Real Mexico Restaurant

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Real Mexico in Columbia South Carolina is a hidden gem! The food is absolutely delicious! It’s authentic, flavorful and clearly made with care. Every dish we tried was fresh and full of flavor. The service was also excellent; friendly, attentive, and welcoming from start to finish. The only downside is the parking lot—it’s a bit rough and tight—but once you’re inside, it’s totally worth it. We’ll definitely be back and highly recommend it to anyone looking for great Mexican food in Columbia! 🌮🇲🇽

One of the best and most authentic Mexican restaurants I've been to in the States. Food is great with fresh ingredients. It came out fast. The servers are outstanding. The atmosphere is great. They have outdoor covered dining also. We had no trouble parking but I can see how it could be difficult at certain times.

We were referred here by an employee at of a nearby Walmart and man, we are glad we asked her for a referral. The place was jammed packed (which means to me that it is really good. There’s a free parking lot, but it was very full, but we were able to get a spot fairly easily. The service was amazing! The food was very tasty, fresh and served hot. They also offer complementary salsa and chips. Furthermore, the prices were very reasonable for what we got. We were asked if we wanted to sit inside or out and we chose first available. They took our number, would text us when our table was ready. They told us it would be a 15 to 20 minute wait and it was only about 5 to 7 minutes. It was definitely worth the wait We sat outside on the patio. It was a very jovial place and unfortunately I did not see the inside.

We are visiting from out of town and decided to try out this restaurant down the street from the hotel. My husband and I got the chimichanga and both agreed that it’s the best chimichanga that we’ve had in the past 15 years!!! The service was super fast and the meal came out quickly. The margaritas were great, music was great, and the decorations were fun. We weren’t expecting the food to taste so good so I did not take a picture before we consumed it.😝

Real Mexico Restaurant absolutely lived up to the hype. This place was recommended to me over and over again, and when I finally made it in, it did not disappoint at all. It was really busy, which is exactly what I expected, but the staff had everything running like a machine. Even with a full dining room, the wait was minimal and the service was stellar. Friendly, fast, and on top of it the whole time. The food feels genuinely authentic and not watered down. The menu has a ton of variety, so whether you want classic comfort dishes or something a little more traditional, there’s a lot to work with. Everything we had tasted fresh, was well seasoned and had great flavor. If you’re in the Columbia area and want Mexican food that actually delivers, Real Mexico is a must. Five stars, easily.

Mmmm delicious fast and friendly service. I demolished my lunch. If I lived in this area I'd be here constantly. 10/10 do recommend!

I was in Columbia for the monks peace walk and had a wonderful day, but was hungry and boy was I in for a treat. Although the facade of this establishment is non descript, the food was absolutely delicious. I ordered a carne burrito 🌯 which was so full of flavors, meat, queso. I devoured it like I was having my last meal. The staff were extremely professional and courteous and I want to thank the restaurant for having such pride in serving delicious food. Have a great day and be blessed. Muy rico

Went here with my parents during Family Day after BCT graduation, one of the first stops off post in 10 weeks. The tacos were authentic, well-seasoned, and tasted fresh. Portions were fair, and the presentation was solid. My mom, who is from Mexico, really liked the food, which says a lot about the quality. The atmosphere was casual and comfortable, and service was straightforward with no issues. Prices matched the quality. After weeks of chow hall food, it felt like a proper meal. A good option in Columbia if you want authentic Mexican without anything gimmicky.

Just popped in for a quick bite. They were running their usual occupancy, but seating is rarely a long wait for small tables. Never underestimate browsing the specials menu. This was the first time I tied the fiesta chicken soup. It came in a generous bowl, with two limes on the side. The soup base was amazing in itself, even without stirring it the flavors and zing of cilantro, lime and cheese were in every liquid spoon of both I sipped. Getting into the meat of things, they had to have put about 1 full chicken breast shredded in there if not more. The avocados were plentiful, as was at least two different types of cheese. Black beans, peppers, corn, it had it all. Adding in tortilla chips and crunching them up towards the end was the bittersweet end of my experience. Honestly I should have ordered another bowl to go. I've yet to be disappointed at this place.

The card processor was down, but luckily I had cash. The Barria Ramen was excellent, even as leftovers the next day. Friendly service and good food. What else could you want?

