Great place to go for Mexican food and margaritas! We were greeted as soon as walked in. We have…read moredined here many times before and always come back. Food was quick to come and the staff was friendly.

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.

Great service and food. The tacos are wrapped individually, which ensures that they stay hot. The…read morestaff is kind and attentive. Good atmosphere and lovely painting of Frida Kahlo on wall. Highly recommend!

We recently visited Magnolias for a family lunch. We didn't have reservations but we got in right…read moreaway. We were seated immediately and placed our order. The restaurant appeared clean and is tastefully decorated. Not over the top. Our service was great and the food came out quickly. Everything was delicious and the portions were large. Several of us took food home. If you're in Columbus and craving Mexican, make Magnolias your first choice!

This restaurant/bar is CLOSED. OUT OF BUSINESS! The owner…read moremoved to Texas. New owners are updating and remodeling. The new name is Belle Fountain Cantina. I do not know when it will be opening. As of August 1, 2021 it looks like it's getting close.

22 years ago I moved here from California, only to be disappointed in Mexican food for the entire…read moretime. Until now. Until I went to the Grand River Oasis. Sweet Maria what have I found? A dive bar in the middle of nowhere with delicious Mexican food and cold beer that isn't crowded and over priced like so many places in Madison? I have died and gone to heaven. From the salsa and guacamole to the entrees of Chicken Mole and burrito - this is the real deal. This is epic, divorce causing type of food. My wife has already warned me and I am already planning my next visit. This is a classic Wisconsin dive bar, where the restroom sink is in the main dining room, and it looks like you have stepped back a few decades - but that is part of the charm, and the food makes any misgivings about the ambiance entirely worth it. Normally I wouldn't reveal such a secret and mystical place, but it's location ensures the normal Madison food crowd has to take a real hike to find it, and it won't be overrun. Get there. Get there fast.

What an amazing experience! I enjoyed my gluten-free pasta…read more(Cacciatore di Pollo) with a fresh salad, and a fabulous sangria (or two). The atmosphere is quiet and romantic. Our server and host were fabulous. We wish we had "Little Italy" in our area!

Came in for the first time with my parents, The ravioli appetizer was really good, the seafood soup…read morewas probably my favorite part of the meal tho. I ordered seafood Dmare, huge portion too. Our waitress Jessica was so awesome, super friendly and my dad enjoyed the banter with her, thank you for making my first experience here one of kind.

Best Hispanic Food in Portage! Staff is very friendly and…read moreattentive (chip and drink refills). The ambiance if that of a typical Hispanic restaurant, and very comfortable and plenty of seating, even at peak times. Thank you La Tolteca!

Two of us were there on a Friday night. It was moderately busy. We were seated right away. Neither…read moreof us wanted meat, cheese or eggs. Typically we can get fajitas or burritos made with veggies. I wanted mostly raw veggies and rice for my burrito. The server wasn't sure what i was asking for so someone else came and assured me I could definitely get whatever I wanted from the kitchen. Sure enough, we were able to get two burritos made with our chosen ingredients in only 5-10 minutes if that long. Fantastic service!

The food was good. The service was good and the staff is very polite and caring. Everything was…read moreclean, including the bathroom.

Worst dinner ever. The salad bar only had lettuce with red cabbage and carrots which was brown, and…read morethe dinner rolls were old. I ordered broasted chicken with ribs and my husband ordered the special which was meatloaf. We would have been better off getting dinner at Kwik Trip or a lean cuisine TV dinner. Nasty meal, never going back.

Still great. Dinner was very good and I was glad that they had hibiscus water, which was excellent…read more Our server was nice and attentive. And the atmosphere, always good. One of the best restaurants in Wisconsin.

I first heard about Aranda's after my husband came home raving about this Mexican restaurant…read morebringing me home a to go order of their rib eye and shrimp after a friend recommended this place to him. The ribeye was mouthwateringly delicious, perfectly cooked, juicy, well seasoned, and full of flavor! The grilled shrimp had the most incredible seasoning and grilled to perfection! My husband kept on talking about Aranda's nonstop so we went and dined in person at Aranda's in Deforest, WI! When we first walked in, I loved the bright colored festive walls, showcasing beautiful Mexican art/heritage and a mini festive bar with my favorite: a great tequila selection for all the tequila fans!!! The place was super packed for a weeknight/Wednesday evening! We were greeted with delicious complimentary tortilla chips and salsa which started our night off right! Aranda's has a large Tex Mex menu with a variety of authentic traditional Mexican menu items as well as a few more Americanized take on popular Mexican dishes! They offer many delicious menu items everything from nachos, street tacos, fajitas, chimichangas, ribeye steaks, hamburgers, seafood options, a kid's menu, and much more! Plus, they even have churros and fried ice cream if you have a sweet tooth! Aranda's has the best margaritas when you are a craving a delicious drink! They even have a great selection of top shelf superior tequila. Be aware the margaritas are pretty huge and the large size is actually humongous! I really enjoyed my spicy jalepeno maragita! My husband ordered the ribeye steak and shrimp that comes with a side of delicious cheese sauce and fries while I ordered the Aranda's special which is the ribeye with shrimp, topped with an onion blossom, grilled shrimp, and pico de gallo. My husband and I had so much fun dining at Aranda's. Everything we ordered was very delicious! We also received great service! Aranda's is a great place to visit if you are looking for satisfying margaritas, delicious Mexican food, fun/festive vibes, in a casual dining setting that is a fun place to dine with friends, family, and even fun for the kids! Aranda's is definitely worth trying!

Based on the tamale and chili relleno , this was fine. Tamale was like all other mexican. Guac was…read moregreat. There had a very different flavor to their sauce that I liked. Someone at the table had a seafood burrito and the sauce was a 5!

Fast service and most of the food was really good. We ordered a steak burrito, an al pastor…read moreburrito, a taco salad with grilled chicken, and a combo plate with a tamale and a chile relleno. Everything was tasty, except the chile relleno had something off about it. Maybe steer clear of that one.