Originally Posted by DrHitch (Post 2321282)

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....

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2321213)

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.

Originally Posted by Ecuadog (Post 2321225)

Viva Mexico Taqueria?

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2321278)

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.

Originally Posted by Regorp (Post 2321283)

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

Originally Posted by MSGirl (Post 2321288)

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

Originally Posted by msilagy (Post 2321300)

My assessment is the rating of restaurants in TV depends on where you come from. Big cities, jobs that allowed you to entertain customers $$$, experience the best food wherever they were. Those that come from small cities, no real high line restaurants have a totally different opinion. I cannot recommend one restaurant here. A bunch of us eat outside of the TV and enjoy excellent food - large portions, tasty. My opinion is a 4 for most of the restaurants here.

Originally Posted by Fuzzyjourneyfan (Post 2321301)

This sounds great! What is the name of the restaurant? 301 near what other main street?

Originally Posted by DrHitch (Post 2321282)

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....

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2321314)

Your opinion would be more valid if you'd simply acknowledge that you don't like Mexican food. Rather, you like Mexican-inspired American fast food. You'd probably love TacoTime, which is like Taco Bell, but with fresher salsas.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2321319)

Viva Mexico Taqueria, on 301 up NEAR 42. Not golf cart accessible but if you know where the First Responders Rec Center is, exit onto 42 from their parking lot, take a left. A few blocks up you'll see the gates for the railroad track crossing, make sure you're in the left lane. Careful, there are potholes there. At that traffic light, take a left. Go up the hill, and then halfway down the hill you'll see their big feather flag near the street. Immediately after that is a U-Turn lane on the left. Make the u-turn and CAREFULLY drive into their dirt parking lot. More potholes.

It's basically a huge family compound with a food truck in front of it. They have chickens and an enormous farm dog (who is friendly and you should absolutely NOT feed any of their animals, it's disrespectful and unhealthy for them).

Nicest people in the world. If all the tables are occupied, just point to an empty chair and give one of the seated people a questioning glance. Chances are you'll be welcome to sit at their table so you don't have to eat standing up. There's no bathroom, and if you really need to rinse off your hands there's a spigot behind the tarp. Just make sure to use it sparingly, turn it off when you're done, and there aren't any paper towels.

It's about the most unpretentious place you could possibly choose for lunch. And it's absolutely delicious. Warning: you might find a chunk of asada that's all gristle. Just spit that chunk into your napkin and continue with your meal. Asada is made with skirt steak and that sometimes has gristle in it.

Originally Posted by Limey (Post 2321260)

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!

Originally Posted by coleprice (Post 2321243)

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.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2321317)

They use real ground beef. It's brought in as chubs to a central kitchen somewhere, around 70% lean (30% fat and gristle). It's loaded into an industrial mixing vat and several sugars, corn starch, some spices, coloring agents, and emulsifiers are mixed in. Then it's cooked some how (No idea how, steamed maybe? Convection oven? Who knows), and loaded into measured plastic bags. The bags are then sent to the stores, and they rip the bags open and toss the contents into a steamer tray as needed.

The total contents of actual meat in the meat is 88%.

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2320861)

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.

Originally Posted by Blueblaze (Post 2321132)

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.

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2320861)

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.

Originally Posted by shaw8700@outlook.com (Post 2320829)

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.

Originally Posted by margaretmattson (Post 2321628)

Ay Jalisco is a chain restaurant. If you are searching for authentic Mexican you need to dine at mom-and-pop types. Ocala has several.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2321945)

Ay! Jalisco is a FAMILY-operated small-chain restaurant. I think they have just three stores; one in Spanish Springs, one in Clermont, and a third in Sebastian. Definitely a mom and pop type.

Originally Posted by Michael 61 (Post 2321186)

Lots of fresh seafood is incorporated into California Mexican cuisine, since the proximity to the Pacific. (Ceviche - yummy!)

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2321190)

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?

Originally Posted by margaretmattson (Post 2321950)

There are several in South Florida a little north of West Palm Beach. The first was in Vero Beach. There may be one in Orlando. My definition of mom and pop type is family runs the entire restaurant. No outsiders. With 6-8 restaurants in this area, I consider it a chain restaurant.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2322073)

It's all family owned. It's not owned by a corporation, and it's not franchised. So yes it's a chain. But it's a family owned and operated chain, restricted to just a handful or two of restaurants in the same state.