The service was outstanding! We went on a Thursday night around 7p. We didn’t get an appetizer, but we we given the requisite chips and salsa that all Mexican restaurants offer. Our chips were nothing special, and neither were the salsas. Both were very mild, even though one was supposed to be mild and the other was supposed to be spicy. The thing that I really liked about the salsa was its temperature. Both salsas were warm. I mean really warm. Actually, the warmth of the salsa helped to make the chips taste better. I had the pork burrito with black beans instead of pinto beans, and chili gravy, pico de galo and cheese on the side. Within 5 – 10 minutes of placing our order, our food was brought to the table. We were shocked at the quickness of the service. The pork in my burrito was not seasoned, but was really soft. Actually, the other ingredients in the burrito made up for the fact that the pork was not seasoned. Altogether, it made for a nice enjoyable and tasty combination. This Mexican restaurant offers eclectic Mexican fare with a Kentucky twist AND regular Tex-Mex meals. The Mexican fare descriptions all seemed interesting and worth a try. They offered margarita specials in a huge glass(see my picture of the margarita glass beside a regular water glass) for only $ 5 on this day. The drink was pretty nice. It was not to salty or tart, as are some badly-made margarita drinks. Overall, we really enjoyed this experience and plan to return.
Isadore F.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Louisville, KY
Always a treat to find great food. Guests praised the house specialities and my chicken mole was really good with a Negra modelo.
Michele W.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Jeffersontown, KY
Fast, friendly service. I love that the salsa is warm. The guacamole made table side is delicious. The black beans, that came with my enchiladas. were so good. I had to resist eating them all so I could eat the other food. The Popeye(Spinach) enchiladas are delicious and made me feel like I was eating healthy. The Dirty Burrito was incredible. The mole sauce was very strong and rich. Next time hopefully I have room, for dessert, but this time I have lunch, for Monday. The portions are very generous. The iced tea is great. Crystal clear and fresh, unlike many Mexican restaurants.
Diccon D.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Kansas City, MO
Are you kidding me? 4 stars? For starters the margaritas are the absolute worst thing I’ve ever tasted! I don’t know what kind of tequila they use but they are nothing short of toxic. The salsa is served just slightly below boiling, which could be tolerable if it tasted like salsa, but it doesn’t. It tastes like tomato sauce. There’s no salt on the chips. The refried beans are clearly from a can.(The imprint from the can was clearly visible) And the Texas Enchiladas taste how dog food smells. Genuinely one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. That being said, my waitress was nothing short of spectacular. Almost gave this place another star just for her.
Pam M.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Jefferson County, KY
Sat outside which was nice. Server was very attentive. One vegetarian entrée. Nothing vegan except salsa and guacamole. Enchiladas made with flour. Beans tasted of pork; server was not sure of any meat in it.
Kristina W.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Richmond, KY
We were next door doing modeling for my daughter. After 6 hrs we were starving and stopped in despite the odd name. Friendly service and the food was very, very good. I’m picky about Mexican food too. We will def be back when in town.
Eric J.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Nashville, TN
Really quite good. Definitely NOT just a strip mall Mexican Restaurant. They are cooking with passion for doing Mexican cuisine the right way. The warm salsa is terrific also. Best Mexican food I’ve had in Louisville.
Angela K.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Portland, OR
HUGE portions! 10 year old got a Burrito Kentucky and it was almost a foot long! Different but delicious… carrots, peas, and corn inside along with chicken, beans, and rice. Dirty Nachos were very, very good! Husband and I shared it and still had left overs! Mole sauce is awesome. Dad had a beef steak enchilada and loved it(which says a lot since he’s not a huge fan of Mexican food). Never had salsa that was served warm/hot before but it was really good. Service was friendly and fast. If we lived in KY, we would be regulars :)
Lorena N.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Rochester, NY
We waited for a while to be seated. At first it looked like there was only one waitress. After we were seated we waited a little while before anyone came to check in and see what we’d like to drink. At first I was worried it would be a bad experience. I am happy to report we were not let down by the food. The presentation was beautiful and the portions were perfect. We will definitely be back again.
