When my family wanted to take me here while I was visiting from out of town, I will admit I was…read moreskeptical- wasn't sure about a small town Mexican restaurant with a buffet.. Well, it was a pleasant surprise- the decor is a little outdated, but the food was DELICIOUS- the pico de gallo in particular was amazing- and everything on the buffet was tasty and fresh (and for $12 a plate? We live out west and you don't get a buffet for that price). The service was so incredibly friendly and efficient- if we lived in the area it would become a regular spot!

Glorious customer service hands down! Large portions that Iowans love and expect. There is a bit of…read morea fly problem. Not sure if that's from the front door opening and closing, or the original-never-been-updated-since-the-1930s plumbing/piping in Boone, Iowa.

Like many other places in Boone, this restaurant is perfectly serviceable. Food and service…read moreexperience is consistent, and considering where you are, the offerings and food quality is pretty solid. My go to are the fajitas but I've seen tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas get ordered by others I'm with all without complaints. Food comes out pretty quick also so easy in and out for lunch.

Dad and I recently had supper here and choice La Carreta for 2 reasons:…read more 1. It was one of the few restaurants that he hadn't been. 2. The family of the Wife of a local Subaru service tech that I know owns the restaurant. That's not really a firm connection, and I didn't mention anything until we were about the leave. La Carreta is attached to the American Inn and currently has a few extra rooms that they're not using. When Dad and I were here, it was busy enough. Service (by the Wife's Uncle I think) was pleasant, welcoming, and helpful. We also had a nice comfortable booth, with warm chips provided. Dad had some sort of super burrito, while I picked a spicey grilled chicken dish (pollo loco) with tortillas.. We both enjoyed our big portion choices and I appreciated not having refried beans, and enjoying the meat for what it was. Our spice was about right, and there was no need for hot sauce. Mexican beers rounded out our meal, with the final check being very reasonable. Here's what my local Subaru service tech emailed afterwards: OMG!!! I'm glad you went Eric, what did you think of the food?

This place is my go to for Mexican cuisine in Ames! Got the fajitas and nachos and they were both…read moreamazing. Love the chips and salsa that they bring out when you first arrive. Great service and atmosphere! Take some amigos and go to El Azteca!

It was a dark and stormy night…read more... After a long Dad-related day, I wandered in (from the downpour) for a well-deserved Margarita, with mole chicken enchiladas on the side. The place wasn't very busy on this mid-week January evening, as I was seated quickly with the chips not far behind. The Margarita was refreshing and strong, the chips were fresh, and the enchilada came out hot and tasty. Service was friendly and fun, making my evening most pleasant.

We wanted to go to the nearby High Trestle Trail Bridge, so we stopped here for lunch with our…read moregrandkids on a weekday just after noon. We were quickly seated and got our drinks and started to look over the menu, which house lots of options! The kids settled in on a grilled cheese and a taco respectively. I decided to get the lunch burrito and my wife went for the lunch enchilada. Our food came out pretty quickly and everything was very fresh tasting and the serving sizes are huge! For a lunch special I expected a lunch-sized portion and I got what I would consider an evening-sized portion. The same for my wife's meal. When we were wrapping up, they came out with ice cream for the kids. They really enjoyed that even though you would've thought they'd have been full after all they ate for lunch. The spice level on everything was very mild. The salsa had just a little bit of a zing to it but nothing that would stop the kids for eating it. Next time I will ask for some hot sauce or throw some jalapeños in my entrée, but I do like it spiced up a bit. Service was very good and a gentleman who I assume is the owner was very funny and engaged well with everyone in the restaurant. They have a parking lot and everything was neat and clean. We did not partake of any adult drink offerings, but they did have what look to be a nice nicely stocked bar

Lovely little restaurant and the staff is so friendly. The food came out very fast and had HUGE…read moreportions so you'll probably have plenty of leftovers! So happy we stopped here passing through Madrid.

