Fiesta Ole
1116 Chestnut Street, Emmaus
(610) 966-5522
I'm always skeptical of ethnic restaurants that try too hard to sound ethnic; to wit: Fiesta Ole. It sounds too contrived. And considering the restaurant inhabits a former "Golden Corral" location, I didn't know what to expect. Word on the street was generally positive, so I ditched my preconceived notions and tried it.
In general, Fiesta Ole seems to do a respectable job delivering the conventional Mexican fare. Menu selections don't stray too far from the expected: fajitas, quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos. A handful of specialty chicken and steak dishes appear (pollo loco, a marinated chicken breast, and carne asada), but they're nothing extraordinary.
Visiting for lunch limited my options. After munching on some tasty tortilla chips with a thin but fresh-tasting salsa, I enjoyed a plate of fajitas. The kitchen cut the chicken into small, bite-size pieces -- a nice improvement over the chunks usually found on fajita trays. The marinade imparted a nice citrus seasoning without being overly hot. (I added some habanero sauce to compensate.) The veggies were fresh and cooked crisp-tender. Nicely done. My friend, Rob, had chicken mole (called Mole Ranchero on the menu) for the first time. It was a hit. He offered me a bite. I found the mole to have more chocolate than others I've tried -- a bit too much, but still rich and creamy.
If you don't mind driving outside of the Lehigh Valley, I'd highly recommend Los Sarapes, a Mexican restaurant in Horsham. The menu is much more imaginative and inventive than anything I've experienced in the Lehigh Valley, yet without losing the Mexican flair. It's BYO -- and they give you a free margarita with each entree. Mmmmm.
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7 comments:
I'm really glad you have this site! It's been great reading your reviews. I love ethnic foods, and I live in Lehigh Valley, so this is great. I hope you continue to post from time to time!
you should try Casa Blue in Bethlehem
Where is Casa Blue? Do you mean Cactus Blue on Schoenersville Road?
I highly recommend Amigo Mia in Allentown. I've been going there basically since I was born
Our personal fav is La Cocina Mexicana on the main drag in Kutztown. They used to have a place on the 600 block of Linden in Allentown, but the city took back the building. Now we drive to Kutztown when we crave Mexican food.
I like Fiesta Ole and their sister restaurants, Alebrije, in Berks county, but my favorite Mexican Restaurant is La Cocina Mexicana in Kutztown. La Cocina is one of the best Mexican restaurants in the state. All food is prepared from fresh ingredients. They will gladly cater to special needs such as vegetarian or lactose-free. They have an extensive menu with very reasonable prices. They were selected to serve President G W Bush's entourage when he visited Kutztown in 2004. The decor is festive authentic Mexican to match the authentic Mexican food. I am on a low-fat diet, so I order veggie or chicken entrees without cheese or sour cream. They gladly do this. The proprietor is Sal Quintero. He is very personable, and will be glad to make your visit enjoyable. The only warning, the green sauce is HOT. The red sauce is very mild though. I highly recommend La Cocina Mexicana!
Dined at Los Sarapes once. It was over-priced and not great. Four others at my table seemed satisfied their meals, but they did not rave about them. Mine was just plain awful - a salmon dish that smelled and tasted rotten. I didn't complain, though, because I didn't want to create a stir while on a double date. I just sort of pushed it aside and ate the side dishes and drank the Tequiala (the best part about this place is the selection of Tequilas).
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