Restaurant Review: Frescas

I'm thinking about starting a new line of topics on this blog, where I will review various restaurants I have visited. Since I am a lover of fine food, and since I do seem be blessed with opportunities to dine at some very fine establishments from time to time, perhaps this places me in a unique position among my peers to provide descriptions of my experiences. Perhaps you may find them helpful some day in selecting a restaurant for your anniversary or first date.

Fresca's Mexican Grill - 10/27/2006

Not wanting to bite off more than I can chew on my first attempt (ooh, bad pun), let's take a look at Fresca's Mexican Grill in Foothill Ranch, CA. I would classify this restaurant as one of the seemingly endless number of "high end fast food" establishments throughout Orange County. (Other restaurants in this class would be Pasta Bravo, Daphne's, and Rubio's, for example.)

Fresca's, as it turns out, is the most recent in a chain of seven restaurants in O.C (although I had never seen one before). Just walking in I pretty much guessed that was the case because this is one very nicely-appointed fast food place--and that kind of decoration, I imagine, costs more than most mom and pop establishments are able to lay down to start up such an enterprise. The ambience is Tex-Mex, there are two wide-screen TV's on the walls, and the seating is comfortable (the booths looked particularly comfy). Ambience is an important factor for a restaurant (it's importance is roughly proportional to the price), and Fresca's scores very well in the category.

The Foothill Ranch location has been open for 3 weeks, and the day I went there was a line out the door. But, of course, I should know that showing up at exactly 12-noon is never good if you want to avoid rubbing elbows with everyone else on their lunch hour. The process is typical: wait in line, order your food, pay the cashier, take a number, find a seat; wait for your number to be called, and then go pick up your food. Despite the crowd, the staff were hustling, and my food was ready in probably not much more than 5 minutes. Way to go.

Prices are typical for dining in this class: $6-7 for a combo plate with beans, rice, and chips; $2 tacos; #3.50-5.50 burritos, etc. Certainly not a great deal, but certainly in line with what other restaurants are charging these days. (And besides, they have to pay back those interior decorators and builders somehow, right?)

One nice little "bonus" for a good Mexican fast-food restaurant is if they have a decent "salsa bar." Fresca's has a very fine one, with at least 6 different varieties of salsa (from mild to scortching hot), each with a uniquely different flavor. I sat and snacked on chips and salsa while I waited for my number to be called--which, as I said, wasn't very long.

I ordered the #1 platter: Tres Enchiladas. This entree comes with one each of chicken, steak, and cheese enchiladas, and is served with rice, black beans, and chips. The presentation was nice, the food looked very appetising, and the portion was just right. However, I have one complaint, and that is the meat was fairly unsatisfactory. The chicken was a bit dry--probably overcooked--and both the steak and chicken were fairly tough. Good meat quality is one of my biggest demands. One expects mediocre meat at McDonalds, but when someone is spending more, one expects more. Meat should be tender, juicy, and well seasoned. Unfortunately, mine was none of these. Even though the overall flavor of the dish was very good, poor meat pretty much overwhelms everything else. (Perhaps most people don't notice anymore. But once you've had really good meat cooked right, it's hard to settle for less.)

I will go back to try Fresca's again. If the meat is better then this restaurant may become part of my regular rotation. If not, there's plenty of competition out there for my lunch-hour dollars.

I plan to end each review with a quick summary. I will rate the establishment with scores between 1 (horrid) and 5 (phenomenal) in five categories. Here's a summary of Fresca's:

Atmosphere (decor, comfort, and cleanliness): 4.5
Service (promptness, attitude): 4.5
Price: 3.5
Food (presentation and taste): 3
Overall (average of the above categories): 3.9

Advice? Check it out. Perhaps your exprience will surpass mine.

2006 Fall Presbytery

Tonight I depart for my first Presbytery meeting. The church which I help lead is a mission work of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARPC), a denomination with its roots in the Scottish Reformation and, surprisingly, still intact after 273 years.

If you wouldn't mind, please pray that I would have a safe trip, that the meetings would maintain unity centered on biblical truth, charity, clear-headed thinking, wise decision-making, and that Christ's Kingdom here on earth would be furthered.