Mexican Festival Restaurant

LORD HAVE MERCY! I honestly did not want to give a negative review of this restaurant especially since my friend frequents this place for the $ 25 bottomless brunch every weekend. In December, I decided to visit on a Saturday, and I was surprised that it WASN’T packed for brunch, but I was excited to experience a place that my friend loves. The service was on point, and I ordered a dish with eggs,(it wasn’t half bad) and my margarita was on point!!! So on point that I had 3 or 4 of them! Yummm!!! It instantly became a spot I would consider going to again. But then…
This past Friday night, ¹⁄₁₅ my entire opinion shifted. The restaurant was packed (obviously right?) But what I wasn’t prepared for, was how awful the experience would be, and how I ended up WASTING MONEY. I enter the restaurant, and of course its loud, but you also have opera singers and a pianist randomly going up and performing. I love opera, but… I will leave that aspect of things alone for now. I met my friends and sat at the end of the bar. I was there for a solid 15 – 20 mins before a bartender introduced themselves and asked if I wanted a drink. Finally, a girl came over and I ordered fried calamari and TWO MARGARITAS on the rocks. The drinks were finally delivered. I took ONE sip and almost spat it out on the bar. Probably one of the WORST tasting Margaritas I have ever had. The first one tasted like Margarita mix… thats it! And then I tasted the second one, and it tasted like someone put two teaspoons full of actual SALT inside the margarita. It tasted like cured meat! I digress. Immediately, I called the bartender over and expressed my disgust over these drinks, and ordered the frozen version instead. Oh my goodness…
The bartender took the other margaritas back, tasted them… and that was it. She brought back two frozen ones, and they were mediocre at best! The problem I have with this restaurant is… THIS IS A MEXICAN RESTAURANT!!! HOW AND WHY IS IT THAT NO ONE BEHIND THE BAR KNOWS HOW TO MAKE A FANTASTIC MARGARITA!!! IT’S A COMPLETE JOKE!!!
Honestly, I wanted to call «Bar Rescue» right then and there and set up an appointment for John Tafferty to come and rip everyone a new one for not knowing how to make a simple drink!!! I also didn’t like how the bartender didn’t volunteer to make it again… the RIGHT way. I think its because none of the bartenders knew how to, AND I dont think they knew how to properly deal with the influx of customers because from my understanding, the restaurant usually isn’t that BUSY. Anyway, I instantly wanted to be at home in bed instead of wasting money on bad drinks. I should have sent the frozen ones back. The calamari was okay.
I hope to visit ONE more time and experience a better time. But for now, its hit or miss.
But…I’m still gagging over the taste of those awful margaritas.

I did not enjoy the food. I ordered tacos & it was just meat & onions. The service was terrible for it to be midday & minimal patrons.

I used to go to Mama Mexico a lot and it was always lively and full. I was really surprised when they closed as they seemed so successful. Well, I tried Mexican Festival last night and was not thrilled with the experience. The ambiance and the food were excellent, however the service was a bit ragged. The waiter didn’t know what «straight up» meant and I had to convince him that the bartender would know. I had to ask for hot sauce three times. The waitress brought the bill without asking if we wanted coffee or dessert, which we did. The topper though was, when I got home, items were missing from my doggy bag. I don’t expect to go back.

Okay. Every time I come here it’s better than the last. But to be honest the first wasn’t amazing: they’re getting better.
They have a mariachi band — talented and fun, but rather nomadic and overly excited to play inside of your eardrum.
Here’s the good news — free chips and salsa is back! It was gone for a while. Like. What???
Here’s the best news — the enchiladas verdes are friggin killer. Y-​u-​m
I’d suggest sitting at the bar or at the nearby high tops —– happy hour specials til 10pm
Anyway, if you’ve been here before and said «meh» — give it another go, you’ll be more satisfied than you’d expect.

The food was good, the wait staff was very attentive to our needs.. nice quiet location, the background music is just right. Will come back again.

We had the Queso for an appetizer which was served on a hot iron skillet with chorizo, it was great. Had the Sarten De Pollo Asado and it was fantastic. They accommodated are baby and were very please with the service.

Compared to other restaurants well overpriced. The quality was ok but compared to price and ambiance not what I expected. I got fajitas and they were baby size. And, only 4 of them. This is a problem considering they are extremely cheap to make. I also ordered the salsa. They only have red verde chili sauce no tomato-​based sauce. Salsa was $ 6! No free sauce with tortilla chips. Would have been nice to have red regular salsa.

We stopped in at 4pm on a Monday, and there was no one in there. We ordered chips and guac and the Al pastor tacos. The guac probably could have used some tomato or something, but I could tell it was really fresh and just made-​which I appreciate. The tacos were really good. A bit spicy, but yummy!
The service was great and our waiter was very attentive. It helped that we were the only ones, but we were out of there in about 30 minutes. Great experience!

Came here for drinks during Happy Hour with my friends — really, really good and fairly priced drinks; amazing custom-​made, fresh guacamole. Definitely worth a visit.

Sitting here right now with my 2 friends and we are having a blast! They make the guacamole right in front of you! Beef tacos are great! And they have a happy hour for drinks and food. OH AND THEY HAVE A MARIACHI BAND!!! Must come here again!

Food dropped off massively in terms of quality from Mama Mexico — which was the same restaurant as this. The table side guac was excellent — as were their margaritas. What pushed it over the top from decent to mediocre qas the massive hair in my wife’s food. So if you are in the neighborhood for drinks, it is an excellent choice. But of it is a meal that you are looking for, save your money

Way way way overpriced plus food isn’t good. Save money and eat better by taking your family to Chipotle.

