La Texanita - Mexican, Santa Rosa

Best: Chicken flautas

1667 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa CA

Parking: In parking lot

Last Visited: April 2011

Food: 4 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 3 stars

Price: $ to $$$

When I asked Leslie for suggestions for good Mexican restaurants in the area, she recommended La Texanita. Located on Sebastopol Road, the owners of this restaurant have expanded their taco truck business into a small, but cozy restaurant. The entrance is on the side, and the colors of the interior are bright yellow mixed with orange giving a sunny feeling all around. The sides of the arcs are painted with a brilliant purple. The tables are wood with flowers painted on them, and the chairs are simple. Colorful wall murals depict women with long flowing hair staring into the sea, portraits, flowers, and more. The room has a lot of character. Two flat screen televisions play the local Spanish station movies, soap operas, or sports depending on the time of day.

The decorations aren’t the only thing with character. The waitresses are pretty interesting too. It’s not your typical professional dress. The clothing ranges from tank tops, shorts, and more which normally wo

uldn’t be surprising, but it was a cold and rainy day during my first visit, and these gals were dressed for summer. Anticipate being served in a family operated environment where the native language spoken is Spanish. Also, when you order, you may need to be patient since depending on who is taking your order, the communication could get interesting if you don’t speak Spanish.

On each table is a selection of hot sauces – Tapatio, green hot sauce, and another type in a very large bottle. I never needed it, but in case you like hot sauce, you’ll be able to enjoy a few. On weekends, you’ll find oregano and a dried chili in a small ramekin for seasoning the weekend soup specials.

- Taco – These are made with tortillas about three to four inches in diameter. They are available with any kind of meat, so I selected carnitas. The carnitas is topped with chopped onions, cilantro, and a touch of salsa. Each taco is served with a few slices of radish and a pepper. For carnitas, a small piece of lime is served with the taco too. You can’t beat the price, and they taste very good.  Fish tacos (seen in the photo) cost more, but they're really yummy too. $1

- Taco con tortillas a mano – Similar in nature to the tacos above, these are made with handmade tortillas, so they have a larger diameter and a softer texture. When you eat it as soon as it’s served to you, as opposed to waiting a few minutes, you’ll enjoy the fresh flavor of the tortilla. There’s nothing like it, and it’s worth the extra dollar, though I wouldn’t have minded more meat, but it’s still extremely reasonable. $2

- Sopes o Carnes – If you’ve never had a sopes, think of those premade strawberry shortcake cakes that you buy at the store. It’s basically the same shape – fried masa shaped into an almost bowl like shape with a ridge or an indented platform. The diameter is about three inches. Sopes are made with the same ingredients as tortillas, but tend to be smaller and significantly thicker. This was one of Leslie’s top picks for La Texanita. Available with meat or vegetarian style, these sopes hold a little refried beans at the base (on top of the sopes), meat, shredded lettuce, crumbled cotija cheese, diced tomato, and salsa. I selected the meat version and small pieces of chopped carne asada topped my sopes. Lightly fried, the dough on the outer part of the sopes was crispy while the inside was tender, but not

too soft. Full flavored, this was a great little treat. $2.50

- Flautas de Pollo – Five deep fried taquitos/flautas are covered with tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, cotija cheese, and sour cream and served with a side of beans and rice. Wow, this is my favorite dish of all the things I’ve tried here. I like the crispy texture of the flautas, the fact that it’s not overly fried until it’s dry, that the chicken inside is still recognizable and juicy, and the toppings don’t make the flautas soggy – instead, they add to the flavor. I’ve gotten this dish several times and I know I’ll get it several times more. Delicious. Four stars. $6 -> Price has gone up, but I still always get this.

- Orden de Milaneza – Pork is breaded and cooked until the meat is done and golden brown. The dish is served with tortillas, rice, and a salad. If you like pork cutlet or chicken cutlet, you’ll enjoy this. The portion is huge and the flavor is quite good. There is so much that two people with small appetites could share. $8

- Super Burrito – The super burrito comes wrapped in foil and is accompanied by a small wedge of lime, slices of radish, and marinated jalapenos. The tortilla is warmed and inside comes your choice of meat, lettuce, rice, beans, salsa, cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream. I selected carnitas and there was a nice mixture of tender pork along with a little bit of the fat. Delicious and filling. Although my tortilla wasn’t toasted until there were golden spots like that of my dining companion, it was still very good. $6

- Quesadilla Con Carne – Meat Quesadilla – Melted cheese and your choice of meat are cooked in a warm folded tortilla until the tortilla shows some browning. A small cup of hot sauce accompanies the quesadilla along with a bed of shredded lettuce topped with a slice of tomato that has been topped with some sour cream and guacamole. Good stuff. This quesadilla is also the right size – not too small and not too big. It’s just filling enough without being overwhelming. $5

- Chicken Enchiladas – Three enchiladas are served topped with cotija cheese, fresh tomatoes, and shredded lettuce. Beans and rice accompany the enchiladas. Like the flautas, the enchiladas are very meaty and have a great flavor. Very good. Was $6, now $7

- Agua Fresca – Available in small or large, you can try horchata, Jamaica, or tamarind agua fresca. The only issue with this is that I’ve tried to order the small one several times and I’ve chosen the wrong Spanish word. Be sure to say Chico if you want the little one because Poquito means nothing here. I like their Jamaica and horchata – the latter being less sweet than the Jamaica – surprisingly. Small $1.50, Large $2

All of my visits have been good in terms of food with service being better now that they have a staff member dedicated to focusing on service.  The food is pleasant and flavorful, and the prices are more than reasonable. Service is friendly, though sometimes hit and miss if you don’t speak Spanish. Check out La Texanita for authentic flavor and fresh dishes.  This last picture shows the seafood tostada. 

During my most recent visit, I noticed that they got new menus – and you know what that means – prices went up. Fortunately, it’s only up by a dollar or so, and not for all dishes. Although this seems like a lot in terms of percentage, it’s still a bargain to eat here.