Taqueria Mercado

I was excited to try this place based on previous reviews. Upon walking in, I was already disappointed. The floors were very dirty which made me wonder about the kitchen. We sat ourselves and a server shortly brought us menus but no greeting or welcome. She gave us menus and walked away. She returned to take our drink order. My margarita was ok but was very green and used a mix. She came back and took our food order. We ordered the parilla which came quickly and was good. We had to ask for plates and silverware. We didn’t see our waitress for the rest of our meal to check if we needed anything. I used the ladies room which was scary, dirty and contained two commodes in one room. I won’t be back.

I had a really mixed experience with this one. My wife and I went on a Sunday afternoon and overall I think we felt the place was «good not great».
The atmosphere was solid though the music in the main dining room was a bit loud for piped in background atmosphere. Thankfully, we were seated over on the side near the kitchen. If you want to have more of a conversation I would suggest asking to be seated on that side.
Service was friendly but a bit slow. For example, both our meals came with tortilla yet out main dishes were delivered to the table several minutes ahead of the tortillas. In fact, I saw them in the order up window and after our waiter passed them twice, I had to point them out to him. Not a huge deal, but it was little things like not refilling the water until we were almost done eating that took me out of the dining experience.
Both our dishes looked spectacular and mine tasted to match. I had the house special (a mix of chicken, rice, shrimp and queso sauce) and she had fajitas. Where I was really pleased with my meal, the fajitas could have used a bit more seasoning. They were just a bit bland tasting.
One place where this restaurant clearly excels is in the chips. We had to ask for them but when they arrived they were thicker cut chips with a nice, fresh flavor that made them stand out above other similar spots in Cincy.
I would try this place again if I were in the area hitting Jungle Jim’s and Mexican food was calling my name, but I don’t feel pulled to go out of my way to come back by my first visit.

Is this authentic Mexican food? Heck, I don’t know. I’m a gringa. But when I’ve been here, I’ve gotten delicious quesadillas and tamales. The servers have always been very kind, and the wait is never bad at all .The first time I went, they apologized for a ten minute wait with a free appetizer. The one thing I would change, if I could, is the ambiance. It almost feels like a lunch counter or diner.

Some of the best authentic Mexican food I’ve had in the Midwest! The salsa is so fresh and I don’t know what they put in their beans but I need more!
If you’re looking for something with ambience, this is not the place. I came here looking for good food and got exactly that

Went for the first time and very good! I didn’t sample much just the house special but it was amazing. Very fresh and very filling I could of shared it… the 4 tortillas are great to make your own tacos from the plate… The queso makes this dish a heavy one, it will stick to you… however I would order again. I wanted to take some home but couldn’t stop eating!!! All of the food looked really good and my friend recommends the pork tacos, I will be back to sample the tacos next time…
This placed was packed for lunch had to wait for a parking spot but got seated right away. I also was very pleased with the service (surprisingly) my drink came quick and my meal soon fallowed… I love little authentic Mexican spots like this, if in the area I suggest you try…

Good place. :) reminded me of being back in good old elp!
Everything was good and tasty. But for Me… omg. everything was a little too spicy/​hot. I got the chicken soup (freaking delicious) and two tacos. I should have just had the soup. Bc it was so big, I had no more room for the tacos. The soup was hot, delicious and filled with stuff :) it was great! But it had a lot of heat. I saw bits of jalapeños in it. One of my companions made a joke that even our water had jalapeños in it. Lol
The guacamole was great. Chunky, fresh, just the way I like it. The salsa was too hot for me. I thought I could take hest, but apparently I’m a big baby! Lol
When we were leaving, we noticed a sign about happy hour where margaritas were only $ 2.25 for a small or $ 4.50 for a large. Omg. Too bad I don’t drink. I’d be all up in it!
I only gave 3stars bc when we walked in, the place smelled like fabuloso. It kind of killed the hunger. Plus the place itself was kind of loud with sports TV.

