For the last few months I have been curious about the Mexican place that took over the former Blue Line Cafe in Shaker Heights. The last time I had been in the Blue Line it was pretty empty. I've wanted to try Los Habeneros since it opened about four months ago.
When I walked in, much of the old place was still in evident. The walls were adorned with the typical kind of paintings and other things you usually find at Mexican restaurants.
Run-of-the-mill chips and salsa arrived with my frozen margherita. As I perused the menu I noticed many of the usual suspects. But as I looked a little closer I noticed that some of the dishes had a little different twist. I honed in on the Chicken Chipotle which is strip of grilled chicken with chipotle sauce (spicy) with poblano peppers and bacon, topped with cheese sauce, served with whole pinto beans and rice. Did you catch that? Chipotle sauce (spicy) with poblano peppers and bacon. As we all know everything tastes better with bacon.
I absolutely loved this dish. The bacon makes a good dish into a fabulous one. The smokiness of chipotle along with the bacon and cheese was awesome. The accompanying rice was not the usual dry crumbly stuff you typically get. It was actually pretty moist.
My good food karma led me to the Chicken Chipotle. To be honest, I'd be afraid to try anything else because I liked this one so much. If you're in the neighborhood you have to stop in. Nothing makes me happier than finding an unsuspecting delicious value so close to my house. Los Habeneros is a definite winner.
Los Habaneros Authentic Mexican Restaurant
20255 Van Aken Blvd.
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
(216) 991-4522
www.loshabanerosmexican.com
The dish you described reminds me of a dish I had at El Jalapenos on the West Side. It was... different. A friend has been asking about this place for weeks. It's very close for both of us. I guess I should give it a try soon.
ReplyDeleteI know you, like us, are willing to travel long distances in search of the next best thing. It's always nice to be able to WALK to a good and inexpensive place.
ReplyDeleteI finally tried the Chicken Chipotle tonight, and it was awesome. The smokiness of the bacon and the chipotle made it really full-flavored, and the heat had me sweating by the end of the meal. The charro beans were really good, too. I had the mole chicken the first time, and it wasn't nearly as good.
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