a very cheap concentrated mix with minimal tequila. Everyone at the table tasted it and couldn't believe it. After observing so many people clearly annoyed and waiting and waiting ..we paid for our drinks which we could not finish and went elsewhere read more

Update: This is my second time visiting and although they have updated the name to "Bella Nita" the food has somehow gotten worse. I ordered enchiladas thinking "how can you mess up a tortilla, cheese, and sauce" I was wrong. The tortilla tasted like it had been sitting out in the sun for a few hours and then microwaved to perfection. The rice was very reminiscent of "Spanish" Rice A Roni that someone forgot was on the stove and the bottom burnt. The beans tasted like grey mushy cardboard with cheese. I also ordered a michelada and it tasted like watered down beer with red food coloring and Tabasco. The sombreros that they bring out for birthdays are cute, but it doesn't make up for the fact that it's the worst Mexican food I have ever had. O maracas out of 10 read more

I've been here 45 minutes, there are a total of 12 people, including my self and my husband and we have yet to be served. The waitress came to the people right next to us and had given them great service. Ok so 15ish minutes after the first paragraph, we give our order. One lunch special, burrito supreme and one small ranchero breakfast. 37 minutes later here it is. Wow, cooking lessons please! Chips and salsa... our should I say ketchup and chili sauce. It's so bad. Ok so sitting here another 32 minutes after we have obviously finished what we could eat, and husband had to walk up to the waitress and ask for a box and the check. He came back with the box and STILL waiting on the check. (Don't plan on taking the food just need to see the service) NEVER again at this place! read more

Bella Nita's Restaurant - To busy taking to each other - Mexican Near Me - Atwater, California

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Visiting from out of town and choose La Nitas Restaurant ...the restaurant has alot of room for groups and quaint dinners...lots of t.v.'s for the sports fanatic...out door private seating for nice days and romantic nites. The food is pretty good, I need to go back for a true foodie review... I ordered garlic shrimp and shredded beef enchalidas...both where good read more

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Delicious Chile verde burrito. The taste is always consistent and never disappoints. Clean quick service. Menudo the best in town.

This place used to be la nitas and I wasn't a fan, but it i think it changed ownership. It was good. We had a chili relleno that was a little different but good. We also had a massive burrito. Waitress was super nice. Rice was amazing. read more

Bella Nita's Restaurant - Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Atwater, California

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I am really saddened to write a poor review of what used to be my favorite Mexican restaurant. There is absolutely no consistency in the food. One day the food is awesome, and another you'd swear it was from the frozen food section at a grocery store. The service is pretty good, I have never had any problems or issues with the level of service I have gotten here, read more

THIS WEEK'S "UNSATISFACTORY" RATED-MERCED COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH REPORT: LA NITA'S RESTAURANT (ATWATER) La Nita's Restaurant is located at 2684 Shaffer Road, Atwater, CA,. It has gone through two Merced County Department of Environmental Health Inspections since 2017. 3-21-2018: UNSATISFACTORY - REINSPECTION REQUIRED (Total Points: 31.00) Inspector Comments, "Observed food items in the food prep fridge in front of the steam table with uncovered food items. When not under diligent preparation make sure all foods are covered and protected from potential contamination." Inspector Comments," (CDI) Observed live and dead cockroaches in the back kitchen area. Facility was just serviced the night before and the roaches were coming out. Facility was voluntarily closed and the premises was cleaned and sanitized before allowing to open back up by the inspector." Inspector Comments,"Observed the FRP is coming away from the wall on lone center beam in the kitchen area. There are lots of roaches dwelling in the loose area. Repair so that it is no longer loose and cannot harbor vermin." Inspector Comments," Observed the build up of food debris inside the microwaves. Clean/sanitize both and increase frequency to prevent build up and vermin harborage. 3-02-2017: SATISFACTORY (Total Points: 13.00) Inspectors Comments," Observed one live cockroach with an egg sack on top of the dishwasher. Operator indicated that their pest control service company had just been there 2 weeks ago. During the inspection, the operator called the pest control service company to come out as soon as possible." Inspector Comments, "No violation noted in the bar." . The Health Department uses a scale of 1 to 13 points to determine if a restaurant is in compliance. This scale is graded as followed: 1-6=good, 7-13=satisfactory, 14+=unsatisfactory PLEASE NOTE: We will only list restaurants that are scored as "Unsatisfactory" if they are putting your health at risk. We're aware of minor issues that add up and result in "unsatisfactory" and if we do post an "unsatisfactory" report, once the restaurant corrects its issues, we will acknowledge the efforts they have made to make their environment "Good" again. Source - Merced County Environmental Health Department read more

