Tag: mexican restaurant

Los Chapos Tacos Opens In The Same Plaza On S.R. 54 As Fazoli’s

Los Chapos Tacos, a small local chain of authentic fast-casual Mexican restaurants that began as a food truck business, has opened its new fourth location at 24799 W. S.R. 54 in Land O’Lakes, in the same small strip retail center as Fazoli’s.

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you much about the food at the new Los Chapos Tacos because the restaurant cooks all of its food on the same grills and there are a few shrimp options on the menu.

This kind of bummed me out because there are several unique options on the menu, including Guacamole de Chicharron — slow-braised pork belly finished on the grill with Asian BBQ sauce, served over hand-smashed guacamole with queso fresco, cilantro and chips. I’d also be interested in sampling the elotes appetizer, or Mexican street corn on the cob, with cotija cheese, chipotle aioli, lime and tajin.

There also are house specialties like the Torta Ahogada or “drowned sandwich,” which is a version of the signature sandwich of Guadalajara, with crunchy-outside sourdough bread filled with shredded “Birria” beef and melted cheese, with a spicy dipping sauce on the side. The same birria beef is available on tacos, and there also are “Surf ‘N’ Turf” tacos with grilled steak and shrimp, corn salsa, avocado and chipotle cream on a grilled flour tortilla.

Jannah and I just couldn’t leave without at least letting her sample something and she ended up having that birria beef on a tasty grilled quesadilla with melted cheese (top photo). She said it was delicious, but I (heavy sigh) simply had to take her word for it.

She also tried and enjoyed the lavender sangria (photo right), and Los Chapos Tacos would probably be a place we would frequent fairly often if I could eat the food. My Victoria Mexican beer was ice cold and unlike most fast-casual establishments, the restaurant does have a limited (and cute) full-liquor bar with several different tequilas available (above left photo) to make your favorite margaritas.

Considering that it has two grills in the kitchen, if they could keep one grill dedicated to non-shrimp orders, people like me could still enjoy it.

But, as one manager-in-training told me, “Even if we could do that, we’d still need both grills when we get busy.” Truly sad for me.

Los Chapos Tacos opens for lunch & dinner every day at 11 a.m., except Sun. (when it’s closed). For more info, call (813) 868-3056 or visit LosChaposTacos.com. — GN

Cinco de Mayo Festivities at Azteca D’Oro & at both Don Julio’s Mexican restaurant locations

Both Azteca D’Oro in the Shops at Wiregrass (see ad below) and the two Don Julio’s locations (see ad below) will host huge celebrations — with mariachis, food & drink specials and more — for Cinco de Mayo on Saturday the 4th, and the celebrations also will continue on Sunday, the 5th, at both Don Julio’s locations.

Azteca D'Oro cinco de mayo Don Julio mexican restaurant New Tampa Wesley Chapel

Señor Tequila — New Menu Items Add To Already Authentic Flavors

The pollo Tapatio (top), ceviche (below right), Elote (Mexican street corn) (below left) and Xango (fried cheesecake) (Bottom right) dessert are all among our editor’s favorites at Señor Tequila in The Shoppes at New Tampa Plaza on BBD Blvd. south of S.R. 56. (All photos by Charmaine George)

If it’s been a while since you first visited Señor Tequila — the Mexican restaurant that took over the former Bonefish Grill space in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza (on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., south of S.R. 56) in May of 2021 — you should probably give it another try.

Wesley Chapel Señor Tequila owner Alvaro Mellado and his family have opened and been operating all five of the restaurant’s locations — the original of which opened in Winter Springs (in the Orlando area) ten years ago, although Mellado also owns the location on N. Dale Mabry Hwy. in Carrollwood and opened a new one a year ago in Clearwater. Even so, the Wesley Chapel location recently got an impressive menu upgrade that likely will have it moving up in our readers’ rankings in the 2024 Dining Survey.

Every restaurant these days seems to have — and many people love — Mexican street corn (“Elote” in Spanish), but photographer Charmaine George and I really enjoyed Señor Tequila’s new version, which covers corn on the cob sections on skewers with mayo, cotija cheese and queso sauce, cilantro and tajin seasoning.

My favorite new appetizer, however (which should come as a surprise to no one) is the ceviché, which is a new item normally served as a trio of lime-marinated fresh fish, shrimp and octopus, but I had to get mine with fish only, since I’m allergic to the shrimp. Señor Tequila’s version of this favorite adds fresh tomatoes, red onions, avocado and tajin. The fish was tilapia, which isn’t always my favorite, but the flavor was delicate and tangy and the tomatoes and avocadoes were a nice touch, too.

We also sampled the super-tasty pollo Tapatio (Tapatio is the name given to people from Guadalajara, Mexico, as well as a brand of hot sauce). The dish features grilled chicken breast sauteéd with onions, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and poblano peppers and is served with rice and the Mexican bandera salad (guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo) and your choice of tortillas. The chicken was tender and tasty, but not at all spicy, and the sautéed veggies were excellent.

