If you know anything about Texas Mexican food, you know Ninfa's. Ninfa's has been around forever, and has a great reputation. Unfortunately, my first visit sucked. We asked for a table for 2, and she led us to the bar. I said we would rather sit in the restaurant. Her immediate attitude was what's wrong with where I want to seat you. She just stood there and looked at me. I said forget it and we sat down. There should never be a problem sitting a guest where they want. It's my fault for letting it end there. We don't sit in the bar because I don't drink, and we like a nice quiet meal. College football was on every tv, so it wasn't quiet. That being said, our meal was wonderful. Loved the chips and hot sauce. Glenda's shrimp and spinach enchiladas were to die for. While my soft flour tortilla beef tacos were slightly greasy, they were delicious. The soft tortillas were falling apart from the grease, and he immediately brought me new ones. We definitely enjoyed our meal, and the server was wonderful. Their dining room is beautiful at Christmas time, which is why we wanted to sit in there. Next time, I'll stand my ground. Our meal definitely lived up to Ninfa's reputation, so we will be back. Sorry, no pictures cause I was pissed! read more

Basic mexican food, no huge complaints. The plates were kind of expensive. The workers were nice.

We stop at Ninfas every single time we pass through Waco. Great food and service. We stopped today. Hostess was a 5 star employee. Extremely accommodating. Super helpful. We prefer booths. Went out of her way and cleaned a booth for us. Could I have given her 5 stars, definitely would Have. She had glasses and a bun. Didn't catch her name. I blame myself to a certain extent for the dining experience. I requested the bar area when we couldn't get a booth in the dining area. Stephanie - bartender- was decent but never brought the drink refill we requested so my husband stopped eating because..well we need something to drink. She never came back. After 20 minutes of Waiting, (mind you- she had 2 tables at that point- one of them being us)- I decided to go to the bar and stand there and ask for the ticket. She walked towards me and didn't acknowledge me. The bartender behind her is the one who did. Went down hill from there. Being a server before .::I get it. It's hard work. Too many different personalities walking through that door. But we have to put our best foot forward because that's our bread and butter . We never ever leave less than 25-30% tip because I've been there. She got 10%. Won't ask for the bar area again. read more

I was not expecting authentic, but I was expecting edible. There were warning signs. The lack of melanin gifted individuals in the establishment and the absence of the classic tex-mex smell that they pump into the air should have clued me in. The salsa verde was delightful, but that's where the joy ended. We ordered a fajita combo. Chicken, beans, rice, a chile relleno, and tortillas. A hard plate to mess up... When the food arrived, however, both the waiter and I had a moment of shared confusion. The centerpiece of the plate was a chunk of chicken so pale it could've starred in a Twilight reboot. It had a suspicious pink hue, though, to be fair, my trust issues with chicken make me an unreliable narrator. No problem, I'm not a huge meat fan anyway. I load up a tortilla (flour because we weren't given the option of corn) with rice, beans, and the accoutrements. The rice was gummy and lacked flavor, and similar to the chicken, the tortillas were raw. Look, the service was fine, the establishment clean, and the salsa delightful, but the food? That's where dreams and potentially health codes go to die. read more

Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Waco, Texas

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Came by do an early dinner. We wanted to sit in a booth so they sat us in the bar area so we were seated quickly which was nice. The waitress was nice and attentive and kept our drinks and chips filled. The salsas had a nice kit to then and had a good flavor. We got the carnitas and the Tejas combo. The food overall was ok. The beans were really good, but the rice not so much. It lacked in flavor. The carnitas were a little dry and also needed some seasoning. The taco was a basic taco, nothing special and the enchilada had a lot of cheese, but again everything was lacking in flavor. There were a lot of good choices and options, maybe we should have ordered something else. A nice touch was that the tortillas were hot and homemade. read more

Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant - Carnitas Plate - Mexican Near Me - Waco, Texas

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This is our go-to restaurant when we visit Waco! The food is delicious and the service is great! This spot is a must try if you're in Waco!!! read more

Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant - Outside of Ninfa's - Mexican Near Me - Waco, Texas

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Stopped in since we were on that side of town. No wait on a Sunday afternoon. Red & green sauce is always great. The queso on top of the pussy tostada was great. Husbands nachos were large with a huge portion of fajita meat. read more

Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant - Beef fajita nachos - Mexican Near Me - Waco, Texas

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Service was speedy for our group of 7. Atmosphere was lively. Waiter was attentive and nice. Food was good overall, nothing that blew our minds though. The seasoned beef in the taco salad was really flavorful. read more

We ate at your restaurant for 1st time and we must give a shout out to our server Annette. She was very attentive and provided excellent service with super fun attitude. read more

