We stopped for gas and realized it was time for lunch. Not wanting more fast food, we decided to try this local spot. At 3pm on a Thursday afternoon, we arrived to see the parking lot occupied with three buses. I was a little overwhelmed by all the options (buffet, menu, drive through, take out, sit down), and my eyesight is terrible without glasses, so I had my boyfriend go in and order for us. We decided to get a Gatorade and three pollo, two carne asada, one carne guisada, and one barbacoa taco. They came out quick, hot, and smelling amazing! We were given napkins and containers of green and red salsa to-go. My pollo tacos were delicious--they were tacos made with soft corn tortillas, pulled chicken, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes. They were filled quite well, and I was full after two. My boyfriend raved about all of his and was full after three tacos. read more

Taqueria Guadalajara - Menu on the wall - Mexican Near Me - Refugio, Texas

Everything about this place way okay. Nothing was gross. Nothing was amazing. The food was pretty basic. And after my husband and his friends raved, I was pretty disappointed. We came here during a trip to Corpus Christi and tried this place out, because Mexican buffet sounded interesting. I can tell you, it's okay to miss the Mexican buffet. The waitress didn't come out often and she did mess up orders on our table, so that was slightly frustrating. I definitely did not get refills on my drink. She was not rude, which is a plus, just not available and the place was pretty dead, which made it annoying. The place is old and in need of an upgrade of some sort, since old hole in the wall charm only works if the food is amazing. I think if you're starving and this is the last place on earth, fine you will survive. I just think that Refugio has to have better restaurants. read more

Don't bother with the buffet. It's not good. Staff is terribly unfriendly. Been there twice and I just can't anymore. Bathrooms. lol. All I'm gonna say is check them out(at least the women's). Reminds me of an old school locker room. But shove tortillas in your nose first. read more

Food was absolute garbage. The only thing that was worth eating was the charro beans. Buffet food was cold. The pork ribs were boiled with no seasoning. The cane guisada was nothing more than boiled beef with flour. Save yourself time and money and go somewhere else If negative stars were possible it would be a -10 read more

The service with customers, this restaurant has all this Mexican buses stop there but their food is not well cooked. As a loyal customer of Guadalajara in Refugio, Texas, for years, I never expected to be treated so rudely by the very establishment I have supported. A recent experience left me shocked and deeply disappointed by the behavior of the owner, who showed no regard for customer loyalty or basic decency. The incident occurred when we were sitting outside at Guadalajara's outdoor tables, eating food from the neighboring Dairy Queen. While we understand that businesses may have policies regarding their seating areas, the way the situation was handled was completely inappropriate. Rather than politely addressing the issue, the owner came outside and began loudly berating us in front of others. His tone was harsh and aggressive, leaving no room for dialogue or understanding. He made it abundantly clear we were not welcome and demanded we leave the premises immediately. There was no courtesy, no professionalism, and no consideration for the fact that we have been loyal customers for years. It was an embarrassing and humiliating experience, especially for something that could have been resolved with a respectful conversation. This encounter has tarnished the welcoming atmosphere Guadalajara used to have. Policies are understandable, but there are far better ways to enforce them than through loud, rude, and confrontational behavior. It's heartbreaking to witness such a lack of care and respect from a place we've supported for so long. After this experience, I can no longer recommend Guadalajara to anyone looking for a friendly or professional dining experience in Refugio, Texas. There are plenty of businesses that treat their customers with the respect they deserve--Guadalajara has clearly lost its way. read more

Waitress was nice but the food was disgusting. The enchiladas tasted like nothing, no seasoning, the beans tasted like they reheated them in a pan with burnt oil, and the rice was stale. My mom had a chile relleno and she was said the meat has no flavor as well and the same with her beans and rice. As a Mexican American this taqueria was very disappointing and honestly if you want authentic/good mexican food do not come here. read more

Such good food! Even the picky kids loved their food! This is our new food stop when we come this way! read more

