OLLA Taqueria — Restaurant in Covington

Casual, Flavorful, and Friendly – A Great Spot for Lunch in Covington

Olla is a fairly new and very welcome addition to the Covington, Kentucky food scene. Located at the corner of MLK and Holman in a charmingly renovated house, this casual Mexican restaurant offers a relaxed and lively atmosphere. Seating includes a few indoor tables, an indoor counter, sidewalk tables out front, and a covered back patio that’s perfect for a sunny day.

It’s a popular lunch destination—often bustling—and for good reason. The portions are generous, prices are moderate, and the menu sticks to traditional Mexican fare with satisfying flavor. The burritos are huge and delicious, and one of my personal favorites is the loaded nachos with the option to add meat. I chose the shredded BBQ beef, which was tender and flavorful. The nachos were seasoned with just the right amount of salt and spices, and they came with a trio of house-made sauces—none too spicy, but all full of flavor.

Ordering is counter-style: you place your order, grab a number, and then take a seat. The staff is friendly and efficient, and your food is brought right to your table. Cold bottled drinks are available for self-serve from the coolers.

Note that there are a few steps to enter the building—either from the front or back—and restrooms are clean and easy to access. Free street parking is usually plentiful in the area.

If you’re looking for a fun, no-fuss spot to grab a tasty Mexican lunch or dinner with friends or family, Olla is a...

I have been here 3 times always had a good experience. The food is great. Yesterday however wasn't the best experience. I placed an order via phone when I got there they gave me the wrong order I didn't realize until I got home. I called an the lady who answered an also was there when I picked up my order apologize an offered to have it re-made or a store credit. I understand things happen no one's perfect so I wasn't upset. However I drove 40 minutes back there that evening their was a different team member up front. The girl was looking and stated " she never told me" so I guy comes up looks for a note finally found it but their attitude was almost as if I were lying like how did we mess up your whole order but the fact is they did and pretty badly. But I'm like okay it's okay. Then I order a frozen slushy I paid for it which honestly I really shouldn't have had to especially since they messed my order up an I had to drive 40 minutes back to the store but I understand it's still a business so it was fine until there was somebody behind me the girl up front asked her if she wanted the rest of the slushy which filled up another cup for FREE so it was just very distasteful in my opinion. I also seen another review im assuming of this same person because how they described her. But the front staff matters & is the face of the store. You can have great food price point but if your staff is unpleasant or mediocre it definitely will...

TL DR Great tasting, kind of authentic Mexican food with poorly mixed drinks. Detailed review below.

The food was really good. It was definitely not authentic but there is enough authentic flair to at least scratch that Mexican food itch. It is the closest thing to authentic I've found in the area.

Quesadilla and tacos were the most authentic but they want to put red onions on everything so if that is not your thing just make sure to order without them. The shrimp was good and the lingua was fantastic

The nachos... The nachos were absolutely delicious. I have no idea what kind of food I would consider it, but they were so good. This is definitely the least authentic Mexican dish we tried, but it was so good.

Now the drinks. We ordered two margaritas. The first was something with cucumber I believe. Tastes like it had a cucumber simple syrup which made it much too sweet. My wife couldn't finish it so I tried it and there's no way I could have drank it either. I ordered the grapefruit version. I forget what it's called. This drink was way too heavy on the alcohol. The grapefruit was barely detectable. If this were made with a top shelf tequila and served in a much smaller glass, it would be ok, but as a Marg style drink, it was just not balanced.

We will definitely be back and we'll give the drinks another try. Maybe we just got unlucky with who made them. If anything changes, I'll definitely...