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Ahora Mexican Cuisine
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 12 pm - 9 pm
Fri 12 pm - 10 pm
Sat 12:30 pm - 10 pm
Sun 12:30 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
21 reviews for Ahora Mexican Cuisine
Review Highlights
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"Good food and a salsa bar too." In 6 reviews -
"Here you go up to the counter to order from a large..." In 3 reviews -
"...of refreshments, including Mexican pop, beer and margaritas." In 3 reviews
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21 reviews in English
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Review from April R.
Ottawa, ON
1/4/2012
Very authentic, fresh and tasty. My best friend needed to try some new food places, so I took her here for both of our first times. It was slightly confusing as to how ordering worked, but we got the hang of it. Its a small place, but very brightly colored. You line up, order, and someone runs your food out to the a table you pick yourself. The food is affordable, and so so so fresh! I ordered an chicken burrito with salad. The salad was simple, but very complimentary. Nothing was overly greasy like a fast food joint. The best part? the salad bar with a great assortment of sauces to try. Oh, and the lemonada ( something like that) drink. It reminded me of something my mom used to give me when I was little. Lemon/limeade that was slightly sweet. My friend really like the place, and we plan to be back!
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Review from Mercedes D.
Gatineau, QC
5/14/2012
I had a hard time rating this one.
On the one hand, it's absolutely the best tasting mexican food I've had in Ottawa since visiting Mexico with mexican friends. I actually had my last birthday lunch there and had a great time.
On the other, I have not had the best service during my last visit; they forgot to charge me for one item after I repeated my order twice, then came back at my table when I had already started eating my appetizer to ask me to get up and come and pay for that item, and finally, as this was a business lunch, I asked for a receipt which they relunctantly gave me, claiming I should have asked earlier (which I did).
If it wasn't for the fact that their food is unbeatable (taste and portion wise), that they have a great selection in their salsa bar, and that the place offers very affordable options, I would have given it 2 stars, based on this one terrible service experience. However, I have witnessed much better service from this place, so I am hoping that this was just a bad day all around.
The decor is very colourful and stereotypical and they aren't big on presentation of their dishes, but it's absolutely the best mexican food downtown. -
Review from Dean D.
The food we ordered was average. I ordered the Burrito Grande with chicken which was pretty good but the rice it came with was under cooked and lukewarm. The restaurant is small but has some character to it. There's a self serve salsa bar which includes three or four different sauces, salsa, chopped onions and sliced Jalapenos. They have some good cocktails and a somewhat limited choice of beers. You order the food at the counter and the waitress will bring it to you when it's ready. Our waitress was friendly and offered up some good recommendations. If I'm in the mood for Mexican again I certainly would give this restaurant another try but there's some pretty outstanding restaurants in the area and I just wasn't overly impressed with this one.
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Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
Anyone below complaining that it tastes like Mexican fast food is not from Toronto. In Toronto we don't have any decent Mexican Fast food (unless you count the gems in Kensington market, but thats more like authentic and good food that comes fast). Toronto would LOVE a place like Ahora as really, it was very good.
To make a ridiculously long (well 6+ hours) story short the SO and I were rerouted to Ottawa after having some car problems on route to MTL. After dealing with all of our biz we needed a good feed. It had to be Hearty Food quickly as we had not eaten since morning. This place hit the spot.
Cute, subterranean with bright coloured decor. I had the vegetarian enchilada with a side salad and beans. SMOTHERED in offerings from the hot sauce/salsa bar. - I was too hungry to photograph just had to tuck in. The SO had Taco/Taco which he also enjoyed. Complete with Corona, Margarita and Tip the bill came to $40. Which we found reasonable since we were literally starving and still could not finish our portions.
$8.50 for a fresh made burrito is on par with what we are used to paying, and everything else in this popular touristy neighbourhood was overpriced anyway. Charming, Heavy portions, Decent prices, I would recommend.Listed in: Ottawa
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Review from Hannah V.
Vancouver, BC
8/5/2011
I can't verify how authentic Ahora is, having not visited Mexico or southern California since I was too young to care about anything more than quesadillas and churros, but I can talk at length about cheapness, freshness and my preferred atmosphere. Anyone who has had the misfortune of reading more than one of my reviews can sense the theme that I could care less about ambiance (whatever that is) and prefer a relaxed atmosphere with emphasis on food rather than decor. Ahora is basically a cafeteria, although the food is freshly preparred. You have to order at the counter and pick up your food, which I don't have strong feelings about, but I do love the condiment bar. Some reviewers seem put off, but I enjoy being able to pick exactly what and how much of it garnishes my order.
Be prepared to wait for a table and your order if you come in during peak times, which from what I've seen is basically all the time. Food this cheap and good located in between a university and area with a high concentration of bars draws in a regular customer base.
