La Huerta

Since 1994, La Huerta has been providing top-notch Mexican cuisine to residents of Northwest Arkansas.

A family-owned and operated restaurant, the staff prepares fresh food daily at the location on North College Avenue near Township in Fayetteville.

Thanks to a significant amount of traffic along U.S. 71 during midday hours, La Huerta has a very steady lunch crowd daily.

To appease that, they offer daily lunch specials from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The typical schedule includes three tacos on Monday, three enchiladas on Tuesday, two burritos on Wednesday, two quesadillas on Thursday and the Speedy Gonzalez on Friday, which is one enchilada and one taco and a choice of rice or beans for $2.99. The specials Monday-Thursday are all $5.25 and come with rice, beans and a drink.

On Wednesdays, children 10 years old or younger eat free, and there can be one free child's meal with purchase of an adult meal.

Saturdays and Sundays also offer specials with the Burrito California at $6.99 on Saturday and the carne asada on Sunday for $6.99.

The regular menu is also available during lunch, and for starters, the cheese dip is a customer favorite. It comes in small, regular and large sizes. The cheese dip has won best cheese dip in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Best of the Best poll in years past and can be bought in-house or in a local Walmart.

For the healthier eaters, there are a number of salads available, such as the taco salad, fajita taco salad, grilled chicken or beef salad, grilled shrimp salad, taco salad jalisco and a tortilla soup.

There are also vegetarian combos, such as bean tostadas, bean burritos and cheese enchiladas, vegetarian fajitas, spinach enchiladas and veggie tamales.

Fajitas are very popular at La Huerta, including the ghost pepper fajitas, which are tender strips of marinated chicken or beef skirt steak grilled with onions, bell pepper, tomato and topped with melted smoky ghost pepper jack cheese.

The Hawaiian Fajitas are beef, chicken and shrimp fajitas made in a hollowed-out, cooked pineapple.

All fajitas come with rice, beans and lettuce, along with guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, flour or corn tortillas, so customers can create their own tacos. They also come with tomatoes, onions and bell peppers on a sizzling hot comal, a form of cast-iron skillet.

If looking for seafood options, the tilapia a la Plancha comes with two fillets of grilled tilapia served with rice and steamed vegetables. Another popular options is the fish tacos, which are three tacos with grilled or breaded tilapia served with rice, steamed vegetable mix and tartar sauce with choice of flour or corn tortillas.

The ceviche plate, which is only available on weekends for $10.49, is raw shrimp marinated in lime juice mixed with pico de gallo, salt and cilantro.

Like their family counterparts (Mexico Viejo and El Matador) in the area, La Huerta also features the Steven's Special, which is grilled strips of chicken served on a bed of rice topped with queso, served with flour tortillas for $7.99. If vegetables are desired, they can be added for $1 extra.

La Huerta also offers drink specials, such as draft beer on Monday nights, margaritas for $2.25 on Tuesday, draft beer on Thursdays, margaritas again for the same price on Saturday and a beer special of $1.50 on domestics and $2 on imported on Sundays.

There is also a second location at 1860 North Crossover Road in Fayetteville. Hours are Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and Friday and Saturdays from 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m.