November brought the Foodies to La Terraza on the recommendation of Stephanie – our resident Mexican food and Taco expert! And what a great choice it ended up being as we found out what so many people had already discovered…. authentic Mexican food on Park Ave. in Worcester.
With no disrespect to the other fine Mexican restaurants in Central Massachusetts, La Terraza says what makes them different is the style of food they offer and the way they grill the meats on the cast iron grill. A bit of a language barrier prevented me from getting more information from the chef, plus I was preventing her from preparing the many orders she had in front of her. After getting in her way long enough, some of my Foodie friends told me to sit and order (which I did happily)!
We sat at a big communal table, our drink order was taken and the servers brought over baskets of tortilla chips, a bean dip and a salsa verde with nice kick! Looking down the table at our group it seemed like everyone’s dinner had gotten off to a great start.
The menu offered pretty much everything you would expect a Mexican restaurant to have, burritos, fajitas, enchiladas, mole and more plus a nice selection of grilled steaks and chicken served in a variety of ways. ,Our server was quick to point out that everything is hand made from fresh ingredients, using some “old school” recipes that add a few twists to some of the traditional menu items.
Amanda and Julie started their night by sharing the Queso Fundido which they described as “….more like a meal than an appetizer, prepared more traditionally than what is usually found in Worcester.
Joe thought the “fish tacos were great, so good in fact I got a second order! The tortillas were nice and fresh, plenty of perfectly cooked, tender white fish and the sauces added such a nice flavor and kick. And you couldn’t beat the price,” he said.
Stephanie commented “Despite not being able to enjoy the tortillas or rice (this time because of some dietary restrictions), the shrimp fajitas I had were delicious! The vegetables specifically were the highlight of the meal because they were seasoned very well and cooked perfectly.”
“La Terrazza offers you a sneak peek into authentic Mexican cuisine. The service was extremely welcoming and made you feel right at home. The burrito was massive, the ingredients were flavorful and seasoned perfectly. The freshly made rice and beans were a nice side dish to make the dinner complete,” said Evan.
Amy offered this…. “The complimentary bean dip before dinner was amazing and a nice change of pace from traditional salsa or guacamole. La Terraza had a homey feel to it, and my Carnitas were tender and full of flavor.”
“I had the vegetarian burrito, which was by far the most flavorful and fresh burrito I have had in the city,” said Julie. “The variety of veggies was surprising, mushrooms, peppers and broccoli to name a few. And the salsa was the flavorful and spicy, delicious,” she added.
When the weather allows, there is a big covered patio and although it sits right on Park Avenue it looks like a spot that would be a great place for some chips, guacamole and an ice cold margaritas.
From what we could see, everyone at La Terraza is filled with passion for what they do, from the servers to chef, and it really shows in the final product. If you didn’t know the restaurant was there, you might drive right by it, but don’t. It is certainly no frills, but if you like Mexican food, you will really enjoy La Terraza!
