Grand Hacienda — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

Mexican cuisine ranks among my preferred culinary choices, and the opportunity to dine at this establishment has generated a sense of anticipation. The encouraging environment fosters optimism regarding the potential to discover an authentic Mexican restaurant. Upon arrival, I was promptly welcomed and seated, receiving a complimentary basket of chips and salsa that were notably fresh and flavorful, neither stale nor cold. Additionally, my beverage order was fulfilled immediately, enhancing the overall positive experience of my evening.

Upon receiving my first dish, the appetizer of Mexican street corn, I experienced a degree of discomfort after consuming a single serving. This prompted me to question whether the item had perhaps been left out for an extended period or if it might have been part of a substandard batch.

The next dish presented was Mexican street tacos. While I cannot ascertain whether it is an issue with my palate, I experienced a similar concern with these tacos as I did with the corn, albeit with additional flavor complexity. I found the onion-laden taco to be rather off-putting. The refried beans were adequate, and the rice was surprisingly palatable considering it had been maintained under a heat lamp for an extended period.

The final dish presented was the authentic churros. The visual appeal was striking, featuring a tower of vanilla ice cream elegantly adorned with chocolate syrup and whipped cream, accompanied by four churros. However, upon tasting the churros, I encountered a somewhat firm texture, suggesting they may not have been cooked for the appropriate duration. Despite the texture issue with the churros, the ice cream proved to be delightful. Additionally, I would like to commend my server, Ms. Camila, for her kindness and professionalism throughout my dining experience.

I will return to conduct another review, but this time it will be during my designated working hours, which will be more structured...

We ordered to go from here one time before and it was decent but when we saw the restaurant, we were impressed with the decor so we planned to go back. Friday night we decided on here for a bite before heading to tampa. We were seated by the server, since there was no one when you entered. No big deal. We ordered water and a margarita. Chips came right away and then 20 minutes later the drinks. (One margarita and one water). Before she walked away we figured let’s order. We ordered Mexi Calamari and the 3 Birria taco meal. Almost 30 minutes later, even after we checked on the meals, the meals came. (No refills for drinks asked at all and now it was the bartender serving us.) The Mexi Calamari breading was falling off and instead of fried Poblano peppers, we had slices of fried jalapeños thrown on for decoration. Calamari was tasteless and extremely chewy. The Birria tacos looked good until you picked them up. Immediately the inside of the tacos started to fall out the bottom. The “shell” was thick and fell apart at the bottom like it was sitting there waiting to be delivered to the table for some time. Ended up using utensils to eat the tacos. Did I mention the passion fruit margarita was fruit juice on rocks?! No one came back and when heading to the restroom before leaving, I asked for our check to be dropped off. Terrible experience with staff but more importantly with the food. The location in St Pete is 100% better. Oh yeah, the decor was cool.(No pictures were added because although the pictures would show how nice the meal looks, it doesn’t mean the...

We have been to Grand Hacienda on Ulmerton Rd. many times. This time our server was Jhovana. She was very attentive, friendly and caring. 5 stars for her! Our food came out very quickly, but since the restaurant didn’t have many customers for a Friday night, we didn’t think anything of it until we both took our first bite. The steak fajitas portion ordered did not look like the 10 ounces as described in the menu, but it was good. We asked for no green peppers, but they didn’t give us any red peppers at all either, only onions. The carnitas portion was huge. The problem was, the carnitas, and both of our charro beans and rice were room temperature. . So we’re thinking they were not freshly made for the dinner service. Jhovana was very apologetic and we appreciate her efforts to take the items back to the kitchen, but it does seem like the kitchen staff just microwaved it and brought back to us, again, too quickly as it was only hot in some parts. I have had fantastic meals here in the past. Tonight, something was off with the whole vibe, ceiling fans on high made it too cold, and something was apparently going on in the kitchen...