taqueria mercado

this is as homemadeas it gets! they're open for breakfast so give it a try! the bakery is onsite so all the bread and tortillas aremadefresh.

absolutely love this place ..... my friend took me to this place .... at first was not too convinced with his decision but then when i tried the chicken torta with horchata, the combination became an instant favourite .... the decision wasmadethen and there itself to be there every week and had been there many times since .... finally to top it all we have the tres leches cake which is a must must must try for people with sweet tooth .... by now you would have realized if you have read my previous reviews that the sweet tooth statement comes way too often ... so go along with this combo and i'm sure you'll agree as well !!

favorite mexican restaurant. i love this place. i eat here for lunch 3-4 times a week. the food is fresh, delicious and not just typical midwest processed cheese-spread mexican fare. they use real ingredients, (queso fresco, jalapenos, cilantro, etc..), wonderfully seasoned meats and make their entrees using authentic methods not normally found in this part of the country. their enchiladas aremadefrom fresh corn tortillas dipped in sauce before frying and then stuffed with fresh meats, vegetebles and/or cheese. the result is a soft, warm and delicious entree far different from the stale rolls we have come to expect elsewhere. their large quessadilla makes me happy just thinking about it, a large tortilla as big as a large plate filled with meats, onions and cilantro and light on the fresh mexican cheese, served with rice and beans, it is truly impressive. i could go on and on, taco salad, torta, burrito, tamales, fajitas. all are excellent. most places i go i get stuck in a routine just ordering the same thing every time, here everything is so good i struggle to pick which pleasure to indulge in each day. did i mention the wonderful freshlymadesalsa, compared to the lightly flavored tomato sauce served at other restaurants in the area, it in itself is enough reason to skip the bland and drive to fairfield for this gem of a restaurant. this is the most glowing recommendation i have ever written for anything and they deserve it.

best food for the dinero. as someone from la i can tell you this is as close to real deal mexican food as you're going to find in a 10 mile radius--and you get a ton of food for your money. i've been going for years--since it jumped in after the gyro joint closed shop. is it perfectly consistent? no--if you want that, go to applebees. what, they don't throw free chips at you? sorry. pay the buck, then get a fajita dinner for $10 and split it with someone. you'll come out way ahead, trust me.
cevichemadefresh every day. tacos with meat, onions, and cilantro on 2 corn tortillas--just like in ensenada. killer torta's, on fresh rollsmadenext door at the panaderia. hungry? grab a burrito, and see if you can finish it. i'm telling you, this place is awesome. a little funky, lot's of mexicans in the joint, and great food. if it's your thing, you'll be back often. if not, you're probably out of your comfort zone & used to midwest mexican, and that's cool too. less wait time for me.

what i'm used to. i'm a first generation american (parents from mexico) and grew up in so cal 1 hour from the border. this place serves the kind of food that makes me think of home. they offer a combination of authentic items and mix in some tex mex items. with the food, they bring out bottles of homemadesalsas that actually have spice to them. everything i could ever ask for with my torta, beans, and rice. highly recommended!

steak/pork tacos. i thought these tacos were horrible. the restaurant looked like it came straight off a street in mexico, but nothing i've ever eaten in mexico was as flavorless as these. the meat was very very dry and tasteless, cooked to the point where it was dry hard crumbles without flavor. the pork had a little fat, whichmadeit edible, but i could not take more than a bite of the steak taco. the toppings, especially the lime and salsa verde, were welcome additions but not enough to allow me to choke it down. i was so disappointed. i may try the restaurant one more time, but i won't be eating the tacos again.

this is authenic mexican!. after reading polly campbell's review in the cinti enquirer, we took the review & went on a friday night n january.
it's like a mom & pop diner...nothing fancy and it doesn't need to be.
we had to use our smart phones to define some of the menu items.
you pay $1.50 for chips & salsa but it is worth it!!! deish! the guac is fresh & chunky wtit a hit of fresh jalapeno at the end.
tacos...corn or flour (we went with fresh corn) torts with meat of your choice (we did pork), diced onion & loads of cilantro. a litle chunk of lime squeezed over it makes for a fresh, yummy treat!
we ordered a palte for $9.95 of seak with beans (not doubt they aremadewith lard...oh! so creamy), rice, lettuce, radishes, slices of avocado. again, delish!
it's really cheap but a huge step up from all of the other places who call themselves "authenic".
skip the cocktails...margaritias & mojitos are terrible! stick to bottled beer or a mexcian coke (had with real sugar...no high fructose corn syrup).
service is adequate but friendly.
stop by there bakery 3 doors down. churro with carmel piped it are decadent!

needs attention!. tm's recent expansion is a local success story i love to hear about. i recently visited their downtown location and was pleased on many levels. however, i have held off on writing this short review until i could compare the two locations (there is a 3rd as well). having eaten at the fairfield store several times (and with the exception of the food quality which is surprisingly consistent and of course quite authentic) i truly hope management will address the disparity between the two locales from a cleanliness and service standpoint. i rarely comment on these points but in this case dirty tables, floors and restrooms as well as rather lackluster service (my family was in tow) will keep me from returning to this location for the foreseeable future. cg


-----03 oct, 2009-----

a nod to the authentic!. if your looking for authentic mexican, taqueria mercado is the place to stop if traveling route 4 in and around fairfield, ohio. corporate or "americanized" mexican food is always easy to find and usually not much to write home about. however, with an ever increasing hispanic population moving into the area it is getting easier to find more authentic establishments catering to their fellow expatriates and of course the adventurous gringo.

typically tucked away in nondescript "low-rent" store fronts, what these establishments lack in decor, ambiance and sometimes cleanliness is easilymadeup for when your order hits the table. on this visit i enjoyed the taco lunch special which comes with a moist and flavorful saffron rice and thick but distinct refried beans. i ordered barbacoa and carnitas as my meat selection (from a wide variety). both tacos were very good accompanied by fresh pico de gallo, cilantro and a sprinkling of cheese. looking forward to my next visit. enjoy!

not big enough.... the tortillas i mean. i ordered the chicken fajitas. the chicken came in nice big pieces, but the tortillas were so small it was impractical to try to wrap up a little of all the ingredients into the tortilla. be warned they don't use the gummy americanized flour tortilla but the real deal, homemadecorn tortillas, double stacked (don't pull them apart, they're meant to come 2 together). overall the most authentic mexican food i have had in the city. i hope they stick to their roots and don't cross over. save room for dessert!

real mexican food and great burritos!. we were looking for a great place for real burritos (the ones that don't look like an enchiladamadewith flour tortillas) and we found them here. the place is a bit simple in atmosphere, but don't let it stop you. the food is authentic and delicious. the burritos are large and definitely not for the faint of heart! the carnitas (pork) are a bit greasy, but juicy and flavorful. definitely a favorite of ours!