La Chinita Mexican Market & Cuisine — Restaurant in Prattville

If you’re looking for authentic Mexican food that is fresh, delicious, and unique, this is the place. Hubby & I tried it last weekend and were thrilled. Don’t let the location fool you. Yes, it is a small, non-descript place located in a strip mall. The seating is very limited, and right now the market part of the business is still developing. But there is magic happening back in that kitchen, folks. You’ll see the handwritten menu posted on the back wall, and the family staff are so eager to explain the dishes to you and answer your questions. We ordered a variety of dishes to sample and all were fantastic. We particularly enjoyed the street corn (messy but worth it!) and the street tacos—fresh, perfectly seasoned, roasted meat and fresh toppings on a tasty corn tortilla. The chicken and cheese quesadillas were simple but delicious. A fellow diner said the pork torta and the ceviche were outstanding, so we’ll try them in our next order. Can’t wait! Sauces are on the table to kick up the heat as you prefer, but all the dishes are well-seasoned without being overdone or masking the quality of the food. So, if you’re looking for a cheap TexMex ground beef burrito the size of your head on a plate smothered with bland rice and beans, this is not the place. If, however, you’re searching for genuine, flavorful dishes made with fresh ingredients that actual Mexican families would serve at their table, you’ve found it in La Chinita. Definitely worth a try!

Update: This is still my favorite, but they MUST do something about the slow service. We did a DoorDash order that they overlooked. When hubby arrived to pick it up, he had to wait 40 minutes for a simple order in a for restaurant with only 2 diners. No apology or offer to comp some of the cost. The last time we ate there, we had a similar experience—it took 50 min to get our food with only one other occupied table. I love this place but if this keeps up, they’ll lose customers,...

I was the only customer as I entered the restaraunt and was greeted by a very friendly woman behind the counter, who asked if I was ordering to go. I confirmed that I was ordering to go.

I made my selections from the available menu, which included 2 chicken tacos, 1 cheek (cachete) taco, a side of rice & beans, an order of Huevos con Chorizo, and a horchata drink.

There was a little bit of a wait for the food, I'd say about 15-20 minutes, which wasn't so bad and didn't bother me at all. As I sat inside waiting on my food, additional people started to arrive, some to dine in and others intending to place to-go orders.

Once the woman brought me my order, I noticed she had forgotten about the horchata. I reminded her and she kindly made it for me.

When I arrived at my destination and took my order out of the bag, and opened everything up, I noticed I was missing the side order of beans & rice that I'd ordered. I did receive the rice & beans that comes with the Huevos con Chorizo, but not the additional side of rice & beans I ordered and also paid for.

At first glance, the tacos are very tiny. They were fresh and very tasty. I really enjoyed the flavors. However, 2 bites per taco (legitimately) and they're gone.... just really small for $3 each.

Overall, I thought the food was really good. I'd eat it again. I just wish I'd received my order in it's entirety or had checked it myself before leaving the restaurant. If you're dining in, I noticed there was no customer restroom, so plan...

When I say BEST and truly AUTHENTIC Hispanic food, I’ve ever had! I truly mean that! I was blown away from start to finish! It was honestly all a great experience from the food all the way to the customer service! I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the tacos. I ended up eating them before I could think to snap a picture. But it started with the chips and salsa. When I tell you the best salsa I’ve ever had, I mean it! It was perfect and FRESH! And the tacos, just omg I’m getting hungry again just thinking about them! Everything was perfect! You definitely have me locked in, and will be back soon at that! I loved every bit of this place even down to the casual...