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?