Don Luis Méxican Restaurant — Restaurant in Ione

I want to love this place so badly... it’s right down the street from our house. But they make it impossible every time! Here is why.

First time there we went with our neighbors. They had already gotten a table and I remember the service was really slow plus they didn’t have any liquor. Yes that’s right, no margaritas at a Mexican restaurant! Skip to the end of this review for the explanation. I also remember our neighbors not enjoying the experience and said it would be their last time going. I wasn’t very hungry and didn’t remember anything special about the food.

Second time the service was absolutely horrible. We waited for a very long time to be greeted and sat at a table. They were busy but gosh we waited even longer for them to take our order. Didn’t even bring waters after all that waiting, we had to ask and wait some more. Food also took a very long time... the table next to us was very rude but they were waiting since before we got there and had not yet received their food. When their food did come out, they got the wrong food and the restaurant didn’t offer to remedy it. They literally charged them for the wrong meal! Even if they had said sorry and offered to get the right thing cooking, the table would have been waiting for lord knows how much longer. In our situation, I got the chicken fajitas and my husband, the carne asada. We asked for extra tortillas at some point and they tried to charge us a few bucks for that! I asked our waitress to take it off or it would come out of her tip.. who does that???? This time, I thought the food was good but my husband did not. I convinced him to go back months later for the last time.

The service wasn’t quite as bad. We walked in and just sat down somewhere because we knew if we didn’t take charge we would be waiting forever. The waitress got nicer as the night went on but still, the service sucks. They’re obviously not trained in hospitality. The food was not as good as I remembered. Just FYI, they only serve beer and wine. They offer margaritas but they don’t have tequila (no liquor license) just mezcal. We have not been back and I don’t think we ever will. I would go somewhere else if I were you.

An idea for management to consider: A simple “hello” as your customer walks in the door goes a long way. It makes you feel recognized. Like you know we just walked in. Like you know we've been standing here for 15 + minutes waiting for anyone to...

I truly wanted to have a good experience here as we don’t live too far away, in Somerset. I came here this evening with my family. When we walked in we were told to go ahead and sit anywhere. We did, for about 10 plus minutes without anyone even looking at us despite walking by our table many times (we were sitting right by the kitchen entrance). Brought some chips and salsa which tasted good, didn’t speak to us what so ever. Then after about 15-20 minutes someone finally came to take our order with absolutely no enthusiasm or even didn’t seem to want us there. Our food was tasty but we had 5 people and 2 forks. We asked 2 times and my husband finally had to just get up and grab them himself. I have worked in the service industry at numerous restaurants as well as us owning our own business for over 10 years and I can honestly say I think this was hands down the worst service I have ever received. They acted like they did not care whatsoever about keeping us as customers and that’s exactly what they will get. I will absolutely never give this place another penny of my money. I haven’t ever wanted to leave zero dollars for a tip and I was very close to doing just that. Absolutely the most awful service ever. I understand being understaffed, I understand having a bad day. There is absolutely no excuse for what myself and my family experienced today. If that is how they want to run their business it’s their choice but I don’t see that lasting without some change. Servers were a woman with ombré hair color and a younger guy with some tattoos on one arm. Not sure if they are just only nice to their local regulars but we could have been some of those if they didn’t act the way they did. Awful, awful, never again. And for 3 meals and 3 sodas it was...

Don Luis Mexican Restaurant in Ione is easily missed as you drive down main street, the signage is understated. However to drive by without giving this eatery an opportunity to quell your hunger would be a huge mistake. The owner, Jose is on hand everyday delighting patrons with his flavorful, authentic, skillfully created cuisine, which he cooks himself consistently every time. With a wide range of options to choose from, anybody would be hard pressed not to find something to suit their tastes. They offer a decent variety of wine and beer, as well as traditional Mexican beverages like Horchata and Tamarindo as well as normal sodas, ice tea and Jarritos. The restaurant decor and layout provides a comfortable experience, clean and inviting. For those who prefer to dine in the open air there is a large covered patio with seating and misters providing customers with a pleasant alternative to the indoor venue. The staff on hand are friendly, attentive, and accomodating, quickly serving every need efficiently and professionally. I recommend the carne asada fries to anyone who hasnt had the pleasure. All I can say is amazing and reasonably priced. No matter what you order you are sure to be more than satisfied completely...