Tia Juana’s Mexican Grille and Cantina

May 14, 2010

Roswell, New Mexico – Today marks my second visit to Tia Juana’s. The first time we went with a large group. I was really into the company and conversation (and the food) then so I didn’t consider writing a review about it… until many days afterward. Of course, by then I didn’t recall that much about the experience. But I do remember them having quite a large selection of desserts for a Mexican restaurant. I had never had a fried Snickers® bar before. They make them here so I had one here. (Ironically, I had my camera with me the first visit and didn’t plan to write a review. Today I planned to write a review and left the camera in the hotel. All I had available was the cell phone cam).

Tia Juana’s is owned by Jeff Wilson. Wilson also owns Cattle Baron Steak and Seafood Restaurant and The Snazzy Pig, both of which I’ve reviewed here in Kanale Eats. One of the things I like about Tia Juana’s is that they make their own tortillas right here in the restaurant. They are made by a tall, glass-enclosed machine. If you get there at the right time you can see them being prepared.

When you enter the restaurant you soon get a feel of old Mexico, especially on the south side of the eatery. You have a few different seating choices. There is a bar. There’s a festively decorated area complete with strung lights and a huge cactus. There are several raised booths. Tables and solid wooden chairs are in the center section. There is a heavy southwestern accent in the décor including Native American blankets draped over the booth backs. Lots of thick wood is used throughout the place. The wooden railings have several figures that appear to be huge arrangements of…tacos! Photos of scenes from old Mexico embellish the walls. I’ve been past Tia Juana’s more than a dozen times, even stayed several times in the hotel nearby but cannot remember for sure if they have an outdoor dining area. I think they do but don’t quote me on it.

Today was kind of slow even though there was a graduation at the nearby school. I walked past the waiting area right up to the hostess stand. I was seated right away in one of the booths. My waitress came shortly after I was seated. Because I was in sampler mode it took me a while to decide what I wanted. I settled on something called Mexican Flag Enchiladas. This is a group of three enchiladas done three different ways. You’ll see more on this in a minute. My waitress went to place my order and soon returned with the iced tea I requested.

Meanwhile the ubiquitous chips and salsa arrived. I started munching on these while trying to keep in mind that I was going to be having a pretty big dinner a few hours later. There was nothing really noteworthy about the chips or the salsa. They were good enough to keep eating throughout the meal, though. Nothing special about the iced tea, either.

When my meal arrived I was pretty hungry. The plate was full; rice, refried beans with shredded cheese, and my Mexican Flag Enchiladas. I also ordered some flour tortillas on the side for two reasons: 1) to have with the refried beans, and 2), to see what their home/machine-made tortillas tasted like.

So what exactly are ‘Mexican Flag’ Enchiladas? As you know, the colors of the Mexican flag are red, white, and green. Enchilada number one is a ground beef-filled affair covered with a deep red enchilada sauce. Number two is filled with chicken breast and covered in a white sour cream sauce. Number three contains shredded beef and is covered with green enchilada sauce. 

Usually I will eat the rice first. I’ve had so much Mexican/Spanish rice over the years that unless the taste stands out, I just mindlessly consume it. The rice here was no standout. Not to say it wasn’t good. It’s just that it takes a really extraordinary plate of rice to get me excited about it.

Refried beans are the same way. But I do like the taste of beans better than rice so I spend more time savoring them. Nothing much out of the ordinary here, either. I placed some of the beans inside the tortilla. How were those fresh-made tortillas? They were good but had a heavy flour taste to them. Tia Juana’s could have used a little less flour and would have created a better-tasting product. Other than that, they did taste fresh.

In reverse order of preference, here’s how the enchiladas break down:

Red – Overpowered by the ground beef. I didn’t really like the taste of the beef, either. That may be in small part because I don’t eat much ground beef anymore. I think it was the way it was seasoned that turned me off. The sauce was good but not good enough to make up for the rest of the enchilada.

White – Given a choice, in almost every case I will choose dark meat chicken simply because I find the breast too dry. Such was the case with this enchilada. The meat was dry. I could see the sour cream sauce on the enchilada but couldn’t really taste it. I would have to say ‘so-so’ to this one, mainly because outside of the dry chicken breast it didn’t have much going on in the flavor department.

Green – Ok, now we’re getting somewhere. The shredded beef was savory. Good enough to want more of. And the green sauce was very good. (I wonder if it was made from the famous New Mexico green chiles). I could definitely go for a full order of the green enchiladas. I guess that’s the beauty of a sampler; you get to try a lot for a little and hopefully you’ll find something you like.

Had I based the rating on today’s meal, Tia Juana’s would have received a lower grade. I’m basing the rating on today’s experience plus what I remember of my initial trip here. Thus, the half-point higher score. That, and their comparatively wide choice of desserts.

If you are looking for Mexican food, Tia Juana’s is a good place to visit. Because they advertise, they get more business than the Mom and Pop eateries that exist throughout Roswell. In fact, they are better than many of them that I have visited. Their dessert offerings are another reason to stop by. Given a choice, I’d say go with a group. That way you can sample different options.

Tia Juana’s – 3.5 forks. Recommended.