Aqui es Mexico Cocina Mexicana

 

Located at 1800 Westchester Drive in High Point, Aqui es Mexico offers Mexican cuisine for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11-2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. There is a full bar, food specials change daily, and both outdoor seating and online ordering are available.

 

When Aqui es Mexico succeeded Guacamole at this location last year, one thing became clear not long thereafter: this place is different. Aqui es Mexico offers both traditional dishes not always available elsewhere as well as interesting fusion offerings such as Mexican sushi. Add to that an active social media presence and some tantalizing specials (i.e. $5 Wednesdays or half-priced app Fridays), and if nothing else, Aqui es Mexico deserves credit for trying to separate itself from the pack.

 

My wife and I visited on a Friday night to find the place busy, but given how big the restaurant is, we had no trouble getting a table. Colorful murals adorned the walls, and the atmosphere can best be described as lively. The music is loud, but unless someone is celebrating a birthday (they go all-out in recognizing that here), it isn’t overwhelming.

 

The menu is extensive, and I appreciated the page’s worth of seafood offerings. Whether you’re in the mood for the tried and true (burritos/tacos/fajitas) or want to try something different (the aforementioned sushi, several different molcajetes, more margarita variations than you knew existed), Aqi es Mexico has you covered. Hungry and eyeing leftovers, we went with an empanadas starter, carnitas, and cochinita pibil.

 

Beto provided excellent service throughout the meal, and the kitchen was impressively fast and efficient. Though it was a busy night, we got our food quickly. The pricing was moderate – entrees in the teens – and we got a good amount of food for our money.

 

For as much thought went into the menu and décor here, it’s unfortunate that the food wasn’t as impressive. Our empanadas (two beef and two chicken) looked great as they were fried to a golden brown. The beef were tasty, but the chicken were decidedly bland. The cochinita pibil was nicely sauced though not as intensely flavored as I’ve had elsewhere. Ditto the carnitas, which were appealingly crispy on the outside but underseasoned. The sides were your standard rice/beans/salad, akin to what you’d find in many Mexican restaurants in the area.

 

Because nearly everything else – service, ambiance, menu variety – was a plus here, I definitely wouldn’t rule out a return to Aqui es Mexico. Here’s hoping they can up their seasoning game.