Although I’m still more partial to the sizzling chicken and steak fajitas at Señor Tequila, Wesley Chapel marketing rep (and sometime server and weekend bartender) Dafne Dominguez says that among the most popular dishes are the brochetas — skewered steak, chicken, bacon, onions, and bell peppers that are marinated in a special house sauce with chile guajillo (a sweet type of pepper) and is served with rice. Please note that the brochetas are slow-cooked for 20 minutes and since everything at Señor Tequila is made fresh to order, you will wait for it. Please also take into account that if you prefer your steak medium rare to rare, it is hard have it that way on the same skewers as chicken, which has to be cooked all the way through. But, the flavor was excellent.

Other top sellers at Señor Tequila include the steak Monterrey (skirt steak with a poblano pepper stuffed with shrimp and veggies, topped with creamy habanero pesto sauce), the birria tacos and the monster super burrito with your choice of beef or chicken.

Save room for dessert, because not only does Señor Tequila serve delicious lava chocolate cake and flan, but also the ever-popular fried ice cream (with vanilla ice cream rolled in corn flakes, topped with caramel), as well as mine and Charmaine’s new favorite — the Xango (pronounced “Chang-o”), which is creamy cheesecake wrapped in a pastry tortilla and fried until golden brown, covered with cinnamon and caramel. Decadent!

Señor Tequila’s full, premium liquor bar also is now featuring new bartender-created drinks, including a “True Blue” organic margarita, an Añejo old fashioned, sangritas (house frozen margarita with a sangria floater) and many more. The bar features a huge selection of tequilas and mezcals, from the usual favorites to top shelf and even many rare finds — and Happy Hour is Mon.-Fri., 3 p.m.-5 p.m..

Señor Tequila (1640 BBD Blvd.) is open every day for lunch & dinner and delivery through Doordash is available. For reservations (not required), orders or more info, call (813) 428-5411, visit TheSenorTequila.com.

Alvaro Mellado Dafne Dominguez mexican mexican food mexican restaurant Senor Tequila Wesley Chapel

Gary’s 2023 Favorite Mexican Restaurants In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel

Every restaurant on this list has at least one Mexican dish I like, but the 2023 opening of Azteca D’Oro and its more authentic menu (with items like the chicken taquitos shown here), plus great “vibe” nudged it past Cantina, which has equally great fajitas, and Señor Tequila, which revamped its menu in 2023.

1. Azteca D’Oro

2. Cantina Real Mexican

3. Señor Tequila

4. Vallarta’s Mexican Restaurant

5. Tacos El Patron

2023 Gary Favorites 2023 Garys Favorite Mexican Azteca D’Oro Cantina Real Mexican Garys Favorites mexican restaurant New Tampa Señor Tequila Tacos El Patron Vallarta’s Mexican Restaurant Wesley Chapel

Check Out The New Azteca D’Oro Mexican Restaurant!

Congratulations to co-owners Victor and Armando Ramos of the ninth family-owned location of Azteca D’Oro, in the space previously occupied by Cantina Laredo in the Shops at Wiregrass.

Azteca Wesley Chapel opened on June 19 and hosted an incredible Grand Opening event the weekend of June 24-25, with a mariachi band and dancers all in traditional Mexican garb — and Victor says that mariachis will play “every Thursday, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.”

However, while the “fiesta” music was great and the completely revamped restaurant — which now features not only outdoor seating, but seats both inside and out at the extra-large bar — is beautiful, without great food, it would all mean next to nothing.

But, while Azteca D’Oro definitely isn’t an inexpensive place to eat, the food options include such upscale authentic entrées as borrego (marinated, seasoned and baked lamb shank) and molcajete (steak, chicken, chorizo sausage and shrimp over onions and green peppers in a mildly spicy sauce), plus favorites like the thickest-ever chicken-stuffed taquitos appetizer (above left), which four people can share, and, of course, great combo fajitas (shown, above), of which my favorites were the pork carnitas fajitas, and a huge menu of other authentic specialties for lunch and dinner, including delicious tableside-made guacamole finished with real bacon.

*Churros & ice cream for dessert? Yes, please!*

And, do not miss the caramel-stuffed churros and ice cream (photo, right) for dessert!

The ultra-premium bar features many upscale tequilas and mezcals, as well as a unique margarita flight of four different favorites, plus specialty cocktails like the Mexican classic Paloma (José Cuervo Tradicional Reposado tequila, fresh lime & Squirt grapefruit soda).

Azteca D’Oro (2000 Piazza Ave., Unit 170) is open every day for lunch and dinner. For more information, visit Aztecadoro.com.

Azteca D Oro Azteca D'Oro mexican restaurant restaurant shops at wiregrass Wesley Chapel Wiregrass Mall