4. Restaurants

Mamacita’s

1400 Aquarena Springs Dr, San Marcos, TX, 78666
  • (512) 353-0070
  • Store is closed

Mamacita’s Menu

  • Aperitivos
  • Sopa Y Ensaladas
  • Fajita
  • Postres
  • Hamburguesas
  • Flameados

Healthy Meal suggestions for Mamacita’s

  • Aperitivos
  • Sopa Y Ensaladas
  • Fajita
  • Postres
  • Hamburguesas
  • Flameados

Visit below restaurant in San Marcos for healthy meals suggestion.

Johnny Rockets ( San Marcos Premium Outlets,3939 IH-35 South Suite 900 )

Visit below restaurant in San Marcos for healthy meals suggestion.

Johnny Rockets ( San Marcos Premium Outlets,3939 IH-35 South Suite 900 )

  • Courtney W.

    After a day of floating the river, my boyfriend suggested Mamacita's. I was pretty set on Garcia's, because their food is amazing and when am I ever in San Marcos, but he promised this place was good and he was dead set on getting me to try something new. Okaaayyy, fine. There was a wait when we got there, but I don't remember it being too long. Maybe 15-20 minutes? We just plopped down in some chairs and surveyed my tubing injuries. Thanks, crazy rocks. When seated, chips and salsa were brought to our table pretty quickly. They have green salsa! It's not the green salsa I am forever questing after, but it'll do. I liked it, at any rate, and ate almost the entire bowl. My boyfriend ordered a margarita and I stuck with a trusty Dos Equis because I did not want all that sugar after a day of floating. I ordered the tamale plate, which comes with four tamales, rice, and beans. It was a crazy amount of food and I only managed to eat two tamales and a few bites of my rice and beans, but that meant leftovers and I love leftovers. It didn't warm up very well, though, which was sad. They offer cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory, which sounded awesome, but we passed on that because we were so full. Service was attentive and everything was brought to our table pretty quickly, even though they were really busy. It's more expensive than Garcia's and the food is not as good, but I guess I'd go back if someone was dead set on eating here.

    (3)

  • Bill K.

    We decided to eat Mexican for lunch. We were immediately seated and order drink order was taken. I opted for a taco salad. The service is always top notch here. The food on the other hand has gone way down hill. The chicken for my salad was dry and over cooked. It was almost like jerky. I asked for creamy cilantro and it was like a gravy. I had to ask for ranch. My kid wound up not eating his Chimmicanga. I wound up bringing it home. The only good thing about the whole meal were the tortillas, which were hot and fresh. I am not sure why the food quality has gone down hill. I used to think in a pinch, we could come here, grab some descent Mexican food. I will not be going back to this place.

    (2)

  • Chey R.

    I am addicted to the green sauce. That is all. Just kidding. The service here is usually great, I have had very rare hiccups where there was some difficulty. The food is definitely reliable except for once catering was off a bit on the fajitas where they were just kind of too chewy. I typically get a quesadilla and call it a day, my love gets the chimichanga and we always leave full and happy.

    (4)

  • Melissa M.

    Great food and drinks!!! Plus the guac sauce was amazzzzzing! The fajita nachos and beef fajitas were great too!!

    (5)

  • Alan G.

    Ate lunch on Saturday, place was packed but seated right away. Service was great and food was awesome... I will always choose this place when I'm in town.

    (5)

  • Rachael O.

    First time and loved it!

    (5)

  • Dillar S.

    not good! not sure what happened here. the food was gross!

    (1)

  • Zachary B.

    This place is so mind blowingly popular. It's basically the Olive Garden of mexican food, except worse. The employees all basically seem upset to be there. The food looks like the person who made it just didn't care. I even ordered a piña colada once and it was separated and melted. The restaurant itself is gawdy and tacky and the tables are dark and oddly laid out. That's not to say all of the food is awful, but with so many other options in San Marcos I don't really understand why you'd end up here.

    (2)

  • Heather R.

    Took another friend here again last night to decompress after a long day. She enjoyed her spinach enchiladas; I had carne guisada. The rice was a little dry, but everything else was fine. Pretty standard. I suspect Samantha started her waitressing this week if not that night, but she sure did her best to make us happy. I wasn't offered tortillas with my plate but I had so much food in front of me, I didn't need them. There was no salt on my margarita as I'd ordered--if that's the worst mistake of the night I'm good! The portabella appetizer is ENORMOUS. My mango margarita, while saltless, was delicious. Management came out to check on us and was very friendly. We were the second-to-last table in before closing and no one made us feel rushed at any point at all. My friend's to-go order for her boyfriend came out correctly and quickly and our glasses were never empty.

    (3)

  • Taylor C.

    This was an amazing restaurant! We have a family of seven and the restaurant was perfect! The green sauce was to die for! We went at 9:30 pm after spending all day at schillterbahn! It was so good!

    (5)

  • Rebecca L.

    First experience at this Mamacita's location. I usually eat at the one in New Braunfels. The chips and dips were delicious, but the food was ok. My green enchiladas had yellow cheese instead of white (which is not what I've ever had before). The yellow cheese did not taste great on the green enchiladas.

    (2)

  • Joshua K.

    Being a former server, I can tell things haven't changed much. But still good people and good times.

    (4)

  • Rene F.

    My girlfriend likes the green sauce. I can't say the same for anything else on their menu other than their tortillas and queso flameado. I haven't gone back since I got sick after eating there though.

    (2)

  • Deanna A.

