South Tenampa

It's good

Some friends recommended this place when I mentioned that my husband and I really love Mexican food and would be in the area.  I'm glad they did!  It's a bit out of the way, but worth the drive.  We actually started out going to the other location, in Central City (West End) but when we got there, we found out that that location did not serve margaritas or Dos Equiis beer on draught, so we headed out to this, more distant location.

The decor of the place is very festive.  All the furniture is carved and painted, and very colorful.  The staff greeted us at the door and were very friendly.  Several waiters stopped by to take drink orders, bring chips and salsa, and check on us.  Their understanding of English was limited, but they were patient and worked with us to be sure that they got our order right.

The dish my husband wanted wasn't on the menu, so the waiter took down his description and brought out the correct dish.  My husband liked it, but said the chicken enchiladas with ranchero sauce were a little bland.  I got a cheese enchilada with chile rellenos, however, and my dish was perfect!  The chile rellenos were especially good.  They were covered in ground beef, which I usually don't like, but the rellenos were cooked perfectly and the red sauce was very rich and flavorful.  The rice was a little bland, but the refried beans were obviously handmade and not canned, and very delicious.

My husband ordered his favorite Dos Equiis on draught, which is hard to find around here.  They brought a huge, "German Sized" beer that was ice cold, just the way he likes it.  My margarita was smaller than I expected and not frozen... but it was very good!  It wasn't overly-sweet like many margaritas served in restaurants.  I would love to have the recipe!

The salsa and chips were perfect, too.  I think the chips were made in the store, because they seemed to be made from the same tortillas that the enchiladas were wrapped in.  THey did not appear to be straight out of a bag.  They were hot and straight out of the fryer.  The salsa was amazing, too -- not spicy, but very flavorful.  My husband thought it had a little too much cilantro for his liking, but I loved the flavor.

I am a fan!   I don't go to Lavalette very often, but will make the trip to visit South Tenampa!