taqueria mercado

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.
ceviche made fresh every day.tacoswith meat, onions, and cilantro on 2 corn tortillas--just like in ensenada. killer torta's, on fresh rolls made next 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.

love it. the most authentic you can get around here. you know it's a great place when all the locals eat there.tacosare simple and delicious. steak onions and cilantro with a hot sauce on the side. yes it is hot sauce so be careful.

steak/pork tacos. i thought thesetacoswere 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, which made it 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 thetacosagain.

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 easily made up 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). bothtacoswere very good accompanied by fresh pico de gallo, cilantro and a sprinkling of cheese. looking forward to my next visit. enjoy!

so good. seriously, this place has some fresh ingredients and makes an authentic mexican meal. goattacoson saturdays. they really aren't that bad. a wonderful guacamole and house salsa. you don't get complimentary chips & salsa like the more americanized mexican restaurants, but don't over do it. you'll want to save room for a killer meal & the awesome baked goods at the mexican bakery a few doors down.

the best mex!. i love this place. workers cashing there paychecks and formica tables. inexpensive, friendly, great food, pretty good drinks. kids love the sodas jarritos?sp? alltacosare great, all the food is great. i just found out they serve breakfast!! huevos rancheros (hopefully with some gallos pintos) here i come!

i mean, you can order tongue!. you can order tonguetacosat this place. even a vegetarian such as myself has to appreciate a menu with such cajones.

i can (and do) order only one item off of said menu, but the vegetarian burrito is delicious, huge, and cheap. did i mention huge? it is so large that it once inspired a friend to bet me money that i couldn't eat the whole thing (i did).

my carnivorous friends salivate at the mere mention of the taq. if you eat the meat, this place is for you. if you don't, have the vegetarian burrito. i bet you a dollar you can't finish the whole thing.

this weekend beth t. and i had a taco craving so we decided to hit up the cincy cinco festival . it sounded like it would be pretty cool. you can't go wrong withtacosand salsa music! beth, tacos, y cerveza as it turns out, the venue (riverbend) did not