We had planned on going to a popular Korean restaurant in town but they were short-staffed and…read morebarely acknowledged as we came through the door, so we left and decided to come here instead. Nice save. Parking when they're busy is a bit much but we found a spot around the corner from the door and walked to the entrance. You walk through their outside dining area which is all covered but because it had just rained it was a bit muggy for us so we opted to sit inside. The place has multiple floors and I really like that set up. We were sat upstairs on the second floor right by the top of the stairs. Looking around you can see another floor with a reserved area, tvs showing sports, and their salsa bar, more on that later. No chips and salsa here. Chips and Charro Bean Dip. The beans tasted refried and charred if that makes sense. I lost at rock, paper, scissors so I had to go visit the salsa bar and bring back dips to try. They had some pretty good ones like their homemade chipotle dressing, salsa verde, salsa de molcajete, etc. There wasn't one that we didn't like. Our server was really great and took care of us well. I got a Tamarindo Margarita and to eat the Enchiladas Poblanas (chicken enchiladas with mole sauce, queso fresco, raw onions) with the normal side of refried beans and rice, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and guac. I got a side of extra cheese because I'm a little rat and dumped it on them. The mole sauce really hit the spot. The last time I had it the sauce was kinda bland but this gave such a nice sweet and earthy flavor. He got the Molcajete Azteca (lava rock bowl with char-grilled chicken, steak, chorizo, shrimp, queso fresco, grilled cactus, onions, avocados, serrano peppers, pork rinds), same sides as my dish. He ''Oooh-ed" and "Ahhh-ed" and "Oh my God, this is so good" so you know he was a happy guy. I can see what all the hype is about. Definitely a place to visit.

Time for a revisit to Las Carretas. This time I was with my mom, and we got in there when a soccer…read moregame was playing, so there was a lot of activity happening. We got a seat inside away from the noise, oddly enough in about the same place as we almost always have gotten in this restaurant. I went for a burrito, which is also my standard. It was just as good this time around as it was the last time, and the service was still just as solid. Really, for this kind of Mexican food in Gainesville, this is one of the best places to go as far as I am concerned. We will be returning in the future.

Very authentic Mexican food! This is a great Mexican staple for Gainesville. You order at the…read morecounter and choose a table, so a great place for lunch or a quick dinner. The service is always super fast. The food is always fresh and authentic. Not pictured are the birra tacos, which are my favorite and go-to item at La Tienda. The spice is tolerable, and the meat is always fresh. The nachos were a huge portion and had nicely seasoned meat. The queso was warm which was lovely

What this place may lack in presentation, it makes up for in taste. The tacos al pastor were…read moreabsolutely delicious. The three dip trio with the chips was great; the queso had a great flavor and the amount of guacamole given was beautiful. I knew I could trust this place for authentic food due to the paper notices on the outside. La comida estaba riquisa, and I would definitely go back. Ambiance was super friendly. Staff was also very nice and making sure to answer any questions we had regarding modifications. There is a pretty big drink selection.

If you can judge a restaurant by the quality of their refried beans . It would be a 10+ …read more Just had refried beans, chips & salsa. Excellent btw. Caught the end of the game. In case you didn't know. Spain Won. LOL ( as if I know anything about sports .. )

This popular Mexican restaurant in Alachua County in Gainesville offers authentic dishes like…read moreenchiladas and fajitas in a family friendly atmosphere. We were there for lunch. They brought out the freshest homemade salsa and chips for the table. I couldn't stop eating so they brought more. I had the Shrimp Quesadilla lunch special $12.25. It was so delicious and a bargain. The service was very friendly and efficient.

We sat at the outside bar as reservations were needed for anything inside. Our bartenders were…read morevery friendly, polite and did the best they could do, but were completely overwhelmed on this Graduation Friday. Place was clean, food was OK, yes just OK and wasn't even close to being served all together. The third plate was served after we finished all the other dishes. As I said, the bartenders were working hard but the overall service was terrible. No silverware was given, no drink refills were offered, no follow up on the missing food. Service just sucked! Especially for the prices ! Too many options to go back and have another bad experience. Today's busyness is not a surprise as I go through this every year, yet we're unable to take care of their guests.

We came to Cantina Añejo for a sorority moms & daughters event, and the vibe was definitely fun and…read morelively--it's right across the street from UF, so it's clearly a popular scene! Drinks were included with the event, and I ordered a Tito's with club soda and lime, but something was off. Not sure what they mixed in, but it tasted unusually sweet, almost like it had added sugar or syrup--which was unexpected for such a simple cocktail. On the plus side, we tried the chips and guacamole, and they were really good--fresh, flavorful, and a great snack to share. Overall, it's a good spot if you're looking for a social, energetic atmosphere, but the drinks didn't quite hit the mark for me. Might give it another try for the food or a different cocktail.

