So I first ate Maria's at the night market. I'm originally from California and have STRUGGLED to find authentic Mexican food. The street tacos at the night market were AMAZING! My kids loved their tamales and I tore up a piece of elote. I finally got to try their actual location and it was just something left to be desired. DONT GET ME WRONG... it was still yummy. The street tacos still had a ton of flavor. For only $1.75 you can't go wrong. I guess I'm just disappointed in their drink selection. They advertise 2 for $5 Margaritas 5pm-close. I'm not a margarita fan, however, I love coronaritas. When I asked the price, the server said they don't make those... ok... that's fine... so then I just ordered the 2 for $5.... it literally tasted like pure lime juice. I couldn't even finish the first one. I don't think there was any tequila in it at all. The service was ok. I understand being a family restaurant but it's so unprofessional to be texting on your phone while people are waiting to order. That's just my opinion. Overall, if I could give split stars I would. I would give the food a 5 but service, drink selection, level of bar tending experience 2-3. read more

Was told this was the most authentic Mexican food in lex, so I had to give it a shot. I frequented Willies quite often last year so it was really cool to see what they had done to the place. Service was excellent, very attentive and was greeted with smiles from the hostess and servers. I ordered the Gordita pastor and two tacos ( steak and pastor ) the Gordita was delicious, crisp and charred. It was loaded with pork cilantro and minced onion. The tacos were killer as well. The three salsas they offered just enhanced the flavor of the pastor marinade. I walked out the door spending $7.16. The only ( minor ) disappointment was the El pastor didn't have they charred pineapple which happens to be my favorite part. I understand everyone makes pastor a bit different, so five stars it is. I live less than a block away and I will be back ! Maybe next time I will bring my own pineapple ;) read more

Was sooo looking forward to the Tres Leches cake, but was informed upon ordering it that they didn't currently have any. What a bummer!! If you crave Tres Leches like me, perhaps call first to see if they have it. Otherwise food was very good. Salsa just the right amount of spice, good bean and cheese burrito and babacoa taco. No wait for dinner at 6:45 on Thursday. Prompt service. read more

Just like Abuelitas cooking. It's as authentic as it gets! Everything is good. I've brought I. All my coworkers and comrades. The waitresses are young shy, subservient and that's why it comes off as rude. They keep to themselves to afford you a relaxed atmosphere. So if you need something, call out for them. They are waiting for you to tell them what you need "at your order". It's not attitude- it's just awkward for them to be all up in your face. Difference of culture in the region of Mexico they are from. read more

I looked at the reviews prior to going here.... which makes this even worse!!! How do people give this a 5?? From walking into door being seated by the rudest person who by chance turned into be our server, who seemed to be the most unhappy person and not knowing the Menu! How do you work somewhere and not know the menu?? The chips tasted like bagged store bought chips....but stale!!! Not very good good food and had no taste !! FYI. It's a Mexican Restaurant.... take Elvis off the Wall! read more

The service is great, the portions are large. I would recommend this place to anyone. We eat there at least 2 times per week. Hands down the best Mexican food in Lexington.. Period read more

Best authentic Mexican food I have had since visiting Colorado! Definitely worth coming to!!! I had the carne Asada, I love the green sauce they give you to put on your food! The guacamole is seasoned to perfection and super fresh! The pico is the best I've had, the sour cream is fresh also, this place definitely knows how to do it right! The inside is really nice and inviting, this is now going to be to our go to spot! Hope you guys come check it out!! read more

I read the reviews and went to Maria's for AUTHENTIC Mexican food. It was beyond horrible!!! The food had absolutely no flavor and was straight out of a can. I ordered the rice and beans and specifically asked for black beans. What I got was Sysco straight out of a can rice and smashed beans. Taco Bell would have been a better use of my money. read more

As others have said, the service sucks. Also, we arrived at 7pm on a Saturday to locked doors. We tried to open the door, motioned to a server, and she walked away. So did we. Previous to this experience, we ate there maybe once every two weeks. The food is really good and really cheap. The salsas for the tacos are delicious, and I really enjoy their agua frescas. So maybe order take out (if they open the door). read more

