La Tienda

My visit was with a friend who has prior experience here with the quality of the food and the vibe of the restaurant. In many ways and years the place has never changed. And I for one think that is a great reason to visit again and again. We began with a chicken burrito that was ginormous! Very delicious. Also enjoyed a chimy chunga with steak. The sides are huge and very tasty. The guacamole and salsa are perfect. I got he feeling that this was a representation of a genuine dish and restaurant in Mexico. We also enjoyed the BEST mango coconut drink I have ever tasted! And if you want a beer, I recommend the 32oz Modelo. Awesome! The staff are very friendly and polite. Don’t forget to visit the grocery store in the rear of the building. Amazing items and all appear genuine Mexico You will find that of any of the Mexican restaurants in Gainesville, these folks are the Very BEST! Enjoy

The best authentic Mexican food I’ve had. Great service and cozy place to eat. I’m hating that I’m not local, just stopped in on a visit for gator gymnastics camp!

Beyond authentic from the moment you walk in with delicious food and great service. Plenty of seating indoor and out. Highly recommend if looking for a reasonably priced meal.

*Recommended* It’s pretty gosh darned authentic. It’s good chow priced well. I love places where you order at a counter and seat yourself. There are a couple of coolers stocked with Latin soft drinks. The space has a lovey ‘lived-in’ vibe but it is in no way unclean. In fact, the interior is almost spartan in a way only someone who has mopped the floors every night would understand. The staff works quickly and communicates well. The menu is displayed on two monitors above a counter selling candies and sweets. They also have a practical pharmacy on the wall behind the cash register. Antacids, some topical stuff and I noted a box of Panadol. Awesome. Our order was three taco birrias, a giant chicken quesadilla, and I got a delicious huevos rancheros as usual. Everyone was pleased with their choice. The guys in the kitchen were full of smiles the one time I looked in. Mucho gusto. The best part was as I was at the end of the meal. As I was taking our paper dishes to the trash and looking around for where to lay my plate, when the sweetest lady came walking up to me with her hands out fussing to help me. Classic.

Always a pleasant place to casually eat. You can sit inside or outside. Everything I've ever ordered from here has been delicious, though my personal recommendation is the chorizo tacos if you like spice like I do. The servers there have always been nice when I've gone here. No complaints, other than parking is (maybe) sometimes an issue when it's busy, but I don't mind parking down the block for some good tacos!

The pork ribs with salsa verde and huarache with al pastor were both really tasty.

Authentic Mexican food with very reasonable price and portion! Family friendly. Can be crowded during the peak hours.

Been going here since 2011 and it never disappoints. My favorite place to get a burrito 🌯 in Gainesville and I always try to stop when en route. Al Pastor is my favorite but Barbacoa and carne asada are great too

La Tienda is hands down one of the best spots in Gainesville for tacos. The soft tacos are amazing, and their house-made chips, salsa, and guacamole are must-haves--fresh, flavorful, and dangerously addictive. We usually go for the 3-taco combo meal, which is both affordable and filling. Don't let the exterior fool you--yes, it looks like a little shack and doubles as a convenience store selling Ponds cold cream, shampoo, and lighters--but that's part of its quirky charm. Inside, it's bustling, casual, and often loud when full, but that's just the sign of really good Mexican food. It's a favorite among UF students, and parking can be tight, so plan accordingly. But trust me, it's worth it. Throw on shorts and a tee, grab a table, and prepare for some of the best tacos in town.

Truly authentic! The food was good. The chips were good. The tacos were good. I had cheese enchiladas with a red mole sauce. It was different but very good. Place is definitely not fancy, but the food is worth the trip.

Food here was top notch. My fiancé and I split and order of chips & guacamole, and two orders of tacos (chicken and fish). We enjoyed everything. The chips were fresh, and not overly salty. Meat on both types of tacos was simple, but delicious. It was plenty of food for the money. Looking forward to trying the mole next time. Seating outside was shaded and had fans to kept us cool, considering it was 90º. Loved the drink selection too.

