One of the better if not the best Mexican food restaurants in Columbia. Free chips were fresh and warm and the salsa was good. I had the steak quesadilla and the steak was tender and not chewy like a lot of other places. The chicken taco had a good flavor. My wife had the chicken chimichanga and it was delicious as well. The menu had a lot of different items that I would love to try. It is not a big place and parking could be an issue, but the service was excellent.
This place is amazing. Drive out of my way just to eat there amazing.
We started out with the spinach and poblano pepper dip posted on the door and it was delicious. Just the right combination of ingredients. Then we split the molcajete which was perfectly seasoned and a generous portion. Even so much so that we took leftovers and I made them into a breakfast scramble that the whole family devoured. My son got tacos al pastor and it was some of the best pastor we have ever eaten and we love tacos.
There was a line of people out the door waiting to eat here and I can see why.
My only critique is that their mild salsa (that they bring with chips to the table) is bland. It tastes fresh but there is no seasoning. Their medium table salsa however, is very good. And their hot green salsa is very good as well.
We ate there on Friday on our way through and we will be back tonight on our way home.
Real Mexican food. We travel over an hour to come here pretty often. This is the only "real" Mexican restaurant in this state that we have found so far. We have lives here for 27 years. All authentic foods. Fresh food. Friendly staff.
Small space so sometimes you have to wait for a seat, but well worth the wait. While we wait we grab a beer and sit outside as they have picnic tables outside. If you love Mexican give it a try. Well worth the trip.
Probably the best Mexican food in all of South Carolina, and likely a few states beyond that. Let's just say East of the Mississippi.
Barbacoa tacos are amazing. I've eaten here numerous times and the food and hospitality never fail. Busy often, but worth the wait.
Allison Abbott Chatfield
+5
Our server today was excellent and the food was the Real Deal!!! It was soooooo good! This IS the place to go for Mexican food!!!! Yummy!!
We always love coming here for the tacos and salsa! Our 3 year old especially loves the food and atmosphere. The barbacoa consome is one of the best things I’ve eaten, and everyone should try it!
This place was awesome. Great staff, they were polite, attentative, and kept us full of food and drinks. The food was authentic and cooked perfectly.
Our favorite Mexican restaurant in Columbia, and on our list of top 5 favorite restaurants in the area. The food is hot, fast and delicious and the service is fast and friendly. Try the churros, they're so yummy!
My husband & I used to frequent a place by the name of Tacos Al Carbon in Lake Worth, FL. Since moving to South Carolina last year we haven't found another authentic Mexican restaurant that has measured up...until now! Real Mexico offers up authentic, fresh, delicious food...& they do it all with a smile! I'm so glad we've found a new place to satisfy our cravings for real Mexican food. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone & they have definitely gained new, loyal customers in us!
I eat here every time I come to Columbia! I will NOT ever miss an opportunity to eat here! Definitely worth the drive.
Great food!!! The TortAs are amazing and the tacos are great. This is the best spot for real Mexican food!!!
Absolutely the most authentic Mexican restaurant around! I’m from Texas and I know good Mexican food and this is the good stuff! The staff are always friendly and offer great service!
First time we've been here, very good authentic Mexican food. It's small but worth the wait. Great wait staff. Great Margaritas!
Everything from their drinks and food was awesome, the staff was friendly also.
This was fantastic. When we are back in the area definitely will be back. The staff was great.
Great food, great atmosphere, great service and a reasonable price. My personal favorite local Mexican eatery.
Good food at a good price. Four friends and I went here for lunch and we were all pleased. They bring out chips and salsa as an appetizer which seems customary and always appreciated. I ordered the chicken Delux Burrito. It was good, it could use more umph if it's going to be considered "Delux." I'm glad I didn't order a smaller burrito because I likely wouldn't have been full. Will return if in the area.
Food is Very Good.Prepartion of the food is differ for other Mexican restaurants.
Service is good. Recommended for those who wants to try something new.
good job
Ordered takeout so I can't comment on the service. However, the food was very good. The fajita burrito was something different from other Mexican restaurants--I would order this again.
Hidden Gem! I loved every bite !! There were so many people we almost didn't get a Table. I'm glad we came. Mole enchiladas proved to me they were the Real Deal ! The Mojaa (fish) was so white and flaky perfectly seasoned :)
I live right next-door and this place is absolutely amazing. The quality of the food and the service is always second to none. This is probably the best Mexican restaurant in all of Columbia.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
The Yelp 100 Challenge officially kicked off Tuesday, 9/1/15, at Real Mexico. Real comes up #1 in the Mexican Category on Yelp in Columbia, so it seemed a fitting spot to start the Yelp 100 challenge. Full disclosure, many of us frequent Real Mexico a lot, probably second only to Taquiera Jalisco. As has been written on this blog, we love TJ's for its street tacos, even more than Real's tacos. However, Real has the best tortas in town, without exception. Three of the six that attended lunch - Tank, Motherboard, and Frodo, ordered tortas, with Tank's Chori Pollo torta being the standout.