Although I grew up in Houston where Ninfa's was founded, I had never been to the restaurant and had always been worried that I had missed out, but after our visit here yesterday I knew that wasn't the case. Although we had an amazing server, my food came out barely warm, and their signature Margarita was overly sweet. Overall it was very disappointing. read more

When I was young and Texas Mexican food was an eye and palate opening experience for me, a friend of mine, who moved to Texas along with me in 1978, invited me to visit her in Houston. That same year, "Mama" Ninfa Laurenzo had expanded from her original tiny restaurant on Navigation in Houston, and added a second restaurant, on Westheimer. If you don't know the story, Mama's take on Mexican and TexMex cuisine was so different for the time that her tiny business took off like a word of mouth rocket. She expanded to the Dallas market by 1980 and then folded here in Dallas a few years later. I first had her food and fell in love with Ninfa's on that Houston visit. I was broken hearted when her restaurants were unsuccessful in Dallas. I had a few more visits to Houston and Ninfa's - the intoxicating food and perfect service and oh, that amazing secret green sauce. I could eat just that. Well, the Laurenzo family has been out of the business since the late 1990's and Mama Ninfa died at 77 in 2001. Although there are many licensed restaurants, I don't know who owns this one in Waco and I've read that it's not really the same anywhere; but we wanted to check it out. All the usual Ninfa logos are present and some thoughtful designers have taken this old warehouse space and made it a Hispanic themed thing of beauty with windows galore and arching timbers and fake and real second story balconies. A Tyler based artist has painted the most incredible murals of local sights on the walls. They are a treasure and if they were ever to close this space, they would want to save this community art. The proverbial green salsa was delicious, although it was definitely not like the original smooth creamy Ninfa's Green Salsa. I've had gallons. Well, pints. This was chunky and pale, (but oddly, in a good way). It was just not Mama Ninfa's way. But yes, I still had two bowls! The red salsa was perfect for us. Roughly chopped, terrific heat and served warm. Great on chips, rice, and beans. The menu was modern, yet still very Ninfa-esque here in Waco. Carnivores rejoice! All the meats are well represented in Nachos, Quesadillas, Soups and Salads, Burrito and Enchilada dinners, a long list of Ninfa Originals and Oriiginal Fajita Platters with a host of specialty toppings you can add. There's Chicken and Heart Healthy Platters with La Parilla (Grilled) Platters, Seafood Specialities and Platos Mexicanos rounding out a widely varied menu. There are spinach and cheese entrees and some charro beans for vegetarians; but aside from the seafood entrees, it's all about the steak or ribs or pork or brisket or beef in some form here at Ninfa's. They do have some beautiful sounding desserts, as well. I noticed 14 lunch specials available M-F 11-4 pm, too! I had the Pork Carnita Mole Enchiladas ($13.89 for 2) which tasted a little like an ultimate subtle BBQ sauce on very tender pork topped with Monterrey Jack cheese. The Mexican rice got dollops of red salsa from me. The refried pinto beans were smooth and buttery. The charro beans were not an extra charge as they were supposed to be substituted and they were heavenly. I love charra beans and these were perfection. Not too soft in a yummy bean broth. My husband opted for the Original Pork Tenderloin Fajita Platter. Same thing. Rice and beans; and this fried corn tortilla cup with not enough guacamole or pico de gallo for everything and too much sour cream. Isn't it always like that? Fajitas: $18.49. For what I saw on that plate, it was too expensive for 4 oz. of meat. My husband wanted at least the usual toppings - a little cheese, more chopped tomato, cilantro, maybe lettuce. He had so much grilled onion leftover in comparison to anything else. On to service. Let me just say, everyone was nice. The service was rocky. Except for reception, the vibe was "understaffed." When a server is literally running, it's not a good look. But they have a salsa server, bus boy, waiter and waiters who are runners if they are available (it appeared). Why should a waiter be running to our table, to the bar, to the kitchen? It was weird and we got our items from others because of whatever he was having to do. Sweaty, slightly disheveled and breathing hard, we were at first concerned, then accepting and we would ask just anyone for what we needed. Poor guy. So we packed up our leftovers, went around and took pictures and left. My husband accidentally crashed a birthday party on a second level. He had just wanted to see what was up there. He took a terrific picture, though, from "up there." It was $40 including tip for a trip down memory lane. $1 per year and that was okay. We would give it another shot. read more

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Very heavy on the Tex, not so much on the Mex. My son's kid menu beef taco was so greasy that it melted the tortilla and he was unable to pick it up. Husband ordered a brisket burrito. He didn't read further and was surprised when the burrito has bbq sauce and pickles on it. The highlight of the meal was the flour tortillas. They were amazing. The building is beautiful and staff were friendly. The food was made for those that like to cover their food in white gravy. read more

