Best Authentic Mexican

[Fran from MI]

Looking for the best authentic Mexican Restaurant near The Villages.

[Bill14564]

We like Fiesta Grande because it is close. Luna Azul in Leesburg is very good and not too far away. There are a lot of Mexican places around, good luck choosing just one.

[Taltarzac725]

Tequila Cantina | Mexican Kitchen in The Villages, FL (https://www.tequilacantinamex.com/)


We liked Tequila Cantina.

[shaw8700@outlook.com]

You asked what is authentic. It’s hard to say what’s authentic because Mexico is a big country and what passes for something up north would not down south.

Having said that, I agree that Tequila is by and far the most authentic because they have real, whole pinto beans. (The beans that are ‘refried’ actually come from a powder) You have to ask for them but if you do be sure to get some tortillas. That, along with chicken soup, makes my meal complete.

[Kenswing]

We enjoy Los Magueyes on 301 where the post office and Ace Hardware is. You just need to catch them when the Health Department doesn’t have them shut down. :1rotfl:

[Stu from NYC]

We enjoy Los Magueyes on 301 where the post office and Ace Hardware is. You just need to catch them when the Health Department doesn’t have them shut down. :1rotfl:

They have had a bad habit of not keeping up with food sanitation but food is usually very good

[manaboutown]

What type of Mexican food does the OP want?

Mexico is a country offering a wide variety of foods, largely dependent on local sources. What one finds in Baja is not what one finds in Guadalajara or Oaxaca. In Zihuatanejo one can find bakery products similar to those found in parts of France. Mexico City and Merida offer world quality dining with cosmopolitan dishes. Coastal communities offer seafood. Guaymas prawns are huge and very tasty.

That said I most enjoy Tequila Cantina locally.

[tophcfa]

Tequila Cantina | Mexican Kitchen in The Villages, FL (https://www.tequilacantinamex.com/)


We liked Tequila Cantina.

Ay Jalisco in Spanish Springs used to be our favorite, but Tequila Cantina (where Crispers used to be) has become our new favorite. Unfortunately, it has become so popular there has been a long wait the last couple times we went there.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Tequila Cantina isn't really an "authentic" Mexican restaurant. It's a combination Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurant. Fajitas are a Tex-Mex invention, they're not on menus or in homes in Mexico.

I wanted steak tacos but they don't offer that, they only offer ground beef or shredded chicken, unless you pay extra for "street tacos" which are actually cheaper to make than the regular tacos. Ground beef on crispy corn taco shells is an American thing, it's not a Mexican thing.

For authentic Mexican I go to the taqueria on 301, called Viva Mexico, up near 42. They make the tortillas to order, the carne asada is not oversalted, it's simple but delicious food, and sometimes a rooster from the farm in the neighbor's yard will come to keep you company as you eat under a tarp on a picnic table.

Their customer base is primarily Mexican. But the women who run the place are English-speakers so you don't have to order in Spanish unless you want to.

They also have a couple of off-menu items, I'm pretty sure I saw one of the customers eating a bowl of pozole, and that's definitely not on the menu.

They're a stationary food truck. They're in the process of moving next door and putting up an outbuilding with an actual kitchen but they were hit with sticker shock when they went to have it built. So that's delayed.

[Rwirish]

Taco Bell

[MandoMan]

Ay Jalisco in Spanish Springs used to be our favorite, but Tequila Cantina (where Crispers used to be) has become our new favorite. Unfortunately, it has become so popular there has been a long wait the last couple times we went there.

You are right about Tequila Cantina being crowded, and that can lead to slow service at times and more of a cafeteria feel. I like Ay! Jalisco a lot. I ate there yesterday. I also enjoy Casa Agave, which is on 301 just north of 44. (It’s much better than Los Magueyes and about two minutes away.) Both Ay! Jalisco and Casa Agave attract a lot of Mexican diners, which is a very good sign.

(The people who pointed out that there are a lot of regional cooking styles in Mexico, and they may not be very much like what we consider “authentic Mexican food” are correct. Perhaps the closest to the real thing around here are some of the Taco Trailers you can find along 441 between here and Leesburg.)

