We are in Jersey for a wedding. This restaurant was within walking distance of our hotel. We had read some of the reviews on Google. Which raved about this restaurant. I think they are bogus. This restaurant has several locations around NJ. Parking is valet only. The ambiance and decor is pretty, fun and loud. Very loud. We were seated upstairs with a pretty good view of the restaurant. Where we were seated, the lights coming from the huge projector screen was annoying. They give you an iPad to look at the menu, which can be confusing if you are technically challenged. I am not. My husband is! There's a photographer going around asking if you want a picture. I agree with one of the reviews. It seems that they are only interested in upselling. I ordered the house margarita the regular size. It was OK, from a mix, but no tequila to be found at $13. My husband had a Pacifico beer which he ask twice for lime and a glass. They brought him a margarita glass and a few dry limes. At this point he gave up. I had the chicken fajitas. It came with Rice, black refried beans and some guacamole. The included three flour tortillas were terrible old and dry. The only thing good were the fajitas. We also ordered chicken chili rellenos. Came with the terrible rice and the refried beans. My husband said they were OK. Edible as he put it. The Mexican food here is not authentic. Now for the service. Our server, told us right off that her English was limited. We speak Spanish, so that was not a problem. The service is mediocre. We asked for water twice. Finally she brought it. But not the hot sauce my husband asked for twice. It's definitely a 3 star restaurant. Catering to people that want the fun but are OK with mediocre food. read more

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Came for lunch on a Thursday at about 12:30. There were a few people seated but not many. We basically had the place to ourselves.Fanny was our waitress. We started with the Guacamole and chips and the vegetarian nachos. Both came out very quick and were excellent. We also ordered drinks and they also came out in a timely manner. I had a mojito, my stepmother had a margarita and my dad had the sangria. Drinks were pricey and a bit weak but overall good. We ordered our food and I had the Thursday lunch special Birria which was very nice and tender, my stepmother had the chicken burrito it was huge and very good and my dad had the shrimp and steak fajitas which he loved. We ended the meal with the outrageous churros piping hot and such a sweet surprise!! We talked with Yanci who is the owner's daughter and she was so nice and sweet. Best part about this place is the atmosphere everywhere you look it just gets better. The decor is awesome and everything just went perfect together. I read other reviews about how it probably is on a busy night and I'm happy we came when we did... that it wasn't hectic and loud. We would definitely come back again for lunch to enjoy a drink and share our food (because we all left with extra left overs) Overall definitely give it a try. read more

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Good restaurant with a very fun vibe. Both the food and the drinks were delicious. I stumbled upon this place for lunch and it a was a great idea. I would definitely try again at a more active time of day as it looks like a fun place. read more

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The ambience is so insane in here. You really want a Mexican experience where it's not your traditional we're going to a Mexican restaurant. This is like huge. They have mariachi bands. They have dancers. They're on stage but full warning if you're going there to talk, it's going to be very difficult. The service was wonderful. The lady was very nice. The food was so fresh and on point I loved everything about this place again just for warning. It can get loud in there when they are singing or playing an instrument. read more

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The atmosphere was amazing. A bit too loud for me but great for a celebration! The waitress only spoke Spanish and a little bit of English. My daughter ordered an appetizer so then 2 people in our party ordered soup. Our meals all came out and I asked why we never got the soup and then she said - well the soup is an entree. Now if she knew that - why didn't she tell us that when we ordered? So now they had 2 entrees. I feel like this was a scam! She said it was too late to change it but she knew they were confused by ordering soup and an entree. We ended up leaving it there because it was so nasty - my husband couldn't eat it. We ordered chips and guacamole which I know you pay for and the chips were teeny tiny ends and not warm. This was very disappointing as well. I was very disappointed with my entire experience. I also did not receive a receipt! read more

The restaurant itself is gorgeous!! Unlike no other. Very cool! Service was decent, not horrible and food was just OK but i had this mini side salad with my birria tacos and the menu did not give any warning with what was added to the salad. A certain chile was used , did not see the difference in the salad and that is dangerous!! Definitely label that on your menu or have the waitress/waiters give the heads up to the customers. read more