    I used to love this place and the last time we went 2 weeks ago it was better again but for a good 2 years anytime we went, it was just bad. I love coming here because they serve shirley temples and me and the kids love them. I'm still torn and may reduce stars if we go back and it sucks again. By suck I mean cold, bland food and overcooked fajita meat. Last time our server was filling us in on his private life. It made it awkward and he seemed in need of a hug. I do like their tortillas though.

    (3)

  • Cindy H.

    This place is..okay. It's not bad..it seemed a bit commercialized but the food wasn't that bad. One of the managers came up to us at the end of the meal and introduced himself. He was really friendly and left a nice impression. The staff is great! I can say that the portions they serve you were HUGE and we only ate off the lunch menu! This was our first time here and can't complain. It won't be one of my regular places but I wanted to give it a try since I'd seen it in passing. They have a bar and drink specials. There's a woman making tortillas. They have a couple of large party rooms. The place is clean and staff seems happy. They have a display case of cheesecakes that had a sign on top saying the cheesecakes are all from The Cheesecake Factory. They do have a Starbucks menu if you need your kick?! We didn't have dessert so can't comment on that. The place was pretty decent and I have no complaints.

    (3)

  • Cari P.

    I didn't order anything heavy so I can't comment on the greasy issues that other reviewers complain about. I ordered a fajita chicken salad and they substituted the iceburg lettuce with a wonderful spring mix upon my request and it hit the spot!

    (3)

  • Paul L.

    This isn't THE worst restaurant I've ever been to, but in the top ten. The hostess wasn't friendly, our server or the kitchen got both of our plates wrong, and the food is just passable for the most part. The tortillas were good, the green dip was good, and the manager fixed our order quick, but that is the reason I gave 2 stars.

    (2)

  • Claudia R.

    First experience and it was good! Had a friendly server and kept refilling our drinks and our salsa which was great bc at other places we wait around forever for the server to walk around and to get refills I was definitely full by the end and truly enjoyed my meal

    (4)

  • Tom Z.

    Had a great Beef Enchilada lunch special while visiting my Daughter at Texas State today. The fresh flour tortillas are great and you won't leave this place still hungry. They messed up on my Daughter's burrito b/c they had ground beef in it and she asked for no meat in it. The charro beans and Spanish rice were good sides. It was nice to eat Spanish rice without peas and carrots in it for a change. I will be going back again.

    (4)

  • Kristina A.

    I live in Austin and drive down to San Marcos (30min trip for me) about 3-5 times a year to eat one of my favorite meals in central Texas. The dining room is a large open space with a large fountain in the middle and colorful seats. They make fresh corn and flour tortillas, which is always a treat. I love the flour tortillas. I call them 'little pillows of happiness'. They are thick and floury, and soooo soft. Delicious! The red salsa is very good and flavorful. It is one of my favorite restaurant salsas. The green sauce is good too. It took me a while to try and like it because the color is a little surprising. It kind of looks artificial, but I think they put sour cream in it which makes it light green. The chips are thin, freshly made, served warm and lightly salted. I always get the cheese enchiladas with the meat chili sauce. So yummy! Also, their chicken tortilla soup is one of the best I have ever had. Try a cup.

    (5)

  • Lindsay B.

    I think their main ingredient is grease because my enchiladas were soaked in it. I could seriously see the ceiling fan reflected in the nasty puddle of grease pooled on my plate. How can anyone in good conscience serve this shit? How can anyone think it is good is beyond me. The chips were stale. The only good thing about this visit was the margarita. I will never, never, never eat here again. I was hoping that it would be good like the Mamacita's in New Braunfels but alas it was not.

    (1)

  • Michaela C.

    So my partner and I went here because we heard their tortillas were awesome, we'll that's true, but it doesn't make up for everything else. We were sat by the manager quickly in a cluttered but relatively empty main room where they gave us stale chips, salsa, and mystery green dip. According to my partner the green gunk was awesome, but I wasn't brave enough to try it. Our waiter was fumbley and when we got our food, I had the wrong sides and my boyfriends food was completely wrong. The manager did his best to get the correct order out, but the whole experience pretty much sucked. The food was tasteless, not fresh, and overpriced. If you like drunk frat daddys, bad service, and tortillas-this is the place for you.

    (2)

  • Gail H.

    Yuck, yuck, yuck. OMG yuck. No Mexican herbs or spices, just bland. The McDonalds of Mexican food. The green sauce? I don't know what the hell it has in it, but it's shamrock green from all the food coloring. The salsa? I think opening a can of mild Rotel with diced tomatoes would taste better. This might pass for Mexican in Russia, but in Texas it should be outlawed. And the decor? 1990s cafeteria. Do yourself a favor and run in the other direction.

    (1)

  • John S.

    This was our first visit to Mamacitas as we recently moved to San Marcos. We really enjoyed the food, atmosphere, and service. Our server was Michael - he was great. He gave us tips on things to do in San Marcos. Portions are big, so expect to bring some food home. Mamacitas is very affordable. We will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Larina L.

    Keep in mind Mamacita's isn't Mexican food, it's Tex-Mex. With that being said its always going to have a blander taste than most Mexican food. If you're expecting authentic Mexican food-this isn't the place. Its a good place to eat if you're not looking for anything too impressive. The green sauce creeps me out but everyone I know loves it, salsa is eh...I eat the vegetarian fajitas and they're actually really good. All the veggies are fresh and the best part....home made tortillas!!! It's a hit or miss, you either love it or hate it.

