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Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
1999 4th Ave WVancouver, BC V6J 1M7
Neighbourhood: Kitsilano
(604) 734-7117
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 11 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:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Touristy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
88 reviews for Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant
Review Highlights
"4) Free chips and salsa that are handmade daily."
(in 6 reviews)
"Atmosphere is fun and lively."
(in 4 reviews)
"If you like Pina Colada, and getting caught in the rain."
(in 2 reviews)
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88 reviews in English
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Review from Lisa T.
Vancouver, BC
2/7/2012 3 photos
the atmosphere was pleasant. the service was great. the food...just didn't wow me as much as i thought it would (i compare this to a hole in the wall mexican restaurant which i love: Doña Cata Mexican Foods).
i went with my bf and another couple. we ordered the fiesta platter to share (which i enjoyed slightly more than my entree). i had the cochinita pibil, my bf had the numero cuatro, my girl friend had the salmon burrito, and her bf had the mole oaxaqueno. my entree was sorta like a mexican version of pulled pork, a bit of tangy taste to the pork. i would have preferred the dish to come with a side of guacamole, sour cream and salsa, which it didn't. the good thing was that we had decided to keep those leftover condiments from our appy platter. so it definitely helped kick the right spot.
three out of four of us had to pack at least half of our entree home. considering the portions, the prices were reasonable. and we had coupons from the entertainment book to boot, which took $10 off every $40 we spent.
bottom line: i would come back with the coupon. but most likely i'll slink back to dona cata to satisfy my mexican cravings. -
Review from Emilie C.
Vancouver, BC
2/3/2012
Phenom place to take friends for birthdays, if you speak with the waiter/waitress, the birthday guy/girl gets to wear a sombrero! It always ends up being more expensive than you'd initially foresee, and sometimes there are ungodly wait times to be seated AND wait time for food arrival. The food is alright, nothing I've had has been super amazing.
That said, it's a fun atmosphere, the complimentary chips and salsa are yummy, and the sangria is great! -
Review from Dee d.
Burnaby, BC
12/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Las Margaritas is one big puzzle. My previous experience (which was probably 5 years ago or even longer) was not that great, so when my BCIT friends wanted to meet there - I was kind of dreading the experience.
I did some research on Urbanspoon and Yelp and saw that reviews were pretty divided. On one side you have people saying this is the best Mexican food you can get in town, the other say it's bland, the food is subpar. I was tending to lean on that side as well, but I feel bad for judging a place I haven't been to in so long. I was so glad that I was wrong.
I was thinking about it while I was eating my meal, how maybe my taste has changed since then or maybe the quality had gone up since the last time I visited.
One thing I will complain about (and this isn't the only restaurant that notoriously does this) is the fact we made reservations for 7:15pm, but we didn't get seated for almost an hour. We were all catching up so the time went by, but why bother with reservations if restaurants can't honour them?
When we were finally seated, we were given "free" tortilla chips and dip. It was great because we were all starving and the chips were warm and the salsa wasn't too bad. The reason behind the quotations on free was - they actually DID charge us for the chips, 50cents per person. I don't think anyone noticed but me.
I ordered the Chimichanga, I did because I wanted to compare it to the last time I had Mexican food (sadly in a Honolulu Food Court - but it was damn good!).
I have to be honest, I really don't feel that Mexican food looks very appetizing, it just seems like it's been plopped on my plate and drowning in itself.
My Chimichanga (which I love saying, I'm actually saying it outloud as I type this review) had ground beef in it which was very hearty. I couldn't really tell that the giant burrito had been deep fried since it was slathered in amarilla sauce. What really helped with the flavour was the guacamole on top of it.
To the left was refried beans (ie the 'pureed beans' my friend was referring to) and to the right, Mexican rice. I wish refried beans were spicy or had some sort of crazy flavouring to it - but it wasn't so bad when I mixed the chimichanga with it. The Mexican rice however was soggy and 'broken'. It barely had any flavouring to it.[read the rest of the review on http://gastrofork.ca!] -
Review from Foodie J.
Vancouver, BC
1/17/2012
Why is this place so busy? Are people that naive and sheeps? Vancouverites are deprived of delicious Mexican food!! I've been here once, and will never come again. It's like some sort of fusion "Mexican", and not the true experience.
Go to Bellingham, WA if you want an authentic experience, that's where the REAL Mexican food is at if you don't want to fly to Mexico, then come back and write a review.
