This is a place that at one point I was all for it! However with my most recent visit I really felt I had to reconsider a few things. The positives is that the location is great! It's in a pretty central part of Downtown Gainesville. The bar inside has a fun atmosphere with some exotic decor. They also have weekly specials that if you come on the right day it can be an excellent way to score some savings. The downside was the service. The place wasn't unusually busy, it seemed about average for dinner. Our server handed us the menus and within a few minutes she asked us if we were ready we asked for a bit more time and boy did she give us time! Everyone in the table was convinced she forgot about us because we were sitting around with closed menus ready to order for what felt like 15 minutes. Once we got our food we ran into a few of the common service inconveniences... forgot the sour cream, never offered to refill waters, never offered to refill chips or salsa, never asked us how our food was. Sure these things aren't the end of the world but it's little things that you come to expect from good service. The food was solid, but in the back of my mind I knew I could get better tacos (Cilantros Taco) and street corn (Hurricane BTW) elsewhere. This a bar/restaurant isn't a bad choice by any means the food and drinks are definitely enough to satisfy. Hopefully my experience with service was just a one off, but for now I'll come in with the appropriate expectations. read more

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Boca Fiesta is officially a new favorite of mine! I have no idea how it took me so long to visit, but I know I'll be back soon. On this visit, we weren't too hungry and just ordered appetizers. I had the Cheesy TVP Empanada, and I loved it. I really appreciated the wide variety of vegetarian menu options. The empanada itself was crispy and flaky, while the filling was cheesy and flavorful. The Vegan Mac and Cheese filling didn't have a traditional mac and cheese flavor, but was still delicious. We loved the atmosphere, and our server. I'm excited to come back and try out some entrees! read more

Boca Fiesta - Vegan Mac and Cheese - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Boca Fiesta is one of the most popular spots to eat in downtown for a reason. They serve pretty good Tex-Mex food with quite a few vegetarian and vegan options. My personal favorite is their elote and gator tail burrito. That burrito is uniquely Gainesville and I recommend it highly. If you're next door at Backyard for trivia you can also order Boca Fiesta. read more

Cute outdoor patio with delicious food choices. Has great service and enjoyed the love music we could hear from outside. read more

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Location: It is in a cute shopping center, in the middle of downtown Gainesville. Atmosphere: Very laid back. Not somewhere I would go to dressed in your best suit and tie. It's a little dark but it adds to the uniqueness of the place. There were TVs playing home alone. Kid friendly: I went after 8, and I wouldn't take a child at that time. Probably ok before 5 with a kiddo. Service: I sat at the bar and was able to order quickly. Staff was friendly. Food: It was amazing! I ordered the steak taco duo and tried all 3 of their salsas. My favorite was the yellow one. So spicy but delicious. The green was medium and red was a Louisiana type of hot sauce. The tortillas were corn and seemed to be home made. The steak was tender and not chewy. It was great!! I had a pink lemonade and it was also presented very well with a large piece of cucumber. It was also delicious!! Overall: I would definitely return to the restaurant. I am pretty picky when it come to Mexican type foods and it impressed me. I could probably eat here for every meal of my 2 day trip. 5 stars all around!! read more

Boca Fiesta - Steak taco duo - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

food was alright, not super flavorful. service was extremely quick and loved the decor and outside seating.

Went on a Monday night. Was a bit crowded but service was very fast and bartender was friendly. Got drinks, an app, and our meal and finished dining within an hour. I tried 3 different tacos - steak, fish, & gator all of which were really good, and my boyfriend really loved the tuna tacos. There was also a BOGO house margarita special which was awesome! Although each margarita is pretty strong containing 2 shots of tequila so just be aware of how much you are consuming. Most of the negative reviews of this place seem to be people mad about the rule regarding splitting the check in big parties (clearly stated upon entrance) or mad that a downtown restaurant is busy on a Fri/Sat night (duh) LOL read more

I really enjoy their Gator Tacos, fried gator can't go wrong there. They are very affordable and always have great deals on margaritas and tacos. My only gripe about this place is the service. It's extremely hit and miss, sometimes its great and other time you don't even get a straw with your drink and you only see your waiter: when you order, get your food, and are ready to pay. One time we were seated outside and they totally forgot us. After not seeing a waiter 15 minutes we got up and left and went to another restuarant. After finishign dinner, when we walked by our menus were still on the table that we left. read more