    (2)

  • Stef S.

    This is one of those times where I wish Yelp had half-stars. Mamacita's was clearly better than just A-OK, but a few things prevent me from being an actual "fan." I walk in the door and they have my favorite cheesecake of ALL TIME (of all TIME!) from the Cheesecake Factory: the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Of course I didn't have room to eat any--I filled up on chips and dip before my food even came! But I did like that this was there. The starters, though, were just somewhat of a non-starter. The green dip was mildly tangy, but that tang was too mild for me. Sometimes I kinda like mixtures of guacamole and sour cream even though I hate both guacamole and sour cream on their own, but this wasn't one of those times. I couldn't get over the fact that it was an unnatural shade of green, though. What is this concoction? Nuclear fallout dip? The salsa was okay, but nothing more. Chips were a little greasy and thin, but meh. The real let-down was the queso. It wasn't completely smooth--almost gritty in appearance. Look real close and it appears to have small bits suspended in the mix like a sandstone. The mouthfeel wasn't gritty--it was melty and smooth like queso should be--but it had that look and taste to it like there were miniscule chunks of melted cheese? that didn't blend together all the way somehow. It seemed like things had separated out in the pot, like oil and vinegar tend to do. It tasted okay, but not as good as it could've been if it had been one smooth mass. Seriously, how can you be a Tex-Mex joint in Texas and not do queso well? Awww poop. The second I saw a tortilla machine in the corner, though, I knew to order some tortillas. They were fluffy, warm, fresh and perfect. My friend chimed in with "these are like how my mom taught me to make tortillas"--like flat little flour-cakes of happiness. Then I got my seafood enchiladas, which were awesome. I ordered one with the jalapeno pollo sauce out of curiosity, which didn't have enough heat to it to overpower the chicken broth flavor to me. Meh. The one that came out with the cilantro cream sauce that comes out by default with the enchiladas was a winner, though. The sauce was creamy, tangy and, and fabulous. There were big, flavorful chunks of shrimp in my enchilada. Oh, yum. Service was generally attentive and kept my glass full even though I just ordered water. Awesome. The interior was bright and clean--maybe a bit heavy on the florescent lighting, but oh well. They had a fountain going in the middle. Like, dude, a fountain. I'm so confused. I want to love this place for having awesome seafood enchiladas and the best tortillas I've had in a long time. I just have trouble doing so because of the queso. Meh queso is a real deal-breaker.

    (3)

  • Mark V.

    First time going to Mamacita's and I cannot wait to go again! The staff was excellent our waiter was knowledgeable and courteous. My girlfriend enjoyed their fruit margaritas and I enjoyed their dosarita's. We order steak fajitas for two which was more food than we could eat, the flour tortillas are delicious! I would recommend this restaurant to friends and family.

    (5)

  • Brandon H.

    Bland, greasy, disgusting are some adjectives that come to mind. I was told not to come here by several different people but I had to see for myself. I ordered something easy. A Mexican food staple - cheese enchiladas. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a place that only has 2.5 yelp stars. Holy smokes it was $8.99 for two nasty enchiladas. Flavorless! Nasty! Chewy! Just all round not good. I was expecting to pay around $5. There was, however, a silver lining. Tori my waitress was Amaze-balls. She was so attentive but she had to feature what she is told to say VS what she really likes, and I get it. She says the steaks are really good. I doubt it. If you can't make cheese enchiladas then I don't trust you to make me an expensive steak. This food is for Mexican food armatures. For people that don't like spice, like price, and are huge fans of oily, nasty food. If you are a restaurant owner I would highly recommend recruiting Tori to come work for your establishment because her talents are being wasted at this dump.

    (1)

  • Cassie W.

    This place was pretty terrible. Upon walking in, a breeze of second hand smoke greeted us. What is this, 1980? Smoking in a restaurant is so unappetizing to me, I almost walked out immediately. But, we decided to give it a shot. The decor is incredibly dated and dingy. The weird fountain that barely drips water looked like a cesspool. The restrooms and floors were dirty and unkempt. Then came the "salsa" and weirdly florescent green sauce. The chips were too hard and the salsa was bland. The ONLY decent item I consumed were the freshly made flour tortillas. The options for vegetarians were also pretty limited. The entrees were on the same level as taco bell. I will definitely never return. Do yourselves a favor and go to a REAL Mexican restaurant in Austin.

    (1)

  • Lisa K.

    Had lunch at Mamacita's today and Tanner, our server was so courteous and helpful that we had to write a review. There were three of us and our food was excellent and we will definitely eat here again. Thanks!

    (5)

  • Ali G.

    Two words: green sauce. I could go here and make a meal out of green sauce and tortilla chips or tortillas. I haven't had anything here that I didn't like. The tortillas are made fresh in front of you and are delish. One of my go-to Mexican places when I'm in the area.

    (4)

  • Christi K.

    The best Mexican food I have ever had. Why can't Austin have food this good. My husband and I went here all the time in college and we miss it. We always get the Cheese Enchiladas with Chile con Carne sauce. This is the best Chile con Carne sauce I have ever had. I don't like the variations of Chile con Carne sauce in Austin. It doesn't taste good. I will occasionally get the Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce and they are really good. The chicken is shredded and the sauce is nice and thick. The green sauce you get with your chips is amazing. It is sour cream based and taste like heaven. I have never found a sauce like this anywhere. I wish they would open a location in Austin. They make their own tortillas and they always taste fresh and are warm. I don't know why people don't like this place. It's clean, the food is good- always warm and fresh tasting, the service is fine. We've been going here since 2004 and we last went in fall 2012. My fav Mexican food in the central Texas area.

