Where is La Juanita?
La Juanita is at 1316 Pierce Street near downtown Sioux City. There is a small lot with free parking behind La Juanita, and free street parking on Pierce Street in front of the restaurant. A second Siouxland location is under construction, and I'll be sure to post about that location too once it opens. There is also a La Juanita restaurant in Storm Lake, which is owned by Bautista's daughter, Jennifer Calderon.
Atmosphere at La Juanita
La Juanita's is reasonably clean and very well lit, with cheerful decor, an open kitchen you can watch from the line, and a jukebox playing Mexican music (so bring a few coins to liven up your wait!). During busy times, the line often extends up the stairs and even out the back door towards their parking lot on the east side of the building, so I recommend going with kids during off hours and/or bringing a baby carrier to contain little ones in line. Before 11:30 is your best bet for lunch without much of a wait. Don't let the long lines fool you though-the staff at La Juanita's is remarkably efficient and blazes through orders. There are lots of tables and many people get their orders to go, so it's almost always possible to find seating for a family inside the restaurant. Or, order carryout and take your food home!
Food at La Juanita
The majority of the menu at La Juanita is Mexican fare including burritos, tacos, quesadillas, tortas, and churros.
 |
| La Juanita menu as seen in early November 2024 |
La Juanita's burritos have been nationally recognized for their excellence, and it's not hard to see why. However, the tacos are also quite good, as is everything else we have tried off their menu (their fish tacos are a surprising favorite and should become a Lenten staple for anyone who eats fish on Fridays!) As a bonus the tacos are inexpensive-- so it's easy to justify trying more than one type! My personal favorites are the chicken and steak tacos, and so far my kids all seem to like them too. They always pick the meat out of mine when I'm not looking!
On the side, almost everything at La Juanita comes with spicy pickled carrots, and many of their dishes come with rice and refried beans. All of it is delicious.
Drinks at La Juanita
La Juanita has a few drinks you can order in a cup, plus a huge variety in a cooler. My personal favorite drink at La Juanita is glass bottled Coke with real sugar instead of HFCS, but they have a wide variety of other fun drinks available too including many other varieties of pop, powerade, milk, juice, horchata and Jarritos.
Best options for picky eaters at La Juanita
Some of our kids love the tacos from La Juanita, but some find them too spicy, and if your family is the same, you'll be glad to know there are some tamer options for even the pickiest palates. While the chicken fingers at La Juanita's are kid friendly and inoffensive, I recommend the cheeseburgers and fries instead. They are surprisingly delicious despite being such a departure from the majority of their menu. Both options are reasonably priced, and our kids enjoy both.
Kid-friendly amenities at La Juanita
- Bathrooms: yes (ask for the code)
- Highchairs available: yes
- Stroller & wheelchair accessibility: yes, use Pierce Street entrance (east entrance door opens to the top of a tall staircase!)
Find out more about La Juanita
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for joining in the conversation! We can't wait to hear what you have to say. Some comments are moderated, so it may take some time for your comment to appear on the site. We encourage lively discussion, but will delete comments that are hostile, hateful, spammy, or rude.