El Mariachi Mexican Food

"I'm a semi-local. Sometimes I'm there sometimes I'm not. Anyway, I had a bad experience with quality of food there over a year ago and decided to go back. Something is different. The Birra Tacos were amazing and the vibe of the place has changed for the better. Could be an isolated incident but I really enjoyed the food and beer and I WILL be back. Prices also are reasonable. Check it out!"

"We were passing through Lovingston today and stopped at El Mariachi on a whim. It was great!! All the food was great, very fresh, and nice open seating too. If I'm being honest the service could have been a hint more attentive. But overall it was a great experience and we'll definitely keep it in mind the next time we're in the Lovingston area."

"I don't know what happened, but the food has really gone down hill starting around Spring of 2023. I just tried it again after not going here for 3 months and it's still bad. It's overly salty, sad dishes with dried-out almost crunchy rice and generally messed up orders (I specifically ask for chicken on two dishes and got beef on both) my wife who is a pescatarian and used to love the vege enchiladas (last two times she got it the only vege were sad canned mushrooms) and the arroz con camaron (this time no sauce). We used to get your food around 2-3 times a month but now we're afraid to try anymore. What happened guys? Service is still great, I hoped it was just that the chief went on a long summer vacation but no, it's still bad. Please make you food better once again, I love having a local Mexican place but I am now forced to go to Charlottesville. I'm sure we'll try again in several months when we feel like gambling again and are feeling too lazy to cook, please go back to making delicious food again."

"We stopped in for an early lunch, as there is not a large selection of restaurants in the area, but we were quickly disappointed. We were one of two couples dining at the time, and the waiter constantly came off as rude to both of us. He seemed offended when we asked for chips, was very slow to take our orders, and did not check in with our table any time after the food came. The salsa was stuck in the bottle, so that even when we held the bottle upside down and pounded it, it did not come out into the bowl. The cheese dip was served cold. The taco meat had hardly any seasoning, and the tacos did not come with any toppings. When we were ready for our check, it was hard to get the attention of the staff, and they coldly directed us to the front stand when we finally got their attention. I will avoid this place when in the area again."

"Place is authentic as hell. Food is incredible and fresh, prices are fair. Free chips and salsa which was nice and tasted fresh. They advertise something spicy and it was actually. It a bit dark and cavernous inside, but the quality of the food makes up for feeling like you're trapped in a liminal space."