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    La Estrella

    4.4 (104 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 9:00 am - 7:30 pm

    La Estrella Photos

    Business Info

    LA ESTRELLA ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - La Estrella

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    Reviews With Photos

    Shrimp Tacos
    Anusha J.

    I've been coming here since I was a student at USC and I came back to visit and had to come here. The same people work here still which was wholesome to see and the ambiance was still the same homey feeling. I got my usual 3 shrimp tacos and it hit the spot just as it did a couple years ago. Looking forward to coming to the area again!

    Torta Cubana: Breaded steak, sausage, ham, Mexican sausage, egg, oaxaca cheese & fresh cheese. $12.99
    Tiffanie C.

    I have reviewed this jewel several times I am sure, but I just wanted to remind everyone how amazing this place is. First things first. This is a Mexican grocery store that sells everything from fresh vegetables to cook ware, laundry soap, inexpensive dried herbs and spices to pre-marinated meats. But it is also a restaurant, so you can't get much fresher than that! The food is amazing and fresh. Stop in on Tuesdays, when they have taco Tuesday! All Mexican street tacos are $1.50 each. (Most are $2.75 regular price). Trust me, you NEED to try the Lengua tacos. (Cow tongue) it's super tender and flavorful. But one of the things I love best about this place is that they serve their ENTIRE menu all day! So you can come get tacos or fajitas or a Torta at 9am. And no, they won't judge you if order a dos equis with your lunch food at 9 am. (Don't judge me I work night shift this is my "night cap" lol.

    Separated and labeled orders made sure we easily identified what we ordered. The red and green sauces are tasty.
    Chris S.

    As noted by at least one other reviewer, the restaurant/ store is perpendicular to the road, so look for the white sign and not the store front. There is ample parking and it's all pretty close to the entrance. We were there on a Saturday evening and there were customers but not quite half full. Go left to eat when you walk in. We were greeted as soon as we turned left and were told to sit wherever we wanted. We were doing takeout, so he told us to go to the back by the cashier to order. A waitress meet us halfway and escorted us back. We grabbed menus and made our selections to a third person. We were told it would be about 15 minutes. We walked around the grocery part while waiting. There is a good selection of commercial items, many probably not available in the "ethnic" sections of other grocery stores. They also have interesting items like dried papaya with chili. The meat counter is real interesting with some gorgeous cuts of meat, along with things like chicken feet. We made it back to the restaurant part just as our food was being bagged up. We paid and went home while the wonderful aromas filled the car. The first thing we noticed was each of our orders was packaged and labeled separately. This was greatly appreciated since we ordered an assortment of tacos. We also were given a good supply of red and green sauces. The tacos are authentic, with the protein, diced onion, and cilantro on corn tortillas. Each order had radish slices, lime quarters, and grilled onions on the side. The carnitas was a little dry, but it tasted good. The tripa was slightly crispy just like I like it. The suadero was moist and very nice. The barbacoa was not as strongly flavored as I have had, but it still had good flavor. The pollo and pastor were gone before I had a chance to try them, but was told they were excellent. We also had the excellent Cubano, which is a large and thick sandwich. The big eater in our group did finish it, but did not attempt the extra taco we left. The steak nachos were good. The meat was a little chewy, but flavorful. The home made chips are thicker than normal and held their crispiness until the end. The addition of lettuce and tomato made this a filling meal. The red sauce starts with a strong tomato flavor which quickly gives way to a decent heat. The heat lingers a bit as it settles into a pleasant reminder. The green sauce had avocado as well, which gives it a smooth flavor. It had essentially no heat. The only complaint was we did not get any chips and salsa with our takeout order like we typically get from other places.

    Rosa J.

    "La Estrella" is definitely a bright star near the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. I didn't think there would be an authentic Mexican taqueria or restaurant in a town like Columbia, but I now take that statement back. This place is consisted of taqueria, carniceria, and panaderia. The owner lady was surprised that we spoke decent colloquial Spanish. Well, I really just know how to order food. Hubby's understanding of Spanish is way more in depth. I wish I could try their menudo or pozole (fines de semana--Saturday and Sunday only). Caldo de pollo was delicious. I was glad that the chicken was shredded since I'm don't typically enjoy bone-collecting or bone-spitting. The flavor had an emphasis of lime, which I liked. I squeezed more extra lime as I was finishing up the soup at the end to "refresh up." The owner lady refilled hubby's horchata! I've never seen that in Chicago where Mexican food scenes are more than abundant. She did the same on my brother-in-law's limonada. For two (2) orders of tortas de carne asada, two (2) order of horchata, one (1) order of limonada, and one (1) order of caldo de pollo, the total was under $30 (pre-tip). Taqueria "La Estrella" didn't have an extensive menu, but most Mexican desayunos, tacos, tortas, fajitas, and sopas are certainly covered. There's a tiny supermarket attached to the taqueria if you ever want to get some Hispanic sodas, spices, snacks, meat, and bread.

    Real strawberry Fanta
    Nicole M.

    This place was amazing. The street tacos holy cow.... probably the best I've ever had. I love that it's a restaurant plus a grocery store. Stop in for some sweet serves and some awesome tacos!!!! I'll be back by if we happen to be over in that area again. AUTHENTIC

    Chicken burrito and flour chips

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Authentic Mexican tacos. Well seasoned. Customer service isn't the best but you get your food quickly. Easily the best tacos in Columbia.

