I've been here three times and last night was probably the last. As Sanford locals, we were so excited about this place! Overall, the food is average - the Naughty Nachos are the exception. They're really good. Unfortunately, the drinks are extremely weak - and at that price for a margarita, it needs to pack some punch. Last night my husband and I were there for "date night." We ordered our food, then told our server we were stepping outside for a smoke (wanting to be courteous to the other diners even though we were outside on the patio). We came back about 4-5 minutes later, and our table was occupied by a family of four, sipping their drinks and listening to the music. Our drinks and belongings were gone. The server was extremely apologetic, and they reseated us at another table. It was extremely awkward. We tried to be cool about it, but then our food came out. My nachos were covered in tiny onions I had requested to be left out, and my husband bit into his tacos and the shell was completely inedible. It was so stale that there was a weird chemical taste. The owner stopped by and tasted them and agreed. She took back our food to be remade but we decided to bounce. So disappointing. I have heard that they don't actually have a kitchen on the premises so that explains a lot of these reviews about the food quality.
Review Source:Went here Sunday was surprised to fine all day happy hour! 3 dollar house margaritas and other specials. Had the margarita, really good. Tried a jalapeno and melon margarita (not on happy hour) it was delicious and went great with the food. Â Good chips and sauce. Ordered the enchiladas... well the sauce was way to thick and had a strong paprika taste would have been good thinned out a little, Â liked the rice topped with black beans but the dish was a little expensive. Great flan for desert. Â
All in all not a bad place, maybe lower the prices a bit on some items would be my suggestion. I will be back to eat and check out the patio at night.
This was our second visit the first visit was for coffee and desert which was delicious so we decided to go for dinner. Mistake. This is from now on our desert and coffee place. Any more seems to much for the business to handle.
I gave this one two stars because the live music was really nice. Three specific areas were disappointing. Two were in the service and the third would be the dish but the server was too inept to address the third.
We waited for about 45 minutes to an hour  for our food and then asked the waitress, the responses were "I have this other party I am dealing with", "I will try to rush it along", "be patient". The dish was a 20.00 dish with shrimp wrapped in fish. It tasted great until I got to the last piece of the fish and I found it was not cooked. The texture was rubbery. If fish is rubbery that means it is bad. I learned that in culinary school at the Swiss Hotel in Atlanta. I explained this to the server and said "don't worry about it" I had pretty much finished the dish and was really tired of being there. The response of the server was "let me know how it was because the guy behind you ordered the same thing".
The question I have is when would I be the customer. There was the large group, there was the person sitting behind us the only thing I got was a single refill of sweet tea.
If you have a blonde shorter in hair and stature female server in her early 20 with a strong sense of entitlement to be working at this restaurant. Ask for another.
I left a 15% tip and it took every last bit of energy I had that evening not to leave less.
We've gone three times now and each time I can't wait to go back again. Â The margaritas are divine and the food is just mouth-watering. Â I've never had a taco salad so good- and in such a huge portion. Â The staff is delightful as well. We will definitely be regulars!
Bonus: The outdoor area is very pet friendly.
What do you call a dive if your food isn't good? Bad news? No, La Sirena Gorda.
The food wasn't good. I ordered a classic Margarita and pork tacos. The meal comes with chips and salsa. A few chips were soggy and there wasn't any salt on most chips. As there was no shaker on the table I couldn't rectify it. There was a mole and pico salsa. Â They were good but amount provided was gone quickly.
My Margarita was virgin. Don't lie about it and tell me it's made with lime so it's smoother. It tasted like juice. Well presented juice but not a Margarita.
The tacos had store bought tortillas, bland pork, and are sure to disappoint. This food has no spice or flair. It came with refried beans and rice. I really think they used canned baked beans for the refried beans. Wat is this?
The patio could be great but it's not. The lawn is torn up and the trash is too close for comfort. Is this a dog park in the morning? There's a guitar player which is cool. But i'm eating baked beans and drinking juice.
Avoid. Let this place go out of business. Is it edible? Yes. It is not $38 Mexican food for two with one"alcoholic" beverage.
Went here with the better half about a week ago. We were excited to try this place out because we'd run by it during our runs near the waterfront.
The decor is adorable. They make this place feel so cozy. I was drawn in and couldn't wait to order.
We ordered Margaritas - what else would you order at a Mexican restaurant?! Apparently the Margaritas are wine Margaritas and did not taste like authentic Margaritas. Our server failed to mention this when we ordered. I believe they only have beer/wine available.
