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Winter Restaurant Guide by Cuisine
MEXICAN/SOUTHWESTERN
CAFE HOLA!
137 N. Carrollton Ave. 486-HOLA (4652)
With new management came a spiffed up menu last year at this Mid-City restaurant.
The result is five varieties of salsa, prepared fresh every day. The a la carte
menu includes tacos for $2.25. Management recommends the puffy quesadilla made
with chicken, vegetables and cheese. Delivery available. No reservations. Lunch
and dinner daily. Credit cards. $
CARRETA'S GRILL
1200 W. Causeway Approach, Mandeville (985) 727-7212
2320 Veterans Memorial Blvd. Metairie 837-6696
Carreta's now has a banquet room available for private parties, or you can
stop by and enjoy their lively atmosphere any day of the week. On Thursdays,
they have live music performances, which you can enjoy as you dine on one of
the house specialties: a red snapper fillet served in a special sauce with steamed
vegetables. When you've just got the munchies, try the crawfish nachos and mushroom
quesadillas. Carreta's also recently expanded to Metairie. No reservations. Lunch
and dinner daily. Credit cards and checks. $
CASA GARCIA MEXICAN RESTAURANT
8814 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie 464-0354
When you get that south-of-the-border feeling around lunchtime, head to Casa
Garcia for the No. 5: one chicken enchilada, one green corn tamale, one chicken
taco, plus rice and beans or sauteed vegetables and Mexican corn. One of the
menu's many seafood options is tilapia prepared "Los Cabos" style in a sauce
of white wine and cilantro, with soup or salad and a choice of side dishes. Reservations
recommended. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$
CASA TEQUILLA
3229 Williams Blvd., Kenner 443-5423
Serving real Mexican food has kept customers coming to this restaurant for
a dozen years, but there are some uncommon adventures such as a spinach and artichoke
quesadilla that starts with a 10-inch flour tortilla lined with cheddar and Monterey
Jack cheeses and stuffed with spinach and artichoke, then grilled until golden
brown. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $
CHEVY'S FRESH MEX
1201 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey 368-2100
1325 Esplanade Ave., Kenner 469-5657
3330 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie 887-7788
www.chevysfreshmex.com
Salsa is mixed fresh hourly and margaritas come in regular and oversized
glasses to keep the fun going as the wait-staff serves up Mexican dishes with
an innovative flair. Fish tacos feature two flour tortillas filled with flame-grilled
fish mixed with greens and served with sweet corn tomalito, rice and beans. Fajitas
come with mesquite-grilled chicken, beef, shrimp or vegetables. No reservations.
Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$
CUCO'S
1340 S. Carrollton Ave. 861-3322
2000 SW Railroad Ave., Hammond (985) 345-2634
2766 Belle Chase Hwy., Gretna 393-7766
3038 W. Park Ave. (Southland Mall Shopping Center), Houma (985) 868-0800
5048 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie 454-5005
All locations of area Cuco's offer a long and varied menu to compliment their
popular margaritas. Sizzling fajitas plates are popular, while many diners opt
for combination platters such as the Mexi-Cali, which consists of a chicken breast
with spinach filling served over rice along with two enchiladas, a special sauce
and vegetables. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $
EL PATIO
3244 Georgia Ave., Kenner 443-1188
Fajitas are a hot item here, as is the carne asada, an 18-oz ribeye served
with soup, salad, dessert and congri -- black beans and white rice, cooked together.
El Patio's reputation for giant portions is evident in dishes such as the Maximilian:
a flour tortilla stuffed with beef, chicken and shrimp, deep-fried and topped
with shrimp, avocado puree and a Jack Daniel's sauce. Reservations recommended
for large parties. Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Credit cards. $$
KOKOPELLI'S
3150 Calhoun St. 861-3922
Kokopelli's offers weekly specials on its soups and salads, as well as the
specialty: burritos. Here you'll get a monster burrito that will fill you up
at dinner with enough left over for a late-night snack. For a Tex-Mex-meets-Asia
offering, try the Thai Chicken burrito: grilled and marinated chicken, lime-cilantro
rice, carrots, red onions and mung bean sprouts doused with a Southwestern peanut
sauce and wrapped in a spinach tortilla. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily.
Credit cards and checks. $
LA CARRETA
108 NW Railroad Ave., Hammond (985) 419-9990
www.carretarestaurant.com
Hammond residents can be confused for feeling like they're in old Mexico
at this popular spot. Appetizers include the tortilla soup, featuring tortillas
fried with La Carreta's secret recipe and topped with cheese and avocado. Couples
often split the Mezquite Grill for Two: shrimp, grilled steak, chorizo sausage,
grilled chicken breast, cebollitas, rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream, pico
de gallo and tortillas. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday.
Credit cards. $
LUCY'S RETIRED SURFER'S BAR AND RESTAURANT
701 Tchoupitoulas St. 523-8995
www.lucysretiredsurfers.com
For a place camped out in the concrete jungle of the Warehouse District,
Lucy's sure has people thinking of sand. The California surfer vibe inspires
such West Coast classics as the "Dinner with Elvis" combo: a chicken enchilada
in fajita sauce, a cheese enchilada with salsa verde and a hand-rolled beef burrito
topped with salsa and sour cream. On Taco Tuesdays, $1 tacos are offered and
on Wednesdays, $2.50 nachos. Happy hour drink specials are available weekdays.
