Maizal Mexican Kitchen and Mezcaleria
4840 N. French Road, East Amherst, NY 14051
716-428-5683
Ratings: Food 5/5 • Service 5/5 • Family-Friendly 5/5
We have been searching for a more upscale traditional Mexican restaurant, and we may have found it in East Amherst. Maizal even accommodates the niños and niñas with its "Para Los Niños" Kids' menu, that is reasonable and filled with flavor. Items all have a Mexican flair.
These items are Kids Cheese Quesadilla, served with Spanish Rice ($3.00); Kids Nachos, corn chips with queso ($3.00) and chicken or ground beef; Kids Taco (chicken or ground beef, $3.00) or Kids Rice Bowl, Spanish rice, refried beans, juicy shredded chicken and cheese ($4.00). Kids may get a fun sheet of "Tic Tac Toe," "Help Pedro Get to the Fiesta," and “Match the Pairs” (of guitars).
I always find that the starter section offers up items close to street food. The Memelitas ($7.95) were both tasty and simple — a real Oaxacan treat of toasted corn cakes brushed with carnitas (pork) drippings, and finished with queso (cheese) fresco, red onion, and salsa. Another starter completed my choice: "Queso and Guac" ($9.95). That translates into melty cheese and guacamole, with corn chips.
The padre chose Tiayuda ($18.95), an Oaxacan staple featuring a large, crispy, crunchy corn shell covered with nomino yerba santa, infused refried beans, and a savory mixture of cecina steak and chorizo, then finished with lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, and queso Oaxaca. The portion size was “muy grande” and the taste was “muy bueno.” (Very large and very good!)
Next time we order we'll choose the Hawaiian Fajita ($17.95), chicken, tender steak, jumbo shrimp served with fresh mahi all grilled with peppers, onions, and mushrooms then covered in melted cheese. Served with Spanish rice, beans, salad, and tortillas, it's a compatible combo of two cultures.
The Family Style section is a good way to go for your take-out, with family style tacos, family style fajitas, or the Sunday Supper Sampler. The Sampler is the perfect box for a Buffalo Sunday: eight crispy fried chicken taquitas, two grilled cheese quesadillas, and chips galore, all to dip and dunk with the homemade salsa, melty queso fresco, guacamole, and Maizal 5-Layer dip ($39.95). Check the menu for the other mouth-watering descriptions.
For dessert we reveled in Tres Leche: Tia Lola's famous three milk cake, made with milk, cream, and sweetened condensed milk.
For a colorful and flavorful fiesta on the home scene this take-out will make you forget the restricting color code. In better times when you can occupy a restaurant chair, you may celebrate there. For now, “Salud!”
Check out Barbara Blackburn’s blogs at frontierfare.wordpress.com and culinarrations.wordpress.com.