Restaurant Name: Moe’s Southwest Grill

Location: 332 West State St., West Lafayette – Wabash Landing (map it)
Phone: 765-743-5000

Cuisine: Mexican, Southwest

Review: We started going to Moe’s a few years ago. Fast friendly service, tasty chips with a variety of salsas, and tacos with black beans – yum! Then ownership changed hands, and my experiences weren’t as good. The staff was less friendly. The restaurant was less clean. It took forever to order. So I stopped going as frequently because it wasn’t as pleasant of an experience.

Tonight, though, we opted to give it another try and I’m glad we did. The service was excellent, all the way down the line. I didn’t have to repeat my order, the person working the counter was able to process multiple orders at once, and the service was pretty speedy. We made our way down the line and paid without a problem. And, the food was also great. I am a really big fan of the “Who is Kaiser” salsa.

I’m not sure if ownership changed hands or if there is new management of if they finally got their groove, but I had a much better experience tonight than I’ve had the past few times and I’ll definitely put them back into my regular rotation.

Kid friendly: Yes

The perfect restaurant to review for my very first post.

Restaurant Name: El Rodeo

Location: 109 Beck Ln, Lafayette (map it
Phone: (765) 477-6029

Cuisine: Mexican

Review: I feel like I can accurately review this restaurant, as it’s one I visit frequently. It’s located at the end of the Payless strip mall on Beck Lane, right across from the Ace Hardware. Generally, strip mall restaurants aren’t my number one choice, but this one is close to home and I’ll try anything Mexican.

The restaurant is clean with ample seating. I’ve never had to wait for a table. Chips and salsa always arrive at the table shortly, which is extremely important when it comes to Mexican dining. The chips and salsa are both very good. I’ve noticed enough variation in the taste and spiciness of the salsa that I get the feeling it’s not something directly from a can, but I don’t have any verification of that.

The staff is friendly. Not overbearing, I hate that, but generally around enough to refill my glass or grab me extra napkins if needed but not hovering over me, waiting for me drop my spoon.

And finally, the food. When it comes to Mexican food, I’m always a fan, but I definitely like the food at El Rodeo. It comes out hot and fresh. I have a theory about Mexican fare, and if the food is fresh, you can tell it because the beans will be different each time you go. I love refried beans, but not if they are just slopped from a can. If they taste the same each time, probably you are dealing with canned beans. The beans I had with my meal today (tacos de carne asada) were tremendous.

Kid Friendly: Yes