    (5)

  • Maritza A.

    I went to Mamacita's for the first time today with my mother. Here's a quick breakdown. FOOD: It's Mexican food for American people. If you grew up with homemade Mexican food in your life, you will be thoroughly disappointed with the food here. There isn't much flavor. The rice is bland, the beans are bland, and just taste mediocre. The tortillas also tasted too floury. I ordered a cheesecake dessert and it was OLD. I think it had been in the refrigerator for several months. It was tough around the edges and just unappealing. I'm guessing many people don't order dessert and they just sit around for months on end. Service: Service was good. No complaints here. Price: OVERPRICED. $10 for a flavor-free enchilada plate is ridiculous. Atmosphere: It's open and has a lot of natural light, which I did like, but looks dated as well. Overall: I would not go back, the food just isn't Mexican and doesn't have flavor. It will suffice if you don't know what good Mexican food is. I will not be going back or recommending it. I gave it 2 stars because our waitress was good and friendly.

    (2)

  • S K.

    Went there awhile back and had the worst service at a restaurant I've ever had. The waiter was rushing us out the door, hovering over the table, wanted to take dishes that clearly weren't finished. Was even approached by the manager in a similar way. I complained to the corporate office who said they would take it seriously, but never heard from them again, not even to give me so much as an apology. There are a lot of other places that I can be treated like crap and I don't have to tip someone to do it! Eek! Methinks not is right!

    (1)

  • Eva L.

    Great staff, delicious tortillas, great salsa and green sauce. We enjoyed good food on a Friday date night with drinks and desert for a good price.

    (4)

  • Ardie S.

    Yesterday, my good friend Erica from San Antonio called me up and on the spur of the moment, we did lunch at Mamacita's. We were seated in the "function room" once again (with now 19 month old Kaleb in tow) and were politely and efficiently served by Garrett. What I liked about Garrett is that he told us up front he was new, and to be sure to "yell at him if he forgot anything or messed anything up" (nearly an exact quote). That showed a lot of class to me, because most new waitstaff are either timid or overconfident and afraid to admit they're inexperienced. The little one had plain Quesadillas, my friend had the Spinach Quesadillas, and I opted for her usual pick, the Chimichanga. While we all _should_ have left food on the plates, somehow I manged to down the whole Chimichanga. It wasn't easy, not even for me, but I spent most of the earlier half of the afternoon in some silly state between stupor and pain. Everything must have been terrific, because I left not remembering until this morning that I forgot to get some of Mamacita's famous fresh, warm flour tortillas. This has to be the first time I've missed on that pick. Lunch for three (well, 2.5) for about $25, not bad, considering we left satiated.

    (4)

  • Meggen D.

    I went to Mamacita's after a TX State football game. My parents and I were walking back to their hotel at 9 pm and were worried about not being able to find a place to eat so late in San Marcos. I live in Austin, so I had no clue what our options would be. In any case, we stumbled upon Mamacita's, which was packed with TX State students and parents. When I first walked in, I was super excited to see the tortillas being made fresh! There are few things I love more than freshly made, warm flour tortillas. Despite being packed, they were able to seat us within 20 minutes, which was super cool but pulled me away from drooling in the tortilla-viewing area...which was very sad. One thing they pride themselves in is using canola oil and not adding extra fat into their food. From the food that I tasted, you'd have no idea that it was 100x better for you than your standard Tex-Mex food. Pretty impressive. The chips and salsa were really good. I was a bit taken aback by the neon blue-green concoction that was brought with the salsa. They claim it's sour cream, avocado, garlic, and onion, but I'm pretty sure it's nickelodeon gak. I just don't know how you dye something that color...that very unappetizing color. I'm ashamed to admit that my mom was gobbling this crayola mess up. Shudder. I got the shrimp fajitas, which didn't disappoint but weren't quite fajitas. They were well-cooked, but I felt the seasoning was a bit off...lots of black pepper and a touch of salt. I like grilled shrimp to be more lightly seasoned than these were. However, the rice and fat-free refried beans were yummy! I didn't grab dessert, though it was tempting. They've got 20 or so varieties of cheesecake and a couple of other non-cake desserts, too. The red velvet cheesecake caught my eye, but I was just too stuffed to attempt it. All in all, Mamacita's was good. I'd probably go back if I found myself on this side of San Marcos and in need of a meal, but I won't be driving the 20 minutes from my South Austin apartment to grab me some of that alien fungus dip anytime soon.

    (3)

  • Cameron Y.

    This place is terrible. I'll admit that weird green sauce that obviously has food coloring in it is pretty tasty, but the food is terrible. My dining companion ordered beef fajitas and I swear it looked like they were boiled. They had no color and no "fire grilled" taste. We told the waiter that we were not happy with the meal the manager came by and gave us excuses... saying that is the way they cook their meat, which is not true, because I've had fajitas there that were at least edible. I understand that they may be used to college kids trying to get free food, but I'm not in college anymore. I have a real job and came to visit my brother and treat him to a nice meal and he was served crap. What a waste of money!!

    (1)

  • Kevin M.

    Mexican food should NEVER be expensive - Mamacita's is a cute little "hole in the wall" with great food. It's a little odd that they serve Starbucks coffee and Cheesecake Factory desserts... but the mexican was delicious. Service was OK - not great ... but overall worth a visit!