Well, Ames has another sit down Mexican restaurant. I think this one is actually owned and run by…read moreMexicans. I hope they succeed where so many others continue to fail. This is a Tex-Mex restaurant. Native Texan here, check my oldest YELP reviews, people. Tex-Mex cuisine is different as cheese plays a more featured role than it does in Mexican cuisine, but unlike Americanized Mexican cuisine, it comes from Tejanos who are A) Hispanic and B) actually season their food. The customer service here is glorious! You definitely feel appreciated. The restaurant is spacious and clean, and they are keeping the number of dine in customers fairly low and spaced out. I've dined in once but lately have stuck to carry out. I think they were initially lax with masks, but were wearing them when I went in today. The food was delicious, and reminded me of Tex Mex fare back in Houston. The portions were large and the price was nice. The chips and salsa were fantastic! It tasted great even after the 30 minute drive home. I think I've found my regular Tex-Mex spot. What I liked most were the seasonings and sauciness - well balanced and no one aspect was overpowering. It also looked so pretty! Get at the tamales!!!

WOW! It's both good and sad that I don't live in Ames, because if I did, I'd eat here ALL the time!…read moreOne of the Mexican restaurants we've ever been to! Salsa was fresh and chips were good and crispy. I got the steak tacos on corn tortillas and beans. All so great!

Truly authentic Mexican Food. Best sit down restaurant we have ever visited. Will go back soon!…read moreWonderful staff.

Amazing and very authentic. I travel to Mexico frequently. Lil hidden gem in Humboldt Iowa!read more

New to the area, the food is fresh and so tasty. The service is great. Drinks are made well. I…read morerecommend the guacamole appetizer and their blended margaritas.

My wife and I have eaten here twice. Once for breakfast and once for dinner. Breakfast was basic…read moreand ok. Service fine, nothing special. We had dinner of chile verde and enchiladas supreme. The chile verde was so salty I needed to eat tortilla chips to cut the salt. The beans had clearly burned in the pot but were still use. And the rice tasted like something from yesterday. The enchiladas were completely bland and meager. Kids were running around before and during the meal, making it even less appealing. The restaurant is clean but simple.

Amazing food great service . Very consistent . Always a wonderful experience.....this is our go to…read moreplace any time we want authentic great tasting Mexican food .

Nevada's best kept secret is El Mezcalito's orange cream margarita! I don't care for sweet drinks…read morebut this is just right. Don't sleep on this place. They also have delicious birria tacos!

Stopped for lunch and had a nice meal. The place is huge and bright and clean! Very well decorated…read morein Mexican themed dia del muerto murals. They brought chips and salsa right away. The salsa is very very mild. The chips were crispy. We both had beef chimichangas. They were ground beef, not shredded beef. The rice was really tasty. I don't care for beans so skip them. They had some lettuce and tomatoes with sour cream to go on the chimichanga. The tomato was way too out of season so I didn't eat it. I just had water and my meal came to nine dollars. The waitress was attentive & checked in on us a couple of times. The place is huge so bring the whole gang.!

I can't decide if this is a 3 or 4. First time I had it, I think it was a 3.5 + and the second time…read morea 3. I like the tamale texture but don't love the sauce. I like the chicken enchilada filling but not the sauce. Rice and beans are typical mexican fare.

We enjoyed the taco salad, which was basically a gigantic taco shell, full with meat, cheese,…read moretomatoes, lettuce, and sour cream, and guacamole. This thing was big enough for three people to enjoy. I was only able to finish a quarter of it. The chips and salsa they bring out beforehand or made fresh and tasted delicious. My husband enjoyed the fajitas.

We were driving home to MN and stopped off the highway to eat here…read more Started with homemade chips and homemade salsa for free. They even put the salsa in a tiny carafe and don't skimp on tiny bowls of salsa. Even got a refill of chips. Entree: chose canitas and beef Barrio street tacos with no onions. Really yummy and filling. No prices on the menus. Ordered fried ice-cream but then this huge church crowd arrived. We skipped it and left to pay. Super good, authentic Mexican food. Review 88 in 2023.