AUTHOR: ARTSYCHOWROAMER

Pick of the Month

HACIENDA BAR & GRILL

In 2020 it has been difficult to find enough restaurants to visit with outdoor seating especially as the weather starts to turn cold. Imagine how excited we were to pass by Hacienda Bar & Grill in Dawsonville in mid November and have weather warm enough to opt for their outside patio.

Both dog and kid friendly, this restaurant is a family owned chain with six different locations around Georgia; Cumming, Alpharetta, Dawsonville, Lawrenceville, Suwanee and McDonough.

Serving up as fresh and authentic of Mexican food as I have had in any restaurant over my years of dining out and that includes more than a few places actually in Mexico! This post will give you my thoughts on why you should run by and check them out.

COCKTAILS

The bar is cooking up some mean cocktails. Of course tequila drinks should be your first choice but I can honestly say they do a pretty fine dry vodka martini too. Tuesday specials are margaritas for $2.99 all day long.

Love a good Paloma with grapefruit and lime juice, simple syrup and white tequila? My husband had one and decided it should be his go to drink for awhile. They pour their drinks fresh and cold with beautiful salted rims and the best garnishes.

There’s a reason they have been voted the best margaritas in town. They make every kind imaginable shaken, stirred, frozen….however you want yours you got it. Rather have beer? Got a great selection there too which will pair well with your nachos for the next big sporting event.

CHIPS AND SALSA

As I stated above we were lucky to be able to opt for an outside patio for our lunch even in November. They also have a covered patio with fans and heaters for when the weather takes a turn. The servers had on masks and both patios were getting busy the day we visited.

They immediately dropped off menus for us to look over and brought the freshest chips with two kinds of salsa; probably some of the best I have ever had. You can order guacamole which is made fresh right at your table in front of you.

Our drinks arrived super cold and we were ready to order a couple of items to try. We started with the fried poblano peppers.

AUTHENTIC FOOD

They arrived quickly and smelled heavenly; served up hot and spicy with great crispiness and little grease. This is just the way you want this dish. A cool sauce drizzle was augmented with fresh queso bits, red onions and tomatoes. A nice sauce was on the side as well served in it’s own little edible crispy cup.

I saw wonderful platters of food coming out of the kitchen for a large table of ten ladies that were gathered for afternoon apps and margaritas. That table was having a good time and sharing all the dishes. Not sure that’s what you want to be doing during a pandemic but they at least had masks on!

After finishing off the last of the peppers and scraping all the bits from the plate we checked out the large menus again to see what we would get next. A combo plate seemed the best way to try several more things.

COMBO PLATES AND SPECIALTIES

We ordered a combo plate with a taco, chalupa and refried beans with a beef burrito on the side. Again, the servers were fast and efficient. Bringing us another drink and a fresh basket of chips. Our plates arrived and we dug in.

All the chips and shells were so tender and tasty. The beans arrived in those clever little edible condiment baskets. The best food of this type I have ever had outside Mexico. In fact it probably beat a few places we have eaten in as we traveled around different Mexican towns!

They have favorites that are big sellers like the Hacienda sampler with quesadilla, flautas, chimichanga, chicken and salad. Southern tacos with fried chicken sounded great. Or how about Ensenada fish tacos? Nachos and lobster tacos were coming out of the kitchen routinely.

They also have specialties they are known for. Steak San Juan is a tender cut of skirt steak with grilled shrimp, poblano or chimichurri sauce, black beans and rice. It smelled divine as did the fajitas that came out of the kitchen for the table next to ours.

TAKE OUT, CATERING AND FOOD TRUCK

So if you decide you don’t feel safe to dine in the restaurant it is very easy to order online for take out. They also offer catering for weddings, birthdays and parties. You can have full service, drop off or pick up.

Maybe you have a ballgame or a festival that you might like to have the Hacienda food truck serving up your guests. They promise the same high quality foods and flavors as you get in the restaurant on any of their catering options.

CONCLUSION

The video above will give you a better idea of what’s going on at Hacienda in Dawsonville. I highly recommend this place both for the food and drinks but also because of the outdoor dining options and the great, friendly service. It has the feel of a neighborhood joint-not a chain. Check them out-I promise you won’t be disappointed.

If you liked what you read, you might also like other posts under Edible Fare. Hey, don’t be a stranger! Have you eaten at one of the Hacienda locations? If so, send me a message about what you thought and what your favorite dish or drink is that they do OK? Look for my next post on a few of my favorite things at Christmas. Until then…

Cheers!

ArtsyChowRoamer

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