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Old Mexico in Ithaca
Phone: +1 607-379-6178
Site: http://www.oldmexicoithaca.com/
Site: http://www.oldmexicoithaca.com/
Opening hours
- Monday:11AM–10PM
- Tuesday:11AM–10PM
- Wednesday:11AM–10PM
- Thursday:11AM–10PM
- Friday:11AM–11PM
- Saturday:12–11PM
- Sunday:12–9PM
Comments (199)
The best margaritas I’ve ever had. The seafood enchiladas taste like magic, so I highly recommend. The service was fast and very friendly. Definitely one of my favorite spots in Ithaca now
Cant beat the prices here. Cheap but delicious margaritas, and a wonderful selection of food. Can get busy, but the wait is never typically too long.
For what it is, it’s alright. It’s typical American-Mexican food . . . . . you know what you’re going to get: refried beans, a pile of yellow rice, a plate that is magma hot for some reason (microwave?) If that’s what you’re craving, they execute it well here. Just don’t expect authentic, fresh, unique Mexican cuisine.
Ordered the haddock and street tacos with guacamole over here. Mediocre Mexican food at best. I asked for corn tortillas but ended up given flour instead (not sure why). Minus one star for the long strand of hair in my street tacos (yech!). Had to throw it all away. Avoid.**UPDATE** - my wife ended up throwing up after having the haddock fish tacos. Definitely do not recommend.
It was absolutely delicious! Highly recommend checking it out.
Decent service, food is good. Never been disappointed. I go occasionally for lunch. Tried the burger last time, good rendition of what I would consider a Mexican style burger.
We had a great experience at Old Mexico. The food was delicious and very authentic Mexican cuisine. One of my favorite things was the agave straws. Thats right, Jose Cuervo is making straws out of the agave leaves. The food was delicious. I highly recommend it.
The food was so good. Our wait staff was right on it and kept us all very happy. This diffently will be a favorite place to return too.
20+ years of being in Washington and still the best Mexican restaurants I have had the pleasure to eat at. We are comparing to places in Disney world as well. Staff is always friendly and really for a small town place does the ticket everytime. Thank you to the owners for having the best of the best.
The food was excellent and the wait staff where very friendly. Its also a tremendous value food for 6 people with drinks and appetizers was under $200. You should definitely give this a try it you are in the mood for Mexican food.
I really recommend this Mexican restaurant to everyone. The food and the people are extremely great. The restaurant has an awesome atmosphere. I seriously recommend the restaurant to everyone.
Good portion sizes and customer service. The food tastes fine however I would argue that there are other Mexican options in the area that are better. I found the meal to be very heavy and too overfilling.
I barely comment, but this time I felt like I had too. Probably, the best Mexican food I’ve ever eaten along with great drinks! Highly recommend!!!
I wish I could leave one star who the hell cant do ala carte tacos? Always freaking ride was a shrimp taco with pico de gallo and sour cream but that was beyond them and they didnt even give us any plastic cutlery for our food horrible do not go
Delicious chips and salsa! Fantastic mini chicken chimichanga’s. And the service was great!
Love the fajitas, and the chimichangas. The meat is well cooked but the vegetarian options are lacking. I really liked their guacamole. Their staff has been great everytime Ive been.
This was hands down the best Mexican I have ever had. Ever. The prices were great. The service was good. And the food was to die for.
Fast customer service, a warm and welcoming environment, and the food is very high quality! I was also very happy to enjoy some fried ice cream for desert! :) totally recommend this place if you’re feeling Mexican food. Very nice people as well!
Great Mexican restaurant 🌮🌯I had chicken fajitas and Mango Margarita. Both of them were very good 😊.
In town for a ski trip and this spot was a few doors down from out hotel. The food and service was great. Added bonus, pitchers of Margaritas to go were amazing!
The first word that comes to mind is “Authentic”. I had Enchiladas Suizas, which have perfectly seasoned and cooked Carnitas (the right balance of tenderness and crispiness). The food arrived VERY fast, and the server was very attentive. I will return!
We ordered takeout and they responded with horrible customer service. We’ve been regulars for years and always tip generously. Last night, my husband tried to pickup food for my family. When he checked out, they forgot to give us a second bag of food. When I called them back, they admitted a new staff member had messed up. These things happen, and we get that - but since I had to drive all the way back from out of town to pick it up, I asked for a discount.They refused, and rudely blamed my husband - even though they’d admitted their mistake earlier on the phone. We pick up food all the time from them, and my husband double checked which bag he should take with the server before he left. She literally watched him walk out with it! We called back the next day to speak to a manager and asked them to make it right, and they refused and blamed us again. This ruined my family’s night. I don’t think we’ve ever been to a restaurant with such little desire to treat their customers well.
Thier food is always hot and delicious. Their margaritas are always tasty. The free chips and salsa are wonderful. Large amount of food for a good price.
If Id known margaritas were on special, Id have gotten another! Id like to eat there again, next time Im in Ithaca!
