Mario's Fiesta Maya in Huntington Beach, CA

We first ate at Mario's Fiesta Maya when we were moving into our apartment. It was a typical sunny SoCal November afternoon and we had just finished unloading all of the garbage we have collected through the years. Hungry, dirty and tired, we decided to grab a bite to eat. Fiesta Mario's on Beach Blvd, with its Mexican flag and cute decor seemed like the right place.

We were seated in the patio area and ordered our food - a chicken taco salad for me and a plate of cheese enchiladas, chile relleno, rice and beans for my husband . We watched as our server brought the steaming hot food out and proceeded to place it on the table, accidentally spilling half of the boiling cheese from my husband's plate onto his leg. Being former restaurant workers, we did not make a big deal out of the spill. Such things happen to good people and we didn't want to cause the poor server more grief than was necessary, even over a third degree cheese burn. So we smiled and ate our admittedly delicious lunch. Unfortunately, the only thing we remebered about the restaurant was the fact that they happen to burn you with cheese at their tables.

Fast forward to eight months later. We decided to brave the Fiesta again. The food was good and it was close to home. We ordered the crab enchiladas for my hubby and the chicken mole for me. No cheese burns, 2 margaritas and 2 full stomachs later, we had decided that the place was not that bad after all. I highly recommend the mole and I am sure that my husband would suggest the enchiladas, because he practically licked the plate clean and ordered them the next two times we ate there. I, on the other hand, wanted to be a bit more adventurous. I have since tried the halibut with chili-lime sauce, which is amazing and wonderful when paired with a cold Cadillac margarita, as well as the camarones a la diabla - a spicy shrimp dish with bell peppers and onions in a simmering red sauce.

Delicious!

So, despite our initial reservations, I think we have found a true gem in the grand scheme of OC Mexican food.