Maria's Kitchen & Bar

Authentic Mexican, not TexMex. Always tasty and you feel at home when you eat there. Highly recommended.

This is the real deal authentic Mexican fare. Not the standard Mexican menu. Sitting at a table when you and your friend are the only non Spanish speakers with over a dozen other costumes tells costumes tells you all you need to know.

The best food in town!! Widest selection of dishes, not the same dish in different forms. A true buffet!

This is the only place I know of that one can enjoy a good bowl of menudo and the lengua tacos were delicious as well. This is Authentic Mexican food like my mother would cook. Couldn't recommend Maria's kitchen more, but if you're the type that thinks that what the other restaurant serves is authentic, I'm here to tell ya, no dice. Maria's is what I've been missing for years. Glad I found it and I will be a regular from here on out.

I wanted to rate this higher because we used to love this place but the quality has gone down dramatically. The salsa isn’t the same and the front of house staff are not friendly or welcoming. It’s just sad because it used to be an excellent place to grab a reasonably priced and delicious meal.

We enjoyed a really good steak taco and strawberry margarita.

The hot bar food was cold ,& the cold bar food was colder then every, service was not all that great do not recommend going their at all.

Food taste okay, but got the worst stomach ach about 20 minutes after leaving. The lady at the door was not friendly at all! I can think of better places to go.

Went for the lunch buffet. Have plenty of options on the buffet, all of the food is great. The chicken salad and the tres leches cake were great.

Maria's kitchen isn't my favorite Mexican in Lexington, but it's a great location for us and fairly inexpensive compared to other options. For basic tacos it's a solid pick!

For a $14.99 buffet I expected more than some old beans, rice, a few taquitos and what was possibly pans of chicken and beef fajitas. No salsa (I got a spoonful after asking). No burritos. No enchiladas. No chips. No queso. What I did get was somewhat flavorful except for the taquitos...pretty sure they were filled with beans. Maybe ordering off the menu is better but...won't waste any more money in here to find out.

The food is sill phenomenal but customer service needs a lot of work. One of the workers was just rude, she literally has the RBF (resting b!tch face) just never smiled and was rude and careless about our orders. Didn't even bother to bring us a water after we were seated for atleast 10 minutes, and rudely said, " I'm not your waitress." Like who cares, it's about the customer service not who's who. But overall, the food is delicious and ill return for just that. Update 9/14/16 The food is still as good as the first time and I changed my rating bc the customer service has got better. Great place! I'd highly recommend checking this place out especially during any sport related showing.

Ok, so this place is no longer a hole in the wall. They moved a few doors down, into the old Willie's location. I gave them a few months before I checked it out. There won't be a next time, so here goes my update. Where is the parking?! Luckily there was one spot left in front. Seriously, there's only like five spots. There has to be a secret parking area that someone can elaborate on. After we walked in, we waited at the hostess stand for just a couple of minutes, then the same lady who was tending the bar took us to our seat. We sat where the old stage use to be. I'm pretty sure that the wall hangings are the same as what was there when it was Willie's. The decor is totally not your average Mexican restaurant. The food... I ordered a chicken burrito and was told that it was an extra $.25 to add whatever I wanted. I requested beans, cheese, cilantro and onion. What arrived was a bean and cheese burrito with cilantro and onion... no chicken. From what I've heard from two different, unrelated individuals is that the chicken doesn't seem like actual chicken. Come to think of it, one time that I had the chicken burrito at the other joint, the consistency was the same as canned chicken. Oh well, they spared me this time around and yet my stomach was messed up for hours afterward. There are too many other Mexican restaurants on this side of town. I'll stick to Jalapenos as my go to place. I've eaten there many times and never have I gotten sick.