The menu was super-limited. They didn't have a lot of traditional Mexican favorites, which I thought was odd, but I went ahead and ordered the tacos to be safe. They arrived REALLY quickly - as in, less than 5 minutes, so I want sure if the meat was cooked to order or it had already been prepared. When I took my first bite, I could tell that the chicken had likely been long-prepared in what seemed to be a crock-pot. It wasn't piping hot and there was no cheese on it. It was ok, but not $9 ok.
While we finished up our meal, there was a guy playing live music. At one point, he began playing some Jimmy Buffet songs and you could tell he had no clue what the words were. If this is supposed to be a Mexican place, let him sing Spanish songs he knows!
Finally, we ate outside. The outside is not paved. It's grass with ant mounds all over, dogs running around (people not picking up after them from the one I witnessed), and flies swarming every table. We mentioned this to the server and she simply said, "It's Florida." After this, I noticed that it looked like they kept their trash fairly close to the outside dining area.
I was really disappointed. I really wanted to find a cute, authentic Mexican place nearby, but I guess the search continues!
FWIW, this place is owned by the same ladies that owned Two Blondes and a Shrimp (which I didn't care for either.)
A few caveats to this review. Â Based on the last visit alone I couldn't award more than two stars. Â The three previous visits were considerably better. Â Another caveat is that this is the same owner of the now defunct Two Blondes and a Shrimp. Â An establishment that I ripped both here on Yelp and on Urbanspoon. Â She briefly had another little place I never went to. Â I did not have high hopes for this operation given her track record in downtown Sanford. Â I have been proven wrong, a least partially, however.
After being open for some months now The Fat Mermaid has not slid into the disaster that Two Blondes was. Â It's consistently busy and locals, the hardest critics in this town, come back time and again. Â We decided to stop in Friday and for the first time sat at a table rather than the bar. Â This was a mistake and we should of taken it upon ourselves to move. Â It was stuffy and hot inside so we headed to the patio. Â The table we were sat at isn't suitable for the purpose of dining. Â It was too high and the seat height meant my legs were pinched. Â Behind us was a table chain smoking and the two younger guests were drunk and loud....and shallow. Â The guitarist was warming up. Â Our server was friendly but seemed new and a little unsure. Â We started with drinks and nachos. Â I've had the nachos before and was pleasantly surprised. Â But not this time. Â The chips were freakishly thin and broke way too easily. Â The meat wasn't as tasty as last time and the cheese sauce seemed different from the last visit as well. Â The portion was more than ample and their salsas are a step above most other places and very fresh. Â About this time the drunk college girl behind us decides it's karaoke night and grabs the mike for her rendition of a Beatles song. Â She has a vile voice! Â Like Roseanne Barr bad! Â Even her own group seemed a little put off given their anemic applause. Â This is ruining dinner. Â In fact this is ending dinner. Â We decide to cash out but our server is too busy to notice right away. Â After sitting with the card out for 10 minutes we get to leave. Â So where does that leave feeling about the Mermaid.
1. Â On three previous visits I've sat at the bar and it's been a better experience. Â
2. Â The food while good is inconsistent. Â It's not bad but something like nachos should never vary.
3. Â I drank beer. Â My wife's mojito was weak. Â Place needs to pour stronger.
4. Â The owner or MOD shouldn't let guests take the microphone. Â It's worth putting out one drunk rather than infesting every other guest's ears.
5. Â Get rid of awkward tables like the one we had. Â Comfortable guests drink and spend money. Â Uncomfortable guests leave.
6.  I've had three items from menu and liked them all.  Not loved, liked.  I haven't had  the rest because of the prices.  This is Mexican, not French food.
7. Â Please consider going non-smoking. Â The patio is too small to allow smokers next us ex-smokers.
I'll be back but I'll revise my stars downward if the next visit is like my last.
My husband and I went there for dinner on a Friday night because we bought one of those groupon type deals (this place is on the other side of town for us) so thought it would be good to try for date night. Â I'm genuinely undecided about this place, so here are the Pros and Cons:
PRO
-Big portions
-Good atmosphere
-Great service
-Good  mango margaritas
CONS
-In Sanford (for those of us in Lake Nona, Belle Isle, Waterford Lakes, Winter Park)
-Prices are expensive compared to other comparable places (tamales $14; average dinner $18; appetizers avg $10). Â Without the groupon coupon, dinner would be $70 for two.
- The pork was on the almost too salty side.
-Margaritas, while tasty, seemed to be on the weak side as to comparable places.
