Restaurant Review: Arena District’s Viva Mexican Kitchen
April 28, 2026
Article originally published in the Columbus Underground, written by Miriam Bowers Abbott
Photo by Ashley Kimmel
The departure of Nada from the Arena District came as something of a surprise. As departures go, Nada’s exit makes room for a new operation, Viva Mexican Kitchen. As the name implies, it shares the regional theme of its predecessor. Viva spawns from the same folks who have provided Columbus with Dulce Vida ice cream stops which are generally affordable outlets for not only ice cream, but also fun foods…
Viva Mexican Kitchen is a departure from the local ice cream scene, though. Its focus is firmly on more traditional dining. Price-wise, you can score three tacos with sides for around $17-24, and while that’s not the two-dollar taco from the olden days, those haven’t been around since before COVID.
But before we hit the tacos, let’s look at the appetizer section, which features a big selection of options ranging from elote to salsa and dip samplers:
