This place is an authentic, family owned Mexican restaurant. I've personally considered this my favorite restaurant ever since I can remember, even as time passed and I found myself fortunate enough to travel the world and experience authentic Mexican food many a time, this place continues to hold a special place in my heart. The restaurant itself (referring to the old location on Main Street, as of writing this the restaurant is in the process of relocating) has a small, cozy vibe. Lots of colorful decorations, and depending on the time of year you're likely to come across some holiday decorations. The service is great, most if not all of the employees speak Spanish so if that is your preferred language you'll have no troubles. The menu is large, with tons of options for all ages; though I will say I tend to order the exact same thing every time I go (give the fajitas a try, Chicken is my favorite here, they season the meat very well). Preperation/cook time is also very quick, often you will place an order and have your food on the table in 15-20 minutes. The servers are all pleasant to interact with in my experience, and seem to be knowledgeable when asked about the menu. All in all- if you're looking for a great local joint to enjoy some REAL (not some pale crappy tex-mex imitation) Mexican food, and support a family business, you can't do better than El Olivo! read more

The place is dark. The food is not good. There has to be better Mexican food in town. Sorry, but it was really bad. Bad chips, bad salsa too

I haven't been to El Olivo recently but I have always had excellent food and service here. I have had the Chicken con Mole here but I've been told that it's no longer available on the menu. Even it's no longer offered I will definitely return for another visit ASAP! 10+ STARS read more

El Olivio Mexican Restaurant offers a delightful dining experience, particularly noteworthy for their homemade chips and fresh salsa. The salsa is a standout, bursting with freshness and a depth of flavor that complements the chips beautifully. The chicken is cooked to perfection, tender and infused with savory spices that highlight the quality of the ingredients. Overall, El Olivio provides a memorable and authentic Mexican culinary adventure, making it a must-visit for anyone craving genuine Mexican flavors. Also, the cleanest kitchen I have ever seen. The margaritas were great. read more

El Olivo Mexican Restaurant - a plate of nachos - Mexican Near Me - Winter Haven, Florida

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Hello everyone, I visited the El Olivo today for the first and I am so glad I did. The service was great and the food was the best. I am from El Paso, TX and spent several years living in Mexico, so I know how it's made and how it tastes. I recommend this restaurant to everyone who loves Mexican food. Thank you, Andrea read more

We were hoping this place would be great but it fell short. Food was mostly ok, but overpriced and lacked quality. One of the orders came out wrong and they charged us for the remake in addition to the first attempt. Chips were thick and had potential but were too hard. Cheese dip was expensive and didn't taste Mexican. Nothing about the experience made me want to go back. read more

We called for a takeout order. The lady on the phone was friendly but efficient taking down my request. Food was ready when we went to pick it up. Order was 100% correct. One beef burrito and one beef chimichanga. Food was not too salty but flavourful and authentic. We consumed every morsel. We will definitely go there again for our takeout dinner. read more

Four of us had lunch today, 3 of us got a lunch special but the portions were so small we left hungry. Honestly, I've never seen such stingy portions at a Mexican restaurant, usually there is a nice topping with lettuce, tomato and sour cream but all we got was a couple tiny dabs. Rice and beans sides were tiny portions as well. We should have left immediately after we got the tiniest serving of chips and salsa I've ever seen, and there were four of us! Also, they were hard, overdone and the salsa was bland. The server was trying hard, but couldn't keep up with the four tables that had people, never brought drinks and minimal follow up. Don't understand how they stay in business. Food was mediocre at best, and it was not cheap! read more

One of the worst places to eat Mexican food Don't even try it I don't think that they have a real Mexican chef in the kitchen who ever is cooking I could do it much better the chips sauce is just a red sauce, the chicken tasted like it was few days old. read more

El Olivo Mexican Restaurant - Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Winter Haven, Florida

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The beef chimichanga perfect with all the fixings great rice and beans taco tamales everything is great