[westernrider75]

Looking for the best authentic Mexican Restaurant near The Villages.

We like Tequila Cantina in the Southern Trace Plaza on 466. Everything is always so fresh there.

[Mrmean58]

Looking for the best authentic Mexican Restaurant near The Villages.

Being from California i was spoiled with the quality of Mexican food served there. You will be looking for a very long time to find high quality Mexican food in or near the Villages.

[Taltarzac725]

Being from California i was spoiled with the quality of Mexican food served there. You will be looking for a very long time to find high quality Mexican food in or near the Villages.

HISTORIA | Misitio (https://www.larocarestaurant.com/historia)


I recall we went here when we were in Nogales.

[chucklevy]

Looking for the best authentic Mexican Restaurant near The Villages.

We have tried them all and El Ranchito on 441 is by far the best!

[EJones368]

They have had a bad habit of not keeping up with food sanitation but food is usually very good

If you don't mind eating unsanitary food.....

[golfing eagles]

Tequila Cantina isn't really an "authentic" Mexican restaurant. It's a combination Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurant. Fajitas are a Tex-Mex invention, they're not on menus or in homes in Mexico.

I wanted steak tacos but they don't offer that, they only offer ground beef or shredded chicken, unless you pay extra for "street tacos" which are actually cheaper to make than the regular tacos. Ground beef on crispy corn taco shells is an American thing, it's not a Mexican thing.

For authentic Mexican I go to the taqueria on 301, called Viva Mexico, up near 42. They make the tortillas to order, the carne asada is not oversalted, it's simple but delicious food, and sometimes a rooster from the farm in the neighbor's yard will come to keep you company as you eat under a tarp on a picnic table.

Their customer base is primarily Mexican. But the women who run the place are English-speakers so you don't have to order in Spanish unless you want to.

They also have a couple of off-menu items, I'm pretty sure I saw one of the customers eating a bowl of pozole, and that's definitely not on the menu.

They're a stationary food truck. They're in the process of moving next door and putting up an outbuilding with an actual kitchen but they were hit with sticker shock when they went to have it built. So that's delayed.

I'd go for the authentic Mexican food. I'll pass on the rooster:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[Miboater]

La Palma in Leesburg is pretty good and probably the cleanest Mexican restaurant I've ever been in.

[vinricci]

Fresh Jalapeños on 441.

[ekohan]

Campo azul in summerfield
Excellent food & wonderful atmosphere

[Michael 61]

- Native Californian here as well - good luck finding anything close to “authentic” Mexican in The Villages. The salsa in most places tastes more like ketchup than a good spicy salsa made of fresh ingredients and chilis. There’s a passable Mexican restaurant up in Ocala that is adjacent to a Mexican market. Caters to a Latin clientele, and you hear lots of Spanish being spoken. Good sign! For street tacos there’s a few taco trucks just outside the bubble that serve up good carne asada.

[chuckpedrey]

I have been going to El Ranchito in La Plaza Grande for over 20 years. It’s the first Mexican restaurant in The Villages.

[polirudb]

Always a good meal and good service at Fresh Jalapeños and El Ranchito (the one near Spanish Springs). I do not know enough about Mexican food to know if they are "authentic" or not, but the chips, salsa and main dishes are always good.

[jimleas]

Most of the food I have eaten in Mexico was terrible. So the last thing I would be looking for is AUTHENTIC Mexican food. But that's just me.

[Markkal]

Authentic, Very good. in Leesburg. not too far


Looking for the best authentic Mexican Restaurant near The Villages.

[Topspinmo]

My choice Mexican at home, I grow my own Chili’s from seeds I save (NewMex Big Jim’s) Rico’s, jalapeños, pimentos and Cajun belle This year. I find nearly all authentic so called restaurants around here all taste same, kinda bland? Or it could be just me…:oops:

[manaboutown]

Anybody know of a nearby Mexican/Tex-Mex style restaurant serving good menudo, tamales, carne adovada and sopaipillas?

[Topspinmo]

Most of the food I have eaten in Mexico was terrible. So the last thing I would be looking for is AUTHENTIC Mexican food. But that's just me.

I prefer TexMex but just hard find good one.