Restaurant is part of a shopping strip consisting of mexican specialty shops including bakery and grocery store. Food was good and service was good too. Chips are served warm with spicy salsa. Overall a good place for a quick bite.

Beware of the bathroom!!! One person in our party got locked in and this is not the type of bathroom you want to be stuck in solo.
Food is very authentic, margaritas are strong. Brush up on your Spanish, por favor.

Great food, carne asada quesadilla was delicious. Service was really slow and a little unfriendly, but the food made up for it.

Always like to take my out of town friends here in combination with a trip to Jungle Jim’s. Best experience in Cincinnati for the price! I enjoy the tostadas and margaritas.

We stopped here to meet up with some friends while driving through Ohio. The selection was solely because of the Unilocal reviews. I wish we didn’t.
The chicken tamale was dry. The chips were stale. My son’s cheese «quesadilla» was dressed & looked like a taco. When I asked about it, the server claimed it was a quesadilla. They did bring us what we had asked for, but then the quesadilla was wet & leaking water.
The burrito mercado was good (smothered in queso, how could it not be!?), but not good enough to make up for some other major fails. Including a loooooong wait time. They brought food one plate at a time. My 20 month old, hungry son was last to get hi plate – 15 mins after the first person got their food & it his food was wrong!

Always great food and drinks !!! The staff is great !!! But the food is off the chain

Yummy authentic Mexican with great service. Try the chimichanga. They also have good margaritas! Only reason I don’t give a 5 star rating is no free chips and salsa, it is a charge.

This place is simply the best Mexican food you’ll find in the area. If you’re from OH and your idea of good mex is a chain like HH Burritos (which means you like a white rice to meat ratio of 10:1) this isn’t for you. If you like a lot of food, a lot of MEAT, great prices, and a joint that only added Nachos for the Gringos, then step up and try this place.
Try the ceviche. The carnitas torta. You have to appreciate that it’s ALL made on site, fresh, to order. It’s not the same every time, and that’s ok. I love the reviews that say «the chips were too crunchy» or «where’s the cheddar cheese on my taco?» Please just head to The Bell and free up a seat for me. This place is killer and if good Mexican food is your thing, you’ll enjoy and you’ll be hooked.

I’m giving this place 5 stars because their pricing is excellent. You can go here and get good authentic quality for the price. There are a few trendy mexican places around town but this place can definitely hang because you get the best bang for your buck in Cincinnati.
They have breakfast which is rare for a Mexican place in town although I can’t remember what I got. I have been here many times for lunch and dinner though. Just know the chips and salsa do not come with the meal but hey, it’s good if you get it. Guacamole was pretty good as well. The quesadilla is great — good size and plenty of quesa fresca. The Cubana sandwich was very good too. I typically pick up some carnitas tacos for a meal and they’re just as quick as fast food for the same price. They include limes with the tacos. I haven’t had anything I didn’t like yet.
Also there is a mexican supermarket next door which has some meats, produce, and pantry items that you can try your hand with at home. I think this place does it right and I am always excited to go back.

Taqueria Mercado is a wonderful authentic Mexican restaurant. The restaurant is in a small strip mall next to a Mexican bakery, and general store.
I got the lunch special of two chicken tacos, and my mom got the fajitas lunch special. Both were about 7 dollars and came with beans and rice. They had a bunch of specials on the menu for lunch other than what we got as well.
My chicken tacos were incredible! I added some of this green sauce they had at their table that I believe was house made and was incredible.
The tacos were full of great chicken, onions and some cilantro with limes. They were simple and delicious. The rice was amazing to put in the tacos, if you can fit them they’re so full.
My mom thought her fajitas were great, but nothing to rave about. Definitely more authentic than going to a Chili’s and getting some for 12 dollars.
The place was packed at 3 on a Friday and that amazed me as well until I got my tacos and then I understood because I would go at any time of day to eat some!
If you want some authentic, yummy and reasonable food definitely check this place out! I was so full afterwards and incredibly happy with what I ordered. I would’ve ordered more if I wasn’t so full

I am personally not a huge fan of Mexican cuisine in general, but this place is my favorite spot in Cincinnati to go to for it. not to mention it’s connected to a Mexican market and a Mexican bakery (their tres leche cake is the bomb BTW). I literally like any taco/​quesadilla here. whether it’s the chicken, steak, fish, or beef tongue. Everything is made fresh here and is not greasy at all. and still has so much flavor. I also love the tortillas they use.
The only complaint that I have is that the servers are not very attentive. so ask for everything you need when you first place your order. I’ve experienced this multiple times.
However, the food here is quite worth it and I always make an effort to make the drive out there to get my fix. You must try this hidden gem!

