Easton's Don Juan Mex Grill is the quintessential college dining spot. Just a half block from the Lafayette College campus, this fast food eatery serves up good, portable inexpensive food.
Order at the counter to eat in, or order online for delivery or pick up ? whether getting out on a Saturday night, or hunkering down with books on a weekday, Don Juan Mex Grill is there for you.
This eatery looks the part of a college hot spot, too. The simple interior is focused on a half dozen or so tables with chairs that shout bright primary hues ? tangerine, yellow and lime green ? and exude a happy, fiesta-style south-of-the-border vibe. Stucco outside and a terra cotta-looking tile floor inside reinforce the Mexican sensibility. The banner over the salsa bar, however ? "Lafayette Leopards"? is as American as a Thanksgiving football game.
Husband-and-wife owners Juan and Melanie Martinez opened the restaurant last year after launching the city's State Cafe & Grill in 2010. The food at Don Juan Mex Grill is fresh and freshly made, and the restaurant cares about sustainability: All the disposable utensils, plates and napkins are compostable.
The tightly focused menu features five varieties each of burritos and bowls and "tacos bravos": chicken, beef, carnitas, veggie and tofu. Quesadillas are also offered along with nachos and salad with the restaurant's homemade cilantro chipotle dressing.
A side order of guacamole with chips ($2.95) was a brilliant, fresh green with small chunks of avocado that proved its freshness. This dip yielded mild and pure avocado flavor that wasn't clouded by spicy heat, just the way I like it.
Beef tacos ($6.95) included both a soft tortilla and a crispy shell, the latter inside the former. It was a fine method for providing the best of both worlds. Seasoned with good balance, the ground beef married well with cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo and cilantro chipotle dressing.
My hands-down favorite, though, was my chicken burrito ($7.49), made with all-natural poultry raised without hormones or antibiotics. This chubby roll of food ? standard with pulled chicken, black beans, rice and cheese blend ? was even better with the freebie additions I chose: lettuce, onion, tomato and fresh cilantro. Juicy, full of flavor and oh-so-filling was this burrito.
The evening's disappointment came in the form of a malfunctioning smoothie machine. Of the half dozen choices, I had set my heart on the "banana Xtra" (banana, strawberries, apple juice, orange juice and non-fat frozen yogurt). Too bad for me Don Juan Mex Grill was unable to deliver.
The upside of that, however, is it gives me a good reason to go back. Not that I need more reason than a repeat performance of that chicken burrito.
Our fast food Tex Mex meal totaled $22.55, including tax.
Susan Gottshall is a freelance restaurant reviewer for Go Guide. Gottshall attempts to remain anonymous during restaurant visits. All meals are paid for by The Morning Call. jodi.duckett@mcall.com
610-820-6704
DON JUAN MEX GRILL
518 March St., Easton
610-438-5661
http://www.donjuanmexgrill.com
?Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon-7 p.m. Sunday.
?Prices: Burritos and bowls: $6.95-$7.49; tacos bravos: $6.49-$6.95
?Credit cards: Major cards accepted.
?Bar: BYO (Bring your own bottle opener)
?Accessibility: Premises (several steps to entry) and restrooms are not wheelchair accessible.
?Location: In city area just steps from Lafayette College, next to Cosmic Cup. Unmetered on-street parking.
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