Not only was the food tasty, but it was still nice and hot when it arrived! A special thanks for serving nopales. My grandmother tried them for the first time and liked it! I was thrilled. My grandmother is from Texas and finds the food at her retirement residence lacking flavor and spice. (She's not wrong.) She told me she missed spice, and when we ordered food in one night, she said she wanted Mexican food. I took a chance on your restaurant after seeing positive reviews. I'm so glad I did. The guacamole was a good level of saltiness and herbiness. (Not spicy guac, if that's what you are expecting.) Our order came with corn tortillas, which I learned she loves. I wasn't expecting them, but it was very helpful with leftovers. The asado roja was earthy with a nice (light) lingering heat. Not too much heat for most people probably but well seasoned. It was the most I saw my grandmother eat during my visit. She loved the flavors, and I loved seeing her happily eating Mexican food again. read more

Maria's Kitchen looked like a good place to go in lexington, looking for a lot of flavor, home cooking and local color. Well Maria's was the place. It took me awhile to find it and it was only after I gave up that I stumbled upon it. Now if that sounds odd it was. I was giving up, and providence led me here! The place is a dive. out door only, order at the window, order in spanish really helps. Luckily I can do that. Well the patrons were eating and waiting to order as I was looking over the big menu on the window. A young man started chatting with me and wanted to help me understand what to order and how to order and that he had been coming here for years and how that I would be coming back and on and on. I listened and thought, loyal patrons, that is good, very good. Well I ordered a couple of burritos. Judging by the low cost I figured I could taste the chili verde and the asada burritos. All I can say is good call. The Tortillas are home made! Very nice. The meats and sauces are full of flavor and the green salsa in the squeeze bottle on the tables sets it off very well. I will be coming back, but when? I live a long way away! Lucky You if you are in Lexington and want a nice simple inexpensive meal, this is the place. read more

Felt like Mexican food today and saw that this place was a buffet, figured I'd go in and give it a try. Here are my reasons for a one star review: -there's no cheese on the buffet, except for some quesadillas, and the quesadillas are just cheese. -the only for sure meat item on the buffet were some strip steaks in a watery brown liquid mixed with jalapeños and potatoes. -there are taquitos in the buffet as well, not sure what was in them though, it tasted like potatoes but looked like some sort of beef mush. -the buffet contains flour tortillas and hard shell tacos, seemingly to make your own tacos with, but aside from the steak, the only real items on the buffet you could use as ingredients are rice, refried beans, and onions. -I was there at lunch and there were about six to eight other tables of people, but I didn't see one piece of silverware the entire time I was there. -no fountain drinks. You get one 20 Oz bottle of soda with your meal. -this place uses way too much potato in their dishes. Granted I'm hardly an expert on Mexican cuisine but potatoes don't seem like they belong in the food. -they had an item on the buffet that looked to be burritos wrapped in aluminum foil, but it's just a wad of soft shell tortillas. -not a wide selection of food on the buffet, maybe 15-20 items. 5-7 items are deserts, then 5 are tortilla shells, hard shell tacos, and the three ingredients to put in them. -the food overall is pretty bland. The only real taste you'll get is either potato or tortilla. -no complimentary basket of chips if you order from the buffet. -there's a line to tip on the receipt, not sure why. It's not like the waitresses are refilling drinks. They essentially just give you a soda and whatever you order, or they just let you help yourself to the buffet. Like most Mexican restaurants you pay at the front, so they don't even bring you a bill. Honestly, really surprised this place is rated four stars, hands down the worst Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. read more

The food is really good. It is where we usually go when we are craving Mexican food. I have never been disappointed with the food, but the margaritas can be hit and miss. It is worth your time to pay this place a visit. read more

Maria's has the best burritos on the planet, no questions. Not sure how much else I can say to convince you to go there. The lengua and poblano pepper burritos are staples in my life. I started eating here 3 years ago before Maria's was a brick and mortar place and have been a loyal customer ever since. Keep up the amazing work, Maria and co.! read more

