Review Viva Mexican - Jacksonville

I will start off by saying the food was excellent. We ordered the queso dip and guacamole as an appetizer, and it was delicious. The complimentary salsa was not as impressive as other Mexican restaurants but was decent. For our entree, we ordered the Molcajete. It was wonderful with one minor flaw - the shrimp tasted previously frozen and was extremely overcooked, making it taste horrible. Other than that, this place deserves praise for the food. Atmosphere - We went on a Tuesday night and expected it to be slammed for "Taco Tuesday", however, there were only 2 other tables when we walked in. It seems like a hole in the wall restaurant compared to the previous owners/name change. Overall, it felt dirty and needed a deep cleaning. There were several lightbulbs out over each of the tables. The hot sauce bottles on our table had broken caps and sauce down the side of the bottle, making it extremely yucky to pick up. Service - was decent but not warm or welcoming. Drinks - The beer tasted flat. We even ordered a second type, and my husband said the same thing again. I ordered a glass of chardonnay, and it was not cold/chilled with the exception of a frozen margarita glass that it was in! Conclusion - I can't say that I wouldn't be back if I'm in the area, because the food was mostly good. However, I would prefer to go to a restaurant with a more vibrant, clean, and welcoming environment. It is definitely not a place I would take someone from out of town or a date night.

Food is outstanding, quick service and exceptional taste. Reminds me of dining out in California. Love getting the Fajita Nachos for lunch. Always piping hot. You will enjoy the food here.

Don't let the "express" in its name fool you. It is the same Nopalera everyone loves but you pay at the register on your way out, I think... I got takeout and I saw everyone make a line to pay and leave. Same great food as always. If you are gonna do takeout it is recommended to try and call it in ahead of time bc this place is busy at lunch and the parking lot gets full quickly. Definitely worth a stop if you are around this part of town. Come check it out.

We have eaten here a couple times in the last few months, and it was very good both times. The our last Go To Mexican Restaurant become very hit or miss so hopefully they keep tasting good every time. Only disappointing thing was the fried ice cream, seemed like it was a scoop of ice cream with apple jack cereal sprinkled on top.

Best authentic tacos hands down! Their carnitas is always cooked perfectly every single time. They make their salsa and it is just the right level of spicy. Everything is made fresh with fresh ingredients, just eat here already!

Got a ton of delicious food for a very reasonable price with great service!

The food here is always great. My only complaint is they had no toothpicks XD

Quick and great service, perfect a lunch break if you're in the area. Food is always on point if you like this style of Mexican food.

We've been coming here for 15 years. It's our go-to neighborhood comfort food spot. Food is great, prices are very good and the staff is like family. Best Mexican around.

Nice place. Very good food and service. The California burrito is huge.

Food tastes awesome and big portions but my fajita came with only 2 shrimp

Awesome service awesome price awesome food A place to go

Super delicious meal and the best wait staff. Easily the best Mexican food in Jacksonville! Super quick service and wonderful as always!

Favorite Mexican spot in Jacksonville. Food is fresh and delicious EVERY TIME. I recommend the chicken enchiladas, the tacos are bangin,chicken or beef )but I do love their shredded chicken.) The taco salad is delicious too. The tortillas and salsa are fresh and yummy also!

The perfect spot to stop in for a quick bite or to take it Togo. Our last experience with them we decided last minute on tacos and margaritas and a movie night at the house. Our whole order only took about 10-15 minutes to come out. A decent size of Queso and extra chips. The best part is their margaritas Togo! Have eaten here atleast 8 times and have never had a bad experience. Would definitely recommend their burritos. They are huge and so delicious.

Food and service was fast and excellent. Prices are good. Queso was not runny 👍🏻😁 Big menu - recommend adding it online but we just ate there instead of call ordering. Was gonna snap whole menu but it's large. Tables and booths.

great food and excellent service. we have never been disappointed. The Bistec Ranchero (Rib eye) is our favorite. We have lived in Texas and we have crossed the border many times, so we know good Mexican food. Try it once and you will keep coming back.

Excellent food an service. We live close to this location, and love real Mexican good!!!! This place has great service, the food is always fresh and hot and everyone is friendly. This is our Friday after work meal and sat after church. You will not be disappointed, it is family owned and run, it is awesome, the owners is so proud to be living the American Dream and it shows in all he does. <br/>It is also very clean including the bthrooms

Fajita Nachos. Awesome, fresh, colorful plate bursting with flavor

Love it!. I lived in San Diego for many years. I have not been able to find Mexican in Jacksonville that would come close to comparing. With that said, this is by far the best Mexican restaurant in Jacksonville. Try your favorite dish with their shredded beef. The shredded beef is the best. Tacos, burritos it is all good.