No reservations. Lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, brunch weekends. Credit
cards. $
MANUEL'S HOT TAMALES
4709 S. Carrollton Ave. 482-6616
New Orleans' reliable old tamale stand, Manuel's serves up all-beef hot tamales,
chili dogs, tacos, nachos and homemade chili. They are all prepared with the
same Mexico-meets-New Orleans recipes handed down from Manuel Hernandez, who
opened the take-out stand 70 years ago. Now in its third generation of Hernandez
ownership, Manuel's still keeps the spicy sauce a guarded family recipe. Take-out
only. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $
NACHO MAMA'S MEXICAN GRILL
721 Common St. 558-0830
The friendly staff at Nacho Mama's invites you to kick off your weekend with
a bang with a Friday happy hour offering two-for-one tequila shots. The bustling
lunch scene offers burritos, nachos and quesadillas. The shrimp tacos and burritos
are popular, as are a variety of hard-shell tacos. Lunch Monday through Friday,
dinner Thursday and Friday. Credit cards and checks. $
SANTA FE
801 Frenchmen St. 944-6854
The potent margaritas alone are reason enough to stop by this Southwestern outpost
in the Marigny, but you'll stay for the chicken Maximilian: a chicken breast
rolled around an Anaheim pepper, stuffed with chorizo sausage and cheese and
breaded. There's also the combination dishes, which come with an enchilada, tamale
and relleno, packed with either a seafood or meat stuffing. No reservations.
Dinner Wednesday through Saturday. Credit cards. $$
SERRANO'S SALSA COMPANY
4436 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie 780-2354
www.serranossalsacompany.com
More than 50 types of tequila await you at this festive Latin American restaurant.
Begin spicing up dinner with one of nine freshly made Serrano's salsas, followed
by Mexican- or Cuban-inspired dishes. Serrano's recommends the mixed grilled
for two: beef, carnitas and chicken prepared fajita style and served with rice
and beans. Reservations accepted for parties of 10 or more. Lunch and dinner
daily. Credit cards. $$
SUPERIOR GRILL
3636 St. Charles Ave. 899-4200
www.superiorgrill.com
Superior Grill takes full advantage of its prime Uptown location for a full
dining/viewing/chill-out experience, offering daily lunch specials, Mexican specialties,
a vast tequila selection and year-round patio dining with a view of the Avenue.
Lunch options include Mexican combination plates, taco salads and mesquite-grilled
fish. Dinner provides a variety of Southwestern specialties, burgers or the Uptown
enchilada platter with shrimp, crawfish, and spinach and cheese enchiladas. Reservations
recommended for parties of eight or more. Breakfast Saturday, lunch and dinner
daily, late-night Friday and Saturday. Credit cards. $$
TAQUERIA CORONA
857 Fulton St. 524-9805
1827 Hickory Ave., Harahan 738-6722
3535 Severn Ave., Metairie 885-5088
5932 Magazine St. 897-3974
If Mexican food is a New Orleans tradition, Taqueria Corona is largely
responsible for its popularity. All tacos are made to order, including the carne
asada, which involves ribeye steak marinated in chimichurri sauce and grilled.
Numero Tres, the taqueria's most beloved combination platter, includes three
tacos, one flauta, one burrito, rice, beans and a house salad. No reservations.
Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $
TAQUEROS TAQUERIA-CANTINA
2723 Roosevelt Blvd., Kenner 441-8888
One of the area's upscale Mexican restaurants strives for originality in dishes
like the roasted poblano pepper stuffed with baked lamb, served over berry sauce
and topped with pecan cream sauce. The daily dessert selections vary daily, but
reliable offerings include the vanilla or coconut flan and coconut or Mexican
chocolate cheesecake. Reservations accepted. Lunch Wednesday through Saturday,
dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Credit cards. $$
VAQUEROS
4923 Prytania St. 891-6441
www.vaqueros-restaurant.com
With its unique interpretations of Southwestern cuisine, Vaqueros has remained
an Uptown favorite after a recent management change. Sample the shrimp quesadillas
and try one of their famous margaritas as you peruse the menu. The New York strip
steak is topped with chimichurri and served with grilled vegetables and sauteed
skillet potatoes with leeks in a Spanish blue cheese demi-sauce. Reservations
recommended for parties over six. Breakfast and brunch Sunday, lunch and dinner
daily. Credit cards. $$
VERA CRUZ
7537 Maple St. 866-1736
Vera Cruz offers south-of-the border food complemented by a wide selection
of vegetarian items and health-conscious standards. It's evident in the kitchen's
refusal to cook with lard,; further evidence is found in the whole-wheat tortillas
and the non-fat sour cream. The Cuban side of the menu features roasted pork
with garlic and caramelized onion (lechon asado), Cuban steaks, Cuban sandwiches,
and ropa vieja (shredded beef). Margarita pitchers are two-for-one Tuesdays and
Thursdays, while new top-shelf options include Hornitos frozen margaritas. Reservations
accepted. Lunch Thursday through Saturday, dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit
Cards. $
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