Chihuahua is abuzz

Mexican restaurant keeps patrons happy

Stacee Sledge

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.

The Fine Print: I dine on my own dime. The opinions herein are mine alone, not The Bellingham Herald's. Agree? Disagree? Please drop me a line at StaceeSledge@hotmail.com.

 

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