Las Margaritas Mexican Cuisine

Run, don’t walk, to this New Mexican restaurant located at 12220 Shelbyville Rd. The restaurant has been open for three months. It leans Mayan, Oaxaca. Mark had the Tlayollos Con Puerco and I had the Chiles Poblanos. I was hesitant to order the dish since their description had the poblanos stuffed with Chihuahua cheese. I loath the flavor and texture of that cheap cheese but I am convinced this was not what these poblanos were stuffed with. Plated in a light chili broth these Chile’s Poblanos were amazing. I wish I had taken a photo. Mark’s dish was beautifully presented, tasty and unusual. I plan to try all their house specials. This is world class cooking in a beautiful setting with a full bar.

[Robin Garr]

<lacing up running shoes>

Thanks, Madeline!

Sounds great. I'm finding I'm a huge Oaxacan fan. Also, your comment about Chihuahua cheese sparked a thought for me. While I'm pretty much entirely non-conversant in the language of cheese, I wonder if this might be a case where we've only been exposed to the 'cheap stuff,' and what you had was the 'good stuff.' Again, I have no clue, I just ask because my interest was piqued by your comment.

[Robin Garr]

Sounds great. I'm finding I'm a huge Oaxacan fan.

Looks like our local Oaxaca exposure is growing, too! La Lupita, El Mariachi, now this. Buen provecho!

Thanks Madeline, we go by there all the time but haven't noticed the restaurant. Right now our favorite Mexican restaurant is La Cocina de Mama over at Hurstbourne but we are always looking for new restaurants.

The food looks good from the pictures on the website but unfortunately like many restaurants these days they really don't have a readable menu online. This is true for both their Facebook page and the website.

I'll have to get out and explore. My main turnoff with most of the Mexican places I've tried, other than Las Gorditas, is that they're all variations on Tumbleweed.

I'll have to get out and explore. My main turnoff with most of the Mexican places I've tried, other than Las Gorditas, is that they're all variations on Tumbleweed.

I'm thinking you will not find that to be the case at the spots featuring Oaxacan faire, my favorite being La Lupita in Clarksville. While they have traditional items such as enchiladas and quesadillas, they also have much more unique dishes like entomatadas, enfrijoladas, and tacloyos. You certainly won't find those at Tumbleweed.

The food looks good from the pictures on the website but unfortunately like many restaurants these days they really don't have a readable menu online. This is true for both their Facebook page and the website.

The menu is readable on my iPhone using Safari FWIW. Maybe it’s your browser.

https://issuu.com/bliones/docs/the_mara ... _2019/1?ff

Mark, we like La Cucina Di Mama too, and it’s good, but now that we have discovered this place I doubt we will be back. There are too many new and interesting dishes that you don’t find in many Mexican restaurant.

With regards to the Chihuahua cheese, it could be true that I have only been exposed to the processed version. From my experience the texture of the Chihuahua cheese is more like American or Velveeta. It leaves a film on your tongue. The cheese in the Poblano had the chew and the stretch of Oaxaca cheese, which I love.

I hope I don’t oversell this place but I really was impressed and selfishly want it to succeed.

Mark, we like La Cucina Di Mama too, and it’s good, but now that we have discovered this place I doubt we will be back. There are too many new and interesting dishes that you don’t find in many Mexican restaurant.

With regards to the Chihuahua cheese, it could be true that I have only been exposed to the processed version. From my experience the texture of the Chihuahua cheese is more like American or Velveeta. It leaves a film on your tongue. The cheese in the Poblano had the chew and the stretch of Oaxaca cheese, which I love.

I hope I don’t oversell this place but I really was impressed and selfishly want it to succeed.

Well, Laura and I normally concur with your reviews of restaurants and don't have any reason to doubt this 1. We've deftly put it on her shortlist of restaurants to try. We are about halfway in between the 2 so distance isn't really consideration.

Did they go in where Nahyla's was? I only ate at Nahyla's once, but the food was good. I'm not sure they ever obtained their liquor license, and that can really break a restaurant if they had been counting on it.

Sounds great. I'm finding I'm a huge Oaxacan fan. Also, your comment about Chihuahua cheese sparked a thought for me. While I'm pretty much entirely non-conversant in the language of cheese, I wonder if this might be a case where we've only been exposed to the 'cheap stuff,' and what you had was the 'good stuff.' Again, I have no clue, I just ask because my interest was piqued by your comment.

I think it's more of a case of several places advertising Chihuahua cheese on their menu, but *actually* using shredded white American/melt cheese.

Good point, Adrian. Again, I profess cheese-illiteracy, but I do know that I've experienced widely divergent characteristics from the supposedly same cheese (typed while literally popping cubes of a couple of different English cheddars, pardon the smudge). Of course that is to be expected of different labels and even different countries of origin. But yes, good old cost-cutting should always be a primary suspect.

Sorry for the delay in this input...I've had some technical challenges that I've had to overcome to be able to get back into the site.

When Madeline first posted this, I was very intrigued because I live basically "down the way" from Middletown Plaza! I went there for lunch that very day, and man am I glad I did!

What I found was not your run of the mill Mexican place, but a warm, friendly, creative, and FRESH family run establishment!

I had the Chilies Pablanios as well, and was not disappointed in the least. The spice level was perfect, and the cheese was incredible! And I topped of the meal with a delightful Flan.

I echo Madeline's "Run don't walk"! The place is foodie worthy, and hopefully it will have the staying power needed for that spot!

I had lunch there last Tuesday - Huevos Rancheros, so delicious and so fresh! My lunch companion raved about his meal, but for the love of me, I can't remember what he ordered. Each of us also had the prickly pear margarita, yes, prickly pear margarita, made with fresh prickly pears. I blew both my mind and taste buds away!