Good Mexican food/margaritas in Deer Valley area? (Carefree: restaurant, prices)

[SMG]

Couple different ways to go. One is the Valle Luna types of places. Kind of Gringo style, pretty good food and margs. Or, the othe other places like Villa Del Los Santos and El Bravo. These are very authentic, also have good margs. Personally, I opt for the second group. Valle Luna is good, good hangout and tasty...so is Applebees. The trek down to Sunnyslope to Del Los Santos is pretty quick and well worth it.

[grmi66]

Originally Posted by SMG

Couple different ways to go. One is the Valle Luna types of places. Kind of Gringo style, pretty good food and margs. Or, the othe other places like Villa Del Los Santos and El Bravo. These are very authentic, also have good margs. Personally, I opt for the second group. Valle Luna is good, good hangout and tasty...so is Applebees. The trek down to Sunnyslope to Del Los Santos is pretty quick and well worth it.

Could be an idea for another thread, where to take your relatives from the midwest out for bland Mexican food when they show up this winter. Valle Luna, Manuels, Macayo's and Garcia's would start the list for me.

[SMG]

I have Valle Luna a notch above the others, but still in the same class.

[ElleTea]

The problem with the VERY authentic is they are usually NOT vegetarian friendly, which I am. (The waitress at Valle Luna was nice enough to tell me there was chicken stock in the rice and which beans were veg friendly)

I didn't find Valle Luna to be bland, it was pretty much what I was looking for. The local place I loved in Des Moines was in Iowa, sure, but run 100% by a Mexican family using family recipes, so regardless of where it was, it WAS authentic.

Before I moved, a friend told me he loved Garcia's. He is a chef and said the food there was top notch. Authenticity aside, I go for what tastes good.

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

Before I moved, a friend told me he loved Garcia's. He is a chef and said the food there was top notch. Authenticity aside, I go for what tastes good.

There are two possibilities with Garcia's. There is the original location, which is operated by family that started the business in 1956, at 2212 N. 35th Ave. Then there are the other locations, which are not connected, and are a chain. The general opinion is that the original location is better.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

There are two possibilities with Garcia's. There is the original location, which is operated by family that started the business in 1956, at 2212 N. 35th Ave. Then there are the other locations, which are not connected, and are a chain. The general opinion is that the original location is better.

I will have to ask him to clarify, but I assume the original is the one he meant. Every time he visits here, he says he has to go there.

[grmi66]

I was talking about the Garcia's chain, really bad gringo Mexican food.

[DetroitN8V]

Even the original on 35th Ave was awful. It was the most bland Mexican food ever.

[DewDropInn]

Margaritas: El Encanto in Cave Creek. El primo.

[Juram]

Originally Posted by slowesthand

if you want a margarita that will knock your socks off in the DV area, try Caramba's on Bell, just east of I-17. The place isn't anything to brag about but the margaritas are STRONG! Try them with the Mex. pizza

THIS. Great margarita's, more of a fast food type place but the food is good and fresh, made right in front of you. The service is also top-notch. I very much enjoy the taco's al pastor, they have breakfast choices as well.




http://www.carambamex.com/