We had visited Boca Fiesta several times over the years, but during COVID times, this place has become a delivery staple for us. Half of my family is vegan, so this spot is the dream for vegans who still want all the good things. We love their vegan queso and their tempeh tacos (also the vegan fried Mac + Cheese if you're feeling crazy). Boca Fiesta is always a solid choice. read more

The bartenders here are consistently rude and/or aggressive. Worst customer service every single time.

Boca Fiesta is one of those places you want to like more than you actually like. The location, the big open bar, the outside seating, the ambiance, the exotic meats that you have never eaten before, it is all good. I love the owner guy, he is terrific, and so is the chef guy. Oh, and Schylar: love, love, love Schylar to the moon and back. So, why did I not give it 5 stars? I have a few minor gripes and one major gripe. Minor gripe, #1: the salsa is really disappointing for a place that works hard to be original and different. The salsa tastes like a sweet supermarket salsa that you purchased in a hurry for a party because you did not have time to make your own, and your party sucked because the salsa sucked, and then the next day your friends re-evaluated their opinions of you. The salsa is that disappointing. Minor gripe, #2: they pickle EVERYTHING! They pickle their onions, they pickle their peppers, they pickle their hot sauces. They pickle everything! And even when you promise that you will not talk into people's noses at the bar, they will not bring you raw onions. I promise I will not drive other people away with my breath! My major gripe is that Boca Fiesta staff can be a little rude to people they feel are not cool enough to sit and eat out on the patio. My husband and I are accepted because we are interracial, Chucky Taylor wearers, who have several tattoos each. We are fringe without being cliché fringe, so we are cool in their eyes! But, if you are a conservative looking parent, or even worse, if you are elderly, they can be absolutely rude, and that is decidedly not cool in my eyes. So, here is my call to action; find a cute, lonely, elderly person and take them to full bottle mimosa brunch this Sunday at Boca Fiesta! OMG! I forgot to put that under the things I love! Ten dollar full bottle mimosa's - LOVE!!! But, not as much as we love Schylar. read more

Boca Fiesta - Love outside smoke free! - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

If you know me, you know I love Boca Fiesta! From tacos and burritos to decadent vegan fried mac n cheese, I've thoroughly noshed my way through their menu. Their space is great. With air conditioned indoor, outside patio or the backyard bar, you're bound to find seating to suit your needs. With three different bars on site, you have no excuse to not have a drink in hand! The food and drinks always make my tastebuds happy! They offer a wide variety of options that will please omnivores, vegetarians and vegans. Seasonally the offer exotic dishes, so be sure to check those out! Some of my favorite menu items are the Fried Vegan Mac n Cheese, Stir Fry Burrito and Tempeh Empanada. The margaritas are absolutely mouth watering -the best in town. I've always had good service. Sometimes they get really busy, but the severs stay on top of things. From dining alone to dining with large groups, I've always had a good experience. Joseph is one of my favorite servers -he's awesome! With great food, awesome margaritas and an overall good hang, I'm all about Boca Fiesta! read more

