La Hacienda

Guacamole Mexicana was awesome. Chimichanga was great. Loved the salsa… great restaurant.

The steak from this place is amazing and the margaritas are strong and delicious.

wonderful food and service a great place to bring my Mom with her canes as there is a good amount of space for her to walk and staff is no nice and respectful to everyone. The margarita I had was crazy good.

Had really good fajita type meal and tummy margaritas! The staff was quick and pleasant, highly recommend

My son took me here and I was thrilled about the food. It’s authentic Mexican food at it’s best not TexMex like chain places. I had this kind of food when I lived in the San Diego area many years ago and haven’t really found anything even close to it. The tamales are for sure homemade and the burrito was huge and tasted great! If you love authentic Mexican food then do yourself a favor go try it out. But if TexMex is what you are looking for don’t bother it’s not a Chipoltes. I’ve been back 3times the last month.

Came here late night with a friend to order take out, almost 230am and the place was packed!
While the food wasn’t bad, it definitely was not as described on the menu. My «large flour tortilla» quesadilla was a six-​inch tortilla folded and cut in half. And the cheese wasn’t even melted. A little disappointed, but it was drunk food so whatever. Maybe I’ll try it again in the day time when they aren’t overwhelmed with drunk people ^_^

Chips salsa and water were delivered immediately! Followed by a delicious banana berry Margarita garnished with an orange. I ordered 3 mini chimichangas which came with beans rice lettuce and tomato and a lime. Perfectly garnished with a sour cream was more than enough for me ended up taking half of it home. When I asked for a to-​go box the waiter jokingly said «No, you have to finish it all here. «
Ten minutes later I’m still waiting for my to-​go box…
The waiter came and apologized and brought me the to-​go box. I will definitely be back this was a great experience.

The food is slightly above average but not by much. The first time I was here I ordered the menudo. The portion was average and the taste was good; I’ve had better… the second visit I ordered the pork burrito w cheese and a coffee for lunch. The portion is good but lacked flavor overall. The chips were good but lacked flavor. The salsa, and hot sauce was also plain and watered down. Overall the food was good and flavors where «safe». The My wife had enchaladas w rice n beans, and she finished everything. She said it was ok but not great. I give this place a four star for good service and the availabity for fries. Fries are the only thing my daughter prefers to eat.

Authentic Mexican food. I have been here several times and have not been disappointed once. Each time has been with great service and bold flavors.
Even though the parking needs a little work (limited), there is plenty of seating… FREE CHIPS AND SALSA !!!
I have not done dinner here, but I have had lunch several times. I take advantage of the Lunch menu. Awesome values, great portions, and there quick. I have not had a bad meal yet. I am currently working my way down it. I am on item 12.

I haven’t been here in years. I remember great food. I was wrong. The chiles rellenos were insanely greasy. Beans and rice have no flavor. My friend’s dish was unmentionable and the flan was inedible.
The service was great though!

Have just ordered take out from this place. Very fast and competent service. I don’t know about authentic, but maybe this is what madison considers authentic. The dining room is set out like a cafeteria (no booths, high tables) but the patrons do not seem to mind. It looks like they have a banquet room, but no separate bar area (however, there are plenty of patron bottles everywhere so they offer libations). Currently there is a mariachi band serenading patrons. They are very good… maybe that’s where the authentic reviews come from.

Absolutely the best Mexican food I’ve ever had. I used to live a few blocks from here and ate there at least 2 times a month. While living in Texas I never found any restaurant nearly as authentic. I will go out of my way to stop here anytime I am near Wisconsin. Harold and Kumar have nothing on my will to get to la hacienda when possible.

Such a great deal for lunch!
We stopped in the other afternoon after hitting up a weekday morning movie in Fitchburg. I had last been to La Hacienda over a decade ago, and after an aborted attempt to get a late dinner there a couple of weeks ago (the parking lot was jam packed and we couldn’t get a big enough break in traffic on Park to get back across the street after seeking out other parking) we’ve had it on the brain.
Upon entering we were quickly seated and served chips and salsa and had our drink orders taken. The salsa came in adorable tiny cups that allowed us each to dig in to our own. Our server was very sweet and attentive, and made for an even more pleasant experience than the delicious food would have on its own.
They have several lunch deals that come with a soda, and both of us ended up ordering the chimichanga plate. I went with chicken, my boyfriend went with beef, and we were both really happy with our choices. The lunch portion is, from what I remember, exactly the same as the dinner portion. I had more food than I could take down in one sitting, so I was pumped to have dinner later with my second mini chimi (they opt to give you two smaller fried burritos instead of one massive one).
I don’t know if they’ve actually updated the interior a bit in the years that I haven’t been, or if it just looked brighter and cheerier in the light of day, but either way it was a pleasant atmosphere for our lunchtime jaunt.

You guys. If you don’t like this place, you’re doing it wrong. Get the parrilladas chilanga. They will bring out a little grill and on top will be a mountain of delicious meat, cheese, and spicy sauce (spice level can be adjusted according to taste). It is AMAZING. If you like it spicy, they can actually make it spicy (not Midwestern spicy, but the real deal). I’ve never gotten anything else here, because I fell in love at first taste.
My friend had been trying to tell me about this place for months! I never knew what he was talking about, since he kept referring to «large plates of meat.» What does that mean?! But now, I’m a believer.
In a town with not too many late night options, this place is open into the wee hours of the morning! Definitely a great place to grab some grub after a night out.
Service can be a bit slow, especially since they are often slammed — especially as the night wears on. The place can also accommodate large groups.
Oh and finally, get yourself a pitcher of the horchata. Delish.

