Taqueria Junction

This place is amazingly consistent and unfriendly service not even one single goodbye as our six party group leaves.

I live on Ohio city but I will drive here for three reasons: 1. Atmosphere. 2. Service. 3. The FOOD.
I’m a semi regular at this gem of a restaurant.
This is just what Olmsted falls needs. A FUN, non-​chain, laid back but energetic spot to get together and have a great time. The atmosphere is welcoming and bright.
The service is dynamite. All of the servers are fantastic and accommodating. There’s never an empty glass or a wait for what you need. They’re fast, friendly and treat you like you’re royalty. .
At this point I think I’ve tried everything on the menu, and the me I never disappoints. The food is fresh. With a special kind of care that goes into every plate that you can see & you can taste.
LOVE THIS PLACE. bravo Katie Ellis (owner).

This place was a must stop… Started with the stuffed peppers… Good place to start… Had the chicken tacos they were super… I’m gonna for sure be back

I’ve been here twice in the past few weeks and I generally really like this place. The food is good — a step up from most Mexican restaurants. The menu is also different with some upscale options. There are 3 things that I don’t understand though:
1. Why they don’t give out free chips. Come on it’s a Mexican restaurant. Also, if you want more chips after you’ve paid for your little bag, it’s an extra $ 1.
2. Taco Tuesdays — $ 5 off tacos is awesome EXCEPT you can’t get shrimp or grouper. Those are regular price plus $ 2. Why?
3. Rice — it seems to always be undercooked

Had the queso and salsa for my appetizer. The chips tasted fresh, and the queso was delicious, just enough of a spicy kick. Salsa came in a plastic take-​out container, which I wasn’t a fan of, because it was hard to get the chips in there.
I had the trio with a hard chicken taco, shredded beef enchilada, and shredded beef taquito. The black beans were great too, but the rice that came on the side was a little undercooked. Everything came with a side of red and green sauce. Super spicy, so good! I’ll be back.

If you think this is authentic Mexican, than you must think Spaghetttos is real Italian. Seriously, you’re not only charged for chips and salsa, but they come in a pre-​packaged bag and a little plastic cup of salsa. There isn’t a Mexican or even Texan within a10mi radius of this joint.

Finally! Amazing tex-​mex. Many of the Mexican options in CLE (west side) are all operated by one owner and everything is sooo bland. So, needless to say my husband and I were so happy to have loved our meal at TJ! I got the shredded braised brisket chimichanga! Yum! It was full of flavor and cheesy :) The crema drizzled on top was also delish. We got queso (perfect) and salsa for an app. Salsa was so-​so, decent flavor but really liquid-​y. Dessert! We shared the apple pie empanadas. They were good, awesome flavor with caramel whipped cream but I feel like the apples could have been cooked longer. I didn’t try it, but my husband got the braised brisket wet burrito and he LOVED it. Lastly… I should have started with this… We had homemade (from scratch) watermelon-​mint margaritas! They were outstanding. Can’t wait to go back!

Good food and good service. Ate on a Saturday night after 8 and it wasn’t crowded. The guacamole was very good; some of the best I have had in a while. I had the fish tacos and they were pretty good but nothing to get excited about. My wife had the trio and said the same. Didn’t try the tequila this visit but will on the next. The server was Katie and she was very attentive and nice.

Okay, I know it’s probably a Unilocal staple to say this, but I really WANTED to like this place. I live in the same city, and my family loves Mexican, from high end stuff like Momocho all the way down to the occasional Chipotle or Moe’s. We visited TJ about 2 years ago, and all I recall was that the kids were «ehh» and my partner and I were sort of neutral. So I decided it deserved another chance.
I took my 2 sons and we were all extremely disappointed. I found the menu to be quite overpriced (I paid $ 49 before tip – crazy, given what we had.) We were the only people, save for one other table and a guy at the bar, at 6:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night. Should have taken that as a bad, bad sign.
My cucumber margarita was decent, but not anywhere near worth $ 9. No chips are served unless you pay for them. I ordered chips and guacamole. My younger son LOVES guac, as do I, but he took one bite and gave the thumbs down sign, refusing to eat any more. This guac was brownish green, and looked as if it had been sitting in the refrigerator for at least a day … just like my homemade guac looks after a day or two. (It also came out almost immediately, which pretty much confirms that it was not made fresh.) My fish tacos were below average and mostly tasteless. The rice on my plate was stone cold. I mentioned this to our waitress and she said, «That’s odd, they’re supposed to be served room temperature.» Huh? Room temperature?
My older son had wings and ate maybe ¹⁄₃ of them. My younger son had the cheese quesadilla and ate half his order before saying that his tummy hurt. None of us enjoyed the experience at all.
I’m very bummed to write this review, as I would treasure having a more reasonably priced Mexican restaurant right down the street from us. Sigh.

