Three steak tacos and a few black beans – $13 |
Portobello Burrito – $11.59 … For A Burrito With No Meat? |
Cheese and Onion Enchilada Ala Carte – $3.99 |
Three steak tacos and a few black beans – $13 |
Portobello Burrito – $11.59 … For A Burrito With No Meat? |
Cheese and Onion Enchilada Ala Carte – $3.99 |
Title: Arceo’s: Good, Consistent, Authentic Mexican Food at Reasonable Prices
Key Words: Arceo’s, Arceo, Mexican, restaurant, menu, food, taco, enchilada, burrito, guacamole, chips, salsa, margarita, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Rusina, CombatCritic, TravelValue
An old haunt, I had to try it again after 6 years in the Midwest … Tacos, enchiladas, you know the drill.
Mexquisito
712 Massachusetts StreetGuacamole, Chips, and Salsas – $5.99 |
We ordered the guacamole ($5.99 compared to $4.99 at Tortas Jalisco) which came with a basket of chips and salsa (green/spicy and red/mild), bringing the price of the guacamole down to just over $3 after deducting the price of chips and salsa. The “green” salsa I had heard so much in Yelp reviews was excellent with just enough heat and the “red” was also very good, being more mild than the verde (green) version.
The guacamole was good, but a little too spicy for my wife’s taste and with too many tomatoes (and corn?) for mine. Tomatoes, much cheaper than avocados, are used by many restaurants as a filler even though traditional guacamole is not normally prepared using tomato (see my recipe below). There could have been much less tomato (no corn) and more guacamole for the price, but it was well seasoned and tasty although the price seems very high at $5.99 for a small cup.
Tacos de Papa with Rice and Beans – $8.99 |
My wife is Italian, not a big fan of Mexican cuisine, and usually orders a quesadilla, but surprised me when she decided on the Tacos de Papa ($8.99 – mashed potato crispy tacos). An Italian that hates tomatoes, does not cook (thankfully, I am quite a good cook) and does not drink, as I mentioned earlier, she makes a great designated driver. However, trying to find Mexican food WITHOUT TOMATOES is like trying to find a tree in Greenland … good luck! My wife liked the Tacos de Papa even though they were rather bland because she does not like the sour cream that accompanied the dish. Containing mashed potato and white cheese in a crispy corn tortilla, the Tacos de Papa are an excellent choice for those who enjoy a vegetarian option. My wife asked for the tomatoes “on the side”, but the dish came without tomatoes. A small portion of sour cream accompanied the dish, but guacamole or pico de gallo would be have been a nice addition to the rather bland potato tacos.
Tacos ala Carte – $1.79 each |
The tacos ($1.79 each ala carte) are excellent, with the shells fried in-house, they were tasty, the shells thick, and the tacos withstood several bites without falling apart, beating out most Lawrence Mexican restaurants so far in my culinary journey (Fuzzy’s Tacos and El Potro being the only exceptions).
Enchiladas Poblanos with Rice, and Beans – $9.99 |
Cheese and onion enchiladas in red sauce are not on the menu (available upon request), but the Enchiladas Poblanos ($9.99) with shredded beef were scrummy with just the right amount of filling covered with a homemade white Poblano sauce that was one of the best I have tasted. A small scoop of guacamole and some rather nondescript rice and beans accompanied the meal, adding little value or flavor.
Key Words: Mexquisito, Mexican, food, restaurant, taco, tacos, enchilada, enchiladas, rice, beans, guacamole, salsa, eat, tasty, delicious, CombatCritic, recipe, Lawrence, Kansas, 66044
Cheese Quesadilla with Guacamole and Pico di Gallo |
I found El Potro on Yelp and with such good reviews, we decided to give it a try … AND ARE WE GLAD WE DID!
Cheese and Onion Enchilada ala Carte |
Deep-Fried Shredded Beef Tacos, Rice, & Boracho Beans |
Beef Fajita Burrito with Rice and Pico do Gallo |
La Familia … Mediocre Mexican Food and Watered Down Margaritas
La Familia Cafe and Cantina
733 New Hampshire St
Lawrence, KS 66044
(785) 749-0105
Prices: $$$$$
La Familia is a small restaurant with friendly service and decent food. Being a Mexican food junkie from SoCal and used to some of the best Mexican food north of the border, I have high standards. La Familia failed to meet those standards, at least on our first visit.
I ordered the large guacamole, trusting the server when she said it would be “just right” for two … it was enough for four and at $7+ not a total bargain. It was tasty even though we ended uo taking half of it home. I also tried the margaritas, an impressive 16 ounces for $5 but lacking ANY noticeable alcohol content (isn’t that the whole idea?).
My wife is Italian and not a big fan of Mexican cuisine, so she usually orders a quesadilla and did not surprise me here. An Italian that hates tomatoes, does not cook (thankfully, I am quite a good cook) and does not drink wine, she makes a great designated driver. Trying to find Mexican food WITHOUT TOMATOES is like trying to find a beach in Greenland … Good luck! The quesadilla was stuffed with tasty sauteed mushrooms, but little, if any, cheese. The name “quesadilla” comes.from the word “queso”, meaning cheese, so you would expect cheese. There was none that we could find, but my wife liked it nonetheless.
