Anyone who lives in or near Dearborn Heights, MI knows all about Mexican Fiesta located on the North side of Ford road right before Telegraph. This restaurant has it’s upsides and it’s downsides, but it is still a good choice. Here is why…
Getting there and Parking
Downside
Getting to the restaurant is tough for most people. If you are heading East on Ford road, you actually have to turn BEFORE the restaurant (Vernon Street) or dread missing it because of the road divide that starts right at the side street (Drexel Street) that the restaurant is on. Mexican Fiesta is actually connected to another store. By turning on Vernon street, you can drive through that other stores parking lot to get to Mexican Fiesta…. but you are not guaranteed to find a spot! In fact, the parking lot plain sucks. It’s very small, very awkward, and you are very likely to have a hard time parking or getting out.
Upside
I suggest parking on one of the side streets, but we usually end up parking across the street in empty parking lot where Lone Star used to be because there’s always plenty of room there!
Getting in and Getting seated
Upside
Once you have a parking spot, you can actually get seated fairly quickly. Even if you have a party of 5-10, they can usually set up a table and get your whole party seated in 15-20 minutes. If you choose to eat at the bar/smoking section, you can usually get seated in just under 5 minutes. Small groups never wait long, even on a weekend night.
Downside
However, you may be annoyed with the layout of the rooms. In some rooms your party can end up right in the middle of a bunch of booths and you will feel as if everyone can hear your whole conversation. Further, even if you are just in a booth, you’ll find each room is pretty tight, making it a loud place to eat. I used to have my bday dinner there yearly, but it just started to feel like we were on display – plus my family altogether can be loud and you don’t really want to be in the middle of the room in that situation.
Ordering and Eating
Upside
You get lots of chips and salsa. Mmmmmmm! Most people I know cannot handle even the littlest bit of the hot sauce, but I like to mix the hot and mild together. Each person gets an individual bowl for sauce so you can do whatever you want! You can order queso (cheese) if you’d like and it is excellent – perhaps the best I’ve ever had.
The menu is similar to any Mexican restaurant with the left flap containing all the standards (Tostadas, Burritos, Tacos). The middle contains a lot of entrees that I never eat and rarely see anyone get! These include chimichangas, and you’ll be surprised to find some American food there as well. Basically there are options for everyone, even if you don’t like Mexican.
The “staples” for my friends and family are the Enchiladas in either Cheese, Beef or Chicken. My husband and some of my friends prefer the Chicken Tacos. I personally have been on a Bean and Cheese Tostada kick the last few times I went. When you order Tacos, Enchiladas, Burritos, or Tostadas, or anything else that is similar, you can order 2 or 3 of each and get rice on the side or rice and beans. I love pouring my salsa on the rice AND on my cheese enchiladas AND basically anything I order!
Let’s not forget the Mexican Fried Ice Cream which is what you normally get on your bday – mmmmmmmmmmmm is all I can say. If you are unfamiliar, it is basically deep fried Ice Cream. I know it sounds really weird but you have to trust me, it’s awesome!!!
Downside
This restaurant’s food can sometimes be greasy, and sometimes be fine. It’s kind of unpredictable. I stopped eating the cheese enchiladas for awhile because I thought they were getting too greasy, but every now and then I have a craving and I must have them!
Another downside is that when you go Mexican, as a vegetarian, the only things you can really order are all made of the same ingredients – tortilla shells, cheese and possibly beans. They may name the foods all different things, but it all comes down to the same ingredients. This makes it so although I love Mexican Fiesta, I will choose not to go there if I’m not in the mood for beans or cheese.
Looking around
Upside
The decor is Mexicanish. The thing I remember most is the bull fighter painting in one of the rooms. It is really the only memorable piece in the whole place!
Downside
Sometimes it feels hot in the restaurant. I don’t know if it’s because you feel packed in or because the lights are bright, but whatever it is sometimes I just feel stuffy!
Price
Upside
It’s cheap! I don’t feel bad eating there because I get to feel full, have leftovers, and still spend only about 20$ per couple! Not bad at all.
Downside
Sometimes they charge you for “hot chips” but it’s not very much – just stupid that they even charge you at all!
Extras
You can order ahead, and pick up your food to go! But you’ll have to already know the menu or grab a togo menu next time you go because they have not yet gone online. I worked near this place a few years ago and we did phone orders a couple of times with no problems and the food comes hot and ready to eat. You can also come to the restaurant and place a togo order, you won’t have to wait more than 20 minutes. We have done this a few times when we didn’t feel like eating at the restaurant but really wanted the Mexican food!
Conclusion
I do love Mexican Fiesta but it does have some issues. There’s something about the overall atmosphere that makes it an enjoyable experience – and keeps me coming back overtime. I don’t have much to say about the service really so I’ll just say: I’ve never had horrible service but I have had annoying servers who were forgetful. It’s just OK. I don’t go for the service, I definitely don’t go for the parking, but I go for the food and whatever it is that keeps drawing me back! Maybe it’s because it’s just a local attraction and I feel like it’s more of a “hometown” restaurant then all those chains I usually eat at. There is also a Mexican Fiesta II in Canton which is quite different, I will be writing about that soon. So if you are in the Dearborn Heights area, check out Mexican Fiesta anytime you can!
