Marias always has the best staff. Everyone is so polite and accommodating. Love their salsa and their margaritas.

Visited June 25 2026. See my receipt . Yes...my fav place in Grass Valley! Huge outdoor shaded patio with misters which My puppy enjoyed! This place is classy yet casual. The employees are warm and friendly ( Grass Valley vibe ). We ordered our usual steak fajitas with all the complementary salsas. The dish also comes with rice and beans. I asked for alittle extra sear on the meat and it was perfect! The salsas..especially the habanero was spicy! They have many salsas and they are top notch! All so fresh! We had leftovers as usual and a very happy puppy in a nice shaded patio! Don't miss this place! read more

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One star because my Cadillac margarita was goood! Otherwise, I would have left zero stars. We were with a party of 11 and once our food was out we were neglected. No refills on drinks, empty water cups. It took at least half an hour of us being done with our food to receive our check and in the meantime we sat around thirsty wondering where the help went. Stale chips taste like they came from a bag and the salsa was mediocre at best. We were sat outside and they couldn't decide if they wanted the patio open or covered, which was distracting and inconvenient. My husband and I ordered one Cadillac margarita, one Bloody Mary, two shots of Tequila Cazadores, one shot of Tito's, and the taquitos appetizer that is bland and boring AF. $83 before tip. And the shots? I wish I would have taken a picture because they might have been one ounce at best and they were $10 a piece! Absolutely trash designer Mexican food. Please steer clear of this place!! If you are in the area and want legit drinks and Mexican food, check out Katarina's in Alta Sierra. read more

So my mom has eaten here for lunch with a good experience but never dinner, so we gave it a shot. We got there just after 6pm, a little ahead of the Saturday night crowd. From the start, things were bumpy. Our server was very pleasant but seemed flustered. Everything took more tine than it should have, from getting chips and salsa to placing our order. The Saturday crowd was pouring in and bumpy went to rocky. Our dishes took forever to finally arrive. Ok now for the food.... Mom had the California Enchilada and that was a success - very stuffed w chicken. My wife had the taquitos. She wanted one beef and one chicken but I guess they don't have that option in the ordering system so we went all beef. She ordered a side of black olives but it never arrived. We would have flagged the server on this but barely saw her. I had the Beef Chicana and that was the least successful dish. The dish ate extremely dry. It had amazing flavor but eaten as presented was not great. I tried to doctor w cheese and salsa which helped. I took mine home because i think w some moisture (beef stock?) some crema and maybe guac, it could be killer. Final notes. The salsa was very good, tasted homemade. The guac was okay. I was a little bummed no mole dishes on the menu. My wife brought home churros w caramel and she loved them. The ambience of the place was great - perfect noise control at the beginning but when it got packed, you are going to shift to yell mode. We will try it again but probably mid day lunch vs full blast Saturday night. read more

FRESH WARM TORTILLA CHIPS EVERYONE SAY HELL YEAH!! This place is amazing and I wanna try everything on the menu! While the mix of vegetables that came with the fajitas was a little jarring at first, they tasted so good together! However, if your spice tolerance is lame like mine, I would not encourage you to try the green salsa unless you wanna be swishing around your margarita in your mouth for ten minutes while your friends laugh at you. The place was so cute with its hacienda style architecture that makes it feel like a full blown cantina. I almost expected a mariachi band to walk through the dining room (a little disappointed that didn't happen if we're being honest). And every waitstaff we encountered was so nice and accommodating, but I would have liked someone positioned at the host stand so I didn't feel like I was waiting to be sat in the wrong area. I will be back! For the warm chips and to devour the menu bit by bit!!! read more

Maria's Mexican Restaurant - Vegetable fajitas and Organic Grapefruit Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Grass Valley, California

It took 45 mins for a simple burrito I could have gotten at chipotle. HORRIBLE Server and Manager and took wayyyy too long and when I asked for a refund, they called me a slur. Never going here again and I expect better out of a downtown grass valley... read more