It's over, I have avoided Boca Fiesta long enough. I just had to see what the big deal was. Just like The Top, it is mostly overpriced meals served by Gainesville's super-trendy tattooed cool kids. Or, at least they think they are cool. One waiter here is ripping off Zach Galifianakis pretty hard, but in his own skinny vegan way. I never though of Zach as a fashion icon, but Boca Fiesta is known for causing confusion about fashion...oh, and food. This place is about as awesome as a Chili's, but I hear the kids like it because they are open late and have cheap drinks. I could barely get through the pitcher of Margaritas that we ordered, it was rough because we must have been drinking too early. They are a late night option, open until 2am most nights, which is rare in Gainesville. Luckily, we arrived just as they opened so the mobs were still asleep in their expensive downtown condos. We had the place all to ourselves. Oh, and there was plenty of parking at the Sun Center for free. I added pulled pork to my pile of stale nachos. I was worried it would be like the super bland pork at The Lunchbox, but at Boca it was decent. The chips are not fresh and a little too thick for my taste. The cornbread was so damn dry, and the greens are from a can. However, the cilantro lime salad dressing is delicious- so it works on anything, even their little side salad. Our favorite item here has to be the fried okra! Anything okra related has me hooked, and Boca's is lightly breaded and not over cooked. Almost $11 for two tacos, yeah whatever. You know you are going to get screwed on prices when you come here, that is a given, so don't try to fight it. However, the Tilapia Tacos were pretty darn good! The balance of meat to sauce to slaw ratio was as fulfilling as a cardboard can of cheese balls. There is nothing authentic about this place, and if some real taco trucks were to open in Gainesville, then locals might receive an education. But, I don't see anything like that happening in the next decade, so Boca Fiesta will surely continue to prosper at their current prices. read more

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Eloté Eloté Eloté! I've eaten other items here but the Eloté rocks my mouth off. Excellent tequila selection, marg specials, yummy and inventive tacos. The standard chips & salsa for every table, but the chips are always crispy hot & the salsa is fresh and crunchy. The sliders are both adorable and delicious. The vegetarian options are fun and different than most. The hot sauces are gross imo. They have a weird slimy front taste that is reminiscent of okra or smilex. Don't bother! read more

Boca Fiesta - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Honestly wish I could give .5 stars because Boca is a 2.5. For starters, the wait time and service is actually BAD. Me and my group were waiting for a little over an hour for our table and then the service was slow and inattentive when we finally did get seated. One perk was the free chips and salsa. In terms of food, I did like the fish taco that I got, the flavors were nice and full & pulled together really nicely. As for my steak taco, the meat was dry and tough. I really wouldn't recommend Boca Fiesta as a go-to when there are a million better options with better service, prices, & food!! read more

Boca Fiesta - fish & steak tacos - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

This was a great find! The setting it excellent- they are currently only seating outside, which we loved! ( masks required, also) There is a true outside patio and an enclosed patio space, as well as a high top railing for those who generally prefer bar seating ( that's us). Our server was lovely, and the food was excellent. read more

There really isn't anything bad to say about Boca Fiesta, but I was a little disappointed by the food. We started off with the chips and chorizo queso, which had a very off-putting taste (almost like a very large dash of cloves were added). I ordered a steak, chicken, and fish taco. They weren't particularly large or great, so I did feel like they weren't worth the price. The location and atmosphere are excellent, especially when you sit outside. A great place to hang out and enjoy some company. read more

Boca can be a hit or miss experience. It honestly depends upon how busy the place is. The food is good, and there are vegetarian options. Try the TVP in burritos. Service is all right. It can be slow. read more

Boca Fiesta - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I have been to Boca Fiesta several times now and I just really feel underwhelmed each time I go. Sure, the location is great, the decor inside is really awesome and the weekly specials are what keeps me coming back. But the service the last 2 to 3 times has been just the worst. On the most recent visit I went with 3 friends and the whole meal was just lackluster. We sat and waited a good 10 to 15 minutes before our server even thought to come and see us. The crazy thing is that our server at least 2 to 3 times came to the tables around us to bring them things and take orders, but when it came to us they did not even say it would be a minute or 2 or anything. When they finally came over we let them know we were ready to order and they said oh, let me get your drinks first and we said, no we want to place our orders now. They said but the table next to yous food just came out and we want to get it. At that point we said okay. But it took another 15 minutes to be brought our drinks and another 15 minutes to wait to to order. The food again not that great. We ran out of chips and salsa and never were even offered a refill. Ran out of drinks and again no refill. The food finally came out and we asked for everything we needed. The food is the saving grace. The food was really good. The service was the worst. The food is good. If you are okay with bad service you should go here. read more

