Now THIS is Mexican food! #stlouispescatarianapproved @stlouispescatarians on instagram La Manganita... Cherokee Street's hidden gem for authentic Mexican cuisine! The small, unassuming spot boasts a vibrant community atmosphere. Don't be fooled by the modest exterior--the aromas from the shawarma machine lure you in. The arroz con camarones is both massive and phenomenal, accompanied by a delightful array of perfectly spiced salsas. A must-try for Mexican food enthusiasts! read more

Craved Mexican last night and we have a ton of great options in the City of St. Louis. I chose La Manganita because we loved it the first time and we don't eat on Cherokee street enough. I got the Poblano Soup special and it was fantastic. I didn't really know how to eat it with the tortillas but it was great. Lots of food, I couldn't finish it. My boyfriend loved his tacos. He especially loves their menu because you can get shrimp with everything. The guacamole is the best I've ever had. The green sauce is exceptional. The margarita was okay, a little too sweet and a little too green. The service was great! The atmosphere was as expected. We were the only native English speakers there, it's a proper little Mexican restaurant. We'll be back. read more

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The food is always consistently amazing and the staff is always happy to have you in there. Took friends and they all loved it, the ceviche and spicy tamarind margarita are a must try as well as the squash blossom tacos. They had a man singing and he was great at moving around the space and loved his take on the songs. Will always bring people here for a good time and great food! read more

La Manganita - Shrimp taco, grilled poblano and cheese taco, squash blossom taco, spicy tamarind margarita - Mexican Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Love everything we have ordered here. My son is obsessed with the salsa, and I don't think we've ordered anything that we didn't love! Food is always hot and we never leave hungry. Service is great and it's one of the best places on Chippewa! read more

Food was great. Service was good. We loved the outdoor seating. We will be going again

I mean everything was delicious and authentic. Our waitress was pleasant and helpful. The service was good and the potions are plentiful for the price. My whole Tilapia was deep fried and delicious moist and well seasoned with crispy skin. My husband had the chimichanga said it was the best he ever had. Beautifully painted walls of a village countryside in Mexico. The seating is quaint and comfortable. We will be back and bring friends. read more

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Everything was good and authentic just one request the steak was over cooked in maj other then that I'll be back again read more

La Manganita - Mexican Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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This place is easy to miss driving/walking by it. Kinda wish I had missed it. The inside is cramped, and when we we there was a table of about 10 people being incredibly loud and annoying. The menu is odd, mentioning vague things they offer but no specifics. Also it offers prices at all. The margaritas were pure margarita mix, and no tequila. Almost undrinkable. The Al pastor tacos were very lacking in flavor and dry, and the chorizo tacos just okay. The only good thing here was the queso. read more

La Manganita - Al pastor tacos - Mexican Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

BEST TACOS IN STL!! I'm from a border town in Texas and can say that these tacos are some of the best I've had in general but the best traditional tacos I've had in STL! This is one of the hardest places to find. It's in the middle of the block on Cherokee rights across from El Bronco, next to the Alley on the left. The first time I went and any time I meet anyone here, there's always confusion since there's no sign. Everything is awesome!! I am not a fan of sweet drinks, so I stick with their beer selection. We started with the Queso (cheese dip) and guacamole, both were great. My highlight is their tacos. I love everything that they have - chorizo, carnitas, fish, shrimp (Cameron's),.. but my favorite is their vegetarian that's cheese with poblano peppers! The tacos are large and more of a street taco style. Go ASAP!! read more

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We like to look for authentic cuisine when we travel to new cities and tried this place this past weekend. The waitress we had couldn't have been nicer to my friends and our daughters. Very helpful and welcoming to us. She made us feel at home right when we got there. When we walked in she pulled a couple tables together to make us comfortable. She suggested the pork soup to my friend. He said it was the best soup he has ever had. It was a slow cooked pork soup which had a little spice. The waitress was helpful in telling him that the tortilla, lettuce and veggies on the side were to be put in the soup. He said the soup was even better after he put those items in. They brought out chips and salsa as soon as we got there, but we also ordered the queso. Both were very good. I ordered the burrito and it was served with fries. The burrito was the size of a Chipotle burrito, but their ingredients were all fresh. I got the steak burrito. The waitress brought out a couple bowls of hot sauce to use with our meal. A green and a red sauce. I tried the red and it added a nice flavor to the burrito. If you are looking for a real Mexican meal, i would recommend trying this place out. The place is small and the sign is not very big so it can be hard to find. read more

