Casa Mexico Preston — Restaurant in Ottawa

Upon reading other reviews, I see that the owner responds to them, so I think it's right for the owner and customers to know this. Thank you for your time in advance because this is an in depth review. I have visited the Merivale and Preston locations and ordered the same dessert, the platanitos (fried plantain with condensed milk) both times to-go. At Merivale, they were the perfect ripeness, perfectly cooked, and a great portion. At Preston, unfortunately, we (all 3 of us) after waiting a long time received a very small portion and some of them weren't fully ripe (therefore starchy and less sweet) or cooked right. I have attached labelled photos of the same item from both places, untouched, as it was when I opened the container. You can see I got probably about double the portion from the Merivale location. These visits were only about a month apart, so it's not like it was years difference and inflation or prices have changed. For $9 plus tax, at the Merivale location it's worth it but at Preston definitely not worth that much. We each counted about 6-7 small pieces. The customer service at Preston was also very poor. We felt as though we were a bother (since we were only there for dessert) because it was busy and we were even scared to ask our waitress for water, as it was never offered and she seemed to be irritable and in a rush. The entire restaurant and outside patio was occupied and I only saw 2 waitresses the entire time so her mood could be due to them having to keep up with the entire restaurant but that shouldn't be the paying customers problem if they're understaffed or busy. Typically when I read 1 star reviews I feel bad and think it's a bit harsh, but myself and the 2 others I went with honestly feel like that's what our experience was. If the waitress didn't make us feel so bad for something as simple as asking for water then I would have given 2-3 stars but with the combination of the food and service I can't. I hate to leave bad reviews but this was truly so disappointing. We even paid before getting the food because it was so busy and my mom and I each gave 15% tip as that's my basic default tip amount which I later regretted because with the service and food I would not have tipped at all as I heavily believe that tip should be based on service and food. If either isn't as good, I'm not giving the full 15%. If it's exceptional, I'll give 20%. In this case since we felt rushed and unwelcome, I don't like to say it but I would not have tipped her! To be clear, since we came only for dessert and only once, I cannot comment on the main meals or if other waiters/waitresses are better. This is just the experience I had this time but it was so bad that I was compelled to leave a review and we collectively agreed to not come again. I've been to Merivale multiple times for full main meals with drinks and desserts and never had any issues at all with food nor service and give them 5 stars. My conclusion from this, is go to the Merivale location if you want better customer service and food. Thank you again for your time...

Went with my boyfriend on a Friday night. The bartender was a lovely lady. Our sever was questionable. We got a giftcard for Christmas from someone as a present and when we went to pay for our food it took them awhile before they came over and said they don't accept giftcards at their preston street location. The person who bought us the gift card at their merivale locations specifically asked if we could use it at any location, as was told yes. The people who were working that night comped the 2 quesa birras we ordered and took my gift card to cover the comp they did. We also asked for Mocktail mojitos since we were dry for the month (7$ each on the menu), and they charged us 14$ for 2 alcholic mojitos. Which, by the way, didn't taste like it had a drop of rum in it. We paid anyway. When we arrived on a Friday night around 7:45, no one was in the restaurant. Two groups of 4 walked in after us, and they shut the open sign off because they ran out of food. I wish I got the bartenders name she was very friendly. The server said she's from the merivale location (emily) she walked up to our table and said, "What do you want?" It would be better to be asked what can I get for you. We more than likely ...

My friends and I had dinner there last night. The dining room is small, seating around 40, but done up in class Mexican decor.

We were seated by one of the two servers, both of whom were kind and knowledgeable. It was an exceptionally cold night and the furnace seemed to be struggling so it was a little cooler than you'd expect, but as more people came in the room got warmer.

I had a margarita, made in the classic way but with mescal instead of tequila. It was very good! I followed with a veggie enchilada. It was excellent, served with black beans and rice. My only complaint is that the salad - chopped iceberg and sliced tomatoes, mostly - was spread across the 3 burritos instead of piled to one side. It was an odd presentation that could be improved.

My friends had fried cauliflower tacos, which they had eaten before and love. And a quesadilla that they said was a little light on the cheese.

By the time we left, the place was hopping and the food orders slowed a bit, competing for kitchen time with the online delivery orders that kept coming in.

Overall, I loved the place (which also has locations in Nepean and Kanata) and will...