Margarita, por favor!

Before I begin my critique of my experience at Guadalajara Restaurant, I must confess, I am a California native - so, as you could imagine, my expectations for Mexican cuisine are a bit high.

As an invited guest, I had the opportunity to join the Gastronomic All Stars Dinner Club in dining at Guadalajara Nov. 1.

The Mexican restaurant had a casual, family-oriented ambiance with table and booth seating. We dined on a Thursday evening and there wasn't much of a crowd. The service was slow which was surprising since the restaurant wasn't crowded.

Now, let's get to the drinks and food.

We ordered regular margaritas as well as house margaritas with Grand Marnier. They were exquisite - perhaps the best I have ever had.

The chips and salsa were average. I prefer warm, crispy chips and these didn't seem to be too fresh. As for the salsa, it too, did not seem fresh.

For our appetizers, we ordered a variety of different quesadillas (chicken, mushroom, and squash). The chicken quesadilla melted in your mouth - a true delight. I was excited for the other quesadillas but unfortunately, I thought their taste was rather bland.

I ordered taquitos for my dinner entree. Although I was not impressed, I still enjoyed the flavor of the chicken with some guacamole.

All in all, I rated the restaurant a 3.0 out of 5.0.

Guadalajara is an average Mexican Restaurant - not fabulous, but not terrible either. I say, go for the margaritas and a chicken quesadilla! You can't go wrong with that order.