We have looked high and low for a really great Mexican restaurant in the Midwest and we have found it at Fiesta Cafe Bar. Great service, extensive menu, delicious margaritas. We left pleasantly full but not bloated, always a good sign! We both chose entrees from the House specialties page and were not disappointed. Will have to try many more entrees in the future to figure out which delicious dish is the MOST delicious, although I suspect they all are. Appreciated the Mexican soap opera on the large screen in the background. Seemed to be a very popular place at 5:00 PM on a Saturday. read more

Ate here yesterday and it was excellent. I being from three hours north of Mexican border give it a solid 9 plus 10 on margaritas, chips and salsa are amazing. Get in and give em some business as it is an asset to the areas cultural Mexican food scene! read more

My rating is 3.5 stars. I'm rounding up. My friend has wanted to drive up to the Twin Cities to meet up with me whenever I'm in town for a Wild game. For the past three tries, this plan hasn't worked out. She lives in northern Iowa. Our midpoint is Rochester, where she still works, and I used to work and live. I am always fine driving down to my old stomping grounds. Rochester has changed so much that I am always figuring things out. We had lunch at Fiesta Cafe Bar on a Monday. She had a medical appointment at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester's biggest employer) in the afternoon, so we met up at 11:30 am to make sure that we had plenty of time to chat and have a leisurely meal. I will admit that I don't normally eat that early, but I had a light breakfast earlier to compensate. Back in the day, this place used to be Fiesta Mexicana. It used to be off Highway 52. My friend was the one who introduced me to the place. We loved the lunch specials. They were affordable, extensive, and good. I had no problem finding this restaurant. There was plenty of parking. I backed into a spot and walked in. I was greeted by a nice woman who would ultimately be our server. I started saying that I needed a table of two and she astutely said that someone was waiting for me. I saw the top of my friend's head in a booth, thanked her, and walked over. I was five minutes late. If you have ever met up with me, I'm pretty punctual. I got stuck at a railway crossing roughly a third of my way down here. It happens. My friend completely understood. This cafe is like a little Mexican oasis away from reality. The painted artwork on the walls and ceilings is gorgeous. If you ever go into the bar, check out the bar chairs and tables. The folks who painted and orchestrated such beauty need an award! There were warm chips and salsa waiting for us. They were exactly how I remembered them tasting. The chips were crispy, warm, and delicately salted. The salsa was fresh and yummy. We got menus. We were both disappointed that the extensive selection of lunch items was gone. Instead, this selection has moved over to the dinner menu. I asked our server about the lunch special that day. It was two tacos with your choice of protein. You can either get hard or soft shells. It comes with rice and refried beans. My friend also went to the main entrance to take a look at other food and drink features. We both went with the taco lunch special. I went with pulled beef and soft shells. I had had Taco Bell the night before and got hard shell tacos. I wasn't thinking that I'd be having better tacos the following day. Hunger after a hockey game messes me up... haha! My friend got the same taco special. She went with one hard shell and one soft shell. One had pulled beef. The other one had ground beef. She also got guacamole on the side, which we both split. I was excited when our food came. It tasted just like how I remember the food at the old place. The pulled beef was flavourful and yummy. It just melted in my mouth. The downside to having one of the soft shells on top of the refried beans is that it gets soggy. I had no problem eating the first one that didn't touch the beans with my hands. The other one required eating it with a knife and fork. They were yummy nevertheless. I love refried beans. I don't have them often, which explains why I love them. The rice was flavourful and done perfectly. My friend was equally happy eating her meal. She loves guacamole and loved how fresh it was. I loved mine so much that I put it inside my tacos. It was creamy and delicious. We both used the women's washroom separately. It was clean and spacious. No complaints here. She insisted on grabbing the tab. It was sweet of her. We talked for a good half an hour after we had eaten before we parted ways. I enjoyed having decent Mexican food in Rochester again. I'd love to come back for dinner and give the cool combos a try. (116) read more

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We stopped for dinner and were really happy with our experience. The service was amazing so friendly and fast! The food was good as was the margaritas! The portion size was great and I really enjoyed the enchiladas. read more

What I ordered on their menu was tasteless. It was a new item but was not good. Service was ok.