Congrats to me for find a truly authentic Mexican restaurant... and I know this because the word 'Authentic' wasn't in the name. I went here for lunch with a co-worker, its not your typical Midwestern Mexican... you won't find hard shelled tacos, taco salad or white queso dip. Feeling adventurous...? Try the beef tongue... and don't knock it until your try it. It's a very tender beef, similar to a roast, complimented with onions and cilantro. I hadn't seen it on a menu in ages, so I tried it and wasn't disappointed! Need a different drink try the Tamarind soda. (I need to go back after work and see if they offer a tamarind margarita!) Very reasonably priced and unique - a must try! 4 stars because it was a bit slow for lunch for us, but I will revised if they have tamarind margaritas :-)

Oh. My. Goodness. I've found my new Taco Tuesday place in Kentucky. Finally, an authentic, inexpensive place that also serves margaritas! (Seriously, have you ever noticed that the good non-Tex-Mex places rarely serve alcohol? Problem solved here.) I had the regular margarita, because it was on happy hour special. But I'm excited to come back during unhappy hour (haha) and get the hibiscus one! The complimentary chips and salsa immediately tipped me off that this was going to be awesome. So fresh, so herbed, such a nice consistency! And the guac was equally scrumptious. I love it when guac is more about the avocados than tomatoes/jalapeños/onions. Because avocados are the best. I added some salt and squeezed my margarita like in it for an extra boost, but it truly wasn't necessary. I was just in the mood. For entrees, I went with the cheese enchiladas, and pilfered some of my hubby's chicken fajitas. Both were amazing - the chicken was more flavorful than I've found at any local Mexican joints, and the refried beans with queso fresco were on point. My enchiladas were equally amazing. They were small and non-bloaty, with a very thin coating of dry potent red sauce. And queso fresco scattered on top. Mmmmm. The rice might not be for everyone's taste - it wasn't super salty or super spicy. But it was cooked to perfection, a beautiful bright color, and it totally fit my taste with its freshness. I kind of hate to post this, because the more I sing praises, the more people are going to crowd me out and raise the prices...but I just have to give credit where credit is due!

I've been here several times because a group of friends like it. The service is always so-so and the food is never great. Chicken always dry and nothing I've had there tastes great. The location is ok, although there's been a bigger outside most of the times I went including him coming inside going table to table asking for money. Once went in winter and there was no heat.

The service wasn't amazing and finding the place (and parking) is really tough, but the food was really great for the price. I had some carne asada tacos and a burrito, both of which were a bit heavy on the meat flavor and lacking a ton else. The tacos had plenty of cilantro and onions (always a plus), but I felt like it could have had more flavor to it without relying solely on sauces. That said, they were pretty cheap so it's hard to complain. The burrito, on the other hand, didn't have a ton going for it. It was mostly meat flavored, which definitely isn't my favorite. All told, the experience had authentic ingredients and food, but there wasn't enough flavor to make it a place I'd love to return to.

Well, let's just start with the bad and get it out of the way - every time I have been here, the customer service is terrible. Every person who works here (which appears to be all teenage girls) seems to despise being here. Which may explain why the dining room is always empty and everyone takes their food to go. Now the good - the food is great! In particular, the carne asada plate is crave-worthy. I am from San Diego - I know what I am talking about. The carne asada is legit and it is consistent. They give you plenty of tortillas, refried beans, rice, onions and cilantro. Build your own tacos for a filling feast! And it is very reasonably priced too. So yes, go and have great Mexican food. Just don't take the poor service personally.

I used to love this place. The food was good, service was good and it was just a great Mexican restaurant. I went yesterday and was expecting the same good food and good service. Nope. The enchiladas were dry. Sauce couldn't have helped. Trust me. I tried. The service was awful. She never came back to check on me. She was busy with her friends. Oh and it was so cold in there I had to keep my coat on. I hate that it has gone so down hill.

I think Maria's Kitchen has the best tacos in Lexington, especially the barbacoa. I can't think of one that I like better. However, I'll be hard-pressed to come back after this. I went to meet a friend for dinner, and when she showed up before us by herself someone on the staff decided to put her into the system as the "No Life Indian Girl." Then left it on the receipt. How obnoxious can you possibly be? Plenty of other places to get tacos I guess.