We got here right at open and there was already a line of customers so we were pretty optimistic. Interior was nice and clean, but today we took our food to go. A mixed bag in terms of our food. My chicken fajitas were nicely seasoned and had a good portion. My husband thought the carne asada tacos were mediocre. Quesadilla and chimichanga were also average per my other family members; chimichanga was on the salty side. Salsas are on the spicy side. Chips were good with them though. I was told this place used to be much better, but as this was only my 2nd time here I can't speak to that. Would recommend only if you are really hungry and craving Mexican food in this area.

Looking for authentic and affordable Mexican cuisine? Definitely stop into La Tienda Latina. I love coming here for tacos and a little treat from the store, hence the name of the restaurant. I had a craving some tacos and stopped by on Friday evening around 7 pm where it was busy. I placed an order to go for lengua and carne asada tacos with chips, guacamole, and salsa. While waiting for my order, I did contemplate if I wanted a treat like a paleta or flan. I did not get a treat which I regretted later on. My order took about 10 mins or so. Once I arrived home, my tacos were still piping hot as they were rolled up into foil. The tacos are dressed with white onions and cilantro. They provide sauces and lime on the side. The lengua (beef tongue) is so good and chewy. It's similar to eating carne asada but a little more fatty . I would say do not knock it at all. Their carne asada is perfectly cooked and seasoned. Both meats have that charred finish to them. Get their chips and guac and salsa combo - the chips are fresh and delicious and the salsa is some of my favorite. If you're in the area or looking for a casual inexpensive Mexican spot with a grocery store - stop into La Tienda.

Great local comfort food. Price is reasonable. Busy and popular place. Even the food took a while to be ready; quality justifies though. The menu is extensive with a lot of Latino choices dishes.

Best Mexican food with great hospitality. All team members are amazing especially Jovani and Pamela

A recommended local spot. Coming in, there was a decent crowd inside. Plenty of seating. Quick service. Got the tacos with carne asada and al pastor. The al pastor was worth, and the carne asada was a bit dry and lacking flavoring. Burritos come smaller than I am used to. Horchata not worth, it was watered down. Paying with credit card is a 4% surcharge. Should try at least once, a casual Mexican spot.

The food here is amazing. Every dish that I have ordered, ranging from the Huevos to the Tacos have all been great. The inside is essentially a mini-convenience store, but can be dirty at times. There is not really a "service" since you order at the counter, but they are normally quick with bringing the food out. The problem I have with this restaurant is the pricing. Normally, Birria tacos range from 13-16 bucks, which is how much it costs here. However, most places give you free chips and salsa or the tacos come with rice and beans. Here, you are charged $7 dollars for a very small portion of rice and beans, which is ridiculous. You also have to pay a pretty big price for chips and salsa, which is a little absurd to me. Aside from that, it was a good experience.

La Tienda Latina is a cute Latin American niche store and restaurant that brings great flavor of Mexico and other places. The shelves are filled with the conventional products such as tortillas spices, salsas and sweets. Their custom-made tacos, pupusas and empanadas are colorful and delicious with large amounts that come at a good price. The employees are welcoming, supportive and obviously enjoy the culture. Comfortable and friendly, it is the place where one can find really good Latin food and goods.

Great low key place for pretty authentic food. Our party of 5 have nothing but nice words for this place. 3 of ordered fajitas, 1 burrito and one Mexicano Bisteca. We also ordered chips, salsa and guacamole. All generous portions.

The food was pretty good here. We walked in and the place was very busy, there was no space to sit at tables inside, but they have tables outside as well. The queso and chips were both fresh. The steak chimichangas was alright in flavor. There was a lot of meat for the price. I did find a piece of plastic in my chimichanga.

Great service and even better food! Got the enchiladas suiza and a mango jarrito. Everytime I'm in town I stop by! Highly recommend trying them out!

Excellent tacos in a chill environment- we got carne asada tacos, al pastor tacos, carnitas tacos, chips and salsa.

Being one of the most talked about Mexican restaurants in Gainesville, you want to love this place. However, it does fall short sometimes at the quality of the sides including rice and beans being semi-warm. I ordered the Alambre, which tasted good for the most part. Wished it was warmer. We also ordered the Carnitas, which were pretty dry so I recommend adding some salsa if you order it. Overall, food tasted good but needs to be served hot. Otherwise, ambiance is phenomenal and I would recommend this for an authentic Mexican experience. Staff were friendly and quick with service.

quick, easy tacos for reasonable price. Miscellaneous items for sale from Latin America which is nice for convenience.

