Overall not terrible but nothing to rave about. Rice and beans were dry/undercooked or possibly sat under a heat lamp all day. Fajita quesadillas were good. Order at the counter and the guy at the counter was not very friendly. If you want a decent alcoholic drink you have to order it separately at the bar next door. Atmosphere was ok but not very ADA friendly. There are step-ups to different seating areas that may not work for some elderly folks or wheelchair bound individuals. read more

Mamarita's is the kind of place where you go to the front counter to order, no wait staff, and then they pretend you are at a sit-down place. The pricing is deceptive: you can get a lunch special for $6.99, but it's another $3 bucks to add a fountain drink (that you fill yourself). They got my wife's order wrong so I had to ask them to remake it. The staff was friendly the whole time. The rice was undercooked and chewy, the refried beans are thick. I was not impressed. read more

Mamarita's Border Cafe - Dining area and front counter. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Taco Thursdays $1 tacos are always fun in the bar. Service is exceptional. I usually order from the menu anyway and the enchiladas are my favorite. There always seems to be a happy group of smiling people who add to the ambiance. Wish it was non-smoking tho, so took 1 star away for that alone. read more

Delicious good, fast friendly service, consistent. Really enjoy eating on the patio.

Always good food, we are Taco Thursday customers but not always eating tacos. Just great food.

First.... there are no trash cans outside the place. I brought an empty beer van to throw away and was given a lecture about TBAC... I just didn't want to leave trash anywhere. There was a ton of trash left in a plant outside and a dirty diaper. The food itself is just subpar.. the rice was not cooked all the way it was crunchy and tasted like cumin was way over used. The beans had no flavor expect for SALT.. way to much salt. The crispy taco meat tasted as if the instant taco seasoning was used. There is nothing authentic Mexican about this place. The service was extremely subpar! read more

Mamarita's Border Cafe - This looks "ok" but it's awful! - Tex-Mex Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Your service has slid downward since the early 1990's. We will not be returning. The only people who are doing things correctly are your help who bus the tables. read more

Mamarita's Border Cafe - Clean table - thanks! - Tex-Mex Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Smoke filled restaurant. Had to leave feeling sick at the smell. Disgusted to walk in to a restaurant like this

Came here last Friday during the tech game with my family. On Slide road. Spent $88 on food that wasn't to anyone's liking. Been wanting to go here for a few years thinking the food would be awesome. We all ordered something different. My wife and friend ordered a plate that had refried beans and it was dry and looked like it was scraped from the bottom of the bowl. It was so dry you could mold it. I got the fajita nachos and that was super greasy and where's the fajita meat? Lastly I ordered the margarita and it tasted like dish water. The next day the nachos took me to the bathroom on several occasions. read more

Got the breakfast burrito and the first time it was made wrong. The potatoes tasted like they where from the day before and the eggs were hard and gross. Terrible terrible terrible. read more

Worst attempt at Mexican food. I'm from California and now I know the difference between traditional, and Tex-Mex. Tex-Mex is apparently traditional without the flavor. The brisket nachos were gross. The brisket had zero flavor, and barely had any brisket to begin with. Nothing was good. Not the beans nor the rice, not even the tacos. Not too mention there were flies everywhere. We will never go back. It is by far the trashiest place I've been too in lubbock! read more

If you are a person of color do not come to this place! They were extremely rude and unprofessional! read more

Well this is tex mex food which am not very fan of it. But the tacos i have tried even on flour tortilla are pretty good. The tacos callejeros or street tacos as they call it are good. I whish they ask you if you wanted onion and cilantro. Salsas are pretty good. Authentic recipes frim mexicothe fish tacos are pretty good. Much better than i expected So far i like it and the environment is very relax. Come to mamaritas and enjoy its quite time outside read more

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Place is dirty. Ordered food.....food... burrito and chalupa took 45 minutes to be ready!!! Slow, slow did I mention slow! Staff couldn't care less! This place has gone downhill! Food was pretty good but not worth the wait! read more

Worst restraunt ever didnt have enough change but still got the queso really good queso good server great cashier :(