[rzandbergen]

Los Magueros on 331 by the Ace Hardware is the best IMO.

[Danube]

(The beans that are ‘refried’ actually come from a powder)

Who told you that? You are obviously not drom the Southwest or anywhere refried beans are common. You can buy refried beans in giant cans from major food companies, like "real Mexicans" do all the time. What would be the point in making beans into a powder except for hikers or survival packs?

Refried beans - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refried_beans)

[Danube]

Looking for the best authentic Mexican Restaurant near The Villages.

Taco trucks-

Tacos Rio Verde at the corner of Griffin Ave & Lake Co. 25, north of the Post Office.

Taqueria La Famosa taco truck at the corner of 466 & US 301, behind Pho Sai Gon.

[Deden]

We found a Mexican food truck, yes food truck family run, that is better than any Mexican restaurant around. On the corner of Rt 25 and Griffin rd. in Lady Lake... Street behind Home Depot on 441.

[shut the front door]

There's a mexican grocery on 301 across from Dallas that serves up some really good authentic food. Prima Market La Poblana Inc. It is not a sit down restaurant.

[Taltarzac725]

What is Montezuma'''s Revenge? Symptoms, Treatment (https://pepto-bismol.com/en-us/symptoms/all-diarrhea-articles/montezumas-revenge-get-the-facts-know-the-symptoms)


Except for Montezuma's Revenge I do not think there is anything that would fit as authentic Mexican food. You might have dishes from specific cities and/wider areas of Mexico. Those searching for * shows on food do show how regional various dishes are. Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico - Wikipedia (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Longoria:_Searching_for_Mexico)

[retiredguy123]

well good fricken luck on this one.... there is no such thing especially in central Florida. The only mexican food here is what ICE just picked up (humor laugh a bit).

You have to realize that Florida is mostly Puerto Rican (ergo the nickname "Puertolando") and Cuban. You can find that all day long in Florida, but that is far from Mexican food. There actually is decent mexi-merican food around, but none of the restaurants in the villages... actually I laughed when I saw someone post taco bell.... they are somewhat right, if there was a del taco or similar I'd say that. I've spent the last 14 years traveling Florida by car for work... Cuban yes, PR yes, mexican LMAO.... nada.

I wish you luck, have fun.
I actually prefer Taco Bell to some sit down restaurants that will only make tacos using chicken or tough steak, and they have no taco sauce except hot sauce. They serve everything with refried beans and tasteless rice, which most people don't eat. I like tacos made with ground beef, I like to add my own taco sauce, and I want the taco small enough that you can pick it up. I don't care if it is authentic Mexican or not.

[Iowatransplant]

You gotta try Ay Sonora Mexican Cuisine - 989 US27 in Lady Lake! Excellent food and service.

[manaboutown]

Some of the roach coaches (food trucks) frequented by the local Latino/Chicano laborers may offer the most authentic street/peasant food from which you might develop a case of Turistas!

[mrf6969]

WE love Mexican food, but it is a real crap shoot here in Florida. When we go back to Colorado, we are reminded that there really is no great Mexican food in Florida. There is nothing better than a burrito smothered in pork green chili.

[mrf6969]

well good fricken luck on this one.... there is no such thing especially in central Florida. The only mexican food here is what ICE just picked up (humor laugh a bit).

You have to realize that Florida is mostly Puerto Rican (ergo the nickname "Puertolando") and Cuban. You can find that all day long in Florida, but that is far from Mexican food. There actually is decent mexi-merican food around, but none of the restaurants in the villages... actually I laughed when I saw someone post taco bell.... they are somewhat right, if there was a del taco or similar I'd say that. I've spent the last 14 years traveling Florida by car for work... Cuban yes, PR yes, mexican LMAO.... nada.

I wish you luck, have fun.

You are so right!!

[flsteve]

Tequila Cantina | Mexican Kitchen in The Villages, FL (https://www.tequilacantinamex.com/)


We liked Tequila Cantina.

Amazing menu! I haven't been there but the menu offerings are SPECTACULAR! The wife and I will definitely be trying this place out very soon! Thanks for the tip.

