First reviewed by greeneggz9

• 

  greeneggz9
  Jan 30, 2009

  Viva! Professional, authentic, long term.

  • Your Rating: 0/5 Stars
  • Average Rating: 4.0/5 Stars

  4.0
  

  Years ago I heard from someone who lives in this neighborhood that this is a very good place.
  
  It's a well-established restaurant, at _least_ 10 years in this location, if I remember correctly. And that's a long time for a restaurant.
  
  It's on the south side of Pendleton Pike, and the cross street is Hartman Dr.
  
  I had lunch here, around 2:00pm, well after the lunch rush, and there were still a goodly number of customers.
  
  It's almost a hole-in-the-wall, looking at it from the outside, but don't let that fool you. Inside, the decor is better than average for an authentic Mexican restaurant. All Hispanic staff, with very good English skills. I liked the staff's professional and confident demeanor. These guys are pro's at running a restaurant. Which probably explains their longevity.
  
  The appetizer chips were thin, crispy, and warm, indicative of being made on premises. I couldn't tell if the salsa was made on premises or came from a bottle. It had a commercial consistency that made me think bottled, but flavor said home-made. It was flavorful and a just a little picante, but not biting. It could have used some more cilantro. You could scoop up lots of salsa on your chip and not worry about it burning your mouth.
  
  I had the lunch steak burrito. At first I noticed the small portion, but then realized that was a good thing for the lunch, and also because it was only $6, which was a great deal when you consider the chips. Filling up on a huge burrito is not a good thing for lunch when you have to go back to work anyway.
  
  The quality of the burrito, the chips, and the price made it a very good value.
  
  I was impressed with the decor for this type of restaurant. Not fancy, but not jarring like many Mexican restaurants that cater to an Hispanic clientele. In other words, the decor is gringo-friendly, but it's not pretending to be something it isn't. It just fit well with me.
  
  This is definitely worthwhile for lunch if you work in or near the area. I'll have to go back and try the dinner menu before I give it my "worth going out of your way for" rating. But it looks very promising.

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