Catrina’s Mexican Fusion Is The Place To Be
With a vibrant and fun atmosphere, full bar, competent and friendly staff, live music, and Mexican fusion dishes that’ll knock your socks off, Catrina’s Mexican Fusion is your one stop shop to liven up your mundane lunch break or a whimsical night out. Catrina’s Mexican Fusion is located conveniently next to Baldwin Park and is down the street from Maitland and Winter Park.
Catrina’s is only a year old and has already made a name for themselves in the local food scene with their over-the-top portions and imaginative fusion dishes ranging from grilled octopus, HUGE burritos, and homemade churros with a caramel filling. Not to mention the large and in charge, abundantly flavorful, cocktails that their mixologists are shaking up for you on the daily. If you’ve never been to Catrina’s Mexican Fusion, you’ve been sleeping on the local food scene.
Is This The Best Mexican Food In The Baldwin Park Area?
If you fancy yourself a foodie, and have never been to Catrina’s, we may have to pull your foodie card. Catrina’s boasts a whopping 4.7 out of a possible 5 stars within a few miles of the Baldwin Park area. So, it looks like the people have chosen Catrina’s as the best Mexican restaurant in the Baldwin Park Area. This isn’t our opinion, it’s a fact based on all of you local foodies out there. 487 people cannot be wrong.
Your One Stop Spot For Fun And Good Eats
Wow, what a treat it was to be invited in for our food review at Catrina’s! Catrina’s is a family effort and is family owned and operated. This aspect alone makes us want to support their cause; but there’s many other reasons to visit Catrina’s. The owners are extremely friendly, helpful, and personable; as well as the rest of the staff. To the untrained eye, you may not even recognize them as the owner’s due to how much help they offer their staff.
As you walk in, you’re instantly shifted into a better mood. Catrina’s is downright fun. With bright surroundings, vibrant colors, and upbeat music, you’d be hard pressed to find a frown in the crowd. Not to mention their gigantic party room that fits up to 60 people which can be booked for private events, and they’re gorgeous patio areas that can fit up to 90 people. If you’ve ever tried to book a large party at most other restaurants, you’ll know that accommodating 60 and 90 people is a ridiculous accomplishment.
The Octopus Made Us See The Light
We were served a literal feast the other day when we visited Catrina’s. They are not shy with their portions. The grilled octopus is something we’d usually steer clear of but Catrina’s has managed to lock it down. The grilled octopus is served with roasted potatoes and chimichurri sauce that packs a flavorful punch. This dish does octopus justice. If you don’t know, octopus is a tricky dish to nail down. Octopus has to be cooked perfectly or it comes out undercooked or rubbery and over cooked. No one wants that. They’ve literally turned us into octopus people, and that’s no easy feat.
The grilled octopus is an appetizer on the Catrina’s menu. Even before that though, they make sure to bring you the most fresh and delicious salsa that is made in house and paired with their warm, salty, tortilla chips.
The Ginaormous Burrito Mexicano
The Burrito Mexicano is large enough to feed a small army. This is the big one folks. Gone are the days of unsatisfying, half baked, burritos that leave you wanting more. Not only is this monstrous burrito big enough to share, but it is downright quality. The Burrito Mexicano weighs about 2 – 3 pounds. Its jam packed with mounds of your choice, including chicken, steak, chorizo, al pastor, carnitas or veggies and rice. The Burrito Mexicano is then topped with queso, tomatillo sauce, and red sauce. Its safe to say that you’ll be rolling home with leftovers after ordering this decadent Mexican treat.
The Best Fajita’s This Side Of The Border
After the award-winning Burrito Mexicano, we were offered the colorful, sizzling hot, fajitas. Ours was served with a huge piece of grilled chicken, steak, and shrimp on a hill of sautéed peppers and onions. Everything included was cooked to perfection. The steak and chicken were well seasoned, perfectly grilled, and all around impeccable. Not only were the stars of the show accounted for, but we were served all the fixin’s.
From refried beans with cotija cheese to lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, soft and warm tortillas, guacamole… the works! What more do you want? Do you want us to read your horoscope? Again, this portion is huge. There’s more than enough to feed two people and still have leftovers to take home and re-heat for lunch the next day or to have as a midnight snack.
We’re Not Dessert People, But…
If you’ve read any of our other food reviews, you may re-call that we’re not dessert people. So, we were surprised when we were served two orders of dessert. Needless to say, once again, Catrina’s astounded us with their range of remarkable culinary ability. What’s there to say about fried ice cream drizzled with chocolate and caramel and then topped with sprinkles; or homemade churros stuffed with caramel?
IT’S DELICIOUS! We’ve had dreams about ice cream and churros ever since. These are not the only desserts offered, not by a long shot. Catrina’s has a full bakery that is serving up unbelievable desserts all day long. The next time your sweet tooth kicks up, stop by Catrina’s and ask for something out of their dessert case. You won’t be disappointed.
But Park Ave Magazine, What About Alcohol?
Catrina’s has alcohol in spades. With a full bar, we were also brought out two of their most popular drinks. In keeping with the theme of huge portions, Catrina’s offers giant margaritas like the Mango Chamoy and other popular cocktails such as “A Date Dream”. The Mango Chamoy is comprised of blanco tequila, mango Juice, and Chamoy with a Mexican sugar dusted rim. It is truly a work of art.
A Date Dream is another delicious cocktail with gin and elderflower liqueur, fresh kiwi chunks, lime juice and topo chico sparkling water. Both the Mango Chamoy and A Date Dream are the refreshing kicks you need if you’re just getting off work; or if it’s particularly hot outside. Just be careful, they’re so tasty that you may forget they have alcohol in them.
Let’s Wrap This All Up In A Hot Tortilla
Catrina’s Mexican Fusion is the place to be. They have truly astounded us with their unbeatable service, giant tasty dishes, homemade Mexican desserts, and must try cocktails. If you’re wondering where to go for lunch, or a fun night out, Catrina’s cannot be beat. If you’re in the Baldwin Park, Maitland, or Winter Park area, Catrina’s offers lunch everyday with the option for quick to-go orders and will soon be unveiling their new delivery option. This is, without a doubt, a fantastic choice for your next party or business meeting with their ability to accommodate massive parties of up to 90 people.
Catrina’s is a refreshing take on what it means to support small, local, or family-owned businesses. It would be a real shame if Catrina’s wasn’t around a few decades from now. The way things are going, we’re sure that won’t be a problem. However, the bottom line is, we all need to become more involved in our local community. We will be back to Catrina’s with a hunger for more and an open mind. Make sure you stop by Catrina’s the next time you’re craving one of the many Mexican dishes that Catrina’s has mastered. Check out their menu or follow them on social media and stay up to date with live music and other fun opportunities for your next night out.
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