Mi Mexico near Bellis Fair is a great choice!! Mind you, there are a bunch of other worthwhile Mexican restuarants, but this one is easy to find. Friendly fast native servers that actually speak Spanish, awesome attentive service with a smile...everyone is your server, there is not that one waitress or waiter you're constantly chasing, they work as a team, clean with booths and decor is amazing, strong drinks with BIG and affordable dishes. Why not make it a shopping day, fill the up the tank day, and have some better than sex Mexican food??
Las Margaritas should learn a thing or two from our neighbours down south. So sad, milking us Vancouverites because we don't know any better. -
Review from David H.
Calgary, AB
12/29/2011
A - List. Recommended. Food is excellent. Margaritas are excellent. Service is attentive, knowledgable and prompt. Atmosphere is fun, loud and lots of energy in this place and space. Interesting decor. Prices are in the ball park. What is not to like about this place. Will return without hesitation. If you are looking for an upbeat restaurant with great ambiance and food, this is it.
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Review from Katie S.
Vancouver, BC
9/30/2011
I really do like Las Margaritas; the atmosphere is upbeat, the food is yummy, and the drinks are delicious. It's a neighbourhood staple and a great place for friends to congregate.
What stops me from giving it a higher rating is its prices, which I feel are a little high for the quality of the food, its early closing time (11pm), and the often slow service.
Overall, the ambience helps make up for some of its short falls, and I do enjoy an occasional meal and drink at Las Margs. -
Review from Beck C.
Vancouver, BC
10/23/2011
I can only vouch for the food.
I can't even recall what I've ordered - quite a feat considering some of my most palate-pleasing meals were Mexican.
Ate lunch/dinner there on multiple occasions in large groups, ridonkulously long wait every time. Mediocre food that is overpriced for the portion, taste & service.
It is the one restaurant in Vancouver that continues to baffle me with its popularity, even with the added benefit of a vibrant ambiance & great drinks.
Have & will continue to avoid it like the plague. -
Review from Michael P.
Burnaby, BC
7/31/2011
There are several pros and cons about Las Margaritas which was why I had to give it three stars.
Reservations are only taken during the weekdays (excluding Friday) so, if you're intending to have a party with a group of friends after a long work week, expect to wait in line for over 20 minutes (pending on party size, it'd be longer).
The service here is inconsistent. I've been here numerous times and I've experienced both ends of the spectrum. I've had orders taken incorrectly, been ignored a few times; but, on the flip side, I've also had really friendly and polite servers who made my evening more enjoyable.
Regarding the food, from a price point, it is overpriced. I normally order the ground beef chimichanga (delicious like everything else they serve) but, when you tally up what it consists of (a wrap, ground beef, refried beans, rice, guacamole and some sauce), $15 is a little steep. However, I can avow that you'll never leave this place hungry if you order said or similar entree.
As for drinks, if you're a tequila addict, Las Margaritas offers an array of tequila selections. Prices vary accordingly but it's always nice to have options. There are also a handful of beer and margarita choices - whatever suits your mood.
The atmosphere is pleasant which makes this restaurant unique. Las Margaritas made a good effort to have the interior resemble a Mexican pueblo. There are tons of black and white photos of Mexican civilians wearing sombreros, numerous paintings on the wall, random knick-knacks and even mosaic tiled tables complete with your very own candle!
Overall, Las Margaritas is not a place you should avoid. Just make a mental note of my review and set your expectations accordingly. If I am in the area craving Mexican food and I know I'll be guaranteed a filling lunch or dinner, I would definitely return.
Bon appetit! -
Review from Mike H.
8/13/2011
The service was horrible. Waited almost 20 min to get served. The menu said their chips were home made. I found them bland and the salsa did not have much flavor.
There was 3 hostes that rarely helped. Our waiter was taking care of a large section and did not seem happy. Our water glass was empty the entire meal and no one bothered to give us a refill.
I ordered a Patron Margarita which cost about $14 and it was the most pitiful drink I've ever seen. It came in a small glass that was about 2/3 full.
I ordered steak fajitas and the meat was just ok. I've certainly had better. If you want cheese for your fajitas you'll pay $2.50 more. This is a first for me. I thought cheese should be standard.
The restaurant was busy. We were told the wait would be 45 min but in fact the wait was only 30 min which was a nice surprise. The room was loud and hard to hear.
Overall, Las Margaritas is not a place I would recommend. -
Review from Noel G.
