Eating in NEO exurbia - 1 of 2
Most people have imagery of Mexican restaurants in their heads before they go. It's going to be stucco on the outside, appear dimmed down on the inside, have nooks and crannies, and feature gaudy wall art. This Mexican restaurant - Fiesta Jalapeños - isn't much at all like that and that's part of the reason I like it.
I went in with a good friend who lives one community over, where it's more of a corporate suburb. Fiesta Jalapeños is right over the county line to the west, where intermittent cornfields eventually begin to appear. It sits in a medium sized strip mall with some typical chain tenants and takes up a big spot on its end.
I had a combination platter and my friend had several enchiladas. Their chips, which are good, keep coming and, for me, their salsa is just right. I liked all the items in my combination, but my friend who is native to this area was more critical of the food. This is my review, so it's going to reflect my point of view. The service was very amicable, the prices were right, and, with it being fairly crowded, they periodically checked in on us.
I took note that they had lunch specials served within a window of time and which differ by each day of the week. I noticed that, on Thursdays, they had an enchilada-burrito or something similar, so I went back. The lunch price made for a good value. I really liked this filling dish and all its ingredients, which were robust in flavor. I added a soft drink to this and it was an excellent lunch. It goes without saying that they have a Taco Tuesday, so I also made a trip for that.
So far, it's probably sounding like 4 stars, but I'll continue. Because it's in a strip mall that has a higher roof, they left the structure exposed and took the ceiling up higher. There are big windows all around. This is probably the airiest Mexican restaurant I've ever visited. To one side, there is a bar and a slightly different crowd (dudes and dudettes) will go in there to drink, take their meals at pub height, socialize, and/or watch televised sports. They have an outdoor terrace at their disposal, which is attached to the bar and visible from the parking lot.
With all the main items dialed, their inviting interior takes Fiesta Jalapeños up to 5 stars.
There are a few things to note. First and foremost, if a combination is featured with certain ingredients or it's Taco Tuesday, it will have those ingredients. If it isn't specific, it may default to ground beef. I would have difficulty eating Mexican food in its large "envelopes" that would be filled with ground beef, so you need to specify which filling you want. Second, they have a lot of imagery of Cantinflas. This is a Hispanic actor/comedian of yesteryear who went by one name, sort of like Charo. My childhood friend's Cuban father would laugh and say, "Ay, si, Cantinflas." I guess you had to be there. Lastly, with the change of a zip code and crossing the county line, you've moved into a very different area. This metro area spreads east-west along Lake Erie without too much southerly critical mass and, in the process, goes from the undulating topography of the top end of Appalachia in the east to fairly true to form Midwest, and cornfields, as you go to the west. I was told that some locals call this area North Ridgetucky, just like L.A.'s 909 suburb of Fontana is jokingly known as Fontucky. One doesn't need to take a poll to get an accurate feel for the political leanings of the patronage out this way and I probably would not want to break bread with them (nor they with me), let alone give them a "high 5," but I would to the restaurant and its crew.
I recommend Fiesta Jalapeños highly. It should at least be a 4 for most folks, but, depending on what you order and prioritize in a Mexican restaurant, it could be a 5 for you as well. read more