My friend and I came to Old Mexico Restaurant & Cantina. It is a nice little taco place to eat and chill. It was Taco Tuesday and the specials was dollar tacos which were only beef and chicken. The decor was well decorated. I had ordered a Mango Margarita and Tequila Shrimp Taco platter. My friend ordered three beef tacos. It was simple as can be. It was in a flour tortilla with lettuce, sharp cheddar cheese And beef. It looked like a Taco Bell soft taco. I wasn’t expecting to see that. The mango margarita was really good perfectly made. Just the right amount of tequila. The Tequila Shrimp Tacos were really tasty and flavorful. The only problem it wasn’t served with limes on the side. I had to go to the bar and ask the waiter for some. I would have given a 5 star but there needs some work on the plating presentation.
Best Mexican takeout in the tri-county area! Fantastic food and cordial, quick service.
Best Mexican food in Ithaca...I havent had anything that I didnt like yet. Get the giant margerhita...56 ozs I think...and have yourself some fun!
The carnitas here are my favorite although everything has wonderful flavors. The portions are generous and the staff friendly.
Delicious food!!! I’m so glad we decided to try it. You will not be disappointed. I only wish they were located near my home town.
We order from here these steak street tacos constantly especially with the covid-19 quarantine going on! I ordered three orders of steak street tacos and a kids meal quesadilla with fries which cost me almost $70! This is what I received for all three orders of my steak street tacos! Only three tacos in each container when there is supposed to be four tacos per order! Then the threes tacos I did order looked like this enough steak maybe for one taco, no sauce, and no lemon or lime when I called and asked for extra! I called the restaurant 5x to talk to an owner or manager and talked to Francisco each time that would not tell me his name till 5th call and told me that there was no owner or manager for me to talk to! He basically told me and Ithaca to go that delivered this order and were also sent pics of food that I was asked out on my money and they would not replace my order!! Ithaca 2go told me they did not agree and were in agreement that this order that was delivered to me that I paid almost $70 for was unacceptable!! Do not order from here because obviously they do not care about the quality of food they deliver customers of the restaurant! Then you are denied the opportunity to let a supervisor or manager know what the quality of food their customers are being delivered for the money they barely have to pay in this difficult time this world is going through! They don’t care!!
Had the drink special Toxiberry Margarita. So yummy. Had the ceviche and the consume. Absolutely delicious.
Horrible would give no stars if possible taco bell is better my fiance ordered chicken enchiladas got beef that looked like dog food and I had tacos that had no flavor and was horrible would not recommend horrible food and service wait staff was not nice and very slow
I work at the hotel across the street from Old Mexico restaurant and send people there all the time. Everyone comes back saying they loved it.
About what youd expect from a Mexican-American restaurant in the area. Price is a little more than Im used to seeing, but the staff are very kind.
Nice Mexican food. Dinner set price was reasonable.
Have heard great things so we finally went to try it, we got a taco salad and the burrito Santa Fe. We were not disappointed, both were very delicious! We also shared a strawberry margarita, and fried ice cream which were also great! Service was wonderful and will definitely be going back soon.
Located almost on the edge Ithaca, this fairly good size Mexican restaurant what one would expect plus a little more. I am a frequent visitor on Tuesdays when there are one dollar hard or soft tacos (Taco Tuesdays!. Also they serve beer in adult sized glasses (version pictured) great staff and awesome food. Even when busy, the food comes out in quick order.
The food was delicious! I recommend the tamale. The beers are big (and i mean big) and cold! It was our waitresses first day but she did a great job and had a good attitude. I also want to say that their salsa and nachos were very well made!
Not bad overall experience. Nice stuff and food
Great service and some of the best Mexican around. Probably ha e to go to Texas to get anything this good. Make sure you order the sopapias for desert.
This restaurant is so good. The staff were so welcoming and made it feel like home. The food is authentic and definitely made with love and it showed with how packed the place was at 2pm on a Sunday. I would recommend this place if you are in town.
Service was friendly and quick. The food just wasnt that great. Ice tea tasted terrible as well.
The quesadilla was delicious.
Great atmosphere with lovely details and decor throughout.....I got the taco salad...with shredded chicken.....👍👍Also ordered:- Mariscos (the top choice on menu) she gave it 👍👍- fajita chicken quesadilla👍 (he wished he would have ordered the Mariscos)-kids meal chicken finger with French fries,No thumbs up, because why would be hungry for food.....oh, thats right, it wasnt cake! -duh mom!Very tasty overall (wish they carried my favorite hot sauce though, Cholula...hint.hint)....very clean bathrooms and friendly staff.
Love coming to Old Mexico! Delicious margaritas and scrumptious Mexican dishes, whats not to love? I have never had a bad experience here and will keep coming here every chance I get.
The seafood enchiladas were amazing. The margaritas were yummy and everything is reasonably priced.
We ended up at this place mainly because we found out that lot of the places we wanted to go to were takeout or delivery only due to covid19!Servers were friendly and attentive! Chips were hot! But after that everything was okay! I ordered chimichanga which I was looking forward to having crunchy one! But what I got was some pale fried soft version! Served with rice and a tablespoon of beans! I have to say at old Mexico rice was old! Some sort of smell! First time I went home from the restaurant and I cooked something for me!
