leon authentic mexican

we ordered beef soft tacos, steak burrito, cheese quesadilla, andchickenenchiladas. favorite dish was the taco and enchiladas it was very rich in flavor but the burrito could’ve been better if it had more meat. all in all 4 stars! 😊

to my knowledge, leon authentic mexican is currently the sole mexican food joint in the entirety of antipolo city. just do a google search- the nearest to appear would most likely be the ones along marcos hiway and ortigas ave. extension. very far from the city proper. with this, antipolo peeps need not to venture far for their mexican food fix. and for those not familiar with the cuisine, they can finally try it out.

note that leon isn't just your run-of-the-mill place that serves burrito willy-nilly and calls it a day. they have a carefully crafted menu that gives patrons a wide choice of legitimate mexican cuisine, complete with uncommon ingredients such as cumin and cilantro, that's similar to big guns in the industry like army navy, silantro and el chupacabra. despite being 'seemingly' dwarfed by these big companies, leon can proudly stand on its own, shoulder-to-shoulder with them when it comes to food and service quality.

categories of their dishes mainly comprise of burrito, california burrito, fried california burrito, quesadillas, asada burrito, breakfast burrito, naked burrito, tacos, sizzling fajitas, mexican rice platter, andchickenwings, with a whole lot of other choices in their 'others' category. each dish is priced around p170-300, and they're already good for sharing. but you'll probably have your order all to yourself if you really appreciate this type of food.

i was able to try most of their stuff, and what i can say is that you get your money's worth: pretty much mouth-watering deliciousness served in big portions in all of them! and the various sauces leon provides make them even more delectable.

while you're at it, top off your belly-filling meals with their authentic imported mexican beers. they currently have variants of modelo, pacifico clara and corona. they're pretty hard to come by so try them out when you can.

it's apparent how passionate the owners are in providing quality mexican food. i enjoyed their nachos- the chips they use are perfectly thin and crunchy, while the meat had jus the right flavor.
calichickenburrito was alright... i'd like to try the regular version next time.
the steak taco had an overwhelming amount of meat haha... so it's a must-have for protein junkies.

we tried their steak fajita,chickenfajita, nakedchickenburrito, cali burrito, chimichanga, pulled pork taco, shredded beef taco.

spectacular authentic and delicious mexican food each dish had a unique flavor and there was burst of flavors with each bite .

with all the spice and flavor more than just teasing our tastebuds, they serve beverages from softdrinks down to alcoholic drinks.

price is reasonable, considering the taste and quality of food.

we also had take away orders which was still good when eaten at home. would definitely come back to try the rest of the menu.

i love the food. we ordered california burritto 👍 cheese and jalapeño quesadilla, mexican fries and lemon and herbchickenwings. quesadilla is a little burnt, nevertheless it was so good. some fries are undercooked and bland in taste but the toppings complimented the blandness. lemon and herbchickenis superb. burrito is also super yummy. really love it. and they all serve it hot.

will come back again that's for sure.

this is the first review i have done that really deserves that 4 star compliment!
we arrived from a hiking trip and saw this establishment on our way back to manila. its a small restaurant on the 2nd flr of a small commercial building. i had doubts at first with it, since none of us were familiar with the terrain. we found it, and the owner and chef quickly guided us thru the menu and shared with us the must haves. the place is a bit small, would probably fit around 20 people, max, but we went there past 3pm, so it was there were just a few diners.
the owner ordered for us, 2chickenburritos (nice rice tochickenratio), 2 calfornia burritos (fries instead of rice..instant crowd favorite), 2 nachos (usual fair nachos), garlic lemon wings (8pcs) lousiana wings (dry mix), 1 lamb fajita(personal fav), 1 steak fajitas, and 2 carne asado (no rice or fries...just refried beans..hmm..probably skip this), plus individual drinks...and we came up with a total of 3k...
now thats such a steal!. the food was great, the chef mentioned about them.making their own spice mix, the meat was marinated really well, with their steaks being served as medium well(unlike most mex restos in mla serving gnawing well done ones). they had reaalllyy good hot sauces. the place was kept clean, the service was really fast. giving this a 4 star just because its so far from manila! but we would probably return again for a sunday trip here.not much food pics cos we were hungry and the food just vanished after serving to us. must try and highly recommend to anyone visiting antipolo. a truly authentic mexican eatery in this part of town.

people who find themselves in antipolo and are up for a food trip usually only have a handful of cafes as their options. with the area looking to be a potential food hotspot, couple anna and joseph (antipolo natives) felt that their hometown is now ready for more diversity in food options. hence the birth of leon authentic mexican. it was borne out of the passion for mexican food and the possibility to put antipolo on the food map.

leon sits on a corner of the second floor of okinari arcade - also where sulok cafe is. it’s a budding complex with other restaurants occupying it too. going up to the place, we were greeted by a bold list of iconic and classic mexican fare before crossing the threshold into the place. i guess it’s mostly what to expect from this joint. the deep grey of the walls comes in delightful contrast with the light finish of the wood furnishings. the modest space gets flooded with natural light as allowed by big windows. it's reminiscent of the industrial feel of the modern taquerias sprouting all over metro manila.

it’s exciting to find out how exactly this new player in the vicinity will fare through their food. with it being remote from food hot spots and being new, you can’t really help but have a prejudice. but then again, i was there to find out exactly what leon would bring to diners. a sweating pitcher of their mojito was placed on our table to get things started.

a plate of leon’s louisiana wings (php 180) arrived at our table. it may look intimidating (i mean hot & spicy) because of the generous deep red rub, but that’s all the mexican herbs and spices for a tasty trip to louisiana. nice and tender, but they could have let the rub steep for a few more minutes to really let it get in there.

quesadillas! leon’s cheese quesadilla (php 105) was served with salsa and sour cream. its tortilla was burnt just right and the cheese melds gracefully with the sour cream and the salsa. i must say their homemade salsa is somewhere close to perfect - right amount of sharpness and crunchy vegetables that have a delightfully ripe overall taste.

we had a sampling of their crunchy taco ground beef (php 75). this is their take on a chalupa, which is an open-faced taco except with a fried tortilla as its base. playful crisp as it goes along with the well-spiced beef and a heaping topping of lettuce. don’t forget the sour cream!

their sizzling fajita steak looks very inviting. it comes with the sizzling steak on a hot plate and a serving of rolled up tortillas in another. make sure to eat the steak with the fajita for the full experience! tender steak with vegetables that caramelized from the heat brought together by the mexican herbs and spices. we downed that with some more of ice cold mojito.

and then we had thechickenburrito (php 135), which is one of my top picks. the thing with these iconic and classic dishes from other cuisines is that it’s either good or not. this one is surprisingly good. i noticed the turmeric in the mix that just brought all the ingredients home. once you taste it for yourself you’ll know what i mean.

anna admitted that a hindrance to people actually trying out their food was the common perception that mexican food is uncomfortably spicy. but we all know that’s not the case. restaurants like leon opening in such a young food community is a step to make more and more filipinos open to the wonderful world of global cuisine.

now, you guys know which spot to hit when craving for some flavorful mexican fare in antipolo.