This restaurant was possibly one of the worst experiences I have ever had. Initially we called to ask a question about allergies and received a halfhearted response. But because it was later at night, we decided to give it a shot. After my experience, I would have given 0 stars if I could. The entire wait staff was rude and near combative regarding a menu item not being properly labeled. We ordered both entrees from the vegan part of the menu, and a bean dip appetizer. The bean dip was maybe a tablespoon of beans and the rest of the bowl looked and smelled a bit like melted white American cheese, not a Mexican queso. The waitress argued that the menu was clear (it was not and only said "bean dip $4", and she never mentioned it has cheese. As we ordered off the vegan menu we assumed she'd let us know). While she did fight us on it, she did offer a side of refried beans. After eating the vegan fajita I spit out pieces of steak. So, not sure how old that steak was. Following the meal, I felt nauseated. I'm hoping that's as far as it goes. Also, the guacamole was brown. Overall, between the freezer burned veggies in the rice and the store bought cold chips, the food was mediocre at best. read more

Old Mexico - Brown guacamole. - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

This is the best Mexican food we have experienced in years and Marta provided us with excellent and attentive service. My wife and I will definitely become regulars here. Their steak and cheese burrito is a must!!! read more

I went recently to give this place another try, the service has improved greatly without having to sacrifice the quality of food. The taste is definitely more of what you'd expect a Mexican household to taste like, not like the chain places. I still think the tastes could be more spicy, but that's just me. Good value, great service and a very nice atmosphere. I can definitely see why this place was bumping on a Saturday! read more

Food was pretty good! Got the street tacos. Only issue we ran into was that the restaurant was obviously short staffed. It didnt help that people by us demanded to have the live guacamole show from the waitress when they could have just gotten it made in the back. The staff were doing their best, but definitely hurt the experience a bit. We didnt get our drinks until our food came out.. read more

Old Mexico - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Great food and selection. Had the seafood Chmmi conga, LOVED IT. Waitress was so friendly and helpful.

My husband and I love Old Mexico. I can't even recommend a favorite.dish as we've enjoyed everything we've ordered there. If I had to choose a single thing it would be the rice & refried beans.Yum! We usually order iced tea and it's always been just freshly brewed--free refills, too! We had an especially good server at lunch today, Tansy, who was charming and quick to bring us all the little extras we requested, like hot sauce and more napkins. And we love the kitschy decor and music! I would gladly give this establishment five stars if they would use a less odorous cleaning fluid--the smell of it just as you enter is not exactly appetizing. But somehow I manage to get over what could well be a small detail for some and thoroughly enjoy my food. I wish them buena suerte with their second restaurant, Zocalo, opening this week in the Ithaca Mall. ¡Buen provecho! read more

This has been one of my go-to restaurants in Ithaca. I can say that I have never been disappointed with an order. Some of my favorites are the cheese dip, burrito santa fe, and fajita quesadilla! read more

Pretty much your average Mexican restaurant. Not that that's a bad thing. Nothing out of the ordinary though. Delicious food. Endless chips and salsa and an extensive list of margaritas and of course good luck saving room for dessert! Definitely worth a try if you love Mexican food. read more

Old Mexico - Street tacos - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Just finished a nice meal at this restaurant on the main road in Ithaca, NY. There is alot of parking. Greeted at the door, seated promptly, given menus, warm tortilla chips and homemade salsa. The menu has all the favorites that you see in most Mexican restaurants. I had the Quesadilla Rellenas and my guy had the Santa fe burrito. Both were flavorful and well prepared. The only small complaint was that some of the lettuce was slightly brown. Vegetarian options are on the menu. Lucy our server was pleasant, busy and did her job well and with a smile. read more

If you are craving Mexican food, this is the place to go. I have tried their enchiladas, both chicken and shredded beef. The shredded beef was definitely the better of the two. I really like the enchilada sauce and the chips were warm. This place is good for large groups and the margaritas are not too bad here either. read more