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Fun ambiance but various annoyances. Neon, vibrant decor was fun. Felt a little like being on vacation. Mandatory valet parking was not appreciated. I like parking my own car and not having someone have to drive and handle my car, paying tip, and it taking extra time to leave. Only water bottles, so no free cup water Chimichurri was good, but nothing crazy. Steak inside seemed pretty tender. Flavor was there but not exceptional. I would have preferred the whole black beans for the rice and beans rather than a refried black bean. Waitress was nice and for the most part consistent in checking in. Birthday songs involved whacking a snair drum which was extremely loud and startling. My friends gf said that the drink wasn't strong. Overall ok experience, may return for the ambiance and I guess food if convenient but not racing to come back. read more

La Fortaleza - Mexican Near Me - Carlstadt, New Jersey

I'll pass on this place the next time my kids say they want birria!!! The quality of the food is lacking, the outrageously LOUD music on Sunday afternoon was deafening, the margaritas are weak! A little over $100 for 2 people and none of it was worth a dime! I asked them to lower the music just a tiny bit and after one song they raised it again to obnoxiously loud decimals. Restaurant was about 25% full, relatively slow Sunday afternoon. At this rate, with their poor quality food, it won't be long before this places shuts down. The only saving grace was a wonderful, attentive, charismatic waiter, Daniel. ¡Gracias Daniel por la atención agradable! read more

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The ambiance i believe is the greatest thing about it. The service was slow and it was a Friday afternoon with not many people I ordered the Sopa de Mariscos. For the love of god, please stay away from this dish. The broth was tasty and the seafood looked a bit suspicious. Then i started eating it and it felt a bit overcooked and not fresh Long story short, I've been sick for the last day read more

Fun times very festive and very good food. I enjoy the colorful dining area. My chimichanga was right on with flavor and just enough filling with a crispy non greasy shell. My flan was so good and filling I couldn't finish it all. Music is good. Service was very good. read more

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Everything I ordered posole thinking that it was authentic Mexican cuisine, but how disappointed never order again $25 for four tacos is just outrageous and a beer for 28 is just unreasonable. The food lost authenticity, and now it feels like a chain restaurant without authentic flavors during the pandemic. Was terrible but continue the same. The staff are all about upsell you to buy something bigger better or more food and are disappointed when you only order one small meal. read more

this place was popping on a Sunday evening. Live music as well! i have been to this restaurant before in various locations. It has always been a good spot for drinks and food options, but for sure the vibes and decorations - we love it. this time / location was a little disappointing. Not sure if because they expanded, the quality has gone down. service was great, cant complain about that, but the food. we never got our calamari, but the chips and guac was great - sad about the salsa, not like other Mexican spots ive been to. for my meal i got the chicken w/ mole sauce - it wasnt hot when it came out, kind of warm... didnt love that. the sauce had a lot of flavor, but the pieces of chicken i had that didnt have much sauce, kind of bland. overall - meh. read more

The place has cool vibes outside and inside. Vibrant colors and decorations fill up the walls and ceilings. They have TVs playing hype music which can get kinda loud if your trying to have a conversation with others. They also do a little birthday celebration every 10 minutes it seems. Or maybe it's just a very popular birthday spot. The drinks are large... like dangerously large and most come with an added shot. But I feel you need a nice buzz to enjoy the food. The elote is okay. They give you limes and tajin to customize it to your own liking. We ordered the kids burrito and cheese quesidillas. They come with rice and beans. Definitely not spicy and ok for kids. We also got the chicken chimichanga. It was stuffed with chicken and came with guacamole, sour cream and tomatoes. The portion size is generous and the prices are fair. However the dish itself was pretty boring. I had to ask for house salsa which added some flavor to the dish. On a rather slow Friday night I expected a little quicker service. We ended with the fried ice cream which is served in a large mortar pestle apparatus. The kids were not a big fan of the desert. read more

