Acapulco Joe’s

Been consistent since I was a little kid. If you come here please please understand what u r eating and that this place is a part of Indianapolis history. Perfect the way you are Joe’s. I actually expect you to never change. Salsa has been EXACTLY THE SAME FOR 30 YEARS AND ITS AMAZING. Get off of ur high horse and try to be good with good.

I’ve worked right down the street from this restaurant for the last 4 years. The smells coming from this place in the morning are intoxicating!!! I just knew that once I stopped in for eats that I would be blown away! Well, I wasn’t. A co-​worker & I phoned in an order & walked down to pick it up. The service was friendly & fast but the food LACKS.
I ordered a taco salad. Can’t really screw that up, right? Wrong. Acapulco Joe’s serves up some kinda meat paste layered scantily with cheese & lettuce in a fried tortilla bowl… with one slice each of pickled beet & red onion. What?!? I really wished I’d have looked at my order before I left because I would’ve requested a refund. This place has managed to stick around for years from what I’ve heard locals say (I’m originally from Chicago)…but I just don’t get it. The food is bland, it lacks that authentic Mexican «sabor» & is not pleasing to the eye. The salsa was weirdly sweet & there’s some kind of syrup-​y (if that’s a word) liquid they serve on the side of the salad. What purpose it serves, I could not explain.
I’m sorry to say but this place will never see a dime of mine again. It was just a huge disappointment.

Another review says where to begin… I couldn’t agree more. I would be hard pressed to think of a time I’ve had a worse meal. I got the queso first and it was disgusting to put it mildly. Extremely greasy and nothing like any queso I have ever had. In addition the service was SOOOOO slow. The saddest thing about this place is that there are so many other good Mexican restaurants in and around downtown. Seriously, save your money and go to Taco Bell instead of this place — I promise it’s better.

Great place for lunch! Working downtown makes a quick trip to Acapulco Joe’s a good choice. It’s not fancy, which can be a drawback for some but that’s how I like my Mexican food.
It’s the closest I’ve found in Indy to the hole-​in-​the-​wall Mexican restaurants I’m used to in California. My food recommendation is limited to the crisp tacos — I can’t get anything else!
They come loaded with cheese, lettuce and your choice of meat. With three of them, you’re sure to be stuffed.

Where to begin.
I met up with a friend and his family today, 4÷16÷16 at Joe’s after they completed the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. The restaurant was busy, but not incredibly so. They only had what appeared to be 2 – 3 people on wait staff to serve the restaurant full of customers. When the server eventually got around to getting our drink and food orders, only one of our group got a straw, and it was very difficult to get her attention to have her bring us more, almost like she was trying not to look at our table.
Then the wait begins… over an hour. I sit drinking my water, chiseling the old dried-​on food off the «clean» silverware that was brought. Our group sits and waits, and waits, and waits. No stops for apology that our food is taking so long. You can pretty much fill up on the unimpressive, cold bagged tortilla chips and salsa. We nearly had to physically grab the server to get her attention to bring refills. I was about to get up and walk out when people who arrived AFTER us started getting their food BEFORE us, but then they started bringing out our food (after almost 1 ½ hours) with no real explanation on why we had to wait.
Now to the «food». I ordered the Mis Tres Amigos, which includes a taco and two enchiladas. The quality of the food wouldn’t stand up to the worst quality high school cafeteria Mexican selection. It was absolutely awful, the 3 or 4 bites of it that I could eat. Mexican should be flavorful, but my food was BLAND. And the «beef» definitely wasn’t fresh. The taste and consistency was something akin to pressed, mashed canned beans with beef flavor added, and it wasn’t particularly warm.
I used to come to to Acapulco Joe’s all the time when I was a kid, when Joe himself was still around. What the restaurant has become today is an embarassment to his legacy, and it needs to be sold to someone who can manage the place properly, or close altogether. Alas, all good things must come to an end as it certainly has at AJ’s. At least after speaking with the manager, I didn’t have to pay for the couple bites I had. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere… anywhere…seriously.