We arrived on a Sunday one hour before closing. I've taken that into account with my star system. The service was, meh. The lady was nice but not overly attentive - missed empty drink glasses, forgot to bring out tortillas with fajitas, etc. it was the end of the night though so I can only hope she was just worn out; I still tipped 20% to give the benefit of the doubt. The food is not spectacular at all. Typically I like to eat at authentic Mexican places but the food was pretty blah: I'd rather eat at a Moes Southwest grill or even Chilis - this is saying a lot from a guy who lived in Texas 10 of the last 12 years and has frequented many Mexican towns over the years. The salsa was the most bland stuff I have ever tasted. The fajita meat had little taste to it - perhaps even not marinated. The rice and beans tasted as if they had come out of a can. I just expect so much more from an "authentic" joint. read more

Okay, the posole doesn't quite compare to the posole from the places in San Diego, but it's the best I've had in the northeast. It needs more fat and more heat but still really hit the spot with fresh, crisp toppings. Quick, friendly, and attentive service too. A minor complaint is that is smelled strongly of cleaner when you walked in, but you stop noticing it pretty quickly. read more

OK, this is not a five-star restaurant. However, it is definitely not a 3 1/2 star restaurant which is what it is currently averaging. I'm trying to give the restaurant a boost because it definitely deserves more than 3 1/2 stars. It is a solid four-star restaurant. It is lagging the last star only because it is not a high-end restaurant, which is what I reserve five stars for. But, it is a great restaurant, and I will be returning. I had a veggie quesadilla which was fresh, and delicious. The tortilla was slightly crispy with no toppings and the vegetable filling had a nice amount of cheese around what appeared to be fresh vegetables. It came with a side of rice and a side of black beans. The portion was perfect. I got the la Don margarita. No it wasn't a special price, not even close, but it was probably the best margarita I've ever had. I've had a lot of margaritas. I sat at the bar so I'm not sure how service was in the rest of the place. The bartender, Diego, did a good job of tending to everybody in the bar area including me. I definitely recommend if you are in this part of town. read more

Old Mexico - Margarita menu. - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

The best burrito in Ithaca. I repeat: The best burrito in Ithaca. The Santa Fe burrito is sublime. The sauce gorgeous. read more

Feeling like a skinny queen. Just threw up everything I've eaten in last 24 hours. Recommend for weight loss. Definitely have ecoli.

Your average Mexican restaurant, which stands out in an area that is shockingly poor when it comes to good Mexican food. Fajitas, tacos, and combo plates are good, and the chips are endless, but the salsa is to be desired. However, my girlfriend and I really liked the pico - it was some of the best we've ever had. This is a huge restaurant, that seems to go on forever, and try to get a seat away from the bar because the area smells like stale beer. read more

Food was okay, it could've been worse could've been better, this is a kind of relaxed Mexican food. Like it's not nice traditional Mexican , it's more of an American Mexican. read more

Not bad. The prices were very affordable and you get a ton of food. You will not leave hungry. The service was not bad. Our waitress was friendly, but a little flaky (dropping stuff, forgetting stuff, etc.) but not unforgivable. The food was a tad bland and of lower quality. The burrito I got was covered with melted cheese and "burrito sauce", which I think was just ketchup. I'd probably go back and give them another try anyway. read more

Ithaca does not have any good Mexican restaurants (haven't tried the food truck yet), however, Old Mexico could change that. My partner and I decided to give Old Mexico a try on a Friday evening. We were promptly seated, but service was a tad slow. The chips and salsa were good and my Margarita was perfect for the price (4.99). They do have happy hour every day (4-6?) and you can get margaritas for $2.99. My partner had fajita nachos and I had street tacos. We enjoyed our food and felt that we got more than we paid for. Overall, a pleasant experience. We will be back. read more

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This was easily the worst Mexican restaurant I have ever eaten at. I tried the Combo Gordo, so I sampled 90% of their food at one go... and I was very disappointed. The tamale, enchilada's and burrito contained the same meat, ground beef (which should have been my first warning). The flavor was intense and reminded me of the taco seasoning found at a grocery store, but multiplied by 10. Overall the food was something I would have made for myself if I was starving after a long day of school... in the third grade. And all this wonderful food for only $18.50! Tax not included. read more