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A night of debauchery, at least in my world, leads to late-night eats as well. You can justify the poor dietary decisions as a means of "sobering up" or invent another excuse if you like. Boca Fiesta stands tall as a great choice in this context for several reasons, but when weighing this tex-mex spot fairly against other competitors, the scales reveal some key areas needing improvement. The Space With prime real estate right next to the Hippodrome Theatre, Boca Fiesta already has a huge advantage over similar restaurants in town. The main entryway is the one directly facing the theatre, but you can also cut through the pool hall that also happens to be owned by the same group of people. There's ample outdoor seating, and inside you'll find a quaint bar, booths, and tables to accommodate hungry patrons. The decor on the inside I find quirky: they've got large paintings of saint-like skeletons on the walls and a section of the inside is devoted to instrument accessories (i.e. drum sticks, drum heads, etc.). Odd but definitely classic Gainesville. The Service Here is where our metaphorical scales start shifting a bit. I've been to Boca Fiesta for brunch, lunch, dinner, and as a late-night biter. Over the years the service has continued to remain spotty. The same can be said for the time it takes to get your meal or drink in general. It's also not uncommon that your table is not tended to for a while, especially if seated outside. And typically I wind up here with a group of 4 or so, all of us being fans of chips and salsa. Maybe I am being too critical, but I suspect the wait staff must be encouraged to avoid a 2nd basket for tables. Even when I have ordered guacamole or queso, it feels like you have to flag someone down and ask, sometimes resulting in a reluctant "OK". The place isn't going to shut down over a few fried triangles of tortilla, so boost the customer service a bit and just eagerly replenish them. Even chain tex-mex places know this to be the way to happy customers. The Food Boca Fiesta's menu does pretty much all of the heavy lifting in my opinion when it comes to how they measure up. They carry all of the tex-med essentials like chimichangas, tacos, burritos, etc. with a solid quality. They truly do shine, however, in the variety department. First off, they carry tempeh and TVP (aka textured vegetable protein) so your vegetarian/vegan crowd is covered in spades. Stack on top of this rare/unique proteins like buffalo, kangaroo, and bison and this is where Boca inches into positive territory. Notable items I've had include: - Chimichanga (B): Huge, rich, and extremely dangerous with queso drizzled on top - Guacamole (B+): It's guac, sure, but they bring you the diced avocado and let you mash in the other ingredients to your liking. Love this. - Nachos (B): If you're strong enough to resist the free chips, ordering nachos for your meal will be a win. Plenty of them and a nice blend/amount of toppings. - Vegan Mac & Cheese (A): Nice amount, incredibly indulgent but really...so very worth sharing PRO TIP: They stop giving out the free chips and salsa after ~10pm so late-nighters beware! Final Thoughts They have some in-house sauces that are killer, my favorite of which is the pineapple habanero. Use it sparingly and if you're in the "I kinda like hot" camp don't get it. Brunch is also solid here, and it doesn't draw a crowd like the other, more traditional options in town so you won't have to wait an hour to get a table. With a just little more hustle and enthusiasm by the servers Boca Fiesta would definitely see more of me. read more

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

Well, I'm not sure yet... but I'm willing to find out! I think. First, I'm definitely a fan of the space, layout, and location of Boca! I love the many dining options in one spot, the streaming music on the upper deck added some umph, and BF would seemingly be a great hang. I'll definitely keep this in mind when I'm entertaining in town and atmosphere is kinda' all that matters-- if ya' know what I mean! Now onto my "Boo! Hiss." moments... (I'll preface this by saying that my mom and I first visited Boca Fiesta at a Yelp event, so you'd think they'd turn it up a notch, right?!) Although I could taste the flavor in there somewhere, the drinks were quite watery (we had both house and strawberry margaritas) and I don't know if the fact that it was "Taco Tuesday" was to blame for upstaging or what. Upon arrival, a few yelpers led us to believe that BF margaritas were all the rage and after half-drinking mine, I was left scratching my head and thinking-- "I've, consistently, had better!" The salsa was fresh, but not great. I will say that the beef taco was the food star! My mom tried the TVP tacos and likened it to eating Alpo. (Yep, Alpo.) Although I've never had the experience, I got the mental comparison and had to agree. Although soy based "meat substitute" products don't bother me, weird flavors in my tacos (because of said meat substitutes) do! Clearly not a fan. Finally, onto the service. In one word... shoddy. It took us two tries to get the server to bring us small plates to share the chips and salsa. I missed an entire round waiting for a plate. My table mates had to flag him down to order more drinks and additional food. He also never even attempted to clear the table of our dirty dishes! Right up to the moment we were leaving, we were swimming in dishes. So... Obviously, I'm missing something. People rave about the this place, so maybe I was here on an off night. The simple fact that I was in good company, got some awesome Yelp "schwag", a single beef taco, and the overall atmosphere were the only wins at BF tonight, and that's not enough is it? ...Stay tuned for further developments! read more

Boca Fiesta - Yelpin' with Darcy F! #YelpGainesvilleEvent - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Do you like giant margs in mason jars for $7?! I do! Boca is seriously one of my favorite places to go out downtown. The hipster Mexican vibes make me feel like I'm in a bodega. Although the food isn't all that great, I stay for the tasty drinks and fun times. Boca is filled with plenty of eclectic art. The decor, like most of downtown Gainesville, is pretty hip. The inside bar is rather large, which is a major plus. It is pretty easy to get a table here. The best part is that while you're waiting for a table, you can indulge in happy hour pricing. Why don't more places do this? Oh la la. With $3 wells, beers, and wine, this is just the beginning of the many awesome experiences at Boca. Unlike other places, tequila is considered in their wells here. Also unlike other places, Boca makes sure the presentation and freshness is on point even with a single well. Don't expect the grimy artificial give year old tasting syrup you get in midtown. Say hello to fresh juices and liquors. You get a free order of chips with every meal. Their salsas are tasty, but the chips are a bit stale for my taste. I have tried the steak and pork street tacos here. Nothing really special, especially for the price. The same goes with the quesadillas. Overall, the food, eh, not that great, but I would be willing to try more. They have plenty of house made hot sauces so make sure to try those! Now onto the drinks, quite possibly my favorite part. Pro tip: if you are going dancing at the Backyard portion, order your drinks inside Boca at the bar. Not only are they bigger, served in glass, but they also taste a lot better and are made with more care. So the house margarita is always a good go to. I also really enjoyed all of their flavored margs including the pomegranate and strawberry margs. These are not too sweet and have the perfect balance of juice and tequila. The mint margarita was too bitter for my taste. Bocas bartenders are a wealth of mixology knowledge so make sure to pry their brains for delicious drinks. My favorite drink from here is the Rosemary Rye Lemonade which the lovely bartender whipped up for me on the fly. Although not on the menu, this is something you should order. Topped with rosemary, this is 100% a party in your mouth. Now I can go on and on about all of my favorites here, but you won't know until you find out yourself! With Backyard and Palomino attached, you are perfectly set for a fun night in DT GNV. read more

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I went here for a later dinner. The chips and salsa were average. The tacos were definitely solid. The steak taco was really good. I enjoyed the gator taco also. However, while the chipotle aioli was tasty, it definitely overwhelmed the gator to the point that you could have fried any meat and put it in the taco without me being able to identify the animal. read more

Boca Fiesta - Steak and Gator Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Simple menu- excellent food. A group of 8 of us came here on a Saturday night for dinner. We sat outside and had a wonderful time. The ambience is great for all sorts of occasions. Our severs were very attentive and friendly. I'm from California where Mexican food is king so it was difficult to find an authentically good Mexican restaurant in Gainesville. This place was top notch and so good! We started off with the Mexican mule and skinny margaritas for drinks. For appetizers, we had chips and salsa, guac and queso- so good. Their guac is spot on! They give you the ingredients and you make it at the table so it is super fresh. For mains- we had the shrimp, fish and chicken tacos street style- all were very yummy and it was hard to choose a favorite because all were delicious. Note- the shrimp has got a nice kick to it so if you don't like spicy, then ask them to change it up. They were very accommodating to our requests. read more

This place has such a good atmosphere with its outside patio. The food and drinks are very good, and the servers are all very friendly. Great place to bring friends or family for a casual dining experience in downtown Gainesville. read more

Decor is pretty awesome here, almost Mexican gothic. Food is good-ish. We started out with the build your own guac which you "build" by making it yourself. I guess I can't complain too much about the taste since technically we made it, but for $6, the portion seemed on the small side. Tacos were just ok. They were really wet, which is not my favorite feature in a taco. Like when we picked them up, weird water like substances dripped all over the place. Flavor was just ok on any of the tacos. I could come up with the same if I cleaned out my fridge and had some soft shells laying around. This is to say, there l's nothing creative or house made happening here. Hot sauces are good but like liquid fire so be warned, you will burn your taste buds right off your tongue if you don't go easy with that stuff. Our server told us the tacos were Tex-mex and I think that is an overstatement. I can't really say the flavors or ingredients were anything similar to true Tex-Mex. I'd say it's a cool looking place with a nice bar and some ok food aimed at a less discerning (college)crowd. This has nothing to do with my overall rating, but a quick note on the patrons here; the crowd is a pretty diverse crowd until about 7:00 on a Friday night when every 22 year old female college student shows up in shoes they are incapable of walking in and shorts and mid drift tops, yapping on their phones and just being annoying and in the way in general. If that's your thing, then good for you, now you know where to find them. If you'd like to avoid these self obsessed college girls drinking cheap well margaritas with their FAFSA funds, stay clear after 7:00 on a Friday. read more