LOVE IT HERE! just went for my first time with a friend and it was amazing. the service is great. such authentic mexican and latin food. it was pretty busy because it was a game day, but it's always a good sign when a business is busy. Very delicious. i took the food to go and it was great!

Decided to satisfy my craving for tacos by checking this place out! As suggested by others, it's probably wise to go here early as there could be a line of people waiting. We got three different tacos (birria, carne asada, and al pastor). 1. Carne asada tacos - 3/5, little bit bland in taste, was not too impressed by the quality of the meat. 2. Birria tacos -5/5, tender and juicy meat, flavorful 3. Al pastor- 4/5, lots of meat, but could be better in terms of seasoning. Overall, 4/5 experience for me! Will come back to try more food later.

I'm Dominican born and raised but have lived in Los Angeles, CA for many years. I only wanted real Mexican menudo and this just wasn't it! Yuck! The flavor was awful, don't they use Chiles guajillos, or Chiles pasillas? The broth was brown, not red, had absolutely NO flavor, not even salt or garlic! They didn't season the broth at all! Just a brown sloppy unflavored mess. Absolutely unflavored and the tripa was very chewy, and hard. It tasted like a hard sponge instead of a soft squishy piece of meat, a delicacy, that's supposed to slide through your teeth and down your throat. It was just disgusting. What pissed me off is that I came all the way from Cali, drove 6 or 7 miles from my friend's place for this crap. Wack, wack, wack!!! I can make it better myself. My Cali taste buds say BOOO, two thumbs down, all the way down!! If you're real Latino, not American, you'll be highly disappointed. I ain't going back.

First, the food. Although the taste was fine, I was violently ill within 30 minutes of finishing my burrito campenchano. The place is casual, but loud. Can be very loud. Parking is tight and crowded.

The place was fine and our food came out in a reasonable time, but we threw away more than 1/2 of it. My quesadilla was very greasy with cheaper cheese. The other person's veggie burrito had lardy tasting heavy beans and veggies without a good flavor. Wouldn't recommend.

La Tienda has always been a classic Gainesville favorite and it's well deserving. I normally order the steak chimichanga, and appreciate the toppings of avocado and diced tomatoes added on top. Instead of beans, I always substitute the second side with rice. The fajitas are also a good choice. There is a good amount of indoor or outdoor patio seating, and the food comes out fairly quickly!

This is a Gainesville staple that probably doesn't need anymore reviews. If you've never been, try it. It's simple, quick, authentic Mexican food. You can't go wrong.

Eight of my family members dined here for a dinner on a Wednesday. It's a casual vibe with ordering at the counter and choosing your own seat. We really appreciated how extensive the menu was so that everyone found something they could enjoy. The service was quick and the food piping hot and flavorful. Don't expect any fancy frills at this place, but do expect good food. Some of the highlights we recommend are the Al pastor torta, the compechana taco salad, and the chips and queso. We all enjoyed our dishes and want to return again.

I eat here a lot. I enjoy the tacos. The environment is very basic. The service is prompt. They can get busy so delays can be long. There is a lot of take out. The outdoor seating is nice but 13th street is ridiculously busy and loud. The burritos are stuffed with rice and beans which I hate so I avoid those.

The FOOD was authentic and delicious. While in Gainesville if you're looking for some really good tacos give La Tienda Latina a try. We had their beef soup that was loaded with beef bone, veggies and a savory broth. The customer service was great, all smiles and willing to help us make meal decisions as this was our first time there. My daughter had their barría tacos she loved it. The restaurant has this real authentic Mexican feel, the decor was simply and again the smiles on the staff just made being there and enjoying their food a whole amazing experience. I know that the next time we are in the area we will be having a meal or two there.

Authentic Mexican comfort food at its best. I'm a Southern Californian living in Gainesville for a temporary job. Their shrimp burrito hit the spot for me - juicy shrimp with lots of the burrito necessities. Their chips, salsa and guacamole are yummy too!