Micheladas are very good. Good service, great food and reasonable prices
First time having Mexican food. Was delicious and fast. Great food and great service!!!!
Excellent food, very reasonable prices. Definitely worth the trip.
Great service! Great food! Very busy place. Well deserved.
Strawberry margaritas are excellent👌 great with their fresh chips & salsa. I had enchiladas wife had haddock tacos everything was so good. Place was REALLY busy and staff was working very hard and had a ton of patience for many impatient customers.
Friendly atmosphere, delicious food at good prices. Great staff
Nice server. Good but mild salsa and plentiful chips. Enchilada burrito was good but needed more sauce. Would go back but ask for more sauce, sour cream and guac. Stay away from house margs with fake sour...go for the fresh ones like Le Don.
Delicious food! Always driven by it, but finally ate there. Due to covid, it was the only Mexican restaurant open. We were not disappointed!
The drinks were good and the food was pretty good. If you like spicy, ask for the spicy salsa because that will at least help with some heat. Thats not spicy enough for me but better than the regular.
Y’all this place really is the best. Their strawberry margarita is my favorite and their street tacos are delicious. Service is always fast, polite, and attentive and they’re doing a great job at maintaining social distancing if you’re dining in which makes me happy! Decently priced for the amount of food you get
Great food and very nominal prices!
Hot.. Need A/C and the food was just ok.
Not only the best Mexican food I have ever had, but some of the best food in all of Ithaca. Super authentic. Everything tasted so fresh, from the salsa to the chicken. A good amount of options for vegetarians, too. You get so much food for the price. Just incredible all around!!
Great food and drinks, always super quick and friendly
Good service and good foodI had the biggest burrito I have ever tried to eat. It was excellent and I had to take some home.
Best Mexican place around. Service is great food is even better!!!
Food was pretty good and we received good service
As a person born and raised in San Diego Ca. It is nice to finally find a place with authentic Mexican Food. I have been to so many Mexican places in the area and cant stand the northern Americanized Mexican food.Old Mexico is not only authentic, but their variety of options is perfect for everyone. I am allergic to everything, including chicken and beef. The amount of vegan and seafood options is such a relief. I love fish tacos but love other Mexican dishes as well and loved that I was able to order a seafood chimichanga.
Super delicious, perfect flavor. Vegetable quesadilla, beef chimichanga and the shrimp diablo, all were awesome but the shrimp diablo exceeded my expectations. SUPER spicy and flavorful, not for anyone who cannot handle heat lol the balance between heat and spice was perfect.
My family and I had a fantastic dinner. We had the steak quesadilla, chorizo fries, Carne asada, and more. We also had a few special mixed drinks like the jalepeno strawberry margarita. Everyone really enjoyed all the foods and drinks. The bartender served us while handling a full section and bar, slow, but the best service he could provide with so many guests. The next time we are in Ithica, we will be back
It was actually a pleasant surprise. While the chips were apparently not made inhouse, overall it was a satisfying delicious dinner - the fajitas for two with very fresh sauteed shrimp, chicken and beef, were wonderfully prepared with peppers and onions in a huge heap, that seemed more for four! The rice and beans plus pico de gallo were a great welcome as well after a hot day of much hiking. Friendly service and a nice restaurant - we recommend it!
There are far better alternatives in Ithaca for Mexican food than this. Thin, watery, runny, canned-quality salsa. Processed American cheese food melted into my entree, and rice that resembled and tasted like an out of the box dish. Disappointing. I could have done better at home with an Old El Paso or Ortega box. Sorry, I dont like leaving a review like this on a local biz, but they really need fresh quality ingredients.
Generous portion and good shrimp fajita. Friendly service.
Very good! Big portions at a nice price. Amazing flavors. Wait time was very short when we came on a Sunday night
Very good, fairly authentic Mexican food with a corresponding atmosphere. Portions are good relative to the reasonable prices, although their alcohol is of course kind of pricey. I had the one burger they had on the menu, which was very good. Their seasonal pumpkin margarita was also quite good. Not much to complain about, although I suppose the service could have been a bit quicker / friendlier. Otherwise, a very good option for Mexican food in Ithaca.
First I want to be very clear the service was great! Our waitress and the waitstaff were amazing. The reason for the 1 star is the food.We ordered the pozole and the mole. The pozole tasted horrible. Hands down the worst Mexican food I have ever had and that is saying something as I have eaten at some bad mexican restaurants. It was watery, no chili or broth flavor. The hominy was bland and you could tell had just come out of a can. The pork, if you could call the over cooked gray cubes pork, was mushy and tasteless. It was obvious that this was not pozole, but instead an attempt to make something that looked like pozole yet tasted like it was made by someone who has never had the real thing. If they have had real pozole then there are generations of Mexican grandmothers rolling in their Graves.I am pretty sure the mole was store bought... it tasted just like the low end mole sauce you can get at the store. At least it was edible.This is the main issue I have: to charge $10+ per item for store bought foods and bad bland meals masquerading as authentic Mexican food in a town that may not know better, is not only a scam it is shameful.This place is ranked 4.5 on the 5 star scale by locals. If you are a resident of Ithica and reading this, know two things: First, a simple Google of authentic Mexican recipes and some time will not only save you money but show you the light of how far off this place is from authentic. Second, Old Mexico is about as far off from Mexican food as it is from Mexico.Also cooks of Old Mexico if you ever read this... it is called Cumin... it is a spice... C U M I N look it up. There are many more spices that compliment it, but if all you can garner is a bit of flavor at least use Cumin...
