Good: Pleasant, adequate service. Nachos are a good choice -- good allocations of ingredients and the portion size is huge serving -- a half order is 2 meals or easily shared by two people. I like the green enchilada sauce better than the red. Others in our party like the red. Needs Improvement: One of the rare times I haven't liked the salsa at a Mexican restaurants. Primary flavor was sour, and I'm puzzled how they managed that. Chips weren't very good. Chile relleno wasn't something we'd order again. Bottom line -- it's kinda hit and miss on the offerings here. Some things they do well consistently (like cheese crisps and nachos) while other things are off enough you are discouraged from coming back. Oh, and watch your step walking into and through this restaurant. Odd steps, slopes that can trip if you're not paying attention. read more

I love fish tacos! I don't love fish tacos from Mama Inez. I'll tell you why in a bit. My mom ordered two cheese enchiladas, and a ground beef taco. My daughter ordered street tacos, and my son ordered the Chili Colorado steak burrito. The ground beef taco was good with just the right amount of seasoning, the cheese enchiladas had a great sauce and was served with Spanish rice. My son's burrito had good flavor and the meat was extremely tender served with a really good enchilada sauce. My daughter's street taco was just ok. To me, there was nothing special about his they cooked the meat and could've used more seasoning. Now for my fish tacos. First off, I made the mistake of ordering mango salad and pico degallo on the fish tacos. Their secret sauce tasted like ranch dressing. Nothing secret about that. The fish was not the least bit crunchy or flaky. It was mushy. The flavors did not mesh at all. And where is my lime? Don't order this one. Overall, I thought the sides were good, the rice, and the beans. My only criticism with these sides, they needed more salt to make the flavors pop. I'm down to trying this place again. Just not going to order fish tacos again. read more

See all

Went here to gather with family I hadn't seen in 20 years. They were able to accommodate our large group on a short notice, which was nice. Being from California, I'm used to good Mexican so was wary on what I'd get here, but I was happily surprised with how good everything was. Loved the chips and salsa too. Portions are extremely generous. You can easily share a plate here. Good value for the money! If we lived here, we'd definitely come back. read more

Awesome awesome food & service!!! Love it!!! Jadon the waiter took such care and of us!!! read more

I unfortunately did not have a great experience. Went with three friends yesterday. I have some dietary restrictions but figured it would be easy just to order grilled chicken on a salad. So I did. She asked if I wanted half or full. I said half. Waited over 30 minutes for our food to come. The restaurant was empty. The girls had large lovely plates full of beautiful looking Mexican food. Mine unfortunately was awful. Literally two pieces of chicken the size and width of my thumb and two pieces of chicken, the size and width of my pinky. All of which were extremely overdone and hard to chew. Got about 3/4 cup of chopped up Iceburg lettuce with a little bit of chopped up onion and tomato thrown in on top of it. That was it. I would've been fine with that if I wasn't charged 20 bucks for it when the bill came. Everyone else's meals cost between six dollars (senior price) and $13. How the f*** was mine 20 bucks?? Anyway, everything else looked good, but I'd consider going someplace else if you're not planning on ordering the big cheesy, bean and rice platters. read more

Lived in Pocatello in the 80s and 90s and Mama Inez was our go to restaurant. We live in Florida now and we're just back for a visit. The food and service were excellent. Food was not quite as good as we remember, but then what is. If we had a Mama Inez in Florida it would blow away all other Mexican restaurants. Locals may not fully appreciate what a gem this restaurant is. read more

See all

Food wonderful. Cost reasonable.$$ Service is just right!!! Usually guiet at lunch time!! read more

Had dinner while visiting family here in Idaho a few years ago and was pleased with the food/service, so we decided to go back again for dinner. Well...this time I was very disappointed. We sat at the bar and ordered an enchilada plate and flautus. The enchilada was probably one of the worst I've ever had and the flautus was fair, at best. The service was lacking. It felt like eternity to get a menu and a couple who came in after we did (bartender knew them) had their order taken and served before we did. The bartender was also preoccupied with other patrons. Once the bartender gave us the check it felt like she forgot us AGAIN, so we ended up going to the restaurant side to pay our bill. I will give my business to an establishment with better food and service. read more

This place was surprisingly delicious! Great service and the sauces are amazing. We were here for a big family gathering and everything was perfect! (Great draught beer, too!). read more

Most DISGUSTING food. Literally couldn't even eat it. Cold food and flat out gross. Service was good. Just the food was horrible read more

Mama Inez - Street tacos - Mexican Near Me - Pocatello, Idaho

See all

Staff is super friendly and the food is superbbbb ! I love this place and will absolutely return

As always best food and service!! Cheese Crisps are my fav- Got my order to go- even asked if I wanted salsa-front cashiers had sack ready napkins in he was on top of it! read more

they fail at service, called several times, minutes apart with no answer. If i was owner i would be at loss for word. On a Saturday between 6 and & 7pm, youve got to be kidding. I dont care how busy you are, can never be too busy to answer phone. As a professional I know a business will not make it if they cannot answer the phone! Pretty sad, Dr. Ryan read more