If i could give half stars it would be 4.5 stars. Had the carnitas while the Wife had the Bistec. Very very good. And priced right. Authentic Mexican food at an authentic Mexican food price. 90% of the clientele were straight up Mexican construction workers so i knew we were in the right place. Carnitas wasnt shredded, but wasnt a deal killer. Worth your time and money. They are a to go superstar. Just pick up some Modelo on the way home.

A great spot to eat while in Gainesville if you're craving Some good Mexican food. There was a decent line during lunch time. You order at the counter and they bring you your food once it's ready. Plenty of tables inside and outside. I ordered the chicken soup and the steak burrito. Great amount of food to get full on. The soup was a bit lukewarm, but tasty with the veggies they offered. The burrito was massvie and filled with steak, Mexican rice and refried beans. They do have a few sauces that goes well with the burrito.

We're travels and currently staying in Lake city we drove to Gainesville looking for Mexican food and shopping We found this place under the 10 best Mexican restaurant and let me tell you it was the most delicious authentic Mexican food coming from a Mexican I can truly be honest about rating some good Mexican food . Must try not a fancy place if your looking for that but if your looking for delicious Mexican food this is the spot .

Food was delicious,not a huge many but what they have was extremely good. Fast service, it took only a few minutes from ordering to getting the food. Nice workers.

Delicious food, quick service, and a very wide selection of choices! Not the prettiest place inside but the food makes up for it! Great spot for a quick lunch or dinner.

Delicious food, super clean restaurant with a cute ambiance. Service is friendly but rather slow on an early Sunday afternoon. Make sure you try their salsa but watch out for their heat level.

Authentic Mexican food!! Great Service. Clean and affordable. Definitely a great place to visit

Excellent food, nice staff, several vegetarian meals on the menu, love the spicy sauces!!!

Thanks to my fellow yelpers for this gem! Amazing! Myself and five co workers went on a Friday afternoon for a late lunch and the place was still teeming with patrons. All of us except one ordered the street tacos, from beef to shrimp to chicken, none of them disappointed. One of my co workers ordered the Gordita, looked amazing and he said it was full of flavor. Four of us ordered the horchata and wowza!!!! Full of the most perfect flavors, not too sweet. We started with an order each of chips and salsa ( this is not complimentary) and three orders of queso, all of it was top notch! Truly homemade with flavor and perfect consistency. This is kind of a Mexican market and food establishment--you can buy shoes, pills and tacos! Would 100% go back to this place and recommend this to anyone who is in the area.

Muy buen servicio y se consigue la mayoría de lo que buscas. Gracias por estar presente en Grovetown.

The food took extreme long to come out. My chips and salsa came out after 10min and then my 3 tacos came out about 10min after. I had to reach into cooler to grab my own Soda can. I ordered my meal for dine and and waited at table for meal brought out by servers. For the price I paid, I expect beans and rice with my entree. The meat was not authentic and quite chewy. The restaurant was spacious and many available tables to sit but it was just extremely loud and noisy. Ambiance definitely is not relaxing to eat. Very noisy kitchen and seemed like it was just so unorganized overall

Was really good. Food came quickly. Prices were a little high, but I'm from Southern California where similar food is half the price and larger serving sizes.

The best Mexican restaurant in Gainesville. Period. Full stop. The only place where you can get BBQ goat.

Incredibly happy with their Birria tacos - Seriously, BIG YUM. La Tienda Latina on 13th street in Gainesville, locally established and serving authentic Mexican food for so long I almost forget to visit more often. Great prices, conveniently quick counter service, and friendly staff. Been eating here 10+ times in my life. Plenty of outdoor seating, definitely worth a stop if you're in Gainesville! On their Facebook post (not on the menu), I saw that they were making birria tacos, and I had to try! Wow - I am so glad I did!!! They are delicious. I would go back for this dish. On a side note, the Store section in the back seems to have a good stock of unique things, just a bit dark.

