Mi Pequena Hacienda in Lexington, Kentucky: An Authentic Mexican Restaurant

If you are like me and your mouth waters at a sheer notion of a spicy Enchilada Supreme and your heart cha-cha's just thinking about Jalisco Margaritas, then you will probably enjoy reading about my recent experience at Mi Pequeña Hacienda - a fabulous Mexican restaurant!

Mi Pequeña Hacienda is situated on a busy street in Lexington, Kentucky. As a result, passing visitors are easily enticed by the Mexican style architecture and bright colors, hoping for a tiny getaway from their mid-week craziness.

The precise location of the restaurant is 3501 Landsdowne Drive, Lexington, KY, 40517. The intensely painted, orange and blue building is composed of three separate rooms offering complete dining service, full bar area, and outside seating. Inquiring minds are welcome to enter through one of the two main doorways - each one with a hosting stand and lovely hosts happily waiting to assist the guests. While the restaurant maintains its steady flow of customers throughout the day, the wait is never tremendous; in my experience, it never exceeded ten minutes, which can be contributed to quick service, excellent management and obvious team work among the employees. One disadvantage to the location is the limitation of the parking space as it is shared by several nearby businesses.

One of the first things I noticed was that every waiter in the restaurant seemed to be a male, while every hostess seemed to be a female. It didn't bother me, but I did manage to make a mental note of it as I wondered if it had something to do with the Mexican social class and lingering gender stereotypes. Nonetheless, the waiters were fabulous - and every employee seemed to have a pleasant aura about them, the contagious kind, that tells the visitors they truly like where they work. A young gentleman - wearing a bright red t-shirt and black pants - introduced himself as Rafael, our waiter, with a big smile on his face as he put a bowl of yellow chips and homemade salsa on our table. I became aware that all of the employee uniforms were red, white or green; the same colors are found on the Mexican flag.

The Menu

I quickly finished looking over the menu, feeling overwhelmed; it was an all-inclusive list of delicacies with botanas (appetizers), sopas (soups), ensaladas (salads), quesadillas, especialidades de la casa (house specialties), bistec a la Mexicana (steak), burritos, fajitas autenticas (famous fajitas), enchiladas, and pollo (chicken). Upon asking Rafael about the most popular dish of the house, I learned that Steak Cancun was the all time favorite - priced at only $16.00, it was a combination of delicately seasoned, grilled steak served with grilled jumbo shrimp topped with mushrooms and spinach, a house salad, and a delicious side of Mexican rice. Keep in mind that was one of the most expensive dishes on the menu; prices were truly a great bargain!

Contrary to the most popular choice, I decided to go with the Shrimp Quesadilla as my pick of the night - a delicious 8'' shrimp and vegetable tortilla, sautéed to perfection, yet only $6.49. My partner carefully selected a mouthwatering Burrito Mexicano - a flour tortilla stuffed with pork, onions, tomatoes, house blended cheese sauce, guacamole, and bell peppers - priced at $6.99.

The Atmosphere

Waiting for the food gave me a few minutes to observe the ambiance and it truly felt like a Mexican fiesta! The interior walls were a bright orange color covered with murals, Spanish crafts, and clay pottery designs depicting animals, nature, Spanish landscapes, sun, birds, and various folk art traditions. I smiled when I saw a few vibrant Sombreros hanging in the corners of highly arched, brick windows. Even the dining tables were a true work of art further illustrating the abstract elements of the Mexican culture. Each room featured a 32'' flat screen television, positioned high on the wall. I found myself tapping to the beat of the Mexican music, when I noticed that our food was already prepared and on our table - all within a ten minute span.

The service was truly extraordinaire! The manager came to our table several times to ensure our satisfaction and our drinks were consistently refilled without a single question or remark. The food portions were surprisingly large for such bargain deals and we weren't complaining. Furthermore, the dishes were carefully served on vivid blue and red plates and the food was rich in color, texture and flavor. My Shrimp Quesadilla had just enough spice to encourage me to order a Jalisco Margarita - a jumbo sized, Mexican classic, composed of 1800 Cuervo Tequila, Grand Marnier, orange juice, and sour mix. Some of the other delicious treats included Isla Rita, made with Tequila, Cointreau, and sour mix; Toro Oro, prepared with Cuervo Gold, sour mix ,and orange juice; and a variety of frosty Margaritas in ten tantalizing flavors: strawberry, raspberry, piña colada, fruit punch, blue Hawaiian, orange, mango, banana, watermelon, and peach.

The Dessert

An already perfect lunch ended with an authentic Mexican dessert called Sopapilla - an absolutely delicious, deep fried tortilla covered with a perfect dose of honey and cinnamon and a side of vanilla ice cream, priced at only $2.99.

I was so pleased with my experience at Mi Pequeña Hacienda that I decided to come again and again. Warm hospitality, great service, and tasty Mexican cuisine were enough to win me over for years to come!