Where are you celebrating life today? Viva Empanadas is a…read moregreat spot to do just that! The Albany location at 90 N.Pearl Street is visually stunning while the empanadas are a true fiesta for the taste buds. Popped in for a late lunch where we enjoyed the tropical lemonade and the empanada special. Shrimp D'verde, Spinach & cheese, and Colombianita for me Classic Cheese, Vegan-licious, and D'verde for my friend The gentleman at the table across from us ordered the rotisserie chicken which looked and smelled amazing - might have to go back to try it soon! They also have a weekend brunch menu served from 10-2 that looks epic.

Not one, not two, but 3 separate credit card companies sent immediate fraud notifications after our…read morecards were swiped at this restaurant. I went here on Saturday, on Monday morning my credit union called letting me know they are increasing fraud protection on my account because I swiped my card at this restaurant. The owner was asking us to Zelle her money. We are still monitoring our cards to make sure everything is okay. We went to multiple restaurants in Albany during the course of the weekend and this didn't happen anywhere else. And the drinks are watered down. Don't come here.

I first went to Salsa Latina in 2009 when I lived nearby right after graduating college. I have…read morealways loved it but stopped going due to the neighborhood getting more seedy and parking being difficult to find. I am SO HAPPY they moved to New Scotland! So I returned with my family of 4 after 10 years of not going. On a Saturday around 5 we found parking less than a block away and were seated immediately. The music and decor are exactly what you'd want in a Mexican restaurant. Love that they've added some Peruvian choices and birria items. We had a medium mango house margarita, guacamole, kids chicken tenders, kids beef enchilada and fries, combo 10 with beef tamale/enchilada/1other thing I forgot and the carnitas tacos with rice and beans. All so delicious and fresh! I did. It expect my carnitas tacos to be sooooo filled with meat so I was very impressed. Also, sign up on their site and you get an immediate 10% off coupon which I believe also applied to my alcoholic beverage (which doesn't always happen with discounts). Can't wait to go back!

An intimate little eatery with a well thought out menu. I had the steak fajitas - my friend the…read morechicken enchiladas. Both came with beans and rice. The guac is excellent as well. I would def recommend this restaurant.

I visited for lunch on a weekend and they have a huge outdoor covered patio as well as air…read moreconditioned dining room. My finance and I were welcomed as soon as we walked in. Their regular menu is huge and they had a specials menu as well. I ordered the shrimp quesadilla with a side of guacamole and my fiance got the carne asada burrito from their specials menu. We were served complimentary chips and salsa, which were delicious. Both of our entrees were good as well. My fiance raved about his burrito too. We'll definitely be back to try more things!

What a lovely place. I've driven by so many times and wondered about stopping in. Wonder no more. I…read morehad an awesome time at Salsa Latina in East Greenbush. For starters, I was impressed by the bright, cheerful decor. The painted furniture depicted charming village scenes of people, places and animals. There's a friendly hostess to greet guests by the door. Our server was nice and helpful, too. My friend ordered carne asada ( beef) tacos and I ordered chorizo (pork sausage) tacos. They are generous with portions. Our corn tortillas were stuffed with meat. Plenty of sauces, refried beans, chopped onions, cilantro and sliced limes came with each dish. The food was delicious and certainly authentic. I ordered a virgin pina colada since I was driving. It was wonderful. It tasted like dessert in a glass. I honestly don't know why this place didn't rate higher. Customers had nice things to say but were stingy when giving out stars. For my part, I think my Salsa Latina experience was worthy of 5 stars.

Food was good for the price!! We got the chips and guac which was really flavorful and burritos…read morewhich were really hearty but could use more flavor! Everything was really well cooked so definitely a good place for take out at home!

Stopped in to grab tacos to-go for lunch. I had beef and my friend ordered chicken. These tacos…read moreare real deal! The green chile sauce on the side was incredible. All fresh, made to order in 10 minutes. I'm going back to try more of the menu!

Disappointing and poorly made…read more I ordered a grilled chicken burrito with onions and green peppers, with rice on the side. Instead, it was loosely wrapped, not even grilled on the outside, and had a terrible, soggy, microwaved texture. They completely left out the veggies and shoved the rice and sour cream inside instead. To make matters worse, my son ordered the beef and cheese nachos, and the beef looked exactly like ground-up dog food. Total waste of money and a really gross meal. Avoid this place.

