Table for Tara is a column by Tara Gilts, sharing her dining experiences and takeaways from Athens County eateries.
NELSONVILLE, Ohio — Los Mariachis is mi lugar feliz (my happy place). With a lively patio and an extensive menu with something for everyone, Los Mariachis has been providing an enjoyable dining experience in Nelsonville since 2010.
Many years ago, I started riding my bike on the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway. I quickly learned that I am a more motivated cyclist if I am venturing to a midpoint destination that serves a dip sampler and margaritas. If you start from the 0-mile marker in Athens (located behind the Athens Community Center), biking to Los Mariachis is an 18-mile journey, which guarantees that by the time you arrive you will be so tired, hungry, and thirsty that you will be thrilled by anything you are offered.
Is Los Mariachis the best Mexican restaurant around? Maybe. Is it always delightful to be handed chips and salsa the moment you plop down in a comfy booth to peruse an enormous menu? Absolutely.
If biking to Los Mariachis, the restaurant is located one block from the Bikeway at the intersection of Watkins and East Canal streets (99 Watkins St.). Bikes can be parked and locked on the patio, where you may also dine at one of four large purple picnic tables with umbrellas for shade.
I recommend dining on the patio, particularly on a Friday night, where I observed jovial interactions between diners and drivers stopped at the intersection beyond the patio. There was a collective chant of “Carol! Carol! Carol!” to encourage one driver to pull in and join the table next to us for dinner and drinks. Patio patrons were also greeted (or playfully heckled) by passersby on foot or in cars. If you enjoy reveling in playfulness and people-watching, it is a wonderful spot.
Inside are roomy, colorful booths around the perimeter and two long tables in the center of the room, which could each accommodate 14 for a celebratory gathering. The menu includes traditional Mexican restaurant fare: giant platters of loaded nachos, enchiladas smothered in sauce, tacos with a variety of fillings (including carne asada and al pastor) as well as vegetarian options. Combo platters let you try a few different items, and the lunch offerings are particularly budget-friendly, with many meals priced at under $10 for a hearty portion. My child, who will always opt for pasta if available, was happy to find macaroni and cheese with french fries on the kid’s menu ($7.25).
The manager, Ovi Cruz, is seemingly always there, with service so swift that at times he breaks into a jog as he delivers menus, drinks, and sizzling, steaming platters of fajitas. I dined at Los Mariachis three times in May — a true taco trifecta! — and each visit reaffirmed that Los Mariachis provides a consistently comfortable and satisfying dining experience.
An important dining tip: Proceed to the register at the bar to pay when you are finished with your meal. While you may certainly ask your server to bring the check to your table, the expectation is that customers review their bill and pay at the register.
Open daily for lunch and dinner, Los Mariachis also has locations in Chillicothe, Circleville, New Lexington, Groveport and Columbus.
Los Mariachis will delight you with an experience that reflects the joyful and vibrant spirit of the mariachi music it is named after.
5/5 Stars.
