A popular, casual Mexican restaurant offering generous portions, lively decor, strong value, and generally friendly service, with occasional food-quality and wait-time lapses.
Old Mexico delivers strong food quality with flavorful, freshly prepared Tex-Mex staples and generous portions at moderate prices. Friendly, fast table service and a themed interior that regulars praise round out a dependable casual visit. Inconsistency in tacos and vegetables, plus occasional slow shifts, keeps it just short of the very top tier.
Old Mexico is a cheerful, casual Southside Ithaca stop with colorful decor, table service, complimentary chips and salsa, and a practical parking lot. The dominant impression is welcoming and energetic rather than formal: diners describe quick, friendly servers, hot plates, and generous portions, while one memorable complaint likened the room to a freezer. In short, expect a lively neighborhood restaurant that is easy to enter and hard to leave hungry. The cooking is classic Mexican and Tex-Mex rather than experimental, with sizzling fajitas, stuffed quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, seafood plates, and combination platters doing the heavy lifting. Fajitas, quesadillas, chips, salsa, and margaritas are recurring favorites, and the menu provides good breadth at moderate prices. A small but meaningful minority reports inconsistent execution, including thin steak, dry carnitas, soggy salads, cold nachos, or unusually long waits, so the experience can depend on the shift. Families should find plenty to work with: the menu includes familiar tacos, quesadillas, burritos, rice-and-beans plates, chicken fajitas, a burger, and large shareable platters. Reviews specifically mention children enjoying burritos and families taking leftovers home. However, diners managing serious allergies should confirm ingredients and cross-contact directly, because takeout and dietary-restriction experiences are mixed, and one review questioned step-free access.
Area vibe: College-town with vibrant dining and a mix of campus and downtown commerce.
Safety: Generally safe by day; quiet residential streets with low crime but exercise normal caution at night.
What's nearby: Near Cornell University, Cascadilla Gorge, small shopping strips and local eateries; accessible by local roads and buses.
The safest bets range from sizzling Fajitas Texanas to shareable Parrilla For Two, with seafood and margaritas also worth considering.
Expect a relaxed neighborhood meal with generous portions, but budget for possible delays, extra chip charges, and a less predictable takeout experience.
The atmosphere is colorful and lively rather than formal, with a family-friendly energy that can come with temperature and wait-time caveats.