This little hole in the wall restaurant is easy to overlook, but I definitely recommend taking a closer look. The menu is available in both Spanish and English. The staff is very friendly, although usually quite busy (understandably). Their tortas and burritos are both very reasonably priced, and stinking delicious. Either their carnitas (steak) or carnitas (pork) are great choices, but I heartily recommend the lingua (beef tongue). It may sound scary, but trust me, you'll love it. Tortas do include avocado, so be aware if you aren't a fan. Also, be sure to try the red and green sauces. If you get to-go, they actually give you little cups to take with. They also have both Jarritos and Mexican (i.e. cane sugar) Coke available in bottles. I'm still building up the courage to try their menudo, but it's coming, trust me.

Maria's is a little hole-in-the-wall dive that I heard serves authentic Mexican. I got three chicken tacos for a good price with a good amount of food for my money. I spent $7-something for those and a Mexican Coke (sugar, not HFCS). I thought the food was okay, but it wasn't great like I had been led to believe. The main problem was that the tacos were very dry. They come with shredded chicken, cilantro, and onions. There are two kinds of hot sauce on the side, salsa verde and a red sauce, as well as limes. I used the salsa verde but the red sauce was too spicy for me. A friend of mine made sure to get sour cream with his order and he shared; it definitely improved the tacos. I recommend you get sour cream because, even with the lime juice, they almost would have been too dry to be edible. The flavor was a little plain, even with the salsa verde and the sour cream. It wasn't bad, just simple. I will eat here again because they had lots of items on their menu. I might try a burrito or gordita next, and a vegan friend of mine has had good luck getting cactus here.

I am a fan of this place, and it is my go to mexican in Lexington. However, I will say that this is not a place you come to for ambiance, friendly service, chips and salsa or alcohol. (Although they do have buy one get one happy hour margs Monday-thursday that are sometimes hit or miss, worth it if you get a "hit") But the food, the cheap, delicious food, makes this place worth its weight in gold. I generally order the ala carte menu which always includes at least one barbacoa taco. If you ever see me here, try not to judge-you'll see me stuffing myself with enough food to feed a family. Worth it.

The service was very good. The food was average - not a lot of favor, but everything tasted fresh. I had enchiladas (Cheese and chicken) and a taco. Their pricing is good. My dinner companions both really what they had (taquitos and burritos). I would go back with the idea of asking for some sauces to try before ordering.

Really good tacos. Went in for lunch, pretty much had the place to myself but I loved it. Everyone was super nice.

First of all, stop what you're doing an just go here. Did you do it? Good. So, you see what I mean. If you still haven't gone, then I don't even understand what you're doing. You want good Mexican good in Lexington? DO YOU? HONESTLY?! WHAT DO YOU WANT? If that's what you want, then just shut the hell up and drive to Maria's. You want something fancy? Eff you. Go get that some other time. Maria's is just good food that will make you feel good inside. GO. Go eat. I am from Texas. I'm a big whiny snob about Tex Mex and Mexican food. You know those kind of people? The annoying ones who always tell you they're from Texas? Well, I'm one of them. And I like this place. A lot. I love it. I WANT TO EAT ALL THE FOOD.

We went there this Monday for quick bite..first of all parking lot-- it's very poorly lit.. they need to do something abt it.. on entering we were the only people in. I was surprised but it was around 6.30 and Monday so may be that's why... we were seated quickly and our waitress was very nice. Restaurant was clean and has a basic decor.She explained us couple of items.. actually tried to explain but didn't know menu well and hubby ordered - platter of pork with green sauce (asado verde) and I had gordita with pork.. Both of dishes arrived soon and it tasted great. Their Gordita is home made and pork had good mix of spice and gravy..excellent.. rice and beans were good too.. better compared to most places.. I will definitely be back soon to try other dishes.. not miss out on this place.. go check it out:))

Thanks Yelp! This is a great value and our lunch was terrific. Don't let the outside appearance or parking fool you. Once you walk in it is expansive and spotless. Service was quick and pleasant. Pork with red sauce had a great depth of flavor.

The waitress was very nice and attentive in taking my order and periodically checking on me. I specialty ordered a carne asada/ abobada plate. The carne asada was VERY good in taste. I was told the adobada was the same as al pastor but, it was not so I was a bit disappointed with the flavor of it. The tortillas were also a little dry to me. There was an authentic feel to the restaurant but I'm from Los Angeles so the food was not very authentic to me but good for Lexington!

