Went a couple of weeks ago and was unimpressed with the lack of customer Service skills, the over priced food!
My fussy daughter is very particular and asked for no tomatoes or onions, which when it was served had them both. When I brought this up with the owner he looked at me as if I had grown another head!! I had to basically twist his arm to make him acknowledge the fact, his first response was all Italian and Mexican have tomatoes and onion, which I was aware of. BUT she would of got the nachos or something without. Price was $63 for us both and was not worth it at all. Will not go back to this place. Customer service is certainly a good place to start for this place and can usually resolve most unhappy customers. FAIL.

After reading some of the higher rated comments, I find it hard to believe that it is still the same restaurant I visited last weekend.

We made a phone reservation for a group of 10 and were greeted by a very sour-faced owner who really didn’t seem like he wanted us there at all (this is despite over half of the restaurant appearing empty).

After waiting for everyone to arrive, we were served by a young and friendly gentleman (presumably the owners relative) and promptly ordered our entrees which, for our smaller group of 5, consisted of a tasting dish and guacamole that were both incredibly spicy. I can normally handle hotter foods and particularly enjoy it but could not believe how hot it was. Verdict so far? A bit of a disappointment.

A further 20 or 30 minutes later, the waiter then came back and took our drink and main orders. The slow service mounted and over an hour and thirty minutes after first arriving, our mains were eventually served. I ordered fajitas but requested that it be very mild. However, as someone else had also ordered a spicy serving of fajitas, he was accidentally served my order and had already began eating it – I wouldn’t have mind swapping at this point however the waiter took the spicier fajitas straight away and made me a “new lot”.

Yet another uncomfortable 20 minutes later, he came and gave me my burnt food. And at this point, everyone else had almost already finished their food. The taste? In all honesty, it seemed like they had just recooked the same meal and both looked and tasted burnt.

And the drinks? Oh, the drinks! I thought fast food chains were bad with the amount of ice they put in their drinks but there is simply no comparison. I tried one of their non-alcoholic drinks and was shocked that I was charged $7 for something that was so watered down by the vast amount of ice that I simply could not finish.

The cost? In total it was just under $50. This included one non-alcoholic drink, 1 beer, fajitas and 1/5th of the tasting dish. This would be about standard for a meal these days but for something so underwhelming, I felt quite offended.

The end result: we ended up spending over 3 hours in total at the restaurant and felt extremely rushed to get out – several different waiters and waitresses would constantly come over and ask if we were O.K. or if we wanted to order something else (by constant, I mean every 2-3 minutes!). If it wasn’t for the friendly service received by both the first waiter and the man who collected our bill, the rating would have been lower. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone and would instead advise that if you are looking for a decent Mexican meal, try the Flying Burrito Brothers in central Wellington.

Food was distinctly average and I wish now that I had cooked my own and held this birthday celebration at home. They tried to charge me $20-00 “cakeage” ($4-00) per person for eating a birthday cake that I had brought along for the celebration. This was despite us consuming lots of their beer and wine!!! I notice from other postings that in July they wanted to charge another party $2-00 per head for the same reason – has inflation doubled in 1 month? Waitresses were friendly and the service was good. What a pity the arrogant manager and his minnion were more interested in profit than good will. I don’t think this retaurant will survive in Lower Hutt in the medium to long term. There are much better and more spirited alternatives in Petone. I will be advising my friends, family and work colleagues against going here – thanks to the manager for my making my friends birthday celebration one to forget.

We dined at this restaurant tonight, fabulous service, fabulous dinners, a little more spicy than im used to but managed to eat it all, wonderful experience and nice to have a waiter with a sense of humour, reasonably priced, 2 drinks 2 mains 1 dessert, 25% off voucher, $60 impressive, will definately dine again. cheers guys.

As someone who is generally a huge fan of Mexican food, I was extremely disappointed by my experience at Las Margaritas. For a group of students, it was a very pricey restaurant and we ended up having to skip the entrées and get straight to the mains.

I ordered two enchiladas and frankly, I can make tastier enchiladas at home. It was extremely salty, the accompaniments had no real flavour, and it was spicy enough to have us continually reaching for our water glasses even though we all ordered mild.

On that note, service was quite poor too as we often saw the waiters come into the room, have a look around and leave even though we were signalling to him that we would like some assistance. There was at least 15 minutes where our plates were empty and nobody had come around to bring over another bottle of water (even though we asked twice), clear our plates or offer us a dessert menu. The owner came across as quite arrogant and a number of us were a bit nervous to even ask him for anything when he passed by as he didn’t respond well the first time.