Richmond, BC
11/19/2011
Being from in Cali and then moving to Vancouver, there are a not a lot of great Mexican restaurants. Las Margaitas is one of the great Mexican restaurants in Vancouver. The food was great, service was great, great atmosphere; basically everything was great! The only problem was the Cadillac . There was more ice than the drink. I really loved the chips and salsa!! I had ordered some burrito. It was Cali size and that was rare to find in Vancouver. Las Magaitas reminds me of El Torito in La! Great place!
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Review from Tia L.
Vancouver, BC
1/11/2012
Had dinner here with my BF. Food was amazing service was even better! Had a very Authentic feel to it!! lots of different menu options for everyone and vegetarian options too!!! Mondays is Margarita Mondays so try and go then!
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Review from Vanessa P.
Edmonton, AB
8/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Las Margaritas is interesting... The atmosphere is a little noisy, so it's more of a hangout area than a date night kind of thing. As previously stated in other reviews you do get free salsa and chips which is delicious and very addicting. I love the addition of cilantro to the salsa.
I ordered the crab enchiladas. They were pretty good, only downside is that there was still some crab shell pieces in the enchilada. Dangerous! The Spanish rice it comes with is alright.
I tried the refried beans some of the dishes come with... GAG. Tastes like it's right out of a can. Plus, they came a little dry.
I also tried the quesadillas and those were really good.
All in all, Las Margaritas was alright. Good food in some things, alright in others, and just downright nasty bean. -
Review from Allan-ester D.
Vancouver, BC
12/27/2011 2 Check-ins Here
always enjoy this place...tortilla soup rocks and the chicken fajita's are a must
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Review from Kayla M.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 7/26/2011
Having been back a second time, I think I can provide a more succinct (and sober) appraisal: The food is mediocre, just on the cusp of being bad. BUT the atmosphere is fun.
The salsa is ketchupy, chips are almost stale tasting, my fish did not taste fresh (my bad, it was Monday) and there were OLIVES IN MY CEBICHE. Not okay. However, I did have a nice time sitting on the patio with my band having a rather strong margarita (although the rock salt they use is kind of off putting).1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/26/2011
I wouldn't recommend this place, but I wouldn't tell you to avoid it either, particularly if you… Read more »
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Review from Edward L.
So I heard quite a bit (word on the street) about Mexican food here. So we decided to give it a try.
They don't take reservations, so we ended sitting near the door for some 20 minutes.
The decor is almost all plaster, which definitely gives the establishment a somewhat authentic feel. Ceiling fans keep a nice gentle breeze flowing, which stops you from sweating. Signs and paintings on the wall give it a Tex-Mex feel.
My friend had the apricot margarita, but said it tasted like lemon. I can't comment on that.
The restaurant is definitely busy, with staff bustling about. The service was just a tad slow (it was noticeable) so maybe they could use another person or two.
For appies, they give you nachos + salsa, which are supposedly made in-house. These are probably the best nachos I know of anywhere, as they are completely not oily at all. Refills normally aren't free but the server gave us some extras.
I had the Enchiladas San Blas. The enchiladas themselves were filled with generous amounts of filling, and covered with a nice thick layer of cheese. The salad didn't have any dressing but maybe that's how they do it in mexico. For the same reason the rice was a bit dry too, but this was not bland.
If you want good Mexican in the Kits area, I recommend this place. -
Review from J N.
Vancouver, BC
5/23/2011
Las Margaritas is a three in Vancouver but a two anywhere south of the border.
I would give it a 2.5 if I could. It only received a three since the servers were nice and I expect very little in Canada as far as Mexican is concerned.
If you don't believe me, just take a short trip down south, or better yet, ask some of your Cali friends to join you here and see what they think.
Just another example of why Vancouver cuisine that is anything other than sushi, Chinese, the odd Italian or new-American is barely on the map of world cuisine. -
Review from Kassim D.
11/28/2010
Overall, I was disappointed - maybe because I lived in Texas for 4 years and was spoiled, but this restaurant was not up to par.
Over-priced food mixed with decent presentation / good service...just doesn't help when the food just ain't that good...
I had a "fresh" guacamole dip which was $5 (approx) and you could finish it off with 5 or 6 nacho chips...didn't seem that fresh to me.
I decided to try the crab enchiladas and the crab pieces while plentiful, were small and unflavourful - so imagine corn tortilla, crab, bland pesto sauce and then covered with what seemed like cheese whiz. brutal... -
Review from David B.
Vancouver, BC
11/2/2010
Overpriced slop.
Overpriced drinks.
Endless waiting.
Nice atmosphere.
End. -
Review from vanessa G.