There is one reason to come to Real for lunch - it is delicious. Many of the other aspects of the restaurant, as noted below, are objectionable. But with food this good, it doesn't really matter that much. Noodles went with the combo #3, a risky play going generic at a place that does some special dishes. Even he was pleased, as Real can cook up the standards, too. The only person who was not thrilled with their order was Publican, who had chipotle chicken tacos.
Real has a nice, friendly staff. However, when you are seated in the back corner of the back room, like we were, drinks can run empty for quite a while. We sat back there due to the lack of decent large group seating. Try to avoid the back room (although it does have some exceptional art back there...).
At lunch, Real gets packed. When it is at full capacity, food does not fly out. Similarly, while there is on-sight parking, it is rarely enough at lunch, and the lot overflows into nearby businesses.
You should keep an eye out for daily specials, which are often posted on the door. Frodo found his go-to torta that way, and he orders it even when it is not on the menu. The torta is substantially bigger than his face. And, if you are feeling like spending top lunch dollasr, try the steaming hot fajitas.
As a final note, the line to pay at the register is often awkwardly long. Don't take a seat at a table next to where the line forms if you can avoid it. You will likely eat lunch with some dude's pants in your face. While you are in line, you should check out the large selection of sweet Mexican candy. We can only recommend the Carlos the V. The other options have been too sweet, and have often been thrown away after one bite.
This statement is obviously subject to change as the Challenge proceeds but, the consensus at lunch was that while we love Real, Taquiera Jalisco is still the #1 Mexican spot in Columbia in our book - and it is not even in the top ten on Yelp. That is a travesty, Columbia. #BumpTJs
This has been my 2nd time here, I just ordered shrimp tostadas and they are absolutely amazing. Salsa has a slight kick but flavorful. Very authentic and very fresh. Can't wait for another trip here.
Busy Place. Fast service, good food. Just which sopapilla's were the puffy donut type and not the flour tortilla with cinnamon and sugar like they have.
Jack Edward Holdford
+4.5
I've been here before.... I chose this place based on the Urban Spoon 93% like rate and when we got close I remembered having lunch here about six years ago. I remembered the chips being hot and me being the only person there at 1100.
Place was pretty full when we arrived with a good mix of people. It smelled like a Mexican restaurant (that's good) and we were seated right away. Chips and salsa at the table quickly. My daughter liked the guacamole (fresh) and we all enjoyed our enchiladas or burritos. Cost $50 for three people, including tip. Okay but not dirt cheap.
Overall very satisfied and we will return.
Delicious fish and shrimp tacos, for real. giid service, nice locals only place, in and old 7-11. only once in several years did we have bad food.
Very good and will endorse the "Real" within their name. Huevos ala Mexicana and Fish Tacos were very good and reasonably priced. Will come back when in the area.
Liliana Figueroa Garcia
+4.5
Love the tacos! The tortas are huge. If you want dessert, save some room for the churro fiesta.
Fantastic! Very friendly and welcoming. Everyone in our party was very pleased with each order. We eat at a lot of Mexican restaurants and this is our new favorite! You won't regret this one.
Absolutely nothing not to like.... Real Mexico is my kind of place. The prices are good, the food is great and it has that hole-in-the-wall feel that adds to its authenticity. I'll be back...many times.
Great food, great people. Their food is always top notch. They always use top quality products in their foods and do not put lard in their beans. The staff works hard and is always pleasant. I love the scrub in the women's room.
Wonderful, authentic mexican!! Great service, great prices, great food; you cannot go wrong with this restaurant.
Love this place! The are super friendly and the food is fantastic! Kid friendly and reasonably priced, Real Mexico is a must try. Chipotle chicken tacos with salsa verde is the best.
REALLY GOOD!. My friend took me there the other night and I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful this food was. I felt like I was sitting in the home of the owner and enjoying a plate of food made of yummy goodness and love :) You can tell the owner really cares about the quality of this food. The staff was wonderful and so very nice. My taste buds don't like spicy food (unfortunately) so the waiter was nice enough to tell me which foods were hot and which ones he felt I could handle. I highly recommend this place and have found a wonderful Mexican restaurant that I will now crave the food :)
P.S. (My friend's husband has been in the kitchen to fix one of their appliances and said you could literally eat off the floor it's so clean)
Very good. I think the food is really good and an excellent value. I live in Texas and eat Mexican frequently and this food compares very favorably. Nice Margarita too.
Amazing authentic Mexican food and the margaritas are spot on with house made mix. And the staff are so nice and hospitable. Will look no further for Mexican food!
I don't think I will be going anywhere else soon! Great prices and excellent food!
The food was really good u can tell it's homemade.
This place is awesome! Chile relleno is the best I have ever had! $2.99 margaritas FTW. If you speak Spanish they really take good care of you.
Really good. I normally don't like to stop at a new place without a review, but I was desperate to avoid Cracker Barrel so I gave them a shot. Glad I did! They have more distinct Mexican dishes like Tacos al Pastor and they also serve aguas frescas. I had a delicious Horchata that came with a refill. My Torta was gigantic on a very soft bread, with the breaded steak, jalapenos, that little square cheese and more that I can't remember. Not the best I've had but still a very tasty lunch for $8. Would stop here again if I was in town.
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