Absolutely love this place. We go once a week minimum. Servers are great, the food is delicious. It's also reasonable. I highly recommend El Olivo. It is a mom and pop owned restaurant and has had same owners since the 1980's. You can't go wrong here. read more

Very good food with friendly and quick service. The quesadilla was delicious!! The homemade chips were very good even without the salsa. Highly recommend. read more

El Olivo Mexican Restaurant - Chicken quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Winter Haven, Florida

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This place was busy during lunch so I thought it must be good. I sat down and was given the thick hard chips the others have mentioned with the salsa that was pretty boring. I usually judge a Mexican restaurant by their chips and salsa, if the chips and salsa is good usually the food is good. So, as I mentioned salsa was boring. I'm still giving them a fair chance with the food, I ordered the El Olivo lunch platter. Well, it was bland, and boring. I asked for hot sauce just to give it some flavor and was brought a bowl of some kind of salsa verde. I used the whole bowl because nothing had much flavor. The crowd must be the type that think that think ketchup is spicy and are ok with boring Mexican food. I, on the other hand, enjoy a kick to my meal. I need a little spice and heat to make it interesting. I give three stars because the food was just ok to me, but there is obviously an element that enjoys tasteless food. read more

Cozy decorated Mexican restaurant with authentic delicious Mexican food. Very Covid compliant. The menu is eccentric with reasonable prices. read more

This was our first visit to this restaurant. My husband enjoyed the Tamales which were "cornmeal stuffed with pork in a corn husk" & served with pico de gallo. I had the Tacos A La Carte. The food was good, but the service could have been better! And, don't order a margarita cocktail. The waiter was "very busy" and did not return to our table to see if we wanted addtional food or drinks. More restaurant staff needed? Maureen read more

Terrible food and terrible service. Gave us 8, yes, 8 complimentary chips with some salsa. We asked for more and they charged us almost $3 for another 8 chips. "Chimichanga" was similar to a microwave meat pocket. Two other parties left before even placing an order. Bad vibes. read more

El Olivo Mexican Restaurant - a plate of food - Mexican Near Me - Winter Haven, Florida

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The server was very nice, however, the food was terrible! The chips where think and hard and you get maybe 10 at best. It wasn't hot and it had absolutely NO flavor! read more

The food was not good at all. The chips were way too thick and tasted like they were overcooked in old oil plus they were a super tiny portion for almost three dollars. The nerve charging that. The salsa was lukewarm and looked a little oily which was weird. My burrito was hot but super bland couldn't finish it was so depressing. We were one of two tables in there during dinner time which should have been a red flag. The chips and salsa was the first red flag that I ignored. This was the first and last time going here. If you like paying for overpriced bland food have at it! read more

We visited on Cinco de Mayo. It serves authentic food, cold beer and despite how busy, a smile. Small outside dining area. Choose your visit wisely or you might have to wait for a table. read more

Stopped by here with friends for the first time. Restaurant was not busy at all but it took a long time for service. Two small baskets of chips but they would not bring more after we asked for more. After another long wait they took our drinks order, drinks took a long time as well. Finally they took our orders, food was a fair wait. Service was very poor, server never check on us, not even for drinks. After waiting for the waiter for the check so long, we had to go track him down. Totally would not recommend. read more

A few things struck me as soon as I sat down. First, the atmosphere - this place is dimly lit during the middle of the day, giving the feel of a place that might be a literal "hole in a wall". That's not a bad thing. It lent an authentic feel to the place, and I feel like most of us are probably looking for authenticity when seeking out Latin American food. The chips added to this - the chips themselves were thick and crunchy in a way that leads me to believe they were fried in the kitchen today, and the salsa also felt fresh and had a great mix of flavor and a little spice. So far so good. I was getting lunch and while there was a lunch menu, I was pleasantly surprised to see there were daily lunch specials - specifically today's special was tostadas. It had been a while since I'd had good tostadas so I eagerly ordered that. I'm sad to say that the entree did not live up to the atmosphere or appetizer - while they were certainly tasty, they weren't great. Service was quick and attentive without being overbearing. My server had, at one point, seven tables full of lunch patrons and never seemed to skip a beat. My only complaint would be having to wait a bit for the bill, but I wolfed down my food and am always impatient to leave, so that's perhaps not totally fair. If the entree had been to the level of everything else I'd have to give this place four stars. I wish I could give it three and a half, but in all good conscious I have to go with three. It's a place I will return to but likely won't go out of my way for. read more

