Maria Bonita Mexican Grill

Where: Maria Bonita Mexican Grill, 171 W 800 N, Orem 

Who Went: Owen & Chelsey

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Agua de Piña, Mole Enchiladas, and Carnitas Tacos

What It Cost: $28.50

What We Thought:

There are so many Mexican restaurants here in Utah County, so it's fun to see how each one sets themselves apart! At Maria Bonita, it's all about the atmosphere. A warm, super welcoming atmosphere with cozy chairs and a lovely hostess who greets you with great enthusiasm and vigor! 

We started out our meal with agua de piña (pineapple water), which was surprisingly good. If you are planning on ordering something spicy, I would definitely recommend getting this drink! It was very refreshing, and served in a huge glass that would certainly get you through the meal (though they still offered free refills).

Prior to our food being served, we received this little bowl of broth. It had some rice and onions inside, and was actually a nice way to start off the meal, especially if you visit there on a cold winter night! The best part of drinking this up before our food came was that it helped me to not overeat - a good thing if you are still working on that New Year's goal!

I ordered the chicken mole enchiladas, since I feel like I've yet to find a mole as flavorful or amazing the Red Iguana, but I don't want to have to travel up to Salt Lake every time I'm craving spicy Mexican chocolatey goodness! Though it wasn't as life-changing as the moles up north (or far down south, surely...), it was one of the better mole sauces I've ever had and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also liked how it was served with a nice plop of guacamole - the avocado really helped balance the intense spice flavors of the sauce and was just what I needed! The only downside was that the chicken was a little dry inside and the rice wasn't my favorite, but it was still pretty good altogether.

Owen's carnitas were pretty delicious. With fresh squeezed lime juice and the creamy avocado sauce they served on the side, the tacos were moist and tasty. There was quite a bit of cilantro on each taco, so if you are one of those people who are genetically predisposed to disliking cilantro (it's a real thing!) then I probably wouldn't recommend ordering these tacos. But I liked the corn tortillas, the meat was very flavorful and juicy, and the roasted jalapeño it was served with was an exciting touch.

What You Should Do: Though there certainly are lots of options for Mexican food out there, I would definitely recommend adding Maria Bonita's to your list. They have a lovely atmosphere, lots of menu options (especially seafood, if you are interested in that), and good food. After receiving our bill, I felt like it was a little overpriced for what we got, but you won't be disappointed if you head here for tasty Mexican food!

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