Had dinner here for the first time at the suggestion of my companion. The outdoor patio is lovely and the buzzer was quick to offer to bring a heater tableside, which was appreciated. The indoor dining appeared to be stereotypical Mexican restaurant decor. The server was adequate, not particularly friendly or helpful, but not a problem. Unfortunately, my friend is vegetarian And they were out of one of the only appealing vegetarian options on the menu, a veggie tamale. So much great food in Grass Valley, such a waste of a great patio. read more

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We have truly enjoyed Maria's every time we have come here. This trip started out a little shaky. We were seated by a very friendly young man. When our server arrived is when it got a little dicey. Our server Cindy F seemed very rude and condescending. I never tip less than 20+% but this time I did. We all loved our food and Beth the manager truly made up for our servers rudeness. If it wasn't for Cindy this would have definitely been a 10 star experience. read more

My husband and I wanted to have dinner at a restaurant within walking distance of our hotel. We were excited to try this new restaurant and let the waitress know it was our first time. We also signed up on their site to be a member and received free mini nachos! My husband got the chicken combo tray from the appetizers and I got the 2-item combo with a beef tamale and a beef taco. While we waited for our food, someone came over, I believe the manager, and gave us a bean dish with all their salsa options to try. So nice! We got our free "mini" nachos and they were pretty big. Once our food we chose arrived our table was full. Everything was fresh and smelled amazing. We were overwhelmed to say the least. My husband was shocked by how much food was in the combo tray. He said everything was amazing and the meat was so tender. My food was delicious and I noticed the same thing, everything was so tender and flavorful. We couldn't finish all of the food and had 3 to-go boxes to eat later. We will definitely come back again, as everyone was so nice and the food was very good. read more

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Good food. Great atmosphere. Good service, but the worse watered down horchata I have ever tasted. More like horchata flivored ice water. Please learn to make real hirchata PLEASE. Good food though. read more

Maria's Mexican Restaurant - Horchat flavored ice water passed off as Horchata. - Mexican Near Me - Grass Valley, California

This is a very relaxing atmosphere to stop by for lunch, dinner or drinks. Everything we ordered was very tasty and easy to enjoy: all but the kick at the end of the cilantro dressing! Caliente! I may not have noticed if it was listed as spicy, so it very well could have been my oversight. Our servers and the rest of the staff were all very friendly and helpful. Cadence was super sweet! I'd definitely recommend stopping by if you get the chance. read more

Maria's Mexican Restaurant - Mahi mahi tacos & a side salad - Mexican Near Me - Grass Valley, California

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Excellent food, freshly made daily! My husband and son loves loves that Carne Asada. He says it's best he has ever had! I love their chimichangas and their chicken marinade salad and so many more. Great patio lots of atmosphere very ethically decorated! Fun and they even sing for your birthday! read more

We called for a to go order after a long afternoon at the Empire mine and then a 3 mile hike. The restaurant is one of my partner's favorites and my first time trying. The restaurant itself is super cute on the outside and on the inside. It is decorated wonderfully. As soon as we got inside the restaurant the smell of yummy food was overtaking. I could not wait to get our order. The chicken taquitos were perfect and crunchy without the grease. The churros are the best I have ever had in my life. They come with caramel sauce and a side of vanilla ice cream. Seriously, it was like having cinnamon French toast but then with the crunch and the caramel sauce was out of this world. I have tried a lot of churros and I have never been so impressed. read more

Maria's Mexican Restaurant - Churros that could bring world peace - Mexican Near Me - Grass Valley, California

