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    Aranda's

    4.2 (159 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    ARANDA'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Shrimp Veracruz
    Dana C.

    Wonderful place to stop for a quick lunch. The service here is amazingly quick and friendly. Fresh chips & salsa brought to your table immediately. Had the lemonade it was puckerly freshness!Large portions, very reasonable prices and everything was delicious! Shrimp was grilled to perfection! Comfortable booths & large tables for bigger groups.

    Menu cover
    Dianne J.

    We stopped in for our anniversary lunch and we were absolutely delighted with our food and the service. We ordered a Tolteca to share and it is deceivingly larger than it looks. We left full and with a to-go box. I highly recommend this place as a great place for a reasonably priced lunch. We haven't tried it for dinner yet, but we do plan on doing that in the future.

    Lorie Q.

    The margaritas were a bit green and sweet but strong enough. The steak was prepared perfectly and the food was delicious. The staff were perfectly attentive, not too much not too little. It was a holiday and the place was very busy so the fact that they did everything right is a plus. The atmosphere and decor were lovely. Not sure if it's going to be a 'go-to' place yet since the margarita prices were pretty steep but all in all the place was good. No reason to give less than 5 stars.

    Salsa and chips
    Malia Y.

    I would give this a 3.5/5. For it being not far for where I live, this place tends to be my go to for Mexican food. Salsa is on the runnier side if you're looking for chunky. If I don't end up eating it with the chips, I found out it goes great for a southwest-style eggs Their rice is always phenomenal. Great flavor. SOMETIMES, their beans can be over salted... but when they aren't, THEY'RE AMAZING! Maybe my favorite around the area. If they are over salted, I find them to be better suited as a bean dip with the chips included. Tacos could use a bit of flavor, but their spicy sauce is a great addition. Once in awhile I end up getting flour tortillas for takeout so I always make sure to ask for corn.

    Bar area.
    Carole T.

    Very nice decor and generous portions. The salsa and chips are very tasty. My burrito could have used a little more seasoning.

    Beef tacos combination plate
    Becky N.

    Now this was a surprise find. Out and about for a basketball game, and we needed to eat before heading back home. Our party of 8 had to wait only for about 15 min on a Friday night. Food service is fast, and it is good. The salsa and chips for the table were the first thing that made me stand up and take notice - the salsa tasted fresh and reminds you of summer, and the chips were perfectly salted. I wish I had ordered guacamole but went with queso and this wasn't a mistake - the queso was tasty. I just wish I would've tried the guac too! The Texas margarita (size small, which was a decent size) tasted authentic and wasn't overly sweet or cloying. He ordered carnitas and his plate was delivered with huge tender chunks of pork. The pork tacos were delicious as were the standard ground beef tacos. I so wish this place was closer to home but hopefully my travels bring me to Deforest again soon! The service was friendly and deserves your business. With that huge of a menu you are guaranteed to find something you will love.

    Best Mexican food ever

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    10 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Great variety of Mexican dishes that taste amazing. Service was excellent and quick. Very fun and cute spot!

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    2 years ago

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    9 months ago

    Absolutely amazing!! After searching for a true authentic restaurant we hit the jackpot!! Highly recommend this restaurant...TOP NOTCH!!

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    1 year ago

    Food is amazing. The staff are wonderful and we always have a great experience. We think it's the best Mexican restaurant in Dane County.

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    1 year ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Generous portions and friendly staff. Prompt service and hot food. Within walking distance for me.

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    The food is always good. Hot and fast. Friendly service. Favorite Mexican restaurant.

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    5 years ago

    The best Chicken Chimichangas ! Always fresh food , clean restaurant & friendly staff !

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    3 years ago

    Great staff great service and good food I always love to stop by arandas for lunch when I'm in the area.

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    8 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The food is really good but the service is a little slow. The menu is very extensive and has a lot of good dishes on it.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great food, great prices, great atmosphere, great margarita's. Very good place for group gatherings.

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Quick attentive service, great mojitos, portions are large so prepare for leftovers! Never been disappointed with this place.

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    El Alegre Mexican Restaurant - parrillada norteña $40

