Ay Jalisco
 

If ever you find yourself tootling along in your golf cart, feeling rather peckish, and you pass Ay Jalisco, just keep going. Nothing to ‘eat’ here.

Nonsense, we enjoy going there. One of the more consistently decent and good value restaurants in the Villages.

And here we have the perfect example of where we are all today. One extreme and the other. Was the original post a restaurant review? I don't think so. Meant to get the extreme response or at least confirmation of the point of view expressed.

Very mediocre food and terrible service. I asked the server if they could make the tacos with ground beef. She said yes, but brought me tacos with shredded pork, and never returned to the table. I left no tip.

I hate to say it, but the best tacos in The Villages are at Taco Bell. They use ground beef, and they have actual taco sauce. Other Mexican restaurants use shredded beef or chicken, and, if you ask for taco sauce, you get a blank stare.

About same as rest average at best.

I remember going to the restaurants in the Villages for the first time. Disappointment is an understatement. After nearly 20 years living here, I cannot give you a solid recommendation. One or two items are tasty in most of the restaurants. You should try various dishes until you find something you like. Orlando and Ocala have great restaurants. The only time we dine out is when we are out of the bubble.

Sorry to disagree. It is my favorite Mexican restaurant around here.

I completely agree - one visit was enough

Like most folks (myself included), I see you like TexMex, not Mexican. Unfortunately, the farther you get from the Texas, the less likely you are to get TexMex. Real Mexican restaurants are usually run by real Mexicans, and that's what you usually find, when you find a Mexican restaurant 1,500 miles from Texas.

I haven't had a decent fajita since we moved here from Houston. Like Quesadilla's, it's not a dish you would find in Mexico. And I completely agree -- tacos are not improved with pork or shredded beef, much less fish! But I love fajita burritos if they're made with real grilled steak.

That said, I think Ay Jalisco is better than some of the other Mexican joints we've tried here. I'd hate to see them close.

Ooh, I love fish tacos. But I think they might be Californian.

Agreed. My love for Tex-Mex was cultivated over many years in Houston. Usually, though, when we visited Tex-Mex restaurants, we opted for cheaper Tex-Mex combos with enchiladas, tacos, and, of course, rice and beans. etc. When we did splurge on fajitas, I loved Pappasitos (any location) or Ninfa's on Navigation. Whose did you enjoy?

You’re making my mouth water!

Fish tacos in Ensenada are good, like most in California. Remember, California once was part of Mexico, like Texas. Mexican food changes as you travel through Mexico and southwestern US. My taste in Mexican cuisine follows what I grew up with in Southern California and Baja. Note, it ain't Tex-Mex. Sorry, but Taco Bell is not Mexican. Just imitation. The closest to us that tastes kinda like home is Las Magueyes.

I’m also a native Californian, and grew up eating really good mom-and-pop Mexican several times a week (very different than Tex-Mex). Lots of fresh seafood is incorporated into California Mexican cuisine, since the proximity to the Pacific. (Ceviche - yummy!)

Going out for good Mexican and Chinese is always at the top of my list when out on the West Coast.

Can someone please explain to me why you can get taco sauce at Taco Bell, but, when you order tacos at any other restaurant, they don't even know what taco sauce is?

Ay! Jalisco isn't Tex-Mex, and that definitely might be the problem. They're South-Western Mexican, near Puerto Vallarta (Jalisco is a state). I always get the shredded beef tacos. It's more like a combination of a guisada and barbacoa - tougher shreds of beef from a stew, and sometimes there's pieces of potato in it. It's very wet, which is why I think it's probably part of a carne guisada (beef stew). Their salsa is thin, and they've changed the recipe so I think it's no longer ketchup-based (which is a western Mexican thing and an acquired taste for Americans).

It's a family owned-and-operated restaurant. Unfortunately they use a mix for their pina coladas so I can't recommend those, but this seems to be common around here.

Ground beef tacos is absolutely an American thing, not a Mexican thing. The best tacos are carne asada (marinated skirt-steak), chopped onion, cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime and a squirt of salsa roja on a double-stack of small, made-to-order soft tortillas. You can't get good ones in The Villages at all.

