De La Rosa Mexican Grill working to fill the space and shoes of Provo’s former El Azteca
Alambre con Queso is available at De La Rosa Mexican Grill in Provo on Tuesday.
Dessert nachos are available at De La Rosa Mexican Grill in Provo.
The Chicken Plate at De La Rosa Mexican Grill.
An employee prepares food at De La Rosa Mexican Grill in Provo on Tuesday.
Chicken is cooked on the grill at De La Rosa Mexican Grill in Provo.
Doesn’t the saying go, when God closes one door he opens another? Or maybe it was window.
While I’m not particularly fond of the original phrase, as it usually means pain ensues while everyone around you is exasperatingly optimistic, it seems the row of shops along Bulldog Boulevard adjacent to BYU’s campus have found a new business to join the lineup after the tragic loss of El Azteca.
That was a door we all mourned the closing of with much resentment toward the cosmic universe.
It’s still a tender subject for some Provo residents.
But alas, Provo has been given De La Rosa Mexican Grill. Its doors have been open for business for about four months, and it seems to have grown a small following during that period — though I imagine it will take quite some time before it amasses the devotion El Azteca drew. Adjustments can be hard … however good they may be. (There’s still one Provo restaurant that I can’t bring myself to try because I’m still distraught over the previous occupant’s closing. I loved it that much.)
However, with eager and friendly faces, De La Rosa is quick to greet customers and usher them into the familiar space. Its menu is not extensive and within it there are some unique combinations that could become customer favorites.
Lauded as its signature item, the Chicken Plate is substantial. A half order of the grilled chicken can easily feed two people, with leftovers, and is also served with rice, coleslaw and tortillas. The chicken was flavorful and one of those dishes you wish you could grill up at home, but if you tried you might end up scorching the side of your house — you’re better off just going out for dinner. The coleslaw was a surprise side; I can’t recall eating coleslaw at another Mexican restaurant. And while I was originally perplexed, the crisp coleslaw ended up being a fitting side as it helped mitigate the heavy feeling one can encounter after inhaling the deliciousness that is Mexican food. It kept the meal lighter.
There were a few dishes on the menu my friend and I were unfamiliar with — Alambre con Queso and Orden de Alambre — but the descriptions piqued our curiosity and in the case of the Alambre con Queso, sold us.
The Alambre con Queso had great flavors from a combination of green bell peppers, onion, bacon, cheese, and meat — we chose steak — with an oiled and crispy tortilla. As my friend aptly put it, the Alambre con Queso was like a Mexican Philly cheesesteak and it was “glorious.” I expect that to be a repeat order.
The rest of the menu included dishes like tacos, burritos, quesadillas and deluxe tacos (pork and steak with beans or potatoes). We sampled a steak and pork taco but the meat didn’t embody the flavors of previous dishes or incite any excitement. Tacos can be competitive when you have a town laced with taco shops (Brassas, 180 Tacos, Taqueria El Vaquero, Laura’s Kitchen and Don Joaquin).
All of the dishes could be supplemented with the handful of salsas De La Rosa had at a small salsa bar. They ran a little on the spicier side, which I personally appreciated. The deep red one was paired with the chicken plate, and you can never go wrong with a tomatillo sauce.
From the bebidas in the cooler, we tried very large cups of horchata and hibiscus, which were a deal.
We also learned De La Rosa caters. So, if you can’t manage to step through the hallowed doors where El Azteca once stood, you’re in luck as De La Rosa’s chicken can apparently come to you.
See? Open window. And now, full stomachs.
De La Rosa Mexican Grill
Where: 46 E. Bulldog Blvd., Provo
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Info: https://www.facebook.com/DeLaRosaMexicanGrill/, (801) 374-3542