Real Mexico Restaurant — Restaurant in West Columbia

It pains me to just be writing this review now in 2024 as I have been coming to this restaurant for over 6 years.

The parking out front is horrendous when it's busy, there's a place across the street where you won't get towed.

I promise you, it's worth it.

The staff is genuinely some of the nicest & most charismatic people around. At least from the perspective of a regular customer, they all seem happy (except during lunch rush).

THE ONLY time this place is empty, is Monday to give the staff a breather, and even then people do the Chick Fila thing.

I've ordered numerous things off the menu and have tried it twice over now easily. The Elote is my favorite appetizer, but Queso is a Classic, and very easy for kids and everyone to enjoy. They keep you LOADED on chips that are fresh. Their Salsa is also excellent, if you want the spicier kind, just ask! Their Guacamole is also delicious, but I will not share it if it's ordered...

Out of the entire menu, the Cubana Torta is the meal I've ordered the most & the most food per $ here. I've made 3 meals out of it as a 6'0 120-180lb college student and adult.

Their Margaritas are excellent with any meal, the Spicy Mango is my absolute favorite as well! (Just get a water with it if you're weak)

For some Holidays such as Lent or Cinco de Mayo they do put on special events and menus.

I also really do adore the inside mural and the outdoor patio that's actually very cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter.

Un-intentionally I purchased a house in 2020 that was closer to Real Mexico, which turned it from an occasional restaurant to our "I don't want to Cook" restaurant & had to take up Weight Lifting...

Finally found a great Mexican restaurant! We have been to so many places with the same results. Standard food that was hardly authentic and had little or no taste. We even went to one place where they actually used velveta cheese in the quesadillas. Our standards are pretty high I must admit having eaten in many restaurants in California and Texas. Real Mexico is a breath of fresh air and I knew we were on the right track when we pulled up (on a Tuesday night) and the parking lot was full. We were able to park close by so it was not an issue. The host was outside at the door to greet us and he was able to seat us right away. The server was there with menus, chips and salsa almost as soon as we sat down. Drinks came within a few minutes. The menu was full of options but wasn’t to huge like you see a lot of times. My wife settled on the enchiladas rancheros and I got the shrimp tacos. The place was full of happy diners and the atmosphere was feeling like everyone was family having a great dinner. After so many disappointments with other places we remained cautious but optimistic . The food arrived in about 10 minutes after the the first bite I was no longer skeptical. It was tasty, authentic, and hot. This will be our destination from now on when we want Mexican cuisine as the food is awesome and the restaurant was...

Over the weekend, we ordered food to go and it was excellent! We picked up our order and it was ready on time. The pick up entrance is separate from the entrance to dine in which is great since the restaurant is small and gets crowded.

We ordered the tres amigos, shrimp tacos, birria tacos, nachos and a children's burrito meal. The birria tacos were our favorite and was really delicious because the meat was very well flavored. We had ordered the bean burrito for my picky 1 year old and he seemed to like the birria tacos better than his bean burrito! All the other dishes also tasted good and was warm when we ate it at home. The only thing that we thought would have tasted better eating in the restaurant instead of to go, are the nachos. Even though it was good, it definitely would have tasted better if we had it fresh. All the food items were mild so if you want spicy food, then ask for the spicy sauce which will add some kick to your dish!

This was my second time eating here and it's definitely one of the best Mexican restaurants in Columbia! We look forward to eating here again...