We were not a fan of the food. Coming from the west coast, this Mexican food is not good. My chicken taquitos were plain and had no taste. They're using bagged lettuce and it doesn't taste good. The Guacamole on it is not as fresh as it could be. Shrimp coctel I'm told was semi sweet and did not have the best flavor. Peach agua Fresca was very sweet not good, took a sip and left it at the table. Horchata has a lot of cinnamon, not really any other taste, it's thin.

We stopped for an early dinner on Sunday afternoon. We had been traveling and we were looking for a pet friendly place with outdoor seating. Real Mexico Restaurant has both indoor and spacious outside seating. There is plenty of room to park. Real Mexico offers traditional Mexican food plus a fully stocked bar. When we were seated they quickly brought homemade tortilla chips and salsa. They were very good and fresh. I ordered the shrimp and mushroom quesedilla. It was served with sour cream and guacamole. It was very good with lots of tender shrimp, mushrooms, onions and a flour tortilla. The portions were large and the prices were good. I recommend that you give them a try!

The nachos were good, but I think shredded chicken would make them even better instead of grilled. The quesadilla pizza though? Amazing--huge, packed with flavor, and totally worth the price. We got way more than we paid for! Ordered online and picked up. Pretty quick!

The service was great. The ambiance in the outdoor area was fun and felt authentic. We got unlucky and the fans weren't hitting us so we were being bothered by some pesky mosquitoes and flies. The food was not bad just not as authentic and full of flavor. We only tried the appetizer but the guacamole didn't entice me to try a meal. The agua frescas were very good! Not so sweet!

Service was great, friendly and quick. The birria menu is amazing. Best guacamole and chips I've had in years.

Ordered sopa de mariscos (fisherman's soup) and 3 tacos (carnitas, al pastor, carne asada), all with corn tortillas. The soup was the highlight as it didn't skimp on octopus, shrimps, and small scallops. It was a delicious hearty meal, just spicy enough for me. It also came with tortillas. The tacos came with cooked onions, a roasted pepper, and plenty of lime on the side ... nice bonuses. The al pastor was the best of the three ... it had a sweet accent from the pineapple. The carnita came in second over the carne asada. Definitely recommend the food here!

On our way back to Charleston we decided to stop in Columbia, SC for some Mexican food. We decided on the Real Mecican Restaurant. The restaurant has both inside and outside seating. The outside seating is also pet friendly. The food is reasonably priced and the portions are generous. I had the chicken fajitas. They came out smoken and cooked perfictly. The service was fast and friendly. If youre looking for authentic Mexican food in Columbia, I would give this place a try.

Birria Burrito is all I will ever order from here. Not because nothing else looked good (it all looks amazing). It's because once you've had something so delicious as this burrito, there's no going back . Service was impeccable as the chips came out before we even asked and they kept refilling them. We also appreciated the heaters outback to sit outside on a chilly November evening. The only slight is the salsa is not my taste but it could be someone else's and it wasn't enough to downgrade this place

Michelle provided us with stellar service this evening and the quality of all items received was amazing. We rarely give any Mexican restaurant a perfect score, but we could find nothing at all that we did not enjoy to the fullest. Chips and Salsa were excellent as were both of our specialty burritos. I had the LOCO and my wife enjoyed a California.. We both agree that we will return here often.

This is only our 2nd time coming here, but it's THE BEST mexican restaurant we've had in Columbia. Staff is attentive, food is well seasoned & reasonably priced. We'll be back.

Real authentic Mexican food. They have a great reputation and a loyal following. Parking may be an issue, so be prepared for that, but otherwise this is a great experience and a great spot to get authentic Mexican Cuisine.

Before coming to Real Mexico, I was extremely excited, as I had heard so many good things about it. Upon entering the restaurant, I was instantly amazed at the Mexican artwork on the wall, as it was some of the coolest artwork I've ever seen, to include the museums I've been to. The waitress was also very sweet and very attentive. Now, the food and drinks were slightly disappointing. I ordered a house margarita, but could only drink a few sips out of it, as it tasted like absolute poison. To eat, I got some hard and soft-shell tacos, and a cheese quesadilla. The soft-shell tacos were ok, I just wish they would have given me some sour cream. The hard-shell tacos tasted stale and were not very good. Finally, my cheese quesadilla simply wasn't very good, and I didn't finish all of it. I don't want to say that Real Mexico was bad, it just didn't live up to expectations. However, I would recommend it for the sole purpose of getting to see the inside and experience the environment.