Vancouver, BC
7/28/2011
After waiting 40 minutes for a table during Kits festival we were seated in the dark corner of a half empty restaurant. I don't understand how a restaurant doesn't plan to be overly staffed when a huge festival is outside. The owner was running drinks so that's how short they where. We ended up with 2 free beers though so that was a bonus. Prices have gone up here since last $15 for a basic mexican veg salad.. a tiny bit out of my range. Also appetsizer so small starting at $7. Oh well i guess i am spoiled now in this city where there are now lots of options for mexican. This wouldn't be my top choice but it's a good backup.
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Review from Alice A.
3/3/2011
Great atmosphere! Love the wall to wall picture gallery.
Fantastic service! Our hostess promptly served us chips and salsa and water. She knew exactly when to return for drinks orders and checked in at appropriate times throughout our meal.
Food? Perhaps I'm not a big fan of Mexican food to begin with but I didn't think the food was great. Nachos Rancheros was smothered with toppings, didn't taste that cheesy. I was hoping for cheesy. The pork main dish my mate recommended was delicious, very flavourful. She, however, didn't love the fish tacos and had to return it. Everyone else at the table cleaned their plates so they must have been ay-all-right.
Notable mention: They celebrate birthday parties with a slice of chocolate cake on the house, complete with a sombrero. Quite festive indeed! -
Review from Sarah A.
8/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been here a few times. I love their margarita selection and the free homemade chips and salsa you get while you wait for your meal. The food isn't bad for the price. It always seems to be very busy and the service is so-so. I have had really good service there and also not so great service (this usually depends on how busy they are). It's good for a casual night out or if you are craving some Mexican fast food. Not the best Mexican food in town, but not the worst either.
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Review from Jocelyne G.
Vancouver, BC
9/22/2010
I love Mexican and this place is not authentic. I ordered the chicken mole and the mole sauce tasted out of jar and my chicken breast was extremely dry and overcooked.
I personally cannot understand why this place is so busy.
I hate to say it but this place gives Mexican food a bad name.
My friends however did seem to like their margaritas! -
Review from Loves z.
Vancouver, BC
As they don't take reservations, my friends waited 1 hour for a seat, I arrived fashionably late, so I didn't have to wait. I enjoyed my vegetarian burrito, but guacamole was .50 extra when other entree had guac with no extra charge?. It was a wet burritos, basically means enchilada sauce covered it. Living in LA, the best Mexican food I have in this neck of the woods is south of the border, Chipotles in WA and Qdoba Mexican Grill at SEATAC. Now for REAL mexican food I suggest flying to Los Angeles, CA
It really is worth the flight! -
Review from Kristin H.
Vancouver, BC
12/19/2010
My brother loves this place, so I decided to treat him to Las Margaritas for his birthday. I'm glad we made a reservation, because it was absolutely packed on a Thursday night. When we arrived, the hostess looked a little flustered due to the long queue of people, but brightened up when we told her we had a reservation.
As soon as we sat down, warm tortilla chips and salsa were placed in front of us. Always a nice touch, even if the salsa wasn't particularly good. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of vegetarian items on the menu, certainly more than your average Mexican restaurant. I ordered the vegetarian enchilada and a virgin strawberry margarita.
The enchilada was okay... it was quite salty, but I was very hungry. Nothing about it was mind-blowing, and I have certainly had better Mexican food in the city.
This restaurant seems to cater to the rugby sweater-wearing crowd, which may explain the Mexican-lite flavour of this restaurant. Even the hot sauces they presented weren't particularly thrilling. It's an alright place to go with a group of people if you want to eat filling food and drink margaritas all night, but don't come here expecting high quality, authentic Mexican food. -
Review from Louisa L.
Richmond, BC
Ok food and service. Didn't really taste like authentic Mexican food but the margaritas are yummy
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Review from Malcolm M.
Vancouver, BC
9/4/2011
I've been going to Las Margaritas for well over ten years, at least a couple of times a year. Not my favourite place, but reasonable, expecially in the summer on the deck
However, over the last few years, the quality of the food has gone down while the prices have become fairly expensive for what you get. My most recent visit a few days ago convinced me that it is not worth returning to. I ordered chicken and prawn fajitas, my friend had the chicken fajitas. We've both had the same items before at Las Margaritas, and they were good. This time they were completely bland, the chicken breast had been cooked (boiled?) separately, and was not stir fried in with the vegtables (which were almost raw). The waitress didn't ask how are food was until we were almost finished. My friend had barely touched her fajitas, so she complained and explained what the problem was. My friend got another chicken fajitas, cooked in the identical manner, which of course she didn't eat.