    (3)

  • Jordy M.

    Great food, excellent service... Started with dos xx rita and finished with tortillas and honey...beef fajitas in between...green sauce is different but very good...much better than garcias...

    (5)

  • Michelle R.

    Both of these stars are for our waitress who was super sweet and attentive, and for the tasty margarita. The food, was bland beyond bland. That sea foam green dip is frightening looking. The only saving grace is we were STARVING after a day at the zoo and just needed to get food in our bellies, which we did. Also WAY overpriced. $10.50 for two measly chicken enchiladas? no way. Should have just finished the drive to Austin and ate at Pappasitos or Chuy's.

    (2)

  • Stacey W.

    OH.MY.AWFUL!! This is one of those places that I'll never go to again. Nothing about it is worthy enough to even try it again. NOTHING. Food was bland and not fresh. Even at dinner time. I don't know WHY some reviewers say the verde sauce is delicious, in fact, it's the one thing that lingered with both of us as being AWFUL. It looks like verde sauce mixed with Greek yogurt. It's runny, and creamy looking. And not creamy in a good way. And I tasted NO garlic whatsoever, as another reviewer did. In fact, the entire time I was there, not one single strong smell or flavour hit me. Nothing. The red salsa was the equivalent of Pace. No kidding. Mild and flavourless. Worst Mexican of my life. Including Taco Hell. In fact, Taco Hell tastes better. I'll at least still eat at Taco Bell. You couldn't PAY me to eat here. We ordered fajitas, steak and chicken. And the quesadilla appetizer. Fajitas were flavourless and dry. Quesadilla was nothing more than a tortilla with cheese and bland chicken in it. Completely tasteless. Decor and atmosphere=none. I mean, there are some stained glass windows, but mostly general lame Mexican restaurant decor. One positive? Fresh tortillas. Too bad there's nothing good to go in it.

    (1)

  • Phyllis R.

    I've grown to really like this place, now that I know my way around the menu. If you are looking for your typical Tex-Mex food, this is not it. I would not go here for enchiladas, although I know some people that do like them here. Best items on the menu in my opinion are: chile relleno, carditas, some of their shrimp and fish dishes, tortilla soup, their nachos dishes, chicken fajitas and some of their quesadillas. My husband was quite pleasantly surprised by their steak on a couple of visits. Their service has almost always been good when I've dined here. I believe strongly that their burgers are some of the best in town. Downside - They do a shrill yell and the waiters all come out to sing birthday wishes for those occasions. That bothers me, but not enough to quit coming here.

    (4)

  • Gabrielle S.

    They are very well staffed and Hector our waiter was extremely helpful at offering suggestions on the menu. The food came out in a timely matter and was delicious! I had a chicken chimichanga and at the advice of our waiter, got it topped with Verde sauce. They have home made tortillas that are really thick. Good casual place to eat I would highly recommend it.

    (4)

  • Jessica C.

    I thought people understood that unless you go to a place with a name you can probably NOT pronounce, most of the "Mexican" food you're going to get in/around Austin is actually Tex-Mex... I guess not. Well - this is not an authentic Mexican restaurant, it's Tex-Mex. Their green sauce is SO FLIPPIN' GOOD. It's bright ass green and has a lot of garlic in it. SO good, and it's all but impossible not to fill up on chips unless you have a corn allergy or an aversion to green foods... The service will probably leave something to be desired, but the prices are decent and it's our after-tubing destination every time.

    (4)

  • Geoffrey R.

    I was driving from Austin and San Antonio and craving Mexican food around the time I hit San Marcos...so I put Mexican in my GPS and a few minutes later, I arrived at Mamacita's Restaurant. I didn't think that San Marcos was going to be one of the great culinary destinations of my life but given the demographics of the population, I assumed that Mexican food would be a safe bet. I was mistaken. This was - without exception - the worst Mexican food I've ever tasted in my entire life (including any chain, including a year of ethnic dining purgatory in the upper Midwest, and a horrible combination platter at a mall outside Milwaukee). When I saw that the wait staff were mainly tall and blond and the customers were retired white people who just returned from a Glenn Beck rally, I should have fled.... But it was 3 PM and without breakfast or lunch, I was famished. I recognized instantly that this wasn't anything close to "authentic" Mexican so I decided to play it safe - very safe - and ordered a Taco Chicken Salad. The gangly, blond college kid waiter was nice enough to serve me chips and salsa and some strange looking green sauce. The salsa was bland. Extremely bland. As for the green sauce.... it was not salsa verde, it was not guacamole... it was sea foam green and it appeared to be mainly food coloring and sour cream. Horrific. The salad arrived. A tortilla shell, some tasteless pieces of chicken, lettuce and a completely disgusting Mamacita version of guac. And a bowl of what appeared to be melted KRAFT or Velveeta cheese. I paid my bill and ran out screaming, "The horror! The horror!" I won't be returning to Mamacita's anytime soon.

    (1)

  • Lyla A.

    We used to drive all the way from Round Rock, TX to San Marcos to eat at this place. Wow - a lot has changed. The reason I am giving them 2 stars instead of 1 is because the service was good and the people were friendly. The food was terrible. We ordered beef fajitas for 2 with flour tortillas. No rice, and both charro and refried beans (because we both remembered loving their beans but couldn't remember which ones). The fajitas were so tough and pretty tasteless, both types of beans tasted "canny" and their guacamole side was already brownish and tasted like it had been sitting out for a while. Big dissapointment and I am sure we won't be going back.

