Tucson whats wrong with you? A Restaurant Review

I'll cut right to the chase. Rosa's Mexican Food isn't very good. It isn't horrible, but it is nowhere near good enough to merit the 4 star reviews and the "You've GOT to try Rosa's" comments that I get from everybody whenever I mention wanting to try a new Mexican restaurant.

I've been there twice. The first time I had a carne-secca burrito whcih was nasty (it was stuffed with seasoned dry meat and nothing else, and the second, I got a chicken chimichanga, which was ok, but not 4 star, and almost $10 good. The chicken was all white meat, which was a plus, but the outside was coated with a dull melted cheese, and the chicken was marinated in far too much garlic. Finally, the tortilla was not fried to enough of a crisp and in fact had a soggy bottom. In my opinion a good burrito, enchilada or chimichange should be stuffed with all kinds of ingredients - like a good sandwich Erin got the vegetarian tacos, and these were essentially guacamole nachos in the shape of a taco. Perhaps I've just been missing the item they're best known for?

The atmosphere inside was nice, but once again not spectacular. The place is painted up in your usual Mexican American style, with stucco walls with murals of Mexican figures, pastoral scenes and other flim-flam. Cute tiles are on the table tops, and marriachi music was playing over the speakers, you know, the usual. The place was packed both times that I went. Both times it was during the lunch rush, but again I wonder, why is that place so popular?

I wonder if it has something to do with Willy Nelson? I saw a few photos of him on the walls inside, so I'm assuming that either A) Rosa is a die-hard fan, or more likely B) he ate there at some point. Now just as George Washington sleeping at a hotel doesn't automatically make it the Ritz Carleton, Willy Nelson eating at a mediocre Mexican Restaurant doesn't make it the ....whatever the food version of the Ritz would be...Thai Kitchen in Milwaukee perhaps.

I mean, think about it, should Willy Nelson be the arbiter of good taste? This is the man who has worn two nasty braids since he let his hair down during the Late Precambrian, when he played drums for the Vendian Biota. He looks like the kind of guy who would exchange blow-jobs for cigarettes at a Greyhound station. Do we want to trust this man's food habits. Contrary to what 10,000 college kids who hate country except for Johnny Cash and Willy Nelson, will tell you; Willy Nelson is only mediocre. And so is Rosa's

Hey buddy, you look like you need a smoke