We are rating the food only... (Servers are AMAZING!) We come here quite often; today we tried, for the first time, the botana for 2. Fajitas were delicious. But...they seemed to put a pile of chips with VERY LITTLE CHEESE. We had to ask for more cheese. For a pile of chips n cheese and fajita with 2 plates of rice n beans it's $35.99. For panchos it's $16.99. Basically the same thing with less rice and beans. I'm not sure we will order this again. read more

La Playa Mexican Cafe - Botana for 2. - Seafood Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

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Nice atmosphere with music in the background. Very spacious. Seated and greeted quickly even the big group I showed up with. Very friendly staff. Server was great kept checking on us even after food was almost finished. Everyone liked what they ate. I really liked the chicken spinach very tasty. I'll be back to explore menu. Nice clean spacious bathrooms. read more

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The service was excellent. We were seated immediately, despite being a party of 6. Our drink orders were promptly taking, and their margarita were very refreshing on that hot day! Our group ordered, and appetizers were brought promptly. Very delicious! The main courses came quickly after, and we left very full. Everything was amazing and authentic texmex. Highly recommended! read more

La Playa Mexican Cafe - View from the private dining room door. Perfect for events! - Seafood Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

Very friendly wait staff. Definitely felt like a 90s restaurant that never changed and honestly doesn't need to. The meal was good. The beer was fairly priced. I have not had slabs of carnitas before but they were tender. Kinda loud but it was a Saturday evening crowd. Overall I'd like to try more read more

La Playa Mexican Cafe - Carnitas - Seafood Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

We keep coming back here. Tex-Mex cuisines excellent, fast serving and great customer service. read more

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Great Salsa, chips were store bought Amazing Spinach mushroom enchiladas Good armadillos, next time I will request them well done. read more

La Playa Mexican Cafe - Spinach Enchiladas - Seafood Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

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Good food and a lively patio. Dog friendly patio and the staff was attentive and friendly.

Would have given a five last year. This year the Margaritas are very weak, watered down. Seafood enchilada which I dearly love was lacking seasoning. Still enjoy the seafood Cancun and the chimichanga. read more

What a great family Mexican restaurant. Nothing super special. The service was great. The menu had plenty of standard options and the food tasted good. I had the Enchiladas Mole (my standard). The menu stated a "spicy" mole sauce. It was more sweet than spicy. Good, but thick. The refried beans were the star of the plate. Great flavor and a little kick. The best I've ever tasted. read more

La Playa Mexican Cafe - Enchiladas de Mole - Seafood Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

Service was great - very attentive. Food was just ok - not good enough for me to return. The fried avacado was inedible. I thought the fajita taco would have peppers and onions. The tortilla soup was flavorful, but I missed the chicken. Loved the saltwater fish tank. read more

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The water tastes horrible. It affects the way the sodas taste, and even the fish! Waitstaff was attentive and professional for our party of 9--but it's absolutely ridiculous how horrible their water tastes. It's not that expensive to bring some water from the outside to mitigate their issue! The smell was also a bit off, musty smelling as if they need to work on their cleaning. read more

Visited Harlingen from Southern California, so we know good Mexican food. This place was great! The inside of the restaurant is much larger than it seems from the outside. A LOT of seating areas and rooms for private parties. We came in at around 2pm and we did not have to wait at all. They just had to rearrange some tables to accommodate our party of 7. Service was very friendly and very good. Made sure our drinks/waters were filled and checked in on us an appropriate amount of times. Food quality was great as well. I got the puffy tacos (which aren't TOO common in SoCal, but we have specialty taco places that sell them) and those were delicious! The chicken and beef were good quality. The margaritas were very tasty and the lightweight me was left with a pleasant Asian glow. Overall, this place is a great Mexican spot to visit when you want to get good Mexican restaurant food. I highly recommend it. read more

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One of my favorite spots here in Harlingen from the day doors opened. Good service, polite and respectful staff, quiet spaces with availability for larger crowds . Prices are slightly higher than surrounding Mexican/Tex-Mex restaurants. The food, ambiance & drinks never disappoint. The staff & managers aim to make your meal an enjoyable experience so everyone leaves happy. ....with a full belly lol. House margaritas are no joke read more

Food was very tasty. Ordered La Reina plate and the meat was very good. The beef was seasoned very well. The rice was just ok. The beans were good. Salsa has a bit of a kick to it but not too spicy - I can't handle a lot of spicy food. The ambience was very casual. Service was quick and friendly. The bathrooms are decorated really nice. Surprisingly nice for a restaurant. There was plenty of parking. I would come back here again. read more

