Little dive with great authentic mexican. Â If you don't like cilantro, steer clear. Â I however, love it! Â On the tacos, it's piled on like lettuce - with the onion and delicious choice of meats, MMmm! Â
I haven't had anything but the tacos yet, but I'll keep coming and trying. Â Rio Grande down the street will give you more for your $, but the quality is much better here.
The best authentic Mexican tacos in the Cincinnati area. Â I would have given it 5 stars, but the tacos can be a little bit greasy or dry on some occasions. Â The price point is also a little higher than a typical tacqueria in Cali or Texas.
A great selection of seared meats. Â Guacamole is also terrific. Â Tacos come with onions and cilantro. Â Service is quick and fast. Â Again, the best in town.
UPDATE:
Ownership has changed and I'm starting to see it in the food. During the transition period, the new owners of La Mexicana had kept the previous cook. At first, everything stayed the same. A few weeks in, they substituted a tomato-based salsa for the tomatillo salsa. A few weeks later, the cook changed and the food started changing. The corn tortillas for the quesadilla thinned and the cook didn't let them fry long enough, so they weren't crispy like before. The flavors are becoming a little more muted, a little more homogeneous.
By no means is the new food bad, and if I had walked in last week for the first time & tried their food, I may have even given them another star. But it's disappointing when one of your favorite places becomes a little less favorite, little by little.
I hope they arrest some of these changes.
I've been going to La Mexicana for several years and they have never failed to be delicious or an excellent authentic Mexican food experience. I love the pumpkin flowers and chorizo especially! On my last visit, I finally had one of their margaritas and it was super tasty--no premixed overly sweet "lime" juice; just good, pure ingredients.
The staff is always very friendly and helpful. I love the fact that this is a little hole in the wall place and not a weird, shiny chain restaurant. And perhaps most importantly, they do not scrimp on the cilantro. I always have tons on my food, which is exactly how I like it :) A++
This place is awesome. But I judge places based on the absence of sorority girls, the general lack of "mood" lighting, and lack of ambiance, how likely it is for white people to feel uncomfortable in their surroundings, and yes quality of food. I don't care if the waitstaff is rude or if they don't speak English. In fact, those things often delight me. I also don't like anything called a frozen margarita or believe in anything from a place called Taco Bell.
Now I've only had the tacos and here is what is awesome about them.
1. they use corn tortillas.
2. they do not use flour tortillas. corn--yes. flour no.
3. they have goat tacos! GOAT. they are called 'birria' but birria = goat and goat
=AWESOME.
4. they have really good fish tacos on the weekends.
5. they have huitlacoche on occasion. and squash blossom flowers. oh my god.
6. they have birria tacos. i love birria.
7. they have sesos. i don't like the texture of sesos but i like that tthey offer sesos.
8. the sauces are delicious
9. it is inexpensive
10. they are freaking delicious.
so i sometimes repeat myself, but yes, these tacos are amazing. if its good food you like, this is the place to go. and truthfully the waitstaff are completely lovely and charming and speak impeccable english. I just put that up there to weed out the xenophobic dbags but if you've made it this far, yay! you're a friend!
Authentic!! Â Ok so I am a bit of a Mexican food snob. Â I don't like the chain restaurants AT ALL. Â This was absolutely the best "true" mexican I have found in the area. Â I have been here three times and have always left with a full tummy and a little warm inside from the great "homemade" salsas. Â If you are really hungry...order the burrito. Â It is HUGE. Â All the ingredients are fresh and taste great. Â Tacos are traditional...onions, cillantro, cheese - bit of lime. Â Excellent. Â The staff is always friendly no matter how busy.
Review Source:I've been hearing about La Mexicana for a while now as THE place to get authentic, delicious Mexican in town so it's been on my list of places to go for a while. Unfortunately it's not often that I'm in Newport, and on this particular trip I couldn't stay for long. Hungry, I saw it decided to get take out.
I only briefly looked over the menu but it looked like they not only had a good selection but I also saw some odd meats in there like brain! I asked what a good item to try the brain in was and was directed to the brain taco.. So I got that along with some nachos.
