La Casa Mexican Restaurant has recently opened in Indianola. As usual, I was skeptical to try a new Mexican restaurant. After all, it replaced the Golden Corral. How good could it really be?

To my pleasant surprise, it was wonderful. I was shocked when I walked into the restaurant. It’s adorable.

There’s a bar area as soon as you walk in. It looks like a little hacienda. It has a slate roof, or what looks like a slate roof, covering it. The front of the bar has stones on it, and the top of the bar is made of a dark wood.

Booths and Spanish art line the walls, and the floor is tiled. The room is dimly lit, and Spanish music plays in the background. The overall atmosphere is very relaxing. It’s almost like being at a small cantina in Mexico, besides of course for the cold weather and the 21-and-up drinking age.

The best part of the restaurant isn’t the atmosphere, it’s the food. Not only is it cheap, it’s delicious. The lunch menu ranges from $4 to $7. Most items on the dinner menu are about $6 and up.

The menu features typical Mexican foods. There are enchiladas, nachos, tacos, burritos and the list goes on. There are many types of steak and seafood dishes as well. There are also vegetarian options for most meals.

Eventually, I was finished looking at the menu. I decided to order a chimichanga. The chimichanga comes with rice, refried beans, sour cream, guacamole and some other toppings.

Before I could even eat the free chips and salsa, my food was served. It was so fast. I thought the waiter made a mistake, but the service is very efficient.

My chimichanga was extremely tasty. I also enjoyed the Mexican style rice and refried beans. They were just spicy enough to satisfy my palate. The best part of the meal was that it was so big. I was able to save half for lunch the next day.

Besides for food, the restaurant has a full bar. Margaritas range from $2.50 to $5 for the regular-sized ones. They also have huge margaritas that are a bit more expensive. Pina coladas and daiquiris are also available.

The bar has more than liquor. It has many imported and domestic beers too. As you may have guessed, Corona, along with some other Mexican beers are available.

Unfortunately, management tells me they don’t have drink specials yet because they have just opened.

La Casa is located at 508 N. Jefferson, just a couple of blocks from campus. It has the potential to quickly become the new El Tapitio for Simpson College. Who could resist a place that’s within walking distance of the campus and offers a full bar? It would be a great place to sit and relax before a night at the Zoo or Signatures.