Service was very poor. The waitress spent at least 15 minutes talking to one customer, possibly a friend.
As other have mentioned, this is one of the few places that charges extra for cheese (+2.50) with fajitas. That would make the very mediocre chicken fajitas over $20.
Noise can be an issue inside the restaurant. On the deck is nice, although also a bit noisy with traffic from 4th.
There aren't that many Mexican restaurants in Vancouver, so I guess Las Margaritas doesn't have a lot of compettion. I would recommend Andales on Broadway, which is good, but not great. -
Review from Rheanna F.
Vancouver, BC
8/3/2010
This place is the black hole of Kitsilano... And i mean that in a GOOD way, because the food and drinks are so delish that i always get sucked in whenever i'm in the area! They make a mean Sangria... and a mean margarita... and pina colada... You get the picture!
This place isn't my favorite for dinner since i'm more into laid back places and Kitsilano restaurants don't tend to fall into that category... but come summer time their patio is my fave place to go to an appies and a few pitchers before taking a stroll on the seawall! (Well, depending how much i've drank, it might be more like stumbling on the seawall...)
Their patio is super nice since you can totally be a super creep and stare at people as they go by, and nine times out of ten they don't even notice you! Kits house wife with creepy, fake-looking implants, d-bag guys suppressing homoerotic tendencies who love UFC, lady who uses her unnecessarily large baby stroller to run people over, i am watching all of you. Keep it up! -
Review from Jeff S.
Vancouver, BC
7/12/2010
After a rare and sizable donation by the good people at Canada Revenue into my account, I got a sudden craving for Las Margaritas. I was surprised and a bit confused to see such a stack of dismal reviews on here, but we went anyway because it's such a beautiful room and patio.
It was the first really hot sunny day (last Thursday) and the busiest they've been to date this year. The hostesses were so clearly exhausted I was considering buying them a round of mojitos. Admittedly, I'm a bit more of hard ass than Baroness Von Schnizzlepants when it comes to service, but I don't feel like I should be the one to take their fatigue out on. So despite feeling a bit for them, I also gently suggested that it felt kinda like they weren't very happy to have us. They quickly realized that that was no good, assured us that they were, and we were all BFF's from then on.
The bar staff is another story. Once seated, I ordered a half-pitcher of Sangria (who you callin' a souse?) and BVS ordered a VIRGIN marguerita. I say VIRGIN in ALL CAPS, because under NO circumstances does the Baroness partake in the imbibing.
The drinks arrived, she took a sip, and the next thing that happened was me up at the bar about to relieve the bar manager of his arms and legs. I could quickly tell that it wasn't his fault, and that he was trying to handle the blame for the clearly distraught young women frantically slinging drinks together beside him. So no one was injured, and I went back to my seat.
*People in the service industry: it is one thing to ring in chicken instead of beef, or caesar salad instead of garden. But you absolutely CANNOT screw up on a virgin drink order. You can ruin someone's life. Which is exactly what I told the manager when she promptly came over to talk to us about it.
Of course, Baroness Von Schnizzlepants blamed herself for not inspecting the drink before tasting, but I (yes, hard-ass) still think it's totally unacceptable.
Not surprisingly, the manager threw the "new girl behind the bar" under the bus, and was very quick to agree with my point of view. She comp'd our drinks, but then apparently that move canceled our food order as well. I think our server - who was fantastic and had nothing to do with any of the fuss - was a little afraid to tell us (okay me) the news about the food, but really, it didn't bother me in the least. *That* is the kind of mistake that falls into the "No harm done" category. Why do people go out to the restaurant and then be all in a rush anyway?
Uhh, so the review: We eventually had San Blas Enchiladas and Tacos De Pescasdo. The Enchiladas were a huge plate of seafood gorgeousness: Shrimp, crab, and snapper drenched in cheese and cream sauce, topped with sliced avocado. Are you kidding me? Am I actually allowed to eat that? It was fantastic. The fish tacos were.. decent, but we both agreed we'd had better.
All in all, it was a good experience, the little booze-blunder was handled very well - except that we kinda got the feeling that the new bartender was going to receive lashings or a firing squad, which I'm not very comfortable with. I just don't think drinkers understand the importance of not springing a surprise glass full of alcohol onto non-drinkers.
Ole! -
Review from Trish R.
Nothing wrong really with our visit to Las M's last night -- it just wasn't very good. It was my second visit to the restaurant -- I previously ordered a massive and tasty pollo con salsa mole.
It was packed last night, but we were determined to eat here and the hostesses were friendly, and their wait estimate was pretty accurate.
