Like Mama Makes

Estrada’s offers authentic taste of Mexico...

Maria Lucero Estrada has cooked authentic Mexican food since she was a child.

Her family moved to the Rogers area from Mexico 17 years ago, she says. She has worked at other restaurants and wanted to own one herself one day. Estrada's Mexican Restaurant in Centerton, owned by Estrada and her husband, opened in April 2010. The small eatery also features a grocery area with items such as vegetables, Mexican bottled drinks and Mexican candy.

ON THE MENU

Estrada’s Mexican Restaurant

HOURS — 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday

WHERE — 401 W. Centerton Blvd. in Centerton

PHONE — 795-4305

The menu is filled with homemade traditional Mexican dishes like those she would eat at home, Estrada says. Some recipes she learned over the years from her parents, who own Yulianita's Mexican Restaurant in Rogers, and others she has created herself, she adds. Most everything is made from scratch daily. She notes they make the corn tortillas, and fresh flour tortillas are brought into the restaurant weekly from another company.

One of the most popular dishes is the macho burrito, which is a 12-inch tortilla with a half pound of meat, cheese, choice of salsa or cheese sauce and topped with salsa or cheese sauce, cheese, guacamole and sour cream ($7.50). Meat choices include chopped steak, seasoned pork, fried pork, beef tongue, lamb, marinated beef, ground beef, spicy pork, chicken, tripe, shrimp or marinated chicken. A lot of her customers share this dish with others, she says.

"It fills a huge plate," she says.

Another popular item is chiles rellenos, which is a pepper stuffed with cheese or choice of meat and topped with a mild red sauce and caramelized onions ($8.99). It comes with rice, beans, salad, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and tortillas, she adds. The restaurant also features sope, which is a deep-fried handmade tortilla topped with beans, meat, lettuce, sour cream and cheese ($3), and Mexican sandwiches called tortas. Estrada says these are like hamburgers. All tortas on the menu are made with beans, lettuce, tomato, onions, avocado and jalapenos. Estrada says one she sells most often is the king's torta, which includes ham, melted cheese, pork, breaded beef, sausage, chorizo and eggs ($7.99).

Estrada says she can change the spice level for customers.

"Since we make it from scratch, we can make it however spicy you want it," she says.

The restaurant also offers yellow and white cheese dips, a kids' menu, soups and homemade fresh fruit water, Estrada says. There are also 21 lunch specials ranging from $3.99 to $6.99. Manager Denise Contreras adds that breakfast items are also available and served all day.

Desserts include flan, fried ice cream, cheesecake, sopapilla, sopapilla with ice cream, tres leches cake and choco flan, which is chocolate cake with flan on top.

NAN What's Up on 03/14/2014

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