It doesn't get much better than authentic Mexican food. Except for, of course, even more authentic Mexican food. At Vallarta's Mexican Restaurant, lunch patrons are offered the chance to feast at an all-you-can-eat Mexican buffet.
The restaurant began dishing out a modest buffet when it opened in 2000. When Angel Guillen and Elias Gomez took ownership in February 2009, they expanded the buffet to include nine dishes, three desserts, and a salad bar -- along with guacamole and salsa.
They enhanced the restaurant's authenticity by eliminating items that weren't made in-house, and began incorporating some of their own recipes. The yummy and affordable menu revolves around full meals like fajita tacos ($11.95) or seafood chimichangas ($12.50), along with a la carte items such as the pork tamale ($3.95) or halibut fajita taco ($5.50). Even non-Mexican fans can find their niche in the hamburger and sandwich section of the menu, or with substantial steak and seafood plates like the New York steak and scampi ($17.95).
While you can't get a margarita -- because of the hard liquor -- you can wash your meal down with wine, beer or sangria made fresh in-house.
Guillen and Gomez built the restaurant's reputation around a simple philosophy: delicious food and outstanding service. The two aren't strangers to the restaurant business or Mexican food. Gomez's brother formerly owned Vallarta's, while Guillen's parents operate a restaurant in Mexico.
You wouldn't know it based on first impressions. On my first visit, the authenticity of the restaurant appeared diluted, with just a few fiesta-themed decorations and beer advertisements. On the plus side, the place is impeccably clean -- a huge bonus when dealing with uncovered buffet food.
I opted for the lunch buffet ($9.95), which clearly offers the best bang for your buck. I piled my plate high with a variety of selections, starting with the basic cheese enchilada. The flour tortilla was heavy with bubbling American cheese and tasted as delicious as it looked. It was petite, but therein lies the perk of the bottomless buffet. Next was the beef and bean burrito, which incorporated perfect quantities of ground beef, cheese, and beans. I also had the chile verde, chunks of lean pork doused in a spicy green chile sauce and wrapped in a flour tortilla.
The do-it-yourself taco bar was my favorite of the buffet items. What better way to craft a taco than to cherry-pick the fixings yourself? Starting with ground beef, I loaded my crunchy tortilla with cheese, lettuce, and pico de gallo. I also added a dollop of the fresh, handcrafted guacamole, which is zesty, with just the right amount of onion flavor.
I finished the meal with a nicely crafted flan cake, a rich, moist cake with a hint of caramel flavor.
On my next visit I focused on the menu, starting with the sampler plate ($14.95) appetizer. Its quesadillas were standard, packed with American and Swiss cheese. The generously sized beer-battered shrimp were perfectly crunchy and tasted fresh. The spicy jalapeno poppers are smothered in cream cheese and deep fried, making for a bolder, more sour taste than ones with additional cheeses in the mix.
The real gem of the dish was the alternating chicken and ground beef taquitos and flautas chopped up into two-inch sections. I couldn't resist popping the bite-size pieces in my mouth until they were completely finished off.
My main course was number 37, two Mexican steak burritos ($12.95). Two tortillas were generously stuffed with steak, salsa, sour cream, and pico de gallo, topped with a lettuce garnish and drizzled with mild sauce. They're a tad pricy -- but rightfully so. Guillen later explained that the steak burritos are made using prime cuts from fresh New York steaks. As if the two hefty burritos weren't enough, my plate was overflowing with a helping of rice and beans.
I finished it off with an order of tres leches cake ($4.50) in vanilla, which isn't offered on the menu but can be special ordered in chocolate, vanilla or strawberry. The cake and custard hybrid is by far one of the most rich, dense and delightful desserts I've tasted.
If you have a hankering for Mexican and want the best bang for your buck, Vallarta's offers generous quantities at affordable prices. Diners favoring quality over quantity will be equally impressed.
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By Randi Jo Gause
Daily News correspondent