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    Rivas Taqueria

    4.5 (136 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed Closed

    Rivas Taqueria Photos

    RIVAS TAQUERIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Beef tacos
    Chan N.

    When I'm craving some authentic tacos, Rivas is my go to. The place is kind of small which is why I always order to go. They have different types of tacos, burritos, quesadillas and more. My favorite order is the chicken tacos. Sometimes I find it hard to choose one and purchase a couple types of tacos. I love the fresh onions and cilantro they put on the tacos . They always give a bag of salsa, sliced cucumbers & radish, and fresh chips. I always get a bottle of Sidral Mundet Apple Soda with my tacos. Apple soda sounds off but it is so good! I'm a pretty big eater and I get full by two to these and the chips. If you like spicy they also add a pepper with every order. This place always hits for me. Can't wait to go back!

    Pastor and Chorizo tacos
    Jason P.

    I was in the area and needed to kill 30 minutes. One Yelp search later and I was at 4.5 Yelp Star Rivas Taqueria in a plaza near the Wallingford train station. For an authentic taqueria in CT, the decor and atmosphere are a couple steps up from CT taquerias I've visited. Lots of light-stained wood boards on the walls. Red paint. Cool accents like a saddle and satchel. Terrific vibes. I ordered one pastor and one chorizo taco. Both had typical taqueria toppings like chopped onions and cilantro. Both tacos were good. They also brought house made tortilla chips and red and green salsas. The green was spicy and acidic. Very tasty. The red salsa was good too. If I could give 4.5 Stars, I would. Since I can't, my experience was closer to 4 Stars.

    Carne asada burrito!
    Giselle F.

    I 100% recommend this place. My family and I have came here for ages. The food is absolutely well done and delicious. The staff is so patient and kind as well. I recommend getting a carne asada burrito if it's your first time going to eat there.

    Guacamole and chips, such a pretty presentation, it reminded me of a sunflower
    Maria F.

    You know it's great if it's a random day and the locals are there. The food and service were great! The restaurant was clean. Staff were attentive. Wish I took more pictures but I was hungry lol.

    Asada and pastor tacos
    Diana Q.

    I love tacos, and this place was pretty darn good! Service was very quick, the restaurant was clean, and the tacos were a pretty good deal. The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because the tacos were just a tiny bit dry. However, I would totally eat here again. I did have some of my husbands sopes, and they were delicious.

    Chris L.

    Got take out here after checking out the local Walmart. NJ walmart is not as organized as the Conn. Walmart. Boo boo and worked up an appetite browsing through. We ordered 2 burritos, 5 tacos, and a horchata. One burrito was chicken and the other was al pastor. 2 cow head, 2 carne asada and 1 lengua. Very tasty tacos with cucumber, radish and chip and salsa. Plenty of salsa verde and red hot sauce. Unfortunately, carnitas is weekend only and they ran out of chorizo. Hit the spot for authentic mexican food. Cc accepted. They called our cell phone when our food was ready. We killed 5 mins next door at the Mexican bakery. Hit this place of you walked a marathon at Wally mart, or even when you're only a little hungry. Great food. Too bad no indoor seating yet.

    Carne asada torta
    Karissa D.

    Great authentic Mexican food, also very affordable. Prices did go up due to inflation but compared to other restaurants it's still great prices for the amount of food you get. I've had several different tacos before but today I tried the carne asada gotta with everything on it, it was really good and flavorful. The chips here are also tasty!

    Complementary chips and salsa
    William R.

    SOPES! The ultimate Mexican food. It's a fried corn patty with a layer of beans, meat, lettuce and cheese. Sopes are the bomb and Rivas makes an excellent sope. This small eatery does it right. Nothing fancy, but incredible food. You order at the counter, sit down, enjoy some free chips, then about 10 minutes later they bring you fresh, authentic, delicious Mexican food. If I worked nearby, I would eat here every day.

    The kitchen
    Dan R.

    You need to know this -we had dinner for two and it cost us $11.11. Rivas Taqueria has six tables and is primarily a take-out place. The menu has eighteen tacos that will cost you either two or two and a half bucks a pop. They also sell burritos, quesadillas, and tortas (sandwiches) for 5 or 6 bucks. We ordered at the counter fast-food style, and grabbed a table to wait for our number to be called, Maybe fifteen minutes later, our food was ready but be aware they announce your order in Spanish, so if you aren't fluent (like me), be sure you have your register slip handy to match the order number. Our take-out order of five tacos included a bag of chips, three kinds of salsas (all were pretty hot), lime wedges, and cold cucumber and radish slices to cool our palates. The order was packed up beautifully -the tacos were wrapped into two foil packets that were labeled with a Sharpie. There was a twist tied plastic bag with the lime wedges, salsa packets, and cucumber and radish wedges. There was also a small paper bag of very good chips. We ordered a few different kinds of tacos -Pollo Asado, Carne Asada, Lenga (Beef Tongue), and Pork Al Pastore. They were all "street taco" style, with white corn double tortillas, meat, and a sprinkle of cilantro. They are not Taco Bell style so you won't find lettuce, tomato, or cheese on them, although two came with avocado slices. They tasted terrific. I had a beef, a tongue, and a chicken taco. The only quibble I had was, as so many reviewers mentioned, the chicken was dry and required a salsa bath. What's really crazy to me is that the food was terrific in spite of the rock bottom pricing. If I lived down in that area, I'd be there twice a month for sure.