The nachos were fantastic, and the brain taco was surprisingly really good too, although a bit small. I will definitely be back soon to dine in and check out the grocery side, along with writing an updated review.
If ambiance was the only deciding factor in my dining experience than La Mexicana would probably fail miserably. Â Fortunately their authentic Mexican fare more than makes up for the lackluster decor. Â Don't be fooled by the quaint look of this establishment in Newport, their take on Mexican is one of the best in the Cincinnati area. Â I had the Enchiladas with green and red sauce, served with rice and beans and the food was served up quick and was delicious. Â I also liked that La Mexicana has both green and red salsa for your dipping pleasure. Â The grocery store in the back is worth a look and carries many products that you will not find at the local Kroger. Â When I visited last week the wait staff said that the restaurant was under new management and that they were having a grand opening this weekend, complete with a new bar area. Â So if you are interested in great Mexican La Mexicana is worth the trip over the river!
Review Source:I can't believe I'm just now finding this gem. Â If you want real Mexican food in the Newport area, this is the only place to go. Â Park in the free lot on 7th behind the building. Â From there, you can go in the back door which is the grocery store portion. Â They have lots of authentic Mexican goods for sale there, including hot sauces, produce, canned goods, and beer. Â From there, you can snake through the bar area and into the main restaurant dining room. Â
Just seat yourself and someone will come take your order and bring you chips and salsa. Â The salsa verde is pretty good, especially since it has a nice bite to it. Â The chips are pretty bad though. Â They aren't salted at all and have a burnt flavor to them. Â I would venture to say that they aren't homemade. Â Even though there's only two pages to the menu, there are tons of options. Â Need over 20 taco filling choices? Â They have your back! Â There's also burritos, enchiladas, tortas, and other entrees. Â I went with three different tacos. Â I first ate a barbacoa, then a birria (goat), then an al pastor. Â Each taco got better and better. Â While the barbacoa was juicy and had a nice flavorful sauce, it couldn't match the great taste of the goat meat. Â I didn't think it could get any better, but then I tried the al pastor. Â With it's subtly sweet flavor, it was unmatched. Â I must order at least one of them every time I come back. Â For a beverage, I went with a bottle of Mexican Coke. Â You can't beat the sweet cane sugar flavor! Â
The service here was just ok, but I didn't mind since there was only one server working during lunch and she was busting her ass trying to take care of every table. Â The prices are a little high, but you get a good value. Â The tacos are $2.50 each, with a $0.25 upcharge for my goat taco and a few others on the menu. Â The Mexican Coke was $3 a bottle, a little high. Â If I wasn't working that day, I would have just ordered a Negro Modelo for $0.49 more. Â After tip, my 3 tacos and Mexican Coke came to $14. Â I'll definitely be back though, because the al pastor is calling my name, and I really need to try the pumpkin blossom and corn smut tacos as well!
do you want tacos or Tacos? Â because these my friend are TACOS, Â plain, simple, and delicious. Â I'm glad Authentic mexican has finally spread out here like the disease that it is. It's a fever, plain and simple, and the only thing that cures Taco fever, is MORE TACO. Â And this right here is a great place for the cure. Â The chorizo, pastor, and carnitas are all excellent and popular choices. Â If you want to get adventurous, ask what they have as the funky stuff is limited in quantity.
Review Source:Looking for a more authentic Mexican food experience? Â Head across the bridge and find yourself in front of what looks like a small hole in the wall on Monmouth. Â The inside is much larger than I expected and clean and bright. Â Service was fast and friendly. Â The menu had several items on it that were clearly quite authentic, some without even an explanation. Â I love that! Â You know you're getting an real experience. Â I had the tamal and chile relleno and got to try several soft tacos (including the yummy chorizo) and the torta (smashed together on a sesame seed bun). Â Everything was just excellent and I will definitely be returning.
Review Source:Not at all what I expected. Restaurant atmosphere is seriously lacking. It had the ambiance of Pepper Pod across the street.
