Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012, October 10, 2002, Page 6, Image 22

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    Atmosphere, tasty food and great drinks:
Find it all at Jalisco's
Jalisco’s
3095 W. 11th
485-8636
Fare: Mexican
$$
Jenn Knoop
After passing building after building of
various restaurant, retail and financial
businesses that is W. 11th Ave., we spotted
a modest strip mall that harbors Jalisco’s, a
family Mexican restaurant with authentic
flair.
At first glance, Jalisco’s seems like just
another Mexican restaurant. You would
probably expect meager food, service and
decor like I did, but the reality supercedes
this first impression by a landslide.
My friend and I walked in and were
immediately greeted by friendly faces
014839
VISIT EUGENE'S PREMIER
Restaurant
BrIwhouse
• Award
winning
handcrafted
beers
• Incredible
baby back ribs
1600 Coburg Rd.
For delivery
call 342-6114
accompanied by genuine "Holas" and "Good
Afternoons". We were happily seated in a
comfortable booth where we found our
selves among a few average "joes" on their
lunch break with some families scattered
about.
The place was pretty filled for a
Wednesday but the service was not lacking
as our every whim was catered to. The
manager was up and around and just as
friendly as the serving staff. The entire
restaurant had a family-run feel, which
added to the ambiance.
Immediately upon being seated, we
were given a hot basket of fresh tortilla
chips and two cups of salsa by a friendly
busser, who referred to us as senoritas, by
the way.
The decor was traditional but innovative
with vibrant colored tiled arches above all
the walkways and doors. We were then
handed monstrous menus that boggled the
eyes. This menu is one to be reckoned with
and you should
come prepared.
This thing is six
pages long, com
plete with appetizer
page, drink and
children's menu
and even a glossary
of terms for the not
so-Mexican-food
sawy! Who knew
what chorizo was
anyway? They even
have T-bone steak and burgers for the tra
ditional folk. I was attracted to the lunch
specials page, which they serve daily from
11-3.
After much deliberation, 1 decided on
the crab enchiladas meal for $10.75, my
friend opted for the standard chicken burri
to with rice and beans, of course, for $5.75.
And who could have a Mexican meal
without sampling the margaritas? I don't
know about the rest of the drinks on the
menu, but they definitely have the margari
ta-making mastered.
Speaking of alcohol, they have every
thing under the sun! If you're brave enough
for a "Dirty Mother", which consists of
tequila, kahlua and half-and-half, they can
make it. In addition to a variety of other
mixed drinks, they house a medley of wines
and, of course, cerveza!
Our meals came within minutes, it
seemed, and we didn't waste any time sam
pling them. My meal was smothered in gen
erous helpings of sour cream, cheese and
guacamole, three of my favorites, but not
recommended for the calorie conscious.
After mowing down a basket of chips, I
was a bit full and had to leave half my order
but it was great! With no room for dessert,
my friend and I left with doggie bags in tow
and definitely in need of a siesta.
If you're looking for a variety of Mexican
food with family dining appeal, Jalisco’s is
the place to go. It's a journey, but definitely
worth it for an authentic hearty meal and
great service.