Mexican cuisine sizzles with flavor: exotic plates and bold colors combine

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Laine Cibulskis, News Editor & Social Media Director

In semi-close proximity from East, right off Weber road, lies Casa Margarita.

This festive Mexican sit-down chain features a classic style and environment, serving many traditional dishes.

Located at 145 S. Weber Road in Bolingbrook, the chain serves food and drinks off the menu to your liking. Reasonable prices and an extensive menu combine to make a close-to-home location for delectable food.  

My waitress was clear and patient, walking me through the menu one question at a time, carefully explaining items.

For example, most main dishes come with rice and beans, and, yes, the regular chimichanga is different from the chimichanga suizo.  

The décor at the back is a brick wall composed of colorful diamonds in loud blues, greens, yellows, and reds. Wide and tall windows create an open atmosphere, accompanied by hanging lights at the booths. 

With exotic plates and bold colors, Casa Margarita is a restaurant you won’t forget.  

Ambient Spanish music echoed a bit too loudly throughout the casual atmosphere. 

Chips and salsa are placed at the table for free. Just one crunch, and I was hooked.

Somehow, the boldness of the salsa and the slightly salty chips are the perfect combination. 

If the salsa does not seem appealing, it is also possible to order a large dish of fresh guacamole for $9.99. It may seem a little pricey just for some smashed avocado, but this guac goes way beyond that.

Coming from the perspective of a lifetime vegetarian, I’m used to ordering a side of rice and beans at a typical Mexican restaurant because I’ve heard too many times that the dish simply cannot be made without meat. However, Casa Margarita has numerous vegetarian and vegan options.

The vegetable fajitas are a crisp delight of colorful vegetables and explosive flavor; however, I have to say, they were coated with a very giving amount of oil. The softness of the flour tortilla mixed with the grilled pepper, onion, and mushroom combined perfectly for a melt-in-the-mouth kind of flavor. The veggie fajitas cost $15.49. 

As for the enchiladas, diners who like a little bit of everything can try the fiesta enchiladas for $14.49. This dish comes with three enchiladas stuffed with a choice of vegetables, meat, or cheese, each served with a different sauce: red, green, and mole. At first, I did not expect to enjoy the mole sauce, but the chocolate was just the perfect amount of sweet without taking away from the savory vegetables. 

Another Mexican classic, the tostadas, were ultimately messy, but the crunch of the shell and savory and creamy cheese, sour cream, and refried beans combined to make a bomb of flavor. The tostadas cost $13.49. 

The burrito’s soft shell was just the right amount of light and fluffy but savory and packed with unforgettable taste. It is not hard to save food for later with the large portion sizes of such filling food. 

The fajita salad had an oily and crisp shell topped with satiating grilled veggies, sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, and a bed of fresh lettuce, beans buried underneath. For $13.99, this appetizing salad was much more than just leaves. 

Each entrée was served with rice and beans, so creamy and savory they could stand alone as a meal. The creamy refried beans paired with a slightly spicy rice made the perfect pairing for every entrée.  

The flan was a creamy and decadent milky custard. When paired with sweet, but not too sweet, chocolate sauce and whipped cream, this desert could make a delicious end to any meal for $6.49. 

If flan is not your thing, the restaurant serves fried ice cream for $6.49. A baked crunchy and sweet tortilla with perfectly sweet vanilla ice cream can make a way to pack a punch for every bite. 

The food was extremely appetizing, even visually.  

If one does not mind oily food, then I suggest Casa Margarita as a mouthwatering destination for an appropriate price.