Waco location - nice atmosphere, Beef fajitas were served with fresh flour tortillas and good by most standards, the crawfish enchiladas were a stand out and very good as well, service was slow but otherwise a good experience and would recommend if in the area. read more

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Service was fair but the food was disappointing. I ordered enchiladas with tomatillo sauce and they were just really lacking in taste. The beans and rice were also very mediocre too. They need new kitchen staff. I've never had a bad meal here in the past (it's been several years). They seated us at the bar even though the main room was mostly empty. It's sad to see this happen because it's such a cool place. read more

Trash Beer The food was fine. Not great but not bad either. We sat at the bar and the service was really good. The bartender was attentive and helpful. The food was pretty good with the exception being the Tamale which was really good. I ordered a Shiner which was ice cold however it tasted like rotten garbage smells. This is caused by dirty beer lines. Based on my experience in the alcohol industry, I know that line cleaning is a service often offered by the beer distributors. If it isn't in this location, the restaurant should consider this part of the cost of doing business. CLEAN YOUR BEER LINES! I drank about half of the Shiner then ordered a Dos Equis. Same thing. Rotten garbage. CLEAN YOUR BEER LINES!! read more

Great food and quick service! We were with a large group while attending a conference and they sat us right away. We had an incredible waitress who was fun and tended to us well. I had the El Jorge lunch plate and it was perfect! So tasty and the perfect amount of food. read more

WOW, just WOW. DELICIOUS food, we love the fajitas here! Both the steak and the chicken fajitas are very juicy, and the tortillas are amazing and fluffy! 10/10 read more

A great Mexican restaurant in the heart of Waco...food was quick to come out. Service was decent, and the food and drinks were amazing, enchiladas and tacos were to die for, and drinks were delicious! Great atmosphere, a perfect stop for great Mexican food! read more

Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant - Enchiladas & a cold Lone Star - Mexican Near Me - Waco, Texas

Horrible food and service was just as bad. When I ordered a burrito, I asked the waiter to make sure the meat wasn't swimming in grease. He said he'd make sure to let the kitchen know. As expected, it came out soaked in grease. He never came back to check on how the food was. Had to ask for a manager after 20 minutes. Never again. read more

Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant - All that grease!!! - Mexican Near Me - Waco, Texas

We love to eat here when in Waco! Amazing food and spacious dining room! Waiters were fast and nice. The desserts are huge

We have been coming here for years, every single time it's delicious, fresh, & excellent service. Everyone is nice and it's clean. read more

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Super excited to see a Ninfa's, as we're big fans of the New Mexico locations (Albuquerque, Santa Fe, etc.). Located in the Spice Market, this restaurant was really convenient, as it's just a hop, skip and a jump across the street from the Hilton, which was where my group and I were staying for the night. If I could've made a meal out of chips and green sauce, I would've (the sauce is THAT good). However, I ordered the BBQ Brisket Enchiladas and subbed Cilantro Cream Sauce for the BBQ sauce. But upon arrival, I was sad to see that the brisket was sliced instead of shredded (or even chopped) and that it was basically big hunks of fat and no meat. The sauce was good and I loved the spices in the refried beans, but the rice was bland and really dry. I also ordered a Coconut Margarita, which was an electric blue when it arrived. I realized it was a coconut syrup, so I stirred many, many times to mix it together, but it never ended up tasting like coconut... just a really strong, cheap frozen margarita. Our waitress wasn't very friendly either. Since it was Cinco de Mayo, I assume she was frazzled or just didn't want to be working on such a busy day, but she basically disappeared once our order was taken. Three different servers came by our table for chip refills, order delivery and to clear the plates. We were never even asked if we needed more drinks. Sorry to say that Ninfa's didn't live up to its name in Texas. read more

Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant - Brisket Enchiladas with Cilantro Cream Sauce - Mexican Near Me - Waco, Texas

Good margaritas. The Spider-Man drink was good. The food was decent. We had a good time. I wish I had reviewed my bill closer as I had been overcharged on the number of total drinks we had--my fault for not noticing and saying something. read more

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The food was nasty. The bread tasted disgusting. my son got sick after from beans. The chicken tasted raw read more

I'm giving this place 2 stars because we went in expecting better. $66 for bad food with hardly any flavor. We ordered the spinach and shrimp enchiladas, way too much spinach stuffed into the enchilada and barely any shrimp. The beans were okay, the rice was ehh, there wasn't much flavor to either sides along with the enchiladas. The "fresh" flour tortillas tasted rubbery? I didn't get to enjoy my food as I had hoped... The service was nice and good to us, got us everything we needed quickly. The place inside is nice and clean with balcony seating overlooking the floor tables and booths, and also had nice dim lighting. I wish the food had been better with the nice setting it has, otherwise I would consider recommending to others or would even consider coming back. read more