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I went on a Saturday night for dinner. I will warn you: it was loud af in this restaurant (which I don't mind at all). I was seated closer to the bar and the music was bumping. I loved it but this is a forewarning for those of you who may not be too fond of that. The drinks were strong and on theme with the restaurant: lots of margarita and tequila choices. To start we had the guacamole. It was good but not amazing. For dinner I had the enmoladas. This was a big mistake on my part. The mole sauce was super sweet and I hated that. The rice and beans were very good, but the mole sauce killed it for me. The service was also good, no complaints. Overall it was a good experience. I would definitely go back. I'd just be sure to order something different the second time around. read more

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Me encanta venir para cual quier ocasión!! Los trabajadores son siempre amistosos, la comida es rica! La música es de ambiente!! Unos de mis restaurantes favoritos!! Food is amazing!! So many different options! Drinks are the best!! Service is great very friendly and attentive staff. Ambience is what we come for everytime!! This place is for any occasion, from birthdays to anniversary's, date night, family night you'll definitely have a great time. I would definitely recommend! Best Mexican restaurant I've been too so far, whole family loves this place! read more

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Huge location!! The decor is really colorful and on theme. Lots of photo op locations. I'm not really sure the amount of staff can handle just how big the location is. We often found ourselves waiting for someone to assist us but they were running around. Nonetheless the waiters were all very nice and helped whenever they could. The drinks were really large and good...dangerously good. We started with guac and chips of course. It was delicious! We also shared nachos and they're expected to be big too and it really was. It was not the best but it was okay. I think the meat should've been mixed with the chips more. As you can see in the photo it's just thrown on the chips and they didn't give enough salsa and sour cream for that big plate. My girlfriend had flautas and liked them. She finished it all. Overall it was a solid time. Also, the music was loud so be prepared for that. read more

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Visited for Cinco de Mayo, and it was crazy busy. Parking situation could have been handled better. We had a reservation and were there on time but most of our party couldn't be come in on time due to backlogged parking, and the Hostess initially refused to honor our reservation saying they don't take reservations for Cinco de Mayo (not true) and then refused to let us get us seated since the whole party was not there. They eventually did seat us. Took some time to get our orders in but that was expected with the rush. Once we placed the orders, all the items arrived without any delay. Food and Drinks ordered were pretty good. Hopefully, the service will be better if you go in on a regular day. Ambience was really good read more

Went for mother's day with a party of about 12 of us. As you can expect the wait took over an hour due to the size. Also, for some reason they didn't have our reservation so we waited a bit longer. They have valet parking as well. The food came out at a reasonable time, it was all good, but nothing to scream home about. The food was pricey. I think the experience is what you really pay for, the music, party vibe, decorations, etc. I would recommend coming here for a celebration or just wanting to have a good time, but once in a while since it can be too much for some people. read more

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Never again! Aside from the great colorful decor and cheap prices the food was horrible. The food was served cold, the chicken was chewy. The wine was warm and the mixed drinks were soooo sweet. I am not sure why this establishment attracts crowds. Maybe a good happy hour and app place for after work or friend gathering ? read more

Went here for my birthday, it's very lively. Good got the job, I was stuffed! They have cool decorations throughout the restaurant. Fun fact: if you tell them it's your birthday you'll get a nice surprise lol. I got the chimichanga and it was on point. read more

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The service and the food here is terrible! Not only do they MAKE you Valet Park your car but they Add a 18% percent Service fee to your bill if you eat at the bar! Double check your bill! The Bartender is not a nice woman! One Star because I had to! Find another tourist spot! Welcome to NJ! read more

Agua chile no debería ni ponerlo en el menú , no tiene sentido camarón en una salsa líquida verde sin sabor ,servicio normal , las bebidas buenas estaban sabrosas , el ambiente agradable pero la comida no es equivalente. Su valor del precio , te toman fotos para luego vendertelas a sobreprecio ya ni en los parques temáticos te cuestan a 20 dólares , de todas maneras es una vez que se va a ese lugar read more