    (2)

  • Weatherly B.

    Tonight was my first time back in several years. I remember the food being much better. The service was fantastic. Our waitress, Victoria, was excellent. She kept our drinks full and was very pleasant. The margaritas, green sauce and tortillas were still amazing. My husband had the beef fajitas. He said the meat was not very good. My spinach enchiladas were nowhere near as good as I remember. Had a tangy taste. My daughter got a kids plate of popcorn shrimp. Tons of shrimp came on her plate which was a nice surprise. Our rice was over-cooked and dry. I would totally come back for drinks and appetizers. I'm just really disappointed in our entrees.

    (3)

  • Cristina S.

    Skip the entrees.. First go to the bar and order their wonderful tasty margaritas, then go to the dessert stand ( outside the dining area), and buy two or three pieces ( per person) of their delicious cheesecakes.. Belgian chocolate and the Godiva are great! Their flan is pretty good too. They have a Starbucks stand too .

    (3)

  • James F.

    Ahh. This place never gets old. Great food and even better service rounds out the whole dining experience. My Mom, Rooster, and I dined yesterday for lunch without any disappointments. My shrimp nachos were a total bargain at the lunch price and the portion was huge. My Mom's shrimp enchiladas were expertly prepared and a culinary masterpiece. Rooster's refried beans (he's a connoisseur) arrived prior to our entrees to keep him happy. The chips with the green and regular salsas were as always delicious. The house made flour tortillas were spot on as usual. The spanish rice and beans were tasty as ever. After 15 years of visits, this place still rocks my Tex-Mex off.

    (4)

  • Traveling M.

    Food is very expensive. They use a spice in all of their menu items so it taste the same. $5.99 for one beef fajita taco - al cart ...so you cannot really save that way. Better to buy one or two entrees and split it if you are on a budget.

    (2)

  • Steven R.

    If you are in the mood for Mexican food when you are in San Marcos, you need to drive to Lockhart, Austin or San Antonio. If you want great Chicken Fried Steak or Fried Shrimp, then head on over to Mamacita's. My wife likes their Cheese Chile Relleno, and the kids like the cheese enchiladas with queso. I do not like any of the other mexican food here. The beans are bland, the salsa is bland, and the Guac is bland. The only good Mexican items are thier fresh housemade tortillas. Very good! Why do I go here? If I am driving thru on my way home, I know I can get the family something they like. For me, only the CFS or the Fried Shrimp with Steak Fries. Some of the best around, but not so great as to-go items. I give them 4 stars for each of these, and two stars for the Mex. That equals 3 stars. I am tempted to take away a star for the lack-luster service. Imagine an ever turning over staff in a college town and you will know what I mean. Sometimes stellar, sometimes sucky.

    (3)

  • Rebekah M.

    If I could give this place negative stars I would. Talk about bland nasty old white people food? HERE IT IS. It's clouded with smoke and always super crowded for reasons unknown to me. The one time I ate here was the last. The food was poor quality, bland, and honestly didn't even taste like TexMex or anything of that nature. I didn't even like the green sauce which was practically only sour cream, ick. There are way better TexMex restaurants in San Marcos, I have no idea why people go here. If you want good TexMex go to JL Mexican Restaurant off MLK or Casa Maria's off Guadalupe.

    (1)

  • Charles T.

    Poorly managed establishment, the tortillas, steaks and burgers are the only good things here. The rest is piss poor at best, eat anywhere but here.

    (1)

  • Felicia G.

    One of the worst restaurants Ive ever eaten at. Never again, bad idea, why the hell did I waste my money.

    (1)

  • Wendilou A.

    The absolute worst Mexican food I've ever had. The "Mamacita sauce" tastes like spaghetti sauce from a can, with no hint of chili, cumin or any other Mexican spice, and doesn't belong anywhere near an enchilada. The rice is over-cooked and the salsa is bland even to a tender palate like mine. A strange sour-cream/ salsa dipping sauce is put out with the regular salsa and is an alarming shade of mint green. The ONLY good thing to be found here are the fresh flour tortillas. Please, go somewhere else and put this place out of it's misery. Frankly, I can't believe it's still in business.

    (2)

  • Andrew B.

    When I went the place wasn't packed and was seat promptly the serves was fast and the chips were good but when I got my plates, which took forever, the food was not appetizing it didn't look good or taste good. I love Tex-Mex, San Antonio is the best, but this just gives it a bad name.

    (1)

  • Chrid Y.

    I stop here eveytime I pass by San Marcos. They have awsome thick tortillias. I am not sure what the green sauce is but I mix it with the salsa and it's amazing. I normally get beef enchaladas I also sugest trying the flaming cheese.

    (5)

  • Mary T.

