La Parilla a good addition to Dothan

For a reasonably priced Mexican-themed lunch or dinner, La Parrilla translates into a pretty good deal.

La Parrilla is part of a growing chain of Mexican restaurants based in Georgia. The Dothan restaurant, which opened in June, is the newest.

“This is the lucky thirteen,” manager Fabian Poveda said.

Located in the Pavillion shopping area, the Dothan La Parrilla occupies a roomy and clean new building.

Like most chain restaurants, there’s a cookie-cutter sameness to the atmosphere inside which no amount of Mexican music and decor can cover. La Parrilla is pitched as a family dining restaurant, and I could see a pretty good cross-section of Dothan in there on Tuesday — blue collar guys, moms and kids and folks in suits and ties.

On my visit to La Parrilla, I decided to show my cosmopolitan and adventurous side by ordering three tacos and a soda.

My tacos were preceded with the usual basket of chips and salsa. You can usually tell a lot about how the rest of your dinner at a Mexican restaurant is going to go by how the good the chips and salsa are.

On this count, La Parrilla didn’t disappoint, the chips were fresh and the salsa just right.

Although I didn’t take advantage of it, I was impressed by the size of La Parrilla’s menu. The restaurant has many offerings, including familiar items like tacos, burritos and fajitas, and less expected offerings such as Mexican-style steaks and seafood.

My tacos arrived fairly quickly. The shells were good but the cheese was a bit bland and the meat was a little too watery for my taste. All in all, they were pretty decent, however.

I have to give kudos to the wait staff. I was greeted and seated quickly. My server, David, was attentive and got my food out quickly.

I also have to compliment La Parrilla on its portions and pricing. La Parrilla’s menu is reasonably priced and Poveda says the restaurant has deals throughout the week on different items. My entire meal was $8.55, which I feel was a bargain.

Overall, I give La Parrilla good marks on its service and atmosphere and fair marks on its food.

Jim Cook can be reached at .

La Parrilla Mexican Restaurant
4771 Montgomery Highway
671-7090

Hours: Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Latest health score: 99
Smoking: No
Alcohol: Yes
Vegetarian options: La Parrilla has a vegetarian menu with options such as veggie fajitas, burritos and combos
Rating: Three stars out of four