I had Ranchero Vegetariano. Vibrant decors. Amazing location. Excellent variety of foods. Will come back again.

My family and I were in Ottawa and thankfully we were lucky to be staying just up the street from Ahora. Inside the restaurant was a wall that was covered with awards that this restaurant has won. We sat outside and the service was fantastic.We ordered a pitcher of margaritas, a nacho platter, chicken, and shrimp tacos. Everything was absolutely delicious, nice portions, and reasonably priced. Id definitely be eating there again the next time were in town.

Really good tacos. A really nice lunch on a Saturday afternoon. I loved the whole meal! And the sangria drink the guy recommended was nice too! Would recommend checking this place out if you’re a big fan of tacos.

Went here for dinner on a Sunday night - it was packed! Lots of different dishes across the family, but I had the Burrito de Carne - one of the most delicious burritos Ive ever had! Had the chips and salsa (if you can handle it, go for the spicy) on the side. Mango juice was tasty too. Everyone was very pleased by their choices. Overall, an amazing meal and I would definitely go again.

The food here is amazing!!! This small restaurant is a bit hidden away and does not look like much, but the service was very good, and the food was some of the best mexican food I have ever had. The portions are big for what they cost, and the quality is near perfect. I tasted the nachos, chicken burrito and chicken fajitas, and finished everything on my plate. The food really was excellent, I highly recommend. Great place!!

One of the best Mexican restaurants Ive ever been. A must visit when in Ottawa. I and my family loved their nachos and tres tacos. Highly recommended!

Worst experience ever! Me and my husband were visiting Ottawa and super happy to support local. We love Mexican food and thought we would give this place a try. My husband is a vegetarian and we mentioned multiple times but when we were served food the server gave him chicken he had ate a couple bites from and we didn’t even get an apology. The chicken was brownish black and tasted super funky. The veggie burrito was filled with literally just rice and tomatoes and the food was soggy and bland.We were travelling for a work trip and after paying $80 dollars we asked for a receipt copy so we could expense our food the guy with long hair told us there was no way he could give us the receipt. We asked if he could just let us take a photo of what we bought on paper and he told us that was impossible and began getting confrontational asking me “did you ask for it first”.We ordered churros at the end and they were so chewy that it felt like they were uncooked. And they indeed were, I think they freeze the dough so just make sure to ask for fresh ones. I already know I’m about to have the worst stomach ache ever. Would never recommend

I’ve been lucky to eat at Ahoras for over 15 years and now I’m finally giving them a well earned review. Such fantastic authentic Mexican food at an incredibly reasonable price. The food is cooked with care and love. They are one of few restaurants whose food holds up well when delivered.Never change Ahoras 💖

One of the best Mexican experiences in Ontario! Just off the Byward square market, with a limited seating capacity.The staff is courteous, generous and very patient.The food will definitely make you want to come back for more or try the same again.We ordered the Poke maxi and the ahora plato pollo - both extremely fresh, crisp and healthy.Whether its your first trip to Byward market or if you go there often, this is a must stop for take out or dine in on any given day.

We tried this out for the first time when visiting Ottawa. The reviews for this place suggested that this is the best Mexican restaurant in ottawa. To keep this short, the service was absolutely terrible. They don’t take your order, you have to go and place your order and pay each time separately if you want additional items but then still expect a tip. The place itself is quite suffocating with little room between the tables. The food was average. I have had better Mexican food at the mall food courts. Don’t be fooled by these reviews.

Food was DE-LI-CI-OUS. The staff was SWEET. The place is so cute, its a hidden gem! It felt like I was back at moms house (dont tell her that) and I hope I will be back soon enough!

I just loved the food and the place. If I am around Ottawa again definitely I will eat here

Disappointed with this repeat visit. Food was a little bland, although portions remained generous and food was nice and hot. Perhaps they were short staffed, as the one server seemed to be doing all orders, cash , service, drinks and more. On a busy evening resulted in very poor service. I will try again as we have been very pleased in the past. Although I will note that the washrooms are among the worst condition i have seen ans need a some immediate upgrade

Me & my family have been to this restaurant several times. Very friendly & welcoming staffs. Colourful place with great taste. Even during covid they pack the food with much care. We ordered Nachos for take out & came with all the sauces & vegs well packed. Highly recommend 👍🏻

PATHETIC CUSTOMER SERVICE !!! We are pure vegetarians so ordered vegetarian nachos by specifically telling the owner but we were served chicken nachos. We complained but nobody was even sorry for making such a mistake. The owner rather just said it was okay, the staff made a mistake and asked us to leave if we did not want to eat. Would never recommend it to anyone. PLEASE AVOID EATING HERE IF YOU ARE A VEGETARIAN!!!