This is a solid longtime establishment — it’s a solid Mexican joint. Nothing special, but decent service and a pretty big menu with some unique options. You can order beef tongue as an protein option.

I always am a huge fan of this place. As a student it was a regular spot for us to stop after games because it was guaranteed to have seats. It also makes great drunk food but odds are you will need a cab or a designated driver because it’s a hike from most bars.
I’m a huge fan of the fajitas. You get that sizzling platter of meats, peppers, and onions. I don’t advise the fish it just is mediocre. But the steak and chicken is great. With their homemade guac and pico you will never be fuller.
Oh and don’t forget the margaritas. They have a variety of sizes but let’s be real you need the one that’s the size of your head. I suggest the strawberry but I haven’t had the lime so I am sure that’s great too!

La Hacienda is a place I’ve been visiting for over 15 years for a quick, affordable meal. We bring our whole family here a lot because we don’t have to wait long to get our food. usually we are in and out in 30 minutes! The chips and salsa are tasty. If you want a drink, I would recommend the Horchata. As for a meal, i’ve always been a fan of their chicken chimichangas.

3.5 Stars.
La Hacienda is a GREAT late nite joint if you’re in a the mood for food that isn’t from the drive through. It serves as a great convenience for larger groups and the services is AMAZING. I have dined here on several occasions and I have never had a bad experience with a server.
The food overall is solid. You’re started off with chips and pico de gallo (bottomless). The Pico is possible the best pico I’ve tasted at a restaurant. I always ask for more. The menu is extremely large. It’s hard not to find something on it that doesn’t t appeal to you no matter how much of a picky eater you are. I am a fan of their taco dinner or fajitas. Both meals come with spanish rice, pinto beans (which I do not care for and never order) and the toppings for your meal. Please be warned, guac and sour cream is extra. I am OK with the guac being extra but why pay more for sour cream that comes in a small container that is the side of a quarter? I do feel that they are being very cheap on that front. Sour Cream should come with every meal free of charge! Also, I don’t care too much for their chicken so I stick with steak.
Overall, the food is good. Location is good. Service is good. Their location is perfect. It’s really how they are able to make money. You’re near downtown and UW Madison Campus. Lots of bars around the area and they stay open very late. Winning recipe for making profit.

Ok — so this place is a little bit of a hidden gem. It is open until 3am every night, except for Friday and Saturday night when it is open until 4am. You read that right!
The margaritas are tasty, decently priced but nothing special. I had a taco, tostada, and quesadilla. The taco and tostada had steak in/​on them. The steak was tasty, fresh and hot. The topping were fresh, nothing fancy. Just the usual tomatoes, lettuce, onion, cilantro. etc… The food was flavorful but nothing new. With a taco it is really difficult to reinvent the wheel.
So if you are looking for authentic Mexican then head over. The dining room is very sparse so first date place, skip it. Been dating a few months? Definitely.
You go here for the awesome hours, good tacos and decent margaritas.

I have a dilemma with spicy food. On one hand, spice can amplify the flavor of a dish and turn an ordinary meal into an almost religious –and sweaty– experience. On another, after eating spicy food, I usually go through three phases of discomfort: 1) sitting on a couch writhing in pain while desperately scarfing down Tums (and ignoring the recommended dosage); 2) crying on the toilet; and 3) passing out on a bed from the agony experienced from phases 1 and 2. Each time I go through these three phases the discomfort becomes progressively worse (perhaps due to age), however, somehow, my belly seems to always tell my brain not to worry.
I haven’t been to La Hacienda since my undergraduate days at UW-​Madison, and I’m sad to read below that the quality has gotten worse. In the past, if I rolled with a hungry and rowdy crew, I could always depend a La Hacienda to fill our bellies with delicious and spicy food.
Well after several years, I made my return to this restaurant while visiting some close friends in Madison (shout out to Soupy and Monica). To celebrate the occasion, we ordered horchata and asked the waitress what was her favorite dish. She gushed about the «parilladas» (which is most likely the incorrect spelling), which has an assortment of spicy or non-​spicy meats (chicken, beef, and pork) grilled on a metal plate cooked above a flame. The meats are eaten with either corn or flour tortillas. For our meal, we made half of the dish spicy and ordered both types of tortillas.
I have to say, this was probably one of the most memorable Mexican meals I have ever eaten. The spicy meats were full of flavor –although I can’t say the same with the non-​spicy meats– and I loved both types of tortillas. I couldn’t stop my inner carnivore from eating this crack meat, despite knowing that my night would eventually end in doom. Even though the cinnamon and banana flavored horchata quelled some of the heat, it could not put stop my inevitable fall into spicy hell.
La Hacienda’s parilladas and horchata were both amazing and it made me relive some great memories I’ve had here in the past. At the end of the night, of course, I went through the three phases of discomfort which quickly ended my night. When I woke up the next morning, I proceeded to eat the left overs. So worth it.