There's a place I get them on 301, and they're outstanding. Two asada tacos and a bottle of Mandarin Jarittos, it hits the spot. Most of their customers are Mexican, and most of the non-Mexican customers are from somewhere in South America. Hearing them talk in Spanish with each other, with all those different accents and regionalisms adds to the experience. That and the chickens that sometimes wander through the outdoor eating area - which is pretty entertaining. It's like visiting a friend in Mexico and being served lunch in their back yard. Always a treat.

But all you ground beef taco eaters stay away, and don't take up space in line there. Stick to your Taco Bell.

Because "taco sauce" isn't called "taco sauce" anywhere else. Ask for red sauce, or salsa roja. If you're getting it at a taqueria, tread lightly with the squeeze bottle. They make it with arbol chiles, which are considered "medium hot" compared to jalapenos which are "medium".

I have a bottle one of my in-laws made for me, made with habanero (which is considered "hot" as compared to "medium-hot" and "medium"). A few drops in the meatloaf recipe gives it a yummy tang.

Viva Mexico Taqueria?

Since Taco Bell is not authentic Mexican cuisine, is it any wonder that the little packs of chili and vinegar are not real Mexican salsa (Spanish for sauce)?

I've eaten there once, for my taste I would not go back.
But you have to keep in mind that everyone has their own view of what is good and not.
It's like N.Y. pizza vs Chicago pizza if you want to call it that.

Because taco sauce is not Mexican food. Ground beef is not mexican food. Burritos are not Mexican food. Fajitas are not Mexican food. Chips and salsa is definitely not Mexican food. Ay Jalisco is fine, you just need to order the Mexican food, not the Americanized garbage. The cooks hold their noses when they make that stuff. Look at a map of Mexico, it's mostly shoreline... that means seafood. Also soup... there are 6 varieties on the menu. For meat, ribs are authentic, although I haven't had them there. Tacos al carbon, al pastor, de camaron, de pescado, asada, all are authentic. If you like heat, get the Camarones al la diabla, they are spectacular. On a hot day, get the shrimp cocktail. It's a huge meal. Don't get me wrong, I like me some pink slime tacos from Taco Bell, but that's not Mexican food.

I'm confused because Publix sells a lot of different types of "salsa", but they also sell taco "sauce". I may be uninformed, but I prefer tacos made with ground beef and topped with taco sauce, not shredded beef topped with salsa. Also, I like to pick it up in my hand, and not eat it with a knife and fork. I like burritos that way too, and not covered with cheese. And, I don't like refried beans and rice served with every dish.

mexican
 

just wait awhile,there flowing across the border and will be building a place for us to eat.....

Moes Has GR8 Mexican Food!
 

My wife and I love to eat at Moe's, which is on 441/27 near The Villages. They will make your Taco or Burrito with the meat and "toppings" that you designate. They also have a Salsa Bar with 5 or 6 different salsas, so you can add the sauce that you desire. Their prices are reasonable.

There is one other state that should be in this discussion - New Mexico. I lived there for 12 years and fell in love with the way New Mexican restaurants prepare their food. Rarely do I find a restaurant outside that state run by NEW Mexicans. I have to go to New Mexico to get the Mexican foods I crave. But Ay Jalisco isn’t so bad for me and my husband.

Have you ever been to Mexico ground beef is not in a taco. The food at Taco Bell isn’t even close to what Mexican food should be. You obviously were raised on fast food and that is ok but don’t knock a Mexican restaurant for making Mexican food.

It's not gourmet food, but I've enjoyed the people watching on the patio and gigantic margaritas!

Sorry to say but a burrito is Mexican food. To a Mexican it is just a form of taco. Search for a show taco chronicles on Netflix each show covers a type of taco. Season 2 episode 5 burrito. Episode 4 is the American taco you guessed it not Mexican but they assimilated it and made it there own.

I was commenting on their terrible service. The server told me that she could bring tacos made with ground beef. Then, she dropped off tacos made with shredded pork and immediately left without a word. She didn't return to the table again, which is something a server should never do. The server should always check back with the customer. I usually leave a generous tip, but, in this case, I left no tip.

Pappasitos and Ninfa's are the best, obviously, but we usually went to Gingo's or Chuy's. Cheaper and closer (we lived in Cypress). Heck, even Taco Cabana was better than any Mexican I've had in Florida.

