Juanita's Mexican Kitchen

We took our daughter and her husband to Juanita's on a Saturday evening. They were visiting from out of town and we wanted an ""authentic"" Mexican Kitchen. What a dreadful experience. The food was sub par...plain and simple. The taco salad was a basic green salad with cucumbers, pale chopped tomatoes, celery and ONE tiny piece of avocado with pale shredded lettuce over dried out ground beef (cold) and it was in a greasy cold taco shell. To top it all off was Italian dressing! What is UP with that? I had to order sour cream, salsa and guacamole separately for extra money. My daughter ordered the shrimp burrito ""special"" (no price posted on the ""special board"") and it was filled with tiny, what seemed to be canned salad shrimp!! We complained to the waitress who said ""oh no, it's our usual frozen shrimp"" and that was it. No offer to replace the meal or make any amends. One bite and you could taste the metal can!!. It was accompanied by pale, wilted shredded lettuce with (once again) Italian dressing and canned refried beans and dried out rice. The waitress did not offer any compensation...it was just ""too bad, so sad"". We paid over $78 for our party of five for garbage. We will never ever go there again. If the economy is so bad that they have to serve canned shrimp (for $12.50 by the way) then leave the shrimp off the menu. And get some authentic Mexican dishes instead of dousing everything with Italian dressing!! Pros: salsa was flavorful Cons: Not even close to Mexican cuisuine more

Italian dressing on iceberg lettuce and salsa that tastes like spaghetti sauce? And those were the things we found memorable. With prices about a third higher than we're used to paying for seriously good, authentic Mexican food prepared by Mexicans, this isn't a place we'd come back to. If we want Italian food, we'll make it at home. I hope we just haven't found the right places yet! Pros: service was okay Cons: food was neither fresh, flavorful nor Mexican more

This spot is perfect s for a quick place to meet your friends. The decor may not be perfect, and the tables crowded, but it is a place that you can meet your friends, have some food and relax. One of the reviewers complained about the vinegar and oil on their lettuce. Most of the dishes come with the salad on the same plate. That is how mine came tonight and it was good. The nacho appetizer has to be shared! Pros: cozy, social Cons: not ""true"" mexican more

For being voted the best Mexican restaurant in Syracuse, I was expected much, much more. First, our waitress was sporting an attitude most of the night and not acting very professional. She tossed our free salsa and chips (a very small bowl by the way) on the table in a manner which spilled salsa onto the table and didn't even clean it up for us, she didn't mention the specials to us (which we didn't even know about till leaving and seeing the board posted in another room), and she was replaced seemingly half way through our meal (maybe they were just tag0teaming the tables?). Second, the food did not stand out. The vegetable enchiladas/chimichangs contained a filling of black beans and corn, which a slight mention of some other slimy veggie probably a pepper, none of which appeared to be fresh. The same can be said for the accompanying refired beans. And as for portions, well nearly a third of the plate was taken up by a pile of shredded iceberg lettuce. So although the price was alright, the value may be questionable. My wife, who is sensitive to spicy foods, even mentioned that these entrees were bland, and I mostly agree. Ok food, not so ok experience, does not merit a return. Cons: parking on street, typical food fare, service more

I am also puzzled as to why reviewer #1 would keep going back if they thought Juanita's was such a bad place? And I agree with the second reviewer - - Juanita's is a wonderful restaurant. It's not fancy but if you're looking for a fun, affordable Mexican restaurant, you can't go wrong here. more

My husband and I are big fans of Juanita's. We go there nearly every week and have yet to have a meal that was less than excellent. The service is great and the prices are terrific, too. To the person that posted the negative comments, I have to ask: If the food is so terrible, why do you continue to go back year after year? For me, a restaurant gets two chances at most to impress. For Juanita's, it only took one visit and I was hooked for life. Pros: Great food, Inexpensive, Great Service more

This place remains and is still about as bad as it gets in Mexican Cuisine. The place has serced canned refried beans and old tasting food forever. It just shows how bad the Mexican Scene is in Syracuse. I have been there 5 times in 5 years and each time I promise never to return more