Great food, excellent portion size, service was friendly and accommodating, would recommend and eat here again
Really good food and worth the money. Some of the dishes a little salty but not too bad. Definitely worth it for something different.
Margaritas were freakin delicious, the food was awesome, and we rounded out the meal with churros that blew us away. The service was super friendly and they didnt hover. Great experience!
Excellent food, great wait staff. When we got there it seemed the restaurant was closed. The drinks and food were delicious. Definitely going back there if I visit Ithaca again.
Food was absolutely amazing. Best Mexican food Ive had in Western, NY. Portion size was great for the price and service was good. After eating, our party ventured to the bar and the service went down hill. We ordered shots and we asked for lemons and it was like pulling teeth. The waitress actually got nasty about getting a lemon. We left instead of doing another round. Overall, food is awesome. I would return for that.
Delicious food, margaritas and amazing staff. Thank you.
The steak and cheese burito was delicious! They didnt skimp on the house margaritta either!
Honestly, we did not expect this kind of high quality Mexican food. The service was also very good. I highly recommend this restaurant.
Good food, fast friendly attentive service. The fajitas are grilled perfectly. Very varied menu. Check them out.
Very good service. is a top ten and prices are the best
One of my staple resturants around town. Great margaritas, fork and knife burritos, and free chips and salsa! My favorites are seafood enchiladas and the burrito santa fé.
Excellent food and service. Very Affordable.
Great food! Great atmosphere!
Food was good. Service was great!
The food was very good, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to anyone who lives in the area, or someone in town on business like myself. The staff were very friendly and attentive. Other then the food being excellent the beer was ice cold. If I’m ever back in town I’m definitely gonna eat there again.!!!
Great place their prices are really good. The food is AMAZING. We had 12 people at our table everyone was very happy with what they ordered. Our waiter handled our crowd which included some little kids really well. We will definitely be back and would recommend to anyone!
Takeout food quality was just and looked nothing like what’s served in the restaurant. They served smaller portions. And the person who took the order was rude and need to learn some manners how to treat customers.
Ordered from here yesterday and honestly disappointed. After seeing it had 4.4 stars I was hopeful but I can see that was wrong. The portions of the food were horribly off. I ordered arroz con pollo which means Rice with Chicken. But why is it that I only got 2 bites worth of rice with 2 giant chickens??? It even says the chicken will be served on rice. But what rice????? Im from Long Island and im Hispanic myself so I have experienced mexican cuisines many times. This is extremely sad especially considering how pricey their menu is. As far as mexican cuisine, this is a very sad experience and will not be coming back.
Had a fantastic waiter Jayson, friendly and attentive! But the food wasn’t good, long wait and the rest of the staff was miserable and rude.
Im mexican and to be honest i was very happy when my boyfriend find this restaurant because Mexican food is amazing, we other a platter, the price on menu was 25 dollars but they charge us 40 dollars, 15 dollars more, the answer was: meat is more expensive now, we paid because we want to support our people, but very sadly the food was horrible, the bag where they packaged it wall all grease, the meat and peppers looks very old, we didnt when back. I hope they dont do this to other people because is very disappointing
Great place with amazing vibes. They serve beautiful hot chips with cold salsa as soon as you enter!Great variety of food. Dont forget to order their margarita pitcher! SO GOOD! Worth every penny.The bigger the group, the better !!
The best cheese dip and tacos in Ithaca!
Authentic Mexican Dining!! Service was a little slow but the food was great and the $2 happy hour all day long for pints of beer is unbeatable. I would recommend this place. Safe neighborhood and lots of parking.
My wife and I visited Old Mexico while in town due to the reviews. It was 5pm, and there was about 4-5 tables in the restaurant including us. About 5 minutes after being immediately seated, we got chip and salsa basically slammed down on our table by our waitress, and then she walked away. That alone nearly made us walk out, but we decided to be patient. We finally got the drinks we ordered over 10 minutes later. The waitress seemed to be in a terrible mood. After we got our food, she didnt bother to check on us until we were almost done eating. Her attitude basically ruined the meal. The food was just so-so. Not as good as we expected considering the reviews. Taco Bell would have been just as satisfying, and the service much much better. We wont be returning.
Pretty darn good Mexican-style and Tex-Mex food. My choice for the best in Ithaca. Ive always finished my meal happily. Not always cheap, though. Highly recommend the lunch-special fajitas; a good meal at a good price. The regular salsa is very tasty (but not too spicy); the spicy salsa has more heat but not as much flavor.
Restaurant is clean and well lit. Staff is friendly and helpful. They had mole and tamales! Tortilla chips were warm when served. Food was plentiful and very tasty. Plus they are not afraid to spice it up. Margarita was delicious. Prices are very reasonable. We will eat there again.