I went there while in town for business. We were seated outside which isn't my first choise but this day was not to hot and the seating area was covered so it was fine. There were a lot of choices on the menu. Sometimes this isn't good but they have a lot of the same items in different combinations that gave different options for a lot of the same items. The food came within minutes of ordering, quite a feat as they were so busy. I had the taco plate. 3 tacos with beans and rice. I chose carne asada, there was plenty of meat with the right amount of cilantro and onions. The beans were not refried but more pinto beans in a thick gravy. They were very busy at lunch and parking was a struggle but the food and service were perfect.

Love the chipotle chicken quesadilla. Real have never ordered anything I didn't absolutely love. Service is great along with fun environment

This place is probably the best place for Mexican food. As a person that's always on the job the food comes out quick and it's great. Nice ambiance as well with the music

The food here is good! My boyfriend got the beef chimichanga dinner and said it was amazing. He liked how cheesy the inside was, as opposed to cheese being on top like other places. I got the 3 tacos dinner and my favorite was the cabeza street taco. The meat was so well cooked and tasty. I also got the al pastor and carne asada street tacos and they were good, but the meat could have been cooked slightly less in my opinion.

We were a bit skeptical of finding a good Mexican restaurant coming from California, but this place did not disappoint. The Birria tacos and Carnitas tacos were amazing! The service was friendly and they have both an indoor and outdoor seating area. The indoor area has a really cool mural on the wall as well.

Been here several times love it. Generous portions wonderful flavors. Great service. Small parking lot and there can be a wait. It's worth it.

After 3 visits on three different days of the week, I think I can rightfully review Real, and it's overwhelmingly positive. First, the service is very on point. Nothing fancy, no going extra out of the way, but just rock solid. Call my last visit, I wondered out loud to my swetie if they refill the tortilla chips, then someone came and did it literally a minute later. Dope. Now I've only gotten two different dishes here but they were both really good and fresh. On the first and third visit I got the Rajas Quesadilla which is crispy and has zucchini & corn, and topped with guacamole and sour cream. Not a fan of the latter (generally speaking, not theirs), but it totally works here. On the middle visit I got the nopales tacos, which were extremely fresh and tasty. I should add their salsa at some point, and their drinks, as you can see from the picture, are both good and interesting (I would have more pictures but I tend to scarf this great food down). Additionally, they have the average regular and Mexican sodas. Fridays are very busy, naturally, but we only waited about 15 minutes for a table for two. There's also pretty ample outside seating. This is a really cool and laid-back spot and probably my favorite Mexican restaurant in the greater Columbia area. I'm kind of glad I don't live closer to this place cause I would come here too often!

First time and will definitely return. Had the steak and shrimp tacos Food was hot and fresh. Friendly service. Small but quaint atmosphere.

This is one of my all time favorite restaurants! I LOVE the food, the queso is to die for. It's very nicely decorated with authentic Mexican decor and Mexican music. The service is kind ever time I come here, definitely in my top five favorite restaurants ever!

The food is good!! It tastes like real Mexican food I really like everything in the menu.

Real Biriani Ramen , cheap,hot,Ramen! Everyone has refused to acknowledge that their policy has it! No one else has it! Eat on the chill patio! Eat and take it to go! Add Ramen later with the soup!

Wow! We loved this little spot! The atmosphere, the decor, the staff all wonderful and perfect. Our new favorite Mexico piece here on the East Coast. Whenever we come down to Columbia it will be an absolute spot to eat.

We've been here several times and have never been disappointed. Best Mexican food in Columbia!

Family owned and the owners treat you like their family! The service was fast and very friendly and the food was spectacular! Make sure you try their margaritas!

When they say "Real Mexican Restaurant Y Tienda" they aren't lying! This is the hands down BEST, most authentic, Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. The drinks are amazing (pineapple mango jalapeño margarita), Chili Relleno (actually had the egg), Birria Tacos, Loco Burrito, fried whole tilapia, I could go on and on. Will stop here every time we come through cola.

Real Mexico was a great lunch place for my friends and I. They seated us outside immediately, bought us some amazing dip, and had a very attentive and entertaining host. I tried the Carne Asada street tacos with a elote and it was amazing! I'm planning to go back for the tacos alone. I highly recommend the place and plan to be a frequent customer.