Right across the street from my Airbnb. Swung in immediately after checking in.
Tacos: plain but filling and large
Margarita: tasty and just right, but nothing exceptional (don’t get the top shelf — it’s not worth the cost)
Chili con queso and chips: addicting AF
I’m a man who loves his melted cheese. They lack the typical white cheese queso dip you get from Mexican restaurants. This is a mix of cheeses with a mix of chili. And it is delicious. Be warned, the small is large (and pricey) and may be appropriate for two people … Though you’ll be fighting over the final bites.
My three soft tacos… Meh. They get the job done but I question the seasoning choices. It’s… Weak.
The salsa on the table are delicious. Add them to anything any everything. And why has no one else thought of salsa out of a squeeze bottle? Brilliant!
Came in the middle of the afternoon so it was slow — only one waitress — but she was attentive and funny and sweet.
Overall, if I lived or worked here I’d be in trouble. But… Definitely a highly adequate first meal in Indy :-).

ACAPULCO JOES!!!
Is this what the food tastes like in Acapulco??? Because if so, I need to order a passport last year !!! Man, I was born and raised in Indpls, so I have long seen this place over the years growing up. I remember as a kid, it looked secluded. Even though it sits on a main street that can get pretty backed up w/​traffic, it still has a mystique to it. Growing up, that mystique was always intriguing to me. I wondered what in the world was behind those windows that I couldn’t see through!!! What was the quality of the food and how did the interior look? And most of all, why weren’t we stopping in to find out ???
And that’s where adulting turns fun ! I’ve now been to this place that I wondered about so much, more than a handful of times. My first trip here was a few years back when I came for a meeting w/​some friends. I was surprised at the inside but I don’t know what I expected. It’s a very open, airy feel inside. There are tables and there are booths but there is no privacy. The lighting is dim but even in it’s dimness with all the open air, it still have a very bright feel, which is surprising considering from the outside, it looks as though it’s lit up by a disco ball only. The mystique that I had growing up was quickly answered when I walked in. The tables and chairs aren’t something to be marveled at and the kitchen with the swing out doors is nostalgic. I would say they could use a renovation but truthfully, I like it the way it is. I like that it’s open and nostalgic and that the chips and salsa are GREAT !!!
On to the food: I’ve only ordered the same thing every time I’ve been although as I stated the chips and salsa are pretty good. It’s easy to go wrong with that. I know at first glance you think ‘who can’t get chips n salsa right but I assure you the answer is anyone!!! I’ve had bad chips, worse salsa and poor memories from dining choices before. That is not the case here at Acapulco Joes ! The salsa was the perfect blend of sweet and heat, and the water I ordered didn’t taste like the dipped my cup in a toilet (have you ever ordered water only to drink a tall glass of regrets??). Now about these entrees. …
My date ordered some type of chimichango styled fried ball of spicy beef that came w/​a cup of cheese queso, which had a spicy kick to it as well. I am a spice fan so it didn’t bother me at all. The «Joe’s Famous» Chili Rellenos (they also come in an order of 3) are a decent size deep fried ball of taco heaven. Bigger than the average meatball for sure and about 2 or 3 of them could fill me up easily. The spice made me go through my water a little fast but our waitress was pretty awesome. She kept up refilled without asking and she took good care of us for our short visit (we were on a time crunch). The balls were huge (well this isn’t awkward) and needed to be eaten w/​a knife and fork!!! Color me pleased in the stomach!!!
I ordered the nachos, which I have never had nachos come like this. It’s what I always order when I come here although I keep trying to suggest to myself that I try something different next time. The nachos come in orders of 3 or 6 and I remember the first time I came, I had no idea what to expect because of that way of ordering. No one orders three nachos… do they?
Well the answer is yes if you are at Acapulco Joe’s!!! These nachos come on half taco shells, so each half is considered a nacho. They a bit smaller than the typical taco shells but definitely way larger than a chip. You can pick them up by hand and bite into them and sit them back down while you allow your tastebuds to canoodle with the contents. As you may see from the picture I took, the nachos are COVERED in cheese. I mean COVERED !!! When they come out, they are all touching each other because of the cheese. THATS how nachos are supposed to be. CHEESY. I abhor ordering nachos and the server brings me a plate full of chips with a half slice of Kraft melted over a family size bag of tortilla chips. Beneath the cheese is nothing but meat. Refried beans perhaps and taco meat, perfectly seasoned without the heat of the Chili Rellenos and I’m not sure if they mixed up some peppers or something else in there as you can’t see beneath the cheese. BUT BOY IS IT DELICIOUS!!!
I want some right now.
Seriously,
I am going to dinner this evening and I really wish I had suggested Acapulco Joe’s. I’m feeling my face sadden as I accept that was not my suggestion and I will have to wait to get more of these tacos. I love them so much. I’ve called in and odered some for home, went and picked them up and had a chill session-​Saturday with self and nachos and water !!! I would suggest a visit to anyone with curiousity of a child or anyone with the hunger of a

