Mariano’s Hacienda Ranch

When craving Mexican cantina style food, look no further than Mariano’s Hacienda Ranch. Located in Arlington near Six Flags off I-30 and 360, this restaurant concept started in 1971. If you are a lover of frozen margaritas, you’ll be excited to know that the creator, Mariano himself, developed a family recipe to help with the consistency of this frozen beverage using a soft serve machine. If getting to try one of their famous frozen margaritas isn’t enticing enough, their delicious menu sure is!

We decided to visit when craving a hearty meal while visiting the entertainment district. Upon doing a quick Google search, we found Mariano’s and had to give them a try. The restaurant is beautifully decorated in their hacienda style and gives you the feeling that you just arrived in Mexico. The restaurant also gives props to their invention of the World’s First Frozen Margarita and some history.

Once you’ve had a chance to enjoy the atmosphere, you can dive into their lengthy menu for both cocktails and food. I felt like they had so many different options, making it hard to choose what I wanted to try for lunch. There is plenty of tex-mex options for everyone! After taking some time to review the menu and receiving recommendations from our friendly server we finally decided on the Fajita Nachos, mesquite grilled chicken fajitas, and beef enchiladas. While we waited for our food to arrive we enjoyed their crispy fresh tortilla chips and selection of tangy salsas.

All of our food was served hot and smelled amazing. The chicken fajitas came out sizzling and served with house made tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, pico, Mexican red rice and our choice of pinto, black or ranchero soup beans. While I received faijitas for one, it felt like more than enough food to share. Though after tasting this delicious entrée, it was hard to stop myself from overeating as everything was fresh and tasty. My friends enjoyed their entrees and felt like the price we paid was well worth the portion size and delicious flavors. From the abundance of chicken and cheese on the 8 large nachos to the stuffed premium beef enchiladas that came with a delicious chili sauce, beans, and rice.

All in all this was such a wonderful experience. I feel like I found a not-so-hidden gem in my neighborhood and look forward to returning soon to try more of their tasty entrees and drinks.

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