Good food , great service, authentic too
Great location. First time visiting and we can with a party of 25. Lucy is a fantastic server! Food was excellent and the menu is huge. You must try the fried ice cream.
Absolutely love this restaurant! All of the food is amazing and they also have great deals on drinks. The service is always friendly as well. Their best dishes are the arroz con pollo and carne asada. Best refried beans Ive ever had. Love love love it.
Good Mexican food. Ive never been disappointed here. They have lunch and dinner specials, and a bar. It is the only real Mexican restaurant in Ithaca.The bathrooms are really nice, clean and nicely decorated. I love the hand painted sink.
Place was empty for a late lunch. The special was dollar tacos, but I got the Veggie Burrito. Absolutely stuffed with veggies and flavorful, thanks in part to some sweet charred onions. The salsa verde was amazing. The complimentary chips and salsa were tasty. Service was very good. Despite it being a quiet crowd, I never felt rushed or that our waitress was overbearing. Will go back!
Great food and service. Love the atmosphere!!
Great food, big portions!
Old Mexico is the place you want to go if you are looking for a authentic Mexican food experience. the service is great and fast, the waitresses/waiters are always helpful and nice. The restaurant also boasts awesome drinks, including a massive margarita. The food portions are also huge and very delicious. The restaurant is always spotlessly clean. I highly recommend Old Mexico.
I enjoyed my food - the fajitas. My brother didnt like his chimichanga too much. Got seated promptly but didnt get drinks until 15 minutes after we were seated. Overall good food, maybe they were just very busy.
Update: Theyve updated their menu to add specific vegetarian *and* vegan recommendations. But, if youre a meat eater, the carnitas are *amazing* (delicious bits of slow-cooked pork, crispy on the outside and soft and fall-apart flaky on the inside).Weve eaten here three times so far. The carnitas were amazing! Reasonable prices. Easy-going but nice atmosphere. Service was great. And, although there arent many vegetarian dishes on the menu, they can happily make many great vegetarian dishes, just ask. Many menu items have tasty substitutions. I was sad when Garcias closed, but now that Old Mexico has opened, this is way better!
Ive been here several times and have always found the food to be good but the service mediocre at best. Things get forgotten or take ages, were barely checked on during our meals, and so on. Its fine, and they have a nice tequila selection if youre into that, but you might have to ask for it twice.
Very good authentic food. Could use a bit more spice but overall great clean friendly atmosphere
Food is fantastic however I was a little upset over the fact that they would not give us a booth and instead sat us in the middle of the room. My wife suffers from severe anxiety and a booth off to the side usually will make her feel more comfortable. Needless to say the fact that the wait staff couldnt have simply allowed us to move after asking if we could be moved was even more upsetting.
Great food for a great price!You get all you can eat chips & AMAZING salsa! I got a huge plate fajitas with beef, chicken, & shrimp, Mexican rice, beans, & salad all for $8. Great service. Let us sit & talk for hrsOnly complaint would be my moms salad had a lot of water in it. Maybe from beef or lettuce being rinsed?
I really liked the shrimp Diablo, it was very hot! Be careful. Im used to a decent amount of heat and I was panting and constantly drinking iced tea after. My girlfriend didnt like that they used American cheese in her dish, and I cant give 5 stars to a Mexican restaurant that uses American cheese. If it were not for that I would though. I liked the atmosphere and the music and the service.
Ambience and taste both were superb.
I lived in So Cal for 20 years and was pleasantly surprised by the food! It was nicely presented, and the tamales were light and fluffy served along with a delicious Chile Relleno oozing with cheese. The server was very polite and attentive. Overall, great experience!
Great place for a margarita and carne asada! Staff is hard working and pleasant. The owners clearly care about their place.
In town for a few days while my dog is being treated at Cornell. Just a quick 13 minute drive from Cornell. Food is good. Salsa was plain could have more flavor to it. Service was quick and friendly! Prices are fair. Will return next time I am in town.
Surprising find in Ithaca. The place serves some lip smacking Mexican food. Portions are huge and come out in reasonable time. Lots of parking outside.We went at 4 pm which is not a typically busy time for hungry customers. However, the place was reasonably occupied and the serving team was quite busy. Which was the only downside. As our server seemed to be on some speed trip. She was flying all over literally throwing the glasses, cutlery, etc on our tables as she went on doing her business.This was the only downside. But let that not stop you from going here. Food will uplift your soul.
Amazing food. Very flavorful and amazingly quick. Would definitely recommend and visit again.
Great food, great great great food. Drink wasnt bad either. I was nervous at first because it seemed to take a while to get seated but once we sat it was a terrific meal and our server was awesome. I will be back
The food was good. The service was ok. If I was in the servers shoes I would have can sooner to see if things were ok with the guest... I do understand that stuff happens and you cant always do that but from my point of view it could have happened. The drinks were great would love to see some mixture of flavors for the margaritas.
The food was good but not our waitress. She made 3 comments about the amount of food I ordered for my family and I. (I.E. Thats alot of food. None of ya will go hungry tonight.) Really? Lucky I left any tip.
