Maria's Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in South Lake Tahoe

The worst experience ever!! First off we decided to eat outside. They forgot about us so I have to go in and remind them we were even out there. Sever took drink order and neglected to bring out my water, but brought out the sodas. As We waited for a really long time my son went in asking for more chips and salsa at which they also didn’t bring. We decided to go somewhere else instead of waiting any longer. It had been an hr at this point and mind you, it was NOT that busy. Anyway, as we were about to get into the car, the server comes out and rudely tells us we can’t leave that the food is cooking. I told her “no we would just like to go since we have been waiting here for an hr and nobody has even came to give us an update or anything” she thn proceeded to tell me “you need to pay for the chips and salsa thn” I said um “no, I’m not paying for those.” She said “you’re not leaving until you do” went to go get the manager and he comes out basically saying the same exact thing. No apology or anything. Just demanding of their payment for chips and salsa. Are you kidding me? So she said your food will be out soon and I asked her when cuz we have been waiting now for over an hour and she went to go ask and came back out and said it’s coming out now. So we sat back down and waited. About 3 min or so they finally brought the food out. It was some other guy I hadn’t seen that entire time. I told him she never brought our waters out and so he thn brought it out finally. She came back after 10 min and gave us the check. My husband paid before we were even done. I went in to speak to the manager after because they messed up on one of the orders. My son’s friend who is allergic to beans asked for no beans and was given them anyway. Luckily they weren’t touching anything so he just left it. I let them know that and he referenced back to the slip that the server wrote. She never even wrote no beans so he didn’t care about that. I told him that we all heard it and he even told her in Spanish and she repeated it in Spanish. Still didn’t care. She came walked up and said “no, he never said that” we started to go back and forth some. I told the manager that it was the worst experience I’d ever had. No apology that if they really cared about their customers they would have discounted for their mistake but that all it seems like they care about is money. He said well since you already paid I can’t discount it and that I should have said something about being unhappy before paying and that he can NOT refund me. Thn the server put her two cents in by saying “ ya you need to pay for the chips and salsa if you’re going to leave” I told her to go away. And she thought it was funny. I never wanted to punch someone more. In the end, the manager did nothing and I walked away very upset! I will never go there ever again nor will I recommend the place to anyone. So, if you are reading this, It’s not worth it! They will just make the excuse that it’s busy when really it’s not. They are just...

Best Mexican Restaurant Ever! 👍 😌 My wife and I are vacationing in South Lake Tahoe from Indiana. We were craving quality Mexican food—after reading several reviews, we decided to try Maria’s Mexican Restaurant, and we’re so glad we did! This place exceeded all expectations in every way.

⌚️We arrived with only 30 minutes to dine, and from the moment we walked in, the service was incredibly accommodating. We let our server know our time crunch, and he was not only understanding but also attentive and kind. That welcoming attitude set the tone for a fantastic experience. 😋 Now for the food—WOW. The chips were some of the best we’ve ever had: crispy, flavorful, and not greasy at all. The guacamole 🥑 was truly next-level, featuring Maria’s special blend of onions, tomatoes, avocado, and unique seasonings. It was fresh and bursting with flavor.

🌟The real star of the meal was the soft tacos 🌮 with marinated chopped steak—perfectly tender, seasoned to perfection, and served with fragrant rice and black beans garnished with lime wedges. Every bite was packed with rich, authentic flavor.

Great value, quick service, and unforgettable food. Whether you’re a local or just passing through, Maria’s Mexican Restaurant is a must-experience delight. Five stars and two thumbs up—this will absolutely be a go-to stop ✋ whenever we return to South...

My family and I had a horrible experience at this place. We got there at 10:30 am (half an hour early) in order to be the first ones there because we were a big family. When we got there we were told they didn’t open till 11:30 am and not 11am like they advertise on their website. As we were waiting outside, at 11:30 an employee got there and opened the door, when we tried to go inside another employee told us we had to wait outside for another 10 minutes because they still had to set up tables so we did, once we were seated inside the waiter took my entire family’s order and after a while only half of my family got served and the others were left waiting for some reason. The half of the family that got served finished eating and the other half still hadn’t gotten served although other people that had gotten there long after us were already served and eating. We usually don’t complain much but this was just rude and unprofessional, totally ruined our morning and plans for the day while visiting Lake Tahoe. I would recommend you spend your...