    My mother was visiting us for the weekend and wanted to go out for Mexican food for lunch. She has a notoriously mild palette, so we knew we couldn't take her to one of our favorite hole-in-the-wall taquerias. We picked Mamacita's since it always has cars parked out front and looks pretty popular. Let's just say that this lunch was an experience . . . a bad one. I'm going to be straight with y'all, and some of you may get pissed because of it, but I'm being honest. This is Mexican food for non-Mexicans . . . namely old white retirees. I am NOT usually one of those people who complains about lack of authenticity when it comes to restaurants like this, but the food here was so shockingly . . . Chef Boyardee-esque. Upon entering the restaurant, we asked for the no-smoking section, and they obliged but to no avail. There is no way to escape the smell of cigarette smoke in this place. If there is someone smoking in the smoking section, you will smell it. My mom and I are both really sensitive to cigarette smoke so we had headaches for the rest of the meal. After we were seated, they brought us chips and two types of salsa. Are there any biochem majors reading this? If there are, please, take a sample of that green, goopy salsa they put on the table and analyze it for content. Seriously, wtf is that stuff? I tasted it out of sheer curiosity and it has NO TASTE. My mom and I were wondering if they had accidentally put some sea foam green finger paint on our table, or if they had perhaps done it on purpose so we could redecorate our section. This is saying something since my mother, as we have already established, prefers blander food, but even she hated that stuff. When our food came out, our waitress pretty much plopped our plates down in front of us and disappeared before we could tell her that they had gotten my mother's order wrong. We waited for ten minutes with no sign of our waitress before my mom had to get up and flag down another waiter. That waiter must have panicked, because next thing we knew the manager was at our table and asking what was wrong. We told him, and he promptly whisked away her plate. It took another fifteen minutes for her food to get back to her. By this time our drinks had gotten low, but our waitress was still nowhere to be seen so we flagged down yet another waiter for refills. We only saw our waitress again when she brought the check. She had the temerity to ask, "Was there something wrong with your food?" Needless to say, her tip was as generous as her attentiveness. If you want good Mexican food in San Marcos, please don't waste your time and money here. Unless of course you like incredibly bland, tasteless food and inattentive waitresses. If that describes you, you'll love this place.

    (1)

  • Beth F.

    Um. I hated it. We walked and it reeked of smoke, even though we were in the non-smoking section. The service was fine and the chips and salsa were serviceable, but everything else was awful. I ordered the vegetarian combo. The waiter let me know that the cheese enchilada came with a red sauce that was "like spaghetti sauce." Huh? So I ordered the sour cream sauce instead. My meal was basically refried beans, rice, and lots of cheese. The enchilada only came with Velveeta cheese. Like the topping was Velveeta and the filling was Velveeta. I couldn't even find a tortilla in there anywhere. The refried bean taco was serviceable. The rice was fine. There was a strange other thing which was basically a hard-shell corn tortilla covering Velveeta cheese. Yeah, it was disgusting. My husband had the beef fajitas and didn't eat hardly any of it because he said it was so bad. Yucky. Please don't go here. I beg you!!!

    (1)

  • Kathleen K.

    Nice waitress. Very bland food. Does not taste Mexican. Tomatoes instead of chiles make the sauce red. The strange green sauce was just that.

    (2)

  • Keith A.

    If you want a nice atmosphere but bland food, this is the place. If you want authentic Mexican food, this 'aint it. Typical big-chain Mexican restaurant. The rice, beans and enchilada sauce was very obviously canned. Pass this one up.

    (1)

  • Russell H.

    I loved this outstanding restaurant when I lived in San Marcos! The service is always friendly and the food is superb! I miss it a lot!

    (4)

  • Dolph M.

    Dear San Marcos, Mamacita's was on your top 10 list of restaurants according to Yelp... so I made a visit. Huge mistake on my part. I hope no other yelpers make the same mistake. The "green sauce"? It was sour cream and green food dye. The "special sauce"? Canned tomato puree. The cheese on TOP of the cheese enchiladas? I'm guessing a few slices of Kraft Singles. And it was probably the same crap on the inside as well. I refused to eat enough to figure it out. Mamacita's made my Sh!t List. Love, A Concerned Yelper

    (1)

  • Saul T.

    I agree with a lot of the reviews. I am not sure why, but this place was unusually packed for the low to medium quality food they serve. The parking, atmosphere, decor, is all great..just not the food. DO NOT order the chile con queso, I genuinely believe it was heated velveeta cheese with some veggies in it. As if the taste wasn't bad enough, it was brought to our table luke warm. I had the pollo verde which is a chicken breast with an enchilada. The piece of chicken was only like 3 or 4 ounces and the entire plate was drenched in cheese. Best part of the meal was the green sauce that comes with the chips and salsa. Would not return.

    (2)

  • Megan C.

    This place looks allright from the outside but that's about it. I can describe the food in 3 words, CHEAP-TASTING, OVERPRICED and BLAND. And not to mention, the chips are nasty. Herbert's Taco Hut is a much better choice and value.

    (1)

  • Glynne W.

    Ok, where to start...let me just say PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT EAT HERE!!! Food is just plain terrible. The queso, I am pretty sure, is poured out of a can. It looks like the kind that is poured over nachos at little league baseball games. Not sure about the hot sauces, one is like neon green, have no idea what is in it. As for the nachos with beef fajita meat, I would wager that the meat is from HEB, the Hill Country Fair brand fajitas that have already been marinated for who knows how long? And the guacamole...it is the kind that comes out of a bag, NOT FRESH!!!! This food is crap. Please don't waste your money. I wish I'd eaten at Taco Bell, at least then I would have gotten what I paid for. This came out to $47 for 4 people, no alcohol. What a huge rip off. If people would stop going there, then they could shut it down!! That is my recommendation! Hope it . Spend your hard earned dollars and calories elsewhere!

    (1)

  • Deepa C.

    The district manager with whom I was working took me to this Texas State adjacent Mexican place. Great service, insane flavor, lots of variety. I wish we had a place like this in Boston - it puts Border Cafe to shame. I liked the green sour cream, liked the way they spiced the chicken, liked that they didn't have just refried beans, liked the portion size. I'll remember the place and come back if I have the chance.

