Taqueria Maria’s

I stopped in for a quick lunch about 1:30 Friday. I haven’t been here in a while only because I’m the only one in my house that loves Mexican food. Had the vegetarian Chimichanga. It was delicious, a huge portion, plated nicely. Of course, Maria was there. She and her staff and great, friendly and on point. I’m always delighted with the food.

The great reviews are spot on. This place is just the hole in the wall establishment we have been looking for to get our fix of authentic Mexican food. Good job guys. The chicken diablo was outrageous and challenged my ability to consume spicy food — it was that good.

What a hole in the wall. I never knew this place was out here and it is nothing short of amazing. Authentic Mexican that is cheap and delicious. I got a burrito with pork inside and it was amazing. My mouth is watering just thinking of it. Also, the flautas (sp?)…life changing. The only downside and it’s what knocked the place to a 4 from a 5 is the staff. The waiting was veryyyy long even when there was only one or two other tables and they were a little on the rude side. However the food is amazing and that’s all I really care about.

My dad has been living in Monroe Township for about 16 years. It’s always a dilemma to go out to dinner around his home, as there are many diners (not great)!two Italian places (good pizza) and that’s it.
I was looking on Unilocal,and lo and behold, came upon Maria’s place. Almost 200 reviews and 4.5 stars? Score!
Don’t be fooled by appearances or the location. bordering factories and residential homes, is a pearl of a restaurant.
I went on Sunday night by myself… was going to my dad’s home, as he was having surgery early Monday morning. Got the last table at 6:30 pm (I counted– 23 patrons plus me and the place was full.). There’s a counter for maybe 5 – 6 people as well.
I’m a vegetarian, many got the veggie fajitas. They came with a generous portion of beans & rice– would have liked to see more guacamole, tho. The veggies were sizzling, and very flavorful, 3 tortillas too. I had enough to bring home. Had a non alcoholic sangria which was fizzy and very good. You can BYOB too.
I went back tonight and got takeout quesadilla — vegetarian. Unfortunately, they were soggy as the veggies were juicy, but that’s the chance of takeout with such a dish. Again, very fresh veggies that were similar to the veggies in my fajita dinner.
Enjoyed chatting with the owners, Edgar and Maria.
Can’t wait to visit my dad again soon!

Some of the most authentic Mexican food in the area. I’m always happy with what I order here. Nothing has been bad yet.

Good every time. Wait is starting to be a concern. Maria… You need a bigger place!

I have been meaning to hit this place for months… the wifey and I had a few childless moments so we ventured in. I have lived in Monroe for 15 years and I have never been on this street. If you are not expressly looking for this place you may not notice it.
Small quaint ranch house on the outside with a handful of chairs on the porch. The inside… I have found the NJ mexican version of Chinatowns Wo-​hop
Basement. A bit run down… limited tables and not squeaky clean… but I am gruel so its ok.
There are approximately 6 tables first come first serve no reservations. I can see this place getting crazy.
Zero ambiance. It is BYOB. They have a selection of mexican sodas, fresh juices and shakes, virgin coladas, bottled water, coke, diet coke and sprite.
The menu is trememdous, almost too many choices.
The tortas look outrageous, unfortunately I had already had a famous Johns roast beef hero earlier that day… fat boy Jonny in the house… I played it safe with a steak chimichanga, very tasty. The steak was sliced in cubes, my opinion I think slices would have been more effective and I would have liked more steak. The enchilada was filled with rice and beans very flavorful. Crema, fresh cheese lettuce and tomatoes on top. My wife had the mesquite chicken fajitas, very healthy portion. Includes rice, beans and guacamole. The rice and beans were both outstanding. My wife loved their version of guacamole, heavy cilantro, large pieces of avocado.
The prices are extremely reasonable, Maria herself waits on tables and is a sweetheart.
I will be looking forward to digging deeper into their menu. The folks next to us had their version of paella looked great, shrimp were taunting me
Another guest had a torta… must have
I am looking forward to my next visit

Like a review stated below me, I lived in Dayton my whole life and got sick of the 5 pizzerias and 5 Chinese take out places in my town leaving zero diverse options left. You know it’s bad when I’ll resort to wawa sandwiches just to mix it up. I found this place on Unilocal and saw the amazing reviews and was craving steak tacos so I gave it a try. It really is a dingy hole in the wall atmosphere but it’s unique in its own regards. The staff is friendly, the menu is expensive, everything they serve is fresh and you feel like you’re getting the freshest and most authentic Mexican food… Especially for the area. I got a steak and shrimp taco and both of which exceeded my expectations.
The only con about this place are the prices are a bit more than I would have expected but still, it’s well worth it. Can’t wait to go back

We were at my in laws and craving Mexican food, so of course we turned to Unilocal and discovered this little gem. We ordered a ton of food to share between 6 people: tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc. Everything was outstanding and very affordable. When we went to pick up the food, I remembered that I wanted mole sauce. We asked for a side and they made a fresh batch for us on the spot! We were wondering what was taking so long, and then we realized they were making it from scratch. It was unbelievably amazing and well worth the wait. This food was probably the most authentic Mexican food I’ve ever had.