I'm still pretty new to Lubbock so I'm still trying out the "local" places. This one fell extremely short of my expectations! First of all, this is the WORST service I have ever had of any place I have been in the world! I went in with some friends for Friday happy hour and our waitress was clearly in a bitter mood. She didn't even ask what I wanted to drink! I had to basically grab her as she walked by me for the tenth time. I opted for the margarita since I figured that's what they were known for and it was AWFUL...tons of salt and watered down mixer. I set aside my judgements and ordered the mamas nachos which were actually really good. I did have to dig into them with my fingers after I waited 15 minutes for silverware that never arrived. When it came to another drink, I switched to a Tito's and tonic and watched the bartender hold the shaker with her fingers inside, pour a well drink, and serve it with lemon. When I took the drink back, she argued with me saying I didn't know what I was talking about and that she did pour Tito's. Our empty glasses were never taken off the table, the waitress acted like she hated life, and although the nachos are good, I'm sure I can find some elsewhere that don't make me wonder why I ever stopped in that place. read more

I have to give this place one star because of their total lack of perception. I'm Catholic. So are my wife and six (!) children, and so are our friends. We came here during Lent, on a Friday, and the special was carne guisada. I'm like - really? No fish? At a MEXICAN food place?? Well, they do have fish, or so they say. "Shrimp Tacos". We ordered some and they came with two shrimp. On a tortilla. Two. We asked the manager what was up with the dry, tiny shrimp, because we would be embarrassed to serve such morsels to anyone, and were told that's how they come. I asked if they could pull the meat out of my salad and replace it with beans. Y'know - replace the expensive stuff with cheap stuff. Sure, they said - for only a buck fifty. WTH??? Charge MORE for CHEAPER product? We will have to seriously consider whether the WASP owners are worth our money next time. read more

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The new menu is spectacular and of course their salsa bar is good for all tastes. One bad thing is the smell of the place. I'm a grown man though and I can handle that inconvenience for a few minutes while I eat. It isn't ideal but the food is worth it for me. Service is hit or miss. The other downfall is the fact that they charge you for a refill of chips. Seriously? I don't know what kind of nickel and dime BS that is, but welcome to mamaritas... If they didn't have amazing tacos then I would avoid this place. read more

I consider Mamarita's a place that I need to go once every few months. Just often enough to see if it has improved, but not so often that I get disappointed when I realize that it hasn't. The food is decent, the employees are indifferent, the prices are not bad but not worth the food, but the hot sauces are great! Sadly, Mamarita's isn't terribly, it is just occasionally good. I was happy that they returned the breakfast burritos on the menu. A while back i was told that they didn't have them any longer and I was sad to see the best thing on the menu vanish. The selection of sauces from the condiment bar is nice and I enjoy mixing and matching different sauces together. The Tex-Mex here is not any better then what you can buy for half the price at Rosa's (which is hard for me to say since I don't really like Rosa's bland Mexican food). read more

Mamarita's Border Cafe - Eclectic interior - Tex-Mex Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Went to the drive thru got there and wasc1 car at the pick-up window 20 minutes later I still gave not been acknowledged. Finally 3 minutes later they tell me we will be with you. By that since the the car in the pick-up window was still there yet to get their order i gave up . Too slow service no customer service very disappointed read more

The good: Plenty of parking in the lot. Friendly service. The pulled chicken was delicious. The chips are worth paying for. The salsa bar was fantastic. TVs in both the bar area and the restaurant. The bad: The bar smells strongly of cigarettes, like perhaps they allow smoking inside - it's disgusting. read more

I went there with family and friends. Ordered my food and sat down and waited. Then they called my name...I was excited to say the least I have been on a diet and this was my cheat meal. Finally mexican food! The chips were good, the salsa was ok. That's were it ends. I got the two burrito plate with one bean and cheese for my 4 year old daughter and a combination one for me. What was on my plate when I got to the counter was two tortillas rolled up with a bean and cheese falling out of both sides, some rice, and some more refried beans. I got my daughter the burrito because I didn't want a mess.... a rolled tortilla with beans pouring out both sides is the biggest mess I could ask for. So I cut it up for her like a smart parent. Problem solved right? WRONG! Their silverware is so cheap that she nor I could stab the burrito with the fork. This place is super cheap, and not in a good way. They put the most minimal amount of ingredients on the plate to get away with saying things like "it has cheese in it". Yes it technically does....three pieces of shredded cheese. And if they can't fold a burrito they are not a true mexican restaurant in my eyes. Call them tortilla roll ups or learn how to fold a burrito. Side note: if you are sensitive to cigarette smoke don't go here either...smells like an ash tray. read more

