Oct
9, 2003 — Who
knew that one of the best Mexican meals I've had in years was
there all along, just a few miles up the road in Ferndale?
Named for the province from which owner Alex Hernandez and
his family hails, Chihuahua Family Mexican Restaurant is one of
those finds that makes you feel like you've finally been let in
on a secret that everyone else unearthed long ago.
My husband and I drove up right after work on a recent Friday
night to find the vibrant restaurant buzzing with activity.
Although the eatery seemed to be nearing capacity
— even at the relatively early hour of
5:30 p.m.
— we were instantly greeted with a smile
and led to a tall-backed booth.
From my vantage point, I could see two dining rooms but
caught a peek of at least one more on the walk to our booth. All
three rooms were filled with tables of people happily winding
down from the work week, enjoying gargantuan platters of food,
equally enormous margaritas, and even one table that was
throwing back shots of something that looked refreshing, to say
the least.
The vibe was lively yet decidedly family-friendly, and we
settled in for what we could already tell by the looks on other
patrons' faces was going to be a satisfying supper.
Seemingly within seconds of being seated, a pitcher of water
was placed on our colorfully tiled table, joined by a basket of
warm tortilla chips and a two small bowls of fresh pico de gallo
and salsa.
Chihuahua Family Mexican Restaurant |
Location:
5694 Third Ave., Ferndale
Phone: 384-5820
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through
Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday
Serving: Some of the best Mexican fare in the
area, in a colorful setting with exceptional service.
Menu items sampled:
Stuffed jalapeños $5.25
Carne asada $11.95
Steak fajitas $11.95
Flan $2.50 |
Famished, my husband lit into the pico (his favorite), while
I sampled the salsa. It was prepared exactly how I like it best:
on the soupy side with fresh cilantro swimming throughout. The
pico was equally outstanding, chunks of tomato, jalapeño, red
onion, and cilantro piled high. As soon as my husband polished
it off, our server appeared and offered to bring us another
serving.
We looked over the lengthy menu while we enjoyed the tortilla
chips and salsas. Our server arrived to take our order quickly,
but we were having a hard time deciding, so we gave her our
appetizer and drink order and continued to peruse the tempting
Mexican offerings.
Our starter of stuffed jalapeños arrived before we were even
halfway through the basket of tortilla chips. We gave our entrée
orders and then dug into the appetizer.
A large oval platter held six sizeable jalapeños set atop a
bed of shredded lettuce and topped with sour cream, guacamole,
tomatoes, shredded cheese and scallions.
It's been a long time since I've had jalapeño
"poppers," but not so long that I can't remember how
more often than not they're greasy and laden with scorching
cheese product that makes them too heavy.
Chihuahua's stuffed jalapeños were everything stuffed jalapeños
should be: crispy, light, flavorful, and stuffed with smoothly
melted cream cheese. While many restaurants leap far over the
line between authentic and Americanized Mexican fare, Chihuahua
strikes a scrumptious balance.
Just as we finished the delicious jalapeños, our entrées
arrived. Within seconds, our table's top was completely
obliterated by enormous platters heaping with aromatic food.
My steak fajitas were brought to the table sizzling and
spitting. Tendrils of onion tangled with green bell pepper and
long strips of grilled steak. The menu also listed tomatoes as
an ingredient in the fajitas, but none was to be found.
Honestly, I didn't even notice they were missing until the drive
home as I looked over a takeout menu.
A platter of unbelievable size was placed next to the
mountain of fajitas, overfilled with refried beans topped with
melted cheese, rice and condiments of sour cream, guacamole,
tomato and lettuce.
For added kick, I chose from the handful of authentic Mexican
hot sauces displayed on the table.
My husband's carne asada was served in a silver platter
decorated around its wide rim with a row of jalapeño in relief.
Several large, flat pieces of well-marbled skirt steak were
butterflied and broiled under a flame.
We both grabbed tortilla after tortilla from the warming
container and filled them with our respective fabulous fillings.
I marveled at how soft and chewy the authentic, homemade
tortillas were in comparison to the dry, hard ones I find at the
grocery store. Even after we slowed down and the tortillas
cooled slightly, they remained a pliable pleasure to eat.
Throughout our visit, the service was exceptional. We wanted
for nothing and were checked on frequently without feeling
watched over. It was as though the staff intuitively knew when a
salsa bowl had run dry or a plate needed to be removed.
For dessert we settled on flan, Chihuahua's homemade Mexican
custard, topped with whipped cream. It was a flavorful delight,
and I don't doubt that its other desserts
— churros, cheesecake or deep-fried ice
cream
— are equally yummy.
Chihuahua offers lunch and dinner specials and a surprisingly
wide array of vegetarian options, from vegetarian burritos to
spinach tamale.