This used to be my favorite Mexican restaurant. Over the years, the taste isn't the same. The service is still good, the pricing is still fair but that's where the good times end. The salsa lacks flavor and is often watery and full of stems. The chicken is often dry and lacks seasoning. No salt, no pepper...nothing. The ambiance is typical-festive and upbeat. But until they get better cooks, I may have to take my money elsewhere. I am trying to limit eating out to 2 times per week, so when I do, I want it to be enjoyable, not a waste of money and calories. Please do better! read more

Los Arcos - Flaming Cheese with steak - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Los Arcos is still a great place to go! The portions seem a little smaller but the prices are great! On Tuesdays, they have $0.99 hard tacos. They even added popsicles with lots of flavors. read more

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It's very rare that I'll have a bad experience at a Mexican restaurants, but this one that I'm disappointed with. The salsa they brought out tasted old without any flavor that I had to add hot sauce to give it some taste. Our waitress was ok, but we had to repeat ourselves several times just because the language barrier was off. Me and my friend ordered steak quesadilla and it seemed like they tried to pass off shredded beef for shredded steak because when we got our food, it tasted nothing like steak. The whole experience was disappointing and it's likely that I won't come back. read more

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Whenever I'm back in Birmingham, I will make my way to this Los Arcos location because my goodness my food was absolutely delicious and I am so appreciative of our server. I didn't see what I wanted on the menu and I asked him if they could give me arroz con pollo con queso and they delivered exactly what I was looking for. Thank you! Thank you! It was so good, perfectly cooked, well seasoned. I loved it. I now see why the restaurant was packed with hungry customers. read more

Los Arcos - Arroz con pollo con queso - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

When I first went here, I was surprised. I came from California and had been looking for good Mexican food. It really "feels" like good Mexican food. It's authentic with a great atmosphere. It's extremely affordable and has good chips and delicious salsa. The service is also super quick with all smiles. I come back every week and will continue to. I also would highly recommend the fajita burrito. Love this place - always the highlight of my week. read more

Los Arcos - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Stumbled on this gem after working an event at Cahaba Brewery and so happy we stopped in! It was so good we came back the following day for seconds. Don't forget to get an ice cream on your way out! read more

To start with being from Texas, where you find true authentic Mexican food on every corner it was a blessing to find this gem just 20 mins from our home. The people, atmosphere and food were pure perfection. The best Mexican food I've tasted in Alabama. I highly recommend this place, we will definitely be regulars. If you like spicy salsa just ask for the one that's more picoso. .. "Viva Mexico" read more

While traveling chose to visit Los Arcos near Irondale. The restaurant is in a shopping center with plenty of parking. I was seated quickly and chips and salsa came immediately. The salsa was thick and chunky, lots of flavor. I had the Pechuga Hawaiana which is a grilled chicken breast pounded flat then topped with with pineapple chunks, diced ham and a white cheese sauce. Served with rice and beans. The menu said it came with tortillas although I never got them and really did not need it with this dish. Fast service, and the server checked in several times during the meal. read more

Los Arcos - All Day Pechuga Hawalana - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Los Arcos is my favorite mexican restaurant in the birmingham area! The staff is always friendly and the food is delicious and fresh! My boyfriend and I love their quesabirria pizza and their horchata! We visited Los Arcos for an early dinner and it never disappoints. Funny enough this was the first mexican restaurant we had tried in the area and it was so good we haven't gone anywhere else! The restaurant is always clean and organized. You always have left overs to bring home which is a plus! This is definitely a local restaurant you won't want to miss! read more

I've been going here quite a bit this year for their four $7.99 lunch specials (drink included!). All good, nice staff... until today! The cashier guy was nearly VICIOUS. Pissed. He tried to charge me $14.99 for a $7.99 lunch, then fast and furiously changed the amount FIVE times on the register, asking "what did you just say, Sir", etc. etc. There is a BIG sign as you enter with these specials. What a complete A-HOLE. Total Richard. Never going back. read more

The food is terrible. Do not ask for more chips or give them any sort of sas about it or they will make your food awful! The ambiance is awful super loud but empty. read more