They would get a 5-star if they offered straws... I'm no SJW, I want straws in my drinks. Anyway, the free chips and salsa are excellent and a good portioned size; the salsa has hearty chunks of tomato and is a nice dark red. We had four patrons at the table and no one liked the house hot sauce they had... ew faces were trending, I didn't try it. I did have the gator burrito and it's in the top 5% of burritos I've had. Loved it. read more

Boca Fiesta - Fragile - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Boca Fiesta epitomizes the hipster/college student vibe that is Gainesville. If you expect it to be more than the college hangout that it is, you will likely be disappointed. Boca is a hip and fun hangout spot geared towards college students and young adults that serves up some pretty tasty and affordable Mexican Street Food inspired eats. The food actually exceeded my expectations, given the divey feel of the establishment. The stir fry veggie tacos were particularly tasty and seemingly healthy (always a plus) and my boyfriend said they deserve 5 stars based on their breakfast burritos alone. I am a big fan of their outdoor patio that extends back to an outside bar, stage and dance floor area. The area is adorned with hanging lights and planter boxes which make this a great place to chill out with some friends and a margarita. If you want to extend the fun, there is even a connected pool hall (Palomino) with a third bar - every college student's dream! They do frequently have live music on the patio which can be great but it's obviously not ideal for a having a dinner conversation if that's what you're looking for. The only thing that really drives me nuts about this place is the service. I've had issues pretty much every time I've been here. The last time when we went for brunch was particularly bad, the server told me the wrong price of the mimosas, she spilled salsa all over the table, she forgot the toppings on the burrito.... I digress. Don't come here and expect the service to be great, it's just not gonna happen. read more

I was glad that Boca opened up their patio during the time of COVID19 since I definitely needed a margarita fix. I tried to go last Friday, but the wait was about an hour and there were crowds of people so I gave up, but luckily I was able to get seating on a Tuesday night. Seating is limited to outdoors, the menu is limited to a few appetizers, margaritas, tacos and burritos (you order by looking online on your phone), and the workers are all wearing masks and wearing gloves, which was good to see. I ordered chips and salsa, a margarita, and a chicken burrito. Some things to note that were different was that the service is a bit spotty as we got our drinks well after we got our burritos and even noticed that people that ordered after us got their drinks sooner. The food itself was tasty but you will have to pay extra for chips and salsa ($3.50) and any sauce will be 50 cents. Also, since it's one of the few restaurants with outdoor seating in downtown, we did feel a bit rushed and our server even asked us to leave after around an hour and sit on the steps outside of the restaurant, even though another party next to us was clearly there way before us and had been there for awhile. Keep in mind, we were not being disruptive and I would be happy to make space but they only had two people waiting at the time we were asked to move and had more tables open by the time we moved. Overall, I am happy to support a local business and will continue to do so, but this is an FYI for those wanting to know the scoop on the current situation at Boca. Stay safe y'all! read more

The one and only reason I come here: their elote. GET THE ELOTE I'm serious you're missing out if you don't order it. Basically, it's corn on the cob with a mouth watering delicious mixture of spices and butter. I honestly do not know what the combination of spices contain but it's legit one of the best things I've ever tasted. I have been here a few times for dinner or margaritas with friends. Prices are reasonable, margaritas are fire, nothing much else to ask for am I right? Personally not a fan of the decor here but it has its own vibe. If you take one thing away from this review it's this: Get. The. Elote. read more

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Best nachos ever! Everything was delicious and the service was great too. The girl who served us was very friendly. Decent prices. Great all around. read more

