Review and
photos by Ted Broussard
Mexico Magico
Restaurant and Cantina is located at 1128 Broadway Plaza
“A Notch Up”
I don’t know
if it’s just my luck lately but we’ve been having trouble being able to find a
restaurant downtown on Friday and Saturday evenings that doesn’t have a
45-minute to hour-long wait for a party of two. For several weeks now, five or
six places we’ve tried on Pacific Avenue on a Friday night during the 6-8
p.m. range claimed “no room at the inn.” We’ve almost given up completely
on ever seeing the inside of The Matador, and several other restaurants in that
block seem to be full then too.
On a recent “where
can we go now venture,” we found room to spare at Mexico Magico, on Broadway
Plaza just down the street from Hotel Murano. Formerly an El Toro restaurant,
Magico delivers the predictable Mexican chain restaurant formula, but comes in
just a notch above on friendly service and authentic flavors. The owner/manager
is particularly friendly and welcoming, and service at tables is prompt and
professional. The chips flow freely with the requisite green and red salsas and
the portion size of entrees and appetizers is generous. They serve lunch and
dinner and the large menu at dinner has something for everyone.
On my most
recent visit, a friend and I started with the bean dip along with a couple of margaritas.
I went for the “House Margarita” while my health-conscious companion ordered a
“Skinny Margarita.” I thought my drink was fine but nothing remarkable, but
that may be more related to my drink choice. Given that they do stock quite a
collection of tequilas, other options might be a better plan. Thinking we
weren’t that hungry, we shared the Confetti Sampler Appetizer Plate for our
entrée, consisting of flautas, a quesadilla, and chicken nachos with sour
cream and guacamole. We were right. We weren’t hungry enough to even make a
good dent in the appetizer plate that could easily feed four. All was tasty and
a lot of food. On other visits, we’ve enjoyed the Carnitas de Cerdo (seasoned
boneless pork loin sautéed with bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes),
Fajitas Burrito (Strips of steak or chicken sautéed with bell peppers, onions
and tomatoes, topped with salsa roja and melted cheese with rice, beans and
pico de gallo) and Enchiladas Verdes (two enchiladas filled with chicken,
ground beef or cheese and topped with salsa verde and sour cream). All
were delicious and well prepared but nothing overly surprising other than the
portion size. The flavors are very good and authentic and I’d recommend sharing
an entrée for a minimum of two people.
I would
definitely go back to Mexico Magico. If you’re looking for good Mexican food
just like in a popular chain restaurant, this place will serve it up with great
service and a big welcome. It’s a comfortable, friendly place, and best of all,
I didn’t have to wait 45-minutes or an hour to be seated.
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