LOCATIONOpposite Gladstone Street on Glen Osmond Road.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAThe decor of Cha Chi’s Mexican Cantina cannot help but put you in a festive mood. Bold colours, sombreros, ponchos and cacti abound. Donkey pinatas and wooden guitars encourage guests to have a bash, especially after one or three Blue Curacao margaritas. The rustic floor is scattered with gaudy patterned rugs and it looks like the painter let loose like a kid in a lolly shop of colour. Wagon wheel chandeliers and a cavernous skylight bring even more warmth to the room. So, pull your ass (mule or otherwise) up to one of the 200 seats and prepare to feast. On Monday and Tuesday nights you may have to wrangle for a table when it is all-you-can-eat nachos, tacos and burritos. If you go the whole enchilada and consume the most at your table, legend says your dining buddies must foot your bill. (If a more private pig-out is in order, Cha Chi’s offers the only home delivery Mexican in Adelaide.)
Turn to the a la carte menu for an exhaustive list of mouth-watering options. Chef Tony Van Leerdan has held reign at Cha Chi’s stoves for over a decade so is well seasoned in this tasty cuisine. Start with an entree of chilli con queso – a Mexican fondue of cheese, mild chilli, ranchera sauce and spices served warm with crunchy corn chips. Then follow with chicken flautas made with flour tortillas that are fried crisp and topped with guacamole and salsa, or saddle up for the house special smoky ribs. Zapped with tangy barbecue sauce, they are partnered with rice and frijoles. Chilli con carne will have you on the edge of your seat with its uplifting mix of Mexican beans, beef, tomato, onion, chilli and spices. A side of jalapeno peppers seals the deal. Ole!
Roz Taylor, April 2009