My friend was famished and ordered the pollo con mole, and I ordered enchiladas pollo con salsa verde (which I order almost everywhere I go).
The mole dish was as expected, huge with tender chicken and heavy dark, chocolatey and spicy mole sauce.
My dish was okay -- not bad, just not what I'd expect. The shredded chicken was perfectly cooked and wrapped in fresh corn tortillas. The difference between Las M's and other restaurants I've been to in the US and Mexico, is at Las M's the salsa verde is thick, and they're extremely stingy with it -- as if they were running low in the pot and couldn't afford to give very much sauce with the dish.
Usually, and traditionally -- which I've learned from many times ordering this dish in US and Mexico, and from cooking with my Mexican friends here and in Mexico -- there should be two medium sized tortillas that have been lightly fried in oil and then wrapped around a generous but not huge amount of tasty and tender shredded chicken -- and should be *swimming* in a fairly runny salsa verde, and you have access (for free) to a dollop or two of fresh creme.
However, at Las M's there is one very large enchilada with two tortillas wrapped around a large amount of chicken, with a very light drizzle of sour cream and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese (cheddar is not very Mexican), and only a few tablespoons of the thick salsa verde which quickly made the fresh (and not fried) tortillas soggy and no sauce left on the plate. Certainly for the amount of chicken -- which of course doesn't have any sauce -- there is not enough salsa verde in the dish. So for a $1.50 charge, I got a half cup of salsa -- then I had too much! If only they'd given the proper amount in the first place to match the amount of chicken and tortillas -- and that is appropriate for the fairly heavy price of $14, everything would have been okay.
The beans and rice that come with the main dishes are just OK, nothing special, didn't need salt but otherwise bland. I guess they think of these two side dishes as not important.
Oh, and they use a chemically mix in their Margaritas -- I ordered a virgin strawberry Marg, and I couldn't drink it because of the chemical taste (that would normally be hidden with the booze that I didn't have). I sent it back and they deleted it from the bill without any hassle, and I drank water instead. -
Review from BB H.
Burnaby, BC
5/25/2010
Super overrated. Found the food here average at best. Not really Mexican at all but that Tex-Mex Americanized version of thus. The margaritas are great but super pricey.
There are better places to go for Mexican food fix in town. -
Review from Jasmine T.
Burnaby, BC
8/5/2010
No stranger to this place, I knew to expect the 20 min wait for a table. That is par for the course at Las Margaritas... and it's worth it. Came here for date night last Friday. I wanted to go someplace different, but the hubby-to-be wanted to use our almost brand new entertainment book (seriously, I get this book every year and have yet to use more than five coupons). We were able to find parking (the fact that it was free made it better) and put our name on the list. Normally, I would walk around and browse 4th, but since it was only 20 mins, I opted to read the Georgia Straight on top of the box that sits outside the entrance. Plus, I perused the menu outside the door because I always like to be prepared.
Once seated, we had to wait awhile until our waiter noticed us and brought us the complimentary salsa and chips. The chips were super fresh and the salsa was just the right amount of spicy... we started with the ceviche. I love ceviche that is lime based. When we were in Mexico, we were in the Guerrero province and every time I ordered it, it was fish in tomato sauce. This was wonderful. While the H-T-B thought it was fishy, I loved it. There were pieces of tomato and onion and lots of lime juice.
For our mains, I had the Sonora Enchilada. There are way more items on the actual menu than what is on the wall outside the entrance. They have seasonal items on the first page of the menu, but they don't have specials per se. The enchilada was huge! The beef was shredded and tender. The amarilla sauce was wonderful with the beef. I thought the guacamole on top was spicy, but I must have just bit into something else... I love rice and beans. Again, in Mexico, I love beans so much I had them with my waffles... beans... I loved mixing the rice and the beans together... perfection.
My fiance had the beef burrito. Same tender beef, but in a red sauce this time. His meal also came with beans and rice, and I was sad that the waiter took his plate away before I scraped all that could off of his plate. If you ever see my fiance, he is super thin because of his metabolism and not because I steal his food. Seriously, I swear. True story.
I wanted to have dessert, but after conquering my Everest of an enchilada, I said no. I want to come back and try the dessert trio. I like variety, and this had it all--- flan, cheesecake, and something else... hmm, I need to go back. -
Review from Stephanie M.
