This food is AMAZING!!!…read more I've been to a lot of Mexican spots when I was living in NYC and was always disappointed but happy at the same time because I love Mexican food. The first bite I took out of my burrito from Taqueria La Grande, made up for the 5 plus years I ate bland Mexican food. THIS FOOD WAS MADE WITH LOVE!!! You can taste it in EVERY BITE!!! And the SAUCES!!!!! OMG!!!

This is a very authentic small hole in the wall that is very clean and has great ingredients. The…read morefood is amazing and you don't feel heavy after like some chain restaurants. The service was quick polite. 10/10 and will definitely be bring family and friends back!

Just not worth spending your money- while not my first time hopefully my last - the food is ok…read moremediocre I had a salad with some wilted lettuce- but worst of all the staff is not great - when I went there on 4/23/25 there was a server popping some kind of bags making very loud popping sounds - it was loud off putting and not professional made me run out- it was mildly busy - it has never been a good restaurant and clearly is now even worse

This place is not mexican food. I could make everything on the menu at home easily. Small menu…read morewith basic food. My friend got a shrimp quesadilla. The shrimp were the little ones from a can. We ordered taquitos, they might have been the frozen ones you get at the grocery store and then fried. They were orange/reddish inside with barely any meat. Taquitos are supposed to have chicken not sauce inside. I had the pulled pork street tacos. Those were ok but why is the blue corn tortilla doubled up for each taco? Also, they only have one basic house salsa, if you ask for something hotter, they bring tapito sauce. Pluses are the service was really good and the house margaritas were good. If you are looking for authentic mexican. Stay away. If you are going for drinks, should be ok.

Great tacos! My mom was in town and I wanted to make sure we were eating authentic Mexican so we…read morewalked to El Sarape. Since we ordered takeout, the service was super quick and friendly. I could see myself coming for lunch and enjoying eating in. I love how colorful it is. We tried the chicken , Al Pastor, and steak tacos. My favorite was the Al Pastor because of the subtle sweetness. I feel like there's usually a struggle between these flavors and this taco was perfectly balanced. The steak was tender, but I think more lime would've helped Since the taco was a bit dry. The chicken was delicious. I asked for extra lime and they only gave me one. I do think the tacos are a bit dry so I would recommend asking for extra extra lime.

Restaurant hidden in inner-city Hartford with a large menu of great Mexican food, a staff of very…read morefriendly people, and a bunch of different flavors of huge margaritas! I came here for dinner with my parents and GF. The place is a little disheveled/run down, but we didn't come for the vibe and we were happy with all of the food and drinks (see huge margaritas above) that we had. We also really liked our servers. Complimentary chips & salsa

Attended a going away happy hour on Friday (3/7). The staff was very accommodating, and we…read morebasically had the run of the bar area. The decor is what you would expect from a stereotypical Mexican restaurant in the US, and everything was clean and tidy. No complaints. I got shrimp and al pastor tacos to go. They weren't bad, but they weren't anything special either. I probably wouldn't go back on my own for just food, but I anticipate that I'll have the opportunity to try other food items at future happy hours, and I'm hopeful of being able to give this rating a bump.

The menudo (beef tripe soup) I ordered was delicious and had that authenticity I always look…read moreforward to. I live close by and am happy to have found this gem.

This American-Mexican diner was such a great find! We chose to sit in the outdoor seating area, and…read moreit was the perfect day to enjoy a meal outside. The atmosphere was relaxing, clean, and family-friendly. One thing that immediately stood out was the menu. It's about 10 pages long, with an incredible variety of options. Whether you're in the mood for breakfast, lunch, American classics, or Mexican favorites, there's truly something for everyone. The presentation is beautiful. The drinks are garnished with fresh flowers and slices of lemon or cucumber, making them feel extra special. Even the food is served with colorful touches like a slice of orange and a strawberry on a skewer, showing they really pay attention to the details. My kids enjoyed an orange juice and an apple juice. I ordered the mango dragonfruit lemonade, and it was refreshing, flavorful, and the perfect drink for a warm day. For my meal, I had the avocado toast topped with an egg and crispy bacon. It was fresh, filling, and absolutely delicious. The boys loved their meals too. One had the chocolate chip pancakes, which were fluffy and loaded with chocolate chips, while the other had a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich served with crispy home fries. They also offer a great selection of specialty waffles and pancakes, giving us plenty of reasons to come back and try something new. The portions are generous, the prices are fair, and the service was outstanding. Every staff member we interacted with was friendly, welcoming, and attentive throughout our visit. Between the delicious food, beautiful presentation, generous portions, reasonable prices, and excellent service, this is definitely a place we'll be returning to. I highly recommend checking it out!