Fun!

I spent my college years in Arizona and gained a fond love for authentic Taquerias — so when I saw Taqueria Junction in nearby Olmsted Falls soon after moving to Cleveland, I got really excited. That excitement however turned to ‘meh’ after two visits to the joint.
The restaurant is located in a really cute main street flanked by wonderful boutiques and upscale restaurants. Inside, Taqueria Junction has a really great relaxed yet fun vibe and the way the bar and front tables are laid out make it a great spot to grab a few drinks at.
However, my meals both times here were very average and ‘just okay’. Great Mexican or TexMex food should be very flavorful with spices but the taquitos I ordered were very bland and had no spice but what threw me off more was the fact that I couldn’t change out the beef in the taquitos with another meat — which indicates that they’re cooked from frozen and not fresh and thus customizable. Very disappointing. The sides I had with my main course also seemed like they were frozen — and any meal at a restaurant that’s not fresh is unacceptable. The margaritas I had here were also ‘just okay’ and could’ve tasted like they came from a pre-​made mix from the grocery store… which i believe could be the case.
In a country where one can find amazing and flavorful Mexican food fit for a true fiesta, Taqueria Junction feels like a mere imitation and the chill vibe of the place isn’t enough to warrant repeat visits.

Come here just for the Margaritas! They are the bomb!
Food is up there with the potent margaritas…

I love this place! I only recently visited here for the first time and was extremely happy with my experience. My waitress was prompt and was nice. She answered all questions with a great attitude as well.
I ordered the Shredded Beef Chimichanga and my friend ordered the Chorizo Empanadas. YUM to both! The Crema that they served on my chimichanga was so delicious I could have licked my plate, if it was socially acceptable. I also thought the classic margarita had the perfect amount parts tequila to flavor. I will definitely be back to visit and soon!
Wednesdays they have a $ 3.99 Margarita Special and Thursdays they have $ 3.99 Sangria’s

I like to give restaurants a fair shot and I really looked forward to trying this place out. Queso was Mexican cheese whiz, salsa tasted like it was from a can, guacamole was thin, grouper was fishy, and the drinks had no discernible alcohol (or effect).

Huge portion and prices were comparable. I ordered the chicken enchiladas with mole sauce. It came with black beans and rice that were ok. Definitely try their green sauce and their habanero sauce both are spicy but the habanero is really spicy!
The queso, guacamole and salsa trio app is worth it to share for the table. Also tried the berry mojito– not sweet but still made with fresh ingredients.
Friends ordered the Cali burrito– it’s massive. If I’m ever in the neighborhood I will probably get that since it comes with guacamole and other goodness.

Other than the awkward parking, this place was a nice find. Very clean and modern feel on the inside, yet you still know you’re at a Mexican restaurant. Nice patio in the front (although it looked like rain, so we ate inside). The chips and guacamole were excellent (the salsa was okay) and the muscles had a delicious garlic/​cilantro sauce. For my main dinner, I had chorizo hard shell tacos. The chorizo had a nice subtle flavor to it. I’d definitely go back.

There were 6 in our party and every one of us were very pleased with our choices. The guacamole is excellent. Staff was friendly and attentive. I had the empanadas but can’t wait to go back to try the fish tacos

I can’t really provide any input on a regular dine-​in experience, since we came here for a rehearsal dinner. We had a buffet-​DIY-​burrito-​taco-​salsa set up, so things were a little different, I imagine, from ordering from the menu and being served.
That said, I really liked the place. The atmosphere was great and the servers were nice and on top of things, despite the inevitable confusion and chaos that comes with a group larger than 10. The salsa and guacamole were both fantastic. If you know anything about me, I judge Mex establishments on their salsa and Taqueria Junction definitely passed. The chips were also pretty good and came in cute little lunch-​bag-​like pouches for the table. The buffet food we had was also really good. It was less greasy and processed than most Mexican restaurants, which means a lot. I stuffed myself silly and wasn’t even THAT mad about it!
I have sworn off tequila for a NYResolution, so I didn’t get the «tequila bar» experience, though there was nothing wrong with my draft! Overall, this place is great, but the likelihood of coming back soon is pretty low since it’s a bit out of the way.

