Maria Bonita Taqueria Cantina — Restaurant in Cartagena

Colombian food typically is mild to bland, and being Mexican and loving Mexican food, I have been hard pressed to find any spicy food or "picante" here in Cartagena. Believe me I've tried. THE FOOD: I asked the server if the food was Colombian picante, or Mexican picante? He said it was fuerte. I saw an appetizer on the menu with 3 chili's indicating heat rating and went for it. Stuffed (2) jalapeños. I hadn't even found fresh chili's of any kind in food stores, so I was apprehensive. Well, what do you know? REAL jalapeños!!! Stuffed with cheese, battered and fried. This is a super, real honest to goodness, jalapeno with heat and flavor. It has a small ensalada with more thinly sliced jalapeños. It is very good, and has good heat. We also had an appetizer of "Totopos" which is fried tortilla chips with cheese, Pico de Gallo, guacamole, crema and a bit of refried black bean frijoles. It was good, but mild to bland. My entree was Chicken enchiladas with mole. The menu gave it 1 chili for heat rating, but I would give it 1/2 a chili. The mole itself was chocolate and smokey as it should be, a little grainy...so not cooked smooth. The chicken was just shredded, no salt or otherwise.... no sabor. I gave the server my input on the chicken. Some cumin, garlic and salt in the chicken with some stock would have made this excellent. As it is, lacks flavor. My lady had pastor tacos, which I thought we're just ok, but she really liked them. Overall, the best I've had here and I will return. I hope the UP the...

I disagree with the prior reviewer about lack of authentic Mexican food in Colombia. Besides Taqueria Agua Fresca in Medellin, this is the most Authentic food I've had in CO. Prior I've lived in Mexico, City as well as my hometown in the US has 3000 immigrants from Toluca alone. Granted, they don't have authentic salsas but they need to adapt some to the Colombian palate that cannot accept spicy food.

The service is really good. The vegan taco options are amazing. They have mesquite smoked artichoke tacos for vegans. For meat eaters they have tacos Arracherra which I really miss living in Colombia. The Chilaquiles are really good as are the chips.

Amazingly there are only three taquerias in CO that I know of that make home made chips. Maria Bonita has the best ones IMO. Usually in CO they use low-quality Tostitos style chips. Not here. The Nachos are some of the best as well as the chilaquiles.

Don't listen to others' opinions of 'Authentic Mexican Food' if they haven't lived there or lived in a town full of Mexican migrants. Each region in MX also has a take on common food like Al...

We went for the chorizo tacos because we saw how tasty they looked with quail egg! Unfortunately when they arrived with no quail egg, hardly any chorizo and a couple peppers we asked why half the dish was missing, to be told oh sorry we haven’t got them! We assumed if half the ingredients weren’t available to be told before ordering the dish but we weren’t! We paid full price for half a dish! We had to ask where our drinks were for every order, the service wasn’t great! I wouldn’t...