Their food was good, not great. I had three tacos... barbacoa, carnitas, and roasted pork shoulder (name?). They are served in double wrapped soft tacos. The flavor was good. I did think they went overboard on the onion and cilantro garnish, but the main problem was the overly greasy tacos that they are served in.
I'd shy away from their margaritas. $4.99 for a small (and bland) margarita on the rocks. All in all, I don't see the point in coming here over Bakersfield unless you're just set on eating in Newport. Even then, I think there are much better options around. I don't know if they are, but this place would be a much bigger hit if they are open for the late night bar crawlers.
Looks like the secret is out about this place. I'll just reiterate and confirm this restaurant's great food and service. Loved the green salsa. I asked for a recommendation and the nice server suggested the Chicken quesadilla. It was great and I slammed it. The other salsa was pretty good too. It had a peppery flavor and worked well with the chicken.
Even though it would mean some extra time at the gym, I'd definitely return and try out a few more of their yummy items.
Not only is La Mexicana a grocery store, they also have a small restaurant to the side with the BEST TACOS IN TOWN! Honestly the choice of meats you can have are extensive and delicious, and not only that, there really isn't an option you can go wrong with. I'd recommend getting 3 tacos to start and be adventurous! Chicken and beef are tasty, but I'd highly recommend exploring out to the Al Pastor and pork options too! Even the beef tongue is delicious!
Another added benefit to this place is that it's truly authentic. The first language of choice in this place is Spanish, but don't worry. English is just as commonly used for those of us that aren't fluent in our Spanish skills. I'd also recommend this as more of a lunch spot or a quick bite pit stop. You won't be disappointed!
My wife and I come here at least a couple times a month. She's from Monterey Mexico and will attest to how authentic this place is. She was very surprised at La Mexicana. I love the al pastor and their red salsa. The grocery store in the back is pretty cool...I don't know why they don't sell their enchiladas, though. Highly recommended.
Review Source:This unassuming storefront beckoned me with the promise of authentic mexican eats. Don't let the "grocery" part of the name dissuade you, La Mexicana delivers an excellent meal.
To call the dining room simple would be an understatement. You are greeted by standard diner tables and simple white walls with a few knick knacks here and there. I would not argue you should come to La Mexicana for the decor.
While the decor is lackluster, the food it top notch. The small menu of classics like tacos, burritos, quesadillas and sopapillas can each be customized with different preparations of beef, chicken, pork, veggie and nasty bits (like beef tongue). After studying the menu I decided on tacos filled with Al pastor (my personal favorite) and barbacoa. The barbacoa was good. The beef was tender and had a great flavor. The filling I am really pumped on is the al pastor. It was excellent, sweet and a tad spicy, a great example of the preparation. Both were served double wrapped, as they should be, in delicious corn tortillas. Simply topped with cilantro and white onion, these tacos are hard to beat.
To round out my dining experience I enjoyed a huge, at least 24oz, bottle of Mexican Coke, chips and salsa, green and red (both delicious and spicy), and a nice glass of horchata. If you aren't familiar with either of these drinks you really must do yourself a favor and try both. The coke is made with real sugar, which adds a whole new dimension to the classic beverage. Horchata, for the uninitiated, is a rice milk drink, served on ice and flavored with cinnamon and sugar. Its the perfect complement to the spicy salsa on the table.
La Mexicana Grocery Store is a gem in down town Newport. Located across from another of my favorite locations, Arcadian Comics, your wednesday night (new comic book day) plans are already waiting for you. I'll probably see you there.
Not particularly bad. Decent food, cheap prices. Grocery store is in the back. Chips were alright, My tacos were tasty and so were the beans and rice. About the same as Taqueria frankly at least for lunch.
I liked it and would go back. I think it's an excellent lunch place but I don't know if I'd do dinner here.
PLUSES: Everything is fresh, and made in-house. Â Service was friendly. Â Prices are on the lowish side. Â Goat, Tongue, and Tripe are actually available here.
MINUSES: $5 margarita was small and forgettable. Â No music. Â Glaringly bright fluorescent lighting. Â Guacamole is $4 extra. Â
SUMMARY: I would go again, but I'm not in any hurry to do so.
