Classic Mexican food spot. Done well here! Service is great, very quick, efficient. The menu is a good length, it all fits on one sheet of paper, I don't need el libro. The chips came out piping hot and the salsa had a great chipotle/mole flavor. The Mexican umami. My dad and I came on a Wednesday night for a quick dinner. I got the pork tamales, which were good, some of the better tamales I've had in Birmingham. But once you've had a freshly steamed, tender tamal, it's hard to go back. Margaritas are yummy here. Atmosphere is good, lots of TVs for sports, dimly lit, fun lights. Leon is definitely a Liberty Park/Overton/Cahaba Heights go-to, Extremely convenient location, easy parking, no reservations needed kind of place. read more

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The food is good BUT LORD do they need a make over. I think the chips and salsa are great and the Chicken Siconisada is amazing. Better than most. But again it's depressing to eat there. Maybe a small refresh will bring people to the place. read more

Whew, y'all. I hate to be ugly about a little neighborhood restaurant, but this food was terrible. How does this place survive? I took my kids for dinner on a Saturday night. It's not a large restaurant, and there weren't a lot of people there. We ordered both queso and guacamole to go with our chips and salsa. The queso and salsa were entirely forgettable, but that guacamole will live in my nightmares. It was whipped avocado. I'm not even sure it was avocado. It was like green mousse, and the only thing it tasted like was the color green. Imagine turning grass into cool whip and you get the idea. It was horrifying. Our dinners were also terrible. I ordered the enchiladas suizas, which was advertised as coming with a sour cream/chili sauce (which is how the dish is made), but what I got were plain chicken enchiladas with queso drenched over. My daughter ordered the beef tacos. They were the worst tacos we've ever had. The beef was ground so finely that it was mushy- like baby food- and the only flavor at all was beef fat. It was like the meat was stewed for hours in its own fat. Awful. The tamales and a quesadilla rounded out the rest of our dinner order, but they aren't even worth the time to review. There are so many better options in Birmingham. read more

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Not much to complain about but not anything to brag about either. I had the chicken flautas from the lunch menu which came with 3 well fried flautas with sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes and cheese. I will say for a lunch entree I was hoping to leave full, which is usually no problem at Mexican restaurants but this portion was slightly smaller than I anticipated. Chips and salsa were nothing special but not bad either. The lime margarita was $6 and pretty good actually but it could have been a little stronger. Service was good but you'd hope that considering I was the only one dining here. It does have a nice environment inside. Overall it was a mediocre experience, I'd only come back for the $3 happy hour margaritas. read more

LEON La Taberna Mexican Tavern - Mexican Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Well. Apparently there is nothing in this neighbor to eat. So we stopped by on the way to an appointment. The service and food were decent, the service was quick. In and out in 30 minutes so it works for a lunch break, however it's nothing to write home about. You would think with the limited choices this place would be buzzing but it isn't. read more

LEON La Taberna Mexican Tavern - 11. Chimichanga Lunch - Mexican Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

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Another excellent meal at LEON La Taberna ! They have the best salsa and cheese dip. And they are proud of it ! Who knows what the Liberty Park Rent must be. Today I had a burrito supreme and it was delicious ! read more

Probably the worse Mexican restaurant in Bham. I have no idea how they stay open. Food is bland and not good, service has always been slow even though it is always dead inside. At lease they have gotten the health rating up.... for the time being. read more

Excellent food! Service was great! I have eaten here twice. Chicken quesadillas is different but very good. Margaritas are top shelf! read more

We Like the atmosphere and the food, but the employees are very dull no smile no interaction Obviously they are not happy working there read more

My husband and I LOVE eating at Leon's!! Everything we have tried on the menu from the Mexican combinations, Leon's Nachos, even their Cheeseburgers is soo good! We particulatly like the frozen margeritas as they make their own mix and its one of the best I have found anywhere and so consistent....Prices very reasonable and the service is always quick! You should go there today!! read more