First time here. The place stays crowded but we decided to sit outside and was in and out pretty quickly. I had the whole Talapia fried with rice and it comes with salasa, salad, avocado. There was a hot pepper in my salsa mix and it almost burn a whole in my throat, lololololol! I'm not a spicy food girly at all. It was secretly hiding in the salsa. After I ate it, I couldn't enjoy my food because it was my mouth was on fire. But prior to that, everything was great! My picky toddler enjoyed his chicken taco with rice and beans. The server was super sweet and helpful in helping me decide which Mexican soda to order. I didn't peek in the inside to check out the ambiance, but the outside was decorate, had a few fans out there, and a TV with something playing. People around me had pretty alcoholic beverages and I'm excited to go back and try one. Overall, the hot pepper wasn't enough to keep me away. I will be back.

Very clean restaurant with cute decor and seating both inside and outside. We came around 5 pm on a Thursday and were seated right away and there was only one other party in the restaurant. I got the taco salad with guacamole instead of meat and my son got the birria. The taco salad was just ok. Nothing special and I wouldn't order again. My son loved his birria but to me it was not the best - I've had much better. If I could, I'd give a 3/5 for the taco salad and a 3.75/5 for the birria. I don't live in the area but if I did I wouldn't come again only because there are so many other places to get Mexican food.

Found this place by accident and I am glad I did. I wasn't sure what to think when I first pulled up but I was quickly impressed. It was a smaller place but clearly popular. The food was great, the service friendly, and the food good and tasty. The place was slammed by the time I left so I just beat the crowd. This also showed me how popular this little gem was. There was a huge line outside as I exited. Would recommend and will go back when in town!

Being from CA I was surprised how good the food was and the margarita was better than anything I have had at home.

Def not my favorite. Maybe it's what I ordered, a chicken burrito, not a lot of flavor, very plain. Place was small and vibrant! Loud and crowded. I wouldn't go back. Service was decent, it was really busy.

10/10!!!! I'm from California been living here 2 months and I've been feeling freakin down about the Mexican food choices here. I've tried so many places and nothing absolutely nothing gives authentic Mexican food like this restaurant! They literally made my day. I feel like I have a place that feels like Cali ! Thank you for being authentic!

I love Mexican/Latin food so I wanted to try a place I haven't been to before. First of all, they do have a private parking lot but this place was packed both times I came here, so parking might be a challenge. But, trust me , the food is worth a short walk if you have to park elsewhere. The first time I came I here I had the Cochinita Pibil tacos which were amazing. Definitely a must try. But then I had the Birria Queso tacos. OMG! So they did the tortillas in the orange tinged fat from the soup and then gril it with melty cheese and this amazing tender flavorful shredded beef. Then you get a small cup of consommé. This is a flavorful fortified beef broth with cilantro and onion and probably some other secret ingredients. You dip your tacos in it and it's kind of like a Mexican french dip. It's awesome. Today I'm trying the Cochinita Pibil Torta with a side of consommé.

Very good Mexican food. Have both tex mex and more authentic options. We don't go here as much as we would if they had bigger parking area. Can be very stressful finding parking.

I shared the fajitas for two. We had the chicken fajitas the meat was delicious the portion could have been bigger but the toppings that it came with came with were plenty. One of our family members had the shrimp tacos. From what they told me the food was delicious but also the portion could have been bigger. The parking lot is small so also it is hard to park there especially on the weekends. The complimentary chips were delicious and the homemade salsa that we had in the green bottle and the red one were outstanding. The restaurant also gets crowded and since it is not a very large place it is best to get there early enough to make sure you get seat but they also do have seating outside if you prefer. The decorations in the restaurant will also very nice overall we were very satisfied with this place and definitely will return

This is how Mexican restaurants used to be and should be. Very authentic and at a great price (think like a circa 2010 price for Mexican food)! Large margarita for like $7? Yes please! Their salsa was delicious and the chips fresh. My husband got the special and it was very authentic (goat birria soup). My burrito was delicious and we had plenty left over. Fast service and prepared to come early bc parking is limited.

Always Consistent food, drink and service for a very busy place. Good food and crazy parking but easy to get in and out

Holy yum. That's some hood birria tacos right there. Esmeralda was a great help to us. She was on it. Always brought our waters, salsa, chips, other spicier salsas, to-go boxes, all of it. I felt very taken care of. The Birria Tacos were phenomenal. The meat was great but more importantly the cheese was so well melted and I could taste it. The dipping sauce was good. The tortillas were well fried. Awesome ambience. Colorful Mexican colors and nice Spanish music playing.

