Alicia's Taco Dome

Never heard of the Taco Dome? No surprise. They do little advertising and while the building is something out of a fairy tale, it's found a non-descript home across from a recently built strip mall and in a small community at that. Still, it's worth seeking out if you're looking for a pure Americanized Mexican food experience.

For those in the area whom are die-hard authentic Mexican food connoisseurs and whom would rather choke on some spectacular Mexican food (from let's say more genuine Mexican food locales such La Juanita's) than be spotted at Taco Bell, well...Taco Dome will leave you on the fence.

The name Taco Dome says it all: the building is shaped like a dome. Upon entering, you'll feel a bit like a sardine: crammed but comfortable. After having gotten your bearings together, you can than take in the Spanish decor (the usual hanging sombreros, bull-fighter paintings, etc.) while pursuing through the rather lengthy, and at times, confusing menu.

Service was speedy, granted I visited on a Monday night (typically a slow night for any restaurant) and there was only one other family present. The menu is vast and reasonable. If you chose to dine-in you get complimentary chips and salsa. And, since I'm not a huge fan of the later, it's a nice treat but one I could have done with out. The fried chips and salsa were much-to-do-about-nothing and I'm glad I didn't pay anything for them, as at best I could only stand nibbling on a few while I patiently waited for the main dish.

If your bringing a big appetite with you to the 'Dome' and your wallet is a bit light, be sure to check out the Alicia's Special (my choice of meals). It's enough to feed a horse, yet won't break the bank at its consumer conscious friendly price of only $7. Essentially, it consists of a flour tortilla, packed with spicy hamburger and beans. Topped off with lots of melted cheddar cheese, fresh cubed tomatoes, shredded lettuce, a generous portion of black olives and completed with sour cream on the side.

After a valiant attempt at conquering this gut-bursting giant, I eventually waved the white flag and boxed the rest up to do battle with at another meal-time.

Overall, the price is right and the food is tasteful and filling. Nothing knock-your-socks-off here, but if you have a group of people hungry for Mexican and who are a bit on the 'wimpy' side when it comes to all things spicy, than Taco Dome is sure to be a reasonable and tasteful solution that will have everyone smiling due to their wallets and stomachs both being satisfyingly full.