“A Taste of Mexico”
If you’re ever looking for some authentic Mexican food without having to travel, you should try Tijuana’s Mexican Kitchen in Lincoln Park. My visit there was a great experience right from the start. When you step into the restaurant, you enter into an inviting Mexican atmosphere. The restaurant is decorated with sombreros, cactus, and paintings of salsa dancers. It is dimly lit, and has Mexican music playing in the background. Even if you weren't hungry upon your arrival, the delicious smell of all the food being prepared would make your stomach growl.
Dining is casual, and the food is moderately priced. The average dinner on the menu cost about ten dollars, appetizers anywhere from two to six dollars, and you could expect to pay about three dollars for a dessert. Their menu contains a wide assortment of Mexican foods. Some popular menu items are tacos, fajitas, and burritos. They also offer the option of a combination plate if you’re having trouble making up your mind. If you’re not a big fan of Mexican foods I wouldn’t suggest Tijuana’s however you could order soup or a salad. The restaurant also has a breakfast menu and a children’s menu.
I ate there with my family on a Friday night around six. The restaurant had quite a few people in it, but was not over crowded. The service was very good. We were seated shortly after we got there. They started us off by serving us chips and some of their homemade salsa we were given mild and hot sauce both salsas were very fresh, containing freshly cut tomatoes, parsley, and peppers. Shortly after the waitress was back to take our drink orders. One special thing you can get at Tijuana’s is Jarritos also known as Mexican pop. Jarritos come in many different fruit flavors such as apple and pineapple. All the bottles are labeled in Spanish, so if you’re like me you might have a little trouble knowing what flavor your getting, but Tijuana’s friendly staff will be happy to help you out. If you’ve never had Mexican pop before your missing out and it would be worth a trip to Tijuana’s just to experience it. In my opinion it is much more delicious and flavorful than the Pepsi and coke products we have here in the states. The serving staff was very kind and polite. Our meals came in good timing shortly after we had finished the chips and salsa. I ordered beef soft shell tacos, along with a side of tamales. The tamales came first. They were wrapped in a cornhusk and although tasted rather plain by themselves were delicious and full of flavor when I ate them with salsa. I was already starting to get full by the time my tacos came. My meal consisted of three tacos all were in warm soft shell flower tortillas, and had beef, partially melted cheese, and freshly cut tomatoes and lettuce on them. By the time I got around to eating the third taco the shell had started to get slightly soggy, but it was still delicious, and I finished every bite of it despite how full I was.
The inside and outside of the restaurant along with being decorated were also on a whole well kept up and clean, all the tables, silverware, and glasses were clean. The restrooms for the most part were well kept up they weren’t running out of things like toilet paper and soap, however the garbage can was starting to overflow.
Reservations are not required to dine at Tijuana’s however if you have a party of fifteen or more people it is recommended that you call ahead of time. Along with dining in Tijuana's Mexican Kitchen also offers carryout, and will cater any event, big and small parties. Their catering menu has individual items on it as well as large party trays containing a variety of different items to choose from. My experience at Tijuana’s Mexican Kitchen was a good one, and I would definitely dine there again. I would also recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good Mexican meal.
All Pictures from:http://www.tijuanasmexicankitchen.com/
