HOLA! MEXICAN CANTINA
205 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur. 404-371-9669, $$
Hola! Mexican Cantina replaced the Decatur Diner — a garishly decorated restaurant that occupied a prominent street corner in the heart of downtown Decatur. Residents had long eyed the sunny, spacious corner patio and wished for semi-decent food to eat there. Wish granted.
Despite the presence of a few tables and booths inside, Hola! practically spills open to the patio, which brings a new energy to the street. Servers pour forth from the large open kitchen bearing thick wooden boards heaped with good guacamole and baskets of chips. The menu of tacos, fajitas, salads, shareable appetizers and entrees establish it as a cut above strip-mall Mex in terms of ambition.
I don’t mind the sloppy, overstuffed carnitas tacos. A salad with grilled shrimp, orange segments and fried polenta croutons over dull salad greens needed something better than its thin, sweet dressing. But it hit the “not terribly unhealthy nor expensive dinner on a Tuesday night” spot. I’m sorry to report the margaritas taste of mix, but a beer on the patio doesn’t disappoint.
John Kessler
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