Keep Austin weird!…read more Oh wait, we're in Gainesville. Been years and years since I've been in the south. I loved going to Austin Chuys for the food, drinks, and chips on Friday nights. What great energy! When we happened by this Gainesville location I knew we had to stop in. It still has a great vibe, now with T-shirts of fajita raccoons for sale up front. There was definitely a family vibe here. It was better lit and all types of folks enjoying. I ordered the steak and chicken combo fajitas. I remembered it was the cheapest way to get the most meat. That hasn't changed. Two portions of meat came out on the sizzling platter, with another for cheese, guacamole, and sour cream. Another plate for rice and beans. And t Yet another for the hot tortillas made fresh in the machine. We also got the chicken tacos, which came on an attractive plate. The chicken tortilla soup was well received too. But the best thing was unlimited fresh chips. They brought it out before even saying hi and taking drink orders, to maximize our grazing time. As we comped away dipping in the fresh house made salsa, they kept bringing out more. My jaws are sore from so much chewing!

The hostess was fun and we were seated quickly. The server sweet and attentive. The interior decor…read morewas a nice vibe reminiscent of a Mexican vacay making the ambiance inviting. The food needs work. The flavors are on top only. The salsa serve with chips in entrance was flavorless

Had lunch here today and it was muy muy bueno! Beef either ground or shredded had great flavor; my…read morefirst chile relleno - yum yummy. Service was great, very friendly and informative. I recommen.

Cool ambiance... service eh , I mean the server did his job nothing more nothing less. the menus…read moreneed to be redone. They are severely worn and the words are hardly readable. The Street corn is a joke. The tacos Al Pastor were dry unfortunately, so Was the tortilla. Came here only cause it was near by from where we were which was Harley Davidson. Don't think we will come again.

I thought I had reviewed this place previously but I guess I didn't. Anyways, I've been here two…read moretimes now and was satisfied once again! As a heads up for anyone wondering, they don't serve alcohol so this isn't a place to go when in the mood for margs. This place is close to my house so it's nice when not wanting to drive a long way. We went on a Thursday night and there was only one other family there. The server was nice, even with a language barrier. The most recent time I went I had a steak burrito and added cheese. It was probably the most flavorful steak burrito I've ever had in my life, and that's saying a lot. I was only able to eat half and even the next day was it still very delicious. My bf had the burrito supremo and he enjoyed his as well. We also had queso and it was a little thick for our liking but otherwise, not bad. This is for sure more of an authentic restaurant as they also serve sauces like mole so if you don't know what that is, you will be cultured. I look forward to returning!

I wish I could give a 3.5. Ended up going down to a 3 instead of up to a 4 because they no longer…read moreserve alcohol, which was a bummer because we were looking forward to beer and margaritas with our Mexican lunch. The decor was very festive, but overall the premises have definitely seen better days. The wall paint was peeling in places and the ceiling tiles were stained. Definitely an older place. But the service was very friendly. The salsa was delicious, as were the spicy and verde sauces that came with it. I loved the enchiladas. The bistek con mole was my favorite. My husband's Toluca had an amazing flavor, but the ribeye was very thin and a little tough. Would recommend the dish but maybe the chicken version. All and all, we are not running back, but we'd come by again in the future if we're out on that side of town.

2nd time dining in and YET AGAIN the food was perfect! Carne Asada Quesadillas lunch special was…read moredelicious. The cheese, the peppers, even the onions were wonderful. Chips and salsa are always so fresh, and the prickly pear dressing on the salad was heaven! Wonderful food, wonderful service, wonderful all the way around. Victor was fantastic and to the owner, Gracias con todo senior!

After trying a few other Mexican restaurants I chose this one because the Pork belly tacos. Upon…read morearriving we were told to pick our table. We chose to sit inside. Our server was Brandon, who was an absolute delight! He was so energetic, so friendly, and gave great suggestions. We started with drinks. I had a skinny margarita and my husband had a Frida (top shelf margarita) and our son had a Coke. First thing we ordered was the chips and salsa. The chips were perfect, not too thin and not too thick. They came with two salsas. Both were tasty. Not sure if there is a spicier option but we will check next time. I ordered the Birria tacos. They were so delicious! So much flavor! The avocado tomatillo salsa was perfect with it. My husband ordered the Al Pastor tacos. It was very traditional Al pastor. He loved the black beans. His words were " these are the best black beans I have ever had!" Our son ordered the chorizo tacos. First, I have never seen chorizo tacos offered in a Mexican restaurant. Secondly, they were amazing! To finish, I ordered the banana pudding and our son ordered the churro sundae. Both desserts were delicious. The portions were huge! All in all I say Nopal is quite the gem. Perfect portions and dishes that are packed with flavor. And service that goes above and beyond. We can't wait to go back. We will ask for Brandon!!!