Much of what has already been written is very true. This is a tequila shop with Mexican food. Yes, you can taste a wide variety of tequila in an antique setting (Grand Pacific Junction — Olmsted Falls).
AMBIANCE: The best feature of this place is the building, but it’s also a limiting factor. You can get the feeling you’re back in the late 1800’s while here, but it’s small seating area is not an asset. Do not go on a Friday or Saturday and expect relaxation or comfort, but on a lazy mid-​week, you will find quaint ambiance. Visually it’s an appealing experience too — antique hardwood floors and decroative tequila display behind the bar are pleasing as are TV’s with sports shows.
ACCESSIBILITIY: This is an old building among other old buildings so parking — is limited to 3 spots. The main entrance is in the rear and you can walk a short distance from from an alley, or you can park in a strip mall parking lot — across a busy street and enter. There is a Front door — but it is often closed — which is confusing.
FOOD: It’s Mexican food, and overpriced — probably to support the artistic display showcasing the tequila behind the bar. It’s average and not worth a trip on it’s own. Maya (see my other review) is more reasonably priced and better quality — just down the street.
DRINK: It’s already been said — they specialize in Tequila. Yes, it’s a varied selection. mostly $ 6.00/shot. OK.
KID FRIENDLY: NO. This is s a TEQUILA BAR — NOT Applebees. Should kids drink Tequila or know the difference between reposado and anejo? NO. No kids menus… Take your kids to Taco Bell or Friday’s. This is NOT kid friendly, and should be 21/​over.
WAIT STAFF: The waitresses are welcoming and prompt, although a little quiet.
SERVICE: There is no host station and no reservations. This makes it a challenge to enjoy an evening on a Saturday night — unless you enjoy over-​crowding and wait-​times. (makes me wonder if the mgt is experienced restaurantours or just Agave-​heads with more attitude than business sense.
OVERALL: Thumbs DOWN. There’s just too many other BETTER options in the area to recommend this place. I’m not impressed with the management — or their vision they rolled out. Good in theory but in practice they are out of place — I think this crew has visions of E.4 street or W.6^th hip with without the budget to rent there. Olmsted needs less attitude and more laid-​back. See Tony K’s, Moose Head, Maya, Fat Little Buddies, Oriole Café, Zach’s, Upper Deck to name just a few alternatives in 1mile.

Love, love, love, love, love!
I’m so happy that «Agave» is back in action as the newly revamped Taqueria Junction.
The menu has shrunk — but the food quality has improved a LOT! On this trip we ordered the Chips, Salsa, Queso, and Guacamole as an appetizer (the chips come in a cute little white bag labeled «munchies» — we were amused), to eat we ordered a Chicken Quesadilla (chicken, pico, black beans, cheese, guacamole, and sour cream), Carnitas Enchiladas (corn tortillas, carnitas, melted cheese, green mole sauce), and Shredded Beef Enchiladas (corn tortillas, shredded beef, melted cheese, green mole sauce). Everything was delicious.
Taqueria Junction seems to be marketed more as a restaurant than a bar and garners a little bit of an older scene than its Crocker Park predecessor. That isn’t a bad thing. The alcohol is still there and my personal fave — the mojitos — are definitely still on the menu. Not to mention the place is technically a TEQUILA bar — there is no shortage of choices when it comes to the Mexican spirit. Plus, there’s nothing like starting the night off right with a shot of Patron.
If you were a fan of the old Agave you’ll be happy to see familiar faces behind the bar. If you’re new to this «Modern Mexican and Tequila Bar» — you are likely to fall in love.
As far as the interior goes it’s a weird mix of country meets Mexican but comes across as somewhat chic and trendy. There is limited outdoor seating (about six tables maybe) and the inside seats about 73 (or so I was told). Parking is limited (there is a small lot in the back) but we parked by the Drug Mart across the street.
TJ could have gotten a 5 star rating from me — but would-​be patrons be warned — their air conditioning is basically nonexistent. They’re aware of the problem and fingers crossed it will soon be remedied.
My last suggestion for TJ — please get some t-​shirts made! I’d love to purchase one.