For great Mexican food, you don’t have to run for the Mexican border. Just head west to the Lake County border where you’ll find Mariachi’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina. Mariachi’s opened in early October just east of the I-90 overpass at 28611 Euclid Ave. in Wickliffe .
Faux brick and stone accents along with paintings of rural Mexico decorate the orange and yellow walls of the large, airy restaurant. Named for the groups of musicians who wear big sombreros, play big guitars and strum out a big sound, Mariachi’s restaurant is authentic Mexican.
There’s nothing more Mexican than mariachis except perhaps tequila. The room is dominated by a square bar accessible on all four sides where the first margarita has yet to be mixed. While it seems a shame to have mariachis without tequila, owner Ignacio Angel (Ahn-hell) said he will have a liquor license soon.
We munched chips and salsa while perusing the menu. Made from fresh tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic, onions and cilantro, the salsa was excellent. While we ate, a man entered the restaurant with an empty gallon-sized Arizona iced tea container. He requested a fill-up of salsa. Angel was happy to oblige.
Angel takes pride in serving dishes made from the freshest ingredients and the salsa is no exception. He even makes his own chorizo, or Mexican sausage. He uses old family recipes passed down from a long line of restaurant owners.
“The fewer cans I use, the better,” he said. “I don’t put anything canned in there but some spices. That’s why it’s different.”
Daring dishes
The menu has choices for everyone from the hamburger and french fry eater to the most diehard authentic Mexican food lover. Lengua, beef tongue prepared a couple of different ways and ceviche, marinated seafood cocktail with white fish, tomato, onion, avocado, chiles and cilantro, are two of the more daring dishes.
The luncheon plate ($7.50) gives you a choice of any two items from a list of six items — taco, taquito, chalupa, burrito, tamale or chimichanga.
Each has a choice of fillings including grilled steak, shredded beef, chorizo, roasted pork, barbecue pork, shrimp, chicken, beef tongue and vegetarian. Appetizers, soups, six types of nachos, dips, salads, chicken, pork, beef, seafood and more fill the menu. The Acapulco salad ($7.50) caught my eye — a bed of lettuce topped with grilled shrimp and scallops, onions, cheese and tomatoes.
Many items can be ordered for two such as the fajitas. One of the more expensive items is the Pescado Veracruzano ($15), poached white fish in a mildly spicy tomato sauce with olives and capers. Another is the Camarones a la Mama Goya ($15), shrimp on the grill with zucchini, squash, onions and jalapeños. Steaks prepared three different ways are just $13.
Originally from Guadalajara , Mexico , Angel is no stranger to restaurant work. He worked in his uncle’s restaurant for seven years. Other family members own restaurants all over the state.
Angel says his restaurant is a family operation. Our waiter, Miguel Cobarubia, grew up in Mexico with Angel. Miguel’s brother is a cook at the restaurant. He tries to make customers feel at home.
“Presentation, respect and a friendly smile,” Angel said. “I do the best I can. It’s up to others to say how good it is.”
His favorite item on the menu is the chile rellenos (literally refilled chiles). They are filled with Chihuahua cheese that he buys direct from Mexico . However, the best-selling menu items are the fajitas. Diners have their choice of steak, chicken or shrimp fajitas. Steak or chicken are $11, shrimp fajitas are $16.
Fajitas Mariachi ($14.50) is a combination of chicken, beef and shrimp with sautéed onions, green peppers, broccoli and mushrooms. Lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo (a chunky tomato salsa), flour tortillas, rice and beans come on the side.
Scratch cook
Angel makes all his marinades and sauces from scratch. He makes cream sauces, red and green sauces and several moles (mo-lays) — sauces made from chili peppers of various types, some even made with chocolate and peanut butter.
Of course we had to try the flan ($4), Mexican-style custard with vanilla sauce, for dessert. We also had the sopapillas ($2), a tortilla cut in pieces and drizzled with butter, honey and chocolate sauce then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
The restaurant has space for business meetings for up to 100 people. The room can be divided into two smaller rooms to hold 50. It is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. , Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. , and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.
I left stuffed, armed with my own much smaller container of salsa and a promise to be back for dinner, tequila and mariachi music. I recommend trying both lunch and dinner at Mariachi’s. That way you can try more of the many menu items and you won’t have to worry about returning to the office with tequila on your breath.
Laura Freeman reviews restaurants regularly for the Lake County Business Journal. |
