When it comes to Mexican restaurants, Lehigh Valley diners are a very discerning bunch. You see, not just any old chain restaurant will do, both a Don Pablo’s and Chi Chi’s have gone out of business here in the Lehigh Valley. On the flip side though, many locally owned Mexican restuarants have survived and flourished in our discriminating Valley. Cactus Blue, Cali Burrito, and Fiesta Ole to name a few.

My visit last week to Emmaus’ Fiesta Ole was kind of a spur of the moment decision. I was hungry and tired of driving by Fiesta Ole and saying, “Oh, I should check that out sometime”, so I finally did. The atmosphere when me and a friend entered was casual and relatively subdued, which is a nice change of pace to the somewhat manic vibe in many Mexican restaurants. Table service was casual, quick and low key. In other words, just what we were looking for as we watched the Phillies clinch the ALCS against the Dodgers.

For dinner I had a combination meal consisting of a chicken taco, a beef enchilada and a chile relleno. All were tasty and prepared just the way I like them, particularly the chile relleno, which was spicier than most rellenos in my previous experience. The enchilada and the taco were both solid, but nothing revelatory. The chicken fajitas my friend had were excellent; the freshly sauteed chicken, green peppers and onions were prepared perfectly and were beautifully counterbalanced by warm soft shell tortillas.

Overall, I was very satisfied with my experience at Fiesta Ole, the food was great and the service was more than adequate. I’m not the type of guy to wish anything bad on a business, corporate owned or otherwise, but it’s really nice to see an independent restaurant succeed where so many chain restaurants have failed. If you’re OK with taking a trip to Emmaus and you’re looking for some great Mexican food in the Valley, do yourself a favor and head on over to Fiesta Ole. While you’re there, try the chile relleno!