Grab a pinata and tacos at Mario’s Tacos. You will not be disappointed by the excellent service and authentic food selections prepared fresh and to order. If you love Anita’s Mexican Restaurant, then you will love Mario’s Tacos too.
Across From Your Doctor’s Office
Mario’s Tacos is located on the corner of 5th Street and South Memorial Drive in Greenville. This area is on the rougher part of town but that is how you know the food is going to be great. The corner stop is well traveled and easy to find to boot.
Mario’s Tacos is just down the road from one of my other favorites in Greenville, Anita’s Mexican Restaurant. If this area was less rough, students and faculty from the ECU Health Science Campus would be lining up for lunch all the time.
Parking is limited here with less than 20 spaces. It is a little odd but I recommend parking in front of the “C.L LUPTON” side. The main entrance for the convenience store side is easily accessible to this parking area and has access to the restaurant also. Otherwise, you will have to walk around the side of the building.
The exterior will have you guessing if you are in the right location. We were confused as to where the main entrance was when we first came. Do be careful if you have mobility issues. You will have to enter through side of the building below the “Mario’s Tacos” sign.
Tough But Doused in Authenticity
I have driven by this building probably hundreds of times and never fully realized that there was a restaurant inside. The exterior seems to indicate both a convenience store and potentially a contracting firm of some kind in it. Because of the budget nature of this restaurant, they just never fully underwent renovations of the exterior like you might expect from a nicer establishment. Not a problem for us.
I find the ambiance very similar to that of Anita’s Mexican restaurant just down the street but there is much more traffic in the area around Mario’s. One key difference is the partial convenience store attached to the restaurant. You can find a fair number of Latin varietals for sale here. The checkout counter was NOT manned in the convenience portion of the store when we visited. It kind of seems like it’s a add-on or a second thought. Not sure which one came first though.
The seating area is very colorful but looks a little aged. There was a rather large hole in the cushion of the chair I ended up sitting on but that was my fault for not looking before I sat down. We found the staff very friendly and snappy even during the lunch rush. There was only 2-3 people working the whole store and they stayed on top of every detail without missing a beat. True professionals to say the least
The Grub!
Mario’s Tacos offers a fair arrangement of traditional Mexican lunch and dinner foods. The atmosphere is more akin to fast casual lunch dining. Most of the foods you’ll find on their menu are rather hardy and quite delicious. Kaitlyn and I came here seeking the next greatest taco/burrito in Greenville. We ended up trying their Tortas and Quesadilla and were not disappointed.
Kaitlyn had a craving for a loaded quesadilla. They absolutely came through for her. She compared it to one of her favorite quesadillas from back in Chapel Hill. I found the Torta to be pretty solid.
We did find it a bit funny that they taped pieces of paper onto the TV screens to show the price updates. When looking at their menu, I was a little turned off by the fact that they included grilled peppers in there burrito. There was a fairly large lunch crowd for a Monday which speaks to their breadth of Mario’s appeal.
Latin Convenience
One of my favorite parts of Mario’s Tacos is the attached convenience store with all kinds of Latin favorites. I have been having a hard time finding Valentina hot sauce for several months at the local grocery stores and came here to find the entire Pitt County supply on one shelf.
There are other authentic ingredients and other miscellaneous items you might be looking for like pinatas.
Overall
Mario’s Tacos offers great authentic Mexican food at a fair price in a rough looking building. The service and food will keep me coming back just like Anita’s Mexican Restaurant. Unlike Anita’s, Mario’s Tacos is open for lunch and dinner on weekends. I highly recommend checking it out .
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