Fish taco was amazing. Brisket and tripe taco, not so good. Horchata was good. Mercado special was good. Rice and beans were okay. Chips were warm and salsa was good.
Service was really slow and subpar. My server forgot my rice and beans and did not even come back to check on us after we ordered. Also, the place is really cold. They must not have the heat on or something. We are with our coats on the entire time.

A friend of mine was visiting for the weekend, and we decided to stop here for lunch since it was conveniently on our way to Jungle Jim’s and I had read good things about it. As we pulled up, I recalled that my husband and I had once pulled into this same parking lot, surveyed the restaurant, and ended up eating somewhere down the street. But you can’t judge a book by its cover, right (or a restaurant by its’ off-​putting storefront)? We were instructed to seat ourselves shortly after walking in, so we settled into a booth on the left side of the restaurant, near the bar. We ordered Guacamole, Carne Asada Tacos, and a large Veggie Quesadilla. They brought chips and salsa out with the guacamole, so I’m not entirely sure if chips and salsa come complimentary, since they weren’t brought out as promptly as they normally are at Mexican restaurants. As the rest of our food was brought out, suddenly the music just started blaring, like loud inappropriate club music that you don’t expect to hear at 1:00 in the afternoon. With the kind of lyrics you don’t want your children exposed to. :-P
After bringing me a box for my leftovers — that large quesadilla was very large indeed! — our waitress failed to reappear with the check. We eventually just went up to the front counter, and the cashier was able to pull our order up after we told her what we’d had. My friend had ordered his tacos with just lettuce and cheese, but he was charged extra for these ingredients. All in all, the food was fine, but the service was questionable and the overall atmosphere was very off-​putting. I doubt I’ll be back.

It’s funny how things can be connected.
I learned of this restaurant in a most indirect way. I was in Mason at the Kings Automall and stopped at Taqueria Maya. The manager and I had a conversation as I paid the check. One or two months later, he was at Taqueria Mixteca in Trotwood (near Dayton). We talked a couple of times, and he told me that he was related to the owner of Taqueria Mercado.
Since the food at the other places was good, I thought that this place was an easy choice. I had to use GPS to find this place, as it can be confusing. It wasn’t far from U.S. Bank and it was directly across from Michel Tires Plus.
I was greeted almost as soon as I opened the door. There were two sides, with the cash register directly back from the front door. I was ushered into the right side and told to take any seat.
I don’t remember anyone’s name, but everyone was friendly. When asked for a drink order, I got sweet tea, and she brought a huge glass back.
I ended up ordering fish tacos with rice and beans. Since it was Saturday, the lunch combos cost an extra $ 1.00, for a total of $ 7.95. Since I asked for fish tacos, that was $ 1.00 extra for each of the two.
They were worth it. The mixture of onions, tomatoes, and cilantro over the fried fish was good. Thankfully, they didn’t use some mayonnaise-​based sauce like many places do. (I usually end up sick because some restaurants are careless and leave the sauce at room temperature too long.)
The rice and beans were good and the portions of everything were just right. I was a bit confused by the sauces. Two green taco sauce bottles and a ketchup bottle, apparently with the hot sauce, where I usually see mustard bottles for mild and ketchup bottles for hot.
The tacos didn’t need any sauce, as they were quite moist, though only one of the tortillas broke and they used two for each taco.
The price after tax was a bit over $ 12 and normally, I would scream bloody murder when lunch is that high for a casual meal, but the food was worth it.