I was a regular in the 90's when I lived here, best chips anywhere, great food and service. Back in Lubbock for a visit and wanted to eat here but could not believe smoking is allowed inside. This is 2019, really? Second hand smoke is known to cause cancer. I walked out immediately but I feel bad for the staff who have to inhale a carcinogen. read more

I only came here because my daughter said it was good. The bar area does smell like snoke, but you can sit in the dining area. The service was great, quick and super friendly. The queso dip was great. We had a variety of tacos and burritos, everything was fast and tasted really good. Drinks are tasty and cheap. read more

Very good food and atmosphere. I am not typically an enchilada lover but enjoyed theirs very much.

First of all, the food is tasty ! We were promptly served and the facility had a fun dynamic. Definitely will be going again !

This place was terrible and I would never go back. For starters when we were ordering the manager approached our waitress and told her "DONT SERVE THEM BEER". I think they were trying to have everyone go to the bartender for drinks, since her shift just started. First, we never even mentioned alcohol. Second, he could have been a little less rude. We were thinking he could have just asked us if we would mind buying our drinks at the bar. We did not go to the bar / weren't drinking in the middle of the afternoon on a Sunday. Either way, this place was disgustingly dirty. All the tables were sticky and there was dirty on the floor. We order a fajita plate and fajita nachos and basically just got 2 tacos and a plate of chips and lettuce. We were incredibly disappointed and will never return. Don't waste your time. Go to Rosa's , that place is WAY WAY better. read more

Mamarita's Border Cafe - All the lettuce that was on top of our nachos - Tex-Mex Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

This place is great. The servers are friendly and the food is great! Best salsa bar and nachos in town!

Opt for the hand made margarita from the bar and a huge plate of nachos then sit back and enjoy the chummy atmosphere. read more

Mamarita's Border Cafe - Tex-Mex Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

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The manager is cheap as hell and annoying, he was complaining about giving extra meat that we paid for and when we got our nachos it was not how mamaritas used to be we it was like a child portion and we also paid for avocado and he got mad when we let them know that they forgot it. Margarita taste like a damn slushee. He was just all around annoying and was rushing people out of the restaurant. I'll be sure to spread the word. Just look for a short old guy with long grey hair and a stick up his ass if he's there you might wanna leave. Extremely rude and a cheap. read more

I'm not from this area and this place was walking distance from the hotel I'm in...so popped in for lunch. Everything was great...I had chicken fajita quesadillas...which are hit and miss alot of times. But the chicken breast wasnt dry at all and the rice and charro beans were good too, definitely mot the kind of canned sruff you get at alot of the bigger chain places. The girl at the counter was very courteous as well. I'll definitely eat here again next time I'm in Lubbock. read more

I have been coming here many years. I had horrible customer service... and this incident all started from the responses and non-customer service that was given by the Spanish manager who was there taking orders... she stated she's been there "10 years." So, I am sorry that my daughter is so tall and does not look like she's 12 years of age, but for that manager to have the nerve to look at my daughter and ask her what year she was born honestly floored me! Who does that over a kids meal?! I took this to mean that I am making this up about my daughters age, and in other words, I am not telling the truth about her age. Seriously!!!! I told her, in a smart ass way, "sweety would you like to see her birth certificate because I have it!?" And I really did have it and wanted to rub it in her face, but she didn't want to see it. She claimed that I didn't need to speak to her that way.... I told her you don't need to ask my daughter how old she is either! Then she asks me, "would you like to eat here?" OMG... she freaking is telling me all these things in front of my kids, and I know they are embarrassed, but I feel my point was right. This is my opinion... but you don't say a customer in so many words that she is lying!!!! She continues to ask if I want to eat there and on and on about me being rude. But she did not have good customer service at all! This whole situation over a freaking kids meal... really!?! And I don't care how long she's worked there, she was in the wrong and needs training on customer service for sure! She even tells me "I've never seen you here." I told her I always come and there's a young white girl here upfront, and IDK if she is staff or a manager, and that doesn't concern me. I told this Spanish manager "that girl is usually here when I come and she is nice." So after her asking me again "do you want to eat here," I sure did tell her NO THANK YOU... and we left. My kids were upset about this whole thing, because they wanted to eat there... otherwise we would not have gone there to begin with! Why stay when she kept on trying to say DO NOT EAT HERE... right? What kind of "manager" who does this?!?! read more