Vancouver, BC
7/25/2010 2 Check-ins Here
What can I say? It may not be the most authentic Mexican food you can find, but I've always had a fondness for this Kits institution. The portions are huge, the atmosphere is fun, and the prices are reasonable. In the summertime, they have a great patio that just begs you to sit and enjoy a margarita. Speaking of which, they have an impressive margarita selection, and with the frozen margaritas, they will serve pitchers and combine flavours. This most recent visit we tried lime and coconut together, which worked really well as the acidity of the lime balanced out the sweetness of the coconut.
Back to the food, my current favourite is the vegetarian enchilada, which comes smothered in cheese and red enchilada sauce with Mexican rice and beans on the side. But of course beforehand there are warm tortilla chips and delicious salsa. It is a challenge to force yourself to stop eating them so you don't spoil your dinner! I highly recommend this restaurant for value, atmosphere and tastiness. You may not get the world's fastest service when it's very busy, but the staff are friendly and make their best effort. -
Review from Evilyn T.
If you like Pina Colada, and getting caught in the rain! We staggered here for a late breakfast after a wild night of mayhem. Its usually easier to get a table when you come for lunch since it gets super busy at dinner, and my patience is always limited.
The BF ordered us a pitcher of Pina Colada which went down far too easily, I could have sucked that bad boy down all by myself! I guess if I really wanted to I could've had a Mexican standoff with the other four people at our table for their drink, but I was far too hungover and lethargic, and I hadn't even entered the food coma stage yet.
I had the Pancho Villa Tostada, which was super yum, it is one of my favourite menu items, and its so filling, I have never finished it. My friend ordered the a la carte tomale which she said was "bad ass" which I assume means good, but she wasn't too happy about how much A/C the restaurant had going. "Isn't this place supposed to be authentic Mexican? It's hot in Mexico, can't they turn the heat up, so its more like Mexico?"
I am happy to announce that Las Marg is now selling that wonderful complimentary salsa they bring you when you are first seated. This is going to break my bank because I LOVE this salsa! Las Marg also deserves some props for breaking the nacho bylaw, that's right, you can order nachos all day anytime, not just after 5pm!
If I had $50 to drop on dinner every night I would live under the bar at Las Margaritas! Ole!Listed in: Vancouver Vege-me-tarian.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/22/2010
Fiesta! Siesta! Horray for Las Margaritas! Because who doesn't love margaritas anyways? And you can… Read more »
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Review from Kaeleigh E.
Calgary, AB
8/26/2010
This ain't taco bell folks.
It's GOOD, and real Mexican food.
No matter what I order it's always delicious.
The margaritas come in many different flavours (peach, mango, banana) and you can get them in an array of sizes (included a pitcher! A freakin margarita pitcher!)
My only gripe about this place is that it's always busy and while that's great for them, it means it takes forever to get fed. So if you want to be in an out in half an hour or so, do not bother. Or if you're particularly hungry and will want your food right away don't bother. Because it takes a while.
However the food is always worth the wait! -
Review from T N.
Surrey, BC
1/8/2011
Highly advertised, but doesn't live up to the hype.
I've been to this place several times and it's really because of two reasons: 1- Entertainment coupon (2for1) 2- Last option.
The staff are friendly and I really love the bar area with all the black and white photographs [of Mexican street vendors and musicians?] .
But more importantly, the food is beyond disappointing. On my last visit I ordered the Deluxe Quesadilla. Assuming it was more than any other average quesadilla anyone could have put together at home, hence, "DELUXE", it tasted like something from Taco Bell. Mediocre.
Without a coupon, I would not go back if I had to pay full price for my meal.
It's a nice place to go with your friends to hang out if you're willing to spend about $20-30 on mediocre food and drinks, but I would advise you to book a reservation ahead of time because lining up could take as long as 20-45 minutes.
Service: 3.5
Ambiance: 4
Food: 3 -
Review from Peter S.
5/29/2009
Reminds me of All-Inclusive resort meals in Mexico!
As my fellow Yelpers have already pointed out, the food isn't bad, it's just that it seems to be missing something. A lil pizazz perhaps?
I should know better when asked if I want Guacamole. Of course it costs more, but $2 for a two ounce shooter. Really? Apparently it's $6 for a larger side order. Yikes. Where are they getting their avocados from?Listed in: Spicy Vancouver
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Review from Tee D.
8/6/2009
The food here reminds me of a place in Austin, Tx.
Granted, a nod towards my hometown during a review of a Mexican restaurant anywhere outside of Texas normally is a good thing. In this case, it's both a good and bad thing.
The chips and salsa here are decent. I didn't particularly care for their chips, but I thought their salsa was tasty. It had a little zest and zing and good texture.