Great good Great service Out 60th Anniversary party was accommodated perfectly for 20 people Would highly recommend read more

Took my mother-in-law for her 89th birthday this past weekend, and was told these guys might be the best option for food, service and ambiance. Really love the feel of the interior and their wait staff, but wasn't impressed by the food. Wife had a fish filet that seemed to have more grilled veggies in the sauce than actual flavor to the fish. Everyone's rice was cold and the beans didn't have much taste either. I love trying the flour tortillas at every "mexican" restaurant I go to so you know I had to order them with my Fajitas guisada plate and they were a definite 3 out of 10 for me. I would never order them again, so that pretty much tells you I'd never eat there again. At least three of our party members said that their food was either lukewarm or cold.....ya'll need to do better guys!! Honestly would have given them a two but their model negra Michelada was top notch, so that has to be a star in and of itself. I'm used to higher plate prices in larger cities, but for an establishment in the valley, you could definitely say this place is definitely over-rated! read more

La Playa Mexican Cafe - Fajitas guisadas - Seafood Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

The service was amazing and the food was perfect. The amount of food was more than I expected.

This place has a large menu with many of the Mexican staples. The chicken portions are so great. After a gym session the "pollo asado" with veggies did wonders for me. Service is super attentive and helpful he ambiance is super relax but very nice at the same time. read more

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The smell of wet mop in there. It has a rancid odor The food is mediocre The ambience is nice read more

I was in town on a business trip and asked a local where to get some great Mexican food, and they suggested La Playa. It is a modest restaurant with a variety of street tacos, fajitas, seafood, enchiladas and botanas platters. I chose the stuffed avocado, and it was the best one I've ever eaten. I got mine stuffed with beef fajita meat and covered with chile con queso. The thing that made this entree so good was the breading on the avocado. It was lightly breaded and fried to perfection. The entree included a fajita taco, rice and tortilla soup. The soup was perfectly seasoned chicken broth with mushrooms, topped with Monterrey jack cheese, rice, and tortilla strips. The mushrooms were an odd combination for tortillas soup, but delightful. The beef fajita held tender, juicy meat, wrapped around n a homemade flour tortilla. I would love to come back to this quaint little restaurant the next time I am in town. This read more

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La Playa is our go-to after doctor's appointments in Harlingen. Today, they did not disappoint! My husband and I usually order our regulars, for me, that's the stuffed avocado with fajita chicken. I thought I'd change it up today, and I'm so glad I did! I ordered the chicken and spinach, and oh my goodness gracious, it was absolutely delicious . I can't even put the mushroom sauce into words; it was so good. The side of grilled veggies--carrots, broccoli, and zucchini--were cooked perfectly. Not too mushy and not too hard. I would have liked to thank the chef who cooked it, but he was off right after cooking our meal, sadly. Our waitress, Elvia, whom we've had before, was fabulous as always. She is a charming young woman, always with a smile on her face. #Restaurant #Food #Harlingen #Dinner #Experience #Service #Meal #Veggies #Sauce #Chicken #Spinach #Avocado #Fajita #Chef #Waitress #Smile read more

Food excellent Service fast and friendly Ambiance pleasant Yelp is annoying Yelp is annoying Yelp is annoying read more

They have great service and the portion sizes are huge. The atmosphere was very traditional and was warm and welcoming.

Food was very good as for service it was bad our waiter forgot about us. When we first arrived they sat us and no one came around for like 15 minutes. read more

Very freindly people always there when you need them very good food my family loves it there

Food is delicious! Decently priced! Drinks are great! Patio great for pets! They were very attentive to my dogs needs! Waiter was very friendly and personable! Was telling us about all his pets at home :) read more

Man this is a popular restaurant. Several people recommended it to us at the hotel. We tried it and loved. There was a wait inside. We were hungry and choose to sit outside. It was a nice day yesterday a bit windy but perfect to get service right away and eat. You can tell the chips are fresh. We found a hair in our salsa but our waiter brought us a new one no problem (things happen sometimes). We got drinks, entrees, and dessert. I personally loved the mixed taco platter and had to finish my dinner with sopapillas. My group also ordered the tres Leches. Hands down delish. This is the place to go! read more

La Playa Mexican Cafe - Frozen Mango Margarita - Seafood Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

