Tucked away on Main Street, Tequila Vallarta Restaurante Mexicano is hands-down one of the best hidden gem restaurants in Penticton, and the kind of place you almost want to keep secret--but can't. From the moment you walk in, you're hit with warm, welcoming energy that feels authentic rather than staged, like you've stepped into a true neighborhood favorite. The food is the real star: bold, comforting, and packed with rich Mexican flavors that taste homemade and deeply cared for. Portions are generous, the ingredients taste fresh, and every dish--from sizzling fajitas to perfectly sauced enchiladas--feels satisfying and memorable. Add in genuinely friendly service and a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere, and it becomes the kind of spot you crave again before you've even left. If you're looking for a place that delivers big flavor, great value, and heart, this is it. Everyone should go at least once--and most people end up coming back again and again. read more

The location has moved to 413 Main St. I think this was one of my favourite Mexican meals in yonks. Service was lovely and personable and I couldn't get over how DELICIOUS the food was. I felt like I was living in Mazatlan again! read more

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Food was the most authentic Mexican food that I've had in a long time. The service was great, and the food was extremely tasty.

Decent spot for Mexican. The food is pretty good and the service was quick. The chicken tacos were nice, the portions were decent. Definitely worth visiting if you're craving Mexican food in Penticton. read more

Tequila Vallarta - the outside of a restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Penticton, British Columbia

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Service was excellent from the second we walked in the door. Food came out quick and was absolutely fantastic. Overall great restaurant

Haha, okay, I have to admit that this place is a bit of a sh*t show. Know that going in. The experience will pull 'authentic' Mexico in perhaps ways that are irksome to folks who desire control in their life. Questionable structural design - many trip hazards and leaky and leaning awnings. Doubt this place meets basic building code requirements? Was served by a person who seemed recently out of rehab? Maybe there's an employment program being used here? He was super friendly and apologetic and humble about everything. I couldn't help but love him despite his jitters and nerves. The food! Yum! The chili rellenos was memorable. House-made salsa was great. This is traditional Mexican fare - don't expect 'Tacofino' style fanciness here. We're talking dishes that are sided with rice and beans. Of course, you can have a cold Mexican beer with your meal. I didn't try the margaritas. So I'm realizing now that this review is likely not all that helpful. Would I go there after reading this review? I'm not sure. But honestly I would go back for the unique vibe and platters of Mexican comfort food. You should probably pass on this one if you know that you need a formulaic and predictable experience. read more

Tequila Vallarta - Mexican Platter - Mexican Near Me - Penticton, British Columbia

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The food and service need to improve. Always understaffed. Good lacking in flavour. Just not good Mexican food

The food was awseome.. Chimichangas and taco were mouth watering.. just the pinã Colada was not up to mark.. Very authenticMexican food .. reminded me of my trip to Mexico read more

Tequila Vallarta - a plate of mexican food - Mexican Near Me - Penticton, British Columbia

Canadian Mexico !!!!!!! I've been saying this for months now and this place truly makes you feel like you are in Cabo! From the decor, menu & staff it's very authentic to Mexico. We even had a feline friend visit to make the experience even more Mexican! If you haven't been I would go!!!!!!!! read more

We have been wanting to come here for a long time and it was recommend by a local so we came by for lunch. I think they could be busier if the hours were posted correctly as I don't think anyone knows they are open for lunch. The decor is quite authentic and it was sunny out. This would be good for parties or just a good time out. The drinks were good and I thought the food was quite good. I think we will be back next time we are in town. read more

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Disgusting food! I ordered Nacho's from Tequila Vallarta and they arrived brunt!! (see other reviews) I wouldn't even call them nachos. Skip offered to only refund 50%. Wow #425776680 on a $30.84 order they refunded me $8.93 not sure how that is 50%. I would skip, skip and this place if you want to be able to eat your order. I have never had brunt nacho's read more

No one seems to mention this place has moved to 413 Main Street. Once we found it we went in and got a table. Only two servers and one could barely speak English and was unable to answer questions about the food. We're given a very small serving of tortilla chips and pico. Had margaritas(lime) which were to be honest, not that good. They weren't super cold and had an off sweet flavour I did not enjoy. However the food was delicious and quickly prepared. Just the right amount - not too much or too little. Actually fajitas were pretty big and could not be finished. But the food was authentic - not all covered In cheese like Tex mex. Chile rellenos were delicious - rice, sauces, salsa very authentic. Well done. read more