After a nice Sunday brunch at Boca, I wanted to write them a review for their solid 3.5 star meal. Boca has been open for a number of years, but I haven't had them in my restaurant rotation because the food wasn't that great when they first opened; Boca was for the drinkies. I will definitely give them a try for supper now. My regular Sunday brunch was thwarted, so I was wandering around downtown looking for someplace open. I wandered into Boca with low expectations. The hostess seated us right away, and produced menus including the brunch specials. Our waitress showed right up and took our drink orders, and produced our brunch chips and salsa. Overall table service was attentive and our food came out hot. The coffee was respectable. The brunch menu is short and to the point; the regular menu is also served. I got the breakfast sandwich - eggs on sour dough with bacon and avocado. All ingredients were really nice, the bread was great, and the eggs came from happy chickens with bright yellow yolks. The bacon was good, and cooked properly. The potatoes were tasty; a homemade potato chip theory with little crispy crumbles on them. I don't normally like homemade chips, but these were well executed. Madame got the deluxe breakfast burrito, makin' yummy noises while she ate it. This is a no bean no rice burrito, with eggs, cheese, potatoes, bacon, and avocado. There is also a less deluxe breakfast burrito, and breakfast tacos, along with the regular menu. I just stick with the food today, but there was also a mimosa special, and a bloody Mary bar for brunch. The drunkards seemed pleased with themselves gnawing on giant celery sticks in Mason jars. There is a nice selection of tequila drinks, and a solid six local craft beers on tap. Cans of Tecate or PBR are $3, or you can get Negro Modelo for$3.50. Somebody really turned this kitchen around, and you should stop in & get a burrito! read more

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Came here with a friend on Friday evening for bogo margaritas. They had a spacious outdoor area where we were seated. It was beautiful outside, warm with a light breeze and was perfect for drinks and appetizers. We had nachos and chips with guacamole, food was great and our server was very attentive! I tried a jalapeño margarita which quickly became one of my favorites! It's got just enough spicy to mask the liquor without overpowering the whole drink. read more

Boca Fiesta - Margs!! - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I love Boca Fiesta and their food and atmosphere is great! It's definitely a nice spot downtown for a chill night and dinner. All the food options that I've had are delicious and never let me down. However, even though overall I've had a generally great experience here, I had to give a 4/5 stars because a couple times that I've been, the service was questionable and inattentive, and no one came to see us at all/only after over half an hour of sitting. However, not going to let that significantly change my view of this place! read more

Boca Fiesta - a person dipping a tortilla into a bowl of salsa - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Overall recommend this place! Great atmosphere and good food. One of the margaritas my table got was not too good, but everything else was delicious! Recommend the queso. The shrimp quesadillas and cheesy rice are a must! read more

Boca Fiesta - Cheesy rice, 1 steak taco and 1 shrimp taco, shrimp quesadillas, two margaritas. - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

This was a fun spot here. I met some friends for some drinks right after work on a nice day, they have tables outside as well as inside. I only had margaritas and the chips, guac, and salsa, but next time definitely hoping to get some FOOD. Margaritas were decent, I did get crazy and ordered the prickly pear for one of my drinks (this one was meh). Chips were thin and crispy, guacamole was solid but I have one qualm... you had to make your own guacamole. So they bring over ripe avocados with three little containers of different spices and you put in how much you want of each. Hey, this is great, but I am not paying for guacamole to make it myself?! Especially after a few margaritas... So Boca, fix that. Otherwise, I'd definitely go back and try some other things on the menu. read more

There's this one greeter/server with dark hair, plugs, and glasses who is straight up on her phone ignoring everyone and our waitress is nowhere to be found lol read more

Delicious and fresh house made salsa to start. Great vegan options, even offer textured vegetable protein as an option! They have a vegan version if their fried Mac n' cheese balls too. Great burritos! Highly recommend this place. They also had a vegan dessert on the menu. Didn't get it but it sounded delicious! read more

I really like Boca, it's like a Mexican fusion. They have delicious drinks and fantastic food. I don't think I have ordered anything I was disappointed with. The chimichanga is delicious and a good size if you are hungry. It has a delicious sauce on top but is even better smothered in queso. The house margaritas are delicious and don't skimp of the liquor. They have veg and vegan options. The atmosphere is really cool and chill. Outside seating for you and the pup. Most the staff are super awesome. I really think most will enjoy this restaurant. read more

Had dinner with our children while we are sheltering in G'ville, from hurricane Irma. The manager did everything and more to make us feel welcome even though he was worried about his fiancée prepping their home for Irma's impact. The elote is so good but warning its !!! The vegan mac and cheese was even tastier than the real one, which we also had. Great hang out, full of students, good food and drinks! It gave us a glimpse of the places our daughter goes too. Not crazy about the music or the quality of the sound. If you find yourself in G'ville it's a must try. read more

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Boca is one of my FAVES!! I typically order the same things here because they are consistent and delicious: gator tacos, chips & salsa with queso, the gator quesadilla (pair it with a side of chipotle aioli and you will NOT be disappointed), and the strawberry marg is the best! Today for the first time we decided to order take out, rather than eat at the restaurant, and the food was still hot and fresh even after a 20 minute drive home. I definitely recommend this place and cannot wait to go back! read more