    (4)

  • C W.

    Best fresh tortillas especially with honey. Food is average. Bean tacos were very good.

    (3)

  • R.V. B.

    Mamacitas just can't be beat. The food is delicious, the wait staff is friendly, and the service is excellent. The green sauce and the red sauce - served with fresh crispy tortillas - make for a nice apetizer. Then the meal is always served at the right temp - with the right attitude by wait staff. That says a lot - considering all the rude service that restaurants are serving up these days.

    (5)

  • Kayla A.

    This place is AWFUL. Do not eat here, the food was terrible and *extremely* over priced (6 dollars for a single cheese enchilada a la carta?!) The salsa was bland and spice less, as was the rest of their food. The decor was god awful tacky and felt more like a elementary cafeteria than a restaurant. Do yourself a favor and just go eat a taco bell, you'll save yourself some money and the food is better.

    (1)

  • Jerre C.

    Excellent service. You can count on a manager visiting your table at some point in the meal. They have a tortilla machine that is constantly kicking out out fresh tortillas.

    (5)

  • Bob J.

    There are probably close to 20 Mexican restaurants in San Marcos, and this is definitely not one of the best. However, it is "mainstream", in that it is not located on some little side street and is actually part of a small chain (I think they have 5 Mamacitas located throughout central Texas). The food is not bad, but on my last visit the service was atrocious. Additionally, the prices are quite a bit higher than other restaurants in the area. If you're looking for Mexican in San Marcos, I'd suggest checking out Yelp reviews of other places before you settle on Mamacitas. However, this place IS good for kids, and they like seeing the Tortilla machine roll out the fresh tortillas.

    (3)

  • Brooke L.

    mamacitas is good because you get good food (not the best in mexican cuisine but good still) and at a reasonable price. good location. its always busy though and parking can be annoying at times. good for families and groups of friends.

    (3)

  • Amber T.

    If you see me here I most likely just got out of a nearby river and haven't eaten all day. This is the PERFECT place for such a situation. Their salsa is usually delicious. I mean, I have no clue what makes the green stuff that color (radioactive, pistachio pudding green), but I don't question it too much because it is so yummy. I also discovered during my most recent trip this past Sunday that they have another secret salsa for those who prefer more heat. Youch and yum! The wait staff is excellent. Attentive, sweet and patient with my not-so-sober self and dinner mates. I am not sure how this restaurant is related to other ones with the same name, but I went last month to a Mamacita's in the League City area which was totally different and totally disgusting. Seriously, do not go to that location. My usual spinach enchiladas that I love love love at the San Marcos location were terrible. That is beside the point, which is Mamacita's San Marcos is the perfect cure for a hungry belly if you are in the area.

    (4)

  • Daniel S.

    I like this place, but the prices have gone up with the increased patronage. Definitely some of the best Tex-Mex in San Marcos.

    (4)

  • elizabeth D.

    awesome greeen salsa and fresh tortillas!

    (5)

  • andy c.

    i just passed into san marcos on my way back to austin from corpus.decided we would stop at this place mamacitas.horrible idea.not only is my stomach killing me this 3 hours later,but that gross shit they put on our table referred to as the "green sauce",what the hell was that?oh that's right....the waitress was more than happy to tell me.(cilantro,sour cream and green food coloring)the "chef" looked like he should be working in an italian restraunt which explains why tomato puree is the sauce on everything.all of you people who claim this was great food would eat a tird if i smeared salsa and cheese on it.this shit is the worst food ever to be claimed as mexican cuisine.

    (1)

  • CORRIE H.

    yummy breakfast tacos, bacon potato egg yum yum yum

    (3)

  • Ashley R.

    Apparently San Marcos has no good Mexican food, because others claim this to be the best Mexican cuisine in San Marcos. *gag*...Maybe being from San Antonio has made me a Tex-Mex brat, but this place was pretty awful. First of all, our waitress was incredibly rude and unfriendly. She mumbled and never smiled. She was also quite excited to tell us that the "green sauce" has food coloring in it...great? Nothing on the enchilada plate had any taste and the tortillas, while made fresh, were probably the worst homemade tortillas I've ever had. All in all, if you are satisfied with run-of-the-mill, wanna-be Mexican Food, check it out. Otherwise, drive a few miles south and hit up anywhere in San Antonio.

    (1)

  • Dana P.

    NOPE! If you're looking for authentic Mexican food, this is NOT the place. If you're looking for mediocre, flavorless, Americanized Mexican food, go for it. The food is just horribly unimpressive. You're better off dining at some of the "hole in the wall" taquerias around town.

    (1)

  • Rebecca R.

    This place is excellent! I recently moved to San Marcos and checked out Mamacita's. Coming from a city like Austin with Tex-Mex restaurants on every corner I didn't expect much above the usual, but I was impressed. First, they have an avocado sauce that was creamy and flavorful which was a nice change from the regular red salsa that usually accompanies corn chips. Also, the 1800 margarita is to die for. It not only was a good stiff drink, but was yummy and tangy. The food came in such big portions that I had most of it in a box to go. And let me tell you, it was just as good the next day! I loved the fresh and soft flour tortillas. And one of the best parts of this dining experience besides the food and atmosphere was the service. The people here were very friendly, quick and patient which is not typical of most restaurants. They really made a great impression on me and I will definitely be back!

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

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Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes

Categories

Mexican Cuisine

If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.

Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.

Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.

Mamacita’s

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