Just awesome. I used to eat here regularly as a poor college student back in the 90's. Bag of chips and homemade salsa for less than $1.50. Still the best chips anywhere. We've been out of the state for too long and don't get back for games very often. When we do, so many things we remember fondly are good , but not as great as the memory. Mamaritas was even better! We ate TexMex 4 times this trip at much pricier restaurants and had no food better than Mamaritas. I'm notoriously critical , but this was absolutely delicious. The fresh salsa bar is just over the top good (best in town) ,and the smokey nachos caused me to over indulge to the point of misery. Its amazing they have kept so much consistency and quality at such a low price point. Its now my freshman daughter's favorite food ,so they have earned another generation of student customers. Thank You for the great experience Mamaritas. PS- noticed after the fact the 1star complaints about smoke. There was zero cigarette odor on our visit. If that's been a problem, looks like its fixed. read more

Some of the best Mexican food we've had since moving to Lubbock from South Texas. This place is legit and the prices are great. Definitely will be a regular restaurant we visit. read more

I'm not exaggerating when I say that this has been the worst mexican food I've ever encountered. And I have had some pretty bad mexican... To be fair, the bar next door serves strongish drinks at reasonable prices. That is the only reason we went, having not tried the food yet. We ordered brisket nachos and a queso burrito. The brisket nachos were barely edible. I'm talking basic queso with old nasty lettuce and tomato and the most bland unflavorful brisket there ever was. So bad that I actually lost my apetite after the very first bite. The queso burrito itself was whatever, and the refried beans it came with were worse than the ones out of the can. I'll eat those cold. I'll eat anything. I couldn't eat them. We also got a frozen margarita. There was no tequila. That was from the restaurant. Don't eat here. The only redeeming quality is the decently strong drinks from the bar next door, and thats being generous. read more

I had a really good experience here. Everything was extremely cheap and the portions were much more than what I paid for. I ordered the beef nachos and they were very, very tasty. Their chips and salsa rock, as do the staff. Oh, and their ritas are yummy! Yay for mamaritas! read more

MamaRitas- I am sorry I forget about you! We stopped by for a quick dinner! Queso is great! Love the salsa bar - oh the snake bite! Prices are very reasonable! Oh and did I mention the 2.50 margs for happy hour??? The garage doors were open and we sat on the patio! Even with the wind today - it was great! read more

Mamarita's Border Cafe - Chips, queso and a little snake bite! - Tex-Mex Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Bad there rice is hard one of the girls was being smart and cussing and the food was just not it

I used to go here all the time as a kid when they had a game room in the back section. I loved playing TMNT: Turtles in Time. Now they replaced it with a full bar, and some couches. The Good: The chips are still great and the salsa selection is unstoppable. Their strawberry 'ritas are amazing. I had two margaritas and was feeling it. I went there again for late-night drinks with the fam. The bartender and server were awesome and made everyone feel extremely welcome. The Bad: Nothing really. Overall: I probably won't try the food here simply because I'm fearful of being disappointed. Now they they opened the bar, they close down the food service around a certain time and keep the bar open until 2am. I'll definitely stop by for chips and 'ritas at least a few times before leaving Lubbock again. read more

Think of it as a bar that also happens to serve some Tex-Mex and you'll be fine. The salsa's great, and the beer specials are decent. The problems here aren't really the food itself, but what you're getting for the money. A couple fajita tacos in the fajita dinner with downright anemic portions of meat. A quesadilla that tasted strongly of Velveeta. A tiny dollop of guacamole as an appetizer. It's pretty noisy in here and there were a bunch of children scampering around in between tables topped with beer buckets. If you're in the neighborhood, it doesn't seem like a bad place to stop for a drink. Just don't ask much more of it. read more