Listen, I don't know what kind of bruja kitchen magic they're working with at Casa Real, but these…read morefolks are faster than my tío peeling out of a parking lot after a family party. You can order 47 enchiladas, a taco tower, and a whole mariachi band -- it still shows up in like... 2 minutes flat. I blinked and my plate hit the table like ¡pa-pow! We rolled in deep -- hungry, dramatic, and skeptical -- but Casa Real doesn't miss. Food's legit tradicional, not that frozen microwave vibe. Think real-deal molé, juicy al pastor, and rice that didn't come from a box with a cartoon sombrero on it. Drinks? También fuego. Margaritas colder than your ex's soul and strong enough to make you text them anyway. They don't play. You order one, and suddenly you're fluent in Spanish and making bold life choices. Inside? Clean, bright, and cute as heck. It's giving abuela's pride meets HGTV en español. Even the bathroom smelled like lavender and redemption. Boomer-approved AND TikTok-worthy. Service? Next-level amable. They treat you like familia, but like the good kind of family -- not the one that steals your lawn chairs. Our server remembered our drinks before we sat down. I'm suspicious they've got cameras in my fridge. Prices? Bruh. You could feed a family of six for the price of two lattes and a muffin. I don't know how they do it. I'm not asking. I'm just coming back every week. Final Verdict: Casa Real is fast, friendly, and freakin' delicioso. Whether you're a boomer, a Gen Zer, or just someone who appreciates not paying $19 for sad tacos, this place is the move. Come hungry. Leave happy. Question how they got your food out before you even finished ordering. ¡Viva Casa Real!

This place is great, the salsa and chips are delicious. You get a tremendous amount of food for the…read moreprice. Service is always fast and friendly. My favorite is the Pollo a La Parrilla which is Grilled chicken. Served with rice, beans, salad and sweet plantains. Which also comes with the most fluffy roasted potatoes which is freaking amazing. My kids love the beef burritos. Get a Pina colada trust me you won't regret it. The restaurant is big and can accommodate big groups. I can't recommend this place enough.

Warm on the rocks margaritas Tasteless/flavorless tacos on taco Tuesdays. Tried a couple of…read moretimes and just can't get past the lack of flavors and the warm on the rocks margaritas. Too bad, since it is walking distance from me.

We had a large group head to El Mariachi to celebrate a friend's engagement and they absolutely…read morehandled it like pros! From the moment we sat down, the staff was incredibly attentive--our drinks arrived quickly and they were right there to take everyone's orders without missing a beat. What really impressed us was that all of the food came out at the same time and piping hot, which is no small feat with a big group! I ordered the chicken tostadas. I personally thought they could have used just a little more flavor, but they were still good and I definitely enjoyed them. If you're in the downtown Albany area and looking for a place that can handle a crowd while keeping service quick and friendly, I would absolutely recommend El Mariachi. Managing a large, celebratory group like ours isn't easy, but they did a fantastic job!

Had early dinner here on arrival in Albany. This is a traditional Mexican restaurant if you like…read more"real" Mexican food as opposed to more modern versions we have in our home town. Colorfully decorated dining room. Service's good and ambience's nice. Portions were large although some of the entree dishes a bit pricy - my 3 fish tacos was $28 even though it did come with rice and beans so at least there was enough leftovers to take home.

We came in 58 minutes before closing and it was empty. I was sure I'd be turned away, but no. I was…read moregreeted with a warm smile and amazing service. We couldn't decide from the awesome choices but I finally decided on Carne Al carbon tacos and beef nachos and my husband got the chicken fajita quesadilla. OMG we haven't eaten here since we first started dating in 2021 and it was mid. This time it was absolutely amazing. So amazing that everything looked so good and we forgot to take a picture. But trust me when I say every flavor was on point. We argued about who's driving home so the other can sleep. Thank you for an amazing date night filled with good food, good vibes, great service and amazing food.

One of the best authentic Mexican restaurants in the capitol region. The food was flavorful, spicy,…read moreand delicious in all the right ways. Upon arrival you'll receive complimentary chips and salsa. It was fresh as the chips were warm and I could taste the fresh ingredients in the salsa. We ordered the carne asada and the Baja tacos (and the enchiladas verdes to go based on hot good the food was). The carne asada was fantastic, and it came with rice, beans, and tortillas. The Baja tacos were delicious and came with a super spicy sauce (they did have a lot of onions which was my only drawback). We ended the night with a special strawberry tres leches for Valentine's Day. It's not something I would have typically ordered but I do love tres leches and this did not disappoint - it was amazing. All in all excellent food you'll be glad you came for the food! A few other notes- the inside of the restaurant is pretty and draws on what I've seen in other Mexican restaurants. Staff were so friendly and had the perfect balance of checking in with us to letting us eat our meal. There is a small bar area that is separate from the dining area. Street parking only but there seemed to be plenty of spots. However, I would try to park as close as possible to the restaurant as the neighborhood itself didn't seem like the greatest. We had no issues during our experience but just something to consider. Overall I really liked this place and will definitely return!