Inside: Cazuela's Grill

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In Columbus, the phrase, "last night we went to Cazuela's," is often followed by a slightly rusty retelling of an epic evening that started innocently enough with Mexican food and a pitcher of margaritas. These same people are not likely to remember much of the rest of their evening, but what they're likely to remember about Cazuela's is straightforward Mexican entrees, a fun and rather collegiate atmosphere, and, of course, how large the margaritas were.

Food: Cazuela's menu is a mixed bag of traditional Mexican entrees, with endless burrito and enchilada options, and then some items that are borderline Mexican, like the "new" Spinach and Chicken (grilled chicken breast topped with chopped spinach and mozzarella cheese, $9.15).

Then there are the interesting signs posted on the front door that explicitly note that Cazuela's is not responsible for any pains or illnesses caused by eating the Mucho Macho Burrito. This might sound horrifying at first, but the thing to keep in mind is that the Mucho Macho Burrito (filled with rice, refried beans and super hot sauce, with your choice of chicken or steak, topped with super hot sauce, $9.75) is a timed eating event in which the diner has 30 minutes to consume the entire monster-sized portion. "If you are man enough" to finish the entire burrito in 30 minutes (without taking a bathroom break, plus eating all condiments) you get it free of charge. If not, you're left with slightly less pride, a lot of leftovers and a bill all to yourself. 

The food can be hit or miss. The best things we've had there are the fajitas and the enchiladas, with the fajitas always coming out piping hot and fresh with the unique addition of squash and zucchini added into the typical meat/onion/peppers mix (beef or chicken fajitas served with rice, refried beans, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo and tortillas, $11.45). We've had some less-than-perfect experiences with the burritos, which are sometimes served lukewarm and a little watery.

There are infinite entrée possibilities to choose from, but if nothing stands out in particular, try the "create your own" section at the back of the menu. There you'll find options for creating personalized burritos ($7.95), quesadillas ($10.75) and chimichangas ($7.95). Regardless of the entrée choice, each table gets salsa and chips as a standard, and the salsa is tasty—not too spicy, not too sweet.

Cazuela's also has seven vegetarian dishes, including the vegetarian fajitas, made with a mix of grilled bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, squash and onions for $8.95.

Libations: The main drink attraction at Cazuela's are the margaritas, which come in three sizes: regular, jumbo and full pitchers. Prices vary depending on your choice of flavored, lime, Texas or Cazuela Margarita) but the flavored options are delicious. Try the strawberry and mango margarita ($4.99 regular, $8.50 jumbo or $16.96 pitcher), or, for a rewarding challenge, order the 36-ounce individual margarita and take the cup home, then bring it back for discounted refills.

Cazuela's also offers a special mixed drink section with house-designed cocktails like the "Blue Balls"—tequila, rum, vodka, gin, Blue Curacao, sweet and sour mix and 7-Up ($6.75)—or the OSU Footballer—Jagermeister, tequila and 151 rum ($6.25). The imported beer selection is a collection of imported Mexican classics like Corona, Negra Modelo and Dos Equis XX, all for $3.60.

Stop by for happy hour any day of the week, either between 2 and 6 p.m. or for a late happy hour from 10 to 11 p.m., featuring half-off appetizers and daily drink specials.

Décor: From the outside, Cazuela's looks like it has a small store charm, but inside this restaurant has average décor, minimal amounts of indoor seating and questionable cleaning habits. The lighting here is particularly stingy, and most of the lights above individual tables are not even turned on.

There are flat screens in each corner to keep patrons up to speed on must-see TV nights like Thursdays, when one screen has ABC running for "Grey's Anatomy" while the opposite corner has "The Office" going strong (all sans subtitles, unfortunately). Aside from the televisions, there are some fun wood carvings and knick-knacks lining the walls that give this place a hint of Mexico. One wall is devoted entirely to a colorful mural that helps to liven up the décor. 

The tables are often arranged oddly to accommodate large groups of undergraduates, and the open-air sidewalk patio is on the noisy (and often construction-littered) corner of Northwood and High Street.

Service: The servers at Cazuela's always seem to be running around at top speed, due in large part to the fact that they always seem to be either busy in the dining area or short-staffed. Whatever happens, the servers are friendly and timely, for the most part. There tends to be a bit of a wait on busy days (Thursday through Saturday nights), but even during the quiet afternoons those servers will still be doing some serious hustling.

Crowd: At night most of the people who frequent Cazuela's are either students who live in the area and can therefore drink copious amounts of margaritas, or young adults who are kicking back after a long day at work. Things tend to get loud and crowded both inside and on the patio, especially on warm days and nights, so get there early to reserve a table, especially if you have a large group.

Insider's tip: The numbers for each item on the menu seem to mean absolutely nothing to the customers, and don't even bother trying to put them into some sort of order. In one page alone you have item numbers ranging randomly from 39 to 82 to 121 and back down to 75. Just order the food and a drink and try not to think about it.

Check out Cazuela's on Cinco de Mayo for live music and karaoke along with margarita specials and buckets of Miller Genuine Draft for $5. The regular happy hour will be going on during Cinco de Mayo as well.

Bottom line: Cazuela's is an ideal end-of-week hang out to kick off an end-of-week evening, with fulfilling proportions, fully loaded drinks and a healthy dose of casual fun.

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