This is one of our 'go to' Mexican restaurants, but our experience today has us rethinking that. The name has changed, signaling a change in ownership. It seems they have changed their wholesale supplier, evidenced by the different quality of food. My wife's ala carte enchilada and rice order came with three times the rice she requested. My chile relleno was so tough, it is the first time ever I needed a knife to cut it. Service was challenging. The two young men involved had a passing understanding of English. You're safe with pointing at the menu. Refills of drinks, chips, or salsa were either very late in the meal or nonexistent, even when requested. The final straw for my wife was they had no flans. All this on Cinco de Mayo! Last year, great meals, great service, and free t-shirts! This year, average to poor meals, wait staff you couldn't get to understand you, unavailable desserts, no free t-shirts! read more

The staff is friendly, the food is good, and the servings plentiful. I'm partial to the burritos.

I came in with my fiancé to order drinks and an appetizer. When we ran out of chips for our queso, we asked for some more chips at the end. When we got our bill there was a five dollar charge for the chips that we asked for. When we asked the manager about this transaction, they said this is a new thing that was started because we did not order food. I asked where this was on the menu. If we were given the option to have to pay for the chips, we would have left our queso unfinished. The manager was kind, but very stern on the decision and did not budge. It felt sneaky and like an unauthorized charge. I wish that somebody would have told us before we made the decision. read more

I decided to try again I must be a glutton for punishment. Slow service again. Almost empty at 6pm on a Sat night.Salsa is not great. Don't think the chips are house made. Shrimp tacos-the flour tortillas were stale, There was almost nothing in the taco with it. Sopas were soggy and thick dough-inedible. The topping has no seasoning at all. Steak Fajitas also had no seasoning at all. None of us liked it. Used to be great food, will stick with Los Arcos now! read more

I just went here the other day with a friend. The tacos were so good. I haven't been here since they were located off 52 back in the day. I'm kind of annoyed at myself that I haven't been back sooner because the margarita was delicious. The chips and salsa are good. I had steak tacos and I love that it's not loaded with cheese it's more of a play on tacos with the steak, onion, cilantro, and some queso fresco sprinkled on. I got this really delicious hot sauce on the side to dip mine in and it was so good! I'll definitely have to go back soon! read more

Fiesta Cafe Bar - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

Always a memorable experience and authentic tasting Mexican food and atmosphere. Love the neighborhood quality and at the same time of being transported to Mexico. read more

Great Mexican food. Servers were great. We will be back! Bathrooms we're clean. Friendly atmosphere read more

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Although the food was good the service was extremely slow. It seemed only one waiter was doing his job, the rest were standing around, some chatting, one playing with a roll of tape, and yet we waited and were never offered refills on beverages or chips. The women's bathroom here leaves much to be desired. The paper towel dispenser is directly above the space heater, water dripping on an electrical device?? If you get out without electrocuting yourself you still are at risk of being engulfed in flames due to the paper towels that were left to pile-up on the previously mentioned space heater. Also, although one stall has grab bars you could never fit a wheelchair or walker into either stall. ADA compliant? I will reiterate, the food was very good but the service will keep us away for quite awhile. read more

I love Mexican food, in fact majorly of my eating out takes place at a Mexican food restaurant!! This was our first time here, and not convinced I'll be back!! We ordered the large Chili con Queso and let's just say that was a mistake!! Never have I had Queso with such bad texture and no taste!! On a good note the Service was on point and staff were friendly!! read more

