Photo by Nick Smith
Stepping into the popular El Fuego is a wonderful sensory bombardment with the décor of every Mexican restaurant you’ve ever been to all rolled into one. The heavy wooden front door recalls a tranquil hacienda, but the colors, murals and sheer amount of decorations inside are lively, if a little frenetic. It keeps the energy of the customers and servers up and contributes to a party-like atmosphere.
Besides décor, first impressions in Mexican restaurants come from the house chips and salsa. Here, the homemade chips are one of the stars of the show. They’re extremely light and flaky, almost like a croissant in chip form. The house table salsa was a bit heavy on the tomato. If you’re looking for something with a little more character, ask for their hot salsa verde. It was refreshing and spicy at the same time, and went well on tacos.
The menu is lengthy and takes time to peruse. Tacos are a solid choice, especially on Monday and Wednesday when you can order any combination of three tacos for $9.95 (rice and beans $3 extra). The al pastor (chopped seasoned pork) was tender and lean, however, the real standout was the Fuego shrimp taco ($17.95 regular price) with grilled shrimp in a flavorful red salsa topped with onions, cilantro, a grilled jalapeño half and a smear of guacamole. Corn tortillas were fresh and doubled up, just as they should be.
Menu favorites like a jumbo burrito ($13.95-16.95) with your choice of filling and enchiladas smothered in various salsas and melted cheese ($13.95-$16.95) will satisfy anyone looking for a Tex-Mex fix. Other dishes are more authentically Mexican, like the coctel de camaron appetizer ($10.95), a version of shrimp cocktail with onions, cilantro, avocado and lime in a light tomato broth. It’s perfect for hot summer days on their patio, complete with waterfall.
Meat lovers can get anything from El Fuego pork chops ($12.95) with sautéed onions, peppers, sundried tomatoes and olives, to steak fajitas ($19.95) with all the fixings. Vegetarians aren’t overlooked as they sometimes are at Mexican restaurants, though. Enchiladas, burritos and fajitas ($12.95-$15.95) all have veggie options with mushrooms, peppers and onions. Plus you can never go wrong with cheese-stuffed fried Poblanos, the chile rellenos de queso ($12.95).
Overall, El Fuego is a fun restaurant to have a celebration, especially if you’re looking to celebrate outside on a patio secluded from busy Layton Avenue. Just be sure to ask for the hot salsa verde if you’re hoping for a little extra spice in your life.
El Fuego
909 W. Layton Ave.
414-455-3534
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Handicap access: Yes
