La Nopalera Mexican Restaurant San Marco — Restaurant in Jacksonville

It is very disappointing to rate La Nopalera in San Marco with one star. Years ago I rated it much higher.

In fact, I would rate last night's experience NO STARS if possible.

Last night we waited to be seated while the hostess - who did not have a mask - had a conversation with a lady sitting at the first table sending texts (not dining).

The hostess never acknowledged us - ever. Instead, another employee asked us if we were waiting on a table. This guy asked us to wait while he found a table. He went to the bar and NEVER CAME BACK!

Also - I should mention - the restaurant was only half full.

After about fifteen minutes, as the line of people behind us continued to build and we were about to leave because of being ignored, a server finally sat us.

Our server (whose name I cannot recall but the receipt identifies as # 12) was efficient and attentive. He delivered drinks, chips, and salsa quickly.

Unfortunately, he could not do anything about the kitchen. Our two meals took a ridiculous amount of time and when they did arrive both entrees were barely warm.

At this point we would have just left but I had just arrived in town, tired from travel, and in no mood to navigate another restaurant at the hour.

It actually gets more disappointing - the food - YIKES.

Both of our entrees were literally tasteless. Genuinely, void of any ethnic flavor. This is the very opposite of our past experiences at this La Nopalera.  I don't know what was going on last night but this place was off at many levels.

Most importantly, and I can't stress this enough. As the experience came to an end my dining partner pointed out something I hadn't noticed until the moment he pointed it out to me.

From our seats on the second level you could observe the entirety of the dining room below. Almost none of the La Nopalera staff were wearing masks! I guess I had not noticed it because our server upstairs was wearing his mask.

Seriously - some staff members (like the hostess) did not even have a mask on their person, others had them below the nose or even below the chin!

What are these people thinking? Was this some type of statement?

Intolerable - SIMPLY INTOLERABLE. Had I noticed this earlier WE WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY LEFT.

I do not know if this degradation in overall quality is a trend or just an exception last night. I say this because we have been there in the past and actually really enjoyed the atmosphere, service, and meal.

I would seriously suggest you evaluate your patronizing this establishment based on an initial visual observation of the staff. If they are not wearing masks I suspect you are in for the same nonsense we...

Parking lot was packed when we arrived, but upon trying the food, it stood to reason why street parking was also filling up.

Not only was this place cool looking on the inside, with remnants of an old steel spiral staircase I haven't seen the likes of since my later grandfather's house he built for guys wife in Grand Rapids, and original hardware for the windows up top to open by pull-chain, before we could order, we were greeted by food, which is always a plus!

Though they were busy and short-staffed, they were polite and super accommodating! Not that one has to bend over backwards to fetch a booster seat for a child, I always appreciate when I ask for one and it arrives within the half minute of the request. We've all been there when asking, "Uh, a Diet Coke, please, when you get the chance?" and then your food arrives, then the dessert, then the check, and you're grabbing your family and putting on your coats, and the host asks, "How was everything?" and ya gotta say, "Real good... except I never got that Diet Coke I asked for." Then in a conversation on the drive home, pettiness is the topic of conversation, along with the, "we have Diet Coke at home," but you know it's flat and not nearly as refreshing as it would have been had it been served with your lunch. Either way, the booster seat was requested and received within ten seconds, which was great! Was every part of my food made from scratch?! Certainly tasted like it! When I asked for a corn tortilla, I swear they must have ground that corn out back before making my lunch with it! I'm usually excited for the fish within my taco and not so much the vehicle in which I get my fish, but what a difference it makes! Unfortunately, for the foreseeable future, all my tacos, fish or otherwise, will be...

I have rarely given a bad review, and I hate to do so because it really isn't anything to do with the workers, just bad management.

A group of us went to celebrate a birthday. The drink was good, the fajitas didn't look like fajitas, they were on a normal plate instead of the sizzling plate they usually come on, which can absolutely be forgiven. Then I found out that they charged $85 to reserve the table, plus tax, and didn't bother to apply any of it to the bill. When we spoke to the manager, he claimed we had to pay for business he lost because he saved the tables. Never in my life have I paid for a reservation. Never, with larger groups and better restaurants I feel like my friend, who paid the $85, was absolutely robbed. If I would have known, I would have refused to eat there. Needless to say, I will never go there again as long as they have this policy.

It pains me to write this, as I am a staunch supporter of small businesses, but this policy is robbery. Either don't take reservations or make them free, but don't profit off of making a reservation while you had plenty of empty tables when we arrived. There was no business lost because of our reservation. All that entered were seated immediately. This is an abusive policy.

Yes, my friend had a choice and could have not paid it, but she was trying to make sure her husband's birthday went smoothly and she's the type that will sacrifice for others, just not for herself. She's very selfless, and her personality tends to avoid confrontation. She was in a hurry (work break) and just paid it to ensure a table. Policies like this take advantage of good people like her. It took her hours and hours to earn that money. I just hope it goes to someone that needs it...