The most AUTHENTIC Mexican food in Lexington! The owner cooks and the food is amazing. Moving here from Texas where you can find great Mexican food easy I've been disappointed with the places I've tried. I've been searching for about a year for a place like this and I will be back every chance I get!!

All the best hot sauces to cover the many delicious options. Ate here with my homie Javier and we crush all kinds of good food. And they have modelo so....trawls.

I tried this place a few weeks ago. I am apparently so behind on the deliciousness of this place! The food was great, very flavorful. I would definitely recommend this little gem if you're looking for some fresh authentic Mexican at a great price point! They have an option for a buffet available during week, I did not opt for this as a first-timer. However, when visiting again, I would recommend this as it changes daily and has a lot of variety!

My favorite little taqueria with the BEST Mexian food is now a real indoor restaurant. It moved just a few doors down to the former location of Willie's. Three rooms, a bar, and an outdoor patio in the rear (just in case you miss the old feel of the place). Although the parking appears limited at a glance, you can park by the old Maria's and in the rear lot. Love the hardwood floors. Great old B&W horseracing/Keeneland photos, loaned to "Maria" by the owner of the building. The food is the same -- outstanding and cheap. I had three stuffed tacos -- al pastor, barbacoa, and lengua, autentico with onions and cilantro. They were so flavorful, I almost didn't want to use their wonderful verde sauce. I've always loved her gorditas as well, and the tortas are huge. Now, you can enjoy Maria's all year long, and that is una muy buena thing!

Food and service was great. Loved the guacamole and the three sauces they served with dinner. Had the fried fish that was really delicious. Definitely will be s return customer. Lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 20 years and ate at many Mexican restaurants. Maria's is right up there with them.

I say this too much for Mexican food on this site but I'm from Texas and this isn't a five star place in Texas but it is in Lexington. BEST TACOS IN TOWN, GET THE FUCK OUT LOCAL TACO, YOU SUCK. Service is great and everything is pretty good. Get the barbacoa. A lot of Kentucky people have never heard of barbacoa but it's good trust me. Order it.

Not that great. I went there and they have American Mexican food but a lot of Spanish music is playing and it's just not that great I've been to a lot better Mexican places and had much better burritos than what I've got there.

Absolutely love all the food here. However pickup orders continue to be missing food. Guacamole is to good. Please quit forgetting it. Maybe the third time an item or two were missing yet still paid for it. Maybe a refund or some complimentary queso is in the works?

I'd like give Maria's a 4.5, because it does have great authentic Mexican. In house made tortillas, fresh sauces and a wide selection of entrées. I won't elaborate anymore on the fillings, but they are fresh an tasty. They have a full bar, with bar and dining areas. The site also has additional parking in the rear.

Forget the Tex, this is MEX! Loveliest servers - excellent food! Loving their new patio and so happy they have beer/mixed drinks. Get out of your comfort zone and order the tongue and cactus dishes. The fajitas are exceptional and I'm pretty certain the tortillas are the real- deal/homemade. With a tad of sadness, we have ditched our previous favorite and Maria's is now #1 on our list! Bueno!!!

The place is kinda hidden,so it's hard to see or find. The staff is really nice and focus when I was there.the food is where it's kinda go's down hill.First there not a lot of choices and second most of it is average.Just average. Would I go there again? Me personally no.

So I first ate Maria's at the night market. I'm originally from California and have STRUGGLED to find authentic Mexican food. The street tacos at the night market were AMAZING! My kids loved their tamales and I tore up a piece of elote. I finally got to try their actual location and it was just something left to be desired. DONT GET ME WRONG... it was still yummy. The street tacos still had a ton of flavor. For only $1.75 you can't go wrong. I guess I'm just disappointed in their drink selection. They advertise 2 for $5 Margaritas 5pm-close. I'm not a margarita fan, however, I love coronaritas. When I asked the price, the server said they don't make those... ok... that's fine... so then I just ordered the 2 for $5.... it literally tasted like pure lime juice. I couldn't even finish the first one. I don't think there was any tequila in it at all. The service was ok. I understand being a family restaurant but it's so unprofessional to be texting on your phone while people are waiting to order. That's just my opinion. Overall, if I could give split stars I would. I would give the food a 5 but service, drink selection, level of bar tending experience 2-3.

