Mouth watering tenderness of Carnitas at La Troje

WARSAW — When it comes time to go out for Mexican food, nine times out of ten I end up at La Troje (“the barn” in English) in downtown Warsaw.

Sure, it’s big and it’s loud but the employees always greet you like long lost friends, the margaritas are as big as your face and the food is the best in town. I’ve eaten at a lot of Mexican restaurants and I have yet to come across another one that offers the complete package dining experience that you find at La Troje.

The only thing as big as the building itself and its face-sized margaritas is the menu. It’s five sections full of melt-in-your-mouth Mexican yumminess and if someone in your party can’t find something they like, well then, they just don’t like Mexican food.

The first section alone offers a half a dozen choices each of appetizers, quesadillas and salads with almost as many nacho dishes and dips. Add in a handful of chimichangas and you might never make it to the second section but you’ll want to because that’s where the fajitas reside.

La Troje serves up over half a dozen different fajita dishes and variations. It used to be my favorite dish with the single order enough to feed two people but the portions have shrunk in size (some of it probably attributable to whoever is working the kitchen) and I’ve moved on to a new love. The single serving is still plenty for one person with the evening most likely ending with the proverbial “I’ll need a to go container, please” proclamation to your server. Seafood plates are also located in this section along with enough enchilada expressions to cure even the most persistent of hunger pains.

The third part of the menu is what I like to refer to as home sweet home. It’s where the steak dinners reside and where my favorite dish, Carnitas, grabbed a piece of my heart and never let go. The pork tips are ridiculously delicious — they’re the main reason I order this plate every single time I go to La Troje. They’re so tender you could cut them with that cheap plastic spoon you got from some fast food joint that’s been sitting in your glove compartment for the past year. Served with lettuce, tomato, jalapeno peppers, rice, beans and tortillas to hold everything together, it’s the vacation your mouth has been begging for. Other Mexican favorites are also offered in this section along with two dozen combos for those of you who want to keep things simple.

Also included on the menu are burritos (a carnitas version is available, thank you very much) a lunch menu with a la carte items, sandwiches, a kids section and desserts. La Troje also has a recently renovated full bar, its fancy Western-chic design rivaling any in town. Television are available for the viewing public.

If the lines every evening at La Troje are any indication of it long term feasibility, then the barn on Buffalo isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. For people who enjoy great Mexican food in a fun atmosphere, that’s the perpetual party our taste buds have been waiting for.