This weekend, Andrew and I visited a local Mexican restaurant called Chimi’s. This was the first time that we’ve been there, even though it opened during our first or second year of college. It was always one of those places that we’ve wanted to try but just never got around to going. My brother and sister eat there all the time and I’ve only ever heard positive things, so when Andrew and I were trying to think of what to do for dinner on Saturday, Chimi’s popped into my head.

There was also a Groupon for Chimi’s for $28 that got you $45 worth of food. Normally, Andrew and I wouldn’t spend more than about $25 because we just order entrees, but we thought it would be fun to order some extra stuff to try and it wouldn’t cost us the full price.

They start you off with chips and salsa (as any good Mexican restaurant should!) and when we polished those off while we perused the menu, they brought us more (also as any good Mexican restaurant should).

Andrew picked out the hot wings as our appetizer. I’m usually not a big fan of hot wings because they’re typically too hot for me, but these were actually really good. They weren’t real spicy, but they had so much flavor which was a surprise. Normally hot wings are so hot and spicy you can’t taste anything but the heat, but these were delicious.

Andrew and I also ordered a frozen margarita to share. They had different sizes –small, medium, and large – so we opted for the medium, thinking that would be the optimal size to share without going overboard. When our server brought it out to us, we couldn’t believe how big it was! It was 24oz and served in, what I’m going to call, a goblet.

The margarita was so strong. It tasted like straight tequila to me, so while others may appreciate that, it was too strong for me to really enjoy. Andrew ended up finishing it, but it was pretty strong, even for him. Next time if I order a drink, I would try something other than the class, like the strawberry margarita, which I think would add more flavor and make it more enjoyable (and taste less like straight alcohol). At least you get your money’s worth!

Our entrees came next. I ordered a special which included two flautas – one beef and one chicken – and a Chalupa Texana. I really liked my flautas; they were served with some kind of cheese sauce and even though there wasn’t anything inside besides meat, they tasted had a lot of flavor. The Chalupa Texana was okay. It looked a bit like a soft tostada as it had a soft tortilla on the bottom and then everything else piled on top. All of the toppings made it impossible to eat, though, so I ended up just eating it with a fork and leaving the soggy tortilla on the bottom. It also came with a side of rice and guacamole.

Andrew ordered a beef quesadilla, which he really enjoyed. It was pretty big, and with all the chips and salsa and hot wings that we had eaten beforehand, neither of us could finish our dishes!

We were nearly stuffed, but there is always room for dessert. There used to be a really popular Mexican restaurant that had the best fried ice cream, but that was the only place we ever tried it and they closed. Chimi’s had fried ice cream listed on their dessert menu, so that’s what we ordered, hoping it would be similar to what we had elsewhere.

It wasn’t exactly what we were expecting, but we weren’t entirely disappointed either. The fried ice cream was served in a fried dessert tortilla and topped with copious amounts of whipped cream, chocolate fudge and caramel sauce, and a cherry. The fried ice cream itself was what was a bit different. I’m not sure what they rolled the outside of the ice cream with, but it tasted almost like soggy cornflakes that were fried and then frozen. We finished all of it though, so it wasn’t necessarily bad, just kind of odd. I think next time we would order a different dessert.

All in all, we had a great experience at Chimi’s. The service was excellent and the environment was warm and inviting. The food felt really authentic, unlike at a Chevy’s where it’s more Tex-Mex. And on top of all of that, we got an appetizer, two entrees, a huge frozen margarita, and dessert for only $28 (excluding the tip). I love getting a deal.

We will definitely be frequenting Chimi’s more often in the future and I feel like this will be our go-to Mexican restaurant from now on!