La Fortaleza - Letrero cómico - Mexican Near Me - Carlstadt, New Jersey

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We visited this super cool restaurant passing through town after checking out online reviews. Upon entering, your sensory is overloaded with the neon colors, decor, flashing lights, music and sounds. It felt like we entered into a fun house at an amusement park and it doubled as a night club! Super cool on first glance. Singing Parliament's Flash Light song... if you know then you know We were seated immediately. The Latin music blasted hit after hit loudly from the speakers. You cannot help but want to snap your fingers and shimmy in your seats.The volume of the music was so loud that you had to yell to talk. It was a typical happy hour vibe and a good place for that crowd. The waiter was prompt and attentive. There were complimentary salsa and chips provided to guests. We ordered 2 cool drinks one served in a pineapple. We ordered wings, soft steak tacos, a vegan Quesadilla and a steak chimichanga dish. Steak needed a little more seasoning but was tender. Food was typical and as expected. There were also multiple business sales opportunities occurring from a photographer coming from table to table taking patrons pictures and selling them; to someone else coming to table to sell roses. We were very entertained. Lots of photo opportunities and selfies. read more

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Soooo cool!!' Lots to see when you come here!! Food is authentic Mexican and was really tasty! Drinks were delicious too! Great to come to celebrate your birthday. Guys with drums come out. They have valet parking. Service was really fast!! read more

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So many menu choices. For drinks we had margaritas; one classic, the other tamarind. We had the guacamole & flautas as appetizers. For dinner the chimichanga & Birria. The food was good. The initial chips & salsa were outstanding. The waitstaff was attentive, friendly and polite. You won't find a place with more atmosphere. Next time, I want to dine in the VW Beetle! Bonus: a photographer will take your photo offering you an opportunity to procure a fun souvenir. read more

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Picture the movie 'Coco' if it were a restaurant. Anytime an eatery gives you paper towels instead of napkins, you know you're in for a ride. The food was delicious and healthily-portioned. The decor was amazing. The waitresses were gorgeous. This place is not so much a restaurant, but a museum. There are wonderful sights, sounds and colors everywhere. Murals and centerpieces to take photos in front of, merch. I got a kick out of everytime it was someone's birthday, instead of singing Happy Birthday, there'd be a parade of staff banging drums up to the person's table with a cake. This place is really poppin' at night, and they have live music on certain days. It is definitely something that friends and family ought to experience. read more

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Great food and an amazing group of people who are super accommodating! The drinks were amazing and strong! Came here right after visiting American Dream mall and it was the best move! Will definitely be coming back! read more

La Fortaleza - Mexican Near Me - Carlstadt, New Jersey

Great service,Great Food and drinks.Isabell the waitress was amazing.We will come back for sure

So to start this place is super cool, the ambiance the paint, the colors, everything is an absolute hit. Unfortunately the positives of the review end there. To start off we got there on a Friday around 740 pm. The place was not very busy. We sit at the high tables by the bar. Our server comes and takes our drinks and appetizer. We ask for chips and salsa as well and he said he will bring them out to us. We needed something now because my daughter was hangry. And a 14 year old hangry is pushy. Time goes by, no water, no drinks and deffinetly no chips or salsa. We finally get our drinks and appetizer (nachos) and AFTER we finally get the chips and salsa. Fast forward to us getting our food, my drink is done my wives drink is done we have no water and our server still refuses to come by the table for any reason. Now the food... we got the parrillera so you know it's already 70+ for the dish and he asked us how we wanted our steak. Medium rare.... We got overcooked like well done past the done part. Then the food is luke warm. Cool. At this point the server finally realizes he has a table, comes to us and i specifically tell him that some service would be nice, maybe another round of drinks and some water refill. 20 mins goes by and my wife still does not have her SECOND drink the whole night. I ask for the tab we pay and leave. I probably won't be back here again. And it was recommended by a friend. I had to come back to make an edit BECAUSE OMG.. the bartender... she must have a part time job at the dmv because i have never seen anyone move so slow outside of the dmv. read more