This place is a lot better than other Mexican restaurants around here. I loved their frozen margarita! Chips, salsa, and queso were all delicious. Service was amazing too! I ordered the #22 plate which was a quesadilla, chile relleno, and a flautas. The chile relleno was my favorite and really surprised me! My plate was so pretty! I liked that I got to try a variety of their menu options this way too. read more

A few coworkers and I decided to try this place out one night after work. The location isn't big, so if you have a big group, you may need to call ahead. We were quickly seated. The servers weren't quite as attentive as other Mexican restaurants I've been to, but overall, were good. There were also some great drink specials, but we had to go back to work that night on a project, so no trying them out for us that night. The queso dip was great. If you like hot salsa, they have one which will definitely raise your eyebrows (according to my coworkers. I was too busy with the queso to take note). The food itself was good, but some of it comes premixed, and they cannot remove things if you are allergic or are just picky (raising my head here). I'm sure we'll come back, especially since it is so close to our new office. read more

LEON La Taberna Mexican Tavern - Mexican Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Great customer service. The food always is perfect. Great and casual for families. If you live close it's your neighborhood Mexican place for sure! read more

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If you have eaten at Mexico Lindo. You can't go wrong here either. The food is very tasty.

Great food. Very different from any other Mexican restaurant! Definitely should try !

Good consistent food for years. Poblano relleno is my favorite. Wives and kids love the arroz con pollo and wife the shredded chicken quesadilla read more

A great restaurant run by an even better family. You want good food, and great queso then come here!

This place was good! We were traveling through and we stopped on the way to our destination AND on the way back home. It's about 5 mintues off I-459. The guacamole was AWESOME!! Perfect texture and really fresh. The salsa is fresh and really flavorful as well. Hubby really liked the pollo con arroz. The chicken was really tasty but could've been cut a little thinner to go on the tortillas. But the cheese sauce and texture was great! I got the crab meat nachos appetizer for my dinner. It was good but too much for a meal as far as flavor. It would've been better if I had something like rice or beans to offset the flavor of the nachos (too much of a good thing). That's on me though I should've gotten a dinner plate. When we travel that way again I will make sure to stop back by. read more

What happened here? Had been good-- horrible tonight Tiny and stale gyro with no sauce on--did not follow directions on potato-- many onions and no bacon bits. Asked for the opposite Other, a veggie potato just had a bad taste... they use some terrible tasting oil instead of butter Shame to treat customers this way read more

I had the shrimp and ribeye tonight, it was slightly overdone but flavorful. Service was so so. As for the chips and salsa, they did have a habanero sauce. Happy hour line Margaritas are $3, half price. This restaurant is only 15 minute drive away from the Marriott Birmingham. read more

Dark inside. Happy hour margarita only applies to small size. Husband ordered a medium frozen and was charged full price. Waitress did not inform him of this even though we asked about happy hour. Ordered $5.00 guacamole and it was some sort of creamy green concoction.. no avocados or tomatoes in sight! Salsa was too hot and had a strong cilantro component. Grilled chicken taco salad was shredded ( probably packaged) lettuce with some chopped tomatoes, tortilla strips. Black bean corn salsa was good. read more

The place is getting tired.. hot sa uce is not good anymore. Tasted old. Staff barely acknowledged me. I had to take back my order as food tasted old and like it had been kept to reuse. Gross. I seriously hope they upgrade food...try not to put so much sodium. Margarita was way too sugary and was half frozen. Maybe they need to raise wages or something may help. I love the location! .. read more

Reliably tasty food, nice portions and a good price point. The house salsa is excellent and so is the queso - both can be extra spicy on request. The guacamole is good though I prefer it with chunks of avocado. My favorite dishes are the chicken flautas and tinga. The chicken marinade is tasty and leaves the meat quite moist after cooking. The carnitas are also quite lovely. Please note that LEON is a very popular restaurant. If you show up during rush expecting to be seated and fed within 5 minutes you are going to be sorely disappointed... read more

Arrived on Saturday before the evening crowds to give it a try. After reading the reviews about poor service I was afraid they were going to be right. The food was delicious but I'm sad to report that it was a bit slow on getting service. The server took a little too long to take our order and no one came by until the end to ask if drinks needed a refill. Maybe if the game wasn't such a distraction... read more

