I found this restaurant mediocre.. The food was bland Mexican-by-the-numbers fare appropriate for the Midwest.

My favorite style of Mexican. This is just like the restaurants I grew up with in Oklahoma. Can't go wrong here!

This place is great. The food is very good, and quite authentic yet americanized, but not in a bad way. We were in Mexico in February and the vibe in here defiantly took us right back. I highly recommend it. read more

Odd experience. Unremarkable service. Barely mediocre food. No need to visit again for canned salsa from tomato paste, soupy guac and dry meat and rice that looked like it had been sitting out for days. read more

A year later and I made the mistake of trying it again. Even worse this time. Friendly staff, decent tequila list, cold beer. The problem is... the food just sucks Tip for ya - Carnitas are supposed to be crispy. NOT mouth-sized knots of fatty pork with no flavor. Actually, on the topic of flavor - get some. Find some. Go work at ... ANYWHERE...because you just...can't...cook. Your "Chorizo" is flavorless. How? How do you manage to come up with flavorless chorizo? Do yourself a favor & avoid this place at all costs. Even Chipotle is better than this. read more

By upstate NY standards, this place has great Mexican Food. So many great options. Enchiladas are great, tacos are great, burritos are great. I've never been let down here! read more

I love this place! Delicious food, good prices, and a great atmosphere. I've been here for lunch and dinner and we're always seated fast with great service. The server brings chips and salsa (both homemade and delicious) and food arrives quickly. I always get the arroz con pollo with corn tortillas and it is amazing. They also have a happy hour everyday from 3-6 with $2.99 margaritas - you can't beat that! Overall if you haven't given Old Mexico a chance, try it once and you'll be back! read more

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Definitely worth the trip from Horseheads. Went for lunch and had the best Chili releno ever. Alma is a great waitress, friendly and fast. Check out Taco Tuesday's and Margarita Mondays. Yep, I was there Monday for $1.99 Margaritas! read more

Just got home from having dinner, they have an extensive tequila menu, however we didn't partake in any drinking today. Our server was nice, but some what inattentive. I ordered the pork carnitas, they were not properly executed correctly, no crispness on them a there were blobs of fat, the pork was overly salty but tender. I had the black beans instead of refried, they were chalky and tasteless, didn't eat them. The rice was bland and dry, but I had to eat something. If the corn tortillas are made there,they need a lot of help, mine were very thick and dry. My husband had the carne asada, the portion seem very small for the price, we also ordered a side of guacamole, I really didn't care for it at all, something was very off about it. I have no plans on ever going back and this is the first time I have ever left a Mexican restaurant hungry. read more

My wife and I were very excited about the opening of Old Mexico. I grew up in Texas and have a deep love for Mexican food. Viva just doesn't cut it. In fact, in my humble opinion, Viva is not really Mexican food. Garcia's was decent, but closed down quite a bit ago. I sometimes make the drive to Cortland, although I don't think Garcia's is that great. I was hoping that Ithaca would now have a decent option for Mexican food. We stopped in for lunch today and I have to say we were very disappointed. The complimentary chips and salsa were okay-the salsa was a little heavy on the cilantro. My wife ordered a chili relleno lunch combo with rice and beans. I ordered the fajita lunch combo with veggies instead of meat. The food came out very fast. In fact, almost too fast. For $6.50, my wife got a tiny chili relleno and a small amount of rice and beans. The plate wasn't very big, so the portions were very small. No exaggeration. After tasting the relleno, she said that it tasted like it had been frozen and then refried. The breading was soggy...the relleno was bland as was the rice. The only saving grace was the refried beans. They tasted okay. I was equally disappointed with my meal. For $7.00, I got a large pile of fried veggies, rice and refried beans. My portions were bigger...which is strange. However, when I order fajitas, whether for lunch or dinner, I expect the veggies or meat to come out on a sizzling skillet. No here. The veggies were piled on my plate and they were not even close to sizzling. They were warm-not hot. It seemed like they had previously been cooked and were sitting under a warmer. I was not served any cheese or sour cream with my meal, either. So, my fajitas were just veggies on a tortilla. Boring. All in all, the meal was just underwhelming and disappointing. read more