Loved the place.. Amazing resturant and great food !!Portions are really good as well 👌👌I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is visiting Ottawa and the neighborhood.

I decided to introduce my partner to this restaurant as the food was quite good the last time of been there about 3 years ago. We both wanted to support small business on the market and forwent eating at another large popular restaurant a few blocks away.I descended the stairs to find the place 40% occupied and found one of the two staff on the phone, the other was busy with food preparation.He seemed to be in no rush to get off the phone and ignored me for about 8-10 min. He only got off the phone when a party of 5 walked in and immediately went to seat them and take their order.He didnt even glance in my direction or make any effort to acknowledge my presence.I was both flabbergasted and insulted! Ive never had such a dehumanizing experience such as this anywhere.Theres too many great eateries on the market that would love to earn your business and show you true hospitality.This place isnt one as far as Im concerned.I dont care how good their food is, I would give this place a hard pass.

Very impressed and much to share. To begin the hospitality was great. When placing the order beverages were served right away and tables were set up. Good did not take too long to prepare and followed after only a few mins. Prices for the size of the meal are cheap , considering you can get a large plate for $15. Seating area and decor feels authentic and welcoming. Overall highly recommend for some good quality food at a decent price.

Consistently a great spot. I really recommend the tostada 😊

Weve ordered from here a couple of times over the past few years but the food quality has REALLY slipped.In fairness, it was quite busy on this vist (the restaurant was nearly full, the owner was telling eat-in customers to return in 20-30 minutes. Take out orders were about 6 orders deep).We placed our order: 2 steak burritos and 2 enchiladas (essentially the same)....and we made it simple-----no multiple side dishes..just rice). The order was handed to us in about 20 minutes-----we did not check the order until we arrived at our destination 10 minutes later.Somehow, we ended up with essentially the right order EXCEPT instead of all rice for the side dishes, we received rice, beans, & nachos.Enchiladas are normally wet but according to our dinner guests, very soggy, hardly any filling and not much in the way of flavour. The burritos were both VERY soggy----the filling was supposed to be steak & rice....were uncertain what it was, but it was flavourless.Since we received nacho chips, they were crispy, without any salt at all----boring.This is unfortunate since the last time we dined inside (2 years ago) and although not amazing, was decent authentic Mexican food. This time was incredibly disappointing.For $79, we would have likely faired better at Taco Time or Taco Bell

Nice Mexican food.I don’t like the fact that you have to order on the counter, pay and get the items on table.. and then if you wanna order anything else, you have to go again on the counter and re-order and pay again.. if it’s a restaurant then it should be fully serving the tables!Food is good but overall ordering-process is not the best.. check the menu online (not the best visuals on the menu and then having to order and come back to the table...is not the best.Guys, just change the ordering process and you will get a 5 star rating.

Had a late night nacho craving and was delighted at how well their nachos are!

Its a perfect place to taste Mexican cuisine. First time weve been here around 6 years ago. And ever since it was the best Mexican food that we ate in Canada. Were happy to see you in business for all these years! Hope youll be preparing all of your amazing delicious food. This is #1 place that I advice to my friends visiting Ottawa. There are lots of dishes for vegetarian, vegan or meat eaters. This restaurant is great!!!! 🌮🌮🌮🌮🥙

Amazing food, great prices, and a nice atmosphere! I always have a good time coming here. Definitely one of the best Mexican places in town!!

This has become my go to place for Mexican in Ottawa. The staff is very friendly. Everything looks very clean. Most importantly, everything I have ever ordered was very good. Prior to the pandemic some Mexican friends visited me for a couple of weeks - I took them to a few Mexican restaurants and they were definitely un-impressed. (Though they did like Corazon... and wished it was a real restaurant) I cant wait for them to visit again once travel opens up so I can bring them to Ahora, I am certain the restaurant will regain the city some Mexican bragging rights.