Additionally, we were there celebrating a friend’s 21st birthday and had a cake specially baked for the occasion. When we called to ask if we could bring this along we were informed that they would be charging us $2 a head for a cake that we had brought ourselves. Now, I understand they may have to wash cutlery and miss out on dessert orderings but if I’m paying $2 for my own cake, I would expect the waiter to at least bring a knife for us to cut the cake with. After an awkward silence and a debate about the merits of cutting cake with a spoon, we asked the waiter for a knife only to see him go straight to another table and take his time clearing it of the two plates on it even though there were plenty of other tables free at the time.

On a side note, there was a table next to us where another diner was having a birthday and the owner presented him with a free drink yet my friend who was also celebrating a birthday was blatantly ignored by the owner, even while we sang happy birthday for her.

Overall, a very disappointing restaurant experience and definitely not a place I’ll be going to again in a hurry.

I had seen these guys at the city market, and thought it looked like a fun gig.
We really enjoyed the food, but agree with other comments that it is a little pricey. The service was ok, but was a little slow.
I would recommend for a group looking for a fun but casual evening out.

was a good night. food was SUPER yum!! nice and hot and tasty. service was a little slow but was worth the wait. =)

OK we live in wellington and we love going out for dinner. Me my kids and my partner dine in at Las margaritas a couple of weeks ago for my daughters 7th birthday and we had a very good time even the Samoan Mexican of the place made our night. He sure knows how to make you feel welcomed and even knows how to make kids feel special. Thanks for the birthday non alcohol margarita. So we just told all my friends how nice everything was, the food and the service especially. The drinks well I don’t know but, they don’t even taste like they have any alcohol in them. So because of that night we decided to go back with our friends. This time the food was great but service was shocking it was slow and the guy in the bar look more into standing around then asking us for some drinks, even my friends thought the drinks had no alcohol in them. We don’t know if they got rid of the Samoan Mexican guy, but they sure need him back. If you want the best Mexican food in town go to Las Margaritas hopefully the service and the drinks will be good as well.

Was looking forward to my night out and having mexican food and drinking margaritas. I was a little dissapointed with the food there was very little flavour just heat. For the drinks, the group I was with ordered the Margaritas and we tried every flavour plus repeats. They were very tasty and for the amount I drank I should of been off my face so I can only assume they were watered down. This left me pretty deflated the next day and not inclined to dine there again. So glad it wasn’t me who had to paye the bill as we definately didn’t get our moneys worth.

Visited on the Friday just been. Ordered large mixed enchiladas and fajitas. Epic! Great service, faultless fresh food, and the atmosphere was really nice … and with our two mains, virgin mule, and two beers our entertainment gold card bought it down to $50.

The food was amazing and honestly the best Mexican in Wellington. I do agree with other comments – it is expensive.

A welcome surprise was the high service level of the staff. The restaurant was quiet but the staff were attentive without being pushy.

I travel often and usually only get such friendly and polite service in countries like USA and Canada were tipping is important to salaries.

Good thing I got my burrito from my favorite Mexican taqueria before I moved to NZ. A humongous carne asada burrito with beans and rice, about as thick as my upper arm, cost me only US$8. And, it came with all-you-can-eat free salsa and chips.

My partner and I spent NZ$72.50 on 2 margaritas (couldn’t taste the tequila in this drink AT ALL), 1 beer, a beef quesadilla and 1 chicken enchilada with black beans and rice. We also split some tortillas with salsa and guacamole with our group.

Although the Mexican food at Las Margaritas is decent and authentic, I am extremely surprised by the amount of money we spent on the food.

Being a native Californian, our Mexican food is fresh, cheap, delicious and arrives in a flash. Our food came out extremely slow, and one person in our party had to send her plate back because it was too spicy (even though she requested mild).

Not a completely bad experience, but not an outstanding one either. I’d go back if someone else was paying for the meal.

We had a late night dinner at Las Margaritas after an evening of shopping in the area. We were warmly greeted and the service throughout our meal was very friendly, even though there was a considerable wait before being seated while our table was wiped down and set. Although the restaurant was not particularly busy, there were other couples also waiting at the bar for tables to be cleared from previous diners before being seated. We ordered the flour quesadilla and beef fajita. Both meals were adequate, albeit not particularly tasty and rather over priced for what you get. The decor looks very tired and shabby and I shudder to think what it would be like in the bar area if it rained. Probably not somewhere I would dine at again but those with a taste for margaritas would be well catered for.

Food was bland, and was disappointed with the margaritas as well.