[DCUNY]

Not a restaurant, but there is a food truck called Jaunita’s Tacos that sets up on weekends at the corner of 42 and 441. Best tamales I’ve had outside of Mexico. They usually have pork and chicken. No website but they post on facebook when they are going to be there.

[eyc234]

We would agree with the at home. Long lived Texans and there is no place here that is authentic or Mexican. It is mostly US-Mex. Do our own from tortillas to tamales.

[JMintzer]

We like Casa Agave, on 301, just North of 44...

[tophcfa]

Amazing menu! I haven't been there but the menu offerings are SPECTACULAR! The wife and I will definitely be trying this place out very soon! Thanks for the tip.

I highly recommend the crab quesadilla.

[HJBeck]

We havent tried them all , but we sure like Casa Agueva, Rt 301

[HORNET]

Palma on 441 , Leesburg

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I'd go for the authentic Mexican food. I'll pass on the rooster:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Do yourself a huge favor then. Try this for your first visit there:

Three carne asada tacos, ask for two lime wedges (I think 3 tacos only comes with one).
1 bottle Jarritos Mandarin soda.

Squeeze a thin line of red sauce across each taco, and squeeze generously with lime. Try one taco before adding more red sauce to either of the other two. It has a bite to it.

Tell'em the old lady who gets 2 tacos and a mandarin every few weeks says hi.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Anybody know of a nearby Mexican/Tex-Mex style restaurant serving good menudo, tamales, carne adovada and sopaipillas?

Carne adovada isn't Mexican or Tex-Mex. It's New Mexican. No idea where you can find menudo around here, I imagine beef tripe stew is an acquired taste. Ay! Jalisco serves sopapillas but they're more like cachangas, and don't puff up like a beignet or a fried dough pizza does.

Viva Mexico makes a few different stuffings for their tamales. I've never had them but as I said before - most of their customers are Mexican so I assume they're probably good.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

We found a Mexican food truck, yes food truck family run, that is better than any Mexican restaurant around. On the corner of Rt 25 and Griffin rd. in Lady Lake... Street behind Home Depot on 441.

I tried it, wasn't really fond of it. The meat was oversalted and the salsa roja tasted off, maybe they added chipotle spices to it or something. I definitely like the truck on 301 better.

[Nana2Teddy]

Being from California i was spoiled with the quality of Mexican food served there. You will be looking for a very long time to find high quality Mexican food in or near the Villages.

Interesting! We moved from SoCal two years ago (life long SoCal native), and pretty much what we eat here at Fiesta Grande or Tequila Cantina is what was served at the Mexican restaurants we had close to home. I guess we never found the good stuff, lol.

[RUCdaze]

I've tried them all too. To me, they're all pretty much the same. Just stick with the ones that have the cleanest bathrooms.

[Danube]

We would agree with the at home. Long lived Texans and there is no place here that is authentic or Mexican. It is mostly US-Mex. Do our own from tortillas to tamales.

Even the restaurants and food trucks run by & staffed by ethnic Mexicans? How does that work?

Mexican food somehow knows where the border is and it stops on the southern side?

New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Texas certainly have "authentic" and Mexican food, lots of it. If those states, why not Florida?

I agree that many places have a limited menu and the food is oftern "mild", but to make a blanket statement that "no place here that is authentic or Mexican" is not true. Another thing is I'm sure you haven't been to all Mexican restaurants even an hour drive.

Another version of the food-snob "You can't get real pizza outside NYC or Italy".

[Gn'Me]

Another vote for Casa Agave on 301 just north of 44. Clean environment, fast, friendly service and the food is consistently good. The Molcajete Agave is my fav.

[Rocksnap]

If you are down in the Eastport area where all the building is going on, I hit up the mobile roach coaches. Military slang for a mobile food truck that drives around. They cater to the local construction workers. Price is reasonable, food has always been good.

[Yvonnebu37]

Tried Luna Azul for the first time last night. Excellent service and food was great

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Even the restaurants and food trucks run by & staffed by ethnic Mexicans? How does that work?

Mexican food somehow knows where the border is and it stops on the southern side?

New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Texas certainly have "authentic" and Mexican food, lots of it. If those states, why not Florida?