Absolutely love coming here. The food is always good, and so is the service. I keep trying new things only to discover new favorites. Can't wait for my next visit. read more

Bella Nita's Restaurant - Specialty de la Casa - Mexican Near Me - Atwater, California

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2 1/2 stars if I could Shrimp taco!..........would order again. Fish taco..........would add a second shrimp taco. $3 enchilada special......add rice and beans Pina Colada. Good service. Quick easy meal. Scary health dept warnings don't really scare me, but food is almost below average anyways. You decide. read more

Under new ownership(children) have taken over, now called Bella Nita. Service was slow tonight. The burrito was stuffed with mostly rice and very little meat. The Cadillac Margarita- gone! Since they apparently now pre mix all the margaritas now. Seems like the margaritas mix has changed. We definitely won't be rushing back for the food. Bar Tender was nice and very friendly. Appetizers came out with food. Disappointed in the change. Haven't lived here that long and would go here once a week prior to the change read more

If it's even a possibility, this place has the worst fish tacos EVER! The service was horrible but the wait staff was very nice. Unfortunately I think the wait staff was at the mercy of the kitchen. I will not be dining here again. read more

Gross food and bad service. Isabella's is right up the street and is much better quality.

I loved La Nitas in Merced, and I've eaten at La Nitas in Atwater before. The quality of food is getting worse. I ordered the pozole and it had so much fat it tasted like lard. No flavor other then the fat. I was very disappointed. I also ordered the ceviche and it was so dry I was concerned to keep eating it with the shrimp and sea food in the mix. I'm disappointed and sad that everytime I give them another chance, the quality of food is just bad. read more

Ok first of all, I want to support our local restaurants, so I will be honest. The customer service was great as always, but the food was baaddd. We paid $30.00 for nachos and chorizo and eggs and store bought tortillas. If your going to change things up, make your own tortias!! I would come in and just for those and a beer. The food has no flavor at all, and the nachos which a simple meal was done with no love lol sorry but you can tell when food is made with love and there was no love at all in these meals. Could only have a few bites and went home to eat a bowl of cereal. Please change things and go out of the box, no one was in there but us, please listen to your customers, I want to come back read more

I have one major complaint about this restaurant. It smells like Raw Sewage in the hall and in the women's bathroom! Very strong stench, this is not a new problem, but it has gotton definitely worry from the last time I was there! You need to get this fixed! read more

We recently had a party here and all I can say is "it was Great"!!!! The staff was very accommodating and provided excellent service and food! Tim (I believe is the owner) went out of his way and provided a stereo system, t.v., usb cable and kept checking on us to see if we needed or wanted anything else. He also let us have a Mariachi band perform and did not charge us to use the banquet room. We found our new spot to host all of our get together and parties. Thank you again to Tim and his staff for doing an excellent job read more

I came with some friends after work. The stucco exterior looked nice and rather new. Inside, the seating was definitely comfortable. Prices are on the higher side of average, but the chicken enchiladas I had were DELICIOUS. Doesn't get much better than an $8 pitcher of beer, although it was bud. Chips are complimentary with a spicy, yet tasty salsa. Service was good and I'd come back again. read more