La Manganita - Pork soup and coke served in a bottle. - Mexican Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Giant taco salad was absolutely delicious. I got the mixed meats - chicken, beef and shrimp and all cooked to perfection. read more

La Manganita - Taco salad w mixed meat - Mexican Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Wow, I really love this place! First, I had NO idea that this area on Cherokee Street existed and I'm really looking forward to not only coming back here, but also to exploring more of the businesses and restaurants. A friend of mine organized a taco crawl for Halloween lunch and we started at this authentic Mexican restaurant. Our table of 10 filled half of this small space, other tables were full, the music was loud and the smells coming from the kitchen were amazing! I did not feel like we were in St. Louis anymore. LOL! We were the only gringos there, and I take that as a great sign that the food is a) authentic and b) seriously good! The chips were thick and the salsas were above average. In addition to the chunky, smokey red salsa, they also offered a green salsa that was super spicy and an orange salsa that was a slow burn. We all ordered street tacos and I had one al pastor taco and one Chicharrón con chili taco. I was expecting the chicharrones on the taco to be crunchy, but it was more soft and gelatinous and a texture I'm still a little weirded out by, but the flavor was great and it was very spicy. The Al Pastor taco was exceptional. So yummy. Everyone else really loved their food and I will definitely come back. A gentleman at the table next to us ordered the Molcajete and it looked absolutely fantastic so I know I will be ordering that next time! His had shrimp, chicken, chorizo and an entire steak! Wow. He let me know they have a good seafood one too. I also ordered a Paloma cocktail and it was really delicious. The ambience was very festive, the wait staff was dressed for Halloween and service was outstanding. Our server was a gem! read more

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Went here for a celebration and even though the place is small they accommodated our party of 7 which was nice. A more authentic feel for a Mexican restaurant tacos, salsa verde and drinks were great! Cheese dip and salsa just alright I've had better. Service was also great, I don't have to run back but worth the stop in! read more

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Just a simple, no frills, really tasty taco shop. The tacos were fantastic, all of them. The only reason I didn't give this place 5-stars was because there were no prices on the menu, or at least prices that make any sense. So it's just kind of a "Surprise" when you go to pay. Otherwise, great dinner spot. read more

I had stopped coming to Cherokee Street for Mexican food because for me the few options were over rated. I visited La Manganita for the first time a few months and then returned back with my daughter last week. The food was consistent and service is prompt. I ordered the torta de azada and was definitely satisfied. The flavor was great. My daughter, who is 5, really enjoys their tacos de azada with cilantro and onions. She finished the three that she ordered. I would definitely give this place a shot. This is no El Maguey so if you are looking for the Americanized Mexican food that has melted cheese on everything this place is not for you. read more

Authentic. Super nice staff. The food hits the spot. Small space - but perfect. Love it.

Great new Mexican restaurant on Cherokee Street. Homemade tortillas, terrific pastor and shrimp tacos. The staff is friendly and the drinks are phenomenal. Try the cantaritas. (Tequila, grapefruit soda, lime and spices). YUM!! read more

Great food, great cerveza selection, and authentic freshly made tortillas, will be coming back

Awesome food and great service high quality food and amazing people .small but very friendly

This place is still so good. The tacos al pastor and tacos de camaron on their homemade tortillas are hands down the best in the metro. Just a few tables so it can get very busy but the waitresses are friendly and efficient. Their green hot salsa is possibly my favorite salsa ever, and this is coming from someone who regularly makes salsa at home because no green salsa is good enough, but theirs is unique and enough by itself to keep me coming back, sometimes twice in a week like i did this week. Good enough for me to review them twice for emphasis. read more

Came across this place looking for a Mexican breakfast. Luckily they had pozole for the weekend which was delicious and had enough leftovers for breakfast the following day. Tried their potato and cheese taquito which was on special for the day. Tried the Chorizo, tripas, pastor, asador tacos and rice and beans- all of which were delicious. The service was very accommodating and friendly. Will definitely be back, some of the best Mexican food I've had in St. Louis. read more

La Manganita - Mexican Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Before COVID it was a sit down dinner. Now you have to prepay for everything and for extras like cheese and sourceam. You have lost my business. Food is now not fresh read more

Best Mexican I have ever ate (tortas al pastor special on Tuesdays). A must eat if looking for authentic Mexican in STL.

I have been here twice and will be back a 3 and 4 times or until I try everything. Agree with above "hidden " so do have address. Friendly staff. Small lively restaurant with lots of authentic food and smiles. read more