We used to REALLY like this place. Our last experience was fair, tonight was a fail in every way. The hostess and the waitstaff were undertrained and overwhelmed. Our waitress (although a very sweet girl), should find another line of work. Actually dropped 2 drinks at our table and then it took her at least 3 minutes to come back with a handful of napkins, instead of proper supplies to clean the margarita off of our table. For the first time at this establishment, our food was lousy. The rice wasnt reheated well and was tepid and dry. My chimichanga was burned on the top and both ends, and wifes burrito had such an excessive amount of cheese sauce that she wouldnt finish it. To top it off, the whole place needs a serious cleaning, makes me wonder what the kitchen looks like.Bottom line, we used to get excited about the chance to eat here, now we probably wont go back.
Understaffed, causing slow service.Simple nachos with refried beans seemed like they had a slice of white American cheese on them.Hair in my husband’s enchilada and my pancho loco burrito was all mushy, tasted like it had something spoiled/old in it and was swimming in aforementioned melted white American cheese.The good reviews regarding this place are confusing and unwarranted.
Great burritos. Went there for lunch and was an enjoyable experience all around.
As a latino authentic spanish food that feels like home is hard to find. If youre looking for Authentic Spanish food this is the spot for you. The pricing is great. Food is delicious. The atmosphere is great for a date or something simple like having drinks with a friend. Their margarita selctions are solid and fun. Ordering a larger than life margarita that comes with 4 straws or a pitcher makes for a fun memorable night. Ive gone out to eat here more times than any other place.
The food was amazing , the restaurant wasnt packed, the margaritas are to die for. Our waitress was cute, sweet ,welcoming , n helpful. She did her job amazing.. My boyfriend & I will be going there definitely again.
Back again! Love this place amazing food, great portions at great prices! Can never finish!
I thought this was a great restaurant to get Mexican with the food being yummy the few times we have been here. Unfortunately, when trying to use a gift certificate purchased within the five yr mark in regards to the CARD act... we were declined. The card was purchased within a 7 month period. A birthday gift from my grandfather. It was $30. Not even a huge amount. We feel slighted out of our $30, especially my grandfather. We won’t be back, he won’t be buying any more gift certificates. It’s a shame, they will lose a lot of business from us. Also when trying to follow up about the situation, I was given the run around by the manager saying the owner can’t be reached, never taking down my name and number to call me back on a resolution. According to the CARD act they are required to honor the amount equal to food and they seem to have no regard for this law nor their customers... it’s not like we were asking for free food.. we ALREADY paid for it in gift certificate form. What a disappointment.
The Diablo sauce is perfect if you want some serious spice in your life. The selection of food is wide, and the portions are sized to just the right amount to fill you, but not leave a large amount to take home. The restaurant is clean and the staff are friendly with good service attitudes.
Chicken and Steak were cooked perfectly. Portions were great and service was quick.
Almost got overcharged because they served me the extra charged grilled chicken in a taco salad. I also did not ask for the hair at the bottom of my salad. Only to be topped by having finished my food to have to wait for 20 minutes for a check which I had to pay for in full. Dont come here.
Personally, I like Old Mexicos food. I think theyve found a nice balance between traditional Mexican cuisine & Yankee/Gringo taste buds. You can have your food firehouse hot or very mild. Service is very good.
Amazing Mexican food in Ithaca. In-store made chip and salsa to start. Fresh tortillas and affordable prices on the main dishes. Friendly staff, overall a good place to stop for lunch or dinner when.
The margaritas were delicious, the Burrito Santa Fe was a huge portion and awesome. Service was also great. We stayed at the Fairfield hotel next door and just walked right over, it was perfect.
The quality (never exceptional, but passable) has gone down considersbly. Im sad and disappointed.i love Mexican cuisine, and have a good working knowledge of the ingredients and preparation techniques. I hope they bring their quality up.
I don’t normally eat Mexican cuisine, but when I went here it was a great experience! Great and nice severs and also delicious food. Would definitely go again!
Serice is always hit or miss here. Its definitely a miss today (a Saturday early afternoon -- 3pm). Not only did we (3 person table) have to give our order twice, once to 2 different wait staff) the wait staff cannot get other tables orders correct, and its rather cold on the inside. Mix that with the overwhelming smell of cleaning products and it has been been a pretty poor experience.
‘Twas a cold December afternoon and my girlfriend had a hankering for a margarita. I personally favourite the Mexican food over the drink but we went. I ordered the kobo Gordo because I am large, and the chips and salsa were very tasty but it did take them 15 minutes to get our water is out. The food was fairly descent but the tamale was terrible, all dough. The margarita was good, but knocked my girlfriend out. Overall, I’d eat here again, but I wasn’t impressed.
Best Mexican food in Ithaca! Great margaritas and great service! Must try if you havent been. Just avoid student night if your not a student.
Been going there since it opened. love their chorizo fries. Tasty tex/mex with healthy portions. Green enchiladas (de casa) are my favorite.
Great menu with alot of choices. The decor is nice but not overwhelming. The food is a good value and very tasty. I am not into very spicy so I cannot atest to that here. The staff was very gracious and the food came out quickly. I was part of a party of 4. I will go back again.