Second time here. When in Gainesville, this local favorite should definitely be on your list to try. People arrive in the parking lot before they even open. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating options too. The market component is fairly small and mostly comprised of some personal care/hygiene type items and plenty of souvenirs and country specific lanyard, keychains, etc. (Guatemala, Venezuela, and more). Ordering is easy and done directly at the counter. After paying, they'll give you a number to take to your seat for matching you to the correct order when it comes out. We opted for tacos, a side of rice and refried beans, and a chicken burrito. The burrito was gigantic and literally bursting at the seems with chicken, beans, and rice. The tacos were excellent too - I'm a big fan of both the al pastor and chorizo tacos here. The menu is quite large and there are a ton of options to please just about anyone. We'll certainly stop in again the next time we're passing through.

I'm very disappointed, we usually eat here our taco birrias. This time we ordered a Burrito Carnitas and split it in half. Thankfully our girls didn't eat any of it because we got food poisoning. We ended up in the ER. I'm sorry but I'm never eating at this place again.

Note the menu photos attached- the ones under "Menu" are outdated -prices are now a bit higher. But prices are still very good for the amount and quality of food. You do have to order at the counter, but they bring food out. Indoor or patio seating. Plastic forks and styrofoam cups, but real plates. House made salsa & warm crispy chips($3). The beans are perfect texture and taste, mole sauce doesn't have a bitter aftertaste(like some does), real shredded chicken breast. Nice selection of Mexican bottled drinks as well as fountain sodas and bottled beer. I had the chicken mole relleno, hubby had chimichanga, both come with rice & beans- very filling portions. Side order of chips & salsa(huge basket of chips). We will definitely eat there again if in town.

Whenever you are up in the Gainesville area and want a taste of authentic Mexican food try La Tienda Cantina. Located on S.W. 13th Street, you can recognize it by the large sign visible from the street and the red and green trim of the building. La Tienda offers outdoor seating as well as inside dining. The inside isn't fancy but it is clean and colorful with artwork and paintings on the tables. It's the kind of place where you can relax, have great food and a beer. It's also family friendly and has a nice selection of kid's meals. There isn't any table service here - you go to the counter and order your food. When your food is ready, they call your number and you go up to the counter again and get your plate. Like I said a relaxed, casual Cantina. I have never been disappointed with the food whenever we go. La Tienda offers the free chips and salsa plus they have two different kinds of homemade hot sauce for free to go with your meal. Both spicy, one hotter than the other but equally delicious. L I alternate between the two depending on how spicy I want my food. My meal was Camarones a la Diablo and a side of guacamole along with my plate. Their Platos Fuertes which means dinner plates come with the entree and refried beans and Mexican rice. My dish consisted of shrimp cooked in a spicy red sauce served with refried beans and rice. I didn't feel like having refried beans that day so they were kind enough to give me a double portion of rice. The shrimp were cooked perfectly and the sauce while spicy was not overly hot on the spice scale and had a really good flavor. It was the first time I ordered this particular meal and loved it so much whenever I get the chance again to visit, I will definitely be ordering it. Guacamole was spot on and a treat with their homemade tortilla chips. Generous portions are served so if you go home hungry - it's definitely your fault. Unsweetened ice tea rounded out my meal so refresh that I had several refills. Staff is very friendly and are bilingual but to make your ordering easier they number their menu items. They did have hand sanitizers at various spots in the restaurant and followed the social distancing recommendations. An excellent meal that my entire family enjoyed even the little ones. I hope you give this family run Cantina a try!

I ordered the tacos de lengua, and they were amazing! The service was quick and friendly, I for sure need to go back and try the burritos!

#29 Rojas Mole Enchiladas #29 Verdes Mole Enchiladas #16 Chimichanga All very tasty Sunday 11-13-22

I had heard about La Tienda and had been told it was one of the best Mexican restaurants in all of Gainesville. I excitedly tried it out with a friend and I can say it definitely lived up to the hype! This place is the real deal, authentic Mexican cuisine. Don't be thrown off by the fact it looks like it's within a convenience store, that's part of the appeal. I ordered the carne enchilada which was thin cuts of grilled pork topped with grilled sautéed onions. It was a good serving size and came with the traditional rice and beans . There is seating inside and out on the deck patio. Overall I really enjoyed this authentic Mexican fare and would definitely return.

Great authentic Mexican food, food takes a little long but it's my favorite Mexican restaurant. No mariachi or bar but it's still has great food.