Not mexican food. The rice is literally Minute Rice from a box and the beans aren't good at all. Service was good. Good people, but the food is not it. read more

this place is very well-known for the best crab and shrimp enchiladas. Get the cheese crisp appetizer and Monterey crab enchiladas for sure. They have decent happy hour prices. Solid enchiladas for over 20 years what more there to say. They have good salsa but I think their chips are out of the bag too bad for that. read more

I've been coming here for years. Customer service is always great. The cheese crisp and enchilada dinner is what I get usually. The green salsa is the best. The red salsa sometimes tastes like it's been sitting out awhile. If you want a quick bite with great service this is your spot . read more

Been going here since they opened. Great food! Hasn't changed over the years, great comfort food! Highly recommended!!

This place is the worst restaurant in Pocatello. The manager/server has an IQ of a mentally challenged chimpanzee. The food is bland and has no flavor whatsoever. If you need an extra day off from work and need to call in sick, just wait an hour after you've eaten at mama Inez and you'll have food poison and have a doctor's note in hand. You're welcome! read more

We do not have a Mama Inez in Boise so I make sure to visit whenever we are in Pocatello. It hasn't disappointed.

Awesome good, awesome staff! Love eating here. I have not had anything on the menu I didn't like.

This is always the first place I go to anytime I'm back in town. The Poky Mama's is different than the IF, not better or worst, just different.... Love the chili Colorado, cream cheese & crab and the cheese crisps! Oh man! I realize that they're not a real big deal but man they're good! Good people run it, it's NOT MEXICAN food. It's based on New Mexican recipes, now I don't cook I just eat and this is very good food! And a lot of it! Right after 9-11 I was eating lunch with a couple of buddies that I was in the Utah National Guard with and we were in uniform. I was paying the bill when (one of the owners? it's been a few years!) picked up the check and simply said "thanks guys". This was before "thank you for your service" was popular. read more

First time here. Came in with a group of people. Great service that was attentive and quick. Ordered the Seafood Nachos and they were very good. The margaritas were good as well. Everyone's food was very good. read more

This is a local favorite. They are under staffed like most places at this time and some of their staff were new on our last visit but the food is always good and you can tell they put forth an effort to serve their customers. My son always chooses this out of all places for his birthday dinner. Very good. read more

I had a chili colorado burrito--it was fair, but could have been better. Meat was cut into chunks of all different sizes, sauce was watery, though flavor was OK. My wife had the carne asada, which should be thin slices of tender steak. Instead, the meat was in irregular chunks and tough and fatty. The chef needs to learn some knife skills; the bell peppers were in unevenly shaped slices of all different sizes. We're not likely to go back. read more

Terrible experience all around. Poor service, all 3 orders were wrong, food was cold and tasted bland. Will never go back, ever!

A friend recently recommended Mama Inez for having the best salsa and chips anywhere. I have to agree they were great as were our dinners. My husband says it's the best Mexican food in Pocatello. Great service, nice portions and the iced tea was great too. read more

Trying to not just say this was the worst Mexican food I have ever had given that covid has definitely affected many aspects of life in general but this was probably the worst I have had. The grilled chicken was boiled and never near a flame. And absolutely no seasoning. The chimi was nothing but boiled chicken inside a deep fried flour tortilla that only soaked up grease. So, just a rough attempt at americanized Mexican food. So, $90.00 not well spent at all. Would have rather donated it to a more worthy cause... Just bad... read more

Kendra knows how to rock the Rita's. I can't believe I have waited so long to detail my love for Mama's...I have lost count as to the number of baskets of chips or Margs or crab n cream cheese enchiladas I have consumed here...suffice it to say, I "run" to eat at Mama's. I would give it a 5 star review for friends and great times here...gonna drop it a star because although good, the food is not 5 star stuff. 3 star food, great friends and awesome service keep me coming back for more. Typically, I stick to a couple of items on the menu because I am a creature of habit but over the years I have tried nearly all of it...the one thing I really steer clear of is the vegetarian burrito...it's just not right...hehe. Oh yah, prime rib night? just say no to that too... We always gravitate to the back where the "girls" are sure to make me feel right at home and cater to my every need whether alone or with a crowd! Which is what makes this one of our favorite go-to spots when we don't want to try and decide what or where or when to eat. read more