Taqueria Guadalajara - Barbacoa tacos - Mexican Near Me - Refugio, Texas

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Food was bad sogi it was nothing close to mexican food tortillas where hard the waitresses were nice the spase we sat in had water leaking on my plate we asked to be mooved but it was horible the plates were nasty the buffet food was horible,oversl nothing was clean. read more

Taqueria Guadalajara - a plate of food with a fork - Mexican Near Me - Refugio, Texas

WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!! Disgusted by all the staff, no one would bother to give us a name for a manager. All of sudden no speaks Spanish nor English. read more

Refugio is a pass through town on your way south to Corpus Christi or north to Victoria/Houston, but this is by far the best local stop amidst a bunch of gas stations and fast food chains. Locals swing by for tacos and tortas, mostly take out, while tourists swing by mostly for the all you can eat buffet for just $8.99. There's a salad wing that's fairly basic but looks fresh, with about a dozen options, and the main area has over 20 different items. The enchiladas, rice, and beans are fairly simple, but the more authentic items are exceptional. Their chicken and potatoes are delicious, the chicken drumsticks are fall off the bone tender, and the sausage is slightly spicy and very juicy despite looking kind of dry. Service is lackluster, but that wasn't surprising. They did refill our tea and got us some fresh tortillas when we asked. For the price, it's well worth trying out. read more

Nice , spot to stop when in Refugio... Came down from Houston and wanted a bit before we left town and there would be nothing in sight for another 40 mins... friend staff , good food, had the taquitos mexicana, my buddy had their buffet for $9.95 he said it was good.. had meat, beans and rice on one side and veggies and fruits on the other side . read more

This place is a hidden gem. Great authentic Mexican food. They have a Mexican food buffet that has menudo, cheese enchiladas, beef tacos and carne guisada. The Migas place is so darn good-- if you order breakfast after designated hours there is a $2 added fee. read more

Taqueria Guadalajara - Migas plate - Mexican Near Me - Refugio, Texas

Tomamos decisión de bufete por que llevamos prisa tome un plato está súper sucio el menudo lo más asqueroso eh probado olía como si no lo lavaran en realidad no les recomiendo nada probé varias cosas pareciera sobras de toda la semana nada tenía sabor agarre un pedazo de pan para tomar con café y fue tan duro solo tome dos tazas de café y dos tacos dorado jamás vuelvo a parar ... el restaurante al entrar huele horrible no se cómo no tome la desicion de no entrar en ese momento di una estrella por que tengo que darla pero es - read more

Didnt like it . The plates are huge that's a plus but I just didn't like the food . From the cheese used , the beans , the rice didn't like any of it . Service was good also . read more

Okay so I read some of the reviews so I decided to try this place. Friendly people, we were greeted as soon as we walked in the door. The buffet had several choices for $9.95, but does not tell you what things are, so if you don't know, you have to ask. I think that's definitely a negative for this place. Food is fairly decent but not THAT special, I have had better. It was fast, and it was hot. You do have the choice to order from the menu as well but, for the price, you may as well get the buffet. The flavors of the food were a little bland. I prefer little salt in my food and their food needed more salt as well as their tortillas. I grew up eating Mexican food (Brownsville,TX) and this is authentic but lacks flavor. read more

I have seen this place when we travel, always was eager to give it a try but was extremly dissapointed. I got the buffet and didnt like the food. Taste of food wasnt authentic, no flavor, and the rice was bland. I dont recommened it at all in my opinion. I preder La Ribera which is in front of them. read more

