Taqueria Mercado

Food was very good as usual. What was not good was the bartender telling another patron that he was sick and then proceeding to never wash his hands, rub his nose and in general act like he was getting sick… thanks for the tacos and germs… stay home if you are sick!

Decided to give Taqueria Mercado another chance after I was disappointed by a fatty chicken mole and bad service a few months ago, hoping to have my faith renewed. I have to say that my impression hasn’t changed.
It started with «Would you like chips and salsa?» at which point the server failed to let us know that it would cost us $ 2 for the single basket– I consider that bad policy in the first place. Yes, it’s on the very top of the menu, but you aren’t going to look there when you’re hungry and in a rush to get through lunch. $ 8 for the lunch special felt overpriced given the average quality, but it was a fair amount of food with the beans and rice.
Our server came to us when we entered, when we ordered, to deliver our food, and half an hour later to give us our checks. We later realized that she was also the bartender, which means she couldn’t be attentive to all of her tables during a lunch rush. We waited in a long line while two employees cashed out everyone’s checks– this would probably be faster if servers were responsible for cashing out their own checks instead of creating a line, which only slowed the process.
The bottom line: Food was okay, but not worth the frustration and bad service. I probably won’t be back for a while.

A-​OK. I’ve eaten here about four times and it’s been great every time. The wait is sometimes long and the food is sometimes slow but this is a solid Mexican restaurant for the downtown area and likely my favorite.

We love the customer service here and food. If you like cheese– order the cheese sauce/​dip with your complimentary chips. My husband loves their enchiladas with green sauce. I typically order a margarita to drink and they are awesome.

Love this place, one our favorites downtown. We have come here many times, and never are disappointed. Great housemade chips and salsa (a bit on the spicy side), great margaritas, and good homemade mexican food. All of this for very reasonable prices. My wife and I will go, get 2 entrees, chips and salsa, and 2 drinks and be out the door for about $ 30 – 40. Love it.

The chips and lunch specials redeem this Mexican option downtown.
So you work downtown and need to find a decent place to get Mexican food for lunch. Well this place can be that kind of place for you.
First, the good things. Their lunch specials are a good value for the price and will easily fill you up for around $ 10. Second, they have really good chips that are freshly made and worth spending the $ 2 to get a round for the table. For these reasons I give it 4 stars, but it earns that designation just barely.
The not so great things are that the waitstaff aren’t the most attentive in the world and it can take a bit just to get your meal. Additionally, out of the three of us that went last time, one of us got a completely incorrect dish served to him. Work on these things and it could be a solid 4 stars.

Went here for lunch and was a little worried the service might be too slow because of other reviews and how many people were there. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Luis made every effort to make sure I was in and out as fast as I wanted. I got the taco and quesadilla lunch special and Luis suggested I get the pulled beef when I asked about the meats because it had a good flavor. His suggestion was spot on. The pulled beef taco was extremely fresh and delicious. The chicken quesadilla was also phenomenal, mostly due to the flavors mixing well and the delicious cheese inside. I’m definitely planning on returning soon after this affordable and delicious lunch. The only reason I gave 4 stars is because even with the rice and beans, it wasn’t quite enough food.

Good Mexican food for very reasonable prices. I work right around the corner from this place, so we go there often. Love the chips, salsa and queso dip. I generally get an enchilada with seasoned pork and mole sauce for lunch. Yum. Service is good and helpful. Highly recommend.

If you’re downtown, this is your homemade Mexican option.
Unfortunately, I’ve found the food to be chronically underwhelming. Not bad, just unexciting and pretty bland. You can get better homemade Mexican in most other Cincinnati neighborhoods. Even Don Pablo’s has tastier stuff.
Decent Margaritas and I’ve never had trouble with the staff.

Taqueria Mercado is one block north of the «heart» of downtown’s nightlife. As a result, it often gets overlooked as a dining destination. While the food, décor, and «action,» do not compare to the inimitable Nada, Taqueria Mercado is a fun place. Often, there is an «oldies» band playing on the week-​end, and the seventies and eighties come alive at this Taqueria. The burritos, tacos, rice, beans etc., fill up your plastic plate and you probably will need the proverbial «doggie bag.“The food is not memorable and Rich Bayless has nothing to worry about. However, the margarita’s give you a buzz, the service is fast and pleasant, and your belly leaves full. Taqueria Mercado is great in a «pinch» Viva Mexico!

Our family probably eats at Taqueria Mercado at least once a month. The downtown location is our favorite. It’s a wide open floor plan and the seating is seat yourself. They also have a full bar and bar seating area. The menu is pretty vast, and contains many of the items you’d expect, but also a few surprises like goat.
The tacos and Tortas are popular items with our family and if you enjoy sangria, theirs is pretty tasty.

