#166: Plaza Azteca

Date Visited: 10 April 2016

Meal: Dinner

Diners: Me & Wendy

Experience: Continuing our theme of new Mexican/South American restaurants in Leesburg, this visit takes us to Plaza Azteca, in the Village at Leesburg. The Village at Leesburg now has enough restaurants that they publish a printable directory. It lists 18 restaurants and I’ve reviewed 12 of them so far. Plaza Azteca is a national chain, with locations in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and North Carolina. We first discovered it a few years ago when our son attended Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA (Go Captains!); it was a popular student hangout. The Leesburg location is in the spot formerly occupied by Finnegan’s Sports Bar & Grill (good riddance).

We were started off, of course, with the house chips & salsa. The chips are made on premises and a bit thicker than average, which is a good thing. The menu features all the Mexican-style dishes you’d expect in a Mexican restaurant. One of the more fun appetizers is the Fresh Guacamole, which is made in front of you on a cart. You can specify the spiciness you want, and we asked for medium, but it seemed hardly spicy at all to me. It certainly was made with fresh ingredients and had just the right chunky-yet-creamy texture and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

For our main courses, I got the Texas Fajitas (grilled steak, chicken, and shrimp) with the expected sides of rice, refried beans, sour cream, and pico de gallo. Wendy got the Shrimp Tacos, which had an enjoyable mix of hot shrimp and tortillas against the cold veggies. Other than that it was good but not exceptional; the portions were on the large side, and we left stuffed.

Our server was very professional and courteous, but not as attentive as we might have preferred (our drinks went un-refilled for almost the entire meal). The new decor is nice, with high-backed booths for a little extra separation from other customers.

If you’re shopping in the Village at Leesburg and have the urge for quality Mexican food, give Plaza Azteca a try.

Location: 1608 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg, VA 20175, 703-779-3612

Website: http://plazaazteca.com/

Total bill: $52.37 + $12.00 tip = $64.37

#165: Señor Ramon Taqueria

Date Visited: 5 April 2016

Meal: Dinner

Diners: Me & Wendy

Experience: Leesburg seems to have quite a few new Mexican/South American restaurants lately, so following our review of Pollo Inti II, we are going to continue that theme for the next several reviews. Senor Ramon Taqueria opened 24 February this year, located where Puccio’s used to be (not to worry, Puccio’s is still doing fine, they just moved down the street to 211 Loudoun St. SE). According to a recent Loudoun Times-Mirror article, the owner is Damian Dajcz, and he always wanted to be part of downtown Leesburg. He was behind the counter and greeted us when we arrived (we recognized him from the picture in the article).

There are two types of tacos offered: “Traditional” ($3) and “Our Tacos” ($4). We ordered a variety for our first tastes. I got the Senor Ramon (“Carne Asada, Chorizo, grilled Guacamole, Sour Cream, Red Onions, and Hot Lava Jelly”) and the Morris (“Spicy Lamb, Pico de Gallo, Pickled Onions, and Cilantro Cream”). Wendy got the TS 478 (“Crispy Shrimp, Charred Corn, Salsa, and Poblano Cream”) and a Traditional Taco (“Served on a Corn Tortilla, Onions, Cilantro, and Lime”) with Carnitas. All the tacos come in double corn tortillas. The fancier tacos tend to “leak” a bit because of all the meat juices and sauces, so be careful. The pickled red onions (on most everything) were a tasty uniqueness. Wendy’s overall comment: “flavorful!”

We also got a side of Chips & Salsa to share (not actually on the menu anywhere). The chips come piled high with some of the same ingredients as the tacos, like the pickled red onions. They have three help-yourself salsas at a bar, and we liked the Salsa Verde the best. It was very creamy, not very spicy, and we had a lot of it!

The tacos are a little on the small side (perfect for snacks), so we were still hungry and ready to try more. For our second round, I got two Traditional Tacos, and Wendy got the Jose Jose (“Lime Adobo Grilled Chicken, Roasted Garlic Mushrooms, Shredded Monterey Cheese, Sour Cream, and Jalapeno Jam”). All just as good as the first ones. We also got a Beef Empanada to share, which had a nice thin crust and plenty of meat. This too was used a vehicle for consuming even more of the creamy Salsa Verde!

Service was quite fast because they are cooking all the time, so it’s quick and easy for them to take some of the freshly cooked meat and put tacos together to order. Overall, we thought the tacos were fun, with creative names that matched the well-blended flavors. Damian told us he will be adding beer, wine, and Sangria to the menu soon, as well as finishing an outdoor seating area in the back. BTW, I asked Damian what inspired the “TS 478” name; he said it was the tail number of a friend’s airplane!?!

We really liked Senor Ramon Taqueria, give ‘em a try and support a local restaurant!

Location: 15 Loudoun St. SE, Leesburg, VA 20175, 571-442-8436

Website: http://senorramon.com/

Total bill: $25.90 + $5.18 tip = $31.08 (first round), $13.42 (second round), total: $44.50