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| - This place (and their sister restaurant, Casa de Lara-on State St), is the very best Mexican food Madison has to offer. Forget the Pedro's and Laredo's nonsense. This place is FAB!
Their chips are thin, crispy, and excellently seasoned. Their salsa, fresh with just a little kick. With each basket of chips they serve pickled carrots--which are absolutely delicious.
My favorite dish is the Enchiladas Verdes- it's great with chicken or beef, but I usually get beef. The verde sauce is actually spicy! Most restaurant food in the Midwest doesn't deliver when they promise spice, but this place does. Take those little chili pepper icons on the menu seriously.
Both my brother as well as my boyfriend really enjoy their Torta, a type of pulled pork sandwich. It's inexpensive and was a staple when we'd dine out in college. Now that we're older and can afford more elaborate menu items, we still enjoy this simple dish. You get the option of ordering it with rice and beans or fries. Please choose the rice and beans! Their rice tastes freshly prepared and seasoned--NOT like the Mexican rice-a-roni crap served at some places. And, I'm sure they must use some good fat in their re-fried beans, because they taste like heaven.
When we went recently for my boyfriends birthday, a sexy waiter who looked like Antonio Banderas recommended the daily special. He offered to give our order to us for free if we didn't love it. He checked back several times during the meal to make sure we were happy with our choice, and seemed genuinely concerned with our satisfaction. While I prefer my usual order, the special, some homemade beef soup and burrito, were also excellent.
I can't even count how many times I've gone to Casa de Lara on State St., but I've been to Casa del Sol about 4 times now, and I will keep coming back as long as they're around!
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