I reccomend ordering as many of the black bean tacos as you can stomach with a side of black beans (I love the bean) as well as the micheladas. Beer with the addition of hot sauce, lime juice and salt is a little like drinking seawater for dydration. You drink one because you're thirsty, which makes you thirsty again, so you drink another, which makes you thirstier...it's an easily abused system. Like when taking a friend out to let them vent about a recent breakup. We probbaly should have gone with Thimble Cakes but don't let that stop you! -
Review from Kamil T.
Ottawa, ON
8/14/2011
Good.
The place is pretty crowded and it's hard to get from your table to the register and salsa bar, especially when it is busy. It also gets very loud so this is not the place you're looking for on a first date.
Food was good, though. We got a couple tacos and a salad. Nothing spectacular, but I'll be back when I want some Mexican. -
Review from Erich Z.
3/30/2011
Ari S. is right on the money - the food here is fine, just your average taco and burrito joint with nothing to really stand out on the menu, aside from the sky-high prices. It may just be an adjustment from my home city of Detroit, but I usually get two tacos with a side and drink for about $6-7 from our local taco truck, and the quality is much higher to boot.
The place was absolutely chock full of local hipsters on a Thursday night, so somebody must disagree with me, or there simply isn't another option. -
Review from Tony D.
Toronto, ON
12/19/2011
This place is the bomb! I came here while visiting Ottawa, and so glad I chose this place. It's a bit of a hidden gem I think. I'm not even a big fan of Mexican food, but I devoured everything on my plate. For about $13 you get a plate piled full of food! I hate the chicken enchilladas (3) with rice (yum) and salad (equally yum). There's also a free salsa bar that you can indulge in. The place was PACKED around the dinner hour when we went, and obviously for good reason. Ahora gives you amazing value for your dollar. I think I need to find a place like this in Toronto now!
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Review from Amanda B.
Ottawa, ON
11/15/2010
Ahora seems like one of those little hole-in-the-wall kind of places that you easily walk by without paying much attention. I'd never heard of it until a friend suggested we meet there. I opened the door and walked down the stairs to the restaurant. I smelled onions right away, but in the good kind of way.
I was greeted by a friendly woman, who clearly noticed it was my first time there and told me that people just sit wherever they want and order at the cash when they're ready. It was pretty popular, with many people coming in and out to eat. My friend still hadn't arrived after an hour, and the lady working there was very patient and sweet, and said they'd leave the kitchen open until my friend got there. It was almost 10pm on a Wednesday and they were just about ready to close. My friend finally arrived and we ordered "Taco Taco" with chicken. Though the tacos were very tasty and fresh, I'm not sure they were worth the $9, as they were quite small. Most of their items are under $10 though, sans tax, so altogether, it's extremely affordable. They have a self-serve salsa bar where you can get all your fixings. You can also have glasses and a chilled container of water to pour yourself.
The restaurant is very quaint - warm and charming. The staff is great and so is the food. I definitely recommend it!Listed in: Glutton, International Flavour
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Review from Coy W.
4/9/2011 11 Check-ins Here
It's been a quite some time since I've been to Ahora, so when I walked by today I dropped in for a quick bite.
My favourite thing about Ahora is that it's good and that all the food tastes fresh. The vegetables do not taste like it's been in the fridge for a week or more. The salsa bar has decent tomatoes and all the sauce taste fresh. The most important thing is that the food is made to order. The cooked meats would NEVER sit around in a tray or container for any amount of time.
I normally get the Plato Ahora as that is my favourite and I cover it in their tomato salsa with some extra hot sauce. The thing about the menu is everything is decent but nothing stands out as fantastic.
It's the only place in Ottawa that fills my Mexican food craving and is probably my favourite place I go to for Mexican in Ottawa as the Tex Mex and other Mexican restaurants aren't that great.
I know some of you are going to ask why I have this place as a 3 star. Even though this place is the best Mexican fast food in Ottawa it doesn't hold a torch to anything you would find in say Mission District or LA. Even the places that aren't as good or great are as good if not better than here. -
Review from Ken C.
Ottawa, ON
11/23/2011
I'm shocked to see this place has good reviews.
I've been to this place three times.
1) Taco Salad: Old dry green leaf lettuce, greasy taco, greasy chicken pieces.
2) Chicken burrito: chicken pieces mixed with pork spolied the fun for me. It was very greasy
3) The food, tables, and the environment makes you wonder if it's clean. The food never tastes good unless you like to taste burnt grease. I will not go there. There is another small mexican place right on clarence street which was a lot better! -
Review from Amika G.