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I've been coming here since they opened. I've never been disappointed with anything. I've eaten here, I really like the fajitas. I like how thin they cut them and they're not chewy and tough. They're always tender. The service is very fast and very good. It can get really loud in there, especially when it's packed at lunch, but that's part of the charm. read more

My wife and I we go here on a several occasions, we have been there when the restaurant was just swamped busy as all get out the service the food, the hospitality everything was just fantastic the other day we went there for dinner and I was it was anything but pleasant. The food was cold it came out different batches. The server was not the greatest. He was standing right next to us texting on his phone. The food really was not that good.. However, the manager happen to come by and asked how our meal was we talk to him he was very pleasant very understanding. We told him of our issues and he resolve the issue. Immediately this is service I can live with. I understand a restaurant sometimes having a bad day , but when the manager steps in like that and makes it right immediately, my heads off to LaPlaya, I will definitely be going back there for dinner. read more

The outside murals and places to take photos in this restaurant are absolutely wonderfully... but we are here for the food! Let me start by saying we had amazingly quick and responsive service that was very friendly! The food was actually a 4.5 stars but I couldn't put that down. If you go do not miss out on the beans, by far some of the tastiest I've ever had! The El Rey plate was a good size potion of Beef, Chicken, shrimp and scallops along with the peppers and onions and all were very very good. Why this wasn't a full 5 star review was because the rice was a tad bit dry and the flour tortillas seemed mass produced (kind of rubbery) just not very authentic. Otherwise a great experience! read more

La Playa Mexican Cafe - El Rey - Seafood Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

Excellent food, friendly service and the atmosphere is cozy! I really recommend this restaurant. We love to celebrate birthdays and just to come and enjoy a meal with the family! read more

Every time to come to Harlingen to visit family, I make sure to stop by La Playa! Absolutely delicious Mexican food that rivals my favorite places in California. Extremely flavorful, fun ambiance, and great service! Next time I'm in Harlingen I can't wait to return! read more

La Playa Mexican Cafe - Yum!! - Seafood Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

Celebrating our 10 year anniversary at La Playa our Waiter was Diego whoever hired Diego made a good choice he definitely was taking care of business did inform the manager Mr Ochoa that Diego was doing a great job food was excellent and so was the service will certainly return read more

La Playa Mexican Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

The botana had one piece of fajita and chicken and one sausage the rest was all chips and costed a total of 35$!!!! That's ridiculous! Super expensive out of pocket! And the shrimp cocktail was so bland after adding lime and salt and pepper still was bland shrimp weren't peeled correctly! I had one bite for 16$ it should've been way better! The food was all cold not hot at all, we won't be coming back They deserve ZERO STARS ! Service wasn't great either not one refill were we offered . I let the server know what I thought about the price for the amount of food ! It was easily a 15$ botana but paid 35$ , VERY DISAPPOINTED . read more

La Playa Mexican Cafe - Terrible food for prices - Seafood Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

HARLINGEN, TX: Enchiladas Verdes and Stuffed Avocado. Five stars both! Nice ambience and food was delicious. Tomatillo sauce was superb on the enchiladas with all the right proportions. Avocado was amazing--not a common dish and they executed well-crispy outside with soft and well balanced interior. read more

La Playa Mexican Cafe - Enchiladas Verdes and Stuffed Avocado. Five stars both! - Seafood Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

Service could have been better. The food was so good. I had the chicken fajitas. They were excellent flavor and taste. Chicken was tender overall 10 out of 10. read more

This place is a hidden gem! The food was amazing, and the service was top-notch. John made the whole experience so enjoyable by explaining the menu and suggesting some great items. Definitely coming back! read more

The chips and tortillas are too thick for my taste. No puffy tacos for dinner It's loud! Now, the food! Wow! The fajita Milanesa is like Mexican veal Parmesan! Fantastic! My wife had the fried stuffed (with fajita) avacado, we have never heard of that before. She said "this is sinful! I wish this restaurant was where we live! Yum! read more

Food and drink were great. Place was VERY noisy. Price was affordable. ...comparable to other restaurant. Mariachis were roaming. Service was a little slow but they were very busy. read more

Visiting from out of town and if I'm ever back, I will definitely eat here again! Not only was the food delicious, but they accommodated my family's dietary needs (vegetarian, allergies, picky eater). They made so many modifications and adjusted menu items...and all of it turned out just wonderful!! Super nice staff! And if you like flan, definitely get it here. My mom is still talking about it! read more