Came for a dinner with friends and forgot how crazy this restaurant can get on weekends. They do not take reservations it is a first come first serve with the exception of you calling ahead if you have a large enough group. We were the first in our party to arrive and they will not seat you until the entire group has arrived. Which was fine but just a bit irritating after being told we could have our table in 5 minutes, which ended up being closed to 25. They have a free complimentary valet outside. This caused a back up of getting into the lot as they were taking cars one at a time. They are a bit too efficient in which I was being told to hand over my keys and get out of the car at the same time. It was quick and easy getting my car back at the end of the night except for the valets jacket was soaking wet from the rain my entire driver seat, center console where you would rest your arm, and steering wheel were completely soaked and wet. Once we were seated shortly after our server came for our drink order. We asked for waters with our drinks and I've experienced this issue at all Fortaleza locations. You have to ask a minimum of three times for water to actually be brought to your table. I guess they've swapped out their menus with iPads? This was a nice feature should the iPad actually work, ours kept fritzing out and closing out of the menu. We ordered two appetizers, the flautas and calamari. The flautas were not as good as they usually were and were rather bland and dry in flavor. Right as our appetizers were brought and we started to eat our hostess came over and asked if we would be willing to move tables to accommodate a large party they had coming in. Then our hostess asked if we can move. So it was rather confusing if we had the option of actually moving. Our party told the hostess we were not okay to move as our appetizers and drinks had arrived and we had began dating already. I would've had no issue moving prior to our food being served, however the hostess kept prodding us that they needed to have the this table. This was beyond poor planning on the restaurant's behalf, why is it my problem that you did not plan for a large party ahead of time, additionally this restaurant is huge so they could've been sat elsewhere. We did get up and move and it was not communicated with our server as our food came out and he was very confused as to where we went. Not only did we move but this large party didn't even arrive in full when they were seated and still weren't all there by the time we were leaving. Very disappointed with the fact we had to relocate our table mid eating and then when we got our check nothing was comped or offered for our inconvenience. Our food was good as usual. I ordered a newer option for the Al pastor tacos which was a huge portion and well worth being double the price of the normal 4 al pastor tacos. My boyfriend ordered the chimichanga which he said was delicious and a great sized portion. Our sides of Maduros and fries came out slightly after our entrees which was fine as we really didn't have a large enough table for the plates. The frida fresa is my new favorite drink at all Fortaleza locations as it tastes exactly like a strawberry milkshake. This was not one of my better experiences at a Fortaleza which was extremely disappointing. Especially for what is usually a fun and great dining experience at this restaurant. read more

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Stopped in just for a quick margarita, but honestly, it was overly sweet and I couldn't taste the tequila at all. On the plus side, service was fast and friendly, and the place itself is really cute with great décor. What I found frustrating, though, is that they force customers to pay for valet parking. For a casual Mexican restaurant, having mandatory valet feels unnecessary and honestly a bit absurd, it doesn't match the style or vibe of the place. read more

We were on a vacation to NYC and were staying in New Jersey just next to this restaurant. We came here on a Sunday night and it looked like a really lively place as we were walking through the parking lot. They have full valet service for parking which is pretty nice! As you walk in you notice the bright neon all over and it's even livelier inside! Our group of 7 was seated promptly and place was quite busy already. The wait staff is pretty attentive and we were able to put our order in without any problems: red snapper, salmon grill, el trompito al pastor, quesa-birria, mar y tierra, fried ice cream. The food was excellent and the portion sizes were huge! Had to try the fried ice cream for dessert and it didn't disappoint. Would recommend this place if you're in the area! read more