Ottawa, ON
7/24/2009
Straight up, I love Ahora. It is the best, most authentic Mexican food (well that I know of) in Ottawa. Although it doesn't look like much if it is your first time heading down into the basement level restaurant you will soon be reassured by the warm, eclectic surroundings and friendly staff (with whom you can also practice your Spanish).
Here you go up to the counter to order from a large selection of food including burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and desserts (including my favourite, churros). The food is all very fresh tasting (including the sides that you get of salad, rice, and beans) and there is also a great salsa/sauce bar. They also have a good selection of Mexican drinks alcoholic (like margaritas) and nonalcoholic (Latin soft drinks).
And the prices are great for the amount of food you get. A huge meal for a little over $10. If I could eat here everyday and not look like a sphere I totally would. -
Review from Amanda D.
Ottawa, ON
10/16/2008
It's usually difficult to find affordable food in the Byward Market that isn't from a diner or chip wagon. Ahora is one of the few exceptions. Located discreetly below Sweet Art on Dalhousie, it's often missed by passersby. However, it's still a fairly popular restaurant, most likely because the staff is nice, the food is delicious and customers often come back for more.
They have a great selection of Mexican food that doesn't leave you feeling too heavy and gross at the end. They also have many vegetarian choices. My favourite meal is the vegetarian burrito with rice, which I smother in cilantro and the assortment of salsas they have at their free salsa bar. They also have a great selection of refreshments, including Mexican pop, beer and margaritas. -
Review from Loresa N.
Ottawa, ON
1/1/2011
Since I moved to Ottawa, this has been one of my favourites. It is cheap for Ottawa, and the food is one of the most authentic in the area.
It is casual... You sit down look at the menu, then go up to the cash place your order. The server will bring your food and drinks to you. They have a salsa bar too with mild, medium and hot choices. Also, there are onions, peppers and cilantro to garnish your dishes with. I love that they have horchada!
I always try to take out of towners here. Everyone I have brought has loved the place. -
Review from Minh D.
Gatineau, QC
7/17/2010 5 Check-ins Here
I don't know enough about Mexican food to say if this is really "authentic" or not, but it's consistently good, everything looks and tastes homemade and it certainly isn't Taco Bell.
As other reviewers have mentioned, when you first go down the flight of stairs and go in, it really REALLY doesn't look like much, it's kinda small, the tables very basic and the food/ordering is self serve cafeteria style. There's even a self serve salsa bar.
So it's not necessarily fine dining or fancy, but give it a chance, the food is great, I've tried a whole bunch of different things on their menu and haven't been disappointed once. -
Review from Azim A.
Ottawa, ON
10/3/2008
This little hole in the wall place is easy to miss. It's situated on the basement level below a shop in the byward market, with only small windows near the sidewalk showing an opening to Ahora along with a sign. I missed it completely the first time I went to look for it!
Once you find it, step in, and head down the stairs, you will find a casual, small, yet lovely little Mexican restaurant. There are no servers or waiters, you go up and order, fast-food style. But they then bring the food to you at your table.
The Burrito's (both steak and chicken) are awesome, Taco's are great, and the Chimmichanga's are superb. Everyone I've taken to this place has loved the food; regardless of what they've had. It's affordable, tasty, filling and unpretentious. If you're looking for fine dining, this is definitely not it. But if you're looking for some good Mexican grub, Ahora it is! -
Review from Chris P.
Kingston, ON
8/25/2011
Fun and always busy. Good food and a salsa bar too!
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Review from Samantha M.
Ottawa, ON
6/5/2011
Cheap and yummy. I got a bean burrito with a choice of side (salad, rice and chips), i got chips and my boyfriend got a chicken taco with rice. Theres a salsa bar which I think is pretty cool, I stocked up on a bunch of fixins but the salsa is different than the stuff we'd find in a jar, it's runny, I'm not sure if thats how it is supposed to be but I didn't mind, it tasted good. Check it out if you`re looking for somewhere cheap.
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Review from Ari S.
Ottawa, ON
11/24/2010
A perfectly standard basement burrito joint with a limited menu and ordinary food is overpraised to high heaven. Goes to prove how bad the competition is in this city. The food is only authentic Mexican if you're used to the Tex-Mex chains. It's also quite pricey considering there's no table service. A burrito and a drink will run up to almost twenty bucks after tax and tip for what's essentially fast food.
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Review from Tim C.
Ottawa, ON
12/5/2010
Food is okay, surroundings cafeteria-like, overpriced.
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Review from Erik G.
3/24/2009
The atmosphere leaves something to be desired, but the food makes up for it. You walk up to order your food, but they bring it out to you. Margaritas are pretty good, but not alcoholic enough. The burritos are great - they're filled with guacamole, meat, and good veggies. The sauces are serve-yourself as well, and they're pretty good too. Tortilla chips aren't given, and must be ordered, but the ones I got with my meal were good.