I agree that many places have a limited menu and the food is oftern "mild", but to make a blanket statement that "no place here that is authentic or Mexican" is not true. Another thing is I'm sure you haven't been to all Mexican restaurants even an hour drive.

Another version of the food-snob "You can't get real pizza outside NYC or Italy".

There is such a thing as "Mexican cuisine." There is also such a thing as "Tex-Mex cuisine." There is also such a thing as "Florida cuisine."

Tex-Mex shares some common traits with Mexican cuisine but they have distinct dishes that are not native to the other. Tex-Mex typically uses either flour tortillas or hard-shell corn tortillas. Mexican typically uses soft corn tortillas. If your taco is served with ground beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and taco sauce in a crunchy hard-shell corn tortilla, then it is decisively Tex-Mex, and NOT Mexican. Mexican tacos are soft-shell, smaller, with just a spoonful of shredded or chopped (not ground) beef, pork, or chicken, and usually only has cilantro and onion on it. In the states they're called "street tacos" and you have to pay extra for that at restaurants. In traditional and authentic Mexican places - such as the food trucks we have up here, they're just called tacos - because they don't sell any other kind, so no adjective is needed to distinguish them from anything else. And they're MUCH less expensive than what you get in the restaurants. They also are typically served two-up: two soft-shell tortillas, set down on the hot grill with a little oil to get them cooked through, then stacked on top of each other, with the "inner" ingredients dumped in the middle so you can fold the edges up and eat them without a fork.

Fajitas are not Mexican. They're Tex-Mex. Mexicans IN Mexico don't eat fajitas. It's not a thing there.

[Michread]

Looking for the best authentic Mexican Restaurant near The Villages.

La Placita in Leesburg on West Main. It’s a simple place. The food is very good. The wait staff doesn’t speak English.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

La Placita in Leesburg on West Main. It’s a simple place. The food is very good. The wait staff doesn’t speak English.

I just looked at some of the photos and checked their FB page. They just opened up in early 2024 and the food in the photos looks delicious! I also like that they have some shelves for Mexican products, and the ice cream station. Definitely going to try this one next time I'm down in Leesburg!

[HORNET]

La Palma on 441/27- Leesburg

[Topspinmo]

Tequila Cantina isn't really an "authentic" Mexican restaurant. It's a combination Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurant. Fajitas are a Tex-Mex invention, they're not on menus or in homes in Mexico.

I wanted steak tacos but they don't offer that, they only offer ground beef or shredded chicken, unless you pay extra for "street tacos" which are actually cheaper to make than the regular tacos. Ground beef on crispy corn taco shells is an American thing, it's not a Mexican thing.

For authentic Mexican I go to the taqueria on 301, called Viva Mexico, up near 42. They make the tortillas to order, the carne asada is not oversalted, it's simple but delicious food, and sometimes a rooster from the farm in the neighbor's yard will come to keep you company as you eat under a tarp on a picnic table.

Their customer base is primarily Mexican. But the women who run the place are English-speakers so you don't have to order in Spanish unless you want to.

They also have a couple of off-menu items, I'm pretty sure I saw one of the customers eating a bowl of pozole, and that's definitely not on the menu.

They're a stationary food truck. They're in the process of moving next door and putting up an outbuilding with an actual kitchen but they were hit with sticker shock when they went to have it built. So that's delayed.

Ok, is there anybody on TOTV that knows more than OBB on any subject. I mean why do search on Google, AI, or go to local library. Just ask OBB. :bigbow:

[manaboutown]

Carne adovada isn't Mexican or Tex-Mex. It's New Mexican. No idea where you can find menudo around here, I imagine beef tripe stew is an acquired taste. Ay! Jalisco serves sopapillas but they're more like cachangas, and don't puff up like a beignet or a fried dough pizza does.

Viva Mexico makes a few different stuffings for their tamales. I've never had them but as I said before - most of their customers are Mexican so I assume they're probably good.

