I have no idea how going to Pampanga to eat came about.  But, I just went along as I'm family are very supportive of whatever family activity.  It's probably because my mom taught us to spend time together as much as we can before we' have our own family soon.  The next question is... How did we end up at Iguana's Authentic Mexican Food?

All we know is that we're going to somewhere in Pampanga so we typed Nepo Mall on Waze and followed avoided all red lanes as much as possible.  A friend who lives in Pampanga suggested that we take the Fil-Am friendship Highway where we could find lots of open Korean establishments.  Since we didn't feel like eating Korean, we drove straight from until we saw Iguana's Authentic Mexican Food and decided we want to try it.  We had no idea if it was open or closed so I volunteered to go down the car to take a peak.


Turns out they are indeed open even on holidays except Mondays.  We were immediately impressed with the interiors.  We had a lot of photo moments especially with the fake cactus and Mexican hats that they offer for free.  Most diners were foreigners and we seemed to be the only group taking photos.

Everything was widely decorated even the ceiling.  We were informed that they used to be Zapata's and had just moved from their old place.

There's also a bar area.

Soups

Tortilla Soup (90 php)

I wanted something warm to fill my stomach so I ordered the Tortilla Soup.  It had tortilla and bell peppers.  It was an utter disappointment as it tasted like salt water.  It just made me miss the tortilla soup from Chihuahua Mexican Grill which is so good.

Main Course

♥ Chili Zapata (240 php)

The Chili Zapata is Iguana's award-winning beef in chili served with fresh flour tortillas, barracho bans and mexi-rice.  This is my kind of meal. It was deliciously spicy!
 

Fajitas (345 php)

We chose chicken meat for our Fajitas.  We were served a sizzling plateful of chicken strips, mexi-rice and grilled sliced bell peppers and onions.  We enjoyed the experience of rolling it out on our own.

Tortillas, Salsa and Sour Cream

It was also served with Tortillas, Salsa and Sour Cream.  I really enjoyed their fresh Tortillas but I prefer Orale's slightly thicker version more because I like them a bit chewy.

♥ Combination Plate: Cheese and Bean Burrito and Beef Enchiladas (240 php)

Since we're first timers and want to try as much as we can, we had the Combination Plate: Cheese and Bean Burrito and Beef Enchiladas served with baraccho beans and mexi-rice like our other orders.  The Cheese and Bean Burrito looks flat but it was actually fulfilling because of the bean and cheese combo.  I liked the Beef Enchiladas more though.

♥ Mayan Bean Soup

It also comes with a bowl of Mayan Bean Soup.  This is so good!  I regret ordering the sad Tortilla Soup over it.

Drinks

Margaritas

Rumrita (90 php)

My little sister ordered a frozen Rumrita and seemed to enjoy it. 


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Iguana's Authentic Mexican Food is a great place to enjoy Mexican dishes with good company.  We had so much fun with the lively place.  The food quality is also good especially for the affordable price.  The staffs are very nice and friendly so we left a handsome tip because they don't have service charge.

The family is quite fond of Mexican cuisine so we dine at every Mexican restaurant we encounter.  A few months ago, we spotted Chihuahua Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar at Greenbelt 2.  It was on the outside or street-side portion so you it is not noticeable.

I find it quite odd that they have their sign inside and not outside the store.

It has a huge space which makes it a great party area with a wide dance floor.  It is equipped with  a sound system, disco ball and colored lights.  The voluminous party photos plastered on its red walls insinuated that its a wild party place perhaps on late hours or private events.  The interior appears like an American retro 70's diner than a Mexican Grill Bar to me though. 

They have a downright simple pay as you order system.  The menu board says it all in steps too.

Step 1: Choose your main course (all priced at 295 php)

• Tacos
• Burrito
• Burrito Bowl
• Salad

 Step 2: Choose your meat or filling:

• Steak
• Chicken
• Carnitas
• Picadillo
• Veggies

Step 3: Choose your extras

• Mexican Rice
• Chili
• Nacho Grande
• Chips & Queso
• Tortilla Soup

Step 4: Choose your drinks

Hot Sauce Library

The have a cool Hot Sauce Library.  Although it is extensive, I wished they were categorized to spiciness level so I could easily decide on which to try.

Salsa Bar

The Salsa Bar had chipotle, tomatillo, pico de gallo, jalapeños and fresh limes.  Unfortunately, the jalapeños was empty but there's the chiptotle made from its dried form.  I feasted on the tomatillo and pico de gallo which was delicious!

Food

♥ Tortilla Soup (160 php)

This is the best Tortilla Soup I have ever tried!  We had to order one for each because no one wanted to share.  It had a stupendously tasty broth with diced herbs and vegetables, chunks of chicken, topped with tortilla chips, pico de gallo and grated cheddar and Monterey Jack chees.  It has a mild spicy kick to it.

♥ Chicken Tacos (295 php)

An order of the Chicken Tacos is composed of 3 pieces and a salsa.  It is a hearty taco made with soft flour tortilla shells, cheese, pico de gallo, salsa, lettuce, sour cream and chicken strips.  We loved this! 

♥ Carnitas Burrito (295 php)

The heaviest of the options is the Carnitas Burrito.  It has refried beans, guacamole, Mexican rice, black beans, cheese, pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, lettuce and carnitas (roasted pulled pork).  The carnitas was tender!

♥ Picadillo Burrito Bowl (295 php)

It's my first time to try a Burrito Bowl so thrilled that they offered one.  The Picadillo Burrito Bowl is a stainless steel bowlful of Mexican Rice, cheese, refried beans, black beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream and picadillo (spicy ground beef).  This is so good that I didn't mind getting down and dirty like a hungry chihuahua to enjoy this.

♥ Chicken Salad (295 php)

The Chicken Salad is an fiesty stainless steel bowlful of fresh lettuce topped with guacamole, cheese, chili con carne, pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, corn kernels and chicken cubes.  This is surprisingly overwhelmingly  good for a healthy Mexican dish.

These are the hot sauces I tried along the way.  All of them were not enough to make me surrender.  Anyone know which is the hottest hot sauce in their library?

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Chihuahua Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar is on top of our list when it comes to authentic Mexican cuisine.  I usually find it difficult to finish a Mexican meal but this one got as all wanting for more.  We didn't feel the heaviness in the meal at all.  We were instead allured by the fresh and bold flavors of every ingredient.  Not to mention, their price is really affordable!