Yes, this is definitely the place!Do yourself a favor and go in right now, order the Mexi - Poke bowl, its delicious, its hearty and its healthy!The chicken is spectacular 🤞🌮🌯 🐔

I was not impressed with this restaurant. No table service, had to pay as I ordered at the counter and the flavours were very bland. Lots of room for improvement

My absolute favourite restaurant in the Byward Market. My family has been going there since they opened. Food is delicious and very affordable.

This is my favourite restaurant. I used to go all the time until the pandemic started. Now I order from their regularly. Food is amazing and portion sizes are great.

Average place. Didn’t find the food particularly flavourful or interesting. A bit of a letdown considering the rave reviews on Google. The menus on the outside were old and the food was pricier than the outside menu suggested.

I would say in Ottawa this is probably my favourite Mexican Restaurant. They just seem to nail the flavours more then the others. I havent been during the pandemic because the eating area is relatively cramped but I will hopefully be getting in there again sometime soon.

Located in the byward market in Ottawa, Ahora, a nice little spot with a cute decor. A vast menu selection, and friendly service. Not the mention the food was a delicious!

Delicious food and well priced! The chicken nachos are so good and we had to share our steak burrito gourmet between my friend and I. We also loved the serve yourself salsa bar! So many choices.

We came here based on the Google Reviews. The place was very homey and colourful. Food was good. The nachos plate was excellent and a good deal. My family of five - 2 adults and 3 kids under 10 ordered the Tres Tacos and the nachos plate and it was enough food.The tortilla chips were excellent and the guacamole was smoky. I loved the salsa bar which you could help yourself to. They have mild and hot salsas.My only criticisms were that the service was a little slow and it was very hot in the restaurant. I had to wipe sweat away while eating.

Busy place! You get seated and then go order your food up at the counter and then its brought to your table. Very good prices and big portions. We had the vegetarian borrito and the Mexican salad bowl, both were very good. We also got the cookie for dessert, but I felt that it was a bit dry and not too special. I highly recommend the place if youre hungry and dont want to spend too much.

Great for a quick and easy Mexican meal. The drinks are great.Can do with a spruce up... aesthetically.

Really fair prices and lovely service

AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL!Soggy, wet, flavorless burrito? Check!Bland, overcooked meat? Check!Laughably small side orders of sour cream? Check!The tortilla chips were amazing at least....not worth the long wait though.

Food was awesome. Authentic Mexican flavours. Place could do with a good clean up. Its odd to see a not so clean place, especially in these post Covid days. I am sure they had time during the lockdown to clean the place.

Nice place with a good menu at affordable prices. Good service too

Unpretentious small basement restaurant with extremely fresh tacos and great margarita. Off the Ottawa market frenzy which is a huge plus.

These folks had a full house but were very prompt and professional. Delicious food!

Huge portions and great ambience! Roughly $10 a meal depending on what you get. The poki-mex bowl is a massive salad bowl with your choice of meat. The burritos come with either a salad, rice or tortilla chips. Both equally as good but I loved the steak in the burrito. Soft and tender. I tried the sangria, cant say it was the best but a sold price for half a litre. Ill definitely recommend this place to anyone stopping by in the area.

Great food and service :) meat could be a wee bit more flavourful but the nachos were really good

Amazing place to have Mexican food. It is cheap but delicious. Portions are huge.

Nachos was the best thing I ate here. I would come back if it wasnt for the customer service. Just dont make a mistake with your order or you will have to pay for the mistake and your actual order.

I ordered for me and my friends and they did a really bad job. They left out a water, whole meal, and put beef instead of a chicken in a burrito. Also the food wasnt that good and was way over hyped.

Went here Saturday for lunch and I wasnt disappointed, I was greeted as soon as I entered and walked down the stairs as its in the basement which doesnt take anything away from the place at all. The colors are bright and vibrant and the lady serving me was friendly. The food was delicious, fresh and didnt take long to arrive at my table. I look forward to my next visit.

We try to visit Ahora whenever we are in Ottawa. The food is always fresh and delicious and the service is friendly and personable. Bravo Ahora. How about a Toronto location?

Had takeout during the pandemic, unsure if this affects food quality (it shouldn’t to this extent), but it was one of the worst meals I’ve had. Everything was dry, the tortilla and shell were stale. I came from the positive reviews, but I was disappointed and won’t recommend this place to anyone :(

Always fresh and great service! We love to come to this place whenever were visiting Ottawa.