Family friendly place. Food is always delicious with bilingual staff. There is likely a wait but…read moreit's worth it. I love coming here!

The best way to judge a restaurant sometimes is how they react when things don't go to plan…read more Ordered online and when I got there they said that they didn't have my order ready: issue with the Internet . Unfazed: my order was re-taken and my food was made quickly and my attempt to pay was refused. Good recovery Good experience Thank you

Tried the chicken adobo burrito and the agave street tacos. The music was so upbeat and happy and…read morethey were playing Selena Quintanilla when we came in. We loved the crunchy chips and salsa they bring to the table & would be back in a heart beat. Our service was excellent and chipper and we didn't feel rushed but felt attended to! Street parking can be a little challenging but there are ample lots nearby. Thank you so much :)

This is a small spot with street parking. The service was quick and friendly. The seating area was…read moresmall but fit about 10-15 tables and I enjoyed looking around at the architecture. The environment and service were the best part of my experience. The food was good but not great, to be honest. However, I brought a meal home for my cousin and he really liked the food.

Food was delicious! Got our food very quickly from when we ordered it! We're playing Spanish music…read morewhen we got there was also nice!

Came over for drinks after finishing up an event across the street. Juan was our bartender and was…read morea cool person to hang out with. He made my drink for me and it was delicious!!

A small group of us wanted to give this place a try. Let me start with the positives…read more The bartender was attentive, friendly, and polite, and our food was served quickly. I really liked my margarita and the interestingly colored salsa. The atmosphere is great. I know that this space was previously an American-type restaurant, they did a nice job with the décor that is still being used. Not much of a Mexican vibe. Now for the negatives. The entrance was confusing--there was no real sign, or at least none that I noticed. My husband said the name was written on a piece of paper. Weird, but okay. The outdoor seating area was also seemed to be under construction, so maybe that will improve the overall experience once it's completed. Again, weird. Unfortunately, the food was mediocre at best and quite expensive for what you get. There were a couple of pescatarian options, but nothing that really jumped out at me. Overall, I got the impression that this may be more of an after-hours hangout for locals than a place focused on food. If they finish the outdoor area and make a few improvements, I'd be willing to give it another try, but for now, I'm just not sure about this place.

El Mercado is a supermarket with a cool food court on Park Street in Hartford. The food court,…read morewhich includes a Mexican spot, a Peruvian spot, a Colombian spot and a Dominican spot was the draw for me. There's a bit of seating and I ate my Oxtail, fried plantains, and rice and beans there. It was very good. I imagine the market has a wider selection of foods and goods you might need for Hispanic and Latino cooking. The Parking Lot is a bit tricky, both in terms of finding a spot and navigating your way out if you're lucky enough to get into the lot. El Mercado is a classic Hartford place you should check out at least once. Four Stars

Unfortunately, I experienced food poisoning after trying the Dominican food vendor. I ordered a…read moresimple meal of rice, beans, and pork, but the rice was burnt, and the pork was dry. It became clear the food wasn't good once I got home. I value proper sanitation, and I noticed the woman serving the food wasn't wearing gloves. I didn't take a picture at the time because I honestly forgot, but I don't think I'll be trying their food again..

Another great visit to Ocho Café! This time I tried their Ocho bowl with grilled shrimp. The bowl…read morehad a really decent amount of shrimp and veggies, super filling. The blackjack margarita was sweet and subtle, and a good size for the price. The fried ice cream was a bit of a miss for me. I wasn't a fan of the cornflake (?) crust, but the ice cream went really well with the tortilla, cinnamon, and caramel sauce. Everyone was friendly as always!

Came with a group of 4 for an 8:15 reservation. We got there a bit early and were warmly greeted…read moreand they took us right in! We had such a good time and enjoyed the food to the point I forgot to take pictures! The decor is awesome, it's so colorful and eclectic. We had the table side guacamole which was made to our preferences. I had the Milanesa chicken taco special which was very good but the rice it came with was pretty dry and lacked flavor. Overall all I would definitely give Cafe Ocho another chance and come back!