La Hacienda
“The only thing you have to get over and just deal with is that there is always a long wait and parking sucks.”
“During our stay, there was a mariachi band serenading a couple in the back, it made our time more enjoyable and authentic.”
“Warm chips and salsa arrive to your table as soon as you sit down, and the waiter immediately asks if you need a refill on your Bulldog. ..now if that doesn't earn 5 stars, I don't know what will.”
La Hacienda
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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My dad, as a teacher nearby in Paterson, has been coming here for yeeeeaaaarrrrrrssss for drinks after work on Fridays and lets just say I never saw him come home above the influence. Hacienda also has a good rep with being lenient with the kiddos, if you catch my drift. I do have to say that most of the praise I had heard was for the drinks and appetizers. Then my sister, who is an avid burrito lover, went to try more of their food and really enjoyed it. Specifically, she raved about the quesadillas, which were noted as one of the best she has ever had.
I went back with her for a quick and inexpensive dinner, and was pretty impressed. Complimentary chips and salsa to start, with a little kick of course. I had the Enchiladas Verdes with chicken and my sister ordered the Chimichangas with chicken. Both come with rice, refried beans, pico de gallo and sour cream. I thought my portion of enchiladas was a little small, but in hindsight it's the perfect amount of food if you don't want to leave with a food baby. Loved the verde sauce and the chicken was flavorful. The chimichanga was a little dry, seemed to be missing a sauce over it, but the filling was good.
I will definitely come back 1. to have a few drinks 2. to check out what the quesadillas are all about and 3. for the speedy and relatively cheap meal
I am torn about this place.
The food was average at best. Mexican food prepared quickly. Not a lot of flavor.
Drinks were great. Strong Margarita's.
Bar was empty and it took a while for someone to approach us for drinks…by the time they came we already sat down.
Chips were meh. Burrito was half empty even though it looked loaded. It was all wrap and less filler.
Parking lot get full. Not sure where you would park if it's full, it's on a busy road.
Cheap prices.
Not on my list to return for food but maybe for a drink if in the area…which is never.
Follow up to my first review (which, may I add, was a good review for this place but I figured I needed to add a star here).
We order from Hacienda once a week at my office and not once have they ever skipped a beat. It's literally always ready when I get in to pick it up and the food is always on point. Their consistency is something to take note of. If you're in the mood for some Mexican food, this is the place!
Had a great dinner here. Ordered the skirt steak fajitas and they were marinated really well. The steak was cooked perfectly. Waiter was very pleasant and attentive. The place is a bit small so I can see how it can get very crowded.
La Hacienda has been a favorite amongst my family for years now. Yesterday my sisters and I decided to get some lunch here. It was around 2PM and the place was already pretty packed. The restaurant itself is small, some would say its a dive but I don't really think so. They have a huge parking lot, so parking isn't an issue.
They start you with chips and salsa, which are both good. I really love the homemade salsa but they give you such a small amount, between the three of us it was gone in a few seconds. They also charge for refills which is annoying (but we did it anyway).
All the food we ordered was very good.
Appetizer – jalapenos rancheros with chicken. This dish was a favorite amongst us, it was so delicious. Generous portion and I love the fresh peppers its served with.
For main dishes..
I got the "CAMARONES EN RAJAS CON VEGETALES Y QUESO"Jumbo Gulf shrimp and baby shrimp braised with sautéed onions and peppers.Tossed with rice and topped with melted cheese. I thought the portion was big and overall it was good. I did think they were skimpy with the melted cheese.
1st Sister got the "TACOS DE MARISCOS" – Flour tortilla stuffed with calamari, baby shrimp, crabmeat and scallops. This came with three tacos that were pretty stuffed. She said they were really good and had leftovers to take home with her.
2nd Sister got the beef burrito which came with refried beans and rice, as well as sour cream and guac. I tasted this myself and it was gooooooood. I am getting hungry right now thinking about it.
We each got frozen margaritas but I wasn't a fan. Very bland tasting and just not good, I didn't even finish mine. The service was alright but definitely has nothing to do with why I come back. The waiter never once asked if our orders were ok and when we wanted the refill on chips and salsa, we had to hunt him down.
La Hacienda is a great option for authentic Mexican food that also wont break the bank. As long as the food continues to be good, I will always come back.
FYI – On the website they feature a lunch menu with lunch combos for 8 bucks….but this menu wasn't offered to us yesterday when we came in for lunch. Whats up with that? There are no time slots listed on the menu either in regards to when lunch starts and ends…..and we were there at 2PM, which is definitely a lunch hour. Hmm……??
Raise your hand if you remember when this used to be like a Long John Silvers (or the like) and a couple other dining establishments before it was this. Congratulations you remember Paterson in the 80s/90s! My friend suggested we come here and I figured hey why not. We got here around 6:30-7 on a Sunday and it was packed. We put our name in and got one of those little buzzer things and found a place to stand near the bar. I had a margarita-I was very interested in the Bulldog drink (I think its called) which is two different Margarita flavors WITH a 7oz Corona turned upside down in it. Will investigate that another time. We didn't wait that long for a table and were seated at one of the booths along the wall. We had the empanada appetizer. My friend got the chilies rellanos and I had enchiladas. Everything was tasty and that is why you should come here because the food tastes good and the atmosphere is pretty fun. Make sure you bring some dollars because on the weekend they have a mariachi band so we were treated to Oy E Como Va. ( I took French in high school I know its spelled wrong)
Let me just say I came here to try the skirt steak and I wasn't disappointed. The place itself is small and nothing to write home about, but it was packed. We came on a Sunday night and had to wait about 20 minutes. So what better way to wait- get some margaritas. I got the peach frozen margaritas! They were really really good. They don't taste strong, but I definitely felt a little something after two of them.
The skirt steak was quite tasty!!! I would definitely order that again here. Doesn't come with any sides but I didn't really need any. Salsa and chips are of course given in the beginning. When we were done, we can tell that they needed to the table b/c there were people waiting – so don't expect to come and just eat and relax. You are probably going to have to leave soon after eating b/c of the size of the place and when theres a wait
Really great place with awesome food, wonderful (& strong, I might add) drinks, lovingly prepared and served. Food-wise, they're great. I wouldn't put them in the same league as my fav Mex place, El Matador but they're a hell of a lot closer to me so I'm there quite often. Worth mentioning is that it looks like they've brought back Gabriela who I hadn't seen there in years. Such a sweetheart.
This is an extremely busy place that's crowded just about every hour they're open. Go on a Friday or Saturday night and you're going to wait a while to be seated. They do have a relatively new outside seating area but I'm not a big fan of eating in what's basically an open parking lot with a view of Route 20 and car exhaust to match. On a warm night, I think sitting out there would be excruciating.
Chips, salsa and food is consistently good with large portions at prices that are more than fair. And okay, while I consider myself somewhat of a purist, I can't really resist their fried ice cream which, unless I'm literally ready to explode, I generally order. Their carne asada, smothered in cheese and refried beans is epic, especially when ordered medium-well. Drinks are delicious and quite potent so restraint should be foremost on your mind, especially when you're the one doing the driving.
This place has been a local favorite of mine since they opened. And if my written testimony isn't enough for you, the plethora of Hispanic people who jam the place on a nightly basis might just be enough to convince you. If you're skeptical or just want to enjoy a great night out, I recommend you hit them up. Just make sure you have some small bills for the Mariachi and do order the fried ice cream for dessert. Yum.