Looking to eat locally, and interested in trying out some Tex-Mex food, me and my sister visited Casa Pelaez.
Located in a small strip mall off of a main road, Casa Pelaez is a pretty large restaurant with comfortable spacious seating and plenty of ambient sunlight.
We appeared to be the first customers for a Saturday lunch service, so we were greeted and seated promptly.
Served first was a complimentary basket of corn chips and salsa. The chips were pleasantly crunchy, and the accompanying fresh chunky salsa was nicely flavored.
Our starter was the garden salad which I enjoyed a lot due to the variety of fresh crispy vegetables such as lettuce, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and carrots.
The ranch dressing served on the side was okay (thankfully not overly rich), but nothing special.
My sister decided to compliment her meal with one of Casa Pelaez's fresh fruit drinks choosing the "All Berry Mix" of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. It was an awesome drink; so refreshing and not too sweet as no sugar was added.
Onto the entrees.....
Looking to spice things up I chose the fiery sounding "Plato a la Diabla" with ribeye steak as my protein. The Ribeye was served in several thick slices bathed in what was described on the menu as an "extra spicy roasted dry pepper red sauce". Indeed for most people that description is apt, and being a lover of hot & spicy food I found the heat level very enjoyable. The slices of steak were fine; cooked to a medium temperature, still tender, and some pieces having a nice thin layer of tasty fat.
The sides of rice, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, and tortillas were all acceptable; providing a bit of cooling contrast and starch to soak up the Diabla sauce.
My sister chose combination platter #9, consisting of two enchiladas (with chicken as her protein), two hard shell ground beef tacos, and a tamale.
She found the portions adequate (neither skimpy nor overly generous), as we usually have some form of leftovers, but she finished her entire platter (I did sample a bit of everything she had though).
Enchiladas were pretty good, with a nice ratio of chicken to the other ingredients, and the cheese was nicely melted.
The hard shell American style tacos were intriguing as neither of us have eaten this style of taco in ages. It was interesting to get that crunch coupled with the lettuce, shredded cheese, and ground beef. However, beyond the novelty of a crunchy shell, it was just an okay taco.
The chicken tamale was quite yummy and light (for a tamale), as I think another protein like beef or pork would have been heavier.
Tex-Mex food is not a cuisine I crave, so I don't think I'd be back, but if you like Tex-Mex, Casa Pelaez is a solid choice.