Live, from Peoria, Illinois, it’s Saturday Night with this week’s host, Mariachi Mexican Restaurant and special guest stars, Joan, Andy, Pepe and Caitlin! And now, please welcome this week’s host, Mariachi Mexican Restaurant!
This place has been two different restaurants since I started the MBIP blog. First it was Mango Fondue and Grill and then it became Cerberus Burger Bar. Now it’s Mariachi Mexican Restaurant. Let’s go in and see what it looks like in now that it’s joined the ranks of Peoria’s many Mexican restaurants.
The atmosphere is darker in here now, which I approve of, the darker an establishment is, the better I look! And speaking of looking good, there’s a pretty hostess at the front station. I forgot to write her name down, but she said I could wander into the dining room and take a few photos, so that’s what I did. The dining room is spacious with booths lining the window area and tables in the main room. It’s very nice in here, but tonight since I’m dining alone...
I’m going to go sit at the bar! Check out this fellow standing guard at the entrance to the bar, I need to bring Terry and Matt here soon!
The bar area looks somewhat the same and that’s a good thing, I always have liked it in here, no matter what the restaurant was. That’s Pepe, the owner of Mariachi’s with Caitlin who’s the bartender of the evening. And seated down at the end of the bar is Andy and Joan. Wait a second, something’s missing in Andy and Joan’s photo, what in the world could it be? Oh wait...
Drinks! Pepe made them Mojito’s and they told me they were the best they’ve ever had! Cheers...or should I say, salud!
The menu here has a ton of options, check it out by clicking here. I finally decided on what to have and placed my order with Caitlin. And now, while it’s being prepared, we’ll take a little tour of the bar.
There’s the view from where I sit and behind the bar is a row of Margarita makers. As you can see, they have a large selection of flavors to choose from. If beer is your thing they have eight beers on draft and a nice selection of bottles and cans too. The last photo is a shot of the bar in all it’s glory!
There’s dining tables directly behind the bar and wooden booths line the walls that have a window view. I’m glad that fireplace is still there and there’s also a stage area on the other side of the room. Nobody was on it this evening, but maybe there’ll be a Mariachi band here in the future.
Meanwhile, back at the bar, it looks like it’s about time for our Saturday night Mexican dinner!
Here’s Caitlin serving up the first portion, it’s an appetizer serving of Queso Fundido. It’s served with fresh tortilla chips and it’s a large serving for an appetizer! The cheese was really creamy and rich and there’s ground Chorizo sausage in it which adds a nice spicy flavor to the dip. I probably could’ve just had this and been satisfied, but the main course is on its way!
And here’s Francisco serving it up! I ordered a specialty dish that I’ve never seen offered at a Mexican restaurant before.
The dish is called Molcajete and it’s a large bowl filled with grilled steak, chicken, fish, shrimp, green onions, jalapeños, avocado slices and fresh goat cheese. It looks amazing!
This was so good! The steak and chicken are grilled, sliced thin and really juicy. The shrimp is really flavorful too and the jalapeños, avocado and goat cheese compliment the meat items nicely. And as you get to the bottom of the bowl, there’s a pile of ground Chorizo sausage to finish it all off with a little spice and zing! This was a wonderful meal and thanks to Pepe, Caitlin and everyone at Mariachi’s for a wonderful meal and friendly hospitality!
I started out with an order of Queso Fundido which is an appetizer of melted cheese and ground Chorizo sausage. This was really a delicious mix of rich and creamy cheese with a nice portion of the spicy Chorizo giving it a little zing to the flavor. It’s a generous portion and could easily be split by two people.
Speaking of generous portions, the Molcajete which I had for the main course is a whopping amount of food and two people could easily split this as well. The dish is a large bowl overflowing with grilled steak, chicken, fish and shrimp and they were all juicy and flavorful. In addition to the meat entrees in the dish there’s also jalapeños, avocado slices and fresh goat cheese which add a nice balance to the meaty portions. This is really a unique and authentic Mexican dish and I think it can only be had here at Mariachi!
SN Rating
Three and a half Galloping Gourmets—Just when you think Peoria had enough Mexican restaurants to choose from, along comes Mariachi! It’s a nice addition and the food and hospitality is fantastic here! You should definitely go and try it out!
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1818 W. War Memorial Drive
Peoria
309-431-3109
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Related Posts: Saturday Night @ Blue Duck BBQ Tavern, TNT’s Sports Bar & Grill and PVII Restaurant.