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This time around with the Omnomnomicon crew I tried a couple of other dishes, and a different drink. We had a group of seven this time around, and as the inside was a bit crowded and noisy (the acoustics in this place to not lend themselves to keeping the noise level down) we opted to eat out on the porch. We chose the porch over the side alley because there was more of a breeze blowing through there and no one was smoking nearby. Once were seated two bowls with chips and salsa arrived. I took particular note of the salsa, as I had seen reports of it being kind of bland, and those reports were validated. It really is kind of a bland salsa, looking as if they took it straight from a SysCo distributor, mixed in some corn, and poured it into a bowl. The corn is actually something new, as I don't remember it the last time I was here. Unfortunately, it actually makes things worse.. the salsa is now sweeter than it was before, which in my opinion is the opposite direction of which way they should have gone. However, American tastes tend towards the sweet, so it may be a hit. The dishes I ordered: Beef Empenada: I ordered this because of the picture of the tempeh empenada listed here. It looked good. Unfortunately my taste buds were not as happy as my eyes told me they should be. I think it is the combination of the queso with the beef that makes it taste a bit odd. The queso makes the beef taste too sweet, and I think I was expecting a more savory taste. Quesadilla with pork: This wasn't bad, but I have definitely had better at other locations in town. Steak burrito: This was the star of the meal, and I sort of wish I hadn't had the two appetizers ahead of it, since it really was the best tasting item that I ordered. They use rice as a filler, which is fine by me, as that is a solid Mexican recipe. For a drink, I ordered an Abita Springs root beer. Not really my favorite root beer, and I rate it as a "meh", but I order it from time to time in order to remind myself of just what "meh" root beer tastes like. I also am not exactly sure why they carry it. It is a Louisiana root beer, and I think they would be better off carrying a root beer out of Texas or Southern California. Other members of my group didn't really fare much better. I saw a number of dishes that were not finished, and at least one complaint about the breakfast burrito having too much pico de gallo, making them in effect pico de gallo burritos. While the location is lovely, and there is sufficient seating, I had to downgrade my rating in this review to three stars. The food just isn't really there in my opinion, and the next time our group decides that they want to do Mexican I am going to be suggesting somewhere else. read more

Excellent new business! We went the second day it was open. The lady got the tempeh tacos and I got a steak burrito. Both were excellent. Vegan, vegetarian, and carnivorous choices abound - including vegan queso dip. We both had margaritas, which are freshly made and have no HFCS. Menu is set up such that you choose a type (burrito, tacos [hard/soft], salad, or tortillapizza) and then add either vegetarian or carnivorous elements. You then have the option of choosing two from: salad, rice & beans, or grilled corn. Meat options are $9.00; vegetarian are $8.00. Portions left us both full. There's plenty of outdoor seating. Beer, wine, and margaritas are cheap. UPDATE: Went for $6 two taco lunch special. Definitely worth it. read more

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I really enjoyed the food here, specifically the tacos and margaritas. I also really loved the nightlife. I don't know how I lived in Gainesville for a year but only found out about the great night life atmosphere here at the very end of my year there. It's one of the better bars as far as music, drinks, and a lot of outdoor space to move around and dance. read more

Overall, I love this place. It is my favorite Margarita place in town. I love the make-your own Guacamole and the Elote is the best thing ever!!!!! There is great outdoor seating and a diverse menu. They have plenty of vegan and vegetarian options for those who need them! The cons are: The inside is usually really packed, super dark and very loud. The service can be pretty slow with the large crowds. Parking is also an issue. The courthouse is pretty close and has ample parking if you don't mind a short walk! I would sit outside, get a margarita (the jalepeno one is superb) and try the Elote. Enjoy!! read more

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Decided to go for a late birthday celebration hoping to get some good birthday specials but unfortunately they didnt have any. The service was good and timely. We ordered mixed drinks but I wasnt really thrilled about it. The best part was the gator tacos. Best ones I have ever had. The gator bites are lightly fried and paired with a sauce that completes the dish. Definitely a dish to try there. read more

The food is ok but they hire abusers. The manager is incredibly unprofessional and it shows in the way the place runs.

Good tacos and burritos. Many meat and vegetarian options. They usually have some sort of exotic meat taco (on the chalk board over the bar). I generally get the tvp hard shell tacos or tempeh burrito with salad and rice & beans. They are open late and only sell tacos a la carte later in the night. I'm always happy with their food. read more

Visit Date: 10.14.2010 This place broke one of the cardinal rules of food service: food delivered to the customer should be of the appropriate temperature. That means dishes meant to be hot is served hot, while dishes meant to be cold is served cold. The rice & beans and jalapeno cornbread side items of my fried gator taco platter came out DEAD COLD. It was as if those items were sitting out in the open kitchen the whole day and they didn't bother heating them up. Other than that, the gator tacos came out fine, and tasted good. The ground kangaroo empanadas came out hot, and were tasty as well. Yep, I had kangaroo for the first time (and gator for the second time). read more

