| Fiesta Mexicana Grill and Cantina | | Print | |
| Restaurant Reviews - Reviews: Chicago and Suburbs |
Super Fiesta Mini Enchiladas, includes 5 different types including ground beef, chicken and cheese. Photo Credit: Sarah Adamson
Fiesta Mexicana Grill and Cantina Restaurant Review Superb Entrees Spark Fiesta Mexicana's Traditional Menu The Scoop- Total Dining Experience: ★★★ out of 4 We’ll go back, due to the food, service, atmosphere, value, ease of parking and fun factor. Favorite item we tried − ‘Enchilada Super Fiesta’ Plainfield’s restaurant scene is moving in a great direction, and one of the newest additions, Fiesta Mexicana Grill and Cantina, celebrates its one-year anniversary Feb. 1. What was once the Plainfield Supper Club has been transformed into a lively, brightly colored dining spot. Owner Dave Lopez is no stranger to the restaurant business; he owns three similar eateries in central Illinois. The murals on the walls set the tone for what is an authentic Tex-Mex dining experience. The restaurant is more spacious than it might appear from the street, with a large front dining room with windows facing out toward Lockport Street, a bar area and two rooms are in the back. All told, they can seat about 100 diners and in the summer, an outdoor patio adds space for 60 more. The minute you take your seat, the waitress appears with a basket of tri-colored tortilla chips -- red, green and gold -- and freshly made salsa, which we deemed not far from perfect. It's flavorful, with plenty of cilantro, whole tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, spices and onions, all of which gave it a nice kick. Yum Factor− Details of the items we tried. Cheese Quesadilla Appetizer− The melted white cheese was delicious, but we could have lived without the accompanying side of beans. Also, for this price, a whole quesadilla would seem more appropriate than a folded half. My suggestion would be to skip the beans and increase the size. $6 Enchilada Super Fiesta −The entree features five kinds of mini enchiladas -- ground beef, chicken, shredded beef, beans and cheese. Tomato-flavored rice is served on the side, as are beans, lettuce, enchilada sauce, tomatoes and sour cream. The dish was unique, with fantastic presentation and rich flavors to match. $11 Shrimp Chimichanga − was also a pleasant surprise. Medium-sized, high-quality shrimp are lightly grilled and served inside a lightly battered, folded tortilla. Excellent, maybe one of the best Mexican entrees I’ve tasted. $7 The menu has a wide variety of steak, seafood and pork selections, and the owner says he'll whip up something special if a patron doesn't see an item on the list. He says they welcome suggestions, and stock their bar according to requests. Frozen Strawberry Margarita−Perhaps I should have taken the waitress' recommendation and ordered the on-the-rocks margarita, which is made with a higher quality tequila, as the frozen strawberry margarita I ordered was only so-so. It was large enough to last through the meal and into dessert, but I didn't taste fresh strawberries and its flavor was mostly run-of-the-mill. I will give them points for the whimsical cactus-stemmed glass in which it was served, however. Price-wise, it's reasonable -- $4 for 12 ounces and $6 for 16 ounces. Also a good price was the $3 Modelo Especial beer my dining companion ordered, which was served in a frosted glass. Other draft beers include LaBatt Blue, XX Lager and Negra Modelo. Backstage Notes: I’ve eaten authentic Mexican food in Mexico−in fact many times and in many cities. These are flavors, colors and aromas that never leave you. Acapulco, Cancun, Chichen Itza, Playa Del Carmen and Tijuana all prepare guacamole to perfection. Although I must add, the mariachi bands that serenade you while you eat in Mexico, the authentic painted murals and the breezes from of the palm trees all add to the ambience that really can’t be duplicated. In addition all foreign country’s pride in home style cooking is very strong and even more so on one’s own soil. If you’re on the hunt for authentic tasting Mexican food, my travels in the states, particularly the Southwest states, such as New Mexico, Arizona, California all have succeeded in replicating some of the dishes. Santa Fe, New Mexico is a stand-out as the table-side guacamole at the La Fonda Hotel is very close to any I’ve tasted in Mexico. (The secret is lime juice.) My homemade guacamole recipe is from a 70s Bon Appetite Magazine and is a hit every time as the lime juice and cilantro gives it the punch. Sarah Adamson© January 13, 2011 Restaurant Rating Guide: ★★★★ Highest of all areas. (Quality of Food, Location, Service, Atmosphere) ★★★½ Food remains excellent, 1 or 2 areas lacking ★★★ Food remains very good, several other areas lacking ★★½ Food is good, several other areas lacking ★★ Food is average, several other areas lacking ★ All areas need help |
