Tia Maria Authentic Mexican Restaurant

We ate here on ¹²⁄₅ (Friday) based on largely positive Unilocal reviews. We arrived around 5:45 and left about an hour later. We were the only diners present this entire time… now we know why. We left surprised and confused by the good reviews. Our server was quiet and seemed more afraid of us than interested in helping us. But the main issue we had was with the blandness of the food. The guacamole was good, but the chips that came with it were basic grocery-​store fare. We had a burrito and a sope. We both had steak. The steak itself was ok, but quite bland. The sope in particular was flavorless, with an over abundance of lettuce on top. Referring to temperature, the food was warm and needed to be hotter. The atmosphere is probably good when there are many guests, but that certainly wasn’t the case during our visit. We wanted to like this place, but the execution just doesn’t seem to be there.

I enjoyed my food, got up to pay my $ 7 bill, i handed her a 20 and she said she couldn’t make change and i needed to give her something smaller, and when i just asked her to give me a 10 back she could not even give me that. If my friend wasn’t with to pay with her debit card for me instead i am not sure what they would have done. I don’t understand how a restaurant doesn’t at least have change for a 20.

The Pozole was awesome. My wife had the enchiladas verdes. She said these were the best she had in years. We will be back. I highly recommend this restaurant.

.SALT, SALT, SALT. VERY BLAND AND FLAVORLESS. if u live in crete, do urself the favor and drive to the heights. the chkn was was overcooked and had no taste. was taken back to see i was given store bought chips, NO SELF RESPECTING MEXICAN would serve that, and the blandest salsa ive ever had… might b ok if more tasting was done by anyone

Had dinner from there just last night !! What a wonderful little gem…
If you are in Crete, you need to stop and eat (or have ice cream) here.
The food is wonderful, tasty and you can tell homemade!

I was a little worried when we placed our takeout order and a good 15 minutes or so went by when we received our food, but I was pleasantly surprised. The food was still hot when we got home (we only live about a half of a mile away) and it was definitely good. We both had the Enchiladas DF (enchiladas verdes), with chicken, and they asked if we wanted them hot/spicy…of COURSE we want them hot. One bite in and my mouth was burning a bit. Totally worth it. While we were waiting for our order, we saw someone bring a burrito the size of a small child to someone in the dining room. It actually made me reconsider my order.
As nice as Crete is, the food choices are kind of lacking. I’m so happy there’s a decent restaurant within walking distance of our house now.

We have been there several times since they opened and everything we have tried is excellent. It tastes like Mom’s cooking! Service is wonderful and make sure to try their dessert and a Mexican Coffee. Yum!

Food is great. the place is very nice atmosphere we will be returning

If you live in Crete, then you know the scarcity of really good food options in town. I was a bit skeptical at first as to the authenticity of the food but I was very pleasantly surprised.
I had a gordita stuffed with grilled poblano peppers, grilled onions, refried beans, cheese and sour cream. I also tried a chicken taco that came with cilantro and onions, the way authentic tacos are supposed to be, not with tomatoes, lettuce and cheese like you find at most restaurants. Both were very good, not
greasy at all, and definitely authentic. I was also brought a cup of veggie soup and it was delicious. It reminded me of my mom’s caldo de pollo.
The owner is also very nice. I had the chance to chat with him. It seems they set up a taco stand every year at the Crete Market on Main and Exchange during May-​October, and they now have a permanent spot to sell their delicious food.
If you live in Crete or near the area, I encourage you to try this place out. It’s right in front of the Crete police station. The prices are great, the food was delicious and the service was impeccable. You won’t be dissapointed.