Got a burrito, excited bc it was less than 10 bucks. It was awful. Wasnt sealed shut so it was falling apart the moment I picked it up. The salsa was watery and the tortilla soggy. The guac was flavourless. The vegetables wilted. Just an overall a bad time. I guess you get what you pay for.

Amazing. Food portions, customer service,pricing for quality and quantity. We visited from out of town, well worth it.

Easily my favourite Mexican restaurant. A to. Of great affordable homemade options, with a free salsa bar. Drinks are classic, and the space is pleasantly decorated. Bathroom is a little tight, but still clean. Food is so fresh, and the meat is well barbecued. Bring a friend or two, get some margaritas and enjoy!

I had a Plato del Mar. I have to say this was the absolute best Mexican food Ive had in my life in terms of quality and quantity for price. There were a decent number of shrimps in the burrito and I loved that they had a separate salsa/toppings bar. Amazing food. I would 100% go again.

We went here Tuesday night for their special offer on tacos and werent disappointed. Its a nice casual setting to enjoy some food and the service was great. The food we got was really tasty and the portions were awesome for the price. The amount of tacos they had if you didnt want just the taco Tuesday special was great to see.

Fantastic food large portions nachos are next level. will eat again would recommend.

Heard so many positive reviews about this place so I knew I had to go! There were times where line ups are so backed up that it forms outside of the building.Luckily I was able to go last night.The portions are very generous and everything tasted delicious! The salsa bar was a unique idea and I appreciated that there were no surprise cilantro in the dish itself as the cilantro are offered in the salsa bar.It’s definitely a hole in a wall type of restaurant since it’s in the basement, but the decor and people are very lively.Would recommend this place to my friends and I’d definitely go back as well.

Amazing food, fantastic staff and delightful atmosphere. Anytime Im in Ottawa Ill be visiting here again.

Very good Mexican food!! Many choices of tacos, enchiladas and burritos at a very affordable price. Try the salsa bar for tasting a variety of hot to mild salsas to top up your tacos. Set up in a basement, it is clean and well lit and the service is attentive and efficient.

This Mexican restaurant gives me a very local and original feel! Its like I am dining in Mexico even though it is in Canada. The food is very delicious and authentic. The portion size is very big, so come hungry! The price is very fair and inexpensive compared to the portion size you get. Lets talk about the Ambience! I freaking love it! its vibrant, bubbly but yet cozy. It literally feels like I left the country to dine. Overall the experience here was fantastic! The food was a 10! and the service was great too!

Authentic Mexican Food ! Fresh and very delicious with affordable prices.

Informal, colourful Mexican dining. Great food and service.

Delicious food at affordable prices highly recommend this Mexican restaurant.

One of the best Mexican burritos Ive ever had and have in mind that Im vegan so not the typical burrito. The burrito was very well seasoned and the spicy sauces divine, add to that some very cool Mexican decor and that might be the place for you if youre looking for Mexican food in Ottawa.

Very authentic food, the margaritas were outstanding!

Authentic, delicious and cozy. They have a holiday tequila margarita slushie!! Friendly service, and in Spanish too! Highly recommend for all ages. Families and children are very welcome here. One thing to note, this is NOT physically challenged friendly. There are plenty of stairs. #localguide

Great atmosphere, food was awesome and it was a short wait.

Amazing Mexican food in the Market! This is an order and pay at the cashier first, type of place. The margaritas are delicious and the wine is a generous serving. I recommend trying the sauces at the salsa bar - my fave is the salsa verde for the chips! Great quantity for the price and very friendly staff!

Reasonable prices and good quality mexican.

Top quality Mexican food. The restaurant is a bit hard to find, however its one of the hidden gems of Ottawas downtown.Having been to Mexico myself, the food highly resembled the food served there. I have been coming to this restaurant for years and am glad that they always keep their high quality standards high.They serve some of the top Mexican beers, and also have a salsa bar to add to your dishes! Definitely reccomend!

Good Mexican food..clean and staff is very friendly and courteous.

What an amazing, buzzing place. The meals are incredibly delicious, served fast and by friendly staff. It seems to be quite busy even for a Monday evening so there might be a queue which you have to be prepared for.The portion sizes are huge so get ready to roll home.

