Cazadores

To know me is to know I love Mexican food.  I went through a phase in college when that’s ALL I wanted to eat.  Of course that followed shortly after I discovered the wonderment that is the Chicken Chimichanga…

(I ate my chimichanga so fast I didn’t snap a picture!)

When I lived in Lexington, I knew where ALL the best Mexican restaurants were.  In fact, I think Carolyn and I would make a game out of finding the best restaurant (and the best 2 for 1 margarita happy hour) on any given day of the week.  Hello, Rincon!

After moving to Dayton, however, I was lost.  I asked everyone I knew (and even some people I didn’t) where their favorite Mexican restaurant was.  I tried several before discovering Cazadores.  Hands down, this restaurant is my favorite Mexican food in all of Dayton.

You know how you can’t describe what is so good about a restaurant, you just know?  That’s how I feel about Cazadores.  It’s just GOOD!

Of course, they start you out with chips and salsa.  Standard fare at any great Mexican place.  Their salsa is outstanding though.  Not too spicy, not too cilantro-y, just right.  I could probably eat my weight in their chips and salsa.  If you splurge and order the queso blanco as well, then you’re done for.  I love dipping my chips in the queso and then in the salsa.  It gives the dip a more complex flavor.

So, here’s my thing.  When I go out to eat Mexican, I go out to eat Mexican.  I typically don’t order the “better for me” meals.  I stick with cheesy, beany, fried goodness (i.e. the chimichanga).  I have had both the chicken and the shrimp chimichangas here and they are outstanding!  They are served with beans and a tossed salad (which is a YUMMY fried soft taco shell that holds lettuce, tomato, and guacamole).

The other night, however, I decided to be a tad bit healthier and I ordered the chicken fajitas.  I didn’t use the cheese and I ate as many veggies as I could.  OK, so it’s still not healthy per se, but it was a compromise.  I still ate my weight in chips and salsa though…

Jeff has ordered nearly everything on the menu it seems.  Well, maybe not everything as their menu is VAST, but he usually tries something new each time.  Some of his favorites include the chimichanga as well, along with the burritos, the refried beans, and the $4.75 Dos Equis, which is almost as big as me!

I’m sure their desserts are fabulous too, but I am always overstuffed when I leave and the thought of adding sweets on top of everything gets me a little green.

We’ve gone there several times this summer because we like dining al fresco on their expansive patio.  Truth be told, I will be sad when we have to pack it in and dine inside.  Not that I don’t like the inside of the restaurant, mind you, but rather I enjoy the feel of the sun on my back and the cool breeze flowing through my hair as I eat.

Cazadores is a local chain with four locations sprinkled through the Dayton/Cincinnati area.  To find a location near you, visit their website!  Make sure you come hungry, though.  You won’t be disappointed!