Tarahumara’s Mexican Café & Cantina

October may be the month of Oktoberfest, but any day is a good day for Mexican food. My family is always in search of a spicy bite and we found one in Norman at Tarahumara’s Mexican Café & Cantina.

Tarahumara’s is a family-owned, family-friendly restaurant. You will see little ones waving pieces of yummy, soft flour tortillas in the air while the adults are crunching on chips and salsa. While you are enjoying the set up there are televisions showing sports and some monitors displaying activity in the kitchen and prep area. See if you can spot your meal being prepared.

There are choices for all levels of hunger. If you are just in the mood for a snack, enjoy the set up of chips, salsa, cheese sauce, and warm tortillas ($5.75). They also offer a pepper, onion, carrot relish upon request that should not be passed—it could be a feast in itself. The salsa has a very fresh flavor with a chunky texture as does the cheese sauce with chunks of onions. Meals range from a “lite” plate ($6.50-$7.95) for small appetitive to a “big boy” platter ($8.25-$13.95) for the hearty man appetite.

Tarahumara’s proves that Mexican cuisine is much more expansive than beef tacos; there are pork tips and pork chops, ribs, beef tips and steak, shrimp, catfish and tilapia fillets, and scallops, along with American entrees. They also prove that all Mexican dinner options are not high in calories. Tarahumara’s offers a variety of low-carb plates and entrees such as Siete mares ($15.95), a large bowl of soup with fish, shrimp, scallops, squid, and crab or Chuletas Mexicanas ($10.95), center-cut pork chops covered with green sauce.

My daughter and her friend accompanied me on this taste fiesta. For us, part of the dining pleasure is crunching into the basket of warm chips and salsa. A warm flour or corn tortilla with butter dipped into the cheese sauce makes for a happy mouth. Mandy ordered a small bean and cheese burrito with cheese sauce, ala carte ($6.50), which includes crispy lettuce and tomatoes. She enjoys the flour tortillas and butter more than having a side of rice and beans. They also serve a large ($7.95) which must be huge if the small portion is any indication.

Tabitha ordered the flautas with beef fajita meat ($10.25) served with a side of rice, beans, and sour cream. Tabitha commented on how flavorful the meat was but would have liked cheese in it too. I ordered a cheese and onion enchilada with cheese sauce ala carte ($5.50), because I enjoy the soft corn tortillas and butter with the cheese and salsa. This was a plump enchilada with good flavor served with a bed of crisp lettuce and tomato.

by Annie Nashert, Edmond, MetroFamily's restaurant reviewer

Annie's Rating: 4 of 4 forks

Address: 702 N Porter Ave., Norman, OK 73071

Phone: (405) 360-8070

Hours: 11am–10pm 7 days a week
 
Prices: $5.50 and up; children’s menu: $5.25 & $5.75 – includes chicken strips, nachos, grilled cheese, and tacos
 
Fun Food Factoid: Flautas or taquitos? Taquitos are normally corn tortillas wrapped around a filling, usually beef or chicken but can be any filling and fried and flautas are flour tortilla wrapped around a filling but this does not always hold true. If it matters to you whether corn or flour, be sure to ask when ordering.