    Lengua, Al Pastor, Cabeza, Chorizo, and Carne Asada tacos! Follow my CT food instagram for more - @mcla.eats

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    2 years ago

    I've been to this location many times. Staff is very pleasant and food is amazing. Have never had a bad experience.

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    5 years ago

    Excellent authentic well prepared Mexican food. Quesadillas, Tacos, Burittos. Fresh ingredients, excellent guacamole. Highly recommended!

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    3 years ago

    Such authentic Mexican food at such great prices. I can't think of a better Mexican place in CT.

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    Rivas Taqueria Reviews in Other Languages

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    Molcajete Mexican Grill - Flautas

    Molcajete Mexican Grill

    4.8(20 reviews)
    5.9 mi

    I ordered takeout today (Friday) at 4:45pm for an early dinner. I called and ordered over the…read morephone, and was told the order would be ready for pickup in 15 minutes. Steak burrito: this was my favorite. It was filled with steak, rice, beans and pico. This was shared with another person. Guacamole with chips: this was good, as well. I ended up adding more lime that came with the tacos. Steak taco: it was good, but dry. I added guacamole to it. Shrimp taco: the shrimp was nice and juicy and there was a spicy sauce on it. Flan: I really liked this flan compared to some other local places. It was very smooth and creamy. Churros: basic churros, but it didn't come with anything. It didn't say it came with a dipping sauce, but I expected some - but that's my bad. I personally did not pick up the order, so cannot comment on the space, but I am familiar with the location. It's in a small strip mall.

    Have eaten in and done takeout. The service is friendly and sincere. It's not your usual fast food…read more, as all items on the menu require the personal touch ( a bit of time). The torta (steak) was outstanding, Excellent flavors . My wife loves burritos, but for 2 dollars more the burritos bowl was the way to go. Every thing a great burrito has, in a bowl. And frankly more of everything without the tortilla. For those so inclined, a Dispensary is in the same plaza. No alcohol, may be able to BYOB, call ahead.

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    Molcajete Mexican Grill - Carne Azada Platillo and Pollo Azado Platillo

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    Loteria Mexican Restaurant - Shrimp Tacos

    Loteria Mexican Restaurant

    4.4(42 reviews)
    8.6 mi

    Okay, so at first, I wasn't planning to write any more reviews for the foreseeable future. Just…read morebecause I wrote one review recently didn't quite mean I was warmed back up to Yelp just yet, and if I'm being honest, I'm still not. Between a removed review causing me to go missing from Yelp for 6 months and losing my trust in posting my reviews here on Yelp, I let go of my Elite status and am now back to square one. But after driving my mom to Manor Inn so she could attend an event there, I decided to look up spots around there since I did spot that their wait times were going to be extensive. That's when I decided to go here and see what was good. Honestly, after I encountered the parking situations in both places and went into the restaurant, I knew I had made the right call. I was seated immediately, given a menu, and even given some complimentary chips, salsa, and a plate of refried beans sprinkled with some cheese. Now, refried beans and salsa are not foods I would normally eat because my food palette don't usually like those items. But with these tortilla chips, they were both very flavorful, and given this was complimentary, they were all the more appetizing. I should also mention that my waitress, Sayda, was very nice and prompt whenever she came to my table. Answered any questions I had, and had no problem with my orders. So from the menu, I went with the Tropical Twist, their Calamari for an appetizer, the tacos de barrio for dinner, and even ordered churros to go so I have something for when Winter Storm Fern dumps 80 million inches of snow tomorrow and into the next day. Oh, might I say, everything was delicious! I knew I couldn't have alcohol because I still had to pick my mom back up and then drive back home to Waterbury, but that Tropical Twist was a nice consolation if you can't have alcohol. The fried calamari was also another great choice. That dip it came with was so addictive it was like crack, and the perfect thing to pair with fried calamari. If there's one thing I would say could be improved, it's that they could be just a smidge more liberal with the fried coating. There were some pieces that had some small spots that had no coating at all, but nothing too major. For the tacos, MMM MMM GOOD! The meat was tender and flavorful, the presentation was great, and the consome paired deliciously with the tacos. It's definitely worth the $20 they cost. The churros were also pretty good. I can't say they were the best churros I ever had because the place that made my favorite churros ever closed down back in 2024 and had since become a dog grooming place, but if not for that, then I might make a case for that statement to be true. The chocolate syrup it comes with is divine and a nice sweet treat to finish off the night. I was in and out of the place in maybe a slight smidge above half an hour, so I would say all-in-all I'm glad I came. The place is also well decorated, bathrooms are clean, and the ambiance is inviting and casual. Now, I may still need to gatekeep a few reviews here and there, but this place was a step in the right direction in getting my confidence back in Yelp. I would definitely come back here again whenever I get a chance, and I highly recommend coming to check out this place if you're in the area. Oh, and for comparison's sake, it was an hour and a half between when I was finished here and when I could finally pick my mom back up again from Manor Inn. Take that as you will.

