After a frustrating day at work, I deserved the whole enchilada…

Viva Margarita is located at 364 Lawton Avenue, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010. It is a small restaurant and in case the name didn’t give it away, they serve Mexican cuisine. Its design is what you’d expect from a Mexican restaurant, bright colors, paper flags, decorations from Latin America.

Initially, when I was seated at my table, I noticed the music playing was not Tejano music but rather a mix of the Latin Billboard Top 100 from the past 30 years. At first, I was bothered but after a passion fruit margarita or two, I was definitely feeling it.

(…and so were that group of ladies, in the background, that were clearly out for happy hour, it was adorable. These really pack a punch!)

Their tequila selection is quite extensive, I was very impressed, I haven’t been able to find many places in NJ with such a diverse list. They even offer flights for the connoisseurs out there.

For dinner, I ordered the Grilled Chicken Enchiladas which came with: Three flour tortillas filled with grilled chicken, topped with chocolate mole sauce, a mix of Monterey jack and cheddar cheese, chopped onion, sour cream, tomatoes, and, lettuce with Mexican rice and refried beans on the side.

The chicken was stupendous! It was diced and cooked to perfection. The spiciness from the Mole sauce balanced perfectly with the with the cheese. It was a tad spicier than I expected, causing me to WOOH! It was not a bad experience though. My only critique is that, from the look of the mole sauce, I was expecting a bit more chocolate flavor, which was a bit muted due to the spiciness. The portion was so big that I didn’t get to the rice and refried beans, I honestly don’t know why they include these with every dish.

For dessert, I ordered the Cajeta Flan. The Cajeta (Dulce de Leche/Caramel) was very strong. The density of the flan was perfect. It was served with some whipped cream and strawberries. The whipped cream paired very well with the flan, but strawberries seemed out of place. However, they did compliment the sauce from the flan and whipped cream.

This place is a nice hidden gem. Please do check it out if you get a chance! 4.25 out of 5

-themoodiecutie