Viva DF

Great Margaritas! Authentic food! Friendly atmosphere.

I came here for restaurant week with my BF and together, we were able to try the entire TRW menu. Even though I didn’t come here on a very hungry stomach, I did find every dish to come out with nice presentation and well prepared.
I don’t know Mexican food too well, but I was pleased with every dish. My creamy black bean soup was great! Great portion size for an appetizer, not too spicy, and had just the right balance of flavors with the avocado inside. I wasn’t as big a fan of the «tostada de brisket», essentially brisket on a fried corn tortilla. It wasn’t very easy to eat and maybe I’m just not the biggest fan of fried tortilla.
As for the main entrée, I had the «Trout a la Veracruzana» and I LOVED this dish. At its most basic, it’s trout in a tomato based sauce. I grew up on a very similar dish but Vietnamese style so this one really hit home for me, plus I love seafood. My BF had the chicken tamal and I think we both agreed the trout was better. The tamal is ENORMOUS and sits on a mole sauce. If you like tamales this may be for you, just be warned that this tamal looked like a damn burrito!
For dessert we had the guava flan and the sweet fried plantains. I’m a huge fan of flan and really enjoyed this unique take on flan. The guava flavor was refreshing but strangely very good. The plaintains came with vanilla ice cream, but a really basic dessert and I didn’t find it to be satisfying as a dessert.
We did opt to have drinks with our meals and both thought our drinks were great. Mine even had a cute pastel pink flower in it (the Palmoa Rosa).

My friend and I sat at the bar where Logan tended it. We ate the bar menu of $ 3 tacos. The drinks are fabulous. I had the cucumber special and a mojito. I love the vibe of this place. Since it was our birthdays, we were given a margarita shot and were sung to by the staff.

This place has been a few different restaurants over the years, but I’m liking the new concept. We went in for lunch today and I got the mix and match taco deal. All 3 tacos (shredded chicken, pork, and chorizo) were great. There were vegetarian options as well.
My friend got chicken tacos off the regular menu, which he enjoyed. They were PACKED with chicken, really good portion size. One thing to note is that the menu says it comes with 2 tacos, but it actually came with 3!
Another thing to note is that if you work around the area they will give you 10% off the bill. That also applies to students and military as well.

Having recently moved to the Triangle, we were well aware that we left behind good Mexican food back on the West Coast. Viva DF had all the makings on what could’ve been a great spot but ended up falling short of even tepid expectations.
While the décor and feel are very modern and trendy, Viva DF is solidly a happy hour place than a sit down restaurant. Food wise there was some big misses and a lot of interesting choices.
We started with the Queso Fundido which could’ve been great but was overly salty. We got a number of entrees to try out too. I got the Enchiladas Suizas, wifey got Nachos and we got cheese quesadillas for our daughter.
My enchiladas were overall OK but the «creamy green sauce» that came on top was overly sweet. The nachos and cheese quesadillas both inexplicable came w/​american cheese. For a restaurant billing itself a Mexican restaurant and specifically one inspired by the cuisine of Mexico City, this is baffling. My daughter, being two, had no issues w/​the quesadillas but when we tried it out, we were thrown off. Same for the nachos. The highlight in all dishes was the chicken tinga. Very good flavor and well seasoned.
We ended w/​the fried plantain for dessert and it did it’s job. We swear though that the accompanying ice cream was Breyer’s!
We’d come back for the convenience factor vs. the food itself. I’d like try out the tacos and some of the interesting looking margaritas.

I was pleasantly surprised by Viva DF.
It’s located in a nondescript shopping mall, like most places around here. We walked into a cool space with an awesome bar. The atmosphere was relaxed and it was semi busy.
We were seated quickly and got the house margaritas. They were really good. The use real juice which is the only way to make a margarita.
My wife got the fish tacos and I got tacos le pastor. They were both good. The fish tacos especially. The food came out very quick.
Our server was great and very nice.
Overall A+, would dine again.

