Restaurant Review: Los Mariachis

When you’re ravenous, sometimes there’s nothing like the site of a classic Mexican restaurant to open those eager eyes and get the stomach rumblin’.  I’m not talking chains like Don Pablos or Chili’s or whatever else tries to pass as the real deal, but more along the lines of, well, .

Mexican restaurants like these are insanely affordable and almost cruel in regard to how much food they give you to ravenously fill yourself with.

Upon sitting down, it was nice to see Los Mariachis provide a monstrous pile of complimentary golden-fried tortilla chips and an ample-sized jar of house-made salsa.  Free stuff’s always a plus in my book regardless of how subjectively good or bad the free stuff is. These were actually some quality nachos.  Crunchy and glistening with grease; these are those sneaky culprits that’ll surreptitiously fill you up before the meal even arrives.  Luckily, the main course came fast, like ridiculously fast.

I opted for chicken fajitas.  The sizzling platter came out five minutes after the order and I was almost suspicious at how fast this meal was crafted.  “They must’ve cut some corners, sacrificed something in the name of this speed” I thought. 

As far as this discerning palate could tell, this wasn’t the case.  The chicken was well seasoned, but a bit dry, which would mean they cooked it for too long.  We’ll just chalk it up to some kitchen voodoo magic at Los Mariachis.  The serving size was more than ample and fixings like guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream were more than enough to provide for the rest.

The side serving of refried beans and Spanish rice were both passable, mildy flavorful, and fitting accompaniments to the rest of the dish.

Of course, if it’s a Mexican restaurant, trying a classic taco has to be in order.  Unfortunately, the classic ground beef taco at Los Mariachis lacks where it really counts.  While healthily portioned, the meat was a bland heap in the hard shell, unfortunately outshined by the shredded queso and lettuce atop it.

All in all, Los Mariachis is the place to be if you want a ton of classic Mexican fare on the cheap.  All-star status?  Not quite, but they definitely shouldn’t be ignored.