Maria's Mexican Restaurant

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There are a few things you need to keep in mind when eating lunch downtown on a weekday. First of all, good luck with the parking. Second, know your lunch specials. Third, never arrive at Maria’s any later than 11:30 a.m. Never. Arguably downtown’s most popular lunch spot, Maria’s is S.R.O. by noon on most days. I found this interesting, as the margaritas are the highlight and I didn’t see many of those accompanying enchiladas on tables. Pppfffflt. Lightweights.

The food
Pretty standard and largely unimaginative Mexican fare. The portions are plentiful and affordable, which makes up for the lack of any serious authenticity or creativity. The server appeared with a giant basket of tortilla chips and two small bowls of salsa. I was pretty disappointed with the salsa. I tend to like it on the spicier side and this was almost cloyingly sweet — like jarred tomato sauce. My dining partner and I split an order of Queso con Chili Verde. Unfussy but satisfying, the queso had a nice zip. For my main course I had the Choose Two option, which, as the name implies, allows you to choose two of either a hard or soft taco, an enchilada or a tostada filled with your choice of meat or cheese / bean for $6.95 (that’s the lunch price). I chose a ground beef soft taco and a chicken enchilada. I preferred the taco with its slight kick and manageable size. The enchilada’s chicken filling was on the dry side and I wasn’t crazy about the garlicky white sauce covering it. The side of beans and rice, however, were delicious. Big, spicy pinto beans with chunks of peppers topping basic rice were the best part of the meal – and also the smallest.  My lunch partner had the beef and bean El Burrito Ordinario served “Downtown Style” — meaning smothered in queso and enchilada sauce. This is her Maria’s go-to option, which she said is good, always consistent and way too big to finish. It’s true – it was huge, and for $6.45, a pretty dang filling bargain.

The drink
In my humble opinion, the real reason to come to Maria’s. They have a pretty impressive tequila selection so you can doll up your order any which way. In clear avoidance of getting fired, I staved off the temptation to order one during lunch and returned at a more respectable evening hour for the drink. The house margarita comprised house-made margarita mix and a generous pour of their featured tequila of the month, Sauza’s higher-end Tres Generaciones Plata. Margaritas usually mask any nuances of good tequila, but this one highlighted it. It was clean and crisp and the not-too-sweet margarita mix didn’t overpower the flavors. It was served in a tall glass and I tried, tried to drink it slowly. It was refreshing, about $7 and went straight to my head. Mission accomplished. Have fun with the myriad other combos or the full bar.

The scene
Casual, boisterous, friendly and youthful. When I returned that evening, the hectic lunch rush had been replaced by a handful of families with young children, happy-hour revelers and a less frazzled-looking staff. The interior is bright and peppy and larger than it looks from the outside. Booths, tables, four-tops and a bar offer ample seating options and the slightly open kitchen will give you a peak of what’s cracking with the food.

The bottom line
Perhaps not the most fantastic Mexican food you’ll ever have, but a good base for some great drinks. In their defense, someone close to our table ordered the fajitas and they looked delicious. I will return for those. Service is quick and friendly and the price is right if you are looking to eat your face off. A margarita and some queso would make the perfect after-work fix and the location will be what sells it for me in the future

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