El Olivo Mexican Restaurant - Tostadas lunch special served with rice and beans. - Mexican Near Me - Winter Haven, Florida

The food here is Excellent. The portions are the perfect size, not like typical Mexican restaurants where the plates are big and full. So if you like the larger portions you won't find that here. The best part is everything is freshly made. The Pico de Gallo is the BEST I've ever had, I could eat a bowl full of that alone. I particularly like the Chilli Relleno or Tamales, my husband ALWAYS gets the mixed fajitas. They have homemade flan which is really good as well. If you want fresh authentic Mexican this is the best in town by far, hands down! The only reason I didn't give five stars is because the service is really slow, and not very attentive. However, everyone is super friendly and welcoming. So you shouldn't be in a hurry when you plan to eat here, otherwise this place is great. read more

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We ate here for the first time today. They had several tables set and only saw one server. I let him know that I had an appointment in 45 mins. He did an amazing job and got us out quickly. The food was very yummy! We did not like the salsa. But everything else was fantastic. read more

I was hoping I'd be pleasantly surprised when we went to this place BUT the reviews from your fellow Yelpers are pretty spot on. It took a while to get the menus but not as long to get our food. I did not like their chips and salsa. The chips were thick and hard and the salsa was eh. I had the chicken enchiladas and it was ok. The chicken was dry. I wanted to try it with their mole sauce but they ran out? My son did like his nachos. I, on there hand, am a little picky with my Mexican food because I've lived in San Diego and there are good Mexican food everywhere. The place is cute. The server was nice and friendly. They do need help with serving etiquette. Such as instead just handing the drink or plate of food across the big table, maybe walk around and set the food or drink in front of the person. read more

Nice quiet place!! Good service and we got our food fast. It sure was yummy too! Great location too. The area where the restaurant is located is great to park and walk around. read more

Came here for lunch with my family. The service and the food is awesome and delicious! We can't wait to go back there again in the future!

I ate here several years ago. I am in Winter Haven again and couldn't wait to eat here again. I saw it is the 30th Anniversary, and you can tell why. Everything is great! I had the tamales, rice and beans today and was every bit as wonderful as I remembered it. The masa was the perfect thickness and the meat was well seasoned. The beans were creamy and flavorful. I just may need to eat here again before I have to leave. The only thing that could be better is if they open another site in Minnesota. read more

Very mixed feelings about this restaurant. Service was very slow, the food tasted Ok but the prices were out of line. You only get one tiny basket of chips (it held maybe 15 chips) and one small bowl of salsa per table. Additional baskets are $2.29. (Not worth it). We ordered fajitas which were good but somewhat bland (beef and shrimp) and the order only came with 2 tortillas. They charged $2.50 for 2 more tortillas. Ordered a margarita and was informed they don't have tequila- they mix it with beer. Totally unacceptable! Our food came out and it was at least 5 minutes later before our 2 stingy tortillas arrived- so our main course was already getting cold. One thing that really bothered me was there was NO soap in the ladies room and no dispenser so it's not like they just ran out. Makes me wonder how clean the kitchen is. Probably won't be going back. read more

Dude wtf. I called earlier and you told me you'd be open til 8p yea yea yea because of COVID19... I get there at 7:20 and your staff says "we closed at 7". First visit and last. read more