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Dependably tasty tacos that you can spruce up to your liking! I had trouble deciding what to eat because, ooo look, mango salsa, or this one has poblano. Settled on the pork and couldn't possibly get tired of this little flour pocket of tangy lunch. I love the al a carte menu options. Love how the menu can bend to your will. The drinks are always enticing but I always click my expectations down a notch and it balances out. They're decently strong and not necessarily flashy, not groundbreaking but def dependable. Bobby was my server and he was chill and attentive. Three tacos and a drink for ~$20 and I was SATISFIED. Dependable! read more

One of my favorite places in Gainesville! The best things about Boca are probably the daily specials (margarita Mondays!) and the ambiance. The food is good and consistent, and while the service is less consistent, it's still a great date/hanging out with friends spot. read more

Boca Fiesta - Burrito bowl & strawberry marg :) - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I had the gator tail burrito. It was pretty good, nothing special, and convenient to downtown. They charge for a second bowl of nachos. Mix of hipsters/tattooed artists and frat types. read more

Boca Fiesta - Alligator burrito - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Boca Fiesta is in a great location to meet up with friends and grab a drink. It's in a prime location downtown with indoor and outdoor/patio seating which make it really attractive and a prime "happy hour" spot. They have daily deals such Marg Mondays and Taco Tuesdays and have happy hour prices from 4-7 or 5-7PM. However, although it is a great location, my review is solely on their food which is mediocre at best. I have gotten an array of things such as their tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and such and everything has just been OK. I made the mistake of getting their steak when their pork is the tastiest meat on their menu. The burrito was the most underwhelming as it resembled a home made burrito, with the tortilla not being really warmed up. I leave usually full but unsatisfied. However!! I will definitely highlight their margaritas and their Elote!!! Their elote is one of the best in Gainesville as it's nice and roasted and grilled real great. And it comes with 2 for $6!! Also, their margaritas always get the job done. They have such a wide variety and their house margarita comes in different flavors, just ask!! Overall, it's a great happy hour place for drinks, i would rather save my money for somewhere else with better food, and has a great vibe to chill and meet with friends. read more

we had the Steak Tacos. It was ~16$ for 4 of those tacos. It was good but expensive for what it was. we also had vegan mac and cheese balls and they were terrible. Bad flavor, dry, and poorly seasoned. The service was also disappointing. They also wanted to charge us extra for a straw. Not worth the prices and wouldn't go back for more. read more

I waited over a week to post this review because I was so upset I didn't want to write when I was annoyed. But I just couldn't find anything I liked about this place. EXCEPT the street corn. MY SUGGESTION, put a booth outside and literally sell this item on the street. That is the only way this place will ever get my money again. I was really, really, really looking forward to eating here for my good friend's Birthday. I had heard mixed reviews but I knew about all the different vegetarian and even vegan options they have here and that was enough to get me in the door. However, I doubt I will ever return here after my experience. First, we arrive on a lovely Friday evening around 8:42. Our party said there was an hour wait so they were sitting out back having some drinks. We headed that way and I see my fiends waving from what I now know is called "The backyard." (FYI peeps try to say it's separate from Boca but it is SO NOT! They might section it off but it is definitely run by the Boca establishment, the drinks are the SAME!) ANYWAYS, the girl cards us and then says that will be $5. I say to her, my friends didn't say anything about a cover charge, we're just here for dinner. I tell "door" girl I'm gonna go ask them to move spots. I walk over to my friends (total of 8 of us) and tell them they are trying to charge us to sit back here. Mind you, NONE of the rest of the group had been charged. While this conversation is happening the "door" girl walks over and puts a wrist band on me and heads back to my twin who is still waiting to come in. Just as the group is about to get up, because it's ridiculous that we arrive 12 minutes after them and are being forced to pay to wait for a table in the restaurant, when I realized my twin is walking over. My twin said she paid the "door" girl because she was tired of hearing her go on and on about how if you show up after 8:30 you have to pay the cover. She also said something about how we have to pay to sit at that table? Wait...WHAT? 12 minutes after our group arrives and we have to pay to sit with them to wait to get our table in the restaurant. NO BUENO! OK as we sit for an hour in the "backyard." Have some drinks and open some presents then we get our table outside on the patio. It took a hot minute for our server to arrive and when she finally did, it was hard to tell her she even worked there. She was in regular clothes, no apron, nothing that said to me, "Hello, I work here." I mean her hair wasn't even pulled back and that is totally against health code (SO GROSS) and she looked stoned. Not that I am against that, but seriously... at work? Maybe that's why she was so slow and ALL our food and drink was brought to us up the runners. (I'd also like to note that the line to get into "the backyard" was 50 people thick for the entire 2 hours we sat on the patio, so I'm not sure why that "door" girl was being so hard on getting a measly $10 from my sister and I when she knew the 8 of us were waiting for a table... Not to mention, this line also made it a little difficult for our food and drink people to serve us.) Anyways, so everyone orders. We wanted to start with apps, but or course our food ends up arriving before the apps. ALSO the B-DAY girls food was missing in action. We all sat there WAITING for the "server" to return so we could inform her the food was missing and cancel the apps that never arrived... She made some excuse as to why the food was messed up, but it just seemed liked she was trying to cover for her mistakes. Anyways, my twin and I ordered 3 burritos, one to split (this was when we thought we were having apps) and 2 to take home. We ordered the steak, ground beef, and chorizo. Needless to say, those two burritos we took home were steak. So basically they gave us ALL steak burritos. SO LAME! I was looking forward to that chorizo burrito for lunch the next day. On top of all that, the food was really nothing special. Meat and salsa were extremely bland, I could make that crap at home. NO, seriously, I could make it better at home. Just not worth the price or the hassle. Everyone keeps making the excuse that is was a Friday night, BUT THEY SHOULD BE PREPARED for a Friday night. It's downtown! It's always busy. No excuses. I don't care about how "boozey" the drinks are, it can't make up for bad food and being charged $10 to wait for a table. read more

