La Hacienda 101 Mexican Cantina — Restaurant in Woolgoolga

L.H. 101 is a professionally run and managed restaurant. It works well on all levels, from fine food, to outstanding service to a comfy, laid back and casual atmosphere that’s also fun, vibey and energetic.

The first thing that you’ll notice when you arrive here, apart from the colourful Mex-style décor, are the super friendly staff who will make you feel welcome the moment you arrive. These guys are smart, efficient and helpful, and there’s plenty of them, so the worker shortage does not seem to have made it's way to the little alcove of Emerald Beach, just a few km from Coffs Harbour.

Another advantage to dining here is that unlike their city counterparts L.H. 101 are not spending all their waking time dealing with take-away and home delivery orders. Those of you who are familiar with my reviews, will know how much I hate this. It means too often that sit-down diners are treated as second class citizens and with all these helmeted delivery guys lining up at the counter to collect the meals, the place starts resembling a train station or the set of a Mad Max movie. That's never conducive to a relaxing evening. But thankfully this is not the case at L.H. 101, and everything ran smoothly for us from beginning to end.

The food is delicious and served in generous portions, there are ample clean and well provisioned toilets and masses of easy parking right outside the front door. This place has clearly built up a solid reputation, as it was nearly full on the night that we dined, despite being a Sunday. And its reputation is well deserved because it hums like a well oiled machine and these guys don’t miss a beat.

I noticed that the owner/manager was very much in evidence, fussing around, but doing the essential work of making sure that everyone was happy, and I think that this also contributes to this restaurant's smooth functioning.

All round, we had a great night here, apart from the hefty bill of 240 pesos for four people we received at the end, and that included 50 per jug of their margarita cocktail. Now I know that thanks to our profligate, wasteful governments and dumb economic officials who are supposed to know what they’re doing but clearly do not, we are in the midst of what can only be described as a Weimar Republic-like hyperinflationary crisis, but still 50 for what is basically four small glasses of a bit of rum and lemon juice, is a bit over the top. The food content came to 140 pesos, or 35 a head which I guess was fair value considering that the potions were large, and the quality was first class.

Given that there are not too many other eateries in this little patch of Northern NSW, we’ll probably come back when we’re back in the area. But I hate to think what this similar meal will cost...

La Hacienda 101 came recommended to me by a random person at a rest stop while traveling. We live 5 hours away from Emerald Beach but decided to plan a holiday in order to try this food.

We have been here for a week and have eaten their food, both in the restaurant and as take away. The food is AMAZING!

I have lived in Australia for 16 years, a transplant from Southern California. Not only is La Hacienda 101 incredible, but it is also authentic which is not something that can be said for any other Mexican food I have tried in Australia.

We have spoken with the owners at length and heard their origin story. Their commitment to getting the food portion of the experience right is incredible, but in addition to this, the ambience and atmosphere is equally impressive. The menus give history of Mexico, their food and their culture. The tequila menu has an equally elaborate history of its origin.

We came with our toddler who was entertained with drawing kits with Mexican themes as well as just general kindness.

Back to the food. The entire menu is incredible, from cocktails to appetizers. We have navigated majority of the extensive menu and every single item blows your mind.

Cannot rate this restaurant and the experience...

We throughly enjoyed our EXPERIENCE at La Hacienda, all the staff were friendly and attentive. The owner was on the floor taking orders and greeting people, which is something you hardly see anymore and so very important. We felt like our business was appreciated which often doesn’t happen in a busy restaurant.

Our orders were taken promptly with recommendations suggested by the team, our meals and drinks came out quickly, the flavours of the meals were exceptional, with generous portion sizes. Highly recommend the prawn tacos and the Spicy Mango Margarita.

The restaurant was clean, and decorated beautifully, lots of vibrant colours, tables were positioned with ample spaces and bookings staggered around so you didn’t feel like you are sitting on one another. We felt very comfortable from the moment we walked in.

Awesome food, with Fantastic customer service, you absolutely made our night and is certainly a highlight of our holiday!

You guys have done an amazing job. Keep up the great work, we can’t wait to come back....