Awful !!! taco time 100x better worse Mexican food ever burnt /old dry refried beans /no flavour just all around bad read more

Authentic Mexican food in the heart of downtown Penticton! Tried the enchiladas and chiles rellenos (stuffed poblano peppers), and they were both delicious! There was also live music in Spanish, and the crowd was also singing along- it was a nice vibe. Would definitely come back if I ever find myself in the area again. The only downfall with this place was their mixed drinks, and the fact that they are severely understaffed. We had the pina colada and sangria to drink, and they were both not up to par. The pina colada was very foamy, and all I tasted in the sangria was pineapple juice from a can. The restaurant was also very busy, but there was only one waitress running around trying to cater to everyone's needs. We ended up getting our order of nachos when we were about to leave, with the beef forgotten. It was good nonetheless, but we could have done without it. And now, I've been waiting 30 minutes for my change to come back, which the server probably forgot about since she has so much on her plate. Tl;dr: Delicious authentic Mexican food, with great live music. Skip the drinks. Service is very slow, but the food is well worth it! read more

True authentic Mexican food prepared by true authentic Mexicans! Fajitas and Enchiladas were the best I've had outside of Mexico! Terrific service too! read more

Tequila Vallarta - Cool outdoor patio! - Mexican Near Me - Penticton, British Columbia

This place is a mess. From cleanliness, drinks, food and overall dining experience, this was completely the wrong venue to have my first meal in Penticton. We found this place through Yelp and kind of disregarded the 3 1/2* rating. I shouldn't have! Our other choice was Salty's but we were starving and stumbled upon this first. We were seated right away by a harried waitress. She didn't come back for at least 10 minutes because there only 2 servers on and the place was pretty busy, given that it was the Victoria Day weekend. It started drizzling so we asked if we could move indoors and she readily said we can move where we would like to. We went to the covered patio and found the place pretty messy so we checked out inside the restaurant. The only table left was very close to the kitchen so we decided to go to the covered patio, beside the garden hose and garbage can. I ordered the beef fajitas, my friend had the carne asada and 2 double lime margaritas. Beware of the pricing of the pitcher. All I can say is that it didn't make sense. The margaritas had way too much triple sec so it was very sweet. The beef was too tough and greasy, and so were the tortillas! There was a teaspoon each of sour cream and guacamole and the whole plate was so unappetizing. My friend's wasn't much better. The only saving grace was the server. She was very nice but I could tell she was so stressed. She apologized for the tardiness of the food and service. There was another table who didn't have their food yet even though we got there at the same time after we paid the bill! I would like to give this restaurant the benefit of the doubt that, hopefully, it was an off night but I wouldn't want to spend another 2 hours in this place when there are so many other places go and explore. read more

Get ready to go to Mexico! Walk in to a patio that is a bit rough around the edges but exactly what you would find in small town Mexico. What a fabulous place! Authentic, delicious Mexican food, margaritas straight off the beach in Cancun, and service second to none. Our server, Cory, completely made our night! Our party of 9 was treated like family! Sombreros, glow sticks and sparklers were just some of the treats that Cory brought out for us as we enjoyed his attentive service. Thank you so much for an unforgettable night! The best place in Penticton, hands down!! read more

Last year it was great, basic but tasty food, relaxed fun atmosphere. This year it took aaaaaages to order, food came out at diff times, 3 of the exact same meal looked super diff and then we waited 40 mins to pay because there was some error on the bill they couldn't figure out? Not sure what happened? Would still go back though for chilled atmosphere and good location :) staff nice too. read more

This place is never open, have tried and tried so many times to have a meal here and to no avail, closed. Have called the number listed to make reservation and get a full mailbox no one ever answers the phone. read more

No trip is complete for us in Penticton without a visit to Tequila Vallarta. With me eating keto, and my wife gluten free (celiac), it can be tough to find a satisfying meal for both of us in one stop. The portions are great, and they're more than happy to accommodate substitutions. Can't wait until we're back next time. read more

Tequila Vallarta - Mexican Near Me - Penticton, British Columbia

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Awesome food and authentic Mexicans Loved it!!! Great margaritas! Loved the ambiance. read more

