Sunday, July 24, 2011

Family Favorite of Anaheim Mexi-Casa!


Mexi-Casa Restaurant
1778 W. Lincoln Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92801

While growing up my family went to the same restaurants over and over, because we loved them. Some of these included Reuben's, Flaky Jake's, Swenson's, and MacArthur's. All of these places have long been replaced by other restaurants, but it doesn't make me miss them any less. Some people are lucky because their childhood favorites are still around. My friends Sabrina and Anthony are two such lucky people, because their favorite restaurant is still in business. So we went with them to one of their childhood favorites, Mexi-Casa.

Mexi-Casa has been operating since 1965. They have been in this current location for a good many years and it shows. Wood panelled walls, worn carpet, and popcorn ceilings add to the ambiance of this local institution. Mexi-Casa has some major supporters behind them. The band No Doubt has dubbed this their favorite Mexican food place, and anyone who grew up in Anaheim has a soft spot for this little hole in the wall. So enough talk, let's check out the food.


First up is a quick look at the chips and salsa. At Mexi-Casa they serve two types of salsa, a mild version and then another that has a slightly more spicy flavor. Neither salsa really jumped out at me. The mild salsa was very watery, and the spicier one was a little more chunky, but still not as chunky as I would have liked. The chips were average.


Up first will be Sabrina's choice for the evening, the #1 with a Cheese Enchilada and Beef Taco. She really enjoys the enchilada sauce here, as well as the refried beans. She did not eat the taco, because she donated it to her husband Anthony.  What a giving wife!


Katie opted to get the #4 with a Chili Relleno and a Beef Taco. She felt that the taco was very solid, especially the crispness of the tortilla. The relleno was not as spicy as she would have liked, but she did enjoy the cheesiness of this dish. She definitely liked the rice better than the beans, but felt neither one was exceptional.



Yes, all of the food above was mine. Not only did I get the #18, the Machaca, but I also tried the Cheese Enchilada and a Beef Taco, just for good measure. See, I do go the extra mile for you by eating as much as I can. The machaca had a good flavor, but it was subtle. The meat was tender, but the eggs got lost here. I liked the beans, and felt that they left the rice standing at the altar, (get it? Because you throw rice at a wedding? Okay, sorry about that!). Anyways, Sabrina was right about the enchilada sauce, it was good, but I would have liked more cheese on the inside of the enchilada. The taco was in fact crispy, but lacking in the meat department. This meal definitely filled me up.


Last, but not least was the #3 Cheese Enchilada and Chili Relleno, belonging to Anthony.  He loved this plate, and I am sure he has gotten this many times before. He was very happy with the flavor of the chili relleno, and liked all of the cheese that came with it.

So, are you ready for a shock? All of the food above, plus four drinks cost an unbelievable $29! Yes, not only has the decor of Mexi-Casa been trapped in the 70's, but the menu prices have been trapped in the decade where disco was king. In fact no combination plate is priced over $5.25, and all of the ala carte items are under the $3.50 mark.

The value here is undeniable. Special note, Mexi-Casa is cash only, and they do charge for refills of soda, but they are only seventy cents. The food is pretty standard Mexican grub. The meals at Mexi-Casa do not pop with lots of flavor, so definitely ask for some Tapitio, or your favorite hot sauce when eating here. We arrived at  6:30, and were sat right away, but I have heard that there is sometimes a wait during peak dinner hours. The service the night we were here was okay. The waitress had a large area to cover, but did her best to make her rounds. The vibe here is a local place, with a very loyal following. Glad some peoples childhood favorites are still around for them to enjoy.

So out of five grapes, (because the city of Anaheim was started by grape farmers in the 1850's), five being best to zero being worst, Mexi Casa gets 2.5 grapes.

Mexi-Casa does not have a web site, but you can find info about them here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/mexi-casa-mexican-food-anaheim

Mexi-Casa Mexican Food on Urbanspoon

4 comments:

  1. Bad Review ! Sorry you don't enjoy it as much as the rest of us that grew up with this awsome resturant!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sheri - I probably would have liked it better if I had grown up with this place and had some attachment to it. Thanks for the comment.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yea, this place is for when you want to take a chance. It does have a bit of a soft spot for Anaheim O.G.'s (like me).

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kernel - You summed up this place perfectly. Thanks for the comment.

    ReplyDelete