Viva Taqueria

We were in town to visit for the day and most places were closed for Memorial Day so it left us with few options. We happened upon this place and were pretty impressed. The food was cheap and had unique tastes. The menu was pretty small but we had the chorizo enchiladas and a smothered burrito. Both were delicious. Lost a star for the slow service and dirty bathrooms. Place was packed though.

… I dont know where to start. Ithaca… Mex… wow talk about misappropriating another culture and then bastardizing it. I am from California, so I had low expectaions to begin with, and yet somehow I was still shocked at how poorly executed the dishes where. The mole burrito I paid $ 11 for was disgusting. I don’t know where they got that recipe from but it wasn’t Mexico. Then on top of that I don’t eat pork and somehow pieces of carnitas ended up in my burrito :(that was lame. I flagged down our w8er after trying for a few minutes and dude genuinely seemed annoyed that I wanted it remade after finding the pork… Standards… they have none it seems when it comes to service. I came there with the rents visiting and they thought the food was meh as well… Margaritas were fine so they did something right, but food and service was a joke; they dont even refill water on a consistent basis. I wouldn’t take visiting family members here for food, but I might take a drinking buddy here for happy hour at the bar.

The food is good but not spectacular. Drinks (margs) were great. Prices were great. Service was fast and friendly. The décor was traditional with a certain edgy feel to it. We liked it there and will totally be back.

The staff was friendly and attentive and were quick to seat us. Our server checked in on us a few times to make sure everything was good to our liking and it was.
We each got three different tacos with mole sauce, nachos for the table, and were impressed with how yummy it all was. It wasn’t overly filling. The frozen mango margarita was stellar and the sangria very tasty and refreshing. Then we tried the Pomegrita margarita and that too was great.
It was very busy inside (right before happy hour) but oh so fun. The vibe of the whole place is relaxed, casual and the funky décor didn’t disappoint either.

It’s unfortunate to have to write such a poor review because the food was not so bad. That being said, coupled with the atrocious service, this food is not worth anyone’s time of day. Unsurprisingly, there are a number of previous poor ratings criticizing the service so I’m wondering why Viva has yet to take considerable action. Our waiter was extremely rude, blatantly made fun of my boyfriend and I (he’s foreign), and it came to a point where I felt outright harassed. I couldn’t even eat anymore because I felt flustered and angry so we left and will not be returning.
That being said, I politely called the waiter over and explained that I had worked in the service industry for 5 years and can understand or sympathize with bad days or busy days but that is by no means a reason to be such an indecent human being. He began to yell at me and argue incessantly to a point where I no longer felt comfortable dining in the restaurant anymore. I will be reaching out to the management at Viva and hopefully this can be the last of many detrimental reviews solely regarding their lack of proper service.

Viva Taqueria offers good Mexican faire that doesn’t leave you overly full and guilty afterward. I stopped in recently for dinner with a coworker when we were in town for meetings. It was decently priced and we had a great meal.
The service was solid and everyone else– busy for a Wednesday evening– seemed to be having fun. I was happy to see good Mexican beer (Negra Modelo) on the menu and ordered one to go along with my vegetarian enchiladas. The sides were enjoyable, especially the pickled vegetables. Pickled vegetables– or decent vegetables at all– are foreign for the Mexican spots where I’m from in Buffalo, NY.
The reason I suggested stopping in for dinner was because on my recent trips to Ithaca, this spot was packed every time. Moreover, everyone looked like they were having a blast. This restaurant is worth a try!

I’ll say it now– don’t compare it to authentic Mexican food. Just simply think of it as is, delicious, and let’s say «Mexican-​inspired?» Local favorite. Awesome drinks– especially their marg selection! My favorite is the vegan burrito (or vegetarian? Already forgot) even though I am not. Perfect portion when I’m hungry which is surprising for me. Great for friends and family. I personally love it! Prices aren’t bad.

I was missing Mexican food in the worst way after moving from San Francisco over a year ago. However, this did not satisfy my craving in anyway. Worst Mexican food I’ve ever tasted. When you don’t have a huge Mexican population, it’s not surprising that the carnitas tasted like hamburger meat with taco seasoning. Everything was bland and soggy. No words that would ever describe quality Mexican food.

Viva is always a hit or miss for me, depending on what I order. Prior to discovering the magic of their burritos, I had tried their nachos and enchiladas, and was disappointed with both. Their self-​service is super convenient and saves time, and their margaritas are great.

Solid three stars. Nothing special, food is so-​so, but the beer selection is pretty decent. I would say Moe’s has better food (for less).

Bang bang! The food is nothing amazing. But let’s talk about the margaritas. The Mikey’s Margarita is AMAZING!!! When Patron, Cointreau, and Grand Marnier are mixed together and only for $ 8.50 you know it’s a good time. Okay, I’m done with my praise of the fabulous drink.

I would eat here every single day if I could get away with it. There is not a single meal that upon its nearing I do not consider «Viva?»
The staff is always amazingly friendly and helpful, the margaritas are yummy and strong, the food is always fresh and delicious. Consistently my favorite drinking and dining experience in Ithaca.
The only thing I would change, is requesting more garlic in the escebeche. Because it’s flipping delightful.
Great, now I’m hungry again.

It pains me to write this because we’ve been coming here for years and have always enjoyed our meals, drinks & service.
We had a large party of eight for dinner here last night. Out of our eight, six were vegan or vegeterian. They have a clearly marked menu with plenty of veg options. About ¾ of the way through my vegan plate, I bit in to a piece of chicken. I proceeded to put it in my napkin. My son saw my face and asked what was wrong. He then shows me the piece of chicken he found in his rice (his meal was vegeterian.) I called over our server. He was very apologetic. He took off our two meals and talked to the kitchen staff.
Yes, I appreciate them comping our meals. Yes, our service was good. Yes, everyone else enjoyed their meals but it’ll be hard to trust the kitchen not to make the same mistake in the future.

Perfect location. Cheap and nice portions. Unlike other places they put guacamole into everything.
The platter and nachos are amazing.

Viva taqueria has the best Mexican food in town, and I love it. They have great vegetarian options, and are nice about making it your way. Love it.

Pros: convenient location, easy to feed everyone something, pleasant place to hang out.
Cons: very much gringo Mexican food and doesn’t hold a candle to the real thing.

Mediocre Mexican food without much flavour. The take out is acceptable, I wouldn’t recommend waiting in life for the actual restaurant.

Meh. They give you the option of self service or full service with waitstaff. We made the mistake of going with the waitstaff since she really didn’t do anything. Waitress took forever to come over so we ordered chips and salsa and entrees when she got there. She never brought the chips and salsa. Got my burrito and while it was good it was pretty much the same as self service except it was served on a plate. Had to chase our server down to check out of course.

I think this place is just the cat’s sombrero. It is always lively, they have the lovely option of sit down service, bar service or service yourself. There’s outdoor seating with the option of service or not.
The food was surprisingly really varied. I ordered 5 different tacos and each one had a different degree of heat and unique flavor. The «spring roll» tofu had a lot of acidity. The pork was flavorful, the black bean spicy with the poblano, the chicken and beef tender and delicious.

The décor looks fun and it adds life to this place. Quick service and friendly wait staff, we didn’t wait long for our seats.
We got our food fast. I ordered the vegan burrito. It tasted spicy and it filled my tired stomach. The chefs give you a good size portion.
We noticed many people coming into this place which means people like it. I would most likely come back here. I found the atmosphere pleasant and relaxing.