I've been eating at La Mexicana since it opened, years ago and I can't believe I've never given them a review. Â I am remiss! Â The business itself has had some management changes (and, so, the food changes, too) but in the last few years, they've come full circle to the original concept of the original owners--quality, authentic Mexican food that locals would eat. Â When I am the only "gringo" in a Mexican restaurant, I know I'm in the right place! *
***In fact, I'm calling out Brian (several reviews below) to make sure he was was even in the same restaurant--the food isn't (has never been) frozen, nor is it microwaved. Â You can see the cook dipping the corn tortillas in oil, and putting them on the griddle where they ALSO cook the meat (after taking it from it's lovely bath in marinade). The tortillas for the quesadillas are homemade and browned on the grill. Â Did you not "hear" the grilling going on? ****
I brought a friend visiting from NYC (via Lubbock, Texas) and she was so jealous. Â "For this restaurant alone, I would move here. Â They have beef tongue, and goat on their menu and they actually HAVE it when I ordered it!" A far more adventurous eater than I, I stick with what I know AND love: Â tacos, tortas, quesadillas. Â I will always, always order the Bistec Torta--the bread is fresh, the avocado creamy, the beef tender and full of flavor from the marinade, the cheese, soft, creamy, slightly melted. Â When I'm feeling less hungry, I go for 2 tacos, because they pack them full. Â I will always get the pollo and the bistec, but now and again I toss in chorizo or the pastor for good measure. Â Order a Mexican Coke, or Jarritos and you've got yourself a meal!
The chips are tasty, the salsa (which is this really awesome tomatillo salsa with habanero) is amazing. Â For years, I would practically drink it and buy it to take home by the cupful, but I found a recipe on-line that is "just" about perfect and so similar, I feel like I can let other folks have some, now. Â
Anyway, without trying to sound like a snot, you won't love La Mexicana if you love Don Pablos or Rio Grande. Â Whole other animal, folks.
This is my most favorite place for tacos in the Cincy area. Hands down.
Pros:
- The menu is simple
- The guac is delightful
- The tacos are terrific
- MEXICAN COKE!!!!!
- The tamales are well worth the money!
- Free parking in the back
Cons:
- It's so delicious I have to stop weekly or I go into withdrawal.
A real grocery store this is not. Or at least I have not been to that part of the store. What it is though is probably the best taqueria in the area. It is true what they say that the best Mexican food is in the places you would least expect.
La Mexicana is located in Newport and it is pretty non-discrete. It's a small restaurant with not too many tables so it's not the best for a big group. What you do get is quick, no nonsense service. Their tacos are great and they have a great variety of meats that you will not get at any other Mexican restaurant. I just ordered 3 tacos with different meat and the food arrived in a rapid fashion. The food is greasy but delicious. They have horchata, which is good since not many places have this drink. But I'll say the main draw is their tacos and other authentic Mexican fares. You're not going to get many of the big combo plates at other places but you'll get good taqueria food with tacos and tortas.
Long story short, Don Pablo's this is not. Which means you'll get fast service, fast food, and it'll actually taste good.
If you've followed my blog for any amount of time you know that I enjoy Mexican food. More recently my wife and I have been on a quest for a solid Mexican restaurant close to our new home in Hyde Park. While this wouldn't fall in the nearby category, La Mexicana in Newport does fall into the solid Mexican restaurant category.
La Mexicana was recommended to us by multiple people and we finally found the time to give it a try a couple of weekends ago. We arrived at the unassuming and plainly decorated restaurant just before noon on a Sunday. Immediately chips and salsa were delivered to our table and I noticed a sign across the room stating that the first round was free but any refills would cost us. The chips were fairly standard, but the salsa was delicious! It was refreshing to have a spicy green tomatillo salsa instead of the typical bland red.
Whenever I find Mexican Coke on the menu I almost always have to order one. I don't often drink soft drinks but I make an exception for the sweet taste of Coke make with real cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup. Yum!