Was sooo looking forward to the Tres Leches cake, but was informed upon ordering it that they didn't currently have any. What a bummer!! If you crave Tres Leches like me, perhaps call first to see if they have it. Otherwise food was very good. Salsa just the right amount of spice, good bean and cheese burrito and babacoa taco. No wait for dinner at 6:45 on Thursday. Prompt service.

Just like Abuelitas cooking. It's as authentic as it gets! Everything is good. I've brought I. All my coworkers and comrades. The waitresses are young shy, subservient and that's why it comes off as rude. They keep to themselves to afford you a relaxed atmosphere. So if you need something, call out for them. They are waiting for you to tell them what you need "at your order". It's not attitude- it's just awkward for them to be all up in your face. Difference of culture in the region of Mexico they are from.

I looked at the reviews prior to going here.... which makes this even worse!!! How do people give this a 5?? From walking into door being seated by the rudest person who by chance turned into be our server, who seemed to be the most unhappy person and not knowing the Menu! How do you work somewhere and not know the menu?? The chips tasted like bagged store bought chips....but stale!!! Not very good good food and had no taste !! FYI. It's a Mexican Restaurant.... take Elvis off the Wall!

Best authentic Mexican food I have had since visiting Colorado! Definitely worth coming to!!! I had the carne Asada, I love the green sauce they give you to put on your food! The guacamole is seasoned to perfection and super fresh! The pico is the best I've had, the sour cream is fresh also, this place definitely knows how to do it right! The inside is really nice and inviting, this is now going to be to our go to spot! Hope you guys come check it out!!

Was told this was the most authentic Mexican food in lex, so I had to give it a shot. I frequented Willies quite often last year so it was really cool to see what they had done to the place. Service was excellent, very attentive and was greeted with smiles from the hostess and servers. I ordered the Gordita pastor and two tacos ( steak and pastor ) the Gordita was delicious, crisp and charred. It was loaded with pork cilantro and minced onion. The tacos were killer as well. The three salsas they offered just enhanced the flavor of the pastor marinade. I walked out the door spending $7.16. The only ( minor ) disappointment was the El pastor didn't have they charred pineapple which happens to be my favorite part. I understand everyone makes pastor a bit different, so five stars it is. I live less than a block away and I will be back ! Maybe next time I will bring my own pineapple ;)

My new favorite taco joint in Lexington. Very authentic Mexican street tacos, my wife and I arrived hungry and were both fed for under $10. Amazing prices!! I had Carne Asada Tacos and a Pork Gordita. I loved the Pork and the delicious red sauce. I've lived in Lexington now for almost 2 years and I can't believe I haven't been here sooner, an absolute must visit place if you want Cheap & Tasty Mexican food.

My hubby was hankering for something sweet in the middle of Lexington, Kentucky and naturally craved TRES LECHES CAKE. Maria's version is quite tasty and not too soppy. Chased it all down with a good ole MEXICAN COKE...love the clean, refreshing sensation of a cane sugar soda pop. Try it if you want to avoid that syrupy sugar burn you get in your throat from regular Coke.

I read the reviews and went to Maria's for AUTHENTIC Mexican food. It was beyond horrible!!! The food had absolutely no flavor and was straight out of a can. I ordered the rice and beans and specifically asked for black beans. What I got was Sysco straight out of a can rice and smashed beans. Taco Bell would have been a better use of my money.

This little shack is takeout only (unless you want to sit at an outdoor picnic table in a semi-sketchy neighborhood). But the food is awesome and the prices are very fair! Best Barabacoa I have ever had. Love their hot sauces. Very unique, smaller burritos. (Poblano & cheese, beef & potato) Above average beans and rice. If you like home-cooked Mexican, you gotta try this place.

As others have said, the service sucks. Also, we arrived at 7pm on a Saturday to locked doors. We tried to open the door, motioned to a server, and she walked away. So did we. Previous to this experience, we ate there maybe once every two weeks. The food is really good and really cheap. The salsas for the tacos are delicious, and I really enjoy their agua frescas. So maybe order take out (if they open the door).