Food is bland and average at best. Salsa is basically tomato paste. The chips are good and service was fantastic but the food was bland.

They now have patio seating with heaters! So excited. Stopped by on a Sunday afternoon expecting an hour wait and was usher right away to a table. So happy! All their food is still top notch. Shrimp tacos--to die for!! And then the fajita burrito and little meats tacos...drool worthy. We had a yummy Mexican grapefruit drink that was splendid. Overall, I couldn't have been happier. Friendly and quick service, comfy seating, easy in and out. Parking can be a tad bit tricky but the staff are helpful if someone double parks you in your space. They need expanded parking so carpool if you can, otherwise..food is worth it!!!!

A little chaotic, parking can be challenging but REALLY GOOD FOOD. We were traveling through the area and stopped for a later dinner. We had a short wait but margaritas and Mexican sodas were delivered while we waited. The service could not have been better, friendlier, more attentive. It is like a beehive of hood activity. They have both covered outdoor and indoor seating and we opted for first available. Food allergies were easily taken care of chips and salsa came out SUPER FAST. Big menu, so lots to choose from including vegan, vegetarian and carnivore. But the food, Matt M. tell be about the food (and drinks): Mango Margarita - unique, tasty, delicious served frozen Classic Margarita - On the rocks, delicious, not too strong Mexican Soda - my kids love these, only $1.50 Ceviche - clear winner, mango flavor REALLY GOOD. Chile Relleno - with egg, not good, really spicy. California Burritto - YES PLEASE, good portion, perfect. Fajita Enchiladas - another really good dish. Served with or without meat. LOVED IT. Chips - normal Salsa - a little on the runny side, not too hot but they bring you tons of it. Tacos - delightful, chicken got the best reviews. Ambience is not first date romantic, but great food and great service. People are so friendly here, you will want to come back. Some really authentic dishes and some unique takes that were good.

Excellent! I went here because of the 800 plus positive reviews. Ad one more. The chili relleno was fabulous!

Run to this place for food. We had the Locos Nachos and Guacamole for appetizers. Delicious. For dinner we had the Birria Tacos with the consommé. It was the best tacos we have had. Service was fast, attentive and friendly. Joel was our waiter. We sat inside, good music, beautiful murals. This is the best Mexican food. Period.

Our must go to place anytime passing Columbia and when they are open. We were surprised by the mural currently in progress that replaced the plain wall that was there before with pretty decor. The artist is very talented! We will return just to see the mural finished. My wife and I both had the Real Margaritas and the Poblano Burrito. The Burrito was large and delicious (we only ate half and took the other halves for next day's lunch). We also ordered and pizza style Quesa Birria to go which we had for dinner at home the next day. The Quesa Birria was out of this world delicious. It is served with a consome (broth) for dipping the pizza style triangles into it. Amazing!

This morning, this place was featured on the news! Sooo, me being greedy and always a lover of tacos, I texted my daughter who was upstairs (don't judge me) and she asked "Todayyyy???" And I thought, HECK YEAH! So at 12:45p, we head out. This place is about 20 miles from us. Ok, PARKING IS HORRENDOUS! I'm not sure if this is always the case, but people were parked EVERYWHERE! I mean across the street, at the CVS at the corner, and next door in the small plaza there. I was between the restaurant and the plaza next door...close to the road! We checked in and were given a 30 minute wait for two people. She asked if we wanted to be inside or out and we chose whatever opened first. I'm an Army vet and trust me, I can eat anywhere, lol! About 15 minutes later, we were texted that our table was ready....yeeee-haw! Our table was right in the front of the building On the outside. We were brought chips and salsa and it was super fresh and very crispy! Good chips!!! Our drink order was taken and then our order. Ok, from the pics, I assume you know I ordered Birria tacos, one shrimp taco, and a Diablo Shrimp Burrito to go. These are by far thee BEST BIRRIA TACOS IVE HAD! They were flavorful, juicy, and all around Deelish! The shrimp taco was yummy as well! I will have the burrito tomorrow for lunch! This will be my new go to restaurant, but I'll more than likely do pick-up and just eat in my car before making the 20 mile drive home! This place is amazing! Check them out!!