Business & Tech
Taco Tuesday: Hacienda Mexican Grill
The Drew Street restaurant has the look of a large chain but feels like a family-owned eatery.
The Hacienda Mexican Grill is a unique restaurant.
It has the size, look and menu of a large chain restaurant. Yet it features an array of homemade dishes and a quaint setting that give it the feel of a family-owned eatery.
Perhaps the reason for that is because the Hacienda is family-owned.
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The Cortes family began with a single restaurant in Pinellas Park five years ago. They branched out to include this Drew Street location, which opened six months ago, and another spot in Tampa. The father and two brothers run the three stores.
Despite that kind of business success, there was no guarantee the food would be able to match the stylish Mexican décor. But I’m happy to report that the taste of the food is even better than the looks of the interior.
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It just so happened to be $.99 Taco Tuesdays at the Hacienda, where all hard shell beef tacos cost just under a buck. But, I decided to try something a little different.
On the appetizer menu they offer a plate called taquitos, which features four baby tacos with lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes and guacamole, all for $6.95.
And I must say, it was one of the best items I’ve had in the history of .
The tortilla shells are folded and fried in peanut oil and filled with either succulent slabs of chicken or tender mounds of flavorful chopped beef. They are light, tasty and surprisingly filling.
Combine the taquitos and the sides with a basket of homemade tortilla chips and one of the eight margaritas on the menu, and you’ve got the perfect mid-afternoon meal.
Other taco items on the extensive menu include fish, pork, steak and beef. Most come with sides and cost under $10 for a complete plate. Single tacos can be had for $1.95 each for hard shell, $2.25 for soft.
The Hacienda also has flat screen TVs, a full liquor bar, live music on Friday nights, free WiFi, and a special where kids eat for free on Sundays.
If you’re looking for something unique – a large, inviting Mexican restaurant with the feel of a quaint taqueria – you have to visit the Hacienda.
2551 Drew St. Ste 104 (inside Campus Walk Plaza)
Hours: From 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Call: (727) 286-6113