Food was not that good. Kinda disappointed.

Pretty cute spot in this underground location, pretty quick and cheap considering the neighborhood and the prices of eveything else around. I got the burrito de Carne with rice 9.75$ (can pick Salad or chips as side). And they have a really good salsa /hot sauce open bar. Food was pretty simple but good and the vibe would be fun with a group of friends or a date! Would come again...

Great food, small seating area, recommend Tostada salad

I love this place! Have been many times and the food is amazing. Every time Im in ottawa I make a point of stopping here. I live 4 hours away and this is still the best Mexican food Ive found. The restaurant itself is a bit of a tight squeeze, but the food is totally worth it.

My favourite Mexican restaurant in Ottawa. Unassuming, quiet, the food speaks for itself. The mole here is to die for. I always love their chicken enchilladas. They have a lot of good vegetarian options as well.

Normally a good restaurant hence the 4 stars but the last few times I have had them everything but the burritos has been slightly lacking. This could very well be due to delivery. The store atmosphere itself is always great and food eaten in store is always on point

Amazing food! Amazing staff! Fair prices! Cant go wrong. Go here.

Best authentic Mexican food In the city

Im upset to have to review this place just 2 out of 5 stars as the other reviews speak so highly of this cheap eat.We came here because everyone gloats about it being so inexpensive and the quality so great, but I found neither to be true. My boyfriend and I got tortilla chips with a bean dip and then two soft tacos which came with more chips. This cost us $20 and we werent even full! The bean dip wasnt anything special and I actually hated the steak and chicken tacos we got. They were dripping with oil and fell apart.I would like to give this spot another chance, but perhaps with recommendations from the people who work there. Dont try this on a limb! Take advice and research first! I wish we had done this. Perhaps well come back and try again when were in the area as I really enjoyed the vibe.

Pretty disappointed. Placed an order over the phone. Went there 25 minutes later. They didn’t “have” my order anywhere. They were too busy with Foodora orders instead. I had to wait for a new order to be made. No sorry’s, no compensation for the inconvenience, nada. The food itself was okay. But the packaging was horrible. They use the worst possible le packaging for the environment (styrofoam)

This place is a gem. Its a very small restaurant, but its always busy (especially at night). You ordered at the counter and paid. Then theyll bring you the food to your table. The food come out very fast. I always get the Plato Ahora. It has a very big portion. Its also delicious.

Did take out.......the tosca salad is to die for.....great flavors..large portion.....a must try

Amazing food, very tasty, great price and portions, nachos large is extra large for three people easly, and any plate would be enough for a very hungry person, fast serving and very lovely staff, extremely recommended

Fantastic mexican food. Very tasty. They have plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. You can pre-order online and pick up onsite or simply order via Uber. Hopefully their nice dining room will reopen soon.

Loved the food. Was my first time visiting Ottawa and we went here for lunch and it was the best decision. Its quite affordable and good portion sizes. Had the Nachos, taco and Horchata.

Great food! The drinks arrived at our table before we even got to sit down. The chicken was cooked perfectly and there was a good mix of everything in the bowl. Just wish the bowl itself tasted a little less greasy.

Food and drinks were excellent !

The food is so good! Nice quality, and pretty cheap. Will return for sure

Rigo, the owner is very rude and doesnt attend to any of the customers needs. THE MEAT IS HELLA DRY

This is the best Mexican food in town. Great ambience. Good portion sizes and simple food. Delicious!

One of my all time favorite place in Ottawa !

Good stuff not allot of personal space also Mexican 😛But still good

Great authentic Mexican food in downtown Ottawa! The staff was very friendly and helpful and everything tasted delicious. Definitely recommend getting a small order of nachos to try the different salsas.

One of my absolute favourite Mexican restaurants in Ottawa. Like holy guaca-moly, cant wait for you guys to open again post-Covid and hit up that salsa bar again.Great vegan options for such good prices and portions. Even with takeout, it was nicely packed and soo soo good!Muchas gracias!!

Great spot if you’re looking for amazing Mexican food. Food is absolutely delicious and the portions are generous for their prices and even the drinks are tasty! Definitely coming back here again.

Amazing food and service.

Its a self service place but no-one told us. We waited at the table for a while before realizing. Anyway food, ambiance and sauces were nice.