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Maria's is a nostalgic spot for me... I grew up eating here, so when I came back to town for a funeral, it felt right to stop in. Unfortunately, I left mourning more than just my uncle. My sister and brother-in-law got the carnitas, which gifted them 18 straight hours of diarrhea. So I'm giving Maria's two stars... because they "gifted" my family with more #2's then their individual posteriors were built for. I myself had a burrito that ended up being about 5/7ths cheese... hope you like chewing forever. And can we talk about the chips??!!!?! Man, the chips used to be these thick, flavorful triangles of love... now they're thin, sad, and dissolve before they even make it to your mouth. Fully transparency, There were two bright spots. The salsa recipe hasn't changed in 30 years and it's still perfection. And the blackberry margarita slapped the taste buds right out of my mouth. I wish those items were enough to win back my childhood, But yeah... probably not the homecoming I was hoping for. read more

Nice atmosphere, but the food was a bit of a disappointment. The carnitas in the burrito was dry and tough and the chicken in the taco salad was dry and scarce. Service was fine, but kind of felt like they were just going through the motions. read more

Amazing food and a lot of it! Fish tacos are one of my favorites. Fast, friendly service!

After driving through the downtown strip and seeing few options open, we stumbled across Maria's and decided to give them a try. One side of the restaurant is more of a bar, and one side is restaurant style with booths and tables. We sat on the restaurant side. Cleanliness and overall vibe inside: the restaurant area was pretty casual. Menus were slightly sticky, and it kinda gave eating at a Mexican Denny's vibe initially. I appreciated that the menu clearly specified what was gluten free since I'm limiting gluten right now. Drinks: We ordered a classic lime, and a blood orange margarita, and upgraded the tequila to something a step higher and anejo. They were well blended, but massive. I'm talking, twice the size of what you would expect. They were also overflowing in the cups and made a sticky mess all over the table when they were delivered to us by the server. With that, they tasted delicious so we didn't mind the mess too much. Perhaps this explains the sticky menus. lol Food: My husband ordered the Carne Asada and I decided to try the Poblano Encheladas. Serving sizes were hearty, and the food was solid. The Carne Asada was very well marinated, and the Poblano enchilada sauce was to die for. It was a fair amount of sauce, but I wished I had a little more if I'm being honest. The presentation was taken down a notch or two since some of the fresh veggies were browning and or slightly wilted. I could have gone without it on my plate with how they looked. Service: our waiter was very casual, but she attended to us well. Our drinks were kept full, she brought us a complimentary bean dip since we were first timers, and she gave good recommendations. Overall, I take one star away for minor cleanliness and presentation/wilty veg but we really enjoyed our food and experience and would definitely come back here again while in GV. read more

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Had a large party but our waiter was very efficient! The food overall was pretty good, I think everyone enjoyed it! The portions are huge,especially the burritos! Lots of seating and wasn't too loud overall. read more

Last time we were in Grass Valley we ate at Maria's Mexican Restaurant. We were so impressed with the ambiance, food and staff, we knew next time we came to Grass Valley, we would return. Yesterday we did and had a like experience, except this time we ate on the patio. The decor is colorful, fun and inviting. When we first arrived, the bartender acknowledged us even though he was very busy making drinks. It was intriguing watching him for the couple of minutes we waited to be seated. The staff is amazing...every single employee was focused, friendly and efficient!!! The food was delicious, fresh/hot and delivered quickly. I have special dietary needs, and they were honored with respect and accuracy. At one point, a party of ten was seated. Several staff members made sure everyone had drinks and the food came out from the kitchen in what I would call record time...and all their food arrived at their table at the same time, again due to several staff members pitching in to make it happen. Our waitress checked back several times to see if we needed anything. When we were ready to leave, I asked for a to-go cup for my remaining Pepsi. She brought me a full to-go cup with lid and straw all set to go! SO, of course, we know exactly where we will be eating the next time we are in Grass Valley! Can't get better than amazing! read more

We certainly enjoyed our visit to Maria's Mexican restaurant! We were a large group and got seated easily and our server was friendly and helpful in assisting with menu selections. I got a burrito that was entirely too big for my stomach, which was kind of fun I must admit... Relaxing ambience and a great place to just enjoy a happy hour drink at the round bar. Would love to come back next time I'm in Grass Valley. read more