I just had dinner here, there were 3 of us total. We were greeted and seated immediately. Our server Kirsten was very nice and gave us great service. The food was great as well and I would definitely come back here again! From the time we got out of our car until we were back in our car was 40 minutes.

My coworkers love to go to Joe’s for Taco Tuesday ($ 2 tacos, 3/​$ 5). I ocassionally, reluctantly go with them. I have never liked this place, however they have improved their food quality in the last year or so. They have changed the way they season their meat, which is better than before. You also get large portions of food for a great price. However, I would only classify their food as so-​so. I have definitely had better mexican. They also have a small gringo menu.
All the staff are super friendly. If you’re a regular, they remember you and stop by the table to say hello.

Had a nice pretty typical Mexican meal with American influence. ‘Sam’antha, our server was terrific. We selected the vegie Mexican pizza — extravagantly sumptuous. We also each selected a fajita dinner (hey, it was restaurant week) — one beef and one chicken. ‘Sam’ thoughtfully separated our hot sides of beans and rice on one plate from our cold sides of lettuce, tomatoes and guacamole on another. Easily twice as much as we could eat but they made GR888888!!! leftovers. Did I forget to mention our shared and ungodly decadent fried ice cream dessert? Okay, not ur low-​cal meal, but intensely, immensely satisfying. I’m soooo glad Joe mistakenly landed in Indy instead of Minney (applz iz applz, right?). Place is aged and dated but continues to serve up top quality Indy-​Mex.

Awful … Sam (Server) saved the day … she was terrific … she gets the two stars … otherwise, not good.

I have been a patron of Acapulco Joe’s since 1983. Until recently (last couple of years) Joe’s has been a paragon of consistent tasty quality. Apparently, there was a change in ownership within the last couple of years, and I have found my dining experience to be wildly inconsistent. I went there for lunch on 12−17−15, and there was obviously a major problem… It was only 25% filled, and yet it took FOREVER for someone to take my order. I ordered the Mi Tre Amigos, which I have been ordering for decades. It took FOREVER for this very simple dish to come out.
My waitress, Sandy, who has also been there for decades (she is a doll), did not say her usual statement about being careful of the very hot plate. There was a good reason for that — the plate was barely warm. The crispy taco, beef enchilada, and soft taco tasted oddly burned… It didn’t look burned, but it tasted as though it was. & when I inquired about what was wrong with the cold plate and very slow service, I was told that there was a «new system» in place… If this «new system» remains in place, I will never return again. For the first time ever, I did not finish my meal, which I usually inhale… And I was hungry!
The last time I ate here was about a month ago, and it was great! But Acapulco Joe’s has sadly returned to being a one or two star restaurant. On the positive side, my chips and salsa were quite excellent. The chips and salsa were better than ever! I returned my barely lukewarm plate, and my waitress apologized and brought back and equally lukewarm plate with equally burned tasting food. She was so nice and apologetic, but I just did not have the heart to tell her what crap she was serving. I overtopped her as if to say goodbye after many years… Kind of sad. They played «God bless America» by Kate Smith while I was there, and it made me sad to think how the restaurant that I have loved for decades has been ruined by new ownership, and yet still retain the trappings of old.
There were plenty of customers rolling in as I sat at my table… I just wonder how long they will retain such loyalty?
It’s going to be a very long time before I give Acapulco Joe’s another chance…, If ever

Food is so so.
I did get a chance to meet & talk with Grant, the owner, when we were in & he was quite a Jerk.
Will never eat here again,