So my husband raved about how great this place was. He used to live in Lexington years ago and always went there for a bite. He since moved about an hour north of Lexington and him and I met and started dating. I've lived in Kentucky for about 20 years and have never been to Lexington. He wanted to take me there and kept telling me about Maria's and how amazing their food was. We looked all over for it but I guess they had changed their location. Years later, just recently in May 2020, we finally found them and decided to have that for lunch one day. This burrito I got had everything on it and chicken. This burrito was NOT good at all. The flavor was not good, very VERY bland. I opened the burrito up to see what was in it and there was peas and green beans inside it. I've never had a burrito have that kind of ingredients in it. Not only did we have to wait 45 minutes for takeout when no one else was there, but the food was horrible. Even my husband agreed that it wasn't at all what it used to be. He's a big eater and couldn't finish it. We will absolutely not be back, so disappointed. read more

You cannot ask for better Mexican food in Lexington. Rivals any of the taco trucks in Los Angeles, and the staff is sweet to the max. If you don't like their pork, you are a sociopath. read more

This place has relocated a few doors down where the old Willy's and before that "Buffalo and Dad's" restaurant used to be. It's a great location, very clean and well lighted. The Mexican food was flat out amazing! Authentic is the word used to describe it. Specifically, the standard beans and rice were much better than what you would get at other Mexican restaurants. The rice was fluffy and the refrained beans were sprinkled with cotija cheese. I ordered the barbacoa and it was tasty served with a side of tortillas. My son ordered the baked chicken and I'll be getting that next time. It was seasoned and looked to be pan seared. We'll be back! read more

By far my favorite place to eat in all of Lexington. There is no comparison with it comes to Mexican food, and definitely none when it comes to bang for your buck. They hand make all of their tortillas, and slow cook their meat. It's best to get there around lunchtime because everything is still fresh and hot, and sometimes they'll run out by dinner. Get pork w/ green sauce burritos, and that's obvious. read more

Love Maria's Kitchen!! Have been going there with my father for almost 8 years now. I am a huge fan of their red chicken enchilada plate. Always nice service and atmosphere. read more

Place was cold inside. Salsa is really just tomato paste. Chips are not fried in house. But I left happy because the bean burrito was amazing. Tortilla warm and perfect. Wanted pico de gallo not on the menu and the server went to the kitchen and asked them to make me some. A Spanish lady brought me a large cup if pico she made fresh and just for me made me very happy. read more

If you're looking for inexpensive, authentic Mexican food, look no further. This tastes just like the food my husband grew up with in central Mexico. The aguas frescas are all delicious. We like the carne asada the best, but the cactus and adobada are also fantastic. Just keep in mind there is only limited outdoor seating, so plan on taking it home if the weather isn't nice. read more

Tacos were delicious and I can't wait to go back and check out the bar and eat more food!

Maria's is great. The pork with red sauce is amazing. The burritos are not traditional burritos they are more like carrburritos, which are thinner and have only two ingredients, meat and sauce. The steak tacos are so fresh with cilantro and onions. What makes this place so great is the slow cooked meats and homemade tortilla shells. read more

Maria's Kitchen - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Whoever was working the "to go" orders and cash register today needs some training in customer service. She was sullen, rude and acted like I was a bother. I always tip 5 bucks for the person who brings my order to me but she didn't get anything. read more

Maria's always is a good option. One of the best Latino restaurants in town. The mango water is really good. Best cheese dip and carne asada. read more

Went on a whim, didn't know how to read the menu, lot of stuff I never heard of. I looked around to see what others were eating; it all looked good. I tried taquitos - chicken. It took a while so I know they made it just for me. There wre 6 of them, very good, came with a side of rice and a side salad, but no dressing which was weird, but they gave me a lime wedge so use that and was surprised how good that was - lettuce and tomato with lime juice. Anyway, it was good I'll go again. Not as good as Local Taco but way better than Mi Mexico. read more

Lunch was so delicious! Their chips are really good, not sure how to explain, but they're "dry" not greasy! I really loved them! I had 3 tacos: (2)barbacoa and (1)chicken. Fantastic. Their drink prices looked great--I want to come back when I'm not working!! Very reasonable! The staff were so friendly and helpful! Smiling all the time! read more