For lunch my wife decided to really mix it up and ordered the Mexican sandwich known as a torta. Similar to most items on the menu, you have your choice of twenty, yes twenty, different meat and vegetarian fillings. She went with the pollo, grilled chicken marinated in adobo sauce. The torta is served with lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, and mayonnaise. The sandwich looked so good upon its arrival that I agreed to split halves with her. It tasted just as delicious as it looks and sounds. I was pleasantly surprised by this and would definitely consider ordering it again.
I decided to try the flag burrito after a recommendation from a friend. She was right on with this recommendation as the burrito was excellent. I also ordered it stuffed with grilled marinated chicken. Also inside were plenty of rice, beans, lettuce, and tomatoes. It was then covered in both red and green sauces and a few streaks of sour cream. It was a gigantic burrito but we managed to eat every last bit. My wife and I both preferred the green sauce, but both were good. I know at the beginning of the review I said La Mexicana was a solid choice, but it went beyond that is already my favorite Mexican restaurant in the city.
We heard about this place for awhile before finally going this past summer. Â
First, I love Monmouth Street and its rich history (gangsters, strip clubs, what's not to like?). Â I'm glad to see small businesses still thriving in the midst of empty store fronts, etc.
Our favorite dish was tacos al pastor. Â Delicious and juicy!
We enjoyed sauntering around the grocery in the back afterwards, and picked up a few things for our Mexican cooking adventures.
On another trip to La Mexicana, I tried some different items and finally felt the love. We started with their usual chips and salsa--the salsa is tomatillo (green) and has a nice, subtle kick, but the chips weren't anything special. Except that is, as a conveyance for the magical guacamole we also ordered. It was obviously extremely fresh, as in, made seconds before being brought to our table, and oh-so-flavorful.
I went with soft tacos this time--$2.50 each. I tried the barbacoa (chuck steak with ancho sauce), asada (skirt steak) and pollo (chicken). Â The toppings are lovingly nestled on delicious corn tortillas with fresh cilantro and queso fresco on top. The asada was my least favorite--a bit over-charred, the chicken was very good, and the barbacoa was positively inspiring. I felt like I needed the traditional rice and beans so I ordered them a la carte--they are very large servings so would recommend splitting between 2 people.
Service continues to be fast and friendly. Just remember when you're ready to go, head on up to the cash register as they do not bring a bill to the table.
This place is a great little place if you want to try some mexican food outside of the standard taco/burrito. They offer tortas, sopes, and even have horchata.
I'm deducting one star because I found the horchata to be too sweet, creamy, and artificial tasting than I'd like, but otherwise, I'm a fan.
I'm weird. I don't like Mexican food - so shoot me! It's probably second from the bottom of the ethnic cuisine totem pole for me (just a hair better than Chinese food). That being said, as far as Mexican food goes in my book, La Mexicana is just as these stars say: A-OK.
The salsa and chips were as salsa and chips should be - free and decent. The tomatillo (green) salsa was a refreshing change from the norm, but I still prefer restaurant-style red salsa. Oh, well; kudos for being unique, La Mexicana!
I ordered tamales - one pork and one chicken, both topped with a very light sprinkle of queso blanco. It was served with a small salad (sans dressing... weird), rice, and refried beans. I'm definitely not a tamale connoisseur but these were pretty darn good. The pork was definitely my favorite! The beans were watery and after one bite of that and the rice, I knew those two were failures.
My boyfriend got a carnita burrito which was definitely  more of an authentic burrito than some overly-cheesy, too-salty thing from Qdoba or Chipotle. He said it was okay, but that he's been spoiled by the aforementioned chain tex-mex restaurants. It was still as big as the plate it was served on, but all that means is La Mexicana knows that us chubby Americans love to eat. A lot. Supply/demand, ya know?
After we were done, we sat and waited for our waitress. Because the place only had two other tables with customers we figured she would be prompt just as she's been the rest of our time there. We waited... and waited... and after at least 10 minutes of sitting with our cleared plates, seeing her walk around 2 or 3 times, and ringing up another customer, we stood up at the register hoping to get her attention. Eventually she got to the register after we stood there for a minute or two, but I was about 30 seconds from proclaiming "We're done!" aloud.