This was one of the first restaurants I went to when I first moved to Gainesville. I immediately fell in love. Everyone there is so kind and the food is amazing! Unlimited chips if you ask for them and the Elote is TO DIE FOR!! There's been way too many times I call in just to pick up Elote just because of how much I crave it! The margaritas are also fire and probably the only margaritas I'll ever drink! read more

My mother on her birthday ordered a strawberry margarita with vodka because she is severely allergic to tequila and they were so mean to her. I told the people who worked here and they told me she shouldn't be here. I'm so sad because we enjoyed the vegan options at this establishment. Also sad for my mother celebrating her 60th. read more

I wish Yelp would allow half stars cause I'd give this place a 3.5 rather than a 3 but it for sure isn't a 4. Beer selection is somewhat limited. Service was excellent. Food was good, bonus for having a tasty vegan burrito. read more

I can't believe that I have not reviewed this GAINESVILLE gem!! If I had a friend visiting this would land easily into one of my top 5 restaurants that are native to the town. They give you complimentary chips and salsa first of all which is a plus. My common staples at boca are elote and fish tacos. They have all types of foods for vegans and vegetarians as well. Another plus is that it is located centrally in downtown so if you have to wait or plan to go out for the night, there are a multitude of options in the area. As for drinks, anyone that's been to boca will tell you that their margs are v strong and v good. I am not too much of a fan of margaritas in general but when I tried the strawberry marg I fell in love. If you want to get bogo margs then go on Monday's for that deal. Anyways, if you want decent modern Mexican food go to boca fiesta~ read more

Boca Fiesta - Taco Tuesday - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Probably the poorest service I've received in any dining establishment in Gainesville. Our hosts were negligent, ignored us for minutes. Server didn't greet us for 15 minutes after we got seated despite it being empty on a Thursday night. Everybody on the staff had an attitude and it tainted the environment. Our server was rude, forgot our appetizer and didn't apologize. Food Portions were small and overpriced. Terrible experience and I will definitely not be back read more

I love the fish/shrimp tacos here!!! Also trivia nights are so fun. Employees here are so chill and nice read more

Boca Fiesta - shrimp taco top, fish taco bottom - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

This place has the. Best. Quesadillas. In. TOWWWWNNNN. They are decently sized so you get four triangles of cheese goodness, they are crisped perfectly on the outside every time but never too greasy or too "fried" tasting, the chicken on the inside is always sooo so tender and fresh (see picture -- it's $3 extra to add protein to the already $6 quesadilla but WORTH IT) and flavorful, and they're quick and open late nights. Also this place is the best on a weekend night, there's an outdoor club right next to it with awesome music, you can go out right after if you decide or hop between. Also the cocktails are delicious. I love the watermelon one. Only reason I took away one star is because the staff has a reputation of being a taddddddddddddd tiny bit rude. Otherwise LOVE this place read more

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All I can say is, i'm in love with their chips and queso. So far, hands down has THE best chips and queso i've eaten in the gainesville area. Their chips are a nice crispy, just salty enough, chip and their queso is cheesy enough and not too tacky like some queso can be. I'm spending all my time talking about the chips and queso because i WOULD come just to get that and be 100% satisfied. (their salsa is also to die for, and is free with chips before 7pm i believe(?))Only downside is that the restaurant is quite dark but seems like that's the trend for most places now a days, also they have open mic nights so that's pretty fun too! read more

I recently threw my best friend her bridal shower at Boca Fiesta and it was everything we wanted and more! During Covid, they had their backyard area closed to guests (don't worry they reopened it recently) but they still allowed our private event to be hosted back there. The backyard space was so beautiful and perfect! Jake and the owners were extremely accommodating with all of my requests and the million emails I had sent over the last few weeks before the shower. Shanti (I probably spelled that wrong) was our waitress and she was extremely kind and attentive the entire time. The food was outstanding. All the guests continued talking about how great those tacos were and how beautiful the space was. This place was so perfect for our Fiesta themed bridal shower! Thank you guys for everything! read more

Wow they have a winner in the presentation and taste of the food. The cocktails also were perfection. I would say to the owner Clean it up!!! We saw first hand a pest issue and the bathrooms were not so good.This is a great spot and I already want more of those tacos.I hope I can give them a better review someday because the food is reallllly good. read more

Boca Fiesta - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida