La Mex - Home of the Grande

La Mex is one of the better known Mexican restaurants in the Anchorage area.  They are famous for their  margaritas, which are good, but I am more into food, hence the blog.  With that said, La Mex has a full bar and is not too bad.


We started simple enough with the spinach quesadilla appetizer.  It was pretty good, but when combined with the hot salsa that came with the complementary chips, it was excellent.  The spinach quesadilla is a spinach tortilla with cheese and spinach filling.  Simple, but tasty.


For dinner my wife had the Seafood Chimi.  A chimi filled with shrimp, crab, lobster and white fish sautéed with tomatoes and onions and spices. Finished with fresh sliced avocado.  She was please, and it looked and smelled good.


I had the La Mex Burrito Deluxe.  It is served topped with a cheese sauce, shredded lettuce and house dressing.  The cheese sauce and dressing did not do much for me, so I asked for more hot salsa and topped it with that.  I guess I would say the burrito was fine, but the salsa was very good.


I don't mind sauces and salsas on dishes, but when I have to do it to rescue the dish, that does not say much for the dish in the first place.  The cheese sauce that came on the burrito was drab, though the rest of the burrito was fine.  The obligatory rice and refried beans completed the dish, and they were also fine.


A mixed meal to say the least.  I think I will stick with other Mexican restaurants from now on.




La Mex:


Address & Phone - 2550 Spenard Road, 907.274.7511
                              8330 King Street, 907.344.6399


Website - homeofthegrande.com


Reservations - Very large dining rooms in both locations.  You are probably safe not making reservations, but on Friday and Saturday night...it might be a good idea.


Overall Recommendation - La Mex is a good Mexican restaurant, not the best Anchorage has to offer, but good.  If it is nearby, and you have a hankering, stop in.

Don Jose's Mexican Restaurant and Cantina

I am a big fan of Mexican cuisine, and there are many choices in the Anchorage area, but there is only one Mexican restaurant in Alaska that is present in three different towns.  Don Jose's Mexican Restauraunt and Cantina is established in Anchorage, Kenai, and Homer.  Furthermore, I have eaten in all three.

As Mexican goes, Don Jose's is ok.  The restaurants serve decent food and there is good variety on the menu.  On my last visit I enjoyed the Southwestern Fiesta appetizer as well as the Chili Colorado entree'.  The portions were generous and the flavors good.  Having said that, I have had better Mexican within the Anchorage area.

I am not much of a barfly, but I think that Don Jose's Anchorage restaurant is as well known for it's Cantina as much as the cuisine.  Having said that, I can only say that I enjoyed the Negra Modelo that I had with dinner.

Don Jose's Mexican Restaurant and Cantina:

Address - 2052 E. Northern Lights, Anchorage
                205 S. Willow Street, Kenai
                127 W. Pioneer Ave, Homer

Phone - 907.279.5111, Anchorage
             907.283.8181, Kenai
             907.235.7963, Homer

Website - alaskadonjoses.com

Reservations - I have never needed them, but call ahead on Friday and Saturday nights.

Recommendation:  It is not bad, but I can think of better Mexican cuisine....in Anchorage anyway.

Vallartas Mexican Restaurant - East Anchorage Gem, Value Prices

Anchorage is blessed with a handful of pretty decent mexican restaurants. East Anchorage is lucky to have one of it's own in Vallartas on the NW corner of the intersection at Northern Lights and Boniface.

When I first moved to Anchorage, I lived in the neighborhood and ate there monthly. It has been a few years since I have visited, and there has been a lot of work done on upgrading the restaurant, and they have added a buffet. I didn't partake of the buffet....I will have to go back some time to give it a whirl.

I asked my server what was good and he the steak burrito platter was what I was looking for...who am I to argue? He was right. I really appreciate a straight forward meal, so give me those two burritos with a spoonful of refried beans and a spoonful of rice and I am happy. The burritos were a little more heavy on green peppers and onions than I usually like, but they were still quite tasty. Add an ice cold lager, and it is pretty much the perfect meal!

Give it a try, and you will leave Vallartas happy and content....and you won't have to put a dent in your pocketbook to do it.

Vallartas Mexican Restaurant:

Address -

5437 E Northern Lights Blvd

Anchorage, AK 99508

Phone - 907 338-2500

Reservations - I haven't needed one, but I think I would call on a Friday or Saturday to make sure.

Overall Recommendation: At around $10 per dinner, this is good mexican food and a great value. Add the friendly staff into the mix, and this is a great choice for a night out with the family.