Taqueria Merlo — Restaurant in Avon Park

A little hidden gem…looks like a Mexican grocery store, but inside it has the most delicious Mexican restaurant hidden inside! On the grocery side they have a wide selection of authentic Mexican staples and treats, they have the basics bread, milk, cheese, eggs. They have an excellent selection of fresh meat, seafood, the shrimp looks amazing. They have an excellent selection of fresh fruit and veggies, all seemingly reasonably priced! The restaurant side has a few tables for dining in, is always busy. You go to the counter and place your order, they have menus and a menu board and are very friendly and helpful! You place your order, pay and then wait to be called, in the meantime they have an accouterment bar with hot sauces, pickled veggies, salsa, Pico de Gallo, that you are welcome to help yourself to! We had a beef chimichanga which comes with rice and beans all of which is delicious! We also tried their fried fish and though this is a little interesting to look at it, as dinner is looking back at you 😳, but it had the most sweet meat and was very meaty! It came with salad and rice, both of which were generous portions! We did also have the chips and cheese sauce, these are served separately as we took it to go, the cheese sauce was very runny, but had great flavor and the chips were freshly fried! YUM! We will definitely...

I can't find a complaint in my body about this lovely Mexican food place. The long lines and over flowing parking with make u curious and alot of people stop by to check it out because of the bustle.. All Male cook staff.. very interesting to look at.. Haha.. food is always good temperature and fast. While u wait you can shop for produce, seasoning, authentic Hispanic OTC medicine , authentic Mexican hats n boots, pots n pants, candy and meat/ chicken puerco etc.. Well let's just say I enjoy browsing while I wait or just sip on freshly made horchata, jugo de piña or tamarindo drinks from the fountain.. My 2 favorites mojarra frita a la diabla.. could be seasoned before frying but the condiments almost mask it. And the caldo de Reyes Yum! Love that big cow foot bone in there . Ok.... My only problem..o yeah I have one!!! .. the open salsas and other condiments are just asking for cross contamination, with everyone passing over the stations and sometimes the condiments mix and fall into each other.. At least they try to clean the areas it as soon as they see it... That hasn't caused me to stop eating there.. Have already invited my friends from outside town to try it out.....

I was so excited to eat here again & hungry I didn't take a photo. The tacos are super yummy! But the fresh condiment bar kicks it up a LOT! Grilled jalapenos? Check. Cilantro & onion? Check. Pickled cabbage & carrots? Check. And way more. Generous portions, very friendly prices & tortillas made right in front of you. Not to be missed if you're in the area. But be patient, their secret is OUT! Enjoy! Update 12/2024. Had the steak torta. How come I never ate theirs before? $7.99 for an amazingly spectacular sandwich with jalapenos with extra cilantro & hot sauce. If I lived here, I'd never cook again! What an absolute gem of a place. There was a whole group of friends gathered too. So the locals obviously love Merlo's. The ladies who take the orders are friendly & kind. What's not to love about this place?!? Oh I read someone's comment about dirty bathroom. Been here 3 times & never saw the restroom...