Excellent place we've been going to for years. Food is great, and they treat you like family when in there. They may even tell you off (joking) as this is that type of place. Have it whenever we can when in Mason City. read more

We mosied on over on a Tuesday night after hearing this place had some legit grub and we were pleasantly surprised by what we found. First things first, this spot has some shwack hours - a few nights a week from 5:30-8:30 and on Sunday. Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday they have an a la carte menu that includes, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas and tostadas, as well as their infamous chips. Seriously, the chips here are the best I've ever had. They were most-def homemade, crunchy and come with cheese dip and salsa! Absolutely incredible! Dinner consisted of enchiladas and tostadas, both of which were excellent! The enchilada was superb with an incredible amount of cheese inside and out. The tostada was delicious as well. This place defines a dive and it was great. The interior is a hodgepodge of decors that keep a pseudo Mexican theme, while meeting an American Gas Station. The icing on the Mexican inspired cake is the fact that you get to sign the wall on your way out! Worth checking out, but be sure to call ahead as they fill up quick most nights. read more

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Great food, I love the cheese dip and Margaritas, long time staple in Mason City! The restaurant is very cozy and comfortable,

Great food. The service was SLOOOOOW but sociable. I recommend the homemade chips and the deep fried taco shells. Just don' t go if you're in a hurry. Let's face it... some of the best places for Mexican food are holes in the wall. This place is no exception. Small place. Not fancy. Great food. read more

Pastime Gardens - Taco plate - Mexican Near Me - Mason City, Iowa

Here we are with another Mason City staple! Now as a Californian I like to think that I am from the place where Mexican food is just the best in all of the country, however Pastime can give some of those places a run for their money. Taco Tuesday is the day to go to Pastime, you'll probably wait a bit but it's well worth it! Trust me. You'll have the options of what type of tacos you would like, I personally chose chicken, and there's the options of wheat, corn or flour tortillas, and if I had known this I would have chose corn, but mine did come with flour and they were still pretty delicious! I would have liked a little more crunch but overall YUM!!! You also have to order the chips and cheese dip. The salsa is spicy but good spicy. And these chips cannot be found anywhere else. They are like pita chips but not overly crunchy and they just go so well with the cheese dip and the salsa! So if you have enough patience to wait a bit for tacos that will change your life, give Pastime a chance and enjoy! read more

I remember going to the Pastime when it was operated by the original owners way back in the 1970s. I was almost drooling by the time Saturday rolled around as my parents would order take out every weekend. Definitely was considered a culinary highlight in my life. This is NOT Taco Tico or Taco Johns or anything you would find in another MC restaurant, then or even now. When rumor spread that the original owners were selling the place, fear arose that the new buyers would totally change everything to meet their own liking and then my Saturdays would be ruined Turns out, I had nothing to worry about as the new buyers are super duper smart. They were not looking to change things up. Patiently, they learned how to make the famous dishes EXACTLY how the original owners intended and even promised to keep the recipes a secret. (Do you know how many awful renditions of cheese enchildas I suffered through as my dad tried SO hard to duplicate the savory flavor at home? yikes.) So now, many, many years later, one of my few requests when I visit home is to hit the Pastime for their amazing food. Every bite brings back memories. THANK YOU FOR NOT CHANGING!! I would have to disagree with the 1st reviewer that their food is not authentic as she probably doesn't know the story of the original hispanic owners and THEIR recipes they brought from homeland to worldly MC. The good news is, is that you won't find Pastime dishes drowning in cheese or loaded up with nasty shredded lettuce and boring salsas. They make their salsas from scratch - so fresh. Everything is perfectly proportioned. The atmosphere is hip, definitely eclectic and even the music is a refreshing treat. (No Muzac or Casey Kasim there!) The place is a MUST when you visit MC. And if you live close by, start making you're own weekend traditions, if you haven't already. You'll be super glad you did! read more

The person making the food rambles o and is drunk when you go to pick up the food. And it is even started and then takes forever to be made. She's nice but super drunk and can't be quiet for 20 seconds. You have to fake friendly conversation with a pathetic drunk just to get her to make the food you ordered an hour ago. read more

The Chips are unlike any place I have seen for the chips n salsa. The salsa is really good. I ordered the beef burrito and it was alright. Might have been jealous when I saw my co-worker's food. He ordered a Taco Salad and that thing was huge. It isn't like any other Taco Salad I have seen. I comes topped with carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, and other fresh veggies. Yes they are fresh, I could hear them cutting them up just for his order. My order was pretty good size as well. The portions are bases on small, medium and large. We each got a medium and we could have easily been fine with a small. Barely ate all of that and all I wanted to do after-wards was take a nap but had to brave the humid weather and get back to work. The place isn't very big, think it only seats 49 people. The hours: Wednesday-Saturday = 11:30 - 430 (Saturday - Ala Carte Only, Other days full dinners) Tuesday & Thursday = 530 - 830 (Tuesday - Ala Carte Only, Thursday - Full Dinners) Would go back!!! read more

