Location: 1400-3 Sagamore Pkwy North, Lafayette, IN (map it)
Phone: 765-448-1715
Cuisine: Mexican
Last week there was an article in the Journal & Courier titled, “No shortage of Mexican restaurants in Greater Lafayette.” I knew this was true already, but then I read the article and there were several restaurants I’d never heard of or never tried. So I figured I’d better get a couple more in here. Today I picked Mango Loco, which is directly across Sagamore Parkway from Taco Rico, so there’s some stiff competition.
It’s located in a little strip mall just south of Greenbush on Sagamore Parkway (on the east side of the road) and is surrounded by a Mexican bakery and a Mexican grocery. So if you need anything Mexican, this is apparently the place to be.
The place itself is set up in just one long area. Colorful bright walls and booths line up the wall, then the kitchen area is walled off to the other side. It is not a big place. We arrived and a server brought us some menus and we picked a spot. There did not appear to be many people working there, or eating in there actually at the time. We sat down and perused the menu. I actually think when it started it was mostly a smoothie venture, with a few options to go with your smoothie, and it has morphed into a full restaurant. The menu had two sides, one side in English and another in Spanish. That was a very nice touch.
The menu consisted of your regular Mexican fare: tacos, burritos, tostadas, etc. as well as smoothies. My standard order at any new Mexican place are tacos de carne asada, so I tried to order those but was told they were out of steak. So I switched to a chicken burrito. My friend order chicken tostadas. I also asked for some chips and salsa, which were not immediately brought to the table.
The wait for the chips and salsa took a while, and the server apologized for that, but the they were very good. The salsa was on the thinner side, but I like thin salsa with good flavor, so it was just fine. The chips were extra salty which I like.
Then out came the food. My burrito was huge, so big that I knew immediately that eating all of it in one sitting was not going to be a successful mission today. The burrito had in it rice, chicken, lettuce, some kind of cheese sauce, and an interesting bean option. I ordered beans on the side, because I really like refried beans, but these weren’t the same. It was like a cross between black beans and refried beans. Like refried black beans perhaps. I really liked it in my burrito. I was not as much a fan on the side. The burrito also had avocado slices in it, and that’s really unusual and was extra tasty. It looked like the burrito had been grilled a little on all sides. It was really good and I’m looking forward to going and finishing the other half after I write this review.
My friend had the chicken tostadas and they were each loaded with a big hunk of avocado. She reports they were delicious. (They looked really good.)
The service wasn’t spectacular. Our water went dry and things kind of came out slowly and in no particular order. The restaurant itself is small and the Mexican MTV on the TV in the back was a little loud. There was only one other person eating in, but there was a steady stream of people coming in for take out orders the whole time we were there.
I would definitely recommend going and trying Mango Loco. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. But I think next time, I’ll get it to go. (Next time, I need to try a smoothie. That was a mistake I made today.)
Kid Friendly: Yes
Price: Very reasonable. $8 for a large burrito and a side of beans.
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