James Dickinson photo
Next time you have a south-of-the-border craving and want food fast, forget the usual places and head to Chicken Fiesta. I did just that, along with my college-age daughter and her roommate. Behind a clean, tiled counter are the chickens, slowly turning over the charcoal, evenly browning and throwing off that wonderful roasting aroma.
The young woman at the counter was full of smiles as she answered our questions, like, "What exactly is yucca?" Although it's spelled "yucca" on the menu, we were actually eating yuca — a starchy, tuberous root common in South America, also called cassava. It was delicious! Resembling French fries but with a denser texture, our yuca were not greasy and came with a very tasty dipping sauce of mayonnaise, mustard and garlic.
We also chose the ribs, which were meaty and falling off the bone but could have been spicier. The nachos were good, but the meat made the tortilla chips soggy after a few minutes, which was disappointing. The taco salad with chicken (pictured) was chock-full of rotisserie chicken, avocado, onion and tomato, with some lettuce. And our quarter of the rotisserie chicken was so tender and juicy, we just wanted to keep eating it. The coleslaw was fresh and crisp with not too much mayonnaise, and the guacamole chunky, but a bit too salty.
Don't miss the desserts. The tres leches cake was moist and rich, and the flan smooth and silky.
Locations on each side of the river should make it convenient for you to satisfy your next craving for Latin American cuisine.
Chicken Fiesta
7568 W. Broad St., 755-1112; 7748 Midlothian Turnpike, 320-1112
Prices
Sandwiches and salads $5.95 to $7.95. Rotisserie chicken $5 to $14. Combo platters $7.95 to $10.95. Sides $1.95 to $3.50.
Hours
Monday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
