Enjoy Mexican cuisine with larger-than-life taste

FORT COLLINS COLORADOAN

06-21-2007

Colorado is a land-locked state. It's obvious if you look at a map or drive from Julesburg to Grand Junction, But the people at Taco Del Mar act like they don't know that. Surf's up at this Mexican food restaurant with a small, but filling menu. All the basics are covered — burritos, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas and taco salads, each with something different and a bit exotic to the flavor.

A specialty of the house is Fish Tacos, But if fish isn't your thing, try the braised chicken with a bit of spice, the pork mole, seasoned ground beef or shredded beef, vegan or vegetarian options instead. The bowls for the taco salads are made each day in the store and you can add just about everything but the kitchen sink to them. Fresh lettuce, three choices of beans or Spanish rice, your choice of meat (or none at all), a wide variety of salsas and sauces and large spoonfuls of guacamole and sour cream to top it all off. If your appetite is larger than-life, order a Mondo Burrito so big you can barely get your hands around the dam thing. Fill it with any combination of meats, beans, rice or greens and top it off with one of their amazing salsas.

The kids menu at Taco Del Mar is just a smaller portion of the adult menu, so kids have just as many choices as the adults do, unlike most restaurants where kids get to pick from a small handful of items. One of the best things about Taco Del Mar is the all-day Happy Hour, Bottles of beer--local, domestic, and of course, Mexican beers are $1.50 all day, everyday. Yes, you saw that correctly, 150 pennies gets you a 12-ounce bottle of beer all day long. The decor of the restaurant is pretty entertaining. Old road signs warning motorists about the dangers of whale watching, the giant grass hut umbrella table and even old surfboards (including one on top of the delivery vehicle) really takes you from our dry and mountainous state to a beach in Mexico, complete with great food. So if cooking just isn't going to happen tonight, check out one of the two Taco Del Mar locations in town. Fill up for a small bit of change, kick back and enjoy a cheap beer and soak it all in. Taco Del Mar Address: 1823 E. Harmony Road and 1205F W. Elizabeth St, Phone: 372-5876 and 224-4790 Web site: www.tacodelmar.com Prices: About $6 per dish for adults; kids about $3 per dish Hours: 10:30 a.m, to 10 p.m,, daily

Parking: Ample parking on Harmony; small lot shared with other businesses on Elizabeth Bar: Beer only. Kids: Very family-friendly.