I always order the staples, tacos and enchiladas, when trying a new Mexican restaurant because if they cannot get those right, there is little chance the rest of the food will be with trying. Store-bought chips and pre-fab tacos shells are another dead give away and La Familia did again disappoint, although the tacos were tasty and the shells the large variety, beating out any Mexican restaurant in Lawrence so far (Fuzzy’s Tacos being the exception), but that is not saying much. The cheese and onion enchilada was nothing special. Finally, the “sweet” salsa I had heard so much about was awful, but thankfully they have two other savory and spicy options.
In all, when a bunch of gringos run a Mexican restaurant, you cannot expect authentic recipes and that was the case at La Familia. We will return and give them another chance only because they are so convenient and my wife liked the chesseless quesadilla. Asta la vista baby!
La Familia gets 5 Out of 10 Bombs … Bombs Are Good!
Key Words: La, Familia, Mexican, restaurant, food, eat, taco, enchilada, burrito, salsa, sweet, guacamole, mediocre, margarita, Lawrence, Kansas, CombatCritic
Tortas Jalisco
534 Frontier Rd
Lawrence, KS 66049
(785) 865-1515
Prices: $$$$$
Torta Cuban |
The name “Tortas Jalisco” literally means “London cakes”, but Mexican tortas are actually Mexican sandwiches. The torta Cuban, one of nine sandwich selections (right – $6.00 – see menu below), comes with a pork cutlet, ham. cheese, adobo sauce, lettuce and tomato, and is served with a small side of guacamole. The bread was fresh and lightly toasted and the torta was good, but not even close to some of the best Cuban sandwiches I have had (arguably at Cuban restaurants), lacking a bread with the flavor and consistency of a true Cuban sandwich. A side of French fries would be a welcome addition to help round-out the dish.
Crispy Beef Tacos ala Carte ($1.79 each) |
Cheese and Onion Enchiladas Dinner |
In all, the interior is quite basic, yet clean, and the service was a bit slow as I had heard from several Yelp reviewers, but Carlos (our server) was very friendly and helpful, and attentive even though he appeared to be doing everything himself (we saw no other workers in the hour we were there). The chips, thick, crunchy, and also made in-house, were excellent with just the right amount of salt. I would recommend that the owners consider providing free chips and salsa like the vast majority of Mexican restaurants, silencing their primary critics, and raise the price of their relatively inexpensive dishes by thirty to forty cents each to make up the difference. As far as I can see, having to pay for chips is the only flaw Tortas Jalisco has, but as I said, ordering an appetizer solves that dilemma quite easily.
Asta la vista baby!
Key Words: Tortas, Jalisco, Mexican, food, restaurant, taco, tacos, enchilada, enchiladas, rice, beans, guacamole, salsa, eat, tasty, delicious, CombatCritic, recipe, gnarly, bombs, Lawrence, Kansas
(816) 587-0899
Jalisco is more like a sports bar than a Mexican restaurant with TVs everywhere you look. The decor is new, plain, and cheap, but the colors are pleasant and, most important, the restaurant is clean!
The food is good in general, starting with the guacamole which is fresh and tasty at $4.00 for a medium size serving. The cheese dip, also $4.00 is also tasty and same size as the guacamole. Margarites are also $4.00, not bad, but on the small side and with NOT MUCH PUNCH if you know what I mean
The first time I visited, shortly after their opening a few months back, I had the carnitas (slow cooked chunks of pork) and the was tender and plentiful. Served with tortillas, pico di gallo, rice, and beans, a serving of guacamole would have been nice and is always a welcome accompaniment to the tender pork delights.
My wife had the cheese quesadilla, also very good although a bit pricey at $7.50 for a couple flour tortillas and some cheese. I went for the taco special yesterday, having three beef tacos with rice and beans for $6.99. I was disappointed in the taco shells, looking like the prefab variety you get at the supermarket. The tacos only came with white cheese and lettuce, no tomato or pico di gallo, a necessity when eating tacos as far as I am concerned. All three of the tacos broke in half upon first bite, so I had quite a mess on my hands … literally!
The service is good, the salsa fresh, and tortilla chips warm. Do not forget to ask for the “HOT” sauce, a tomatillo variety with more kick than the standard, but not extremely hot.
CombatCritic gives Jalisco 6 BOMBS out of 10 with room to grow as they mature and we try new, hopefully more impressive, dishes … BOMBS ARE GOOD!
Title: Sports Bar or Mexican Restaurant … Maybe Both?
Key Words: chips, salsa, Kansas, City, combat, CombatCritic, critic, eat, enchilida, food, Jalisco, Kansas, Mexican, Northland, Platte, restaurant, salsa, taco, urbanspoon, Woods, Yelp
World traveler ... 41 countries and counting; Professional chef ... studied for 3 years in Pozzuoli, Italy; Published author of reviews, editorials, articles, a popular blog, and producer of a highly successful YouTube channel. On the Front Lines in the Battle Against Mediocre, Overpriced Travel, Food and Accommodation ... Follow Me To TravelValue ... Thank You for Visiting My Blog! CombatCritic is Yelp ELITE '14 and '15 and TripAdvisor "TOP CONTRIBUTOR" ... Follow Me To TravelValue!
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