The food was awesome here, portion size was big, the amount of cheese on my 3 soft tacos was quite nice, salsa was excellent.
Unfortunately one of the employees quit the night we were there and only one employee was working tables, I will give her credit for taking care of everyone as best she could.
The price was average, well worth it. Definitely recommend this place if you want some good Mexican food

I used to LOVE this place, but it’s been about a year or more since my last visit. I shouldn’t have returned. What the heck happened in the kitchen? The food is completely different! Even the salsa for the chips tastes different.
Tonight, I got my standard chimichanga. It was massively disappointing. The flavor is all wrong. Tasted like a lot of tomato in the meat sauce. Almost like eating a bowl of chili. Nope! That’s not how a chimichanga should taste! It was also a little too spicy for my sensitive taste buds. My friend said her food tasted weird too.
It wasn’t inedible, but not the food I remember. This was go-​to location for Mexican food in downtown Indy. Something has changed though, and we won’t be returning.

I had just been hiking in turkey run. Hungover from the night before and I found myself seeking sustenance. My friends had suggested Acapulco Joe’s. Now, I love Mexican food and at this point I was game for anything. I hadn’t eaten all day and after a long hike food was well needed.
We arrived to a warm welcome. All of our bellies empty and emotional. We ordered and waited with a sense of anxiousness. I ordered the chicken fajitas with queso as an appetizer. I was so hungry that a cracker I found on the floor would have sounded delicious. As we awaited I first saw the queso and my mouth began to water.
I awaited the queso with open mouth trying not to drool at the thought of devouring the entire bowl. Queso escalates any meal to extraordinary and I awated my upgrade. This queso was something out of this world. It had flavor and taste and was a bargain for the price. When we first saw it we were whery but after tasting it it was worth every penny. Hands down the best queso I have ever had. After the appetizer I patiently awaited my fajitas.
As my chicken fajitas arrived I was a tad sad. The plate was small with so little sides as to bring an avid Mexican diner to tears. It wasn’t the same. It depresses me really. The fajitas were so «meh» that the whole meal became so. What was a stellar start with the queso became lost with the fajitas.
All in all this restaraunt was very «eh». It wasn’t great but it hit the spot. As far as I’m concerned there are better Mexican places but if you are in need this place will do the job. Mediocre and nothing extraordinary but it will do. Get the queso and you won’t be disappointed. However that’s all that has my seal of approval.

Coming from texas I know what real authentic Mexican food taste like… Unfortunately this wasn’t the best. First took awhile to get seated granted the place was pretty empty. Their lunch speacial wasn’t really a lunch special. I ordered the merchant lunch which came with one enchilada rice and beans which was almost 9 dollars. A little too high for one enchilada and a side of not so good rice and beans. The chips and salsa were mediocre, the salsa had too much lime in it. Overall the food was bland and no taste but nonetheless ate because I was starving. I was in shock when I saw a plaque on the wall that said city’s best Mexican food! Wow

With so many great authentic and semi-​authentic Mexican restaurants in the city I am amazed that this place keeps the doors open. I thought the food was very similar to frozen dinner quality and the chips tasted like cardboard. I will say that in no way does this review reflect the quality of service. Top notch there in all respects. They also have a fairly large outdoor seating area which was nice too. They guys told me this place is an institution but that’s not going to be enough to get me back there. Sorry AJ’s

Ewww… just no. I almost feel bad about leaving this review having read the endearing story about the original «Joe» on the menu. However, I think Joe would turn over in his grave over how downhill this place has gone.
10 years ago, this would have been a solid 3 stars — definitely not the worst Mexican food I’d had at that point, but not the best either.
Now its just the worst. The salsa in ketchup bottles on the tables? That can’t be sanitary.
Other reviewers have posted about even simple tacos, beans and rice being bad, and while those are hard to mess up, I tend to agree. No flavor. Everything seems packaged and processed.
At one time, this place was good. I can only hope for Joe’s sake they get it back on the right track.

It has been FOREVER since I have been here. We came here for the Devour Downtown. I ordered the Seafood bruit to and it looked delicious. Taste not the greatest. The seafood flavor is WAY overpowering. Too much seafood and nothing else in there. It needs some peppers or onions. We also got some fried ice cream w our meal which was good. Our server was fantastic.
I will probably give it another shot and order something else.