El Mexican Santa Marta — Restaurant in Santa Marta

I’ve been coming here for the past couple of years and always had a great time, but this will be my last visit. It’s clear that this place has lost its way after changing their business model. The prices have gone up, the quality has gone down, and honestly, it’s just not worth it anymore.

The tacos were soggy and cold, which is unacceptable, especially when you’re paying more. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and mentioned it to the server during their all-you-can-eat deal, asking for warm tacos next time. Not only did the same thing happen, but they somehow managed to make them even colder the second round.

The food wasn’t the only issue — the service was just as bad. It felt like no one cared about the customer experience. Even the drinks, which used to be a highlight here, aren’t as good anymore.

If you’re looking for great tacos, skip this place and head to Dealer Tacos instead. They have the best tacos in town, and the quality and service are miles ahead. It’s a few blocks away.

I’m really disappointed to see how far this place has fallen, and I don’t recommend it to anyone anymore. Save your time, your money, and your appetite for a place that actually values...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5/5)

I had the Mexican buffet here and was really impressed — definitely a great value at 42,000 pesos. The way it works (which I didn’t see mentioned in reviews beforehand) is they bring out different tacos, usually three at a time, and keep them coming until you’ve had your fill. I ended up trying 12 tacos total, with a wide variety of flavors: grilled chicken, fried chicken, tempura fish with avocado, al pastor, beans, chorizo, shredded beef, regular beef, and more.

The food was flavorful across the board, and the serving style made it fun to try so many different options in one meal. With a premium bottled mineral water and the typical included tip (around 8–10% at many places in Colombia), the total came to just under 50,000 pesos — about $12.50 USD — which I felt was well worth it.

The restaurant wasn’t busy at all when I went (Tuesday around 1:30 pm), so seating was plentiful and service was smooth. Overall, I’d give this 4.5 stars — excellent food and value, with just a little room to grow. Highly recommend if you’re in Santa Marta and want a filling,...

For many this will pass as good Mexican food, but I am kind of picky.

The enchiladas were close to being authentic. I ordered with chicken and topped with green and red sauce. Acceptable.

Steak quesadilla was acceptable and filled with meat and cheese.

The beef tongue taco was a single strip of beef with three thin radish slices on a soft yellow corn tortilla.

Everything has way too much salt.

Stop it with the SALT STOP IT!!!!!!

Most restaurants have this issue, and the chefs need to know that there is salt on the table.

STOP OVER-SALTING EVERYTHING, people can decide how much salt they want.

The food would have more flavor with far less salt.

On a side note, if you're looking for fresh Jalapenos, this is the place you can buy them. They also sell yellow corn soft tortillas.

I will return, and ask for a whole...