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We ordered the do-it-yourself guac, and we could not have been more disappointed. There was only about 3/4 of an avocado in the bowl, which is a tiny portion-- we had way too many chips at the end. For our guac ingredients, they provided only chopped garlic, paprika, and salt to mix in. Guacamole should have onion, cilantro, and lime as basic ingredients, but Boca Fiesta did not include these. It was less guacamole and more just spicy mashed avocado. We had to squeeze the limes from our margaritas into the avocado, since it wasn't provided. Chipotle has better guac. We don't recommend! read more

A fun little place tucked to one side of The Hipp--nice outdoor patio, comprehensive menu of traditional Tex-Mex favorites, some with a nice twist. I asked for a suggestion, and heard that the chimichanga was the way to go; my friend ordered the tuna tacos. And then...we waited. And waited. And waited. The restaurant wasn't packed. There was staff visible all over. So was it the kitchen that was short-handed? We never knew. And that's when they lost a star. Both entrees had lovely presentation when they finally arrived, and were very tasty. The chimichanga was chock full of chicken; the tuna tacos looked and tasted lovely and fresh. But by the time the food arrived, we had 10 minutes to eat. After having waited for 35. In other words...don't go if you have anywhere else to be that night. read more

Boca Fiesta - Chicken chimichanga! - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Maybe my expectations for this place were set too high, but I was slightly disappointed with my experience here. First of all, the staff was not very friendly. I didn't necessarily feel welcomed when I walked in, and my server seemed somewhat disengaged and even a little bothered. As for the food... maybe a notch up from mediocre. I was happy about the complementary chips and salsa, but after a chip or two I was over it. For my entree, I ordered the Tempeh Tacos with two sides- the garlic mashed potatoes and a side salad. The tacos were skimpy and a bit... mushy. The side portion of mashed potatoes was minuscule. I think my favorite part of the meal was the lime-cilantro vinaigrette for my side salad. Maybe I just chose the wrong things to order, but I'm not sure I will be returning to try anything else. read more

Boca Fiesta - Hot Sauces: Regular; Mango Habañero; and Jalapeño Orange. - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I don't go to Boca Fiesta for the food, I go for the fun. The food is subpar, average at best. I do like the gator tacos/burritos. It's your typical Tex Mex in the heart of Gainesvile's Downtown. I go to Boca Fiesta for the aesthetic. This is a fun place to meet up for a happy hour on the patio. Their large picnic tables easily seat 8 and their drinks are strong. I'm a house margarita on the rocks gal myself. I recently met up with some friends for drinks and dinner. I ordered the steak taco (average), shrimp taco (pretty good), and gator taco (this one wins). Their mango habanero? hot sauce is killer. No seriously, killer use lightly since it is strong. I got the ELOTE AND IT WAS WORTH IT! Delicious, crunchy, savory, all around good. This place has your typical hipster vibes but the wait is worth it for a little fun. read more