    Absolutely wonderful food and staff. Highly recommend this place. Comfortable environment. Really…read morewell done. You can tell they make everything themselves. Even just the homemade chips and salsa ...amazing.

    Photos
    Loteria Mexican Restaurant - Entrance

    Entrance

    Loteria Mexican Restaurant - Fried Ice Cream

    Fried Ice Cream

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    Tacos Mi Nacho

    Tacos Mi Nacho

    4.4(465 reviews)
    5.7 mi
    $

    I've been coming to Tacos Mi Nacho since before they moved to this location, and it's still my go…read moreto spot when I'm craving authentic Mexican food. On today's lunch visit I ordered a chorizo taco, carne asada taco, and two al pastor tacos with pineapple, plus a chicken quesadilla and a fresh Jamaica juice. Everything tasted fresh and full of flavor. The al pastor with pineapple was especially good; the perfect balance of savory and sweet. The restaurant had a nice vibe when I went. It was around noon and there were people enjoying food and drinks at the bar while others were dining. The place was busy but still calm, with light music playing in the background. Another thing I always notice when I visit restaurants is cleanliness, especially the bathrooms. The restroom here was very clean and smelled fresh. You can also see into the kitchen area from the dining space, which I love because you can watch them cooking and preparing everything. Friendly staff, great service, and consistently good food. I've been coming here for years and it's still one of my favorite spots for authentic tacos.

    The ambience and service were great. The food was even better. I tried this place specifically…read morebecause I wanted Chilaquiles and not every Mexican restaurant serves them. I got the Chilaquiles with the green sauce and my egg scrambled. It also came with rice and beans. This meal is perfect for breakfast or brunch. I will definitely go back for the Chilaquiles. They also provide complimentary chips and salsa when you sit down

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    Tacos Mi Nacho - Entrance view

    Entrance view

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    Tacos Mi Nacho - The bar is open and they are serving big margaritas!!

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    Back 9 Social - Delicious house made Philly steak rolls!

    Back 9 Social

    4.5(42 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    "Imitator, intimidator, stimulator Simulator, eliminator"…read more(Eminem) If ten state of the art golf simulators are your stimulators, you'll love a visit to Back 9 Social. And your visit will not be handicapped by a lack of gastropub like food and drink. Their golf simulators are very impressive and combine radar and camera technology to faithfully recreate some of the best courses in the world, including St Andrews, Pebble Beach, and 120+ others. A professional organization I belong to held a gathering there last night and had a great time. We ordered and paid for our drinks through their big bar through a QR code, but you can still pay the old-fashioned way with cash if you prefer. We had plenty of their pizzas which were quite yummy. Our golfers had a blast and I should point out that although some of the other customers I saw actually brought their own set of clubs, Back 9 can hook you up with their clubs for men, women, lefties, righties, and kids. And of course, plenty of tees and balls to whack into their high-definition screens. The facility is gorgeous, the golf simulators were amazing, the staff was helpful and friendly, and it was a very enjoyable experience.

    This place is a lot of fun, and we genuinely enjoy coming here, but our experience with management…read moreon multiple occasions has really put a damper on the whole establishment. We completely understand that the facility has every right to monitor alcohol consumption and prevent inappropriate behavior. Nobody wants people getting sloppy or disruptive, and we respect that. However, there's a much more professional and respectful way to handle it than what is done. We are unsure of her name, but the female manager present made us uncomfortable as she was constantly staring at our group throughout the evening instead of simply communicating expectations directly. The alcohol restrictions are also entirely ridiculous- I specifically was told by the bartender that I was being watched for alcohol consumption after having 2 Coronas in a time span of 1 hour and 45 minutes. The restriction on alcohol itself is not the main issue -- it's the way it is handled. We have felt watched and punished despite the fact that nobody in our group was loud, inappropriate, or intoxicated on multiple occasions. I also want to note that the bartenders have been spectacular and are always very nice. This is specially about the manager and the way she acts towards paying customers. When you're spending over $200 on the simulator alone, a little courtesy and respectful communication would go a long way. We really do like this place, but experiences like this make us hesitant to come back.

    Photos
    Back 9 Social
    Back 9 Social - The "Royale"

    The "Royale"

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    Rivas Taqueria - mexican - Updated May 2026

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