Yum, what a great surprise. I enjoyed Viva a lot more then Totopos actually which is also very good. I’m only comparing them since they are under the same ownership. The restaurant itself is bright and spacious. I love the big outdoor patio and hope to grab some margs there when we are done with this chilly weather.
Our waitress Logan was so sweet and asked if it was our first time at the restaurant. After learning it was our first visit she gave us the low down on the menu, specials, and the best part how they make everything from scratch using only fresh ingredients. Since I’m on a rather huge health kick right now I’m limited to what I can eat. I loved all the gluten free options, plus they make their tortillas in house. The lunch special is a great option you get a choice of three different tacos everything from carnitas, to veggie poblanos. I decided on the chicken tinga tacos and was able to sub my rice and beans for a super fresh Viva salad. Their Viva salad is the bomb and I would order just that again, served up with mixed greens /​onions /​cilantro /​tomato /​mandarin /​queso fresco /​hibiscus vinaigrette. Yum that dressing was so good. The tinga tacos were delicious could have used a little more spice but I really enjoyed them.
I’m a huge fan of this place and can’t wait to get back to try some of the dinner options and cocktails!

LOVED this place! I will go back again and again! The drink menu is fantastic and they even let me special order a drink… the coconut /​strawberry mojito is the
!

Authentic Mexican delicious Guac, tacos and margaritas!!!
Came in on NYE and had a delicious meal.
Our waiter Roberto advised us Viva DF uses fresh local ingredients to deliver an authentic Mexican meal and he wasn’t lying!
Started out with guacamole and the limping coyote margarita. Both were excellent!
LIMPING COYOTE
Camarena Reposado /​rosemary-​thyme syrup /​grapefruit /​lime /​salt — Pitcher 50
For my main dish I got the carne asada tacos they were fantastic. Cooked medium rare and topped with guacamole. So good!!!
For my next drink I got the pineapple habanero margarita great mix of sweet and spicy
PINEAPPLE HABANERO
Milagro Reposado /​pineapple /​citrus /​habanero — Pitcher 55
11
Overall fantastic meal left with a full stomach and a smile on my face!

Great drinks and beautiful restaurant! However, a bit too pricey for the quality of the food. Presentation was great, but steak lacked flavor and was extremely chewy. Will maybe return for drinks but will get my authentic mexican food fix elsewhere!

We tried this place while in town for business. Great guac, great cheese, and great tacos. The service was fast and friendly. It’s at the top of my list for visits the next time I’m in the area.
When I got home, I let out some great farts.

This place is AWESOME! We went here for the first time and loved it.
This is not your typical run-​of-​the-​mill Mexican restaurant. It has a modern, contemporary environment and traditional dishes with a twist.
My husband ordered the tacos al pastor and I ordered the enchiladas suizas. Both fantastic options
The staff, from the hostess, waitress and the manager, are super friendly and attentive.
All around great experience and will be back the next time we’re in the mood for Mexican.

Service was great… the food was good. A little pricey but all in all we will still get more bang from our buck at the local Mexican Los Tres. Not sure if we’ll come back again or not… probably not.

What a great find! Our server Cynthia took amazing care of us. They use all fresh ingredients from the farmers market and no mixers for their drinks (everything is freshly made). They have a ridiculous number of tequilas on the menu (which is never a bad thing). The agave azul margarita is amazing and overall the presentation on the drinks and food was phenomenal. I got the pollo a las brasas tacos and the taquitos along with the queso. All were delicious but the tacos were my favorite.
Don’t let the fact that this is in a strip mall by a Harris teeter fool you, this place is a class act and in my option much preferred over a lot of other Mexican restaurants in the area.

My wife and I don’t drink but were in the area and wanted food. Rating was excellent so we tried it out anyway. With the name tequila in the title we were concerned they might be more of a bar than a restaurant. While they seemed proud of their drink selection we were very happy with our food. Fair portions and excellently prepared. I don’t think I’ve ever been served as fast as we were here. My wife had the quesadilla and was very happy, I tried chimichanga and again, very happy. Only thing I would have changed was I would have preferred chicken, but the beef was good too. My wife and I were talking about the mural of Mexico city (we visited a few years ago and were trying to place the skyline), the waiter took time without being asked and explained each building and what purposes they serve.
We will be back!

My wife and I had the Carne asade and blackened Mahi Mahi tacos. The Mahi Mahi and steak wwere cooked and seasoned to perfection. The rice and beans were flavorful as well. It seems a few restaurants we have visited just forgot to make the sides delicious as well.
My wife had the blackberry sangria and could not stop raving about it. She also had the Mucho Macho margarita. I belive her comment was something like this… They have a talented Chef as well as a talented bartender.
Our server was attentive as well as knowledgeable.
Overall, a great date night for us.
NO complaints what so ever. We will be back and back and back again.

If this is authentic Mexico City food, sign me up for more! My husband and I are traveling for work and found this place on Unilocal — it’s near our hotel. I couldn’t be happier that we picked this for dinner!
I ordered the Enchiladas Suiza and hubby had the Chilaqueas — both were amazing! My dish just may be my favorite Mexican food ever!
The service is great, as well as the décor. We will definitely be returning the next time we are in Morrisville!