We usually enjoy El Olivo. We have been customers for 30 years. Last night we stopped in for dinner and were very disappointed. Everything was so spicy, it was hardly edible. The salsa, pico de gallo, and even the rice were so spicy hot, it was hard to eat them. Everything had the same heat level. The chips were very thick and over cooked. Will try again in a few months. read more

Great little find in downtown Winter Haven. The server and cook were very kind to accommodate my vegetarian request. Everything was delicious and service was great! read more

Very cozy family owned restaurant, which is my favorite! Food is hot and fresh, service was fast and pleasant. We ordered margaritas and while they were busy and only one server was on, she was happy to make them for us and they were fantastic! Complimentary chips/salsa to start then a minimal charge for additional servings which seems fair, particularly given the high price of supplies right now! Tostadas, tacos and enchiladas were order and everything was delicious! It is our go-to sit down Mexican restaurant! read more

This cute little Mexican restaurant in downtown Winter Haven is not without its charms. I didn't care at all for the chips or salsa, but the main course was good (2 enchiladas with rice, beans, and a small salad). It seemed to take a long time to cook our meals, but they arrived at the table piping hot. While the food was a little bland for my taste, my friend enjoyed her burrito. We were charged extra for a little drizzle of cheese on the burrito. I felt that extra charge was unnecessary but we paid it without complaint. It's a family-owned establishment with friendly staff and a nice decor and ambiance. Prices are reasonable for the sizes of the servings. There's street parking and a little patio in front for dining outdoors if you prefer a little car exhaust with your meal. I only wish the food had been spicier and more flavorful. After lunch, my friend asked if I would go to El Olivo again. I'm not sure I will. It wasn't bad...just very average. read more

Chips are thick and hard and salsa is thin and greasy. Taco Salad is made with the same thick, hard chips and not very easy to eat. El Olivio lunch plate is a good choice, but something "Mexican" seems to be lacking. There are more authentic restaurants in the area. Good location and the place is tastefully decorated. read more

Overpriced...I looked at the menu and walked out without ordering... To expensive but my standards. I've had better pricing in greater Washington, DC vicinity.. recently!! read more

Terrible service... terrible terrible service. We walked in around 6pm. There were 2 tables that were finished eating and we were the only other table. After standing by the door waiting to be sat (first time every going) no one addressed us. Another table told us to seat ourselves, after finding a table we waiting ANOTHER 10 min before anyone ever came over and dropped off 2 menus ( we had 2 children with us and no children's menus were left). After asking for a kids menu, we orders our drinking. In the mean time another table came in with a party of 2. This party was able to get their drinks, eat AND pay and leave, before our food was even at our table. I had to ask for refills twice as no one seemed to ever care to check on us. I WOULD NOT recommend this place. I found it funny how a signs at the check out says that happy customers are their "top priority". This couldn't be farther from the truth. When the person who checked us out asked how everything was I said " the food was good but the service was terrible".... He didn't skip a beat and could have cared less. read more

This is not even Mexican restaurant the food is very bland the "chimichanga" was not even a chimichanga it was a empanada and as a mexican I don't claim this place. Very bland and will not be coming back read more

Family run, small, local, fresh Mexican food. Friendly staff. Easy parking. In the downtown pedestrian friendly section of Winter Haven. read more

El Olivo Mexican Restaurant - Interior - Mexican Near Me - Winter Haven, Florida

If you feel like eating real Mexican food do not go there, food is made to please caucasian taste instead of Latin. if you're hungry and there's no other place to go to might be an option... read more

Horrible service. horrible atmosphere. I was in Winterhaven for the evening and was highly disappointed. The service was extremely slow. There were 2 servers and they were running around aimlessly. The chips and salsa were disgusting. I ordered the fajita supreme taco. It was a greasy mess. It barely had chicken just veggies. read more

El Olivo Mexican Restaurant - Watery salsa and like 3 chips - Mexican Near Me - Winter Haven, Florida