I live in Sanford and was so excited when this place opened. Â It has a super cute outdoor eating area, funky decor and its mexican food! Â whats not to love, right?
well, after eating there 2 times I finally feel ready to vent my frustration on yelp.
First trip out was lunch time and I ordered the nachos, cause every good Mexican joint MUST make good nachos, its a rule.   Nachos were a let down.  They tasted like  the cook opened a bag of tostitos and dumped them on a plate with a little bit of cheese, meat etc.  Bland, unappetizing food and I would have thought it was almost impossible to mess up on Nachos.  Even a 5 year old can make them.  They tasted like something a lazy college kid would microwave.  Definitely NOT worth the 7$.  =(
2nd time was dinner and I was hoping the first trip out was a fluke and the food would be way better. Â The outdoor patio has a great little ambiance going, so I was hoping for the best.
Tried the jalapeno crab cheese dip and it was also bland and wayyyy too fishy smelling for it to be crab*. Â Tasted like they mixed cream cheese and some questionable crap mystery meat and declared it a dip. Â yuck. Â =(
Ordered a tamale and it was ...Ok. Â I did eat it all, so thats something, but the corn husk was very dry and it tasted like the frozen food ones that you buy in the grocer store. Â Again, nothing worth paying 6$ for one. =(
Drink specials only included wine, beer or Margaritas. Â But only the plain Margaritas, so unless you liked those 3 options, your stuck paying 7$ for a small glass of fruit based rum drinks. Â To be fair, the coco mango rum we had was good. Â But the portion was ridiculously small. Â =(
My friends taco looked like it came out of taco bell menu but I didnt try it, so I cant say for sure, it didnt also taste like the bell. Â ...
Desert was a tasty little cup of tres leche. Â This was actually the highlight of our dinner because it was really tasty. Â Again, small portion and 6-7$, but at least it tasted good.
Overall, this place ONLY has a good location going for it. Â The food is mediocre at best and this is me being positive because i really liked the outside area patio. Â Unfortunately, a restaurant cannot survive on a cool patio---the FOOD needs to be WAY better to justify the cost of going.
Overall, I have to say that I have been disappointed both times Ive eaten there. Â Its so obviously NOT a real mexican restaurant. Â The owners are about as Mexican as taco bell. Â Seriously, the horse meat at Taco Bell tasted better.... =(
During our November visit to Sanford we stumbled upon La Sirena Gorda. Â Our group of six had come up to enjoy the 4th Friday Art Walk. We had spent a decent amount of time at the Imperial and we were in need of some dinner.
The dining room was decorated quite nicely with a beautiful mosaic bar. We opted to sit outside on their large patio. Â Though there was a chill in the air we were kept warm with outdoor heaters. Â The patio has a romantic setting with sparkling lights and enchanting music from the nightly entertainment. Â
Everyone in our group enjoyed their meals. Â My husband & I split a plate of the Gorda Naughty Nachos and not only were they delicious, but it was plenty of food for the two of us to split. Â I'd come back just for those nachos!
Our group had a wonderful time. Â The musician was engaging and asked for requests; a few of us even got up to dance. Â The staff was warm and engaging and took the time to tell us about the restaurant, including the conch shell sitting in the yard.
It will be hard trying other restaurants when I come to visit Sanford again. Â The Fat Mermaid cast a spell on me.....
Ehermagerd!!! Â I am so glad I dragged my lazy arse out to dine with girlies. Â The atmosphere was so cozy with indoor and outdoor dining and live music. Â The salsa was so very good. Â It was obviously freshly made with care. Â I had the shrimp tacos which were cheesy decadent and every bit delicious (but not overkill like some "Mexican food") and made with fresh shrimp. Â My side of rice and black beans was flavorful and not salted to death. Â The margarita was also quite good. Â My dining companions were equally pleased with their meals (the shrimp quesadilla got rave reviews). Â Apparently they were short staffed this night and the junior chef was working it all by herself. Â Kudos to her because the food simply kicked ass and we made sure to tell our server (who was also super awesome). Â Will we be backs? Â Hells yeah!
Review Source:Since I live nearby I have been here a few times. The atmosphere is fabulous! This is by far one of the best locals to have a business in Sanford. It has the beautiful outdoor lighted area and the decor here is warm and aesthetically pleasant.  I must agree  with some of the other reviews that the food is OK at a reasonable price but there is room for some improvement. This is a fairly new restaurant so they will need time to work out the snags and I'm sure that they will. There have been times when certain menu items have not been available and that is disappointing. The service is always friendly and timely. I do recommend it especially if you have a large party and you are looking for a nice friendly atmosphere where you can all dine and drink at a reasonable price.