The best Mexican food you could possibly get on the Northside of Jacksonville. The service is always fantastic and Sammy, the owner, really aims to keep his customers happy. Quality and consistency every time.

Family Haunt. Everybody has their favorite Mexican and Chinese Restaurants that they visit and nothing else seems to do, This is mine and my family's. The staff is friendly and never a long wait the food is wonderful and prices are great. I recommend this as your new family Mexican restaurant!

GREASE. If you like your food greasy then you'll love this place!

Great food! Fernando was an awesome waiter and Sammy keeps the place running right. EVERYTHING is good!

WTH...BLAH...UGH...First and LAST!!!. Bring on the AUTHENTIC Stuff. Food was not what I expected... It was rubbish and expensive. Food was warm people were okay. Where is the REAL Mexican Food? I would not recommend!!!!! I would be a shame if I were Mexican and serve their food to customers!!!!!!

If you are looking for a great, family oriented homestyle Mexican restaurant, Viva is the place to go. The food is alway hot and fresh. They also take the time to get to know you.A+ in my book. Great place to take friends!

If you like La Nop you'll love this place. Same exact menu. The old employees from the Atlantic blvd la Nop location.

Great place!!. Fabulous food, fast friendly service, wonderful staff. Never a disappointment here... always consistently good. Very affordable too. A definite recommend. Trivia on Wed night is awesome. We go every week!

MY EXPERIENCE 8/17/2010. I walked in at exactly 17:00. I was immediatley seated. At 17:00:30, I had a bowl of fresh salsa and a basket of fresh chips in front of me. My waitress asked if I wanted a drink; I ordered the 32oz margarita. I looked at the menu and knew exactly what I wanted. Roughly 45 seconds later, my drink arrived. I ordered the chicken Chimmy. It arrived, hot and fresh, at 17:05. The margarita was excellent; the chimmy was even better. My bill: $14.49. I dropped a $20 and left the change. Tomorrow, I'm going back. In fact, I'll be in JAX for 2 more days; I'll probably go back 2 more times. This place is a CAN'T MISS.

Not a typical Mexican Resteraunt, have had better.. Salsa was bland, chips were oily and overdone. Food however came out quickly. Staff was pleasant enough. I personally did not care for my combination dish, but ordered a side tamale and the tamale was very good. Even the rice lacked authentic taste. I would go again for the tamales but that is it. Also pricier than other Mexican restaurants in the same area.

Awesome. Portions are large hot and tasty. The staff gets to know you,. Highly recomended

Best Mexican food in Jax...luckily we live close by as we visit often...service is always quick and the food is always hot.

Good food/priced right. Owners are very nice and the food is delicious...always feel right at home!

A Family Favorite. Fabulous food, fast friendly service, wonderful staff. Never a disappointment here... always consistently good. Very affordable too. A definite recommend.

Terrible. We have admitedly only been here once so maybe it was a bad night, but that night was absolutely terrible. The service was slow, the chips were stale, and the salsa simple. Then the food came out and the food was not better, average at best and the portions were small.

Awesome!. We love this restaurant. The prices are great, and the food is always fresh. They recognize us now because our boys want to eat there every time we go out! It is a good place for families because they have large booths. The staff is always friendly and the service is excellent.

Love it!. I am from the midwest and have been unable to find a good CLEAN mexican restaurant in JAX until they opened. They have an open kitchen where they let you inspect so you know your food is prepared right. Food is excellent too.

Not my favorite. Basics are there however lacks depth of flavor. Salsa is typical. Chips where stale each time we tried. Tried several dishes but couldnt find " the one " Have gone back few time to see if they ironed kinks but to no avail

Let me begin by saying there are very few choices for Mexican on the Northside/Oceanway area of Jacksonville. Viva Mexican is the star of what is available up there. It is situated on the corner of a tiny shopping center at the intersection of Faye Road and Alta Drive, so keep an eye out because it can be easily passed without seeing it. Viva Mexican – Chips Queso Salsa Address: 2467 Faye rd., Jacksonville 32226 Menu:  http://www.urbanspoon.com/ cities/44-jacksonville/ restaurants/1435309-viva- mexican-restaurant/menu Viva serves the typical Americanized Mexican menu options with your varied blends of beef, chicken, lettuce and cheese. They have an extensive menu. The lunch specials are a good portion size and are served until  5 pm . The dinner specials are huge portions. They also have a la carte items and plenty of specialty dishes. Viva Mexican – Tacos Viva is incredibly quick with their service.  As soon