My parents frequent Pastime Gardens at least once a week, if not more. They dream of the homemade chips, cheese sauce, salsa (so good) and guacamole (if it is available). I've been to Pastimes several times in the past and love the atmosphere. The interior is incredibly unique as are the ladies who run the business. The food is their own interpretation of Mexican, so don't expect authentic. However, this isn't a bad thing. You can order sauteed peppers and onions on your food as well, in case you'd like some veggies with your meal. Try Pastime Gardens, but expect to wait. It is a small place and is usually packed. You could also order takeout as we've seen many, many people come in and pick up their orders. read more

Great atmosphere, very unique place if you want a real restaurant and not a chain experience this is the place to go. They have a limited menu on the weekend and I think Tuesday nights. The Saturday crowd can be large so come early or be patient it is worth the wait. read more

I had my wedding rehearsal dinner here and it was ahmazzzzing! Karen and Kate are the best! They closed the place down just for our party and we had a delicious mexican buffet. Everyone especially loved the chips (so fluffy!!!) and cheese and the enchiladas. One of our guests has some severe allergies and Kate was so great to make a special meal just for her. We had about 40 people and everyone had a great time drinking, eating, and doing some graffitti on the walls! It's a very eclectic and fun environment. Best. Rehearsal Dinner. Ever!!! read more

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Where do I begin?! This is my favorite place in Mason City! The owners are friendly and fun and the atmosphere is eclectic! It is a small neighborhood bar that has been in town for over 50 years. My grandmother used to walk here from here house just down the street. The food is as unique as the place itself. Everything is made fresh and my oh my is it tasty! It is not your typical tasting Mexican food but it is great. You can't beat this place for a good meal and a great time! read more

Pastime Gardens - Mexican Near Me - Mason City, Iowa

Visibly fun place, chips good, not a bad place if you are driving thru mason city. Food was good, had the chille relleno. read more

Pastime Gardens - Pretty fun eclectic restaurant. ..chips really good waiting on my chille relleno - Mexican Near Me - Mason City, Iowa

Great atmosphere. Don't go here if you need your food quick, but the food is great. The chips are unlike any other chips that I've had. Some people LOVE them, I think they're just ok. They also have a few craft beers on tap, which is a definite plus. A super tiny restaurant with weird hours, but it's pretty great. read more

Great find in Mason City. My wife needed a quick bite and had to be dairy free. Most accommodating. Thanks read more

Pastime Gardens - a woman standing in front of a building - Mexican Near Me - Mason City, Iowa

Amazing amazing amazing is the only comment I have. Lived in S. Cal for over a decade and know what Mexican food is. 3 ladies run the place. One cooks, one serves, and one handles the bar. I read the reviews and the most negative reviews were a wait of 1.5 after ordering the food. Even if I had to wait 1.5 hours to get the food - it is worth the wait- every second. Never in my life have I tasted something soooooo fresh. It is simply unimaginable to get food made from scratch after you order especially from a restaurant - including the tortillas - yes. Enchilada made from scratch (yes scratch) after you order. We also had the tostada, quesadilla, burrito, etc etc. The only negative is their hours. Open Limited evenings. They open at 5.30 pm on Tuesday- we got there at 5.31 pm and they only had 1 open table This should tell you a lot. read more

Original, homemade, and so delicious. Select hours is worth timing out to get there. It's always worth the wait!!!! Best chips salsa around!!!!! read more

True authentic Mexican food cooked up by some great ladies!

Chips are great. The service is down to earth. These ladies have been doing it for sometime. They know what they are doing. If you don't like it go back to the cities. I have celiacs disease and they accommodate that too. read more

Good food, good portions and a nice atmosphere but the hours are horrible. They are hardly ever open. It's a shame I could eat there a lot more but oh well. read more

A different take on Mexican. Their homemade chips with cheese sauce and salsa are amazing. Solid choice for lunch or dinner.

Pastime Gardens is one of the three reasons I come home! Great food an consistent since the 70s! Lunch at pastime gardens an dinner at northwest steak house is the perfect Mason City day! read more

Not sure where all the great reviews came from. I ordered the relleno plate and it was a quarter can of green chillies and cheese in a tortilla fried. Beans and potatoes were fine. I think if I went back again I would just drink. Kind of a cool dive bare and the staff was pleasant. read more

The food here has that straight from the kitchen flavor...love the salsa. i always double my order so i can take it home and have leftovers. Bits of pan crust on the tortillas are my favorite. Its a great example of dive-bar taco heaven. read more

We were visiting Mason City and asked several locals, but no one had heard of this restaurant. Believing in Yelp, we persisted until we found this tiny place and were rewarded with great food. The tostadas were piled high with goodness and the burritos were excellent. Just note that the place is a little hard to find, the hours are limited, and they have a limited a la carte menu about half the time they are open. read more

The chips are to amazing! Seriously the best I've ever had! I also loved the taco I ordered!! And in the past I've ordered a taco salad and it was awesome. .. I'm a veggie lover and this wasn't ur traditional lettuce only salad... it had fresh cauliflower, broccoli plus all the traditional taco salad toppings. So good! The only negative to this place is that it isn't open enough!!!! read more

It's kind of fun to go here for a beer and chips and salsa. The place has a fun personality. It's expensive for the meals considering the quality, though. read more

I can only speculate about the positive ratings for this place. My wife and I put this restaurant in our memorable category for the worst Mexican food we've ever eaten. They should not even be allowed to use the word Mexican on the menu. Even the refried beans were awful. Bad food and unbelievably slow service pretty much sums this place up. read more