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I am a Carne Asada connoisseur and the Best Carne Asada ever is here at Maria's Mexican Restaurant!! Served sizzling on a well seasoned flat cast iron skillet that brings out the savory flavors of the beautiful cut piece of Carne Asada. Add a cheese enchilada and it is amazing combination! The staff is the best. I enjoy sitting at the bar and having Jake serve the family. Jake is the best!!! read more

It's worth the trip! Headed up the hill to get out of the fog. We landed in Grass Valley and picked the perfect outside eating spot with the perfect ambiance. I split the steak fajitas with my wife and it was perfect. The meal was a healthy portion packed with all the goodies. My brother had the carnitas, which were also on point, and my sister in law had the enchilada. I also had a fish taco as an appetizer and it was great. Pro tip, they serve the taco with 2 tortillas. I use one of them with the shared fajita dish. Worked perfectly. A nice touch was the chips and salsa. They brought out 5 different salsas, on the house, and they were great. The jalapeño and habanero salsa's were my favorite. To finish the deal, we had some solid service that helped insure a "for sure" return to this hidden gem. Don't look at the 3 star rating, it is definitely a 4.5-5 star establishment. I have eaten at a lot of Mexican restaurants, having grown up in the Central Valley, and this is the best "authentic" food spot to date. Give it a try, you will not be disappointed! read more

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Excellent food. Very generous portions. Thankful a friend recommended Maria's to us. We will eat here again. Thank you to the chef & waitress. Parking is tricky when you have a big vehicle. Other than that it's the place to go for delicious food Cindy & Rich read more

The tacos were delicious, everyone in the family. Age one to sixty seven, loved tasting each other's plates. Definitely shareable. Our server had complete control over his station. Every question answered without hesitation, we will definitely try takeout. The vibe was just fun filled aromas mixed with smiles. read more

By far the best Mexican food in the area. Cinco da Mayo is HUGE in this state they were amazing given the situation. I ordered a crab enchilada a la cart, amazing! JUST had a crab taco in Jalico, Mexico couple weeks ago it fell short. The only reason I gave it a 4 not 5 is because of little things, but as a whole if it was outta 10 you got a 9. Thank you. read more

Maria's Mexican Restaurant - Crab enchilada a la cart. - Mexican Near Me - Grass Valley, California

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Customer service was excellent!! The food was exactly how we ordered it. This is the best Mexican restaurant in this area so far!

As soon as we walked in we were immediately greeted. There were 3 small groups ahead of us, but it still only took a few minutes to be seated. I ordered the fish tacos, the other three in my party ordered various chicken related dishes. The food tasted good, the chips were some of the best I've eaten. My only complaint is that both the chicken and the fish were a tad on the dry side. Still good, just a little dry. The decor and atmosphere were very authentic. All in all, great experience. We'll be back. read more

My extended family invited us to join them at Maria's before the Thursday night farmers market in grass Valley. It was a one minute drive from our hotel room so it was perfect. Love the vibe here. Neat looking round bar with a huge outdoor patio. Tammy took care of our drinks for happy hour, and then we were all seated in the back of the restaurant. Franca was our waitress and was extremely attentive and helpful with a great personality! I love how they serve the margaritas. The glasses are beautiful. Nice warm, complementary chips and salsa were very tasty. I ordered the combination plate with chicken taquitos and a tostada and good Lord, those were some fat nicely stuffed taquitos. A lot of chicken! Lovely lovely experience and a wonderful atmosphere! Be back soon! read more

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Great food, excellent service, beautiful restaurant . My favorite restaurant in the area!!