Fiesta Cafe Bar - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

This has ALWAYS been our go to restaurant for their chicken soup. The cup of soup was large and filled with lots of chicken and veggies. SO good! HOWEVER, they have changed the recipe. The broth was not the same, very little veggies and chicken. The chicken seemed to have been grilled and added, rather that cooked in the soup. The chicken was tough. Instead of the onions cooked, they presented with a small plate of avocado, raw onions, and cilantro. No longer were there tortilla strips on top of the soup. They no longer have a cup of soup and charged for a bowl. BTW: the bowl is the same size as their old cup size. For $14.95, it was not worth it. So disappointed. I would love for them to go back to their original chicken soup. read more

We were seated quickly. The chips and salsa, enchiladas, and chimichanga are amazing. Great and fast service. Will definitely come back. Highly recommend! read more

This used to be our favorite Mexican restaurant. I'm not sure what happened, but my family ate there tonight and it was terrible. It wasn't busy and they ran out of chips and we waited over an hour to get our food. The tables around us who came in after us got their food, ate and left before we got ours. We had rotten tomatoes in our dishes! Seriously bad all the way around!!! read more

This place used to be so good not anymore.Whoever made the salsa today should be fired.it was canned tomato with a little cilantro.Not good.not sure what the number is but my friend ordered tacos off the vegetarian menu that was potato with fixings.He said corn tortillas 3x and got flour.And they were filled with mashed potatoes!yuck.Service is very slow even with 3 tables outside and one inside.they now give you about a 3 oz basket of chips with one ounce of horrible salsa. read more

Wonderful restaurant. Great food. Good atmosphere. A bit too chilly to be outside but the outdoor seating is nice.

This is our favorite place to eat. We've been here 20+ times and have never had a bad meal. The service is amazing. I always get 3 hard shell tacos and the chicken is so delicious and NOT dry! My boyfriend gets a variety of things but his new favorite is the chimichanga Blanca. We love you Fiesta! read more

It's been quite a while since I've been here and it was truly a great return. The staff was welcoming and the advice was efficient. I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere was just right. I came at what seemed to be he perfect time for me. There were only a handful of other customers there. read more

Fiesta Cafe Bar - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

Decent Mexican food, not amazing but better than ok. Quick lunch, food tasted great. We had 7 people and they were quick. Was no wait over lunch on a Thursday. read more

I love Fiesta cafe! I have been going for Mexican here sine end the 80's when it was Fiesta Mexicana. I have been to the other Mexican places in town and nothing compares. I have been to Mexican restaurants across the U.S. (even in Arizona) and nothing beats their sauce and proteins. It is always fresh. Come to relax and enjoy. read more

Incredible food, great service and willing to please. I had a new item not on the menu but recommended. Tacos Campechana which had steak, chicken, charizo, cilantro, onions and cheese in a corn tortilla! I highly recommend!!! read more

The worst thing I've ever get attempted to eat! Had no seasoning honestly Tasted more like Indian cuisine

Nice clean patio area outside.... that was the lone redeeming feature and worth the 1 star. Being new to the area, we came after reading the positive reviews. I gotta say I don't understand the reviews. The chips were good.... salsa ok. Plates were overfilled with cheese and refried beans. Very little of anything fresh served. Everything was bland. Cheap meat, rice, everything. It's the first time I've ever seen a whole party leave 3/4 of their plates unfinished, zero boxed. Just not worth it. Nothing was well prepared. It didn't help that it took 20 minutes for the staff to return with our drinks order. Then another 20 for the poor food. My 11 year old literally said, "It's okay once you barf a little bit up." We will not return. It's too bad because they have a great location. They could do so much better. El Carambas is the only real option in town. It's still not stellar but only one that's decent. read more

Best Mexican food in town. Friendly staff, big portions. Kids menu has HUGE portions, see pics. This is as good as it gets in Rochester for Mexican food. Tamales are good, enchiladas are very good, chimichangas are huge. If you want spicy salsa, you have to ask for it, otherwise they bring out the homemade mild. read more

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My favorite Mexican in town. Their chips are the thinnest and the food just seems the freshest. They have a bar also. Easy access off north Broadway close to the rec center. Every time I come here I try something new. Servers are friendly and the place has a nice atmosphere with outdoor patio seating in summer. My only complaint would be for bigger salsa bowls. read more