So this is a spot I've been dying to try ever since I worked for Corona here on Cinco de Mayo! The…read morefamily was so hardworking and nice that I knew I had to come back and actually try their food! I'm glad I amped this place up so much to my husband because it DID NOT disappoint. I have some dietary restrictions, so don't mind my steak tacos only having cheese and tomato, but those homemade soft taco shells were the icing on the taco cake! These are probably the best tacos I've ever had in my entire life. My second favorite would be this little tiny family spot way back home in New Bedford, Massachusetts, just to give you a taco spectrum here!!! Seriously, WOWZERS. They also give you unlimited chips and salsa, which we SUPER appreciated, especially compared to another place we recently went where they cut you off! Their homemade salsa had the perfect balance of spice without being too spicy. I could have kept eating it! My husband and I had such a great date night, and our waitress and the rest of the staff were super attentive. As an art major, I also absolutely LOVE the theming and culture throughout the restaurant. So much of it is beautifully hand carved and hand painted. My personal favorite was the sunflower chair because I love my garden at home! This place is a MUST DO if you're in town and in the mood for some sit-down tacos, because afterward you seriously won't stop taco-bout it!

I went here again for dinner at it wasn't too far from my hotel. I came around 7:30 on a Saturday,…read moreand was seated immediately. I had the Jose Cuervo margarita, which was fine for 8 dollars. Not as strong as some other restaurants in Orlando, but not going to complain for 8 bucks. The scallop quesadilla was decently sized for one person. It had a fair amount of bay scallops, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. The sauce was pretty good too, and adding hot sauce helped with the heat. The guacamole salad was enjoyable too, but the as sour cream tasted standard. For 15 dollars, the scallop quesadilla was worth it! For dessert, the chocolate cake flan was alright for 8 dollars. It was a bit rich and I couldn't finish it all, but it was a sweet enough to enjoy. The service was pretty fast. My food and drink came pretty quickly. My server was friendly and very good. She checked up on me a couple times. The atmosphere is the same as last time, but a lot less crowded. It was pretty quiet for a Saturday, but at least there was some music in the background. Of course, if you saw the photos from last time, you knew what I did before I left. For the price paid, I still think it's a good Mexican restaurant. I know there are better ones nearby, but the atmosphere is still enjoyable. I will try some other Mexican restaurants next time, but I can still recommend Las Margaritas for decent Mexican food in Gainesville. Overall: B

There are two doors to this fine restaurant, but both have that home-cooked smell that smacks you…read morein the nose, when you open them! The smell is enough to make you want to eat and take a nap. I followed the easy-to-understand board. First pick which rice you want, which type of bean, and then which type of protein, sides, etc. If you can't get it, just go to the line, and a friendly server will explain it and help. I got the big container to-go, and I am glad I did; it's two good meals!! The curry chicken was cooked to PER FEC TION!!!!!!!!! So tender and juicy, and the curry flavor was on point, and the rice was from a dream! I mean this food is amazing!! You know so much love was put into it!! I am def coming back to get a different combo!! Also, the sweet tea is delicious and won't give you cavities before you hit the door!

Terrible, terrible service. The lady at the front had such a bad attitude that it completely ruined…read morethe experience. She was unwelcoming and acted like we were inconveniencing her just by being there. The food was mediocre at best. The rice was bland and the pork was dry and hard. Nothing else we ate stood out but I would have considered giving this place another chance to try other items on the menu but after the way we were treated i have no interest in returning. ESPAÑOL Terrible, terrible servicio. La muchacha del frente tenía una actitud muy mala que arruinó por completo la experiencia. Ella no fue placentera y actuó como si la estuviéramos molestando solo por estar allí. La comida es mediocre en el mejor de los casos. El arroz sin sabor y el cerdo estaba seco y duro. Nada más que comimos destacó o nos hizo querer volver. Haría considerado darle a este lugar otra oportunidad para probar otros artículos del menú, pero después de la forma en que nos trataron, no tengo ningún interés en volver.