What a little gem!! Incredibly fantastic food that's authentic and made to order, delicious drinks and humble service by Neono...The man who did it all! Our family had a variety of entree's; the fajitas, Chile relanos, stuffed zucchini, burrito, soft taco and tortilla soup. ALL were great portions, met diet restrictions and absolutely tasty!! If it weren't for the no carb diet I would have devoured the chips and salsa. Pretty sure the patio is always bumpin during peak season, even in the off season it's lovely! Highly recommend!! read more

I just had the vegetarian Fajitas here. I couldn't finish them. There was so much fresh food on one plate. I have take the rest down to the beach for my kids. This place is under new ownership. Everything was very authentic and delicious. read more

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I liked the place very much. Nicely decorated with an enchanting music. The food was also good and not expensive at all. Very nice staff. Should go early evening rather than later. read more

Excellent Mexican restaurant. Cool patio and fantastic food. Authentic and very well priced. Well worth anyone's time if Mexican is what your craving. Service was a bit distracted as there was only one server on but worth the wait. The Strawberry chimichanga was the perfect desert. read more

Wow. Best mexican food outside of mexico!! Went there with kids on a whim and expecting 'run of mill' mexican food. Best mole chicken, best enchilada ever, on of is does not normally like refried beans and loved them. Even the rustic decor is takes you back to mexico. And then a cat wondered around on the patio. I can't say enough how good the food was. Kids loved it too. read more

Restaurant's patio reminds me of playa del Carmen. Great atmosphere and great tasting Mexican food. Prices are good too. The drinks weren't presented very well...margaritas probably only had salt on Less than a quarter of the rim and there were pink floaties in the glass. Overall would recommend. read more

Tequila Vallarta - 1. Grilled beef ( carne asada) - Mexican Near Me - Penticton, British Columbia

I have eaten here twice. The first time I came in, I wasn't feeling terrific and had just come out of hospital with an injury and was feeling sick and cranky but I didn't want to cook and I had read some terrific reviews in Facebook. I ordered their Mexican platter and a marguerita. Marg was awesome. Have to give them points for that. The server was completely overwhelmed and by himself on the patio - which is way to large for one server and his service was terrible. My food came and it was presented in a very visually unappealing manner on a busy highly decorated plate. The meat for my beef grill portion was tough, dry and stringy. As someone who has worked in kitchens for a long, long time, it would be my best guess that it was cooked earlier by mistake and left on the side of the grill to save food costs. My tortilla was soaked in grease running from the sautéed peppers and fell apart as I picked it up. Overall, just kind of yuck. But my kids loved it. Not for the food but for the virgin margs and the patio atmosphere which is cool. So we left and I thought, maybe I'm just being a b@@@h because I feel so horrible today and I'll give it another shot. So, about three weeks later we came back with another mom and her kids. Again, margs great! Server (same guy) except there were two servers for the patio this evening was quite terrible. The two little girls ordered fries - which they were out of at 6 fricking pm?? Cut up a potato for gods sake, it ain't rocket science. I ordered the shrimp taco which was really quite tasty but it came well after the rest of the table had got their food and again was presented poorly on an overly decorated busy plate. The presentation looks like one of those people who watches MasterChef but doesn't absorb the lessons from it. Service was awful. Summary. Food is okay, margs are great, service is terrible and I most definitely will not go back. There are much better restaurants to spend my money at if I want to go out. read more

We arrived in Penticton last Monday evening on family vacation. We decided to go find something to eat around 8pm. In fairness we were welcomed in by the staff who looked surprised to see such a large group out so late on a Monday night. Initially we thought the atmosphere was fun and quirky. The food was average but sadly the reason we HAVE to give this place a 1 star is the large rat that all 9 of us watched running about above our heads for the entire meal. I've NEVER given a bad review before so I'm very sorry to do this however I want to warn other unsuspecting travelers like us - DONT GO THERE. We told the waiter and he hardly blinked and barely acknowledge what we said. My 6yr old son was squealing and terrified it was going to fall on us and honestly I was pretty close to doing the same thing. read more

