Tequila Factory Restaurant & Cantina
2467 Juan St. (Old Town)
619-260-8124
Happy Hour: 4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday
Come on Get Happy! | By Dr. Ink
It seemed like forever that Acapulco Restaurant operated here, drawing more locals than tourists at times because of its minor removal from Old Town’s main drag. Sharing real estate with Best Western Hacienda Hotel at the upper slope of Juan Street, a new owner quietly took over in fall, turning it to Tequila Factory Restaurant & Cantina.
The facelift is 90 percent complete, with walls painted in bold, festive hues that play off colored lighting. About half a dozen flat screens were installed in the bar lounge, where weekday happy hour was recently introduced. A menu listing the specials hasn’t been created yet, nor are they mentioned on the web site, so we pried our waitress for the rundown.
Tequila is oddly underplayed during happy hour, at least for now. The bargains apply to only two different shots: Puerto Vallarta for $3.99 and 1800 for $4.99. But the bar inventory includes about 15 different types sold at regular prices — the silvers, reposados and anejos.
We were parked at the base of the hill, so we took our tequila doses in the form of margaritas to avoid tumbling down the street afterwards. The margaritas are available in a variety of flavors and sell for $3.99 apiece during happy hour. They’re big and made with fresh fruit juices. Two of us got pineapple-coconut, which to our delight didn’t blast our tongues with that fake-sweet flavor that canned juices guarantee. The pineapple was pure and it appeared that the coconut element came from actual milk of the drupe.
Another in our trio, who wasn’t driving, first slugged down a mango margarita that tasted as healthy as something you’d get from Jamba Juice. He proceeded to pomegranate, a ruby red beauty that also effectively disguised the generous shot lurking within. For a low total of $8, he got his buzz.
Other drink deals apply to Coors drafts, well drinks and house wines by the glass, all $3.99 as well.
Several appetizers are discounted to $5, and what we ordered constituted as dinner if you count the free table chips and salsa that we plowed through. An order of guacamole was fresh and chunky. A carnitas quesadilla was well endowed, with the shredded pork offering a better slow-roasted flavor than what the former kitchen used to serve. But our favorite became the taquitos, served three to an order and filled with your choice of chicken, beef or carnitas. We ordered one of each and loved their delicate, pastry-like casings.
The regular menu, now fully revised, features unique dishes such as turkey tacos, quail fajitas and enchiladas stuffed with both shrimp and mahi — a few good reasons to return for dinner sometime.
CALIFICACIONES:
Bebidas: 4
The margaritas come in several flavors and are made with fresh fruit juices. The tequila in them is detectable and they go down easy. Fans of craft beer, however, are out of luck as the happy hour deals extend only to Coors drafts. And discounted tequilas are available in only two brands.
Comida: 4
The taquitos and quesadillas are plump and pleasing. Or if you’re looking for good, chunky guacamole, you’ve come to the right place.
Valor: 4
A threesome can eat, drink and be happy for a couple of hours and spend less than $50 total.
Service: 3
Our waitress was sweet and attentive, although she didn’t appear trained to promote or recite the happy hour deals until we specifically asked.
Duración: 3
The 6 p.m. cutoff on drink and food specials creeps up fast, and it’s a shame that weekends aren’t included in the happy hour program.
