It has been 10 years since last visit. Maybe it's a little bit too late to make a review for this place. It is the best Mexican or Canadian Mexican restaurant in Canada I've been to so far. Lots of good memories here. Wish to visit it again soon.
Been coming here for 28 years - consistently great food and good service - there is a reason they have been around for over 30 years. Probably something to do with all their sauces being freshly made in house and sourcing all local sea food !
UP - Lots of really good food with decent prices in a nice little house.
DOWN - Indoor seating can get warm on hot days but maybe that adds to the atmosphere!?
OUT - We usually get our Mexican fix from Baby Salsa because it's just down the road from us, but I'm glad we finally whipped up to Gina's. Very tasty halibut tacos and fresh shrimp. Chips and salsa were just right and so was the sangria. We'll be back for more!
Hidden gem! This place is great, they have delicious fresh salsa, great drinks, nice atmosphere. It's simple and plain, not dressy at all but the food is decent.
Definitely worth a stop!
Island Mexican. Had been here before. It is a good road stop for a filling plate of Mexican..I had Enchiladas and it was a sizable portion. House salsa is very plain. They have a Chipotle salsa which was good. Reasonably priced also.
Classic. Gina's is a classic nanaimo establishment. Id say its more (canadian) Tex-Mex than authentic Mex. Its not cheap, but you get huge portions for what you pay, and they actually make it spicy when you ask for spicy which goes a long way in my book. Service is good, friendly staff. Not sure what kind of tequila they use in the margs but I have a feeling its cuervo gold.
I had a great meal here at a reasonable price. Funky decor. Good menu. Friendly service.
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Good Ol' Ginas. This is the go to place for unfussy tex-mex food especially if you want good portions and very colourful environment. Tacky/ festive, and damn pleasant. And if you're needy, the staff can handle modifications.The servers at Gina's have been here for a while, and they are sharp and cool as cucumbers even when swamped. Solid team.
The menu is small but with a fair bit of variety. The Adobe and Huevos Rancheros being something I fall back on. Oh and the molé sauce is peanut free, for those of you who care. It costs around $30 ish with tip for 2 people not including appy or drinks which is fair I think.
Not everything on the menu is a gem. I would avoid the tostada type salads if you're hungry and the dishes with baby shrimp because they're generally not the freshest. Although Prawns Coriander is one of my favourites, seafood here, like most restaurants, is not going to be the best. And sometimes the corn is wrinkly... but I'm not really complaining.
P.S. I would not recommend a party of 20, although I've seen it done,
*** /*****
Gina's Genius Food. I am a huge fan of mexican food and needless to say, this place takes the gold! There was wonderful service and a wide variety of choices! When the food came it was fresh and hot! I would definitely suggest this place! :)
Fun Place. Great spot, lots of fun. A bit overpriced and certainly not authentic but OK. Service is good, setting is great. We go at least once a year.
Funky local spot I was recommended. 5 mins from ferry. Great food well priced good portions. Fresh ingredients. Friendly staff. I will go back.
Large portions, consistent, and friendly staff.
It's pretty good. I've been here a number of times over the years, more recently this summer my girlfriend and I decided to trip up island for the day, we stopped at Gina's for a bite to eat having been there before and remembering it to be pretty tasty. It was mid afternoon and maybe a little stuffy but our food was delicious. The server forgot our appetizer but we weren't terribly set on it and were pretty full after our main courses anyways.
It may not be authentic or have a ton of parking, but every time I've been to Gina's the food has been good and I've left full and satisfied. I've never had TERRIBLE service and I don't plan to take meals home when I go out to eat. I'd say try it.
What a pleasant surprise! So good! Reasonably priced too. Yummy salsa and corn. Cheese quesadilla is delish! Ditto the chicken soft tacos, chicken burrito with mole sauce and shrimp enchilada.
Can't get enough.... This place is so good it's unbelievable. Outstanding. Absolutely my favorite place to eat in Nanaimo. Great atmosphere and such a cool location perched on the top of the hill. Awesome Mexican cuisine, funky vibe, a+ service. GO NOW.
Cute place. I loved the food I ate here, and the decor was awesome as well!
Fiesta!. My favourite Mexican restaurant. Completely worth the drive for me, and a fun time is always had. Best enjoyed with friends, otherwise, you're the the only one who's only one.
Good Food!. I ate here for lunch despite the bad reviews. I ordered the fish tacos, and I was blown away! I've never eaten Mexican food like this before, and I was quite charmed by the restaurant, good service, and great food. I also found it to be quite good value as well. I recommend it, and will eat here again.
Daaaaaaamn Gina!. GIna's has always been a Nanaimo staple and all these years later continues to provide solid Mexican food in a fun atmosphere. On this most recent visit I had the fish taco's, with one Halibut and one Salmon. They were absolutely incredible, I was shocked at how good they were! Also big time points for their ability to cater to the gluten-free and dairy free, They subbed in soy cheese for those who needed it, adjusted their chipotle sauce so it didn't contain sour cream and there's corn tortillas for the gluten-free. All-in-all Gina's has always been a good, reliable restaurant and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone who lives or is passing through Nanaimo.
Leslie Callow Erdman
+4.5
Good Times with Family and Friends. I Bring my family and friends to Gina's whenever I am visiting Nanaimo.
Love it!
I had passed by this restaurant last year while walking around the downtown area. . .but did not stop in till last night. All I can say is that it is a shame it took me so long to come in and have a meal. I got to eat healthy..(whole wheat burritos), the price and portion was reasonable, the food was well prepared and tasty. . . and service was attentively courteous. Thumbs up and I will be back!