I ordered the tostada, which here at Las Margaritas means "taco salad" rather than its traditional definition. The "tostada" was essentially a large salad (chicken, guac, rice, beans, lettuce, cheese) served inside a fried taco bowl. The chicken was actually pretty flavorful and moist and the rest of the ingredients were fresh.
I thought the refried beans were uninspired and a little bland (i.e., needs more lard).
The guy had beef fajitas, which he thought were okay, although, I don't think the tortillas are made in house. They had that uncooked, floury aftertaste of mass produced tortillas.
This place isn't authentic by any means, but when the jonesing comes for some pseudo-version of the Mexican food I love, this place could temporarily satiate that hankering. -
Review from Kevin G.
Vancouver, BC
7/6/2010
I like this place for two reasons: it's a good place to bring kids, and it isn't too 'authentic' Mexican.
'Adult' restaurants that truely cater for kids are rare in Vancouver. Kids-themed restaurants are OK for toddlers in high chairs, but older kids cringe in such places. Too many Vancouver restaurants are glorified bars and not places for children Las Margaritas has a very good kids menu (i.e. kids food, not smaller portions of adult dishes)and also a very 'kids friendly' atmosphere. A good place for them to sample Mexican food without wasting a whole meal if they don't like it. The outside eating area is truely charming and must be wonderful lit up at night. Did't hear any Mexican music, a Mariachi band would be ideal in the evening. The staff were also very pleasant and helpful without being pushy (on the Saturday afternoon we visited).
I've been to Mexico a few times (Mexico City, Acapulco, Oaxaca) and tried my share of 'authentic' Mexican food. Not to disparage a great nation, but Mexican food in Mexico is terrible. A great shame because it's a great place to visit and the people are fine - but authentic Mexican food just isn't great. So it's Tex-Mex for me - just the way I like it! -
Review from Lucie B.
Vancouver, BC
1/25/2010
Hopefully, this is not the best Mexican in Vancouver. If it is, then it's a depressing reminder of just how far from the Mexican border we are here.
For what it is, the food is outrageously overpriced. There are taco trucks selling $4 burritos that can make you weak at the knees and see visions of la Virgen de Guadalupe. Then there's this place.
So save yourself some time and just eat your dollar bills. The flavor will be roughly equivalent. -
Review from Anita T.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 8/3/2009
Being a loyal customer at Las Margs, I was truly disappointed by the service I received there this evening.
We had planned our family dinner to be there... so as we get to our table and take our seats, we're given menus... [*insert pause here*] ...where after we wait quite a while before our waitress (we can call her K.) comes to our table. She asks us if we want beverages (normal, right?), so we reply with "waters all around and also a pitcher of..." and that's where we get cut off as K. says, "let me get the waters first". ok fine.
5 minutes later our waters arrive, and my mom says "can I get my water without ice please", K. snatches up the glass and gives the table the most exasperated look... cough cough... (please note: that she has not asked to take our actual drink orders yet)... another few minutes pass when some 'no-ice' waters make their way to the table. K. drops the waters on the table and starts to walk away, when my brother has to stop her and say "Can we order our drinks now?" as we wanted 2 pitchers of margaritas and I had ordered some lime for my water...
so whatever - our drinks come out about 10 minutes later. And as K. walks away:
Me: "Excuse me?"
K.: "What?" as she continues to walk away...
Me: (yelling a bit so she can hear me bc she's walked so far from me at this point) "Can I please get some more water and some lime please?"
K.: (No answer)
This is when I start to get just a little bit peeved. I was tempted to ask the hostess if we could request another server, but I decided it would be ok to stick it out.
My bowl of limes arrive, and as she's refilling my water, K. conveniently drops some ice cold water on the back of my top, and then proceeds to say "sorry" to my brother whom I am sitting beside without even looking at me.
It took about 30 minutes for our food to come. I had to get up to ask for hot sauce bc K. wasn't coming around to our table. And I had to ask another server for the salad dressing that my mom had ordered, along with the water refills.
I am not knocking the food at Las Margs AT ALL here. The food was FABULOUS (as always), but I was extremely disappointed by the service, and it definitely put a huge damper on our experience there. My mom and dad have already proclaimed that they will NEVER eat there again because of the service, and this was my mom's ALL TIME favorite restaurant.
It's really sad to see a great restaurant get a bad review because of one of its staff members. I also love the food at Las Margs, but i am highly doubtful that I will ever go there again.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/19/2008
Absolutely the best Mexican food in Vancouver! When you walk into this restaurant off of West 4th,… Read more »
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