Luchitas Xpress - University Circle Taqueria

Luchitas has been one of Cleveland's best Mexican restaurant for almost 30 years and while the original on W. 117th Street always seemed better then the other locations, it has been interesting to watch Luchitas open more locations.  With the economy the way it has been, inevitably Luchitas had to give up some of the those locations, so I was interested to hear that they had opened up a new Xpress location in University Circle. Located at 11311 Euclid Avenue (map is here) in a newly renovated storefront, the space is interesting, with a larger dining area at ground level with a smaller dining area and the counter and drinks on an upper level in the back.  Decor is minimal, but decent; it feels like they are trying to make the space work, but there is little atmosphere. 

If you have been to another Taqueria, the menu will look pretty familiar, although I will be heading back to try the wet burrito.  Basically you decide on what you want: burrito, tacos or quesadilla, and then decide if you want chicken, steak, beef, pork or vegetarian.  They then build the food in front of you and you get to choose what to add or subtract.  Of note is that all meats and vegetables are Ohio grown.

I ordered a vegetarian burrito with the sauteed veggies, red rice and a mix of pinto and refried beans.  While not having huge impact, the tastes were very good, with subtle traditional flavors.  The rice was moist and flavorful, the beans nicely textured with deep earthy tones.


While a bit more expensive then some of its competition, $5.95 for the vegetarian burrito, Luchitas Xpress has tasty Mexican food made with quality ingredients.  The atmosphere should come along as they get more experience in this format.  The location is in the middle of Case Western Reserve and near University Hospitals and the Museums.  The one downside is a lack of convenient parking.  Here's hoping that the Xpress is a success and we see more locations open around town.

Mi Pueblo - Authentic Mexican

A friend of mine was back in town visiting and we spent a couple of hours cross country skiing at Chapin Forest in Kirtland (website is here), which is the best place I have found locally with really nice groomed trails, affordable rentals and a great staff. After finishing we felt like Mexican for lunch and neither my friend or I had been to Mi Pueblo in quite a while, so we hopped on the highway and headed to University Circle. The restaurant at 11611 Euclid, Cleveland 44106 (see map here) is the second location of this very authentic Mexican restaurant which started on Lorain Avenue. The University Circle location is a nice converted steakhouse with a narrow bar upfront by the windows and two larger dining areas decorated in very nice Mexican style, resulting in a nice Catina feeling. Although a bit dark, the atmosphere is upbeat without being over the top. My friend mentioned that when he was single and lived in the area, Mi Pueblo was one of his regular date places and I can see where it would be a fun place to hangout and get to know somebody better or just have some big Margaritas. Once seated we were quickly served with chips and two salsas along with the carrots, onions and jalapenos. The green and red salsas were good and very flavorful and a little milder then I remembered, which is good because they used to be pretty hot. The vegetables are one of my favorites, with the carrots picking up enough heat from the jalapeno and getting a little bit of pickling result in a wonderful slightly sweet, a bit hot and crisp combination. Despite the heat, the carrots disappeared quickly leaving only a lethal looking jalapeno. As always, small free food is always appreciated, but it is even better when it tastes this good and it cleans off the taste buds so that everything tastes more vivid. Mi Pueblo is noted for having some of the most authentic Mexican food in this area. At lunch there is a separate menu with some very good deals. My friend had the Pollo en Mole Poblano, the chicken in mole sauce (I did like the suggestion to get pictures of the food, but I missed out since we were hungry) which he said was very good. I had the Shrimp Fajitas, which were good, but not great. I should have known better and gone with the Chile Rellenos, which have usually been among the best in town. While nice, in this case the Fajitas were pan sauteed and therefore missing the wonderful sear you get from the high heat pan. The shrimp were nice, although the bell peppers were cut a bit larger then anything else. As I said, not a bad dish, but not up to what I usually expect from Mi Pueblo. Although the dinner menu has gotten a bit expensive, the lunch menu has some very good buys, especially when you consider the high quality and wonderful tastes. While not everything is spicy, be careful, since when something is spicy it can be very hot. Mi Pueblo is one of the best Mexican Restaurants in Northeast Ohio and it is good to see that they are keeping things going. I will be heading down for lunch again soon. Give them a try.