I ran across Gonza’s Tacos y Tequila many months ago when I went to the indoor playground at the Greystone Shopping Center. I made a note to get around to checking it out. During that time I read positive comments from a number of people. This week I finally had the chance to go to Gonza’s for dinner.
I visited around six on a weeknight, and it was clear that the word is out about this place; it was already quite busy.
I ordered the house margarita. It was good, a solid B. It could have been more flavorful and a little stronger. In comparison, the tastiest margarita I have found in Raleigh was at Cantina 18. Also very good, but definitely the strongest margarita I have found in Raleigh was at Dos Taquitos , which may be the only restaurant that served a mixed drink that had almost too much alcohol.
Free chips and salsa came while I waited for my main course. The chips were light, crispy and served warm. The salsa was well-seasoned but not particularly spicy. I generally prefer the coarsely-chopped salsa over the more sauce-like salsas. But, this salsa was good and, like the chips, tasted fresh.
The main dish – chicken enchiladas con mole with beans and rice – was excellent. The chicken was perfectly cooked. The tortilla was the perfect texture. The mole had the right ratio of heat to sweetness.
Many Mexican restaurants seem to add rice and beans as little more than an after-thought. Gonza’s added some greens and corn to the rice, which gave it a deeper flavor. The beans had a hint of seasoning that I could not definitely make out, and was topped with cheese, which improved what otherwise really is not the most visually appealing side. It was a satisfying and filling dinner, but I somehow got talked into trying dessert.
Desserts are not the first thing I associate with Mexican food, but that may change now, having tried Gonza’s flan de coco. The flan was excellent, very creamy and not overly sweet. I enjoy crème brûlée, but I had not tried flan prior to this. Flan is very similar, but the texture is just a touch more like jello. The coconut added an extra depth of flavor that I really enjoyed.
Gonza’s offers a dozen varieties of tacos and more desserts, as well. Now that I finally tried Gonza’s, I suspect I will manage to try of few more of them.
Highly recommended.
Gonza Tacos y Tequila
7713 Lead Mine Road, Raleigh, NC 27612
919-846-5478
gonzatacosytequila.com