Went here for lunch and it was a curiosity in terms of it being a "New Mex" joint. I say that it's a New Mex joint, because the business mission statement is that all of the recipes originate from New Mexico. Mama Inez has been a staple of the Pocatello era since 1980. I had the medium Chile Verde Burritio, which is stuffed with braised pork and a "chile verde" (greens sauce) but it was funny that the sauce was not actually green. It was an off red and the fact that it's a "medium" serving - the "burrito" is actually two long wrapped flour tortillas set side by side - check out the picture. It's like a combined burrito, if that makes sense. It was served with rice and I went for the re-fried beans. The rice and beans were awesome and fresh. The chips and salsa were okay - I asked them for a spicier salsa and that was brought out to me. The spicier salsa was too watered down though. First off - the chile verde burritio dish was good. The pork was flavorful but the chili verde sauce was also too watered down and just used as flavor. I poured the spicier chip dipping sauce on top of it to give it a more powerful kick. Mama Inez opens up at 11am everyday and noon on the weekends, so if you're there right at opening then your more than likely to get the fresher dishes. Service was also hit and miss due to our server having a much larger "private party," so they obviously got priority over us since a larger party guarantees them a larger tip. Whatever. Under normal conditions you would never catch me at a place to to my preference for legit tacos and authentic Mexican food but since we were being treated to lunch I'm not one to turn away a free lunch. I was also curious about trying a New Mex establishment since those can be rare out in L.A. read more

Mama Inez - Medium "Chile Verde" burrito served with rice and beans. My first "New Mex" experience. It's a lot of food! - Mexican Near Me - Pocatello, Idaho

Get the big platter and share! We had 4 meals out of two entrees. I was skeptical but the crab filling was delicious.

I need to start out saying this is a local favorite. People LOVE this place and it's been around for a long time. That being said, I am not a fan. It could be an ok American style Mexican restaurant but the food is soggy. Gloopy, drenched.....they take "smothered" to a whole new level. A chimichanga that should be crisp is soggy. The cheese crisps could be SO good....but they're soggy. Everything I've ever had is so soaked with cheese and sauce it all turns into one big pile of yuck. Wet, dripping, saturated yuck. Giving three stars because the drinks are good, service always amazing, and prices are reasonable. If you want decent Mexican food there are several phenomenal places in Pocatello to go. This is not one of them. I honestly feel like a traitor leaving this review but it is what it is. And it is not great. read more

The service was good. My husband really likes this place. I, personally, think it's not very good. My husband will probably come back, but not me. I'm doing this review for my husband's sake, so 4 stars read more

Cheese crisp is the best thing on the whole menu! They also have great shredded beef and drinks. Haven't personally explored the desserts but they looked really good. read more

Adding to my check in comments: 1) When the screaming kids left it turned in to a library - Music is needed - perhaps soft Mexican ballads 2) the young college girl servers were attentive ... but the impression was Hooterish and it takes away from "authentic Mexican" read more

I love this place but every once in a while i get something that doesn't sit well. I remember their food being better than this and I think it comes down to needing some authentic tortillas. The rest of the food is great, including their cheese crisp and chips/salsa. I get their Colorado plate and it's great but because the tortillas is smothered in the cheese and Colorado sauce/meat, it gets a little soggy. Not a soggy tortilla fan. Once they correct that or allow for tortillas on the side, I'd change it to 5. read more

Food was disgusting, cold, and there was bugs in my food, 2 days prior got seated ordered drinks an appetizer waited 45 minutes did not even receive water got served our appetizer and not even our drinks places went downhill really fast read more

First of all, I've never eaten at this restaurant myself. I hadn't heard of it before I started to pick up orders for a delivery service. I waited for 30 minutes to pick up an order that had been placed 15 minutes before I arrived. This meant standing in a crowded waiting area along with several other people picking up to-go orders. When I approached the staff about being 20 minutes behind the service's deadline, they were dismissive and unhelpful. I hope the quality of the food makes up for the lacking service. read more

We walked in and they said go in the back and find a table! Not professional at all! Took a while for the food to come out , food was not impressive! You could tell that the steak and chicken was not freshly made, It was microwaved and bland! And waitress could care less about our table! read more

The enchiladas are really good. Everyone in town was talking about them, I understand why. It is sort of a blend of sour cream, cream cheese and crab. Decent bar area, decent salsa and chips. read more

First time eating here to take advantage of a 10% discount card we had. Everyone had chile rellenos and some other stuffed pepper combo dish. At first the deep fried breaded peppers were unique and tasty. They reminded us of the meal for the balance of the night, however. Repeated more than a bad old TV show and even gave a bit of heartburn which we don't usually get. One in our party had a much hotter (spicier hot) Chile relleno than the others without requesting any added heat to the meal. Service was okay. Seemed like the restaurant was being run by a bunch of high school kids with minimal adult interaction. Not necessarily a bad thing. Just different. What was curious was that the featured Monday night special was prime rib which seemed to be ordered by almost all the other customers we saw. Prime rib special at a Mexican place? Unusual but after having a Mexican dish here, the prime rib may have been a better bet. The prime rib price seemed exceptionally cheap. Don't know if the adage of Eastern Idaho, "it doesn't have to be good as long as it's cheap" applies here. No idea on that. Maybe the prime rib was one way of getting customers into the place. Parking is poor to terrible. Tight and minimal in the lot in front of the business and there appeared to be added space behind the building and the alley, if you knew where to go. Icy where the sun doesn't shine, too. Not really sure about returning here. Next Pocatello Mexican choice will probably be another restaurant. And, oh yeah, one final, "Urrrrpppp!" read more