Hi guys! This week we’re exploring Mexican cuisine. I visited Casa Mexicana Abuja with my girl Uche (@thelifestylegal). Mexican food is rated the seventh-best cuisine in the world and we wanted to get a taste of all their flavours, so we tried some of the most popular Mexican dishes. Keep reading to find out if Mexican food is worth all the hype or not.
Casa mexicana is a Mexican restaurant located in Ceddi plaza, Central area. what I love most about this restaurant is its menu. It’s fully Mexican, with no phoney add-ons that make it less of what it should be. let’s jump into the review, shall we?
CASA MEXICANA ABUJA AMBIANCE
Starting off the review with the ambiance just seems right, because this place screams Mexico. The decor is bold and chaotic (colour-wise, and not in a bad way). The trademark of Mexican decor is vibrant colours, distinct patterns and rustic furnishings. And the decor at Casa Mexicana fits right in with this and then some.
Stepping into the restaurant, I was taken aback by how bright the room was. The entire place was filled with a vivid colour palette. It was a lot of bright colours. Many cultural influences from Mexico were present in the room, which I find very impressive. the decor felt very intentional and Mexican.
There were wood furnishings, rustic art, flowers, textiles, jewellery and ornaments everywhere. As well as sombreros hanging in every corner, but most of all, the most Mexican feature was the papel picado (colourful yet simple paper chiselled with a variety of patterns, used by Mexicans to decorate parties and gatherings.)
There was is particular Wall that reminded me of the movie “COCO”. The ornaments and decor of the wall felt very día de muertos (day of the dead). There was jewellery encased into the walls behind clear glass and the tables were covered in bright primary colours. The furniture was wooden and there were symbols of the cross in different corners of the restaurant. Everything here screamed Mexican, down to the dinnerware, and the music was also in theme.
MENU & BUDGET
I absolutely love their menu, everything on it is Mexican. They don’t serve anything that isn’t Mexican and that’s what sets them apart from other restaurants here in Abuja. The prices of items on their menu are somewhat on the average – pricey side, some dishes are more affordable than others. And the budget per person is between 10k – 15k, depending on what you order. you can view their menu by tapping here.
THE DRINKS WE HAD AT CASA MEXICANA ABUJA
Virgin margarita – 2000
We started off our lunch at Casa mexicana by sipping some margaritas. First off, this drink was huge! I’m not a big mocktail person but I really enjoyed this. Not only was it a large glass of yummy goodness but it was also quite affordable given how prices of drinks have spiked in Abuja. I loved the presentation of this drink. The glassware was large and very Mexican. That blue rim of the glass sold me, it was definitely authentic. And I was like “These people are all about the details”.
The drink itself was sweet and sour. The lime flavour definitely shined through, It had a strong citrusy aroma that hits you just before you sip, deepening the experience. this margarita was a very refreshing one that I would most likely order again.
Uche on the other hand did not like her margarita so much, because it had way too much lime juice in it and was more bitter-sweet than sweet-sour. Ultimately offsetting the balance of the drink.
THE FOOD WE HAD AT CASA MEXICANA ABUJA
Chicken fajitas Quesadilla – 6500
As adventurous as I am with food, I’ve actually never had quesadillas before. So this was my first time trying it, though I have way too much knowledge about it from all the food networks I watch. This quesadilla from Casa Mexicana was quite good, I really liked it. The flavours were bold with a hint of spice, and the chicken was cooked nicely, quite juicy. But the dish did not have enough cheese. It definitely could have done with some extra cheese.
I loved the dynamics of the textures in this dish. the quesadilla was crispy on the outside but moist and somewhat crunchy on the inside. The vegetables were crunchy and added a burst of freshness to the dish. It was a very hearty dish. I loved each bite, but I would have loved some more cheese on it. Lastly, I appreciated the plates this dish was served on. it was rustic, ceramic and hand painted. it’s definitely unique.
PRAWN FAJITAS – 10000
The main reason we ordered this dish was that for 10k, you get a whole spread. The dish consists of prawn fajitas itself (served on a sizzling hot plate), rice, guacamole, corn tortillas, black beans and salsa. So it’s the perfect dish for two people to share. The dish packed a ton of flavour and there was also texture to this dish. The prawns were perfectly cooked, and I appreciated the crunch of the vegetables.
The rice served with this dish, gave a subtle concoction rice type of vibe. It was tasty and flavorful but it did not outshine the fajitas. My favourite thing however was the black beans! Oooouuuu it was great. I don’t think I’ve ever really tasted that kind of beans before. I was taken aback by the colour of the beans but the moment I put it in my mouth, I was wowed. The combination of the entire spread together in the corn tortilla was mouthwatering and I would say this dish was definitely moneys worth. I would order this again.
Shrimp tacos – 6900
I’m a sucker for tacos. I haven’t really had them a lot of times but the few times I tried them, they were mindblowing. So I had really high hopes for this one. First, they used traditional corn tortillas which I don’t think I have come across in Abuja before and that is a huge plus. Second, I quite liked the presentation, it wasn’t anything fancy but it was cute in its own way.
These tacos were tasty and quite spicy. I would have loved it if the filling was a bit more, though, it seemed kind of slim. And it was served with an extra spicy salsa sauce (the yellow one). Oh my goodness! The spice in that sauce was crazy, even for me. That sauce needs to come with a warning sign! So maybe if they had served the tacos with traditional tomato salsa, there would have been a bit more balance all around. Though, the guacamole was able to temper some of that spice.
Altogether, I quite liked the chicken tacos from Casa Mexicana; they were decent, but they could be better.
The Service
Casa Mexicana has really good service. The staff was professional and had good knowledge of the menu. They were patient and welcoming and quite friendly. We were given hot towels to clean our hands and that is also a plus, because not many restaurants do that. The food service took about 20-30 mins and the drinks were out in 10 mins. So overall, they have great timing. They also have sombreros that guests can wear if they feel like it. they offer quite a nice experience.
Parking
Casa Mexicana is located inside a mall which has ground-level and underground parking. So parking shouldn’t be much of an issue. However, sometimes the mall seems to get really full and there might be issues with parking.
Postscript
In my opinion, Casa Mexicana Abuja is the closest thing to an authentic Mexican restaurant that you can find in Abuja. They have done their research and offer a wonderful dining experience, both with the food and the ambiance. If you are in the mood for some Mexican food, then this is the place to go. This restaurant is a solid 7.5/10 in my book. Would I visit again? yes definitely! You can watch the video below to get a feel of what Casa Mexicana restaurant looks like in real time. Don’t forget to visit the restaurant review page for more exciting reviews like this. ❤️
Love H.