I ordered the number 35. The plate was excellent. Great flavor and portion. The service was only draw back. Seemed like they got a rush and couldn't keep up with bar and table service. I never got a refill on my salsa or asked how my food was. Overall I'd go back because the food was good enough and reasonably priced. read more

Excellent place... fast service! If your in the area... make sure to stop here. Enchiladas Suiza! read more

LEON La Taberna Mexican Tavern - HOT!!!! You have to ask for this... be careful - Mexican Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Looking for a place to eat that was close to the hotel and this was the closest! We were the only people in the place, which kind of worried me. Ordered margaritas and had to buy a tequila shot to add in since the house margarita tasted like juice. I had chicken tortilla soup and it was so good. Hubby had tamales and said they were very good. Service was slow even though we were the only people there. If I lived closer, I would try it again. read more

Horrible service and place. Waitresses are rude and will not keep up with your food and orders.

Okay food. Good happy hour prices. Bad service. 4 servers on the floor and 2 hostesses....yet no one takes our order until we wave them down at 5 pm on a Saturday evening when they are not even busy and 2 servers are folding napkins. Except the bartender with the ball cap, who was working his tail off .. serving food, tending bar, getting water ... All the while at least two or three people watching him but not helping. And the black gentleman with the great hair cut who also works hard. One guy lazing around watching the TV with bad attitude and giving bad service or no service, and our order for chicken no. ,23 showed up as beef. read more

Exceptional first visit. Jose and Ringa were great bartenders pouring drinks and offering great service. Ringa suggested #21 Tingo Tostadas and I was not disappointed. Marinated chicken with bits of bacon, sour cream, cilantro and pico on two Tostadas. Worth getting too full cleaning my plate! read more

LEON La Taberna Mexican Tavern - Tingo Tostadas! - Mexican Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Leon's was a great surprise we found because of Yelp! The atmosphere was great, not very busy, but authentic Mexican artwork and furniture. The waiter we had was very informative and friendly, answering any questions we had about any of the meals on the menu and specials through the week. We started with the Queso and guac and they were both very delicious. I am not a huge fan of the smooth guac, but it was good none the less. The Queso was superb and tastes fresh. I had the black bean soup for an appy, it was delicious and I recommend it big time! If I could make an improvement on it, it would be to add more heat on it. But other than that, it was awesome! For the entree I had the steak and chicken enchilada. For the lunch menu, there was plenty of it! The meat was tender and the tortillas were made perfectly. The rice was fluffy and fresh. My only complaint was on the steak, there were some pieces that was a little fatty, but it didn't take away from the taste. Great atmosphere, service, and food! I'll be back again! read more

LEON La Taberna Mexican Tavern - Zac Attack digging on the queso - Mexican Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

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So I was driving down liberty parkway and thinking of trying your pie, but I really didn't want pizza, but I was going to try it anyway. But as I pulled up I noticed a Mexican place, and thought to myself..."I love tacos." So I stopped in and had a seat, and ordered a few tacos and some chips and queso. The restaurant is super clean, the decor is current and modern, the wait staff are professional and good at what they do, and the tacos were delicious as was the queso. Nothing outrageous or artsy, just good solid Mexican food, served fresh and well seasoned, in a nice environment with reasonable prices. Sometimes you don't want all the junk that a fancy chef may try and dump into a dish for the sake of originality. Sometimes, you just want good old fashioned Mexican food with no frills. And that's exactly what I got. Great lunch spot, good food that's definitely up to par, and a complete lack of pretentiousness given the location. Generous portions, a water glass that never goes empty, and courteous attentive service. You shouldn't ask for more. Glad to see a solid taco place nearby, and I hope they continue to be there for a long time. If they keep doing what they're doing they shouldn't have any trouble staying in business and serving delicious tacos for a long time, and I look forward to going back. read more