As a former California native for 25 years I have been absolutely spoiled with delicious and authentic Mexican food. So, when I moved to Cincinnati a few years ago I was pretty disappointed with the lack of variety of good Mexican food, then I ate at this fine little establishment… Since my first visit two years ago I have been crushing burritos, quesadillas, chips and enchiladas no less than twice a week…
Love this place, reminds me of home… Highly recommend.
–mg

Taqueria Mercado is great — a nice, «normal» place to grab a quick dinner with a big group of friends near OTR! I’ve never had an issue grabbing a seat here, and you can even call ahead if you have a big group.
We always seem to miss happy hour during the week, but someday I am going to take advantage of the happy hour that also takes place on Saturday and Sunday! How awesome is that?
Chips & Salsa– may be part of me deducting a star because they are not free, but I will tell you, I will pay $ 1.99 for them any day! The chips are freshly fried and the salsa is super good. It is a tad spicy if that is not your thing. I think of those chips and salsa anytime I dine at another Mexican restaurant. This time around I had the shrimp salad, complete with 12 grilled shrimp and again served in a yummy, freshly fried taco bowl!

Bumping them up half a star and rounding up for service. We got the fajitas for two and they were awesome! While most of the other food is just ok this will bring us back in. The serving was a very good size and it was so tasty. They serve it with a lemon in the bottom so that it cooks and makes everything flavorful and juicy. The shrimp skewers were great. Crispy and flavorful and I am very picky about my shrimp. Yum!

Great food for a minimal fee. I got a huge burrito that filled me up for $ 8. It’s not blow-​your-​mind delicious or anything, but it’s great for the low price. The staff is nice and they don’t bother you every 2 minutes, the space is large for a downtown restaurant, and it’s very causal and comfortable. I’ll definitely be back again.

This is my favorite Mexican place downtown. The servers are friendly, the portion size is very good and delicious. The price is right (I tend to be value consumer so you’ll see this theme throughout most of my reviews). I find this to be a great place to go for lunch during the work week. They get the food out very quickly and have no problem splitting the checks by person for large groups even during the lunch hour rush.
The atmosphere is average. The chairs and tables are not luxurious but its also not positioning itself as fine dining, just really good food. If you are looking for a romantic high end place, this is not the restaurant for you, but if you are looking for a casual place to go with friends, I highly recommend.

Taqueria Mercado is located on the corner of 8^th & Walnut, across the street from the library. This place is one of my favorites and by far has some of the best Mexican food downtown has to offer. I like to go during lunch time with friends. It gets a little busy during lunch but the space is pretty big so finding a seat is never really an issue.
Taqueria Mercado offers lunch specials during the typical lunch hour as well as during some evening hours. I suggest that you take advantage of one of the lunch specials which usually range around $ 7 – 8. That’s typically what you’d pay for lunch at any other restuarant in the downtown area.

Taqueria Mercado is located at the corner of Walnut St. and 8^th St.
Across the Hamilton County Main Library Building.
Came here on a Friday night before going to the Bunbury Music Festival. We got there after 6:00 p.m. and was not busy, considering there was quite alot of festivities going on downtown (Reds game and festival). We were seated and waited on right away.
I really like that the restaurant is open, spacious and nice natural lighting coming in. Décor is simple and typical mexican style, but not overly done.
For appetizers we got the white queso dip for $ 3.99 and chips/​salsa. I didn’t mind paying $ 1.99 for chips and salsa. I know some mexican restaurants that charge and that’s cool with me. They were out of the Red Sangria so I got the Cantarito (tequila, sour mix, and other mixes topped with cayenne pepper and salted on the rim of the glass) for $ 7.00. My husband got the pacifico on draft for $ 3.50.
Dinner I ordered the 2 beef hard shell tacos, you get beans and rice with it, but I just wanted the salad for $ 9.00. My husband got the Veggie Quesadilla which includes grilled onions, green peppers, cheese and mushrooms. You get beans and rice as your side. $ 7.49. He also wanted a side of sour cream and that was extra for $.99.
We got our food in 15 minutes. Good quality and authentic Mexican Food, but the pricing is quite steep. Staff was very friendly and quick. I liked that she kept our waters filled at all times.
Restaruant and bathrooms really clean.
I would return because I had no complaints with my food. Everything was made fresh, hot and tasted awesome.

Good consistent mexican food… nothing more, nothing less. We had their margaritas which were great (especially for $ 4 during happy hour). The décor and service left a little to be desired, but overall a good place for lunch, grab a margarita, or fill up your tummy.
They have an outdoor patio, that may be a great place for a few happy hour drinks!

My first time here and it was great! They have a nice open inside and outside space near the Square that felt like I could come in and have a good time. Tey offered many happy hour specials, Sundays being from 3 to 6: $ 4 house margaritas and $ 2 domestic bottles. The margaritas were delicious, and the chips were homemade and perfect! It’s a great, authentic Mexican restaurant downtown without spending $ 50 a person like you would in the square. We also ordered cheese dip which was ok, but next time I’ll be back for the cheap drinks and delicious chips.