Maria Bonita Mexican Grill brings mammoth Tex Mex to Utah Valley
The Molcajete, a dish served in a hot molcajete with shrimp, carne asada, chicken, avocado, chorizo and queso fresco, and the Carnitas Michoacanas plate at Maria Bonita Mexican Grill in Orem. Check out our review at heraldextra.com.
The Molcajete, a favorite dish at Maria Bonita Mexican Grill in Orem.
Diners Thiago Merrill, left, and Nasario Aviña have lunch at Maria Bonita Mexican Grill on Tuesday.
I could tell you how big the flautas were, but would you really believe me?
In all sincerity, I suspect you might not.
My friends and I sat in Maria Bonita Mexican Grill last week awaiting our orders. Nothing could prepare us for what came next. The server approached our table holding my brother’s order of steak flautas. But wait, were my eyes deceiving me? The plate held three truly massive flautas, each a foot long and 2 to 3 inches in diameter. My brother said it best in his Facebook post — and really, it’d be impossible not to post something about this:
“They were so big I honestly thought it was a joke,” he said.
Me too, brother.
People at nearby tables took notice; we patrons all shared a good chuckle. Well played, Maria Bonita.
The food was more than just big, though. It was also really good. Only nights before my visit, I was lamenting the lack of good Tex Mex in Utah Valley. I’m no longer lamenting.
Listen, nothing could be more impressive than those gargantuan flautas. BUT second place goes to the Guadalajara Combination plate. This came with one beef tostada, one beef enchilada, one beef taco and one chile verde burrito, as well as rice and guacamole. Once again, just a remarkable amount of food. And, for only $14, this combo plate gives you an astounding bang for your buck. Good luck eating the whole thing by yourself — if you can, you deserve a medal and a body bag.
Taste-wise, the Guadalajara Combination plate might have been the best of the bunch. The chile verde burrito tasted, in a word, smoooooth. When I go back to Maria Bonita — and it’ll likely be soon — I’m getting this.
I ordered the Bistec en Rajas. This dish had steak strips marinated in salsa roja, seasoned with onions, tomato chunks and green peppers, and served with rice, beans and fresh tortillas. This was a potent, filling mix of flavors. I’ve eaten things similar to Bistec en Rajas before, but never with this flavor combination. An intriguing dish.
A number of combo plates include a tamale. Whatever you order at Maria Bonita, get a tamale, too. For one, because Maria Bonita’s tamales are excellent. Secondly, we’re talking about tamales here. Why wouldn’t you get one? C’mon now.
We also ordered the Chimichanga with beef and chicken. It was also served with salsa, avocado, cheese and sour cream. Dave, our resident chimichanga connoisseur who ordered the item, noticed the chef had drizzled what tasted like Italian salad dressing onto the chimichanga. Dave didn’t dig this culinary choice. He did note, though, that the chimichanga’s fried tortilla shell stayed crispy the whole time. Sometimes they go soggy, so kudos to Maria Bonita here.
As I write these words, I’m now realizing the flautas, with their enormous fried tortilla shells, were likely just a normal chimichanga, un-smothered. In fact, I’m pretty certain of it. Hmm.
Possible flauta flubs aside, Maria Bonita is a wonderful restaurant. Some of the items we ordered left us deeply satisfied. And for the ones that didn’t, well, there was more than enough food among our orders collectively to sample another person’s plate. The restaurant’s menu is so vast, with so many different combinations of items, that it’s impossible to gauge with just one visit.
One of those in our lunch group, a Dallas native, said it was some of the best Tex Mex she’s had in Utah. That counts for something. Maria Bonita’s décor is also top notch. Full of warm earth tones, good lighting and really cool wall art, Maria Bonita is clean, inviting and spiffy. A great space to eat a meal. I’ll be coming back soon — whenever I finish my flautas.
MARIA BONITA MEXICAN GRILL
Where: 167 W. 800 North, Orem
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Cost: $7-$20
Info: (801) 426-9328, mariabonitautah.com, facebook.com/mariabonitautah