I sat at the bar very quiet but nice. Loved the food. I judge a place like this by the rice.. cooked perfectly. Definitely will be returning to try more of the menu.. some menu item are exclusive to the location. Service was okay but I don't think it was my waitress station but idc! read more

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i visited today at 3 in the afternoon. I used to drop in often, was one of first customers on opening night. Today the salsa was just crushed tomatoes with no seasoning. What really twisted my stilts was when paying tab I am told the cost of domestic light beer was $7.95. Seems I could have been informed as I have never ever been charged that price even at the airport. Also discovered price increase on food hasn't been posted on menu either. Terribly disappointed. Sadly I'm done read more

Seven words.. do not go on Cinco de Mayo lol I will not base my review on that day because it was hectic. Other than that food is really good here! I've gone a few times outside of Cinco de Mayo and it's delicious. Service is always quick and Margaritas aren't my favorite but they do the job. Seating is abundant and so it parking. I love their Chorizo dip and their quesadillas! read more

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2 dollar Rita's and talipia fajitas always on point for me lunch time is best time to go and server good dude

I had high hopes for this GNO spot but it didn't do it for me. The salsa was extremely thick and looked sorta like ketchup. It didn't taste that great either . The food was very mediocore at best. I ordered the fiesta fajitas which consisted of steak , chicken and shrimp served with the traditional peppers , onions and tomatoes. The servings were plentiful so that's a plus but the dish seemed overcooked to me. Overcooked and really not much seasoning at all! Everyone in my party just said their meals were just okay ... nothing special! Their watermelon margaritas were quite refreshing to the taste . I don't know if I'll try this restaurant again but if I do, it won't be for the food. As far as service , our waiter did a good job. read more

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I really like the food but the service and quality checks always fail me. Whether we order from DoorDash or order for pickup, there is always something wrong or missing from our order. I really hate it because it's such a hassle and inconvenience. We pay so much for food and half the order is in the bag. We always ask if the entire order is in the bag before leaving and are incorrectly reassured everything is there. They tie super knots in the bags so you would have to rip it completely open to even check the order bed you leave. Good food but MAKE SURE TO DOUBLE CHECK YOUR ORDER, ESPECIALLY DOORDASH. read more

Los Arcos - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Boy, oh boy. I don't think we have ever had a bad experience at Los Arcos, I have lived in this area for 6 years now and this IS the best place for Mexican food. I learned a long time ago, you want good food, go to where the indigenous population goes. They know the best value and taste for the money. The food has always been tasty n comes out hot, and plenty of it. The staff is always friendly and always willing to help with a quick Spanish lesson. This is the place where we bring out of town guests, cold beer, good chips and salsa and welcoming environment. read more

My coworkers and I go here pretty often. The staff is great! Really quick service, friendly, and able to answer any questions I have. The chips/salsa and melted queso are good, as evidenced by my asking for my own bowl of salsa every time and devouring two baskets of chips. My favorite dishes are the fiesta bow and the flaming cheese. They are kind of similar but their differences are enough to make it an interesting switch up on visits. The food has great flavor, the service is great, I have experienced the same consistent product on every visit, and the prices are good. We will be back. read more

This is my favorite place to eat love the food and staff. Great drinks ! Not so pricey

Los Arcos has wonderful service when you visit the restaurant and the food is pretty good, but I don't recommend placing a to go order. You'll pay $4.99 for 2.5oz of queso and a tiny bag of chips. I love supporting local, but I might as well go to moe's to get three times the amount of queso and chips for the same price. It's giving stingy vibes tbh read more

Great food and service. I had the sizzling cheese with Chicken. I like food that you need to let it cool off a bit before you can eat it. This meal doesn't disappoint. Can't wait to back and have the meal again. read more

One of the worst Mexican restaurants I've eaten at I had a chicken chimichanga it was nasty asf and they didn't put my rice in and my chips were cold read more