Boca Fiesta - I could have done without the steak taco (right) but the shrimp (center) and gator (left) were BALLER. Elote was a MUST. - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

10% of our total bill was charged to sauces our waitress didn't mention weren't free, we wouldn't have ordered them otherwise. Rachel - didn't mention anything about their sauces being extra, when every other restaurant experience would reinforce that sauces are free unless noted otherwise. The menu is visually deceptive, and when confronting the waitress of our hoodwink, she responded with a snark, "well that's just just what the prices are" - having no sympathy for my confusion. Again, I expressed that the menu did not show them as extra and I felt defrauded as a customer. Astounded that someone working in customer service role could have so little understanding for my situation, my next thought was to call a manager, since I wasn't getting through to her. She informed me I could reach no such resolution, nor could she even change the bill, since there was no manager present in the restaurant. We Were having a great restaurant experience until I was unfairly overcharged and served up the terrible attitude presented by our waitress. Won't be going back until Management reaches back out to make it right. Will update of such is the case read more

I was hesitant to come here from the beginning, BUT decided it was important to give it a go! Sadly, it fulfilled all of my expectations that kept me away from this place for 3 years. Our expected wait time was 45 minutes to an hour, which was pretty long but we felt committed enough to stick to it. We ordered margaritas and waited for TWO HOURS. GIVEN, we did have a party of 7 and it was a Friday night. But wow. Once we were seated, the wait staff was so rough to us. Don't expect them to introduce themselves, or talk to you about their favorite dish on the menu, or explain the check policy... ha, none of that. They were really incredibly rude and dismissive to us, and did not make eye contact. We then waited half an hour for our food and ravenously chowed down on the chips and salsa. Once our food arrived, it was 9:45 pm. We got to Boca at 6:45 pm. Yikes. I ordered a tempeh burrito. It was good! I can't say it exceeded my expectations and I could very easily assemble a burrito of equal quality, but I did appreciate the fact that they offered a high quality vegetarian option and not just some shredded lettuce and rice and beans or whatever. There is no reason to not be completely satisfied with your dining options in Gainesville, I can promise you I will never ever return to this establishment. EXPLORE!!!!! read more

Saturday night, 10/20, a group of 9 of us stopped by to eat after an event. Boca has a policy of not splitting the check for parties of 8 or more. Had we known that was going to be so complicated, we would have gone elsewhere. They will take up to 7 credit cards, but we have to make change for cash amongst ourselves. Our server gave us a laminated card that explained the reasoning behind this practice, which still didn't seem like a good reason for the policy. In the end it was MORE hassle and MORE time consuming than had he just processed 9 cards. It was ridiculous. Not a single one of the 9 people (some currently servers) at our table had ever experienced anything like this in all of our time dining out. The whole experience ended our successful event on an extremely sour note. We will not be back as a group and we will advise no one else to either. read more

I've been coming here since 2012 and I have never been disappointed! Vegan fried Mac and cheese balls and Elote (pictured) are my favorite menu items. Great variety of vegetarian options. They always have a great beer and margarita selection too! Best part is that they are pup friendly and have plenty of outdoor seating. read more

Boca Fiesta - Vegan Mac and cheese balls and Elote - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

The service here is absolutely horrendous. The food is good but DEFINITELY not worth the way we were treated. We were told the wait would be 45 minutes to an hour and we were not seated until two hours later. When we were finally seated, the waitress was incredibly rude to us and disrespectful. What a shame that this restaurant is staffed by such rude people. Incredibly disappointed. read more

Very simple and objective, had a bad past few days, came here to grab a drink. Was shouted at by female bartender to get away from the bar because we were in the wrong spot to order a drink(the bar). Then proceed to stand waiting on the other bartender who skips us a couple times perhaps on mistake but then goes and serves the area we were shouted away from earlier and skips right over us for other attractive patrons who had just arrived. Then the margarita didn't have any rim and he closed out my tab without asking when we wanted to order more. Then the bartender strolled around outside a half an hour till close so we really couldn't order anything. read more