Not only was the food tasty, but it was still nice and hot when it arrived! A special thanks for serving nopales. My grandmother tried them for the first time and liked it! I was thrilled. My grandmother is from Texas and finds the food at her retirement residence lacking flavor and spice. (She's not wrong.) She told me she missed spice, and when we ordered food in one night, she said she wanted Mexican food. I took a chance on your restaurant after seeing positive reviews. I'm so glad I did. The guacamole was a good level of saltiness and herbiness. (Not spicy guac, if that's what you are expecting.) Our order came with corn tortillas, which I learned she loves. I wasn't expecting them, but it was very helpful with leftovers. The asado roja was earthy with a nice (light) lingering heat. Not too much heat for most people probably but well seasoned. It was the most I saw my grandmother eat during my visit. She loved the flavors, and I loved seeing her happily eating Mexican food again.

Inexpensive. Delicious. Homemade. Authentic. Friendly. The burritos with red sauce were amazing! The shredded pork was wonderful and the pablano cheese gorditas are fantastic.

Felt like Mexican food today and saw that this place was a buffet, figured I'd go in and give it a try. Here are my reasons for a one star review: -there's no cheese on the buffet, except for some quesadillas, and the quesadillas are just cheese. -the only for sure meat item on the buffet were some strip steaks in a watery brown liquid mixed with jalapeños and potatoes. -there are taquitos in the buffet as well, not sure what was in them though, it tasted like potatoes but looked like some sort of beef mush. -the buffet contains flour tortillas and hard shell tacos, seemingly to make your own tacos with, but aside from the steak, the only real items on the buffet you could use as ingredients are rice, refried beans, and onions. -I was there at lunch and there were about six to eight other tables of people, but I didn't see one piece of silverware the entire time I was there. -no fountain drinks. You get one 20 Oz bottle of soda with your meal. -this place uses way too much potato in their dishes. Granted I'm hardly an expert on Mexican cuisine but potatoes don't seem like they belong in the food. -they had an item on the buffet that looked to be burritos wrapped in aluminum foil, but it's just a wad of soft shell tortillas. -not a wide selection of food on the buffet, maybe 15-20 items. 5-7 items are deserts, then 5 are tortilla shells, hard shell tacos, and the three ingredients to put in them. -the food overall is pretty bland. The only real taste you'll get is either potato or tortilla. -no complimentary basket of chips if you order from the buffet. -there's a line to tip on the receipt, not sure why. It's not like the waitresses are refilling drinks. They essentially just give you a soda and whatever you order, or they just let you help yourself to the buffet. Like most Mexican restaurants you pay at the front, so they don't even bring you a bill. Honestly, really surprised this place is rated four stars, hands down the worst Mexican restaurant I've ever been to.

The food is really good. It is where we usually go when we are craving Mexican food. I have never been disappointed with the food, but the margaritas can be hit and miss. It is worth your time to pay this place a visit.

Maria's has the best burritos on the planet, no questions. Not sure how much else I can say to convince you to go there. The lengua and poblano pepper burritos are staples in my life. I started eating here 3 years ago before Maria's was a brick and mortar place and have been a loyal customer ever since. Keep up the amazing work, Maria and co.!

So my husband raved about how great this place was. He used to live in Lexington years ago and always went there for a bite. He since moved about an hour north of Lexington and him and I met and started dating. I've lived in Kentucky for about 20 years and have never been to Lexington. He wanted to take me there and kept telling me about Maria's and how amazing their food was. We looked all over for it but I guess they had changed their location. Years later, just recently in May 2020, we finally found them and decided to have that for lunch one day. This burrito I got had everything on it and chicken. This burrito was NOT good at all. The flavor was not good, very VERY bland. I opened the burrito up to see what was in it and there was peas and green beans inside it. I've never had a burrito have that kind of ingredients in it. Not only did we have to wait 45 minutes for takeout when no one else was there, but the food was horrible. Even my husband agreed that it wasn't at all what it used to be. He's a big eater and couldn't finish it. We will absolutely not be back, so disappointed.