Used to like this place, but then I had some problems with food poisoning. Used to like it enough that we gave it a second chance, but not sure that well be back. The staff has almost completely turned over over the past couple months, and there has been a noticeable decrease in food quality.
Great customer service!!! Food very delicious 😋 I love that place...
Great food and drinks!
Was excited to go and the signs said open but the place was clearly closed. Not sure what the deal is but we were disappointed we couldnt enjoy what looks to be a great restaurant.
Amazing atmosphere and staff! Wonderful food! Will absolutely go back again soon!
Love Old Mexico! I grew up on good Southern Mexican restaurants and this is the closest you will find this far north. We always order the subpoenas for two and it ends up feeding our family of four with leftovers! Queso is amazing. The staff us super friendly!
Good food and usually great service. Today was busy and server didnt speak much Spanish but she was nice.
Very good food friendly staff a must tryWhen in Ithaca with in walking distancefrom a couple of the nearby hotels
The food was not bad at all,the drinks were gigantic to say the very least,and the customer service was amazing. We were a big group and they handled our party pretty well, my only suggestion is a kids menu.
Wait staff is courteous and quick. Food is hot and fresh, the table chips are god enough to be a meal themselves.. The restaurant is clean and the menu covers it all, as well as the portions being plentiful. Oh, and free wifi.
Ive dined here several times. The ambience is fine, suitable for families but also for dining alone or for a couple on a casual date. The chips and salsa are fine. I like the huevos rancheros very much, and i like that but there is a choice of corn (vs. wheat) tortillas. I must say that I find most of the other offerings rather uninspired and weakly seasoned, but not bad.
Very good enchiladas. Wish we had one of these closer to Rochester.
Really really really excellent... Were big on Mexican cuisine. I can tell you with 100% certainty - this place is the real deal. Nice atmosphere, friendly staff, and tremendous food. 5 stars!
Best Mexican Restaurant Around! The nachos are out of this world. Guacamole is fresh and delicious, refried beans have a great smoke flavor and the queso sauce is to die for. This restaurant is clean and the staff is friendly. Our new family favorite. I hope this local family restaurant is around for a long, long time.
Not alot of vegan menu items, but more than most places. Plus tableside guacamole. Vegan Kitchen is not separate from my understanding & meat &/or shrimp & seafood contamination can happen. Generally customers seem pretty happy with large portion size, margaritas, & desserts. It does get packed too.
The service and food is incredible. Jason is hands down the best server Ive ever had at a restaurant hes very polite and courteous. Definitely recommend coming here if you like authentic Mexican food.
Very friendly, neat and professional staff. I enjoy going there almost every weekend. The bartender dude is awesome, he makes my drinks and serves my food quick.
My experience at Old Mexico wasnt the best. Service was slow, and the food wasnt as good as I had hoped. It might not have helped that I was grumpy and sick. Gorgeous building, nice seating. Nice place for a family outing.
We like this place. Find it a bit better than a standard Mexican restaurant. At our last visit, the bartender was also serving all tables in that room, which led to slow service that wasnt really her fault.
Our waitress was pleasant but very busy. The food was all good. I loved the grilled shrimp on my salad and was grateful it wasnt too spicy.
Huge portions. Great prices. Drinks are very well priced also. Will be going back.
The food was great. We where seated quickly. The wait staff was wonderful. For 3 people we spent about $42.00. I would definitely go here again.
Wonderful food...ample portions. Our take put was piping hot and delicious!
Nice restaurant. Really good food. Big portions. The services was a bit slow but it wouldnt stop me from going back. Good atmosphere, and prices are reasonable.
Really impressed, had a mi chelada and a bowl of posole. Both were very good
Best Mexican dinner and drinks anywhere..ever, and the service is fabulous! Seriously, if youre in town..you have to eat here!!!
Very flavourful, unfortunately they only had one server working so it was very slow. He was doing his best and had a pretty full restaurant and did apologize a couple times. Ther need to hire more servers. But the good was worth the wait.
Gave me the check along with the food and said whenever you ready.
Food is delicious but the margaritas are a bit meh. Would give 5 stars if they got the margaritas on track, still excellent option for family dinner. Take out is quick also.
This is the worst mexican restaurant I have ever eaten at. The only good thing was the tortilla chips brought with the menus. The salsa served with them was a sauce of straight tomato sauce mixed with a little hot sauce. The beef taco was ground beef(unseasoned) in a taco shell served with shredded lettuce and a bland cheese. the chicken taco was shredded poached chicken (unseasoned) served with lettuce and a bland cheese melted over both. The enchilada was rolled up ground beef(unseasoned) served with the salsa poured over it with a sprinkling of the bland cheese melted over it. the refried beans came directly from a can and had the same bland cheese melted over it. There were no toppings served with any of this food.The final insult was the bill that came as a total with no itemization of what was ordered or the tax . Unless you remembered the price on what you ordered they could charge you anything. Service was quick and pleasant. Waiters and waitresses were not responsible for the lousy food.Viva has no competitor here!!
Great food, cut the onions if you arent a big fan-they use a ton and dont cook them well. service wasnt the best but the food makes up for it, just dont expect many refills or your ticket in a timely manner if she has more than one table.