Obligatory PSA: If you've (finally) escaped Houston traffic and are on your way to Corpus, Port Aransas, et al. for the weekend, there's a good chance you're going to start getting pretty hungry. This is true even if your wife is bad ass and packed beef jerky and goldfish for your road trip. *If you make it to Victoria you should take 59 business into town and find something delicious.* Staying on 59-south will just take you around the city and you'll end up eating something mediocre in Refurgio. We wanted to try La Ribera Taqueria's (right across the street) tacos. Evidently they're very big with homemade tortillas; however, the place was closed (for dinner on a Friday night) so ventured across the street to Taqueria Guadalajara. Mind you, by the time you've endured Friday evening Houston traffic and manged to get 2.5 hours outside of Houston and all the way to Refurgio, you're hungry... I'm not too picky when I'm hungry, but Taqueria Guadalajara still managed to disappoint. Here's a few things that don't matter: * Yes, the decor is pretty "run down." This is Refurgio people, not Monaco. * The staff mostly speaks Spanish (fine by me) * It does serve as a local bus stop (also, fine by me) * They did have a relatively inexpensive buffet What does matter: * The service. It was pretty friendly, but also pretty sporadic * The prices were very reasonable, including the booze * Speaking of, the margaritas were terrible. I tasted mostly Triple Sec and the cheap sweet and sour that tastes like sugar water. (You get what you pay for, I guess) * The food was also pretty "Meh" My wife had the quesadillas and said they were "okay, but nothing special." I had the chimichanga, which was pretty good, albeit hard to mess up. My beans and rice were cold, though. And I don't have much patience for cold food. In my mind, that and margarita I almost didn't finish, combined made Taqueria Guadalajara a below average experience. If you're looking for something quick, maybe stick to Whataburger or Laredo Taco (inside the Stripes gas station) and see if that will hold you over until you make it to Corpus. read more

This place is so good that buses stop here. Although I kind of feel bad for them... they have a separate entrance... separate seating area. So segregated? It was like a time warp. This place is a hole in the wall. If you want something commercial, I don't recommend this place. But if you're looking for a fried tripe taco, well come on down, they got it here. If you're looking for great rice, boy do they have it here. I don't have much business in Refugio but I wish I did, only to maximize my trips here. read more

Food was awesome!! Beer cold ....restrooms clean and everyone was super nice! We will stop here again.

i give this one 5 stars not so much for the quality of the food as much as the quality of the experience which is subjective depending on your outlook have passed this place numerous times always with a lot full of buses from Mexico and trucks, old Mexican couples sitting outside, men in cowboy hats, occasional gangbanger type with skull tattoos as well as construction, oil and gas guys and some refugio locals so know going into this your going into a cultural experience of a Mexican bus stop, cheap fast mexican food, make shift tienda with Mexican road food ( all the candy is tamarindo and chile) and some really funky banos with showers complete with gang graffiti this place is rode hard and put away wet i always get the same waiter as he may be the only one who speaks english think the let him deal with the gringos but they have decent street tacos with the more authentic meats, tounge, pork leg, barbocoa, etc as well as ice cold topo chico in a salted mug with lime, am a little shy of the buffet however salsa for the chips is watery and not great but have this awesome verde taco sauce in a squeeze bottle if you ask for it the people there are really nice even if no hablo englesa, i always enjoy the experience for what it is so knowing what your walking into helps in deciding if you want to eat here or just hold out for corpus or one of the smokehouses or Bucees heading back to houston read more

Taqueria Guadalajara - Mexican Near Me - Refugio, Texas

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Worst experience ever. Horrible chips. Horrible food. Horrible coffee and tea. If I could give negative stars I would. And it was 20 bucks for two migas plates. Never go here. read more

This place is amazing! They have an all you can eat buffet that includes menudo for a great price!!!! Fresh authentic food! First time here and I'll definitely be back when I visit again! read more

I was a bit skeptical about coming due to the reviews but in all honestly this is awesome! The food is fresh and on the point with flavor! The staff kept checking on us and were courteous. We were a party of 18 and they took care of us beautifully! I highly recommend this place. Hidden gem in this town. read more

Food was fantastic, as was the service and price. Not the best looking restaurant in town, but worth stopping in to. They also have a drive-thru if you just want to grab something quick. Had the steak with rice, salsa and avocado and it was fresh, cooked perfectly and you could tell the salsa was made fresh. Will be back again next time to Refugio! read more

Came in on my way back home. Didn't expect a great meal or service, but we got both! Goes to show you shouldn't be judging with your eyes. Price is right for the quality you get here. Food tastes exquisitely authentic because it's made that way. If you are ever lucky enough to make your way here for a bite to eat, you should be! read more

