I am a sucker for a good Happy Hour. I have been hearing rave reviews about Rosa Mexicano’s daily Happy Hour and have been wanting to test it out for several months now. This week seemed like the perfect time to do so. Zeb and I have been carpooling to work this week, which means Zeb gets off work an hour before he usually does. It has been fabulous.
We braved the five o’clock traffic downtown and found a parking spot in the lot around the corner from Rosa Mexicano, $5. When we arrived at Rosa Mexicano we had no problem finding a table in the lounge. There were only two tables already occupied, so we picked a quiet table in the corner. We had barely sat down when our waitress came over to bring us each a water and a menu. She let us know the Happy Hour specials and left us to peruse the menu.
We ordered a drink and a few appetizers. I chose The 1800 Margarita ($5.50) and Zeb ordered a Modelo ($3). My Margarita was deliciously traditional with the perfect amount of crushed salt around the rim. The use of high end tequila mixed with the salty lime taste made for a great cocktail. We sipped our drinks and talked about each of our days. Five minutes later our food was delivered to our table.
We both moved straight for the Flautas de Pollo ($5), rolled crispy chicken tacos. They proved to be our favorite. The flautas were topped with a salsa pasilla de Oaxaca, salsa verde, queso fresco and crema. The flautas had a depth in flavor and the spiciness packed a punch. There was a creaminess to the layered salsas and crema that corresponded very nicely to the crispier corn tortillas and pollo. Next we tried the Pork Belly and Sea Scallop Hand Taco ($2.66). Zeb really enjoyed it, but I wasn’t a huge fan. I didn’t like the pork and seafood combo. Each bite was a battle between the flavors. In my opinion, there were too many textures going on.
We moved on to our final two dishes, the Queso Fundido ($4.90) and the Tacos de Hamachi ($5.50). The Tacos de Hamachi were three mini hard shell tacos filled with diced yellowtail, serrano chile, bacon, arugula and truffle oil. I thought these were delicious, but one would have been plenty. Zeb thought there were too many elements, but each flavor tasted great. We ate the Queso Fundido last. It was a mix of Chihuahua cheese, chorizo sausage, slow cooked Mexican peppers and cilantro. This should have been our first dish. By the time we ate it, the cheese had hardened too much. Despite this, we both found the Fundido to be one of the best appetizers of the night. Pro tip, add some of the cranberry habanero salsa (one of the two current monthly salsas), for an unbelievably tasty sweetness to counter the spicy.
I think I would place the Rosa Mexicano’s Happy Hour prices in the same caliber as The Oceanaire’s Happy Hour. The prices of Rosa Mexicano are generally on the higher end, but the Happy Hour makes it an affordable experience. We left extremely satisfied with a bill of $29 before tip. Not bad for a Downtown dinner. If your in the mood for great Tequila and a meal “South of the Border,” I suggest you brave the traffic and the parking ramps of Downtown Minneapolis and head to Rosa Mexicano. You won’t be disappointed.
Atmosphere
With a modern chic decor, Rosa Mexicano is a perfect downtown spot for a date night.Service
Our waitress was the perfect amount of attentive. She seemed to visit our table just enough to keep us satisfied, but not too much as to become a bother.Presentation
The plating was great, each dish had a unique look.Taste
We enjoyed the flavors and the variety of each dish.Value for Dollars
This wasn’t the cheapest Happy Hour we’ve been to, but we have spent much more on a dinner for two.
But don’t take my word for it!
Rosa Mexicano
609 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Ph: 612.656.7144
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