I’ve grown up around Mexican food my whole life. My mom’s family has been passing down recipes for generations. So obviously, I had high expectations going into this food war. Luckily, I wasn’t disappointed.

####La Siesta
La Siesta is in downtown CoMo and is very close to campus. It’s almost hidden away at the end of the block. It’s a sit-down restaurant, but it definitely has more of an “I-came-here-because-I-was-drunk” atmosphere. There’s little chachkies on top of a divider that are cute. There’s one of a donkey downing a bottle of wine, which is questionable. It was a bit quiet for a Saturday afternoon, but that meant faster service, so I can’t really complain.

**Tamales**
If there is one thing my family loves, it’s tamales. Needless to say, I was excited. When I got the tamales, they were covered in chili, which didn’t really add to the dish but didn’t really detract either. My personal favorite part was the masa. It was thick and fluffy, which reminded me of the dessert tamales I had when I was a kid. They weren’t the greatest tamales I’ve ever had, but overall, they were very satisfying.

**Enchiladas**
I was a bit skeptical when I saw the enchiladas come out, and understandably so. The sauce was very tomato-y and the tortilla was really soggy, which wasn’t what I was expecting. My family normally uses a chili sauce with corn tortillas, so the bland dish was disappointing. I wouldn’t recommend.

**Chips and Salsa**
Honestly, you can’t screw this up. The chips were warm and the salsa came with cute little individual dishes so you wouldn’t have to double dip. What more could you ask for?

####Las Margaritas
This sit-down restaurant was about a 10-minute drive from campus, down Providence Road and past Stadium Boulevard. When you walk in, Las Margaritas is flushed with color everywhere and warmly lit. It has the cutest tables and chairs with designs of flowers and birds carved into them. The atmosphere is welcoming, and the restaurant was surprisingly crowded for a Monday night. The thing that may have won my heart was when they started playing Romeo Santos’ “Propuesta Indecente” over the radio.

**Tamales**
I ordered tamales again because I could probably eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack. The tamales were similar to the one I had at La Siesta. It also had the chili topping, and again, I had no complaints. The masa wasn’t as thick as at La Siesta, but the meat inside made up for it. It was well-seasoned and altogether it worked. I was content and would order them again.

**Enchiladas**
I’ll admit it. I am very picky about my enchiladas. Again, these did not quite reach my standards. The sauce was too tomato-y for me, and the taste was kind of bland. The one thing that these enchiladas had over La Siesta’s was the meat. The meat added some flavor that the other enchiladas were lacking.

**Chips and Salsa**
Delicious. The salsa was a bit spicier than at La Siesta, but still good. I have no issues with unlimited chips either.

**Bonus**
I got a side of Mexican rice and beans and I’m not exaggerating when I say that I went to heaven in that very moment. The Mexican rice was delicious, just like the kind my family makes for Christmas. I’m still thinking about it.

If you want Mexican food quick, then La Siesta is your place. But if you’re looking for a place with a nice atmosphere, then consider going to Las Margaritas. I personally enjoyed my time at Las Margaritas more because of it.

_Edited by Katie Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com_