Omg the bathrooms were disgusting, their buffet looked like it has been there for couple days, I did eat the fish and shrimp which was ok, my husband has the buffet which food had no flavor. We ordered lemonade which was tasty and refreshing. This is a bus stop break so many people from buses, so if U go during a bus stop it's super busy and they cater to them first. They do have a menu for fast pickup, like sandwiches, tacos, etc., which might have been a better choice. We will not be coming here again. read more

Most places closed (on sunday) off hwy 77.. Not here! buffet until 10pm 7days.. Close at 2am. Decent flavor, reasonable prices.. Healthy it is not. Also serves as local bus station. read more

Great bacon,egg, and potato tacos! They stuff their tacos love it! Enchiladas are so good!

Love coming to this place when heading back to Mexico. The carne guisada tacos are a must along with the carne asada. Definitely stop in and try those if you aren't wanting to get your burger fix at DQ or WB next door. read more

Taqueria Guadalajara - Carne guisada - Mexican Near Me - Refugio, Texas

God awful. I was forced to eat here because I didn't have breakfast before getting on the bus to come back to Houston and after 6 hours on the bus (two of which were just crossing the border) I was famished and decided against my best judgment to eat here. I figured the flies at the front and the disheveled unclean feel would translate into authentic and cheap. Wrong and wrong. I paid $9 for a torta with "fajita beef" (quotation mark emphasis). It was too full of cream, avocado, and this mystery meat, yet it still didn't taste good. I'm giving it 2 stars because the waitress was somewhat courteous even though she left me standing at the register like an idiot. Whatever, lesson learned. Never eat at this awful place. read more

Omg. This place is true, authentic, stick to your ribs Mexican food. We had a variety of breakfast tacos and one breakfast plate: bacon, eggs, and cheese taco was delicious and perfectly greasy. The bacon was chopped and mixed in the eggs. The chorizo and egg was superb and greasy goodness! The huevos rancheros were perfectly cooked, and I left wanting more!!! Great place for a bite. read more

This is an unimpressive looking place. Part bus station part restaurant, but It's obviously a favorite with the locals. There were lots of pickups and county vehicles in the parking lot which is usually a good sign. Three members of my group had the buffet which they really liked. I had the beef enchiladas which were huge and very tasty. It's a good place to stop on that trip to Port A. read more

VERY authentic. My wife is Mexican and she says this tastes like what she grew up with. Service was excellent and the place is old but clean. read more

The food here is great, large portions and low prices. Beer is reasonably priced. The first time I went, I had the chicken flautas, they put lots of guacamole, I love that!. On the second visit, I ordered the beef fajita plate, well worth the price, great taste, lots of guacamole, and some great nopalitos (prickly pear cactus) on the side. I was impressed. I give 5 stars for the food, the only reason I rated 4 stars was the dinning area needs some major renovations, needs better ambiance. But other than that, I'm eating here the next time I'm in town. read more

Decent place to stop on your journey. I have had some of the dishes and the quality definitely has improved through time. "Aguas frescas" (Mexican-style drinks made with traditional fruits, water and sugar) are pretty good, and they also have a snacks area with coffee to go if you are not into a regular meal. read more

As we were passing by this place with lighted "OPEN" sign we decided to stop. It was 5:50 p.m. & we were greated by a waitress at the door that its closed. It was disappointing & misleading. read more

So good I came two nights in a row. Had a margarita on the rocks that was great. They must've used fresh squeezed lime juice

outside looks awful. inside doesn't look much better. However, the food was fresh and tasty. it is very old school Mexico vibe (mexican tv station, spanish speaking staff, etc) read more

Order a plate with 10oz Ribeye and 6 shrimp with rice french fries and salad for 11.00. Get home open plate the salad is old and limp, with no dressing. the steak is a 3oz burnt piece of meat and the shrimp were only the size of a quarter grilled with the skin still on. What a disappointment and truly a rip off. What a disappointment. Would NOT recommend this place to anyone I know! read more

oh man this place was amazing with the barbacoa tacos