Mexico Take Two

After trying Mi Amigo’s in the Arizona Center, I decided to give a much-talked about place called Maria, Maria a shot. It is located in Tempe Marketplace (like many of my resturant reviews) and dominates the northwest corner of the shopping center. The first time I dined there was for a going away party for a friend.  The environment is very different from what I expected. It does not feel like most Mexican restaurants in the area, which makes it stand out among the rest. It is candle lit, has a very “cool” feel and has a very sleek look to it.

The menu itself is very traditional and has the usual suspects like enchiladas, tacos, nachos, and burritos. The items are basically the same, but the presentation was very different. I ordered a chicken enchilada, but what I got was not just an ordinary enchilada. It was garnished and covered to the max. The presentation seemed to reflect the somewhat high prices (compared to the rest of the marketplace), but the actual quality of the food did not.  I mean, it was okay but it did not taste as good as it looked.

The one neat thing Maria, Maria has going for it is the pop culture connection. The restaurant is owned by Carlos Santana and it is actually named after his song “Maria, Maria”. The Tempe location was the restaurant’s second location in the southwest. For more information about making reservations, hours, menu and locations vist the Maria, Maria website.

~ by kfoley10 on October 25, 2008.