La Hacienda — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

A few years ago, this place had unappealing fare. The queso was basically a liquid, the asada was overcooked and chewy, and the burritos could almost be described as a very thick soup with a tortilla. This is not the case anymore.

Outside, it looks like a hole in the wall attached to a typical shopping center. When you go in, you're immediately greeted with a smile, or a waiter sees you and rushes over to assist. The atmosphere is fairly average, with the TVs strategically placed so that one can be seen from nearly every seat. Clean tables and floors.

Fast initial greeting from server who brings salsa and chips with them, and ask about drink order. A minute or two later, you have your drink and can order an appetizer or skip to the entree. I ordered the queso with grilled jalapeños and it was outstanding. Of all the times I've ordered each, I never thought about just dumping the peppers into the cheese. Other similar restaurants will follow this trend, expect it to be on many more menus soon.

The fajitas were on point. You can tell they used fresh vegetables, and the steak and chicken were done to perfection with no dryness. Good portion for a lunch special, with enough to bring home leftovers.

So glad this place turned it around, now it's one of my favorites. Gracious and efficient service that isn't rushed, fresh food from the tortillas to the meats and produce, and it even has a nice covered outdoor patio!

The only gripe would be the narrow entrance in front of the...

Our waiter was really nice and friendly. Sadly he works in a very disgusting restaurant. The food is subpar and management is incompetent. The manager is very rude and should not be there. This used to be a wonderful place to eat! I don’t know if it is under new management or ownership or both… Either way it is a dump! The food tasted like week old leftovers out of a microwave. You will regret it, I promise! Don’t be fooled by the five star reviews. These are likely paid reviews and or done by relatives/friends. Nobody in their right mind would give this place a five star rating. You would get better service at a fast food restaurant from a 15-year-old. This manager needs to be reported to the Better Business Bureau. It’s one thing to serve awful food but I don’t know where you find the nerve to serve it with the attitude the manager has over there. If I serve food half as bad as they do I would at least treat people with a shred of dignity. This is the type of place that’s going to end up on the news. To anyone visiting Nashville please be aware that we have amazing restaurants all over the city and you are never far away from an amazing Mexican joint. This city does not need a reputation like that. That guy needs to be run out of town and out of the food...

The restaurant was not very busy at 6pm on a week night, so we were able to be seated immediately for dinner. The waitress was very friendly and efficient, and she was actually pretty funny considering no one at our table was fluent in Spanish and our inability to pronounce one or two dishes correctly spread quickly throughout the restaurant. The gentleman who delivered our food made sure to announce each dish loudly and in an over exaggerated way. Again, all of this was just part of the experience and poking fun at my husband who wouldn't even attempt to order his food without pointing at the menu. Our dishes were way larger portions than we expected but everything was incredibly good. Our meals consisted of chicken nachos, which could have fed a small family. The traditional Mexican shrimp cocktail which was served in a huge margarita glass, a combination platter that had a taco and enchilada which consumed the entire plate, and the arroz con Pollo which was chicken and rice covered in cheese sauce and served with fresh tortillas. We recommend this traditional restaurant if you are on the East side of Nashville and looking for a quick dinner, especially if you are staying at the Elm...