Mario’s Restaurant

I’ve been here a few times its okay … not as good as the five points location. but second best

Been comin to this spot for years. Food is great. The past few times I’ve been ordering food for pick up. For some reason this place is stingy with their salsa. I ordered 3 entrees and asked for extra salsa. They said we gave you plenty of salsa with the complementary chips. I was like «ok.» I got home and had 3 tiny containers of salsa. Wtf! They did that to me twice and the third they said I could by a ½ pint or pint of salsa. Buy the salsa they give away when you eat there?! Lol

Friendly staff, great margaritas and the food portions are a good size. It can be quite busy but they seem to seat people fairly quickly.

My entire family and many friends have been customers at Mario’s for 40 ish years. Once a year my childhood friend and I used get together and catch up at Mario’s. It was a great place up until the past couple of years. The food has gone downhill but I think they are trying to bring the quality back and I applaud them for that, however, there is NO excuse for consistently bad service. The service today was the worst I have had at Mario’s. Our order was taken. Dropped off. And that was that. I had to get up and Walk to the service area for a water refill and advise the person who gave me water «Sorry to bother you but I haven’t seen our waitress in a long time». We still didn’t see her for a while after that. I would like to add they were not busy. 2 tables in main dining room (including us), 2 tables in front and one or 2 on the patio. This is sad and shameful. While this place has been a tradition in our lives I think it’s time to start a new tradition.

Been sitting here for 24 minutes waiting for 2 margaritas… WTF??? The service is so unbelievably slow. a couple more minutes and we’re leaving!

I would say the only thing I like about this place is the chips & salsa. Service is horrible as well as the food. Do not recommend this place to my worst enemy.

This place is a true classic and as good as SoCal Mexican food gets. It’s old, but well kept. The food is unreal. Large servings, and the flavor is as good as the old school Mex restaurants from decades ago. Jumbo cadillacs, wide tequila selection, some of the best chips and the best table salsa around. I’ll make the drive from LB anytime to eat here. Well worth it.

Been coming to marios since I was a kid at this location and I have nothing bad to say about it at all the food is great the service goes both ways. Try there other salsa that is more hot and chunky it is excellent. I Will never stop coming to marios the spot is small and dark but that’s wat makes marios unique.

I like Marios and have been eating there since the 70s. A few years ago I noticed a change in their margaritas, I started getting ill from them. I chalked it up to my inability to hold alcohol but I suspected they had changed their ingredients to some cheaper brands of liquor.
I recently sat at the bar and ordered a margarita made with a top shelf tequila.
While eating, I asked to see a bottle of their Frida Khalo Anejo Tequila just because I liked the label. I decided to google the Frida Khalo Co. and do some research.
In conclusion: Anejo is supposed to be gold as it is aged in oak barrels. This bottle had clear substance that tasted like rubbing alcohol. Further research shows that Tequila may not even be produced any more. Draw your own conclusion!

Awful experience tonight. Tasteless food and terrible service. Will never return to this location. Take out order missing food and no apology offered.

First off I’m old school I remember when there was a grocery store and Toy City (toy store) that use to be next door to Mario’s, before there was a 99 Cent store.
When will restaurants understand that mediocre Mexican food with horrible «to go» service does not add up. Service is number one in my book, then the food.
Tonight’s hostess, «to go» woman, the minute I stepped in the door was straight not welcoming. No greeting, no «welcome» etc. She got my name wrong on the order, forgot my drink (then proceeded to be bothered that I reminded her) and gave me some excuse that she leaves behind in the kitchen so she «doesn’t forget» (does not make a lot of sense). Then she did not check the «to go» order (which I guess we the customer should check, I suppose, OR how about just getting it right Mario’s hostess?).
So one those moments come home and realize not all the food order is in the bag. Of course I call and explain, what is her response, «I guess you can come back and get it.» Really? You think? How about an apology for getting it wrong (customer service 101)? Then I come back and our same hostess no greeting, no eye contact. I reminded her what I’m there to get and she goes back to get the order and awkwardly hands me the bag with no customer service response, no eye contact.
Then the food, our hostess over the phone stated that there was onions in the cheese enchiladas. Nope, not tonight and they were bland. I had the chicken taco which I had only made it through quarter ways, not impressed. The cheese burrito was OK at best. The rice was a bit dry.
When will restaurants like yours realize that demographics are changing and you need to have good customer service first in order to keep younger crowds coming back? I will be sticking with La Choza down the street in the future.

I really really want to give Mario’s more than three stars, but I feel that I should not if I were being fair. I have been coming here since I was a kid, usually with my mom and grandma, who were coming here years before I was born. My point is, I should be biased towards this establishment, but I feel like its been slowly going downhill over the years. I usually stick to the cheese enchilada, and while it’s still good, it just doesn’t wow me anymore. The waiters and bus boys are always nice and friendly, but I feel like the service has gotten slower. Maybe they need to schedule or hire more people? I used to love coming here and for a long time it was my families monthly tradition, but lately, we’re just not loving this place like we used to.

I’ve been coming to Mario’s since I was a kid and I love the establishment! Despite the higher prices, occasionally uncomfortable interaction with staff and the dull lighting, which I suppose sets the mood, Mario’s is really a great neighborhood Mexican restaurant.
I would definitely recommend their cheese enchiladas because they are out of this world. Also, their combos come on pipping hot plates filled with beans and rice and cheese and it’s fantastic. After coming here closer to a hundred times I know it’s somewhere I’ll continue to take my family and friends many years to come.

