Vol. 4, No. 5, May 2008
RSS Feeds
Food Fiesta
Willy and Jose’s delights with great food and great prices
Willy and Jose’s Cantina is a popular choice among those who live in the area near the Boulder Highway, but it’s well worth the trip from across town to check out. Entering the cantina is like stepping into another world.
The restaurant is designed like a Mexican restaurant you might see in an old western movie after the bad guys make a run down south to escape the law. The faux wood support beams that look like trees felled with an axe separate two dining floors that are ringed by a several booths. It really is like eating on a Hollywood set.
Of course, the main attraction here is the food. And this is what really sets Willy and Jose’s apart. With Mexican food becoming increasingly more expensive as it continues to gain in popularity, the value of eating at most Mexican restaurants is gone. Sure, almost all of them give you some free chips and salsa, but that hardly counts as a value when two enchiladas cost $18 or a plate of fajitas comes close to $30.
As you could expect from a restaurant in a casino that knows how to treat its local customers, the prices at Willy and Jose’s are much easier on the wallet. They of course have the complimentary chips and salsa, but the prices and portions of the entrees constitute an actual value. The fajitas—often one of the more expensive items on the menu—come in around $15 ($6.95 Sunday through Thursday during happy hour on select nights—a real steal) and a lighter meal like a taco or enchilada along with the rice and beans comes in under $10.
Other favorites on the menu include the sincronizada, which is a tortilla stuffed with sautéed filet mignon, peppers and cheese, and smothered with tomatillo sauce, sour cream and more cheese and the camarones westanos, which are five bacon-wrapped shrimp on a sauce of poblano chili and garlic.
Just because the cost is lower doesn’t mean they’re cutting corners on quality or quantity, either. Most dishes contain more food than the average person should—or for that matter, could—eat in a single sitting. As good as it is, however, that doesn’t mean some people won’t try.
If there is room for desert—pat yourself on the back for being a sensible eater—Willy and Jose’s offers the ubiquitous fried ice cream as well as chocolate tacos.
And, of course, what would this review be without mention of the margaritas? This delicious and refreshing cocktail has become synonymous with Mexican food—at least to many gringos (myself included) who confuse eating at a Mexican restaurant with a cultural experience.
Here again, Willy and Jose’s doesn’t disappoint, and again the prices don’t break the bank, especially during the two-for-one happy hour every day from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (bar only).
Obviously we’re impressed with Willy and Jose’s, but we’re not the only one. The popular restaurant review outfit Zagat reviewed the restaurant and awarded it 24 points out of 30 for menu food preparation and 21 points for service and décor. The ultimate conclusion in Zagat’s Survey was that Willy and Jose’s is “very good to excellent.”
Willy and Jose’s Cantina
Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall
5111 Boulder Highway
454-8044 (reservations recommended)
Hours
Sunday – Thursday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Happy hour daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