Love this place so much! The food is amazing and the portions are so filling, never need an appetizer! The servers are so friendly, they are always husslin! Its awesome!
Delicious food, large portions.
Most authentic Mexican food (well, TexMex anyway) in Ithaca by far. Delicious margaritas (and very cheap on Margarita Mondays!) Huge portion sizes and decent prices. One of my favorite restaurants. My only regret is not being able to walk there haha.
Love the atmosphere. The Diablo sauce is really good. I just havent found a burrito that is really good to go with the sauce. Viva, which is in the commons, has much better food but the atmosphere is more chaotic.
Oh man, the food is awesome here! The enchiladas burrito is amazing. Be warned, the tall beers are collosal. This is fine because they have Modelo Special on tap.
Good food. Service could have been better. We were party of 23 with reservations made way in advance, they werent prepared with enough trained staffing.
The best Mexican restaurant Ive been to in years and certainly my favorite in the Ithaca area! If youre looking for super speedy service, delicious meals, and free chips/salsa, this is the place to be. Theyre drinks are also massive. As for recommendations, Id consider trying the chicken chimmy, Arroz con pollo, or steak and cheese burrito.
Killer good food especially everything. Great service super food always clean, right off Rte 13. If you like Mexican food this is it.
Great Mexican food as always. Hadnt been since pandemic started. Went on a Tuesday with a craving for a taco.
It was nice meeting up with old friends after a year the food was just a nice topper and delicious !
Really great Mexican restaurant. Takeout only at this time. The food is very good and the staff is friendly and professional. Will be nice to sit and eat in the restaurant.
I dont know why I keep going back here. The service is pretty bad. The food tastes ok, but I always have a stomach ache later. Even if the restaurant is dead, they take forever to bring the food, refill drinks, bring the check, etc.
LOVED THIS PLACE!!! Highly recommend coming here! Good prices and great mexican food! We loved every dish we ordered!
This place is simple amazing! Everyone I know loves eating here. The facility is nothing to look at but the food more than makes up for it! I highly recommend!!
Still going through some opening-week growing pains as of 6/30, but the food is very good and I will definitely be going back to taste other things on the menu. Have some patience with them as they work out the kinks--the servers and management are definitely eager to please.Chips and salsa are fresh and nice, and several of the classic menu items we tried (burritos, tacos, chile relleno, chimichanga, tamale, beans & rice) are very nicely done and dramatically more authentic Mexican food than can be had anywhere else in Ithaca. Beats Viva by a mile.Full bar, plus bottle and draft beer. Ithaca Green Trail on tap along with some Mexican regulars.
Total reviews rating 4.4
199 Reviews for Old Mexico 2023:
Review №1
2021-11-18We were first taken to a dirty table. The hostess asked if we would like a different seat!! Well duh!!🤦 It definitely left me wondering about their covid protocols. Or the lack thereof.We ordered the shrimp, steak and chicken fajitas. We got 1 shrimp and one slice of onion!! I dont like overly spicy food but this was super bland. Not one thing of the night out screamed go back there. I think Panera would have been better.We got a margarita and that was pretty good.
Review №2
2022-06-18Well I tried and tried to talk to them I WAS BEYOND DISAPPOINTED!! They had BUGS!! SOme kind of flying ant looking things !!! And had a couple land on my food! I did not want to cause a scene so I took food to go then trashed it! When I called I got run around and was told I would get a call back I called 4xs no call back!! DONT SUT BY WINDOW!!! Picture of bugs
Review №3
2022-04-11Very tasty, well proportioned dishes- not the typical bland choices from some Mexican restaurants
Review №4
2022-07-07Had the lunch fajitas, while it was good I thought maybe a larger portion with the fixings like lettuce, tomato, cheese and guacamole would have been a nice addition. The salsa was pretty bland but adding some hot sauce made it better. I did like the food though. I have ate here in the past and was good.
Review №5
2021-10-25Awesome beans and queso cheese! The salsa and guacamole are great too the food is classic Mexican restaurant food with great cocktails! I was most impressed with the artwork inside though!
Review №6
2022-05-30Generous and tasty portions, I had Shrimp Yucatán and was happy with this choice. They ran out of churros on Memorial Day.
Review №7
2022-06-28Super friendly staff and the food is absolutely delicious 😋 and the margaritas are fantastic
Review №8
2022-07-06Wow, I dont know what one could expect from a Mexican restaurant in a small town in upstate NY but I was blown away! The chips and salsa were solid, and also came with separate salsa bowls for each person. The portions of food were large and delicious. If you are in Ithaca NY and want amazing Mexican food this is the place to go!!!
Review №9
2021-06-16The food was delicious and the portions were perfect. The margaritas were also good. A nice restaurant in Ithaca. Do check it out if your visiting the area.
Review №10
2022-05-29The most authentic Mexican in the surrounding area. Born and raised in southern CA. It was great finding this gem after 20 years of living in NY. I dont have to make all my own Mexican anymore. I have a lot of food allergies including chicken and beef. I love the variety of choices I have at Old Mexico w/those allergies.