Los arcos is my new favorite Mexican restaurant!! We've been ordering our food through door dash and even though we live 15 minutes away the food is still steaming hot and the queso is still creamy when it gets to us! The flaming cheese is delicious and the fajita burrito is my husbands first choice. The portion sizes are huge so we always have enough left over for another meal or two. The salsa is pretty good, not very spicy so most people will enjoy it, and it still has good flavor to it. read more

Los Arcos - Chicken fajita burrito - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I've come to this shopping center so often, but I never ate at Los Arcos until last week. I had lunch here with my friend Casi and her son Harrison. He will be joining us for margaritas in about 20.5 years lol. The staff was super friendly, and our waiter was an absolute delight making sure we were taken care of. We started off with the complimentary chips and salsa. Delicious! We also ordered some queso. Wow. This is probably the best queso I've ever had? It was different cause it was thick, chunky, and saltier than any other queso I've ever had. I can't stop thinking about it! They must use real cheese and not the powder and water like most seem to be. For my main entree, I got an a la carte steak quesadilla. There were many quesadilla options and their lunch special menu is huge! Most lunch specials came with beans and rice which I usually don't get at Mexican places so a steak a la carte was enough for me since we also had chips, salsa, and queso. The steak was cooked perfectly, and was delicious. Not that cheap Taco bell steak at all. The restaurant itself was whimsically decorated, and it was just the perfect place for lunch for us! read more

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As I am coming up fast on 3 years since my first review, it is time to start diving into some updated reviews. Maybe in my old age I am not as critical... or maybe I am more critical. But what sparked this inspiration was a visit to this nearby Mexican place when we first moved to this side of town. It was a little late one night and we wanted something close to our house to eat. Los Arcos fit the bill, so we decided it was time to give it another shot after a very average experience last time. I am not sure if management changed, it was a bad night, or what the deal was. But our 2nd (and now 3rd) experience were so much better. With the closing of our favorite local Mexican spot, this might be our new go-to. Again I will emphasize, that I realize the lack of authenticity in so many parts of a place like this. But it will still be a love of mine. The biggest game changer was the ordering of the flaming cheese. Absolutely delicious. And this is definitely something big enough to split. Which we didn't realize at the time and ordered it as an appetizer! Hint: Don't do that. This last trip, I tried the fajita quesadilla again. It was two years ago, but my last review did not indicate how good it really was. I also mentioned the rice being bland... again, not the case. After our last two trips, we have left very satisfied. Which even after two years, I know was not the case the first time. Still not the best Americanized Mexican restaurant I have had. But definitely the best in the area. Goes to show, a 2nd trip is always necessary before fully judging a place. read more

Los Arcos - Flaming cheese - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Classic Friday night mexican restaurant. Great margarita prices and portions. Street tacos are so fresh!

Best bang for my buck, I left there completely full! I would give more stars but I asked for a margarita 'on the rocks' but she returned with a frozen. I'm not to say that ruined my meal because I enjoy a Mex. restraurant which hire hard working immigrants that are learning the English language. With that said I felt like it was a simple communication issue. . So no worries. The place still rocked! ! read more

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I really wanted to like this place, especially since it was voted on for our girls night out. I was a little disappointed on my meal. First of all the salsa that comes with the chips was lacking flavor, which I ended up ordering a side of guacamole, that was also lacking flavor, so ask the server for some limes, and fixed my own guacamole to my liking. I had the Special Sincronizada with rice and beans. The Sincronizada is like a quesadilla but instead of being folded there are two tortillas with whatever ingredients in between. In other words, it's a tortilla based sandwich. The stuffing came with ham, steak and chicken (I think) smothered in cheese. The seasoning was good, but I felt there was something missing and ask the server for a side of hot salsa and added my guacamole on top. I felt it made all the difference to my liking. I have to say, that it seem like I had to fixed my plate to my own liking by requesting additional ingredients. So overall the food was lacking flavor and a few ingredients. I have to applaud them on their margaritas, they were very savory and somewhat strong. I guess a little too strong that I got a little drunk and ended up losing my ticket and had to let the cashier know what I ordered by memory, hopefully I wasn't overcharged. I don't know if I would ever come back, but if I feel like it, I may give them a second chance. read more

