La Terraza Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Williamsburg

Food Quality and Authenticity: Lacking Tradition

Agua Chile: The agua chile was perhaps the most notable misstep. Traditionally, this dish is served cold, with raw shrimp marinated in chile-lime sauce. Instead, the shrimp had been boiled and served warm, lacking the signature acidity and freshness. To add to the confusion, the dish included tomatoes—an ingredient not commonly used in classic agua chile. The overall presentation and preparation deviated significantly from its traditional roots.

Flautas: The flautas were visibly overcooked, bordering on burnt. In fact, the plate I received was a second attempt after returning an even more overdone set. The filling included bones, and the dish resembled a chimichanga more than a flauta. When questioned, the server dismissed the burnt exterior as “normal,” a response that was both concerning and unprofessional.

Asada Tacos: The asada tacos were equally disappointing. The meat lacked proper seasoning and, more importantly, did not appear to be true carne asada. Flavor and texture were underwhelming and did not reflect the vibrant, grilled essence expected of this dish.

Service and Atmosphere

Customer service was passable, though the cocktails were subpar—pre-mixed with low-quality ingredients that tasted more like off-the-shelf mixers from a warehouse club than house-made creations. In a surprising moment of honesty, the server admitted that the restaurant serves an “imitation” of Mexican food. While I appreciated the candor, it unfortunately confirmed what the dishes had already made clear.

The restaurant itself was reasonably clean but had several troubling details: a noticeably slippery floor and the presence of flies, which raises concerns about kitchen hygiene and food safety.

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Final Thoughts: La Terraza has potential but falls short in delivering authentic Mexican cuisine. A combination of misaligned menu items, poorly executed dishes, and questionable food handling practices makes it difficult to justify its current high rating. I sincerely hope the restaurant takes these critiques constructively and makes the necessary...

Amazing and authentic Mexican spot! Super adorable and reasonable pricing first time in the Busch garden area and visit this place 3 times for dinner out of the few days I was in Virginia 💜. Omar B. Was my waiter and he was courteous, funny and friendly. He listened to my allergies and my special request to mine and my kids orders with care. The server was nice and very careful with my delivering the food to my table. I had such an amazing experience every time I kept wanting to go back for more! Drinks and food are amazing and great portions for the price! Wish I can take this restaurant back to New York with me.. this place definitely a must if you are in the area 🥰 make sure to ask for Omar to get the best of experiences and drinks! All staff was friendly and welcoming but since I dealt with Omar mostly I would say ask for him, if not everyone else should be good too but can’t...

We've had our share of Mexican restaurants on this side of town, some good, some less so. So it was with muted expectations that we ordered from La Terraza.

Boy, were we surprised! Flavors were great and portions generous!

I always judge a Mexican restaurant on their Chori Pollo - La Terraza's was phenomenal, one of the best 2 or 3 I've ever had. The chorizo was delightfully spicy (not a given at most restaurants), the chicken juicy and well seasoned. My only gripe is the usual with Chori Pollo: It needs about 25% more rice and beans to be well balanced.

My wife had the chicken and beef nachos and was gushing over the amount of meat, the seasoning of the beef and the juicy chicken - and a pleasantly spicy cheese sauce.

Now that we've tried our "baseline" dishes, we can't wait to work our way through the rest...