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I'm not a regular customer at La Fortaleza which is to say I only go 2-3 times a year. I was there last night October 4th. Our experience started with Extremely loud music from huge speakers. The hostess wanted to put us by the front door almost directly under the speakers. She looked disgusted when I asked to be seated further away. Anyway, she gave us a table in the rear. As far as our dining experience it was much to be desired. It took a little bit getting used to the table menu. Looking at the prices and portions size I couldn't help but notice the small the portions were. The waiter was slow and forgetful not bringing things like ice water, soda and more. I understand the need to make money but there's also such a thing as reasonable. I have to say I've never paid $3 for a can of soda. I used to enjoy a nice Margarita but not for almost $30. Had I know what to expect I would have chosen someplace else. This may or may not matter to you but I know now that I'll better choices read more

great food , nice ambiance and friendly staff! I had the steak and shrimp burrito , it was delicious. I would recommend this Mexican restaurant read more

I absolutely loved our service, atmosphere, aroma, style, music, everything about tonight's first experience at La Fortaleza! Rafael was our server and he was extraordinary at his skill. He can tell you everything about the menu like he wrote it himself. This was my first experience and I will continue to be a customer in years to come! I'm thrilled to have a restaurant of such magnitude here! I felt like I dipped into a party for good food, good music, and good people! read more

La Fortaleza - Steak and shrimp Supremo Fajitas (New) Alitas rancheras (mango habanero) Horchata (New) - Mexican Near Me - Carlstadt, New Jersey

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La Fortaleza is one of my favorite places to go on an impromptu date night because the atmosphere is so festive and the food and drinks are always the best. The place is so colorful and at every turn there is a new and more exciting piece of decor. The price point is also perfect because it doesn't break the bank but the quality of this Mexican cuisine is great (same goes for the drinks!) I've also never had bad service all of the times I've been! read more

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Pros: Really cool atmosphere here. One of the most gorgeous interiors of a Mexican restaurant I've seen. Live music even on weekdays. Cons: loaded with gimmicky cash grabs. Mandatory valet? 18% auto gratuity even if just one person? Get your photo taken at your table for price too. The food was mediocre, nothing amazing. My flautas were so stale I couldn't finish it. Variety of meats on my tacos were bland. Requested spicy salsa and got some watered down green stuff. Full bar but no beer on tap. I also asked for some water and got a water bottle that you have to pay for. No filtered tap water... Side note: heard a guy next to me say "this is the best Mexican food I've ever had! And I've had Mexican food in LA, Tijuana and San Diego" I almost lost my sh*t after hearing that lol read more

La Fortaleza - Stale flautas (cold in the middle, maybe cooked from frozen?), couldn't finish it. A variety of tacos all with bland meats - Mexican Near Me - Carlstadt, New Jersey

If I could give this restaurant 0 stars I would. The hospitality I received at this restaurant was disrespectful and I warn everyone to stay away from this restaurant. Families who became before us and had reservations were waiting more than an hour and still weren't seated. This place doesn't accommodate their guests and that's rude. The hostess were so unprofessional they couldn't even give customers an update on when they were going to be seated. They would just look at you and hope you leave. I've never experience nothing like this place. STAY AWAY FROM LA FORTELEZA IN CARLSTADT !!!!! There's better Mexican restaurants for your time and money. PS. Everyone around me was speaking Spanish thinking I didn't know what they were saying and that's what put me over the edge because you don't talk about customers in a different language. I believed everyone who worked here was racist. They were also planning on sending only my family to the Garfield location just to get us to leave but no other family was suggested to go. Mind you my family is dark skinned and we don't look Spanish so that was when had I enough. read more

All the fortaleza locations are great but I think this one's my fav - the decorations are great! So many photos ops. I also love their happy hour deals - $5 margs and discounted apps! The service was pretty fast and friendly and the food and drinks were amazing. So many flavors and add ons to choose from for the margs. We added shooters to ours for $4, not bad. The birria nachos were so delicious, I'm glad they added birria to their menu! There's also free valet and plenty of parking. Overall this is a great place to come with family and friends for great atmosphere, exciting drinks and yummy food. Sometimes they even have events and singers. read more

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Not sure why there are so many low reviews. We ordered take out as we were staying next door. We were really impressed! The food was hot and ready quickly even thought it was quite busy inside. My husband enjoyed the chicken plate while I had carnitas. Portions were large. Kids enjoyed their quesadillas. Would recommend if you're in the area! read more