La Fuente (Ames, IA)

It's only fitting that my first review be on one of my most favorite restaurants, if not my most favorite restaurant of all time. La Fuente is very popular amongst people in the small town of Ames, I-A, but what sets La Fuente apart from the rest of the mexican restaurant havens? Friendly mexican waiters who barely speak English? Check. Cheap mexican food? Check. Typical sombrero and spanish happy birthday song that doesn't make to anyone who has had a high school level spanish education? Check. La Fuente, in my opinion, sets itself apart from other mexican resaturants for a number of reasons. My friends and I have considered La Fuente the premier mexican restaurant in Ames since Middle school, and thats nearly 10 years of La Fuente loyalty. I know we're not the only the ones in Ames. Word of mouf. Everyone knows for some good mexican food, you don't go to Taco Bell or even Fighting Burrito but La Fuente. For the ladies, you want to feel like a super model? Step foot in La Fuente and there's no doubt you will. Although things have calmed in down in recent years, I am a personal testament to the fact that if you make La F a weekly destination for yourself there are some perks involved. For us young adulters, La F is a prime location to begin a night out. Chances are on a Saturday night you will end up in the basement where delicious margaritas flow non stop. If you finish two the of the monster sized margaritas---a whopping 48 oz (?)--of deliciousness one will recieve the coveted La F Monster Margarita Challenge T-shirt. And believe me, you want to embark on this challenge, where at the least you will set the remainder of the night.

Enough about the atmosphere, what about the food? Although I feel as if the food and the service recently slipped, I believe La F is picking itself up again. My all time favorite at La Fuente is the Fajita Quesadilla con Pollo. And I have turned many friends onto this amazing feast in the past and none of have complained. Although sometimes the chicken comes overly salted, a good margarita washing it all down evens out the playing field. They give you a plate-sized quesadilla with grilled chicken and cheese, and another plate with some delicious mexican rice, refried beans, and taco salad containing guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo. My typical routine involves incorporating the taco salad contents into my quesadilla, and eating the mexican rice and refried beans on the side. (However, some may want to incorporate everything--depending on what they like.)

Many of my friends prefer to go with combos of things like tacos and enchiladas as well, which I have never heard a complaint about..

THEN of course, one can not forget the fabulous salsa and chips. What a way to start any meal. One could easily go to La F for chips and salsa, and a margarita. The salsa has a perfect consistency where it is thick enough to get some on a chip (unlike pico de gallo), and cilantro, which we all know is truely sends any kind of salsa out of the park.

So next time you're in good 'ol Ames, and looking for a good night begin at La F, where one can't go wrong.