Always searching for a great Chiles Rellenos I stopped by Habaneros today and I was very pleasantly surprised.
Most Chiles Rellenos in Phoenix Metro are 'Gringo Style', meaning a small chili entombed in thick batter or egg, stuffed with crappy yellow cheese and smothered in some sloppy assed sauce to where you can barely find or taste the chili. They call that 'authentic' by the way and unfortunately most people thing that is the way to make them.
Habaneros Rellenos was near perfect: a nice healthy chili (Anaheim, not Hatch, but OK) in a paper thin egg batter with white cheese inside. It coms with Pico de gallo but if you ask they will make it was green chili sauce on top. That is all you need to know about the proper way to make Rellenos... it is about the chili.
Served with beans & rice, the beans are cooked, not refried, so no lard if you are being heart healthy. The rice is cooked well, the texture light and fluffy, just enough tomato to flavor it. The tortillas are thin and steamed and served in foil.
Ask for the salsa de la casa as well.....
The only negative is that Habaneros uses plastic plates which don't do well for retaining heat. If you are a slow eater your food will cool. But that is the only negative and accounts for your dinner being $9.99 instead of $13.50 like the others.
16 oz Mexican beers are only $2.99 at Happy Hour and the staff are truly friendly and accommodating. How many times have you been asked you name in a Snottsdale Restaurant lately? And been told they will remember you?
You can usually tell a good Mexican Restaurant by how many Mexicans are eating there after Church on Sunday, and there were a bunch today! I felt bad being the poorly dressed Gringo amongst all the nicely dressed Catolicas.
Mui Bien!