After an exhausting but beautiful almost 4-hour hike, my friends and I were absolutely starving and needed a place to refuel. We searched on Google Maps and found Maria's Mexican Restaurant with a solid 4-star rating, so we decided to check it out. When we arrived, it was clear this was a popular spot for the locals--both the main parking lot and overflow lot were full! We lucked out and managed to find a spot, and despite the restaurant being busy, we were seated right away. The restaurant has charming, authentic décor that gives off a cozy, welcoming vibe. The hostess greeted us with a warm smile and made us feel right at home. Our servers were quick with the chips and water, and this was definitely the highlight of the service--everyone was friendly and prompt. However, as the meal went on, it felt like our server was a bit distracted and didn't check in on us as often as we would have liked. Our food took a little longer than expected, but we kept busy by snacking on the chips and salsa. I had read on Yelp that there was a complimentary salsa sampler and bean dip for first-time customers, so I requested those when placing our order. The server hesitated, explaining that the bean dip was only for first-timers, but after I confirmed we were new customers, he reluctantly put in the request. I ordered the Enchilada After an exhausting but beautiful almost 4-hour hike, my friends and I were absolutely starving and needed a place to refuel. We searched on Google and found Maria's Mexican Restaurant with a solid 4-star rating, so we decided to check it out. When we arrived, it was clear this was a popular spot for the locals--both the main parking lot and overflow lot were full! We lucked out and managed to find a spot, and despite the restaurant being busy, we were seated right away. The restaurant has charming, authentic décor that gives off a cozy, welcoming vibe. The hostess greeted us with a warm smile and made us feel right at home. Our servers were quick with the chips and water, and this was definitely the highlight of the service--everyone was friendly and prompt. However, as the meal went on, it felt like our server was a bit distracted and didn't check in on us as often as we would have liked. Our food took a little longer than expected, but we kept busy by snacking on the chips and salsa. I had read on Yelp that there was a complimentary salsa sampler and bean dip for first-time customers, so I requested those when placing our order. The server hesitated, explaining that the salsa sampler was only for first-timers, but after I confirmed we were new customers, he reluctantly put in the request. I ordered the Chicken Suissa, and my friend tried the Carne Asada fries and Carne Asada street tacos from the bar menu. My other friend went for a two-combo with a tamale and quesadilla. I also added a cup of chicken tortilla soup to warm up after the chilly hike. The drinks came quickly, and I tried their buttered rum, which was a fantastic, warming treat. The chicken tortilla soup was small but hit the spot--it was flavorful and comforting. As for the salsa sampler, it included roasted pepper, cilantro, habanero, jalapeño, and a traditional red salsa. Unfortunately, the roasted pepper salsa was very off-putting (my friend even said it tasted fishy!), the cilantro salsa had an overwhelming soapy flavor, and the habanero salsa was watery with no heat. The jalapeño salsa was decent, but the regular red salsa was the standout--it was the best of the bunch. The chips were fresh, salty, and thin, which was perfect for snacking while waiting. When the complementary bean dip arrived, it was definitely a highlight! The dip was made of beans, enchilada sauce, melted cheese, and olives, and it was surprisingly tasty--definitely something I'd order again. As for the entrees, my Enchilada Suissa was fine, though it arrived lukewarm, which was disappointing. Thankfully, I had filled up on chips, soup, and dip, so I ended up taking my meal home. My friend was not thrilled with the Carne Asada fries, as the cheese sauce was bland. My other friend thought her quesadilla was smaller than she expected, which was a bit of a letdown. Overall, Maria's Mexican Restaurant was an okay stop, especially after a long hike, but it didn't live up to the excitement we had anticipated. The service could have been more attentive, and while some of the dishes were satisfying, others left something to be desired. It's a solid option for a quick meal, but next time, we might explore other choices in Grass Valley. read more

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I gave one star in my first review. I am adding a star for the super server who help us . However, I think the serving size is skimpy and I think the prices are high for what you get. We decided to try them one more time because we wanted music with our dinner; however, they no longer have live music. Big disappointment! read more

Surprised by the 3.5 star rating- our meal was great! Super fresh, amazing service, and no wait time. Great ambiance and we will definitely return. The food was delicious! read more

Food! Great! Service, wonderful! Ambiance lovely. This is a fun place with waitresses who really care about you and food that pleases your palate. read more