Wyman M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Louisville, KY
What can I say… this is the BEST Tex-Mex anywhere around Louisville! Their cheese Enchiladas rival anyplace in the world! Everything is very fresh and the margarita’s are amazing. I highly recommend!
Jennifer B.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Louisville, KY
HAYCHIWAWAA! Had to say it again. Now on to the review. We thought we’d try something new that we’ve moved to Saint Matthews. Found this little gem and read the reviews — they were super helpful! Arrived at 8:30 on Friday night and was a little concerned about waiting, but we hit a good time, were able to get a table immediately. The restaurant was busy, not packed and a comfortable noise level. Location — sits in a two story strip mall and is a good size for a local neighborhood restaurant. Service was very good. Waiter greeted us in a timely manner and brought our Diet Cokes out quickly. Being from ATL and Diet Coke Experts, we all agreed they were flat tasting. But no big deal. BENB& I ordered the chimichangas. They were ground beef cooked with bits of onion and — surprise! — potatoes. They were wrapped and fried, looking like a beautiful pastry. They were«comfort» food for sure with brown gravy. The rice was good, but the carrots and peas tastes like Green Giant frozen mixed veggie bag. Fresh would have been better. But their beans were yummy! Much better than the refried gray mass that is at most Mexican restaurants. I’m not a big bean fan. LEEB ordered steak fajitas. He said the flank steak was really good, but he likes his onions & peppers sautéed softer(we had to wait for his food because something happened and the waiter sent his back before giving it to LEEB). They also put bacon in it, which gave it a different flavor. Overall, LEEB thought the flavors were bland. He couldn’t put his finger on it. It was cooked well, but blah. Overall, LEEB(who is not a TEXMEX fan) &BENB would not go back. I liked mine and would come back to try other dishes.
Taryn M.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Louisville, KY
Tried this place for a new taste on Mexican, and it was a good spot. Patio and full bar are a plus, but it was hot so we sat inside. The food was good but a little expensive for the portions and we weren’t as much of a fan of the warm salsa. Margaritas, however, are stronger than they look! Maybe I’m thankful after all that I ordered a large and ended up with the small size.
Will H.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Louisville, KY
Wonderful place. Great food great service. First time I have had warm salsa and it was a nice surprise I had the daily my embarrassment I don’t remember what it was was served in a hot bowl maybe a little to hot served with four tortillas. The burrito my wife ordered was fantastic and the tacos my daughter had were just as good. They kept our chips full as well as our drinks and all without us asking It’s good to find a place where they try to woo you with flash just nice simple good food and great service.
Kevin g.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Louisville, KY
This is a weird place but not in a bad way, just tough for me to wrap my head around it. We have been here at least 3 times now and the food is something special, very different than your average Tex Mex place/Complex sauces and very good presentation. I have had steak, chicken, seafood and it’s all been great. Up until the last time the bathrooms were cleaner than many surgical wings and in the men’s rooms they even had what could only be described as a puppy pad for the boys, lets just leave it at that. Where is gets weird is the service. We have been there for lunch mostly during the week and given the location it’s not a hot spot but I have one one occasion stood for the better part of 5 minutes at the front door of an empty restaurant waiting to have someone come seat us. The kitchen seems to at times be out of order and forgetting things like rice and beans after serving an amazing plate of Tilapia and Shrimp. It’s just odd that is the only way to describe it. I think you should go here because I feel like they really do care but if the service was outstanding this would be a place with lines out the door.
Linda S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Louisville, KY
We ate here for the first, but not last time today. I love Mexican, tex-mex, have eaten in Mexico and frequent places in Louisville. Margaritas are large and tart, yum! Not overly sweet. The warm homemade salsa is great, we scarfed down 4 containers. I had Popeye Enchiladas. Fresh spinach and Jack team with a full bodied ranchero sauce. YUM! Beans and rice were adequate. My husband had the green enchiladas with chicken. Again, truly delicious. Not greasy or over cheesy like many places.