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I tried this restaurant both out of convenience and recommendation from the hotel front desk. Initial observation being only one of two parties seated the service was slow. I started with a frozen strawberry margarita to enjoy the chips and salsa. The chips and salsa were the highlights of the meal. The server brought the margarita and then disappeared leaving me without a straw. Have you ever tried to drink a frozen margarita without a straw, not easy. I was finally able to place my order and requested the dish poblano relleno. I am by no means an expert on Mexican food but have never seen such a messy presentation of Mexican food. I am not entirely sure how it even qualified as a Mexican dish. The food was bland. The cost for this dish was $12.00. Additionally, I noted that the refried beans were served room temperature. The rice was descent. I cannot in good conscience recommend this restaurant and not entirely sure I would consider a second visit. read more

I really enjoyed our experience at this restaurant. The attentiveness of our server was exceptional, he was very kind, made sure our drinks were always full, and gave good lunch recommendations. The portion sizes are large, especially for what you pay. One thing we were surprised they didn't have and wish they'd had are aguas frescas (horchata, etc); we were kind of surprised since the drinks are a Mexican staple. The food itself was good but it lacked a bit on having a kick of flavor. Then again, maybe we just ordered the wrong plate for us. I ordered the enchiladas rusas and was ok with them, but I think I'd try something different the next time. Honestly, because of the wonderful experience provided by our server we would definitely be back. It's definitely worth a shot by anyone looking to try them out. read more

Good food. Not so nice service. Waiters acted like we were an inconvenience from the time we stepped through the door.

If I could give this restaurant a 0 stars I would! We came here last year and had a wonderful meal. Today not so much. My husband is allergic to onions and we clearly told the waiter this. He ordered the steak and shrimp. My son ordered the chimichanga. I wasn't eating but asked for some hot tea. We quickly realized that the waiter did not ask how we wanted the steak cooked and if my son wanted chicken or beef but no big deal. The waiter came back with a warmed up glass of sweet tea and the meals. He told my husband not to eat the corn that was in a small bowl because it had onions. We gave this to my son. The steak was well done and the chimichanga had chicken in it which is not what we would have wanted but again we didn't indicate it and the waiter didn't ask. My husband ate the steak and shrimp and he said it was good. The chicken chimichanga was just ok per my son. My husband started to eat the rice and quickly realized there was onions in it. He went to the bathroom and I confronted the waiter. The waiter confirmed with the cooks that there was onions in the rice. They said " there was only a little bit." I ran out to the car to get the Benadryl and brought it to my husband. I then returned to the waiter and chastised him and told him that he is lucky that my husband normally only needs Benadryl and to wait it out. To put it bluntly, he will vomit the meal and then some all night long until it is all gone. The waiter then comes back with the bill and says that he took the drinks and cheese dip off, like this is going to make a difference. No manager came by, and they seemed as though this wasn't a big deal. Thank God he is not so allergic that he would stop breathing and need epinephrine. We will never come back and suggest you don't either. The next day: Just talked to the shift manager to let him know what happened and he also began to make excuses when I said that a manager didn't come over to check on the situation. He said at the time we came there wouldn't have been a manager on duty. Even though he didn't check to see if there was one or not. He said he was not notified of the problem today but he was out all last week. More excuses. This shows you that the problem starts from the top here. read more

We have been here about 4-5 times since moving fairly nearby. The cheese dip is good (our daughter has to have her own) and the loaded guac is amazing. I like the carnitas and so does out nearly 3 year old daughter. We typically share while S. gets one of the amazing quesadillas, often with the large gulf shrimp. Service is typically great. Do not sit near the front door on a cold night as it can be brutal. We will definitely keep coming back. read more

$3 dollar margs, amazing waiters, what else could you ask for? And yes, you heard that right!! During happy hour house margs are $3!! When I moved to bham I could not find a good Mexican-owned restaurant until Leon's. They have great food. The only complaint I have is more cheese on the nachos would make this place near perfect. read more

We've always had speedy service and good food here. We go about once a week and the food so far as always been great!

Ate there again last night with my wife and everything was great as usual. She had the steak fajitas and I had a Chile relleno plate. They were packed the entire time we were there and the service was top notch. read more