I don't know why most of my recent restaurant reviews seem to be about Mexican food. I eat out all…read morethe time--I just happen to have stumbled across some truly outstanding Mexican restaurants lately.
Maybe it's because I live on Martha's Vineyard, and while the Island has plenty of great places to eat, authentic Mexican cuisine is hard to find. Sorry, JB, but there's really no authentic Mexican food on the Vineyard.
Fiesta Mexican in Norton is an amazingly well-hidden gem. From the outside, sitting in a strip mall, you might assume it's just another typical Mexican restaurant. It's not.
The restaurant is much larger than it appears, has an impressive atmosphere, and boasts what seems like hundreds of tequilas behind the bar. Even at 1:30 in the afternoon, there was a strong lunch crowd, which is always a good sign.
The staff was excellent. Jake, the bartender, was a breath of fresh air--friendly, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable about every tequila on the shelf.
My friends always laugh at me because when I visit fine dining restaurants, I often order something simple, like baked chicken. My reasoning is that baked chicken is the blank canvas of a chef. If a chef can't make something basic taste great, I don't have much confidence in the rest of the menu.
That's exactly how I feel about tacos.
Whenever I walk into a Mexican restaurant, I start with tacos--hard shell, soft shell, chicken, beef, steak, it doesn't matter. If a restaurant can't get the basics right, I don't expect much from the rest of the menu. But if the tacos are excellent, then I know I'll be back to explore everything else.
Fiesta passed that test with flying colors.
This is an outstanding Mexican restaurant tucked away in Norton, and if you haven't been there yet, you should put it on your list.
The critic in me does have one small suggestion: the music was a little loud for lunchtime. The playlist was good, but the vibe felt more nightclub than midday lunch crowd. At 7:00 or 8:00 PM, I'd say turn it up and let the fiesta roll. But at 1:00 in the afternoon, I'd prefer something a little more mellow so the food and conversation remain the stars of the show.
That minor observation aside, I honestly struggled to find anything else to critique.
We'll definitely find an excuse to come back to Fiesta Mexican.
With an incredible tequila selection, plenty of TVs, great service, and excellent food, this may just be a Mexican sports bar at its finest.