Review Source:We have eaten here three times. Â First, the staff here is amazingly friendly and attentive. Â The service has always been very consistent, and the decor is very artsy and eclectic. Â The restaurant was not busy any of the times we came so that may be partially why the service is great. Â But the staff is very friendly. Â The food is good, but not really anything unique or special. Â There are a few menu items that have never been in stock. Â The last time we came, the waitress explained the menus were printed before the items were out of stock. Â For example, I have been dying to try the cactus salad. Â But they have never had cactus. Â The salads are large. Â The guacamole is delicious. Â My husband really liked his salmon tacos the last time we came and thought they had a good flavor. Â My friend thought his grilled corn on the cob was tasteless, even after he added salt and butter. Â The Happy Hour 2 for 1 house wine and draft beer specials run until 7 p.m. which is nice. Â There is a large outdoor seating area, though it's been too chilly for us to sit outside yet. Â Taco Trivia on Thursday was fun. Â Great place to hang out and grab a meal in downtown Sanford!
Review Source:We stopped in here one night when (shockingly, to some rubes in my party) we couldn't get into The Willow Tree without a reservation. Best disappointment ever. We decided to sit outside although it was a chilly night, beckoned by the pretty lights strung across the courtyard. They provided heatlamps, so no problem there. There was also a gentleman (I believe his name was Eugenio but I may have made that up 'cause it fits) singing and playing some lovely Mexican folk tunes outdoors so naturally a few of us had to get up and dance. Between three couples, we tried the nachos, avocado sopa, crab and artichoke (maybe?) dip, pibil, some manner of sampler platter and the picadillo special. All were enjoyed by all who tasted them; my guy, in particular, went nuts for the pibil. Thanks a lot, y'all, now he'll expect me to learn how to make it! This place is fairly recently opened and the two ladies (owners? managers?) in charge came out to chat with us and tell us a bit about the mosaic bar top they created (we took a peek on the way out...cute) and the giant conch shell that's hanging out kind of randomly out back. They were both very kind. We enjoyed our evening a lot and I look forward to going back and trying some more dishes the next time I'm in Sanford.
Review Source:After having a sample of their ceviche at an event several months before they opened, my wife and I were highly anticipating this opening. Â We finally got out to eat there last night, and there were certainly some highs and lows.
Lets start with some of the good. Â The service was very good. Â Our server was friendly, our food came out when it was supposed to, and all of the staff seemed pleasant overall. Â The space La Sirena moved into is gorgeous. Â You've got your choice between sitting inside at a table in a dining room that is larger than I thought it was going to be when I had previously seen the space, at the bar, or at a table set on the back patio or lawn. Â It was a cool night, so we opted for outside. Â
We started with a couple of their house Margaritas and some chips, salsa, and guac. Â The margaritas were a little slow to come out -- the ONLY service hiccup of the night -- but they were delicious. Â The only thing I would change is the size -- they were TINY. Â I probably could have sucked the entire thing down in one gulp if I wanted to. Â I had two and didn't even catch the slightest buzz. Â The chips and salsa and guac -$6- weren't worth the price, to me. Â The salsa was great, and the little cup of guacamole was just ok.
For our dinner, I ordered the Tamales Chilangos  -$14- and my wife had the Cochinita Pibil -$18-, two of their signature dishes.  The Cochinita, a slow-cooked, shredded pork dish served with tortillas, rice, & plantains, was tasty.  The meat had a lot of flavor, but wasn't juicy enough to be edible when combined with an extremely dry corn tortilla.  That's not to say the tortillas were bad -- they were most definitely made in house, but the dish needed some element to combat the dryness, and the pork wasn't cutting it. Â
The tamales weren't great because they were extremely dry, and had so little of the pork filling, I couldn't tase it at all. Â The masa was flavorful, so it was a shame it was so tough and dry. Â For both of the dishes,, the most enjoyable thing was actually the beans and rice -- possibly because they were the only things on our plates that weren't overcooked or dry. Â Both the refried beans and black beans were really well done, and paired well with the white rice mixed with veggies.
All in all, I was underwhelmed. Â Maybe it was because I had high expectations from the really GREAT ceviche I had from them before, maybe it was that the quality of the food didn't live up to the prices of the dishes. Â I'll go back in a few weeks to see if they have some kinks worked out, but if I have a similar experience, I probably wouldn't return a third time.
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