After a nostalgic trip to the movie theater to see "The Lion King 3D" this weekend, a few friends and I discussed and debated the age-old question of where to grab dinner. Many of you might scoff at this, believing that the only places worth going to near school are Taco Bell and Perkins. I, however, am on a quest to dispel that myth and find the best foreign food places in South Bend.
Naturally, our first option for this expedition into the wide world of food was Outback Steakhouse. As a practicing Hindu, it was not my first choice. The few of us still traumatized from seeing hyenas eat zebra carcasses in "The Lion King" walked to the strip mall behind Outback and found the hidden Mexican restaurant and attached supermarket, Puerto Vallarta.
At first, we seemed extremely out of place in the traditionally decorated restaurant. The only customers were of Hispanic descent. However, the moment we sat down, we felt at home. The service was great (I don't say that about every restaurant) and a waitress was always ready to bring us another batch of warm chips and surprisingly good salsa. Despite being on the thinner side, the salsa actually had a nice spicy kick.
The menu had more options than you could imagine, and more than you'd expect from a relatively small restaurant in northern Indiana. Puerto Vallarta has an extensive lunch menu available every day until 3 p.m. and daily drink specials for those over 21. I elected to get a Jarrito's Mexican soda, which was delicious and pineapple flavored, while others ordered old-fashioned glass-bottled Pepsis and Fantas.
As for the meal itself, the portion sizes were huge and, yes, I finished every last bite on my plate. I ordered the Vallarta Chimichanga, which contained a pair of deep fried chicken, spinach and white cheesy burritos, a side of refried beans and Mexican rice. Though it was delicious, I recommend the fajita burrito one of my friends bought which, honestly, puts Chipotle to shame. For those of you who like a plain cheese quesadilla, this place is not for you. Everything from the guacamole to the side order of rice packs strong flavor and an authentic feel.
At the end of the meal, everyone was served a complimentary cinnamon sugar fried tortilla with a caramel drizzle and dollop of whipped cream. It was the cherry on top, pun intended.
The biggest complaint I had about the meal was that I was too ridiculously full afterward to order more to bring home.
If you couldn't tell by now, I am a huge fan of Puerto Vallarta, and recommend a visit if you're looking for a relatively inexpensive, yet delicious meal.
Contact Ankur Chawla at achawla@nd.edu if you'd like to join him on his next quest for quality foreign foods in the area. Seriously, do it.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily of The Observer.
