Jalapenos restaurant shares many of the attributes of a good tortilla chip: It’s inexpensive, its flavor exceeds its beauty, and it’ll keep you coming back for more.
Open just four months, Jalapenos offers an array of authentic dishes. The cooking is orchestrated by owner/chef Irma Davila, with dishes made to order with fresh ingredients.
The decor is cheerful if slightly on the stark side. White tables are surrounded by white aluminum high-backed chairs. Delicate green floral wallpaper and curtains, with attractive and ample lighting, provide most of the charm. The restaurant is impeccably clean.
The beginning of a meal may well overshadow whatever follows. The requisite basket of crisp, fried tortilla chips and bowl of salsa appear promptly and venture beyond the conventional. Jalapenos dark red salsa is rich and spicy, with enough chilies to generate heat but not so much to rekindle memories of a forest fire. Fortunately, the server appears with water refills regularly.
The guacamole ($3.95 large; $2.75 small) is a great accompaniment to the salsa and a luscious beginning to a meal. It is rich and mellow, with a smattering of onion, cilantro and tomatoes. Or try the soft, delectable quesadillas ($3.75), their mild and ample chihuahua cheese enveloped in fresh flour tortillas. Sour cream and pico de gallo, a Mexican take on giardinara, are served on the side.
Several entrees depart from the usual. Dinners come with conventional versions of Spanish rice and beans, so it is the main dish that will be memorable.
Filet al mojo de ajo (fish fillet in garlic sauce, $7.75) is one big fillet. It is a thick, flaky piece of halibut, marinated in a butter and garlic sauce, and impeccably prepared, though the seasoning could have been bolder.
Fajitas ($8.50) are available in chicken or steak, but when a diner had trouble deciding, the server suggested a combination of both. The fajitas do not arrive on that ubiquitous sizzling platter–which may or may not suit your taste–but are served already blended with the fried onions on a platter with the beans and rice, and tortillas on the side. The different meats are well cooked and fresh, and nicely presented, but the chef could be bolder with the seasoning. Adding some of Jalapenos’ salsa will do the trick in a pinch.
If you’re hungry, the enormous platter of enchiladas suizas ($6.85 for beef), loaded with cheese, meat and sauce, will satisfy you.
Jalapenos also serves the tried-and-true array of Mexican staples: tacos ($1.35 each), burritos ($2.95 each) and tostadas ($1.50 apiece), as well as combinations of these favorites.
For dessert, a light option is the flan ($1.75), one of the better versions of this Mexican custard. Jalapenos’ creation is creamy and attractive with the right amount of syrup. We enjoyed the not-too-sweet flavors of the chocolate and the coconut; Kahlua and vanilla also are offered.
What you won’t be able to enjoy is a margarita or Mexican beer. There’s no liquor license yet (and you cannot bring your own). Soft drinks, including Jarritos flavored sodas from Mexico ($1.25), are available, as are coffee and tea.
(two forks)
9600 S. Pulaski Rd.,
10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Mon. -Sat.; closed sun.
No credit cards
Wheelchair accessible
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RATINGS KEY: 4 forks: Top of the class 3 forks: Better than most 2 forks: Very good fare 1 fork: Middle of the road