Time to update… a lot has changed since 2012, and not for the better. I honestly don’t know what the heck has happened at Marios, but the last couple times that we gave them another chance thoroughly disappointed us. The food quality has definitely gone down the crapper, and the service and restaurant cleanliness is even worse. In the immortal words of The Donald, «YOU ARE FIRED»!

I’ve been getting food from here since 1974. Food is excellent and Ramon makes the best margaritas.

I’ve been coming here since second grade when me, my brother, and sister all fit on one side, and my stepmom would count my chips (I only got FIVE?!– I would carefully pick the biggest ones) and my dad would, at least twice in our lives, tell us we’re going back to live with our mom. So, the dark stained-​glass skinny room always brings me back. Only now, when it comes to chips, I only eat five. Five BASKETS of chips.
The service is fine, and they have a water guy refilling water often. (In our photo, we toasted «to the drought!»
Yes, the salsa is a little underwhelming (a thin red sauce with heat) but the chips are good (if you get stale ones, ask for new ones, people). Unfortunately, the margaritas are almost weak to OK, keeping them from five stars.
I always got Two Beef Tacos, Beans and Rice, and though the prices have changed, the food hasn’t much, and that’s good because I like their tacos because it’s a big fat hunk of shredded beef (their best item)… and when you crack into the crispy corn shell with grease on the bottom threatening to break it open, the shredded beef, so tightly packed, is to hard bite off so you end up with half of it in your mouth, at which point your only non-​gross option is to try to chew it and nod your head to avoid choking in a strip mall.
Maybe that’s why the water guy keeps refilling so often.
PS. The rice sometimes tastes like heatlamp catering rice, but they offer french fries as a off-​menu side.

Bust
First off order the carne Asada burrito which was suppose to have rice, beans, green sauz, and green sauce on the side and cheese. Instead I got a filled burrito with carne Asada and thats all. On top of it was red sauce? So not only did I not get what I order to go but it wasn’t even that good.
Also my guest wasn’t not pleased with their food either. They wanted a ground beef burrito and was told later im they were out of ground beef. How do you run out of ground beef? So he got the shredded beef burrito and it was smothered in mole sauce which he didn’t want.
Only I can’t complain on was the amount of to go chips they gave us as well as salsa, the only reason they get 2 stars.

I’ve had my husband order take out from here a few times, the first time we ordered it was really good. He ordered me the chicken enchiladas with beans and rice and I loved it.
The second time it was a carne asada burrito which was just ok, it was more like a bean and cheese burrito with a little steak sprinkled in.
The third time I called and asked the lady for chicken enchiladas and was told that they don’t make chicken enchiladas, only cheese so I said fine I’ll take cheese. The lady then asked me if I wanted chicken in my enchiladas… Um what?
Over all the food was decent and I would eat there again.

The second time was much better and the food was good. Service was friendly not like the last time. I had the shredded beef taco combination plate and my husband had the chicken wet burritos. Oh, You gotta try their Cadillac margaritas! You won’t be disappointed. Overall we left feeling full and satisfied.

ITS FALTT (First And Last Time Tuesday) again!!!
I should have trusted my yfs Chris D and Sabrina C’s reviews of this place: You can trust both of their reviews. However, I was in the area for a meeting, and I needed something to eat beforehand. This was the closest place w/​o having to drive a mile — and I was pressed for time. This Mario’s is located on Edinger, just east of Springdale in HB.
The experience started w/​the bartender, Ramon taking a while to acknowledge me sitting at the bar, and taking a while to take my order (a total of 15 min). I ordered a ceviche de pulpo ($ 8.95 — octopus ceviche) and sopa de tortilla ($ 5.95 — tortilla soup).
Prior to the two items coming, I was given some stale chips. In addition, they were accompanied by canned salsa that had no texture to it. The salsa was basically tomato purée w/​hot sauce: 1 Star.
The two items arrived together and I started w/​the soup. It was the worst version of tortilla soup I have ever had in my life. The broth was not infused w/​the typical epazote, and it lacked any depth. Additionally, the chicken was in big pieces like you would see in Soup Plantation’s chicken noodle soup. Nonetheless, the veggies were actually fresh inc the avocado: 1 Star. Accompanying the worst version of tortilla soup, was the worst version of ceviche I have ever had. The octopus was chewy, there was not much of it, and the ceviche tasted like a bad gazpacho: 1 Star.
Like I said before, Ramon’s service (or lack thereof), was consistent. When I asked for the check he took his sweet time: 1 Star. The ambiance would have been a 3, except for the Christmas wreath hanging on the wall on Jan 9^th, and the parking lot being so tight: 1 Star.
I haven’t had one in a while, but Mario’s has earned its place on my ATJAAC list (Avoid This Joint At All Costs). I don’t spend much time on this side of HB, and if I do, I definitely won’t be coming back here!

OK, so I came back (Probably shouldn’t have done it as I stated in my previous review) because Mario’s on Ellis had a huge waiting time. Of course, I am comparing a service of this Mario’s with the one on Ellis.
* A water brought water without straws, and we waited for a while while our waiter showed up to ask for it.
* Chips and salsa were not refilled as frequently as we wished, and it was hard to find our waiter. He never checked on us.
* Mosquitoes were flying.
* And celery was brought brown and very old. I think even the markets don’t sell vegetables and fruits in THAT condition.
* Very slow by comparing it to Mario’s on Ellis.
* They have only Budweiser on tap
* And again atmosphere is weird