Excellent food !!!! We were extremely satisfied with our meals and Im so happy we don't have to run to the border to get authentic Mexican cusine! As soon as you walk thru the front gate it felt like we were walking into a restaurant right off the streets of Puerto Vallarta. A very nice addition to the city of Penticton. I welcome you to the neighborhood and I wish you all the success you can handle :) read more

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Best Mexican outside of Mexico!! No kidding. Very authentic, and the quality of he food is top notch. The server was from Mexico- and provided the best service I've had in the okanagan valley in he past two years...( or as far as I can remember. ). I strongly recommend this place guys. I live in Yaletown and travel more than average. This place was a home run! read more

I've been here several times for lunch. The food has always been good as well as the service. I always enjoy their platter so I get a variety of items to try. I think if they tightened up their presentation and improved their service and decor a bit they could be a 5 star restaurant. read more

If you're in the mood for Mexican food, this is the spot. Prices are fair and portions are definitely more than enough. Plenty to eat as a vegetarian. Atmosphere is okay, but I am there for the food. Everything is fresh tasting - love the complimentary chips and salsa. read more

We fancied Mexican food and found this place on Yelp. For some reason when we got there several others arrived at the same time so we had to wait a little while to get seated. Had a very fun atmosphere and very Mexican. Because everyone arrived at the same time the servers were pretty frazzled and were rushing around a lot. We had low expectations but everything turned up in good time and the food wasn't bad. I had the shrimp quesadilla and it was very good. read more

Dissatisfied and disappointed Ambiance is the only reason to get this tourist trap a star Food is ok, expansive and extremely small portion The service started ok but turned very rude once we mentioned the main course portion which looked like appetizer Eat once - never again. read more

Their entrance needs work but the food was good. Their green salsa is the best I have ever had!

Fantastic authentic Mexican spot on Main Street in Penticton. The ambiance is great... we ate here on a hot day in July and you wouldn't know that you weren't in your favourite cantina in Mexico. Oh yeah, and we seriously enjoyed the margaritas which were served in awesome handmade glassware from Mexico. read more

Was not impressed! We love mexican and was very disappointed. First off the drinks were terrible. My pina colada was all foam. Their nachos were SO soggy and way way to much cheese. Enchiladas were not great. But the worst thing was that my almost 3yr old daughter bit into a quarter size chunk of salt, that was in her rice, that she ate part of and didnt feel well after. They were at least nice enough to bring her a little ice cream, but I had to ask that her meal be taken off the bill. She wouldnt eat after that. The place needs a good cleaning. Lots of cobwebs. And the bathroom was not clean and no toilett paper to be found. My family is really suprised with the reviews. This restaurant must have lots of friends and family writing good reviews. Will not be going back. Go to Hectors in Kelowna! read more

We came in at 2:45, not knowing they normally close after lunch at 2:30 (open sign was still on and people were still at tables eating). Server still was awesomely friendly and checked with the cook to let us know they could still make us some food, so we ordered to go. It was nice of them to do that. The decor is interesting and fun, but food was just meh. Veg burrito was nothing to write home about and there were a couple small black hairs in my rice. Turned me off the meal pretty quickly, and while it tasted pretty good at the time (we were really hungry) we both agreed we wouldn't go back if we had the choice. Maybe it's "authentic" cuisine to some, but to us it wasn't anywhere near the other Mexican food we've tasted, and food wasn't worth the stop. Service was excellent though, and it has a unique feel with the Hispanic art, decorations and music. 2.5 stars for the food and 3.5 for the service and unique patio. read more

Went yesterday at 6:30 pm. Two of us. I ordered fish tacos, companion, beef burrito. I asked how many tacos for $14.00. 3, so figured would have a lunch for next day. But when came were just on small corn tortillas. So much for leftovers. Rice great as was homemade salsa. Fish terrible. Tasteless pieces of freezer burnt, soggyish white fish. Crust old and chewy. Only saw waiter once as he came after we called him at end of meal. I told him about terrible fish, just shrugged and said would tell kitchen. I told him, do not worry the kitchen knew the fish was awful, yet still served it. He returned with our bill, and never even said another word about it. Do not order this item! That said, the burrito was very good, with real pieces of beef. Cute place, and have been before. Fajitas good, but the tortillas need to be larger as way too much filling left over. For the price just let us get to eat it. Companion moved chair over an inch and almost fell off chair, as leg got stuck in rotten floor board. Not good. read more