Dear loyal Burgh Bites readers,

This week’s review is a little different, as Cas is out with a stomach bug. So instead we took on Burgh Bites this week in her place.

Your interim reviewers decided to try Las Velas, a Mexican restaurant in the middle of Market Square. 

We were seated by a window overlooking Market Square, which provided a serene view while eating The fairy lights also provided a soothing environment and the waiter was super friendly.

We ordered chips and salsa for the table, three Street Tacos, and an order of tamales that totaled to be around $44 before tip.

Chips and salsa can be hit or miss at Hispanic joints. The staple of fried tortillas with chopped tomatoes is hard to perfect.

The chips tacked on an extra $5 to the bill and came out immediately after we ordered them. 

Surprisingly, the tortilla had a bit of flake to it that was an interesting change to the snap of a traditional chip.

The salsa was lacking. While it was juicy and texturally mixed well with the chips, it lacked a  flavor kick or profile.

It was $6 per Street Taco so we ordered three. The waiter advised that two to three were enough to satisfy someone’s appetite and he was right as we were left with full bellies after the meal. The tacos and the chips were sufficiently filling.

The tacos could be ordered with salsa that ranges in spice from mild to extra hot. So I picked the salsa right below extra hot with steak for the protein.

About five minutes after we ordered, the tacos came out which was nice for a slow Thursday night.

The dish lends itself well to additional flavors. The hot avocado salsa was severely lacking in spice. I usually measure good spice by brow sweat and my brow was dry in the end.

The table’s Cholula hot sauce helped compliment the citrus notes of the veggies and salsa. Since the salsa’s flavor was lost with the taco’s other ingredients, next time it should be ordered on the side so that the taco-to-salsa ratio is controllable.

Overall, the meal was relatively filling and rich in everything but a spicy kick that I find myself longing for when I go to a Mexican restaurant.

The $18 tamales came out drenched in a mole sauce, plated on two banana leaves. As I learned, a tamale is a steamed, cornmeal vessel of whatever filling your heart desires. 

Las Velas provides three filling options: chicken, pork, or veggies, each with a different sauce. My heart desired poultry.

If there is a hot sauce resting on your table that you’ve never heard of, then dousing your food with it is compulsory. Those who have eaten a Primanti sandwich with Red Devil hot sauce know what I’m talking about.

Without the Cholula hot sauce my fellow reviewer mentioned earlier, the mole sauce which covered the top of my tamale would have been too chocolatey. But, with that spicy Cholula kick, I was launched into a world of delightfully soft cornbread textures accompanied by a compelling mix of sweet and spicy. 

The tamales also came out with two sides: refried beans and rice. Both were uniquely placed inside of tortilla cups, around the size of cupcakes, making them fun to eat; and to my fellow reviewer’s horror, I unhinged my jaw and devoured the refried beans cup rapidly.

Overall, Las Velas provides tasty Mexican cuisine that requires extra spice.