While I appreciate the whole-in-the-wall ambiance of La Mexicana, the service and mediocrity of the side dishes doesn't even make it top Acapulco or Tacqueria Mercado, both of which are Mexican restaurants that I actually developed a liking for (*shock!*).
I've been meaning to try La Mexicana for ages, and I finally got around to it last night. Now i'm wondering why I waited so long?!
This place is amazing. Sweet and attentive staff, and amazing food. I ordered the Vegetarian burrito. It was perfection. Very large, stuffed with amazing beans & rice which has just the perfect flavor, along with lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese & sour cream. It's slightly grilled before it's served.
We also ordered a large bowl of guacamole and salsa. I completely forgot to try the salsa, because the guac blew my mind. It had clearly JUST been made. It was perfectly salty, with hearty chunks of tomato and avocado.
It's only been 16 hours since my visit, and i'm already making plans for a return - possibly tonight. If you've been meaning to try this place - get there. It's wonderful!
As I've mentioned before, coming from California (and living in San Diego and enjoying many south-of-the-border trips), I've tasted the cream of the crop as far as Mexican food is concerned and it has left me a bit picky.
By and large, Cincinnati's Latin fare is disappointing. La Mexicana is a metaphorical pueblo on a hill in this respect. It has the right look, the right smells, the right senoras, and the right food. I like it. But it's expensive. And not all La Mexicana fare is equally tasty or equitably priced.
A few caveats de emptor: some items are better than others. Tacos are delicious though the barbacoa is a little too greasy and can upset a stomach if you have more than one - go for the al pastor or chicken.
The tamales are . . . Â well, tamales. They are obviously prepared in a large batch and then frozen. That means your tamale could have been made quite some time ago and it leaves it without that certain something that only comes with a freshly prepared-that-day tamale (poor pueblo senoras in Baja make tons of these things each morning to sell on the roadside - some thing tells me an American restaurant can manage to do the same).
Chips are ho-hum. Personally, I think you could get better chips buying them packaged in a cellophane bag at any Mexican convenience store (or Kroegers for that matter). The 'avocado salsa' is over-priced and under-flavored (and under-avocado'd - I had trouble telling where the tomatillo leaves off and where the avocado begins; it's all green and it tastes very un-avocado-y. It is CERTAINLY not any sort of a substitute for guacamole.) For 4 bucks for a cup, I really expected more. At the very least, I hoped the chips would be hot and freshly made.
Get a burrito. Or a steak. Or some tacos. Beans and rice are OK. The meat is great. Eat the meat. :)
Ole! I love tacos and La Mexicana serves up some of the best in town. Â Last time I was there, I had goat and carnitas. They were mouth watering delicious. I think what makes them especially good is the homemade corn tortillas.
But maybe I'm a cheap ass or maybe I'm just used to eating some cheap ass Mexican food, but the prices seemed a little steep. Â Where I come from, suburban hell apparently, I can get three tacos, rice and beans for 7.95, including chips and salsa. Here I have to pay 12.50 for the same thing, multiply by 4 and it adds up. Â Regardless, it isn't the price difference that will keep me away, I would stop by if I were to be in the area. Â I'm just not going to make a special trip. Â
One last thing, I'm from the Midwest and like my salsa red, thanks.
The title is misleading, for this is not just a grocery store! ... Ok, it is a grocery store, but it's also a restaurant. A delicious restaurant at that.
I was craving, out of all things, chips and salsa, but my gal didn't want to head to some Mexican joint in a strip mall (for the record, I have no problems with Mexican joints in strip malls. In fact, I actually love them, but sometimes, you must make sacrifices for love.) We checked out the Yelp Weekly on Mexican places that had been written a few weeks ago (ps. by me) and saw La Mexicana! Why not.
You'd never know this spot was here in Newport. It's right near The Pepper Pod and The Falcon Theatre (two other spots you'd never know were in Newport. Big surprise, right?) Parking, while on the street, has never been a problem for me here and there are usually spaces everywhere.