My partner's enchiladas were good, and the chips (warm!) and salsa at the beginning were lovely. My fajitas were okay; too heavy on the onion, and the server forgot to bring tortillas (a reminder fixed that, though). All the waitstaff seemed deer-in-the-headlights dazed, probably because they just opened and are still learning. Fine. The menu is pretty big, with 18 available combos, of which NOT ONE IS VEGETARIAN. This is Ithaca, people; vegetarians are everywhere. I wanted a bean and cheese burrito, and was told that was impossible. The menu does indeed have a veggie section, with four options, so I guess I appreciate my existence being acknowledged in a token way, BUT... ALL your enchiladas, tacos, and burritos should be able to be prepared with a simple bean-for-meat substitution. It just isn't hard to do at all. I want to like this place. Hopefully they're listening. read more

What has happened to the food at Old Mexico? We ate there quite a few times when it first opened- it was pretty good. Ate there the other night and I can't say it was good. My partner had a mini quesadilla that was soggy and flavorless. I had the enchiladas suiza. The carnitas on the top of it (unusual addition to this kind of enchilada) were good, the enchiladas really boring. We noticed that the parking lot was empty at 7:00 pm- not a good sign! Bring back the other cooks! read more

Not too shabby! I was quite impressed with the decor walking in. I knew it should be good when they put so much attention to the details. Check out those ceiling tiles! Food prices are reasonable and quality is fresh and tasty. Best Mexican food in ithaca so far! Not feeling so homesick for Houston anymore. :) read more

Went there on a whim, well based on ithaca top ten, which said they were having a mariachi band playing. Boy am I glad we went, giant beers and 56oz Margheritas, delicious shrimp tacos, and finally a Mexican place in town that offers more then flan for dessert. (Fried ice cream is great, I'm pretty sure it's a zero calorie dessert) read more

I've tried this placer twice recently. Value for the money is not good. Food portions were small for the price paid. Burrito sauce was very watery which made the takeout pretty disgusting. Each time I ordered at least one dish was made incorrectly. Seems to have potential though if some improvements were made. read more

This is a welcome addition to town with easy parking and slightly longer hours than Viva on Friday/Saturday. I had a generous lunch special, very good for the price, with quick and friendly service. The food seems to be standard fare without the creativity of Viva, and the standard salsa is barely more than ketchup. I was brought several alternatives upon request but none was partially good. The food and decor are certainly far superior to Mano's, which used to be at this location. I will probably be back from time to time. read more

Love the large portions and the quality of the food matches. Have a private party here and you'll get the back room, which is secluded and makes for an intimate setting for parties of 10ish. read more

Prompt and efficient service whereby out plates were piping hot when our meals arrived. Lots of seating, good food, clean. Great salsa! Kudos to Joel, our super-server! Enjoy! read more

We had shrimp & Chicken fajitas and beef burrito both were good. Chips and salsa before meal tasted fresh. Service was prompt and friendly. We had some concerns after reading some bad reviews and the sign "Ichabod" outside, however we were pleasantly surprised. read more

The al pastor street tacos are a must try! Only place in Ithaca where you can find authentic tacos al pastor, and they are good! The service is great. read more

Excellent food, generous portions (I always have leftovers), very affordable, beautiful newly renovated space, and attentive servers! I highly recommend this place to college students and professionals in ithaca alike (and bums like myself). Can't beat a $6.50 lunch special of authentic Mexican food. The salsa (which is complimentary and comes with chips) is great, and the chimichangas and trio fajitas are delicious. I look forward to working my way through the menu. Keep it up, Old Mexico! read more

As other reviewers have noted, a large part of the appeal of Old Mexico is their large portions, particularly relative to their prices. As for quality, I don't get the impression that Old Mexico is aiming for upscale cuisine, and I'm not sure how "authentic" some of the dishes might be, but I can say that their mole was flavorful. The last time I was at Viva Cantina, the mole was burnt and bitter, and the resulting mess was inedible. Throw in unlimited chips and salsa (with fresh cilantro, no less) and plenty of convenient free parking, and Old Mexico starts looking like a credible replacement for Garcia's. Bottom line: If you're looking for hearty comfort food at reasonable prices, give it a try. read more

Some good... Mostly bad! The guacamole was excellent, the complimentary chips crisp and warm, and the salsa pretty good. The fajita was a mix... Shrimp and chicken was good, steak too well done. Not enough lettuce and stuff on the side, and a minuscule amount of sour cream... And they charged to bring more! The other three meals were close to inedible. The skirt steaks (which I love and make all the time), were pounded thin, over cooked, and were like shoe leather! The cheese enchiladas had almost no cheese and little flavor, and the meat burritos had NO flavor, and the meat was totally dry with no other fillings! And all the tortillas were thick and hard. As for the service, our waiter was very nice but totally clueless... Getting almost every order wrong the first time! The food also took forever to come out. I understand the place is new and the service should improve, but they really need to do something about their main dishes. They can't hold a candle to Viva Taqueria, or Moe's, and even Taco Bell has better food! This is not their first restaurant, and they should know better. I hope they improve, because it is a nice place and has lot's of potential. read more

