Rating a recent dining experience at
Maria Bonita on Hall in Beaverton:
Using the Arizona Girls Rating System
for Mexican Restaurants
(one point available
for each item on the list,
bonus at our discretion)
1) Free hot crisp chips (.50, they were prompt and crisp but not hot or homemade)
2) Two or more salsa choices, one of which should be spicy HOT (1.0 basic salsa delivered with chips was mild and OK, but three-salsa sampler delivered on request was excellent)
3) Margarita with tequila and lime in it, no high fructose corn syrup (.50, margs were OK but mixer was standard, orange was substituted for lime slice, and HFCS was definitely an ingredient)
4) Food and plate temperature sizzling hot (.75, warm, not hot)
5) Menu: simple, fresh, authentic, not "creative" (1.0, this is Mexican food)
6) Good sauces/beans&rice/tortillas (.50, the green chile and white sauce were good but the beans, rice and torts were meh)
7) Good entrees (1.0 good options, haven't tried their chile rellenos, yet)
8) Reasonable price (.50 overpriced along with most Mexican food places in this town)
9) Pleasant space, warmth, colors, lighting, smells, service, etc (1.0 decent enough)
10) "Sopapilla o' tortilla?” (0, nobody in Portland seems to offer sopapillas)
BONUS: There were Mexicans eating there which is a good sign, (+.25).
Total score: 8.0, pretty darn good, we will return.