The food is great. The queso is amazing and you get PLENTY for $5. I had the TVP burrito and I loved it. The atmosphere is interesting - hit or miss, really. At 1AM, I didn't really care. I'd say the best way to get Boca is to order takeout. I'll explain further. I want to give this place 5 stars, but the service was pretty terrible. Our server mixed up my vegetarian burrito and my boyfriend's steak burrito, she was unfriendly, and she never refilled our drinks. It's a shame since the food is so good. Overall, I'd say you should get it to-go and enjoy it in the comfort of your own home. read more

Update: this place still sucks. The food still is amazing..... the food is not the problem. Everything else is. I recently went here with a party of 11. They put us all on one check and said we can use 7 card made us split it up and put stickers on card.... sorry but in a college town if we are going out with this big of a groups it's obviously for a reason. It's my friends bday. Do you think we want to sit here figuring out how much each person owes? It's ridiculous. We've spent more time figuring out what everyone owes than eating here. Then the people who work here and the most grumble people I've ever met in my life. Holy moly I don't understand if you HATE people why you work as a server.......there is one person here who is sweet and smiles and I wants to give him our til because the other people slugged around miserably waiting on is. This place needs a bar rescue. Original review: This place really makes me sad, they continue to disappoint me. I've been here multiple times. The second to last time I came I got my car towed out of the parking lot I thought boca fiesta paid for. After coming back to my car being gone the towing place said boca is the only place in the plaza that doesn't pay to let their customer park there. They just think everyone walks here so they done tell people hey just to make sure you parking is our parking space they could care less. The services is blah. They are nice but most act like you are annoying them. Now the most recent time I've been here. I came around 11:30 keep in mind they serve food until 2. I ordered something off the late night compatible menu-- chips and quest. The chips came our rock hard and stone cold. They tasted stale as heck. I asked a server walking by if they made any fresh. They stop making them early in the day so I'm just paying for stale chips and hot queso just because it's late night but they serve everything else hot? It's just pricey to pay for cold and stale chips.Boca has so much potential I wish they would try!! Their other good so far has been good. That is the only thing that have going for them. The drinks are Pretty tasted as well. Please pay attention to the little thing they add up. If you're going to to change This much at east hold your end of the deal. read more

I hadn't been here since COVID, but came here last night with my moms and son. I was happy to see that they have expanded the outside seating to make a safe and comfortable place for the diners and staff. The food is always delicious here! I honestly haven't branched out much past the chips and the fish tacos, but of course I have tasted other items here like the enchiladas and the fried mac & cheese. Two things which I think are unique on the menu: the HOMEMADE margaritas (so yummy and fresh!) and the fresh made-at-the-table guacamole. I have never had to be in charge of making the guacamole at a restaurant before... so it was a bit nerve wracking for some reason (even though I make it at home all the time haha)... but it turned out really good! I literally just dumped in all of the ingredients they provided and it was delicious. This is a staple of Downtown Gainesville... happy to support the local business. read more

Food/Drinks: Portions and the food itself was really good! I had the chorizo burrito which was almost too big to finish. You buy the tacos individually, but they are still a pretty decent size, I think 2-3 tacos is a good portion size. The friend I was with ordered a margarita and it was TINY for $8 (it was maybe 8oz). They give you free chips and salsa though, which is nice. Prices: Tacos are $3.5 each, burritos are $8, (both are a little more for local gator tacos) and appetizers are $8-11. So not bad, but as I said... the drinks are very small. Service: People were friendly enough, and were very patient with us (it took us a while to really look through the menu). The waitress also brought us both water right as we sat down, which we desperately needed. Environment/Location: They have a lot of nice outdoor seating. It's a really homey and hip-looking place. Nice downtown area, there are other restaurants, bars and a record shop along the streets nearby. There's also a lot of art on the walls of the buildings around that area. read more

Really sorry to give this review, but the food I received from an order delivered from 352 delivery last week was not the same as I had it before. The mac and cheese balls recipe changed! There was no cheese inside the ball, all the cheese was outside and there were jalapeños inside it, it was never like this how I remembered at the beginning of the year. The food all together just didn't sit right. They packaged it fine and the presentation was fine, and got the orders right. We had the corn and enchiladas. I always came to Boca Fiesta to get food and margaritas and everything was great and Boca was always good, then COVID happened and it seems like the cooking changed. It's not how I remember it being or tasting. I would love to get food from you guys again, but this time wasn't it I'm sorry, I was just disappointed. read more