My mom and I went there around 12:45pm and ordered the large platter that came with a little of everything so we could try it all and split it. It came out 7 minutes later which was a red flag for me that they re-heated our food in the microwave...which was correct because our plates were scalding hot as well as our food. The microwave also made the tortilla on the quesadilla soggy. For a Mexican restaurant, I expected the food to have some kind of spicy kick to it, even if it was mild spiciness, but it all was very bland. I wouldn't go back on my own, only if somebody invited me or something and that's where they would want to go. read more

Very good food. Nice ambiance. Staff were wonderful. Great price. Large portions. Will definitely be back

Wanted dinner. After 30 minutes got drinks and no promise of food within an hour so we left.

LOVE this spot. It's not too pricey, and its the only place in Ithaca to get Mexican food that is at least the right shape and has most of the right ingredients in it. It's not what I could get when I lived in AZ but its definitely worth a try. PLENTY of seating room read more

Horrible service and you get charged more on your credit card than you sign for!!! Make sure to bring cash

The best and only traditional and original Mexican food restaurant in Central New York and the Finger Lakes. It is a quite large hall decorated with rústico furniture. Customer service is top class and the food is varied and tasty. read more

got a salad that was supposed to be vegetarian. had chicken. the vegetarian fajitas had chicken. everything was very mediocre.

This is without a doubt the best Mexican food I have ever had and one of my top favorite restaurants in Ithaca. I'm not sure how I've gotten this far in life without having chimi changas, but if you're like me and are new to them, you need to try the chicken ones here. My go to dish is the arroz con pollo or the quesadilla rellena with chicken. I'm not sure what they do to their queso, but the flavor is phenomenal! I've never had a quesadilla that melts in your mouth and is so flavorful. The refried beans are to die for as well. As you are waiting for your meal, make sure you get a CoronaRita as you munch on some chips and salsa. The salsa is the runnier kind, not chunky, but it is full of flavor and spice. I usually leave here feeling about 20 lbs heavier afterward! The service has been slower at times, but everyone who works there is very kind and courteous. I truly can't say we have had any bad experiences here and we have gone quite often! On Friday nights there is even a mariachi singer there who will seranade you at your table, very cute! Overall, Old Mexico has a great atmosphere, terrific food, and is a wonderful place to go if you are in the area! read more

I only give it 2 stars since I have had tons of great authentic Mexican and this might be 4 stars for Ithaca standards, but I am not from Ithaca. The salsa was like tomato sauce in a dish. The chips tasted stale. The burrito had more beans and rice and tiny tiny portion of what they called carne asada, but we all know it wasn't cooked like carne asada and it tasted nothing like it. Sorry for the bad review, but would love to see an improvement since it has potential. read more

Great food! Great service! Great price! Great environment! Doesn't get any better than that! It's my favorite go-to restaurant in Ithaca. read more

I grew up in Texas. If there is anything I miss the most from my childhood... it might be the Mexican food. Since moving to New York oh so many years ago, I have only found three places I would label as good, authentic Mexican food and this is one of them. I am not in Ithaca often, but I look forward to dining here again. read more

I like Old Mexico better than Viva for Mexican in Ithaca. It is more flavorful and spicy and the portions are better. There is a parking lot which is great because I hate street parking. The menu is huge and there are tons of options. Prices are really good as well. Service was fast and attentive. read more

I left my wallet there and they won't pick up theirs phone even though they're open for another 10 minutes. Very unprofessional, will not go there again. read more

Visiting from Texas and wanted some Mexican food. So stopped at Old Mexico and had a great lunch with very good service. Our meals had more meat on them then back at home. Very nice! Got my Mexican food fix. read more

Decent food - nothing incredible but good and not expensive. Chips and salsa upon arrival and the chips were still warm. Yum! Our waitress was great! Really nice and welcoming. Good low-cost food. read more

Delicious, inexpensive Mexican food. Tortillas chips were warm at 9p, salsa was mild not chunky but tasted great. Sangria glass was huge and service was very attentive. Will definitely go back as we usually stay at hotel next door when visiting. read more

The table side guacamole is good, but it seems everything else is smothered in cheese sauce. I like cheese, but this is absurd. The margaritas are cheap. Service on a Saturday afternoon was poor. The street tacos are not smothered and are good. read more