The atmosphere. The food. The people. It all spoke truly of Mexico.

And as far as authentic Mexican goes in the Ames area, Cazador serves some of the best.

In fact, just between us, Cazador serves up the best Mexican we’ve had since our days as shoe-shine boys in Mexico City.

Chips and salsa rained like manna from from the heavens, with salsa that was not too thick but still packed quite a spicy wallop.

As for the chips, well, let’s just say, “Wow!” They were sweet and provided a pleasant compliment to the zesty salsa.

For the nacho aficionados out there, don’t worry, Cazador has some tasty nachos. They’re cheesy and served up piping hot. And trust us — the extra 50 cents to add beef to that platter of chips and melted cheddar is worth every penny.

The nachos are almost a meal unto themselves — spicy, cheesy and oh-so-filling. A small order will leave three people with just enough room for the rest of their meals, while a large could satisfy even a Yucatan-sized hunger.

As we enjoyed all of the chips, salsa, cheese and beef, we took note of the cleanliness of our table and the cozy atmosphere. The lighting was dim, but not too dark; neither of us would have been uncomfortable taking our dates or our mothers to this Mexican fiesta.

And what did we have to drink, you ask? Well, we had water. We’re cheap (what can we say), and it was served up cool and refreshing. We never even had to beg for our refills, despite the lines of people waiting to be seated.

Expect to wait between 15 and 30 minutes to be seated during the weekend, but during the week, you will wait no longer than a few short minutes.

Though the food is worth the wait, you may want to bring your own chairs, because their lounge area is sorely lacking.

Luckily, Cazador takes reservations, so you can call ahead to ensure that you will get seated in a timely manner.

Tom: Just when I was kicking back after the nachos and thinking what a fine meal that was, I remembered something. A lot of food was coming — one beef and two cheese enchiladas, to be exact.

Really, all I can recall from that point until mid-Saturday is thinking, “That is a large portion of some cheesy cheese and onion!”

Good beans, good rice, not the best beef enchilada, but the cheese and onion covered for it.

Just fantastic. To put it mildly, the meal was filling.

Pete: Well, I went out on a limb and chose a beef burrito and a shredded beef enchilada.

The burrito, well, I’m not usually a burrito guy, but the burrito at Cazador may well make a convert out of me. The sauce holds its own, dominating the flavors of the main dishes, while still letting you know it’s there.

I can honestly say that the rice and beans were spectacular. To put it in the extreme, I ate ’til I stopped.

Cazador is out by Hy-Vee on West Lincoln Way.

If you are out on the road and craving some tasty Mexican, drop on by.

Until next week, this is Pete and Tom asking you, “Are You Gonna Eat That?”

---

Peter Gudlewski is a sophomore in English from Davenport. Tom Hanks is a sophomore in computer science from Coal Valley, Ill.