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Cute place, nice view. My wife and I love Mexican food, so while we travel, we are always on the lookout for a new place. Gina's got decent reviews, so we thought we would give it a try.
We were there for dinner, about 5:30. I had seen a picture online, so I was prepared for the exterior paint :) Inside is a match! We were seated quickly, and menus, water, and chips & salsa came fast. The menu is good, with not so many choices to confuse you, but enough to satisfy almost anyone, including the kids. On the table is a little pink menu card, and on the back is a glossary of Mexican food words, in case you don't know the difference between a burrito and an enchilada. The salsa is good, seems homemade. The chips were a little hard, and there weren't too many of them. Enough to get a taste, I guess. Our orders were taken pretty quick, and the food came in good time.
One thing we noticed while sitting there was how steady it was. People were coming and going, and there was good traffic (especially for a Sunday!). The food was good, we had the Sierra, which is a chile relleno and an enchilada. I must disagree with their interpretation of the relleno, however, as it was merely a "stuffed pepper". Generally a chile relleno is also breaded in corn masa or battered in egg - this was merely a small poblano stuffed with jack cheese. Tasty, but tiny, and missing something.
In all, I would say it was a good meal. The server could have been a bit more attentive, but she did her job.
Overall, it was good, and I would recommend it.
Fun fare. Eaten there several times. the food is good (for a campy mexican place). service is hit and miss (but mostly miss). Shrimp flutas are the best.
Fun & Funky. If it's a fancy fine dining experience you're looking then Gina's is probably NOT for you. (What mexican restaurant is?) BUT if you're looking for a fun & funky place that offers good food at a good price, where you won't leave hungry or regretting eating there then Gina's is for you. A blue collar regular working folk kind of place, no frills, no fuss but good value.
I have eaten there many times and will most definitely go back again & again - never had a bad meal or experience there - I LOVE GINA'S
Great atmosphere with amazing quesadillas! It's the place to go for mexican food in Nanaimo for sure.
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Well.... We went to Gina's on a recommendation from a co-worker on a trip to Nanaimo. It is a super cute little place, which would be obvious to anyone who's seen it. The food, the prices, and the drinks were great.
That said, the service was pretty much the worst I have ever had. And it wasn't the fault of any specific member of the waitstaff, it was the fault of whoever oversees hiring and scheduling. The place was essentially full and from what I'm reading, that's not uncommon. Given that, they should have more people working. Period. I saw a waitress (younger woman) getting yelled at in front of patrons by a more veteran waitress. And then later saw her having to try to calm down an irate customer on the phone. I can only imagine this type of thing would cause a pretty high rate of turnover.
After it was mentioned that we were getting these free chips, plus the fact that it's pretty common knowledge about the place (and stated on the menu), we saw several people seated after us getting their chips while we still didn't have any. We tried to flag down employees several times with no luck. When we finally did, the woman just gruffly said "You didn't get any?" and when we confirmed, disappeared and returned a few minutes later and kind of tossed them down on the table without a single word being said.
To make a long story short here, there was a lot of waiting. For the meal, the cheque, and the pay our bill. And my friends, as much as they liked their food, were a bit disappointed, and I felt bad for suggesting the place. Sooo... maybe 2nd time's a charm??
Great food, large portions, and very reasonably priced. Service was excellent. Loved the shrimp tacos!
Gina's is a fun place to go with good food and lots of it. However, I wouldn't really call it Mexican, more like Tex-Mex. They have typical tacos, enchiladas, etc but sometimes the favour is not bursting out. Don't get me wrong though for Tex-Mex in Nanaimo it is the place to go, just avoid sitting anywhere near the live music, it tends to kill all conversation and socialization.
Great place!. I always get the Don Juan (basically an omlette quesidilla; eggs, cheese, and veggies inside a tortilla shell) - total comfort food :)
Cute, unique, and worthwhile place that keeps my family, friends, and myself coming back again and again. It's a great place to eat, and by the looks of it, many people agree (it's always packed in there!)
Love the food and the atmosphere. Tons of charm, friendly staff. I just wish I lived in Nanaimo so I could go more.
My husband and I love to eat here. Our favorite dish is the fish tacos. The staff is always fiendly and service is great
Lovely and warm welcoming staff! The atmosphere of this place is cozy, vibrant and very inviting. Food was yum !I got the burrito speciality and the flavours were good and well balanced.
We had friends visit from out of town and they requested Mexican for dinner. We gave Gina's a go and it was FANTASTIC! So good actually that we went back two nights later again 🙈
Portions were great, prices fair, flavour top notch. Our kids came with us on the second visit and asked for seconds, and they're usually picky eaters (to be fair, kid-friendly Mexican food is usually some variation of cheese and tortilla, regardless they loved it).
Churros for dessert was just the cherry on top. Highly recommend giving them a try!
Really good Mexican food. This was one of the best lunch restaurants visited on a 6 day Vancouver Island vacation. Great staff service too.
A great get away to get some brilliant Mexican food. Tried their jalapeno cheese filled meal option and it was lip smacking. Drove 1.5 hours from Victoria just to try their food and their fancy lil place and it was worth it. Would definitely go there again. The place such a nice Mexican vibe and an amazing view!
Do not miss this spot of you are crazy for the Mexican cuisine!
Loved this place, is not like 100 authentic but really good still, love their salsas and just everything will go again for sure! I could not even take a picture of my dish bc how fast I ate it
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