I am slightly angry that I waited so long to try Marias, it is so darn good! I went on a Friday around 12:30 pm and the place was hopping. Our server warned us it would take a while and it was worth every second of that wait. I ordered the lengua platter and my friend got three burritos (cactus, lengua, and adobada/pastor). The food was amazing, hands down the best lengua I have ever eaten. Maria does not disappoint. Prices are dirt cheap too. I'm not sure there is another place in Lexington that can beat the lengua and adobada here! read more

Born and raised in Southern CA, and have eaten food in Tijuana. This place tastes like a legit hole in the wall taqueria, but nicer on the eyes. The food is simple, thus making the meat the star of the show. With only a few things to concentrate on, it's easier to tell if it's good or bad. And I will tell you it's good! Damn good and authentic! Burritos have no thrills; meat, onion & cilantro. But if you can make that taste good, then you're doing it right in the kitchen. Ask for the green sauce with your meal and order two burritos no matter how much you think you can eat. They're small but amazing. My only reason for not going with five stars was the service. With what appeared to be 30% of capacity, my wife and I had to wait an unusual amount of time for everything. We asked for a check at the end and never got it, so went to the counter and paid for our bill on our own. I know they're new at this location so I'm going to chalk it up to that. Try it out. Don't expect Chipotle food though. Expect what Mexican food should taste like, then tell your friends you're an expert. read more

Everything I ordered was delicious. Their carne asada was quality meat (not mystery meat), tasty beans, and their red/green salsas were fresh and had a great taste to them. Definitely worth trying out and I will go back when I'm in town! read more

Best Mexican I have found in Lexington. Super reasonable prices and wonderful refried beans and rice. Small parking lot but good amount of seating. Can't wait to go back. read more

Maria's Kitchen - Chicken flautas, rice and side order of refried beans. - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I finally made it to Maria's kitchen. My first visit here was for dinner and it wasn't the most fantastic meal I've had but it was good. I did learn on my visit that they also had a lunch buffet everyday. A buffet in Lexington I've never heard of before? Crazy I say and only $9.99. So I went the following week for the lunch buffet. I must say it was not impressive with very little to chose from and the reason I'm leaving a 3 Star review. They do not have fountain drinks here as many foreign run restaurants for whatever reason also the day I went for lunch they said they were out of tea as well so I drank water. You can buy bottled or canned drinks but I drink too much liquid for this to be a viable option. Otherwise I would give it 4 stars. The clientele here are mostly Hispanic from my two visits and they just kinda stare at you like why is this gringo eating at our place. Lol. Anyway, give them a try if your looking for New Mexican. read more

Amazing!! I had the tongue taco and barbacoa and both were delish! If you're looking for authentic Mexican food, this is your place. My only negative would be that I didn't have enough room in my belly for this delicious food. read more

Whoa!! This is without a doubt the worst Mexican restaurant I've ever been to!! The salsa tastes like the can it came out of, the entre tastes like they haven't cleaned the grill in a long time, and the only fresh thing I was served was the lime in my beer. There are like three little kids running around screaming. This place is the worst!! read more

Small takeout place but everything is fresh and made to order. The homemade tortillas and gorditas are jam packed with meat. I really enjoyed the barbacoa and al pastor. The chile rellano did not come with any red sauce but it was still delicious. They also make the best tres leche cake in town. read more

Stopped by for lunch. I had the red enchiladas with chicken. 4 enchiladas comes with rice, lettuce, and tomato on a real plate. Good stuff. My wife had two tacos--one barbacoa and one steak. She said they rocked. All this for $11--bingo. Will be back. read more

Carne asada tacos very good and quick! Comes with limes & red & green sauces. I took out.

I live in California and I've had my fair share of Mexican food. I can safely say this belongs amongst the best hole-in-the-wall Mexican I've ever had. Homemade corn AND flour tortillas. Cheap prices. Great horchata. This is danky, delicious Mexican food at its finest. read more

I freakin' love this place! Don't be fooled by the outside. The food is great. Sometimes they are busy due to call in orders, so go ahead and do the same. read more

Best Mexican food in town! This place although doesn't look as nice or fancy as other restaurants in the area, has the best food as it is home made. The gorditas are to die for! Also the 3 leeches cake is the best read more