Amy S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Louisville, KY
This place is el delishioso! I don’t speak Spanish but I do love this place! Margaritas, the Chicken KY, cheese dip, fajitas, OHMY! If you haven’t stopped by you’re missing OUT!!! PS don’t forget the fried bananas!!!
Mindy L.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Geneva, IL
This was my second time dining here with friends. While the restaurant was clean and the ambiance pleasant enough, the service could use some improvement. Yes, I sent my finicky children’s kids meals back and exchanged them for the classic boring quesadilla. It was met with a bit of resistant from our server, and followed by discrepancies on the bill. They can do much better. Left disappointed. The margarita however was a delight!
Mike A.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Louisville, KY
Cute cozy Mexican restaurant. This is my Third time here and each time service is a little off every time. There were only three tables with full staff and service was overall slow and appeared bothered by request for drink refills and hot sauce. Our kids didn’t care for the kids taco due to too spicy and asked waiter if we could exchange for the kids quesadilla and he truly seemed annoyed, bothered and told us that we would be most likely charged for both items which is unheard of. Finally after the bill arrived w/both the taco and quesadilla we asked if he would remove the returned taco he made us feel uncomfortable and had to get the manager to remove the item. All in all food was good but service was not. Undecided if will be returning.
Curt E.
Rating des Ortes: 5 La Grange, KY
Our new favorite Mexican in town. Talbeside home made Gauc is amazing, presentation is great, and quality top notch. Not your cookie cutter Mexican Menu. Highly recommend!
Ashlee K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Austin, TX
I have a list dedicated to Mexican Food in and around Louisville. I am dangerously on my way to «expert in the field.» This little place is tucked away in Lyndon, and isn’t far from home. I consider that lucky because it’s better than all the other Mexican eateries I have to travel farther to. The décor is very nice, and we were pleased from the beginning. The dining area was very clean. We were greeted quickly, and drink orders were taken with drinks and chips delivered in timely fashion. We liked the chips, which may seem like a small thing, but a few of the staples around town serve chips that are either too greasy or taste store bought. These were just right. They served the salsa warm, which we found different and tasty. However, we concede this may have been due to our arrival just after they opened, so it may have been freshly prepared and not usually served warm. We ordered the Queso Flameado(Cheese and Chorizo w/four flour tortillas). It was great! I’ve ordered queso from most of the places we’ve dined, and this was some of the best. The chorizo was baked in, rather than just thrown on top, which we considered a happy bonus and earned Hay! Chi Wa Waa some bonus points in our book. We did notice the drink glasses were rather small, and our very polite waitress came running back and forth to fill our drinks. She was pleasant, and offered great service. I’m usually a «one refill person» at most, and think I ended up with three on this visit, but unlike some of the Mexican places around town that charge after one refill, ALL refills are free. I had the Beef Flautas which came with beans and rice, sour cream, guac and a side of dipping queso. They were excellent! I love the ground beef here, which is rare, because I normally find ground beef elsewhere too greasy and swimming in that red tinged sauce. Not so here! My husband had the Chicken Tacos al Carbon and finished his plate, so they must have been good. He tried some of my dipping queso and said it was«pretty amazing». The refried beans were different, and had whole beans in them. Not as thick as we’re used to, but was a welcome compliment to the main dish. I didn’t care for the Mexican Rice. I thought it was dry, but this isn’t strange for me. I seem to feel the same way about Mexican Rice wherever we’re eating. We were both impressed by the amazing attention to detail in the presentation of the dishes, and have added pictures to Unilocal.Often times, everything comes on the same plate, and is all running together. The chefs here seem to take pride in their presentation, with garnish serving as decoration and the food beautifully displayed. I know this seems silly to some, when you’re just going to eat the food anyway, but I believe taking pride in the way the food looks is a great indication that the chef also takes great pride in how it was prepared. I am excited to return for dinner to try some of the many cocktails and margaritas they had on offer. Hay! Chi Wa Waa comes highly recommended if you’re looking to curb your Mexican Food cravings. :)