Everybody say it with me now, ha-SEEN-toes. Great. Now you can confidently suggest dinner with a friend at Provo's newest hangout, Jacintos Mexican Cafe.
I grew up in central California, and while I don't speak Spanish, I've had a little practice with all those tricky place names. And food, too. I'll never forget the first time I said the word fajita — it sounded more like FAJ-it-aahh. Unless you hear the words pronounced for you, sometimes the blunders can be comical, if not downright embarrassing.
Anyway, I visited Jacintos last week for dinner. I took a couple of my kids. Utah County is well-known for its kid-friendly dining, and this place is no exception. It's a casual, happy sort of place, decorated like a market plaza. Except for the booth seats, that is. My brother says those goofy shiny seats belong in a '50s diner.
I noticed right away that Jacintos has a few tricks up its sleeve to keep you coming back. Like endless fresh flour tortillas, salsa and tortilla chips, sopaipillas after dinner and a self-serve ice cream cone on the way out the door. Wow. That's a lotta free stuff (they like to say 'complimentary'; it's a little more genteel)!
But I see through all that. I'll go back if I like the food. Period.
And what about the food? My endless tortillas were doughy and bland. It's a great idea — they offer butter spread and honey — but I like a puffier, breadlike texture.
The salsa was decent. It tasted fresh and had a good kick, though it was too spicy for the kids. The chips were light with a clean flavor. Sopaipillas after dinner were tough and dry. I guess I didn't get a fresh batch.
We sampled from all over the menu, starting with the bean-and-cheese nachos. As my kids would say, they were "num" — that is, they were perfectly crackly and melty and beany. We also tried the fresh guacamole. It was pretty good, though I added salt.
I had a cup of tortilla soup and the steak fajitas. The soup is a clear well-seasoned stock with shredded chicken, crispy tortilla strips and chunks of vegetables. It's very homey and soothing.
I had a little trouble with the fajitas. If there's any place gristly meat is a problem, it's in a fajita. It's no fun to take a bite and wind up yanking the entire contents out just because the meat doesn't bite away easily. Grrr. I made a big mess trying to reassemble the thing. I just gave up and ate it all with a fork.
We tried a couple of smoothies: the mango and the raspberry. They tasted grainy and watered down.
My son had a tasty, smothered bean-and-cheese burrito, and let me tell you, it was muy largo. He couldn't finish it. I liked the refried beans on the side, but the rice was dry and dull.
My daughter ordered chicken strips and fries from the children's section. The tenders were thick with crackly batter and the fries . . . very nice. They're the kind with the seasoned outer crust that have become popular in the past few years.
Oh, I almost forgot about the charro beans. They're as tasty as the fries. With a smoky gravy that's just the right consistency, they pretty much define comfort food.
Jacintos didn't really knock my socks off. I'd call it a mixed review. With time, perhaps the tortillas will be spot-on and other things will really come together. In the meantime, I'd call it a fairly good deal if you're not too picky and you're craving complimentary carbohydrates.
Prices for appetizers range from $1.95-8.95, salads $5.30-8.75, entrees $7.25-17.95, children's plates $3.95, desserts $3.95.
Jacintos Mexican Cafe
** 1/2 (out of five)
Location: 2338 N. University Parkway, Provo; 801-812-0427
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Payment: major credit cards, checks
E-mail: stephanie@desnews.com