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Friday, April 28, 2000
Simple approach wins fans at La Iguana
Appetizer selection slim, but menu offers traditional hearty fare at reasonable prices
After opening two locations in Corpus Christi and one in Annaville, La Iguana Restaurant and its hearty Mexican fare has branched into the Portland area.
The approach is simple here - traditional, reasonably priced Mexican food served in comfortable surroundings by friendly employees. The menu is similar to what you'll find in many local Mexican eateries, consisting of tacos, chalupas, enchiladas and fajitas. But La Iguana's selections go a bit further with burritos, gorditas, carne guisada, flautas and barbacoa and pescado frito (fried fish).
Our waitress brought the expected tortilla chips promptly, and we were quickly impressed with the smoky, chunky salsa served with them. This sauce is a tad hotter than served in many local restaurants, and our waitress helped us out by filling our water glasses quickly.
Good deals
The selection of appetizers is pretty slim, such as quesadillas and nachos. We opted for a guacamole salad, which disappointed us a bit with its watery, almost artificial flavor. Good avocados are sometimes hard to find, and we understand the need to beef up guacamole with tomatoes and other ingredients. Still, we would have like a more natural, pure avocado taste.
For an entree, the enchiladas verdes are quite a deal at $4.95. These three enchiladas were topped with a tangy, yet tasty, green sauce and smothered in melted white cheese. This comes in your choice of beef, chicken or cheese, and with good side orders of refried beans and rice.
The beans were particularly smooth and flavorful, with the yellow rice cooked delicately, guarding against that unpleasant mushiness that can happen to some rice.
A companion tried the milanesa, a breaded steak fried lightly and topped with melted white cheese. With a crust much thinner than a chicken fried steak, this tender steak was delightfully filling.
Clean sweep
The surroundings are a bit country and a bit rustic, with dark wooden walls, a simple tile floor and red-and-white checked vinyl tablecloths on the tables. Lantern-like lamps are affixed to the walls, as are a few horseshoes and paintings of scenes from Mexican villages.
A few artificial plants liven up the place, and ceiling fans give it a cool feeling. Silverware is wrapped in paper napkins, and food is served on plastic plates, with drinks in plastic glasses.
Unfortunately, the floor needed a good sweeping, which was noticed by some other diners and us. But the service was good, with waitresses in green aprons paying close attention to their customers.
Give La Iguana a try, too, for breakfast with dishes ranging from nopales (cactus) and egg to chicharron (dried pork skin) and egg. Weekdays, breakfast specials go for just $1.99 with lunch specials priced at $3.99.
La Iguana Restaurant
100 Fifth Ave., Portland
(361) 643-2063
Entrees: $3.95-$6.75
Credit cards: None
Checks: Yes
Wheelchair accessible
Alcohol: No
Hours: 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Tuesday-Friday; 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; closed Monday
Food: **
Service: **
Atmosphere: * and a half
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