We walked past the grocery and headed right for the restaurant. We were starving, so I'm claiming that as an excuse, but still, I would have liked to go through it. Maybe next time.
La Mexicana is a two level eater with plastic booths, white walls and a giant counter blocking the kitchen from site. Clearly, they were not trying to win anyone over with atmosphere - but it so doesn't matter. You seat yourself and they bring you chips and salsa, and it is good! Homemade and green and really spicy. Just what I wanted.
I got some tacos and my gal got a quesadilla and I was thrilled with every bite! They were flavorful and spicy and just what I wanted. I didn't think I'd eat my whole meal, but hey, there it was.
My only issue was there was a weird smell when we walked in. I can't place my finger on what it was, but it wasn't good (and it kind of felt like it was coming from the bathroom, although I did not investigate.) It went away after a while, or maybe I just got used to it, but still ... ick.
Overall, though, I loved this place. Some have claimed it's the most authentic Mexican you're going to get in town. I'm having a hard time arguing with it now.
First I have to thank Yelp for making me aware of La Mexicana's existence. Since moving to Cincinnati, I have been looking for a real Mexican tacqueria. While I have tried Tacqueria Mercado and it does a fine job, it just isn't my personal favorite. Apparently the problem was that I was looking in the wrong state.
We just had our first dinner at La Mexicana and I'm sure it will not be our last visit. Service was attentive and the food was yummy. I had three tacos (asada, birria, and al pastor) and the husband had a chorizo burrito. I enjoyed all three of my tacos, but really appreciated the excellent char on the asada. The husband also found his burrito tasty. La Mexicana has a great Mexican beverage selection, including many different Jarritos flavors. Â I chose Mango Jarritos this evening.
Are they the best tacos I have ever had? Probably not - but they are definitely far and away the best I have had around Cincy. Very similar to what you might find at one of the taco trucks in Columbus or a tacqueria in Chicago. I would definitely recommend giving them a try.
If you want some very "authentic Mexican", La Mexicana is the destination. Â Let me explain.
I think there are three categories of Mexican food in America:
1) Mexican (lots of cheddar cheese, vegetarian refried beans, mild, tomatoey salsas),
2) "Authentic Mexican" (no cheddar cheese, but yes to jack or cojita, refried beans made with lard, spicier salsa),
3) Mexican Mexican (usually a taco truck - mostly tacos, sides like pickled radishes and carrots, lots of fresh onion and cilantro, no refried beans, maybe black beans)
I would also hazard a loose 4th stage called "gastro-Mexican," the kind of very upscale, very foody place, but we all know that isn't what you want when you think, "Man, I want some Mexican."
La Mexicana is small, low on ambiance (fake plants, cafeteria-y) but high on food quality. Â They also appear to specialize in meats, so vegetarians should steer clear. Â If you want goat, beef tongue, tripe or multiple variants on pollo, you're going to be a happy camper. Â The tacos are excellent (nice double-layer corn tortillas lightly fried in oil to soften them and bring out the corn flavor) with lots of meat, onion and cilantro. Â The tamales are fantastic, the quesadillas are surprising (be sure to order them "as the menu says" to get these big fat things, almost like a gigantic, cheesy taco) and yes, order it with Mexican Coca-Cola. Â The cane sugar makes all the difference in the world.
The only gripe I can foresee about La Mexicana is the service - the food comes out fast, but can be very inconsistent from one visit to another (one time my tamales had fried onions on top, another time there was a handful of cojita instead) - always good, mind you, but not always the same.
Overall, you can do a lot worse. Â A lot. Â Plus, plenty of free parking to be had around the block.
Had the flag burrito with carnitas for lunch. It was HUGE and really tasty. The carnitas were a little dry but the salsa and moist rice and beans made up for it.
came with chips and tomatillo (green) salsa, which were delicious
i also recommend getting a mexican coke, with the cane sugar.
definitely a good place to go for an inexpensive, delicious lunch
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