Sep. 4, 2006 - Columbus Best Mexican Restaurants
A list of 22 things. lists, lists, lists, list. Tony Green the author of the Ohio vs. SoCal list says on his blog: "I currently find myself and my family in the thriving metropolis of Columbus, OH... although I was born in Lincoln, NE, and grew up in Southern California."
Numero uno on Tony's list of 22 things different in Ohio from Southern California:
1) The Mexican food here SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS. Awful.
Wow! Where has Tony been eating in Columbus? There are some great Mexican restaurants in town now. There have been a number of great Mexican Restaurants that have come and go in the past eight or so years because of the fierce competition. I still grieve for La Costa on Worthington Woods Blvd. great food, location sucked... oops I mean location was not optimal, stuck between Crosswoods and Polaris, the building's been a couple of Italian Restaurants that went belly up before La Costa opened.
In a second blog entry, Me, Mario the Airport Bus Driver, and the Taco Bell drive-thru lady a few days later..the blog entry that actually caught my eye the other day Tony says Columbus has a "lack of Mexican food."
Let me first welcome Tony to Columbus and assure him there is a lot of good Mexican food in Central Ohio. I bet he'll find it in whatever part of town he's living and working in. The list below are my ten favorites, not necessarily the ten best Mexican Restauarants in Columbus...I had to name it ten best to get you to read it.... not the ten best Mexican Restaurants in Columbus? What is the best Mexican Restuarant? Not all on my list are authentic (Don Pablo's isn't an authentic Madre y Padre restaurante but most of the restaurants on my list are owned and operated by Hispanic Central Ohioans.
10. El Acapulco, Worthington area, Crosswoods, 7475 Vantage Dr, Columbus, 43235
9. Don Pablo's Mexican Kitchen - Northside, 1777 E Dublin Granville Rd, Columbus, 43229
8. El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant, Polaris area, 8715 Sancus Blvd, Columbus 43240
7. Don Pablo's Mexican Kitchen Northwest, 3740 W Dublin Granville Rd, Columbus 43235 (at Sawmill Rd)
6. El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant, Northwest Columbus 3230 Olentangy River Rd, Columbus, 43202 elvaquerorestaurants.com
5. El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant, Northwest Columbus 2195 Riverside Dr Columbus, OH 43221
elvaquerorestaurants.com
4. Chile Verde Cafe, Northwest, Carriage Place Shopping Center, 4852 Sawmill Rd
Columbus, OH 43235
3. La Casita, Northwest Columbus, 1355 Bethel Rd, Columbus, OH 43235
2. Baja Fresh, 3 Northwest Columbus locations, I lumped them together, 771 Bethel Rd, Columbus, 43214, 6510 Sawmill Rd, Columbus, 43235,1557 W Lane Ave, Columbus, 43221
1. La Hacienda Real, Northland area, 4855 Sinclair Rd Columbus, OH 43229
The list above is in a particular order....#1 is my favorite. Very authentic. Wonderful people, wonderful food... The karaoke may be hazardous to your health.
Now I am not the Grump or Lisa the Restaurant Widow or any of the other Columbus Foodie bloggers /writeers but I know what I like in Mexican food. I have eaten Mexican food in Southern California. I've eaten Mexican food in Mexico at restauarant's aimed at the tourists and restaurants favored by the locals.
Other El Vaquero locations Is there one missing? Dublin Village Center? I used to eat lunch there every Wednesday for a couple of years.... word of caution, the Dublin Rd. (Shawnee Hills) location enter with caution during soccer season .. the soccer mom's, dad's and soccer young'uns love the place.
More Don Pablo's:
Don Pablo's Mexican Kitchen Reynoldsburg area, 1200 Noe Bixby Rd, Columbus, 43213
Don Pablo's Mexican Kitchen West of Campus at Lennox Center, 1803 Olentangy River Rd, Columbus, 43212
There is Senor Antonios Mexicano Restaurant, Polaris area, 8617 Columbus Pike Lewis Center, OH 43035.
There is a second El Acapulco in the Polaris area, 2127 Polaris Pkwy, Columbus, 43240. Also one in Delaware.
There's Abuelo's at Easton, and a bit further west, On The Border Morse Rd. 4175 Morse Crossing Columbus, 43219.
There is El Escondido Mexican Restaurant, Campus area, 246 W. 5th Ave. Columbus, OH 43201 and just a bit northwest there's Estrada's, 240 King Ave. Columbus, OH.
I have never been to Las Margaritas but have heard it is great. Las Margaritas Restaurante & Cantina 1836 W. Henderson Road Upper Arlington, OH.
I want to go to La Michoacana Restaurant & Grocer on Morse Rd. in the Northland area and try their tamales.
I am not a big Casa Fiesta fan anymore... (the El Acapulco restaurants were Casa Fiesta at first.) There are still Casa Fiesta on the northside, at 901 E Dublin Granville Rd, Columbus, 43229 and the Casa Fiesta at 2261 Stringtown Rd, Grove City, 43123. There may be others.
There have to be Mexican restaurants in Reynosdsburg, Pickerington, Hilliard, Whitehall etc. I see them in shopping plazas all over town when I am working... I know I missed some, Talita's on High Street. ..At Festival Latino we ate at a stand with a hand made sign, that said 'Taco George.' I don't know if there is a restaurant somewhere but the tacos and tamales were wonderful, I have tried to locate it since...then there's always all the Chipoltes (don't tell anyone but I really don't like Chipolte... everyone eles does)...
and of course there is always Taco Bell after 11:00 P.M.
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