This is an awesome Mexican spot on the Upper West, definitely somewhere to seek out if you’re in the Manhattan Valley area. It’s perfect for lunch, dinner, or to grab a few drinks at their bar. The atmosphere is energetic and very well decorated. Their food is great too — I got the enchiladas and they hit the spot. I believe they are working on getting a permit for outdoor seating during the summer, which would make this place absolutely perfect.

Guacamole!!! Amazing! They come and make it fresh at your table or the bar and will put fruit into it. They have floor to ceiling windows that will open on nice day. I have been here a couple times and never let down by the margaritas! I loved thier quesadillas and queso! During dinner they have a real mariachi band.

This restaurant used to be such a fun place. I have brought so many people here for parties… In fact, I hosted my 21^st birthday here. The bartender has always been rude, but we all dealt with her attitude because we loved the restaurant. The bartender who said she knew me wouldn’t except my federal ID.
Tonight was the worst! The new manager is horrible and angry to customers and employees. I will never come here again and will be telling everyone not to ever come here. He yelled at me and my friends. Shame on you.

I was so excited to come eat here yesterday. However, as soon as the host made us wait 10 mins for the table that was already empty, i started to get disappointed. My meter was up in one hr and thats all the time i had.
Then we noticed that the table was very nicely arranged but with DIRTY and USED utensils and table cloth. Like how did that happen? Its like someone ate, and they just kept the same utensils to serve the next guests. Disgusting!!! We asked for a change right away! Of Course.
The service: SOOOOOOOO SLOW. i cannot emphasize how slow it was. And mind you, more than HALF the restaurant was empty.
I was highly disappointed when we ordered the guacamole and they didn’t come to our table (like they had done to the one next to us) to make it there. It’s like the lady making them (who looked annoyed all the time) was just that: annoyed!
the waiters and waitresses were nice, but like i said: slow.
Food: was very decent. Good taste. Margaritas were perfect, delicious. This is why im giving this restaurant 2 stars. However, im still waiting on the second round of chips i asked for!

This is the only bar I’ll go to when I’m craving a happy hour in the area.
They have one of the best happy hours around here. When I first started going it was $ 5 for a margarita but they recently changed it to $ 6, but I don’t really care because it’s still cheap and you definitely get your money’s worth. The mariachi band is fun and keeps the place feeling authentic. Also, the female bartenders are always really sweet and gave us a free shot for my friend’s birthday.
Only complaint is that if you don’t come early enough sometimes all of the seats at the bar are taken and the happy hour isn’t for table seating.
But still, whenever I go here I know I’m going to have a good time.

The food at this establishment is overpriced and not authentic at all. Prices are just up to par with the flavor. Too expensive!!!
The ambiance is fair with some sprinkles of Mexican décor here and there. With such high prices, you’d think they splurge on the ambiance as well as the overall food experience.
I only give this place 2 stars because my experience there on 04÷12÷15 wasn’t satisfactory. I had 4 guests in my dinner party and the food was just not impressive at all.
We had a so-​called steak Tampiqueña dish that was just blah. The dishes presentation was not appetizing. Also, the pollo con mole was really not enjoyable as the chicken had too much skin on it and it was lacking that succulent mole taste I was craving. I was baffled by the pink, mashed up beans though… that was not really a visually enticing dish.
It seems this restaurant caters to the Caucasian clientele of the UWS while dismissing their amazing Mexican cuisine, spices and cooking traditions.
This is not a restaurant I’d like to visit again.

The food was Delicious
We Ordered from the Lunch Menu (Good Deal)
Steak Chimichangas
Chicken Burrito
With a Choice of Soup or Salad and a Soda
We Had Vegetable Soup. It was Good.
We also Ordered a Drink from the Bar. It was well made.
Overall this Place is a New Favorite of Ours

It took some effort from deep inside for me to walk into Mexican Festival after the bitter taste left in my mouth from its predecessors. But I came in on a Friday evening with an open mind. I left… uncertain.
The good:
The enjoyed the décor of the place. Nice colors, random Mexican knickknacks, (the same) open kitchen. The service also improved greatly from its predecessors. I know I know. it’s a new place! It should have a clean slate, right? Actually, I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that some of the staff here go back to the Mama Mexico days. Fortunately, time seems to have scraped away the more abrasive, more arrogant staff members and left a more professional and… somewhat…friendlier staff.
The in-​betweens:
The food menu. It is practically recycled from Mama Mexico; Mexican dishes you can find at Chipotle and some that Mama and Taco Bell made famous. (My dinner companion, a former Mama employee, actually pointed out that even the flatware and silverware were from the Mama days.) We were ambitious at first about giving the place a try but ended up sharing one dish: The steak and shrimp fajitas where we even a choice between flour and corn tortillas.
For $ 25, the amount of protein that arrived was disappointing. It was about 3 pieces of steak and 4 shrimp. The rest of the dish included the hot plate with a mix of seared veggies and a tiny side of sour cream and guac.
The bad:
The chips and salsa. I swear the salsa tasted more like it belonged on a Papa John’s pizza than with tortillas.
The guacamole. Oh, thank heavens, they offer table-​side-​prepared guacamole! Spicy? i Sí, por favor ! Worth the $ 11? Nope. The avocado wasn’t so hot, there was too much salt, and it tasted as spicy as a pack of spicy Cheetos. We actually asked our waiter for a side of chopped jalapeños to compliment it but to no avail. It just didn’t work and we ended up leaving half of the guac behind.
The drinks. We both stopped at one. Now, we’re not lightweights or that picky, but damn. The pomegranate margarita was so sour it resembled a liquid lemonhead. I had the classic margarita, rocks and salt. I got a decent margarita with some super sour, red sugar, crystallized salt. I said «classic» damnit!
I’m really in between a 2 and a 3 for MF. I will err on the side of 3 for now because it is new to the neighborhood (technically) and still has room to grow.