Los Arcos - Chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I used to love this place. But tonight, I got the veggie fajitas and it was 2 pieces of tomato, 2 small pieces of mushroom, some peppers, and a mess of sautéed onion. I guess it looked terrible to the kitchen too so they put four pieces of broccoli on top before they packed it up. It was obviously thrown on at the end bc it was flavourless and was just steamed. Smallest cheese dip I've ever gotten too. I'll be driving to Los Amigos next time. read more

Placed an order for pick up on 7/16/2023. Ordered 2 meals and 2 kids meals, and an order of nacho's. Paid $75.00, which was too much for this amount of food. Nacho's came with chips and beef, nothing else, no sour cream, no salsa, no guac. no lettuce, no cheese sauce, no tomato's, nothing. Will not be returning. Don't waste your money. read more

First time here yesterday... ambiance was nice and loved the Spanish decor, got seated immediately, and food was delicious. I had the fiesta fajitas wit the chicken steak and shrimp OMG seasoned to perfection. If I have to say I got a waiter that took our order and got everything correct but when I asked about substituting the guacamole salad for anything he acted as tho he didn't understand what I was saying. I was hungry so I took everything as is minus the salad. But I guess if I had to state an issue that was the only one. Other than that he was nice and so was everyone else we came in contact with read more

I ordered online, the process was easy and so was the pick up, but the food was very ok, I ordered carnitas, tacos( chicken, steak, and beef), and tostadas. The food wasn't seasoned that well, the salsa was very basic, and the carnitas were a bunch of big chuncks of meat that wasn't chopped or juicy. But I did like the queso, its on the simple side but it was good. read more

Pre pandemic this was my spot, and now that I'm vaccinated, it'll probably be another frequent spot on the list. The nachos are great.

I tried this place because the Taco Morro Loco truck ran out of propane, and they closed early. The portions in Los Arcos' photos look small, but apparently most of their dishes comes with a big paper bag of chips and a 3-4 ounce cup of salsa roja. The guac is good, and shredded chicken tastes homemade. Could be cut into more bite size pieces, but other than that, the flavor is good and well seasoned. Two medium-but-thick quesadillas, plus chips & salsa was a good size lunch for $5.99. The salsa verde is excellent. Chips are fried in-house, unsalted. The seasoned rice could be better, but it's not bad either. The salsa roja is a bit watered down, but serviceable. I have not tried their beans, beef or shrimp yet, but I am looking forward to trying it on my next trip, which will be soon. Prices are reasonable for the amount of food received. read more

Great place for cold beer and great Mexican food. I had the chicken fajitas, the chips and salsA are good and the cheese dip stays hot for most of the meal. This shop is only one who allows dine in. I've stopped going elsewhere for my Mexican fix. I'll be back next week. read more

Los arcos food is great and cheap!! Service is good as well. They recently put in bright white LED lights and don't have any music playing. Vibes are at an all time low. Very sanitary feel, but still great food. read more

We had lunch there and it was delicious. My lunch partner had the chimichanga and I had the fajitas hawaiianus they were both delicious. We had margaritas I had the raspberry and it was great. It as my birthday they brought us a sopapilla with a smile on it in whipped cream. They sang happy birthday in Spanish. Our server was Abraham he was wonderful. Please give it a try you will not regret. read more

I ordered takeout and it was delicious and it was ready at the time they said it would

I'd seen Los Arcos a few times in the strip mall while visiting bargain hunt and the dollar tree.. the sign out makes it very hard to miss because it is huge. Every time I look, there are people eating in there so it must mean that are doing something right. They have great lunch deals posted that sound great...I'll have to give it a try sometime. This is a review on the food and to go service as we did not dine in. We looked over their (huge) menu and decided on a chimichanga and the chicken fajita burrito. To our surprise, the man who took our order said it would be ready in 10 minutes! That is pretty darn quick. Pretty standard Americanized Mexican cuisine. The meat was flavorful and tender. Everything tasted and looked fresh. They gave us two bags of chips and two cups of salsa to go which was a nice plus! read more