The owner, while friendly, comes across a little arrogant. Being a fussy, specific eater, I wanted to change up the meal a bit – remove the guacamole etc – and he acted all offended when I asked to do this. I found it kind of awkward.

I would hate to have visited this restaurant if I had allergies, was dairy intolerant or a vegeterian. After placing my order he came back with a plate of one tortilla and said “here, just have this” as a joke. Very rude.

Make a trip into Wellington to the Flying Burrito Brothers instead. This is the Hutt Valley’s most overrated restaurant.

Tasty food even if a tad overpriced, but well presented and a nice atmosphere.

Went to Las Margaritas on Saturday night and i have to say that “it was the best time we’ve ever had in a restaurant”…The food was perfect same as the margaritas and front house guy was very friendly and polite and he surely made our night a great night….thank you guys for having us and we will highly recommend to go to Las Margaritas for dinner and great time to remember…thanks to T-Jay and his team for the great time.Will see you guys again.

Folks, I can tell you this is the Best Mexican Food in Wellington! The people are friendly, the services is great, the restaurant has a nice festive feel and every time I’ve been there, they’ve had live Mexican Musicians playing. Don’t miss it folks!

Went to Las Margaritas for a work function. Outstanding food, drink and service. The team really turned it on.

Try something different with the ‘chilli beer’. INTERESTING.

My husband and I went to Las Margaritas for the first time recently. My husband loves Mexican food so I suggested trying the new Mexican restaurant in Lower Hutt. We were impressed with the food – the best Mexican food we’ve had in NZ. We had taco chips (home made) with dips as a starter. There were 3 dips – a mild, medium and hot. All 3 were good. Our mains were delicious – a good mix of hot and mild, lovely fresh flavours. The owner was a bona fide Mexican who came round each table to ask how their meals were which is something you rarely get. To finish we ordered the caramel crepes which we shared – they were so yummy we wished we’d ordered one each! All in all a good night out, delicious food, relaxed atmosphere and definitely a place we will eat out at often!

I’ve been to Las Margaritas twice now, both for birthday celebrations. At first upon hearing about it, I was skeptical, but after experiencing it I would go back anytime. The food is brilliant, although it’s authentic Mexican, so if you want spicy food, it’s not going to be as spicy as the common adaptation.

At first, I’d see the prices and think they were a bit much, but after paying them, I’d have to say I was more than satisfied.

The best part of all is the atmosphere, whether I’m there when it’s busy, or if there’s no crowd at all, I can’t help but smile. The atmosphere is great, the host is a terrific man, I can definitely say I’d be confident taking my next girlfriend out on a date there, any day.

Margaritas are terrific bar none. I highly recommend their Midori Margarita.

Whether you’re impressing someone, or celebrating with friends/family, this is definitely a place to check out!

Hi. Tried this week and fully enjoyed myself. My partner and I love to eat out when we can, and enjoy trying different restaurants.
Las Margaritas had a lovely atmosphere, and reasonable prices. We had the ceviche entree between us, and I am glad we did, as I would certainly have been full from just that if I’d had to eat it alone. We had fajitas, and enchiladas for mains and really enjoyed them. the service was excellent, and we agreed that we would have to go again, esp. since i didn’t have room to be able to taste a dessert! Thank you Las Margaritas!

I have to say that we were very disappointed, as we had read some other reviews and love Mexican food. The food was terrible, the marguertia wasn’t great, and the guitar players were virtually standing on top of us. The tamale tasted and had the consistency of window putty. I definitely wouldn’t go back.

I am only giving my opinion based on one, being from South Texas and raised 5 hours from the border on Mexican food. Most of my friends were Mexican growing up and I am not too shabby on my Spanish. I have had REAL Mexican food cooked by REAL Mexicans in their homes. Secondly, I have worked in a number of Mexican food restaurants as a cook & a waiter. I also regularly cook Mexican food at my home for myself and friends. (I even make my own tortillas!)

Firstly, I have to admit that this cuisine is more of an authentic Mexican recipe than Tex-Mex (the name for the Mexican food you get in the US). We were very excited to experience this kind of food again in a restaurant setting and were pretty chuffed to find a place like this in New Zealand.

Drinks – I actually make better margaritas. We thought his margaritas were a bit lacking in flavour and watered down. Easy recipe…2 parts Tequila to 1 part triple sec and Charlie’s Limeade. Salt the rim of the glass. In spite of them having a full bar, my partner and our friend wanted Mojitos (a popular Cuban drink) and they said no way. When my partner said well, then I will have a Pina Colada (a Puerto Rican drink), he (the owner) said that the only true Mexican drink was a margarita!

