Chow Down Phoenix!

Rating:

I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but on our recent trip to Bisbee, I decided it would be a good idea to go have lunch in Agua Prieta, Mexico.  Not five minutes after we walked across the border I was already being verbally harassed by five locals screaming at the top of their lungs at me.  I’ve spent a good deal of time in different parts of Latin America, and this was the most uncomfortable I’ve ever felt.  In spite of the badgering, my wife and I continued on about our walk to La Hacienda, a little restaurant just a few blocks from the border. 

The restaurant is quite nice inside.  I give it an A for atmosphere.  Unfortunately, the food wasn’t as good.  They served us some chips and salsa while we perused the menus.  The chips were alright, but the salsas were really poor.  The pico de gallo looked really weak, like they had used low quality vegetables, especially the tomatoes which lacked color.  We ordered two lemonades ($1, below), and those were actually pretty good. 

I ordered the Chivichangas ($6, below-left).  That’s actually not a misspelling; sometimes different regions have minor variations in their words.  The “chivis” were extremely dry and bland.  They were filled with shredded beef that had no sauce, and quite a lot of serrano peppers.  The peppers gave the dish all of its flavor, but they were pretty hot because none of the seeds had been removed.  Chimichangas are one of my favorite things to eat, and I have tried many.  I have to say that these were right up there with the worst I’ve ever had.  The dish was also served with refried beans, which tasted okay, but had an odd and somewhat repulsive smell.

My wife got the Combinacion Mexicana ($8, above-right).  It came with a shredded beef taco, cheese quesadilla, chile relleno, and enchilada, along with rice and beans.  She liked the chile relleno, but thought the rest of the meal lacked gusto.  She said the red sauce was too strong, and overpowered everything on the plate.

My favorite part of the experience was enjoying the artwork adorning the restaurant.  Below is one of the pieces I really liked, it is a beautiful tile painting of a Mexican pueblo.

If you’re in Douglas, I would recommend foregoing the trip to Agua Prieta.  To me, the whole experience was very uncomfortable and there was little redeeming value to the visit. 

La Hacienda
Calle 1a. y Av. 6 No. 599 (Map)
Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico
phone: 52 (633) 338-0621