Comida muy rica y ambiente amigable. No es lujoso, pero es fino y esta limpio. La sopa de mariscos estaba estupenda y las enchiladas con espinaca y champiñones también. Y los camareros y cocineros son majos y mi han permitido practicar con ellos mi español!

Went here last night for the first time, with family, partly because of previous reviews and partly because half our group was vegetarian and they have a vegetarian selection on their menu. The people working there were very warm and friendly, they noticed that my mother was cold and they turned up the heat and brought her a bowl of hot soup without asking. It is a family run restaurant that really treats its customers like family too. So they had already won me over before they brought any of the food that we ordered.
The food was excellent everyone was happy with what they ordered. It is not the kind of place you go to for the atmosphere it is a small dive type of hidden gem. I will definitely be going back.

Couldn’t believe that there could be great Mexican food in NJ. Being from Los Angeles, we have some of the best Mexican food there is outside of Mexico. Out here, I thought it would be abysmal but it was pretty amazing. I was so impressed and happy that we stayed and ate.
Don’t be fooled by it’s location or small size, this restaurant packs a punch! You won’t regret it and the people in the area should be happy to know they have a real authentic spot right in their neighborhood. Oh, and don’t order the spicy shrimp unless you have the stomach for hot & spicy food. It is really spicy and worth the burn!

We’re new to the area and were looking for a BYOB spot close to home. I’m so glad we found Taqueria Maria’s. It’s a small, cozy hole in the wall kind of place with absolutely fantastic food.
For starters, the homemade salsas were really good. I particularly liked the salsa roja, but my husband preferred the spicier salsa verde. Next, we shared a papusa stuffed with chicharron and queso. It came out piping hot, but was so good once it cooled down enough to enjoy. My husband had the burrito de Maria for dinner, and it was enormous. He finished a little more than half before calling it quits. I had the mole Oaxaqueno, which was ah-​maze-​ing. It was very aromatic, and a little bit spicy. We’re both headed home with leftovers that we’re already looking forward to.
Definitely try this place!

This was a total shot in the dark, but me and one of my girlfriends were craving REAL Mexican food – not the chilis or chipotle junk. And we found it!
Super tiny, but super delicious – I haven’t had tacos this good since I was over the border in Nogales, Mexico.
If you’re looking for ambience you’ll find one of family gathered round the dinner table. Nothing extravagant, just good, quality food. Must not miss for Mexican in Monmouth or Mercer county.

I go back to Maria’s as often as I can. I was just there last week Friday. Fortunately for a few patrons, the weather was nice and they were able to sit outside to eat.
Maria’s food is authentic and it’s obvious that the word is out. I can now only hope that they find a larger place while maintaining their authenticity, until then, it’s worth the wait.

If you’re looking for a place to eat and you like Mexican food, you should definitely eat here. Very delicious mole sauce and the live guacamole was very fresh and had perfect taste. Additionally, the staff was incredibly friendly!
The restaurant is located in a neighborhood, right in the middle of homes. It’s very cute and very easy to miss.

Wow! I read the Unilocal review and went there. It was absolutely fantastic. The food was awesome.
The décor and ambiance is like an ordinary cantina.
Would certainly go back for the awesome food. We tried the veg quessadilla it was very good with fresh spinach and veggies. The veggie fajita was equally good. If you like spicy ask for the habanero it was dynamite .it is a byob so get your wine or beer.

Delicious hidden gem of a restaurant. I have lived in Dayton all my life, but it wasn’t until i helplessly Unilocaled to find something new in my area that i found this place. To be fair it’s in Monroe, but it’s very close to me and it’s an excellent diversion from the many pizzerias and Chinese takeout restaurants in the area.
The food is fresh, authentic and reasonably priced. I have been pleased with each of my visits and have ordered a burrito and fajitas. They were both delicious.
The place is small, so grab an early seat at the bar or call ahead for takeout.

La comida esta muy buena lo único malo es el servicio de la cajera es muy déspota y atiende de mala gana
The food is very good the only bad thing is the service of the cashier is very despot

This was such a wonderful surprise to find down here. I had given up on finding fresh, good food in this area. Went today and for the little hole-​in-​the-​wall dump that it is, i think it is pricey but for the quality, authentic, complete deliciousness — i say it’s a bargain. I cant wait to go back. Loved, loved, loved it. Maria was doing the cooking and everything about this place is R-​E-​A-​L.
See ya next week Maria.

I grew up in California and moved to New Jersey 4 years ago. Belive me I have been in search of good Mexican food ever since I left the left coast. This is by far the best Mexican food I have found. With a good mix of traditional Oaxacan dishes to a good number of western (jalisco) style options. To top off the selection the food is all made fresh and from scratch, if you like to see it all happen ask to sit at the end of the bar…
Come, eat, drink, leave full.

Hole in the wall Jamesburg taqueria. Must try!
It was great to finally try this bona-​fied Unilocal find. I have worked in Monroe for 9 years and never would have known this place existed if not for Unilocal.Followed the directions… popped my head into a taco joint filled with latinos. That’s the place for me. $ 7.95 and $ 10.95 lunch specials. Huge portions. I had the fish tacos with rice and black beans. So many wonderful flavors in such a little taco. I really enjoyed every bite. Even better… I was able to practice my Spanish. Stop by for this authentic taqueria experience. The servers speak ingles tambien.