Maria's Mexican Restaurant - Poblano Enchilada stuffed with chicken - Mexican Near Me - Grass Valley, California

For grass Valley I would say this one of top Mexican restaurants! Though it can be on a higher price side, you get quite the quantity of food. I've always enjoyed their margaritas! Chips and salsa have never disappointed. I go to is always the enchilada suissa, they are pretty darn good, but you definitely need to ask for extra sauce. Every visit I've always had good service! The decor and space of the restaurant is great, the patio is super cute. This is a great go to for large party events, as well as an easy go to lunch! read more

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Food, service and ambience was just terrific and their drinks and food fabulous!! Shredded beef amazing, nachos and quesadillas are so good!!! Best hot buttered rum - homemade read more

We were in town for a concert and decided to go to Maria's because it is in a very convenient location. It is walking distance from our hotel, the venue we were going to, and lots of shops. The Google reviews are excellent and it seems popular. The host and server were very nice and attentive. The restaurant is very spacious, has great decor and has lots of indoor and outdoor seating. The margaritas are in very beautiful glasses. What was lacking for me is the food. We appreciated the unlimited chips and salsa, the chips were hot and fresh, and the salsa was delicious. However, my boyfriend ordered the shrimp super burrito, and he had unpeeled shrimp on his first bite. The avocado in his burrito was also unripe and hard. I ordered the chicken taquitos, and the chicken was super dry. I liked that were choices on what kind of beans we could have on the side. The pinto beans and rice were good. Lastly, I ordered a $13 jalapeno and pineapple margarita, and it tasted only like margarita mixer! No spice from jalapeno or sweetness from pineapple. I wonder/am hoping they gave me the wrong drink by mistake because that was really disappointing, especially because the presentation of the drink was very nice. The unlimited chips and salsa and great service were my favorite part, but I wish the food was better and matched the prices that it was. read more

Maria's Mexican Restaurant - The chips and salsa were my favorite thing here. - Mexican Near Me - Grass Valley, California

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Maria's is absolutely wonderful! This is the most beautiful and unique Mexican restaurant I have ever seen. The decor and building are breathtaking, and they have a spacious dog-friendly courtyard. The staff was so amazing and took such great care of us, along with giving our dog water. The margaritas are delicious and refreshing, and they have all kinds of flavors for a really good price. I had the pineapple jalapeño, and it was sooo good! They have the ultimate best enchiladas Suissa; I still have not found anyone who has come close to these. The chilaquiles are fantastic! Thank you, Maria's, for such a lovely time. read more

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WOW love the ambience of Maria's. It has that old world charm and makes you feel like you have traveled back in time. We were seated immediately and ordered drinks that were brought to us within 3 minutes. This place is moderately busy, clean and inviting. The menu is not overwhelming and has a great selection of dishes with exactly the food you want and expect from an authentic Mexican restaurant. Beware - their servings are HUGE and the food is delicious! So far so good, Maria's you hit the spot - thank you. read more

Maria's Mexican Restaurant - Enchiladas Suissa. - Mexican Near Me - Grass Valley, California

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A must stop when in town. Good food. Reasonable price. Friendly staff. Nice atmosphere. Parking can be a struggle but nearby lots and streets add to restaurant lot and it's worth the effort! read more

Maria's Mexican Restaurant - Jalepeno cucumber margarita - Mexican Near Me - Grass Valley, California

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I came up to Grass Valley with my bestie for a girls adventure and we drove past this place a couple of times as we circled the town like vultures looking for a meal. We both have so many great things to say about this place. Jamie was the absolute best, and took such good care of us, insisting that we take our tasty margaritas into the beautiful patio area that was decorated with statues and had a secret door to an old defunct. I had lavender omg! And she had a jalapeño cucumber. So good! The molé was the best I'd had and their salsa was so good! I only wish I had room for dessert, and will definitely be coming back. read more

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