Wasn’t impressed with the main course. My fajita wasn’t sizzling when it showed up. I’ve never experienced that before in any Mexican-​ish restaurant.
My bf’s tacos were ok according to him, no flavor in the meat.
The drinks were delicious though (Paloma for me and something spicy for bf), they do have 75 tequilas at the bar.
Our waitress was amazing. So excited to tell us about all the good things the place has: the all fresh and made in house ingredients, her favorite entrees, most popular choices, etc. She was definitely knowledgeable and happy to serve us.
I would go back for drinks and maybe appetizers: that queso fondido with bacon was tasty. Not for main course of desserts though, those are not worth the price.

Just finished our meal at a place we can thankfully walk to on a nice evening. The food was fantastic and our dishes were recommended by our server who attempted to explain their most authentic dishes. We were thrilled with his choices. What struck me was the black beans and the rice. They were seasoned and delish… most spots forget this detail but not here.
Drinks were spot on service was on point (could see they were training a new bus boy that was not comfortable yet ohhh the joys of training we feel your pain)
This is five stars for the area my only thing and I know it’s just me… your hottest sauce is not hot.
Regulars for sure

I really wanted to love this place but it just didn’t happen. The service is really good and the décor is fun. Wait staff is well trained and very attentive.
I was extremely disappointed with their limited food menu and their outrageous prices. Shrimp and steak in the fajitas were really dry. Seems like they were thrown on top precooked veggies, and really lacked moisture and flavor. Chicken quesadillas, and rice and beans, were really good.
Bottom line — this place is way too pricey for the quality of food they deliver. I can think of a few other places I would rather go to get better food at better prices.

Viva DF stands for «Distrito Federal» and shares the same owner as Totopos on Kildaire Farm Road. Viva DF has undergone a complete transformation from La Rancherita that used to occupy the same space located in the strip mall by Harris Teeter on Davis Drive. The Dia de Los Muertos skulls adorn the walls, a large and colorful mural of Mexico City takes up the back wall and then the illuminated bar displaying all of the liquor drinks is the focal point as you enter the restaurant. The tables are sleek and the décor makes this a very trendy and more upscale dining environment. I was able to make a reservation using Opentable and we checked in with the friendly hostess. We were offered seating inside or outside and we opted for inside.
Our server Felipe was so gracious, explained all of the ingredients and dishes with the proper pronunciation, and came back many times to check on us. He was very charismatic, outgoing and enthusiastic as he described the meaning behind the décor and story of Mexico City and the food. The menu was very simple with tacos, enchiladas, salads and a few other Mexican entrees. There were not too many choices and I like how it was simple yet very tasty and full of flavor. I loved the enchilada with the green sauce and the side of rice and black beans that came in small metal bowls. We also had the delicious guacamole and salsa as a starter and the tomatoes in the salsa were fresh from the vine and so large and juicy that you needed more than one chip to get a bite. I also had the Margarita Mercado and it was made fresh cucumber juice, grapefruit and tequila. Viva DF serves over more than 80 types of Tequila. I also learned that Tuesday is Tamale Tuesday with specials on the corn husk delicacies. The manager also came around to ask how we heard of Viva DF and also thanked us for our patronage. The water is refilled from fancy bottles and not just from plastic pitchers with ice. Even my to-​go container was classy and Felipe wrote the name of the dish on it and a smiley face. My experience and meal at Viva DF was outstanding and I can’t wait to come back and try out more items on their menu. Gracias!

We stopped by here for lunch today. They have made some significant changes over the previous La Rancherita, and now have a more open feel with a Mexico City skyline mural on one wall. The more open feel lends way to more of a bar atmosphere on one side; which will be great for those waiting to be seated for the dinner rush.
The menu is limited, but with definitely more upscale options than most Mexican and Tex-​Mex restaurants in the area. The pricing was a bit steep for lunch, but the food and flavor profiles were outstanding and worth every penny.
We had the Al Pastor (2 adobe-​marinated pork tacos with grilled pineapple, onion, and cilantro), and the Suizas enchiladas (shredded chicken tinga, creamy green sauce, and melted cheese). The only issue I had with the meal was that the rice was a bit dry, but had a great flavor. I’m guessing they are still working some of the kinks out, but overall the food was outstanding. This will definitely become a regular lunch spot for me.