    El Alegre Mexican Restaurant

    4.6(76 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    After a Yelp search I found El Alegre Mexican Restaurant with really good reviews and an…read moreinteresting menu. A bit of a drive from Madison, but well worth it. El Alegre is located in a small modern strip of shops, with a party center they run next door. The restaurant is medium sized with a nice bar in the corner by the kitchen. The room is sleek and modern with black walls and tables, wood chairs and floors, and a colorful neon strip around the ceiling. Service was attentive without being intrusive. The menu is two sided and manages to have a nice variety without being overstuffed. I ended up ordering the Camarones a la Diabla, as someone who loves spicy shrimp it sounded great. A bit of a wait for the food, but the place was busy with the dining room almost full including a couple of larger tables. The chips and salsa was ok, but nothing special but provided a nice prelude while I waited for the meal. The meal came out nicely presented on a square white plate, which set off the colorful meal. The shrimp were nice sized, plump and well cooked; the sauce was excellent, not overly spicey, but instead complex and delicious with an interesting mix of flavors, it seemed to be similar to a mole instead of just a hot sauce. The refried beans and spanish rice were both good and the guacamole, sour cream and small salad was a nice compliment to the meal. The flour tortillas were very good, freshly griddled and fresh. I was very impressed with El Alegre, the decor is a nice change from most Mexican restaurants. I was very impressed with their version of Camarones a la Diabla, usually it is served with a fairly simple hot sauce, here they created a wonderful and complex sauce that perfectly complimented the shrimp and provided a true treat. If you are in the area and looking for some great Mexican food El Alegre is well worth a visit. If the rest of the menu is anything like my meal it is a great flavorful interpretation of Mexican food.

    We found ourselves in DeForest, WI last Cinco de Mayo. After we finished our business, we did a…read moreGoogle search for a Mexican restaurant. Of course there was a Taco Bell close to the exit from I-90, but that wasn't going to cut it. So, we found El Alegre about two miles into town. The place was packed Well, we had a very good meal with happy service. A big sign on the wall in the kitchen said "work hard and be nice to people ". Gotta love that. So we were coming South on I-90 and remembered El Alegre. Being vegetarian, I usually find plenty of options in a Mexican restaurant (and also Chinese and Italian). This menu had a vegetarian section with about six or seven choices, but I looked over the rest of the very large menu and found several versions of Chile Relleño. I've never seen anything but the one stuffed with cheese anywhere else. Well, they had a version stuffed with vegetables! I had to try it. I am so glad I did. It was delicious and a very generous portion served with rice and beans that rose above the standard usually experienced. My wife had a shrimp dish that I sampled and loved. She said the margaritas were also excellent. So, if you find yourself on I-90, you won't regret driving a couple miles off the highway to find El Alegre!

    Photos
    El Alegre Mexican Restaurant - Dining room

    Dining room

    El Alegre Mexican Restaurant - Chips and salsa

    Chips and salsa

    El Alegre Mexican Restaurant - Outside

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    Outside

    Taqueria Jalisco - Pastor and Steak Tacos

    Taqueria Jalisco

    4.3(103 reviews)
    12.3 mi
    $

    Finally got in here to dine in, and it was just as lovely as expected. We came here for lunch with…read morea group of six and had a wonderful time. Service was fantastic and they were very helpful with taking our order and explaining anything on the menu. We found a table and they brought us over chips/salsa/queso. All of these were so good and it was a struggle not to eat it all... I wanted to enjoy my tacos. Everyone in our group enjoyed their food and there were absolutely zero leftovers remaining! My two pastor and one steak tacos were overflowing with yummy goodness and I was definitely full afterwards! It's so nice that you can order tacos a la carte (or you can go the full meal and get the rice and beans etc, but I never eat them) for a reasonable price. I did squeeze my limes over the tacos, but they were so good as is I didn't even sample the salsas they brought to the table. It was the start of my day so I didn't get to enjoy an adult beverage, but certainly plan to be back again.

    I think the first time or two I was at this place I didn't have as good of an impression of this…read moreplace. My previous view was based hugely upon the poor customer experience that I had endured. But two weeks ago I returned because I was seriously craving a taco and the other nearby place had finally convinced me they were second rate. (I wrote a small bit, about that location, not more than a couple weeks back. I won't name it, but I rather hope these words will be taken to heart and affect change) But upon my reentry to this place I was beyond pleasantly surprised. Eduardo, the owner whom I have since met, is the reason why I have returned. An active and dedicated team needs their captain. So trying to reimagine the perfect taco place I had a fresh mindset and I think I was accurate about that choice. Today marks the 6th time in roughly 2 weeks. Basic ground beef tacos with onions, cilantro and some lime. Cheap and delicious. Absolutely not a bastardized low fat gringo taco. Not at all. Heavy on the filling and tasty. It's only missing one ingredient: spice. The orders include a pair of sauces, a green and red plastic cup with something resembling a hot sauce. Tuesday is a $1 ground beef taco. Sparse but not lacking in the meat. So glad I tried again. Eduardo has a key quality that makes a place feel welcoming. Friendly, and informative about the foods that are available. I don't speak Spanish, aside from simple jargon that every English speaker has to have as their basic vocabulary, even in regular American speak day to day situations. The place vibrates with a lot of ethnic authenticity right here in my Middleton neighborhood where I've lived now for 15 of my 25 years in Wisconsin.

    Photos
    Taqueria Jalisco - Pastor and Steak Tacos

    Pastor and Steak Tacos

    Taqueria Jalisco - Chips & Salsa brought to the table

    Chips & Salsa brought to the table

    Taqueria Jalisco - Shrimp tacos

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    Shrimp tacos

    Aranda's - mexican - Updated May 2026

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