OK, carne adovada is primarily a New Mexican dish. I grew up there eating it along with sopaipillas Basic Sopaipilla Recipe (New Mexican Sopapillas) - Muy Bueno (https://muybuenoblog.com/sopaipillas/) which we eat with honey in NM. Yum, yum! But Mexico has its own versions of carne adobada as it is alternatively spelled. Adobada - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobada)

[radarnet]

So true!😂

[collie1228]

I love fajitas, and know that they are not really “authentic’ Mexican cuisine. So what? That doesn’t make them bad. If my “authentic” Mexican restaurant also serves fajitas, does that make them inauthentic? I don’t think so. I like Jai Jalisco in Spanish Springs, as the food is fresh and generally good. I also like El Ranchito on the other side of 441, as it is everything I like in a Mexican restaurant - a little bit shabby and has really good refried beans. If you have a Jones for “authentic” Mexican food, I suggest you head for a small town in a place far from Mexico City or Tiajuana. Not The Villages.

[Taltarzac725]

Travel to Guadalajara for Some of Mexico's Best Food (https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/guadalajara-mexico-food-and-crafts)


Recall going to a large restaurant in downtown Guadalajara back in the 1970s.


I did pick up Montezuma's Revenge around that time.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I love fajitas, and know that they are not really “authentic’ Mexican cuisine. So what? That doesn’t make them bad. If my “authentic” Mexican restaurant also serves fajitas, does that make them inauthentic? I don’t think so. I like Jai Jalisco in Spanish Springs, as the food is fresh and generally good. I also like El Ranchito on the other side of 441, as it is everything I like in a Mexican restaurant - a little bit shabby and has really good refried beans. If you have a Jones for “authentic” Mexican food, I suggest you head for a small town in a place far from Mexico City or Tiajuana. Not The Villages.

What do you mean, "so what?" That's the whole point of this entire thread. The OP was asking for advice on AUTHENTIC MEXICAN food. Fajitas aren't authentic Mexican food. If you go to a Mexican restaurant and fajitas are on the menu, then it is not a truly authentic Mexican restaurant. Ay! Jalisco features authentic Mexican dishes, but they are a combination of Northwestern Mexican and Tex-Mex. They've also changed their cooking a bit. Their rice is now just so-so, it tastes like it came from a box. Their salsa is still good but it's not ketchup-based like it used to be. That probably makes it more appealing to people who've never had Northwestern Mexican food before. Their shredded beef tacos are still awesome, but they're served on a hard shell which makes them Tex-Mex and not Mexican.

[DBChris]

My husband and I tried Tequila Cantina based on recommendations from here. Service was horrific. Food was brought to the table and server never came back except to drop off the check. Food was average.

We decided to give it another try and took my parents. Took several minutes to even have a server come over to take our drink order. The wait for the food was long, yet again.

Here’s the kicker, when we paid the bill, we used a credit card but left a cash tip and wrote in cash on the receipt.

When I checked my account, the amount was more than the total amount I paid. The server helped himself to additional tip. I had to call the credit card company, explain the situation and dispute the charge.

Never again!!

[Skip]

My husband and I tried Tequila Cantina based on recommendations from here. Service was horrific. Food was brought to the table and server never came back except to drop off the check. Food was average.

We decided to give it another try and took my parents. Took several minutes to even have a server come over to take our drink order. The wait for the food was long, yet again.

Here’s the kicker, when we paid the bill, we used a credit card but left a cash tip and wrote in cash on the receipt.

When I checked my account, the amount was more than the total amount I paid. The server helped himself to additional tip. I had to call the credit card company, explain the situation and dispute the charge.

Never again!!

Get the OWNER on the phone. Read the server's name (date & time too) from the bill and get him/her fired. The Villages Gourmet Club website even lists the owner's name in the listings. You can ask for them by name.

If you owned a restaurant wouldn't you want to know this was happening to your customers?

Skip

[AMB444]

There is nothing better than a burrito smothered in pork green chili.

Yes, my family is from CO and I've been trying to find a recipe for the green gravy but have no luck. Its more of a sauce and not a meat heavy chili.

[AMB444]

Not Mexican... but has anyone tried Pupusas Lissgaby?

[Topspinmo]

authentic Mexican? Someone’s opinion? I like TexMex over authentic if that’s what want call in America. Everybody has different tastes while some don’t care for particular restaurant others like it. All what’s imprinted in our brains what we prefer. I find most authentic Mexican here are pretty much same in taste. But, that’s me.