
Fiesta Jalisco is a place that CaJohn turned us on to after the Fiery Foods Festival last month. We all went as a group after the show and had a blast. Aside from the good company, this place was an amazing find. The atmosphere is great. The food is great. The people are great. And we have been back several times since.
Let’s start with the menu.

They have your typical Mexican food fare here, but they also have some things that you won’t normally see. But sometimes it’s what’s NOT on the menu. I’ll get to that in a second. First, check out this salsa. This is their mild salsa. They also have a spicy version which is good, but honestly, we prefer the mild. I think this might be a first for us. The reason the mild is so great is the fresh tomato and cilantro. It’s served cool and is more than tasty…it’s fantastic! I’m not putting down the spicy salsa. If you like it spicy, definitely give it a try. It has a heartier and smokier flavor, but still equally yummy.

Now for what’s NOT on the menu. We found out about these because we were with CaJohn, and thank God because it’s one of the best finds we’ve ever made. The picture below is fried jalapeños. They split them along the pepper and then deep fry them. No batter. No additional spices. Nothing but the pepper and, man, are they great! We order at least 2 plates of them when we’re there. We have done everything from eating them straight from the plate to cutting them up and putting them in our food. Last night we took an order home too. They are great additions to home made food here in the house. I’m serious here…if we could take a case of them home, we would. They’re THAT good! If you want these, all you have to do is ask for fried jalapeños or chiles fritos. They are $0.75 an order. Not too shabby.

We were talking last night about the potential for them to do other stuff off the menu. We might try next time. We’re pretty sure that they would at least make moderate accommodations. Like I said, we might try that next time.
Joe and I usually like similar dishes when we go out for dinner. Usually, if I pick something he had in mind he will choose something else just to be different. This time he didn’t. We were both jonesing for this dish called Steak Mexicano (pictured below). Like everything else we’ve tried there, this was amazing. It was best spooned into a tortilla with a little of every item on the plate and one of the fried jalapeños right on top. We both highly recommend it.

Joe didn’t take a picture of my margarita, but I actually love one type of margarita they have there. It’s called the Green Iguana. It’s pretty amazing and packs a little punch. I promise that’s not what makes the food so good, though. We went there for an early lunch a couple of weeks ago and I didn’t have it at 11am.
We actually go out of our way to dine at this particular restaurant. Also, it has ruined us for our previous favorite Mexican restaurant that so pales in comparison it can’t even be mentioned here. So, a big thanks to John for introducing us to one terrific place. If you’re in Columbus, it’s definitely worth your time. Oh, and don’t forget to call us and John…we’ll meet you there!
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So how does this rank in comparison to El Coyote in Los Angeles? Since I’ve been back to Cleveland, I have been dissappointed with every Mexican place I’ve been too.
I feel like coming to Columbus in two or three weeks to try this place………ugh…not much money though. Then again, I feel like doing another road trip…hmmm….
Comment fired by Jonathan Passow — March 12, 2008- 8:52 pm
The Fried Jals are finished with fresh lime juice and a bit of seasoned salt. They are fantastic. A bit like Russian Roulette though, you never know when you will get a hot one!
Comment fired by CaJohn — March 12, 2008- 11:20 pm
The “Chiles Fritos” are absolutely to die for!!!! Definitely going back for more on my next trip up!
Comment fired by MSK — March 13, 2008- 12:31 am
Jonathan, if you want great Mexican food (and inexpensive too) close to you, check out El Rincon on Arlington Road in Akron. I’ve never had anything really hot from there other than their hot salsa but you have to ask for it or you get mild by default. But still the food is great and the price is right.
Comment fired by KactusJake — March 13, 2008- 4:25 pm
I’ll definitly check it out, thanks Jake!
Comment fired by Jonathan Passow — March 13, 2008- 5:39 pm
I tried out this place for the first time today for lunch. The chiles fritos are GREAT!!! Got me an order to go too. If I had known ahead of time how good these were I would have just ordered 5 plates of them and made a meal out of them. Personally, I liked the hotter version of their salsa much better. It’s not super hot but by the time I finished the molcajete I had a little sweat forming on the brow. It’s loaded with green onions but I couldn’t determine the cause of the heat. I’d guess it was from jalapenos. Another great item not on the menu are the cebollitas (grilled green onions with a little oil and salt and pepper).
Someone in the booth in front of me was in agony after asking for Jalisco’s hottest sauce. I asked the waiter what burned the customer and he brought me a bottle of Black Mamba but I passed and asked for a milder sauce. He brought me Mystery Sauce. It’s not a very hot sauce but it tastes great.
I informed the waiter that I work for CaJohn’s and offered him some powdered naga jolokia (never leave home without it) but he knew better and told me that “CaJohn always brings a sauce for me to try and then he burns me and my ears turn real red and then he laughs at me. I like Cojones but that is my limit.”
My only disappointment is that they don’t deliver 15 miles away.
Comment fired by KactusJake — March 17, 2008- 5:37 pm
LOL!!
:lol:
Great comment KactusJake!
I’ve eaten there on both of my trips to Columbus now. Great place to eat.
J&L, great article and pics. I especially like the pic of the “Gator” peppers as Wanza called them my first visit there. When you hold the pepper sideways, the split in the pepper makes it look like a gator. LOL!!! And you’re right, they ARE delicious!
Comment fired by DK — March 18, 2008- 7:29 am