Dinner – In all honesty, it was a bit overpriced for what you got. I had the enchiladas ($28) and they each had the beef and chicken fajitas ($25). We wouldn’t have minded it if he wasn’t so stingy with things like (1) tortilla for a $25 plate of fajitas and I have never payed more for enchiladas than fajitas in my life! The 3 of us spent $130.00 in total. We liked the chips and salsa. Their salsas are great and are real salsas, not pico de gallo like other restaurants in New Zealand. Too bad it wasn’t complementary as in most Mexican food places I have been to and worked in. (It was $9.00 here and we had to ask for a refill of just chips and we were charged another $9!).

Positively speaking and giving kudos to the owner, the flavours were nice and well done, but they didn’t compensate for the price.

The strangest part of the night was when he (the owner) came around to ask us how the meal was, we honestly tried to tell him what we thought and he wanted no part of it. He then repeated thats that his food was excellente’ and he made us repeat that his food was excellente’! It is too bad, he (the owner) is making a killing with the prices that he charges. We all agreed that he would do much better to make his prices a bit more reasonable.

I guess knowing that this is one of the cheapest kinds of food to prepare & knowing what it costs in the US and even Mexico, made us all feel a bit ripped off.

This is by far the best Mexican restaurant in the Wellington area. Beats out Flying Burrito Bros, Mexican Cafe and Viva Mexico by a mile. My wife grew up in Texas, and I’ve spent over a decade in the US/Mexico border states, and we were very happy with the food here. Their salsas are great and are real salsas, not pico de gallo like other restaurants in Welly. If you want spicy food, you just ask for it. The chicken enchilada has great flavor. The beef fajitas could use more tortillas but was very tasty as well. We prefer margaritas on the rocks, but their frozen ones hit the spot. Most of the seating area is actually a zip-tented patio, so if it gets cold have them turn up the heaters. The staff and owner are very friendly and accommodating. You really couldn’t ask for more authentic mexican food here in NZ, especially considering your alternatives.

Wow what a find! The atmosphere was wonderful – and the food was very authentic and absolutely delicious! I tried new things and the staff were great at explaining what everything meant and what to expect! They had one of my favourite Martinborough wines as well – which was a bonus. I am already planning to return with my adult children when they visit New Zealand in 2010 but I won’t be waiting until then to go back!

Pretty Average!! Seated in the inside area at a cramped cold table, asked to be moved to empty table nearby but was told we couldn’t. No salads or carb free options on the very limited menu. After just returning from the states and practically living off mexican, was some what disappointed. My partner stopped at McDs on the way home. On a positive note staff are extremely friendly and the margaritas are good!!! Although they don’t have the option of purchasing margarita in a pitcher so drinks bill was rather pricey. Maybe good restaurant for a big group but i do not recommend for a couple or date night.

We had a staff dinner for seven at Las margaritas last night. From the start the staff were really friendly and chatty and were obviously enjoying being there. Don’t know if we were just lucky or not but all the staff were Mexican so it added to the feeling that we were in for something authentic.

Margaritas were excellent; strong and full of flavour. Mexican beers included good old Corona but they also had an XX which was even better.

We started with two entree taster platters which probably was enough for some of the smaller eaters amongst us. Fresh salads and great guacamole! The mains were great portions and flavour plus!

Over did it by ordering dessert – sounds odd but the cheese and custard flan with a raspberry sauce was perfect.

Mexican music, accents, food and drinks – we’ll be back for sure.

Just had a wonderful lunch here. The food was great, the service was friendly and we had a lovely time. By far the best Mexican we have had in NZ.

Would recommend, we will definitely go again. Had great meal last night, good that you can choose the size of the mains, depending on your appetite, the deserts were also great.
Nice to have live band while at dinner, staff couldnt be faulted.

Completely agree with Debbi. Very disappointed. This place was always so busy and people have said great things (completely over-rated). We tried to go here about a month ago and it was booked out so we expected it to be good. Honestly, don’t go here if you’re really hungry. We went here for a family meal (6 of us) and we were all disappointed with our meals. They were tasteless. Not spicy at all. Even the ones we specifically asked to be spicy. We used our leftover sauce from our entree on our meals to make them tasty. Tortillas (plural on the menu)came with only one tortilla. I had the burrito which was filled mostly with rice and a few beans and bits of chicken. The enchilada looked like a soggy sausage roll. To top it off, after we had paid they were like “oops we forgot to charge you for one of the wines” which we then had to make another transaction for. The waitress tried extra hard to please which was nice of her but ended up being a bit annoying. The interior was cosy, looked like a great place to have a drink in summer.