Ninfa's actually invented the fajita, if I'm not mistaken.

As a native Tulsan, I thought I liked "Mexican" until I had fajita enchiladas at a Chuy's in San Antonio, one time on a business trip to the IBM RS6000 research center. To this day, I remember it as the best Mexican I ever had. The place looked like a dump, with hubcaps on the walls for decor. I didn't realize until we moved to Houston years later that it was a chain, and eating in a place that looked like a dump was a genuine Texas thing.

Ay Jalisco
 

Ay Jalisco's is okay but nothing special for our tastes. We now go to a new ownership Mexican restaurant in Lady Lake called 'Fresh Jalapeno' which is owned by a Mother & Son who does all the cooking and everything is made fresh every day, and it is noticeable. They are on 441/27 before Fruitland Park at the red light on the right. Since we have been here, it has always been a Mexican eatery and it had frequent health issues but the new owners made it very clear that they have zero connection with any previous owners. Service was prompt, happy servers and very clean!

Ay Jalisco! is the best Mexican restaurant in The Villages. (I also like Casa Agave, on 301 in Wildwood a hundred yards north of 44, but it’s not in The Villages.) In both restaurants, I recommend the Enchiladas Rancheras substituting cheese for meat. Try them! In any !
Mexican restaurant, some dishes are tastier than others, and you have to go there enough to learn your favorites. For example, some make great chile rellenos and some don’t. Try the Cadillac Margarita at Ay Jalisco! and the Top Shelf Margarita at Casa Agave. Both much better than your usual margarita. Ay Jalisco also has a lovely patio where you can eat outside in the shade and enjoy lovely Spanish Springs and hear the music from the square a block away.

Lots of restaurants around here are screwing up orders. Last night I ate at MezzaLuna. My date asked for her eggplant Parmigiana with no mozzarella on top and no pasta, but it came with the cheese. Wednesday night we went to Thai Ruby and specified no rice, but they brought it on the side. It happens.

I first went to Taco Bell in 1972 and soon was eating there several times a week. However, if your idea of an edible taco is Taco Bell, I can’t trust you to judge any other tacos. Hard taco shells are not Mexican, and ground beef on tacos is not Mexican, and while I like Taco Bell hot sauce a lot, it is not like any salsa I’ve eaten in Mexico. If you read this, go to Netflix and search under Taco Chronicles and watch that enthralling documentary about the varieties of real tacos in Mexico, none made with hard shells or ground beef. Last time I was in Mexico I got to eat tacos like this every day with tortillas hand made on the spot. So delicious! Nothing at all like Taco Bell tacos, which are NOT delicious.

Ay Jalisco is delicious, at least what I always order is. I get the CAMARONES A LA CREMA. Yum.....

Ocala is wonderful for restaurant choices without the white knuckle traffic in the city.
So many choices are consistently excellent.
Not white tablecloth dining of yesteryear, but food, drinks and service are great.

Ahhh, but there is a Torchy's Tacos an hour away - just went there on Thursday. Best green chili queso and frozen margaritas ever! Went there all the time in Texas.

Isn't everyone entitled to their own opinion about what is delicious? To me, tacos and burritos are handheld foods, like hot dogs, burgers, and sandwiches. I don't like eating tacos and burritos with a knife and fork, which is usually the only way to eat them in most restaurants, along with rice and beans which most people leave on their plate. I like taco sauce, which is sold in grocery stores in a jar and included in the taco kits. It is not the same as salsa. The kit recipe calls for ground beef, not shredded beef. By the way, Taco Bell does not claim to be authentic Mexican food. They call it Mexican inspired food.

Of all industries that have to monitor social media for a firestorm, the restaurant industry faces the biggest tidal wave of negative reviews.

If you don't like the provided service or quality of the food, simply speak face-to-face with the owner/manager. There's no need to spam a negative review WITHOUT SPECIFIC REASONS all over un-social media....

Ay jalisco
 

I will stick to Fiesta Grande in Colony Plaza, as our favorite Mexican eatery in the bubble.

Does Taco Bell REALLY use ground beef? Or the texture of ground beef?