CLT Eats – A Charlotte Restaurant Review

Most Mexican restaurants follow the same formula. A quesadilla is pretty much the same thing at most of them. The main differences are what they offer in them. Senor Tequila is a classier version of what you might expect from the average Mexican restaurant. Not only is it a serious step up from most of its competition in atmosphere but the food manages to raise the bar even further than the atmosphere would suggest.

It’s nestled between the the Big Pink Church (Calvary) and 485 in the Piper Glen neighborhood, which is an upscale suburb next to Ballantyne. The little strip mall it’s located in has recently been transformed into quite the destination for the area. There’s now a Trader Joe’s, CVS and Starbucks as well as a few other places of interest. Prior to the addition of these stores the shopping center was floundering after loosing it’s Anchor, Harris Teeter.

The interior is small and cramped but quite nice looking even though there’s the occasional slightly out of place adornment. There are a few tables on the sidewalk outside with umbrellas but overall this is a tiny little restaurant. Fortunately it wasn’t too busy at lunch today so seating was plentiful. That isn’t always the case, especially on the weekend.

Like pretty much every other Mexican restaurant I’ve been too, chips are set on your table shortly after being seated. Lunch options are very reasonably priced given the quality. I ordered the Senor Tequila Lunch. It’s basically a sampler of most of the typical Mexican dishes you’d find at your average Mexican restaurant. Fortunately the quality wasn’t typical. The mini quesadilla didn’t look particularly special but was awesome, as was the rest of the food on the plate. Service was good. It should’ve been though since it wasn’t exactly busy. When things get busy I haven’t experienced the best service but it’s usually more than adequate.

To me, Senor Tequila is what I hope most Mexican restaurants would be. It delivers good quality food with good presentation and good service, in the style you’ve come to expect from Mexican restaurants around town. Compared to Cantina 1511 just down the road at Stonecrest, I like Senor Tequila better. Cantina is a good restaurant but Senor Tequila is more what I think of when I think Mexican food and it’s a really good version of that. I’m certainly not knocking Cantina. Their approach is very different and good on it’s own. What I’m talking about here is my personal preference. In any event, if you’re in the mood for Mexican, I’d be surprised if Senor Tequila let you down.

Pros

• Excellent food
• Good service
• Inexpensive at lunch
• Good atmosphere

Cons

• Cramped
• Can get busy

Rating: Recommended