We had a very nice dinner there! A few mixed reviews here but we went and really liked the drinks and the food. Tried the brisket enchiladas since I was in Texas! read more

Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant - Sign - Mexican Near Me - Waco, Texas

Tex mex food,service is pretty fast,after 6 PM it is usualy waiting line. Nice location with easy parking

This was not our first choice of restaurant the evening we went out with our group, but it turn out to be great. The green enchilada was delicious very flavorful and filling. Staff was very attentive and friendly. We got there around 7 pm and it was very busy. read more

Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Waco, Texas

Ok food. Slow waiters, many of them kept going to the bathroom and waiting around the entrance.

First of all I was seated and sat for an extended time. Never offered water. Food was below average. I have eaten there many times. My order was supposed to have charro beans and had refried. My server put food on table and left. Just not as good as I have had in past. read more

Excellent food and staff. The salsa was warmed up which hits like marinara at first then the beat kicks in. I ordered nachos and they were great. Only negative was it was so busy it took a while to get things but it's worth the wait. read more

Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant - Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Waco, Texas

Ninfa's is a staple in H-town and I was surprised to see a location in Waco. Mom wanted Mexican food and wanted it quickly, so in we went. This is what happens when you don't shop with snacks, lol. The interior of this Ninfa's is ginormous - incredibly massive. And, despite there not being too many folks dining when we visited, our server was often MIA. It took a while to place our order, get chips and salsa and then to get a HH drink order placed. She was very friendly when we did see her, but it took some effort on several occasions and I was tempted to flag someone else over many times. My mom ordered the equivalent of Casa Ole's Summer Special - or was that Monterrey House? Definitely old school. One crispy taco, chalupa and a queso covered tortilla. I ordered enchiladas and immediately remembered why I prefer non big chain, locally owned places. The food is average and with Yelp, I'm used to my baseline being pretty dang good. But, alas, I knew Ninfa's would deliver average food, at best, and it was my momma mia's turn to choose. In Ninfa's defense, I also am a huge fan of authentic Mexican and would characterize this as Tex-Mex at best. So, if you love Tex-Mex, maybe give them a try. If you're looking for more flavor, use of spices and family owned from a less corporate standpoint, keep Yelping and scroll past Ninfa's. read more

My friends and I ate a late lunch at Ninfa's after visiting Magnolia Market. We arrived just when happy hour was starting, which is 2-4 pm on Friday's. I had the frozen sangria swirl margarita and it was delicious. Very strong and a great happy hour price at $4.50. Our table ordered the chili con queso and it was good. I really enjoyed the fresh salsa they sent to the table as well. I didnt order an entree but one of my friends ordered the spinach enchiladas and she really enjoyed them. Our server was super friendly and funny. If you're in Waco, try this place out! If you're checking Magnolia Market out like we were, it's just a short 8-10 minute walk. Thanks for a fun afternoon! read more

Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant - Sangria swirl- happy hour special! - Mexican Near Me - Waco, Texas

Ninfa's Mexican Chips and salsa are good, I like the red salsa served warm but it has a little kick, the green sauce is nice and refreshing. Ordered the Chimichanga dinner and the specialty. WTF, this is not a chimichanga, it is a lousy underwhelmed burrito or something to that fact. read more

Good food and service. I'd go back again. If I had to complain about anything it would be the heat coming in from the windows. Blinds would be helpful. read more

First time in Waco. We tried Ninfa's based on a friend's recommendation and we weren't disappointed! My son had the shrimp quesadillas and I had the chicken nachos - both very good! Nachos were very cheesy and the chicken was plentiful. When you get to the table, they bring out chips and salsa. The green salsa is unusual and very very tasty : ) read more

Such a great experience! Angie at the bar made our lunch amazing with her customer service! Thank you...

How do i leave negative stars. put in a catering order a week ago, went to pick up order at time specified, they said 20 more minutes-- no big deal. Came back, and have been waiting for over an hour. insanity. read more

It's a chain and is moderate decent Mexican food. We stopped as we were in a hurry. P0

First of all our waitress April was great. That was the highlight. We arrived and put our name on the list and when we being seated we asked for a booth. They said if we wanted a booth we'd have to go back to the bottom of the wait list. What? Really. With three empty booths? Ridiculous But the food was worse. We had the fajitas, beef and chicken. The chicken looked like it had been boiled the steak was ok. But overall the food was dismal. It's an overrated place but at least the server was good. I'd pass on this place. If you want mediocre Mexican food, you'd do better at Taco Bell read more