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    10 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Right down the road from our hotel. Very friendly. Got take out. Food was great. Generous portions. Good value. Definitely recommend!

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    13 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Food was re heated so meats were a bit dried. Super nice employees if you order enchiladas or quesadillas you will enjoy

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    8 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Good food good people amazing Mexican environment 100% recommend for good Mexican food.

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    6 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Best tacos in town. Friendly service, clean dining area, and attached to an authentic grocery with a fantastic butcher shop.

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    16 years ago

    All in one! Store, market, restaurant and bakery in one spot!! Reasonable prices.

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    13 years ago

    Best Mexican spot in Columbia. This is the real deal and not some bastardized fake Mexican.

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    10 years ago

    Excellent beans. Juevos con chorizo was good as well. Would definitely come back.

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    12 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    Page 2 of 3

    Ask the Community - La Estrella

    We tried to go last night but it looks like it's closed down?

    They're definitely still open. Might have gone on a day they were on break? Anyway the outside of the store isn't impressive, but go in the doors on the side of the building!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    La Cienega Mexican Grill and Seafood

    La Cienega Mexican Grill and Seafood

    4.5(175 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$

    One of my favorite spots in Columbia! I love that they have been able to expand so there is plenty…read moreof room. We were seated right away and greeted with chips and bean dip, which is delicious. They have a salsa bar with about 6 or more salsas people are able to choose from. The traditional salsa as well as the tomatillo salsa is my favorite. The ranch-style salsa is also one of my favorites. In addition to the salsas and bean dip, we also ordered queso, which is creamy and delicious. The grand margarita is amazing! Definitely will be my go to margarita here. They make it beautiful with the garnish. I ordered the chicken and steak fajitas. The chicken and steak were seasoned well, along with the vegetables, all of which were cooked to perfection. The rice and beans were delicious as well. I love how fresh everything is. Our server was very pleasant and attentive. The parking can get tight, but it's totally worth the wonderful experience.

    Stopped by here with a colleague for dinner and so enjoyed the experience!…read more I arrived on a Wednesday evening just before 7pm and was able to be seated straight away. The parking lot was full (was able to park in the log of a a nearby business that was closed) but there's plenty of seating inside so even with the full lot, we were easily able to get a table. Our server greeted us straight away and brought water, chips, and bean dip. They also have a salsa bar where you can help yourself to salsa! For my cocktail, I got their oaxaca old fashioned. Which was a reposado twist on a traditional whiskey old fashioned. It was great! For a starter, in addition to chips, bean dip, and salsa, we ordered some of their queso, which was silky cheesy deliciousness. For my dinner, I got the #19--chile relleno, small cheese quesadilla, and mexican rice. The chile relleno was flavorful, delicious, and had just the right amount of heat. It had a lovely drizzle of their queso as well which was a nice addition. It was so good! The dining room is clean, brightly lit, and nicely decorated. Our server was friendly and attentive. Truly, a wonderful experience from beginning to end. Get to it!

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    Complimentary salsa bar

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    Real Mexico Restaurant Y Tienda - Taqueria

    Real Mexico Restaurant Y Tienda

    4.5(874 reviews)
    5.6 mi
    $$

    Our Romeo lunch group went here for the first time today. We had seven of us, arrived at 11:15 and…read morewere immediately seated in a table for 8. The waitress took our order as soon as we walked in. She brought out chips and individual cups of salsa for each of us (the salsa was excellent with just the right amount of heat). Three of us ordered the #3 special (taco, enchilada and burrito), 1 ordered Fajitas, 1 order for #2 Lunch special(Taco and enchilada, one order the huge Cubana Torta. Service was very good. Food was great and authentic. The Cubana Torta is another thing in itself! Huge, with hot dogs sticking out the side and the kitchen sink ingredients on the inside. Freddie got half of it down and packed up the other half to take home to his wife. It's a cultural experience trying to eat the whole thing yourself. Since the last time I was here they have added a very nice outdoor covered area to the left of the restaurant...nicely decorated and a perfect place to enjoy Mexican food weather permitting!!! We'll definitely go back.

    This place holds up to the name…read more Authentic, fresh, and comforting. You can find all the classics you'd typically expect from a good Mexican food spot and more. Starting off with the chips, hand cut, and tasting very fresh with the salsa that was pretty ok. We tried the birria tacos which were fantastic. The consume was on point. We also tried the Real Mexico Enchiladas with rice and beans. The rice and beans were actually really good unlike most spots. Sopa was great. We also got to try the chicken finger plate for the kids and couldn't help but notice the chicken and fries were actually solid. All in all Real Mexico lives up to the hype and is a spot that I'd come back to next time I'm in the mood for any Mexican cravings.

    Photos
    Real Mexico Restaurant Y Tienda - Wall mural

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    Real Mexico Restaurant Y Tienda - Fajitas Monterrey

    Fajitas Monterrey

    Real Mexico Restaurant Y Tienda - New sign same great spot!

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    New sign same great spot!

    La Estrella - mexican - Updated May 2026

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