First time there. I came in to eat dinner and have a drink. I sit down at the bar: "what can I get you?" She says to me. I'm thinking: since it's my first time here, what do you serve! How about offering me a menu? But I just say, "food and drink menus, please." No where on the bar, any signs, or in the menu did I see any mention of $2 margaritas--it was Monday and there was indeed that special. Way too sweet, and apparently "1 oz" of tequila per serving, though it's pre-batched, so it's possible, but who knows. I ordered dinner and it took the expected amount of time to get there, but the bartender had disappeared. No one checked on me! Such as "How is the food?" I wanted hot sauce, but since no one bothered to check on me until I had exactly one bite of my dinner left, asking at that point wasn't useful. The food was mediocre, margaritas were sugary/not a good value, service was very poor. I will not be back. read more

I went here for dinner with my aunt and my girlfriend and the food was fantastic. They have earned this 5 star review solely based on the quality of the food because the service is honestly so slow and inattentive it's ridiculous and reading the other reviews seems to be a recurring complaint. That being said the food really is worth it to come in, just be aware of the level of service you will be receiving ahead of time and definitely don't come here if you're in a rush. Come in, try to relax, and I promise once the food hits the table you'll be glad you stuck around. read more

Old Mexico es perfecto! Their biggest competitor, Viva, isn't authentic Mexican food--they're a step above Taco Bell, but not a big one. In contrast, Old Mexico freaking nails it. This place is the real deal. I grew up in a neighborhood with taquerias every third block, and this is the ONLY Mexican restaurant in Ithaca that really captures that authentic flavor. I ordered the Enchiladas Suizas, and tasted my fiance's shredded beef Nachos Simples. The carnitas were great. The green sauce was SO great. The rice and beans were amazing. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they even offer tacos al pastor, with cilantro and onion! It doesn't get more authentic than that. I'm already planning to eat here once a week (budget permitting). I treat rice and beans as a litmus test for how good a Mexican restaurant is. Viva's refried beans have foam on top... Old Mexico's are PERFECT. Full disclosure: I order takeout 99 times out of 100, and judge a restaurant exclusively by the taste of its food. I don't care about ambiance or location or how standoffish the waitstaff are, as long as nobody is actively spitting in my face. I love this place! I just hope there's enough interest in authentic Mexican food to keep them afloat here. read more

I visited in their first week of operation, and they are already doing many things right. It was a busy dinner time on a weeknight and we were seated and served as promptly as the staff could manage. Waiting wasn't bad because everyone at the table really liked the homemade salsa. The waitstaff is trying hard and helpful. Most things about the menu were good, but the vegetarian options seemed poorly thought through and much less coherent than the rest of the menu. I plan on going back once the initial crowds have calmed down. I'm hoping that they'll include a few more veggie combos in the menu, so I'll have more options. That could make me a happy regular. read more

Not satisfied. Should have listened to the bad reviews. Ordered the street tacos for delivery and got three tacos with a few chunks of chicken when I asked for the onions and cilantro with it. Will most likely not be ordering from here again. read more

Old Mexico - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Five of us went to lunch yesterday at Old Mexico. I think any long-time Ithacan will not see the inside as anything other than Manos. Personally I pray they burned the kitchen down and rebuilt it from the ground up, but I realize that is pushing it. The updates they made are modern and warm. I liked the lights with the little colored jewels hanging over every table. I I did not like how close the booths are to each other going down the middle of the dining room, I personally don't want to sit that close to strangers during a meal. We were able to sit at one of the larger tables on the outside of the dining room. We did not get to see the other side of the restaurant (the old Ichabod) but I hear there's a full bar and their drink menu was pretty impressive. We arrived a little before twelve and there were hardly any other patrons there, and even after we were done eating around 1:00. That's too bad, as they could do a great business for lunch. So I'm not sure if it's the location or perhaps people are waiting for them to work out the kinks. I don't know, people are always in such a rush these days anyway, how many people take time during a work day to sit down and have a leisurely lunch? I had the day off, so that was my excuse. Our server, Angela, was great. It was only her second day. She was friendly and attentive, and we had no long waits for anything we asked for. The chips and salsa were tasty! I liked that the salsa was smooth instead of chunky. We each had individual bowls which is a nice touch. I don't think the chips are made there but I've been wrong before. Who knows. I ordered the Street Tacos with chicken and while they were good, I thought the chicken was overdone a bit. Maybe this is standard, as another person in our party ordered the "Joe's Burger" and was told they had to serve it well-done and there was no other option (friend reports Joe's Burger was delicious. Huge pieces of avocado on it. No skimping there.) I had rice and beans on the side. I'm really picky about refried beans, and I think I convinced myself they would suck but by the end of the meal I'm pretty sure I loved them. I didn't expect to like this place at all but overall it was a great experience and I'll go back again. Their menu is huge! Too huge I think. read more