Fiesta Cafe Bar - Great burrito - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

Was not happy with the service one bit, I had to go ask for menus after waiting 20 mins to bring us some and not doing so, they waited another hour before taking our order and another for the food to arrive, the waitress acted like we were bothering her when we would ask for refills or napkins, bathrooms were a little old and not very clean, food was at least par for the course. read more

The food was good, basic Mexican food nothing unique but their food was good and their service was awesome Their prices are about the same as I'd say Olive Garden so not bad. read more

Reasonably tasty, but reminds me strongly of Mexican restaurants of the 80s. Huge, hot plates of mildly flavorful rice and refried beans with big dollops of sour cream and guacamole. It seems I end up here often since I live so close. It's never regrettable, only sort of disappointing compared with the pricing. Pro tip: the margaritas that aren't top shelf are just too sweet. Go for the good stuff; I would hope it would be better! read more

Asked about their salsa & if you ask them, they have another hotter salsa. It was really good, not blazing hot but a nice heat. Also, I ordered the carne asada but ask for a lime to squeeze on it. Delightful. Next time I'll have to see if they offer black beans vs the refried. Just my preference though. read more

Fiesta Cafe Bar - The hidden hotter salsa - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

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I've been here 5 or 6 times now. The service is always great, some of the food is ok - sometimes. Last time, I had 'Fish Tacos' - I could tell the fish was frozen, due to the perfectly formed white rectangle on my plate. That wasn't really the problem though, the fish was tough, I couldn't even bite through it. The center was very tough, much tougher than beef jerky. I couldn't even eat it, I can't believe that was even served to me. The rest of the food, enchiladas, tacos, etc, seemed all below average tasting. Nothing stands out in my mind. read more

I've been going to this restaurant for the last 15+ years (since it was located near the intersection of 2nd St. and Highway 52, prior to the highway re-build) and have always loved the food here. After spending 4 years in San Jose (California), I've acquired quite an addiction to Mexican food, and Fiesta is as good as most of the places I used to go back in San Jose. The lunch specials are also a good deal, although I don't get many opportunities to eat here for lunch (I work downtown). Service is usually speedy (though I've only been here with parties of 4 or fewer), and the food is excellent. The salsa roja is also great (I love the touch of cilantro). Also, salsa verde and jalapenos are available by request for no charge. I'm only withholding one star because I have been to a few places that were better, but those weren't anywhere near the Midwest. For all practical purposes, this is as good as it gets in Rochester (and very good by any standard). read more

We had Fiesta Cafe Bar cater our daughters graduation party. GREAT experience working with this restaurant! Very easy to communicate with to plan the menu we wanted. Marcos called and confirmed our date, time and order a couple weeks before the party. They have a food wagon!! He and his employee served all the food out of the food wagon. We had no prep, set up or clean up! The food was wonderful!!! Many compliments from our guests :) HIGHLY recommend this restaurant whether you dine in or have them cater your party! read more

The food is excellent, service is great, friendly staff. It's the best Mexican restaurant in town. Price is reasonable. Meals are large, two could eat from one meal. We love the place, we go there often. The only bad mark on this restaurant is it could use some updating. read more

They are now open for breakfast and it GREAT! In house chorizo. Good service and outdoor seating. Portions are big enough that we will be having the remainder of our breakfast tomorrow. Both Mexican and traditional American options so there is something for everyone. read more

This is one of my favorite Mexican place, it's located inside a strip mall. But the chip and salsa is just ok. Food is always good and the margarita : I love it! Services is always good, food always comes out fast. read more

Place is just okay. Food was bland & it didn't make me want to finish my meal. Service was prompt.

Wanted to eat some good Mexican cuisine so we figured we would give Fiesta Cafe Bar a try and it was a great experience. We ate outside and enjoyed the weather and music, chips and salsa were very good, the 1/2 Botana Del Mar was so delicious, never had shrimp like that the flavors were amazing!!! Staff was great!!! read more