"Mixed Bag" - whenever I try a new Mexican restaurant I always order the beef Fajitas. Bottom line, it wasn't good but it wasn't bad either. My wife and daughter seemed to like it ok (even though they got my daughter's order wrong & our server was annoyed when I asked to try and fix it), but the big quesadilla didn't set well with my son for very long, if you catch my meaning. Margaritas were forgetful too. Glad we gave it a shot, but I won't be rushing back either. read more

Old Mexico is your classic American-style Mexican restaurant-the kind of place where you get a warning from the server that the plate is hot. I typically try to avoid places like this, but I was pleasantly surprised by the enchiladas I had at here. Add to that free chips and salsa and weekly specials on margaritas and tacos, and you get the only Mexican joint in Ithaca that I can actually see myself going to regularly. read more

Went there tonight and had to listen to some out of towners bicker our whole meal. Wife was rude and was pissed they didn't have the guacamole she likes and wouldn't order anything. Husband said they could leave but she said she was used to not eating so it wasn't a big deal. She then carries on about their 12 hour drive and next time they better fly. Next time sir please fly or grow a pair and tell your princess to walk over to Wendys to get some nuggets. Like damn they do have some good food and you could at least try the guac they had, obviously you were hangry and not down for the food your husband wanted. Sorry you couldn't take your margarita to go either, next time get the pitcher and drink it to yourself. Maybe that will help deal with her. Enjoyed the burrito Santa Fe as usual, and the kind service! read more

The food was good and actually came out reasonable fast. The waitress kept dropping things though. Prices were decent. There were a lot of misspellings on the menu which just bothers me but of course didn't affect the overall atmosphere. The decor is basically just Manos but with a piñata and a sombrero hung up. Since it's located near so many other restaurant choices, I can't say that I will be back many times. Compared to some other Ithacan Mexican restaurants, it's better than Garcia's but worse than Viva. read more

Review from an Ithaca tourist: I got the chicken fajitas and would strongly recommend it. The fajita flavoring used is excellent. Dishes ordered by other members were also above average to good. Restaurant was busy on a weekday night & with few waiting staff service was slower (all waiting staff looked tired around 7.30pm). I guess it is the lingering covid labor shortage issue which hopefully goes away. read more

Very nice the food is good the bar is nice and everyone is always polite and respectful I have never had a problem there. Good Times

Good food but I called ahead to have my food ready because I only take a half hour lunch. I ended up waiting 30 minutes for my food. When I got there it wasn't even ready and they couldn't figure out who took my order over the phone. The food was good but the service and lack of care and waiting turned me off from wanting to come back. read more

The food here is amazing. Came to Ithaca for the weekend and ate here twice. Service was awesome!

Typical american mexican place. I had a lunch special - tostada was nice, but tamal was gooey. My companions had the shrimp yucatan which was awesome. Chips, salsa, ambience, service all fine. read more

Ithaca is not known for good Mexican food, and the existence of Old Mexico does not help its culinary landscape. I ate there tonight for the first time and attempted their steak street tacos. They were terrible -- I ate only 2 of the 4 tacos (one of my companions only managed to stomach 1 of hers), and tried only a mouthful each of the beans and rice. The steak was dry, there were way too many raw onions on the tacos, and the salsa and beans came from a can (although I do think they threw some fresh cilantro into the salsa). The service was not much better. While the hostess was friendly and seated us quickly, the server took far too long to take our orders or even acknowledge us. When I told her that I could not eat any gluten, seemed unwilling to make note of that for the kitchen (she merely told me corn does not have gluten. As someone with Celiac's Disease, I know that; I wanted to ensure that they didn't use stocks or sauces with gluten in them, shared friers, etc.). Her inattention meant that I do not feel comfortable eating there -- but given the quality of the food, that is not much of a loss. read more

Second visit was a good one! Still a little slow, but we weren't in a hurry. Everything was fresh & delicious. Service was friendly. Salsa is super yummy. Vegetarian burrito was excellent. read more

Old Mexico - Cool decor! - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

My favorite Mexican restaurant in town. The staff are always kind. The food always tastes great.

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!