Picante Mexican Restaurant

What can I say? Picante is the best mexican in town. Met my current wife there. Food is sizzling, drinks are cold, and the people are friendly. Been a long time patron of the original location, I can honestly say that the new location is the same if not better. I always order the stuffed chicken with a side of queso. Desserts are out of sight. Its the perfect place for kicking back after work. Pros: Food and Service Cons: Amb Caff traffic more

This place is great. I visit Lafayette several times a year (originally from here and still have family here). Only been to the location on Ambassador Caffery. I went nuts over their Crawfish Enchiladas. Also, the Crawfish Soup was wonderful. I wasn't that crazy about the flan, but the Tres Leches was just wonderful. The Cajun Chimichanga (a chimichanga stuffed with crawfish etouffee) was different. If you let go of what you expect cajun Crawfish etouffee is, you'll like it. It's what etouffee would be if it were Mexican. Per our very sweet waitress's recommendation, however, I got it the second time stuffed instead with the Crawfish Soup (and rice, to give it form). Quite good. My mother has lived behind La Fonda's for years and LOVES Picantes. Pros: Very good food. Cons: Traffic on Amb Caf is out of control! more

My family and I are still asking ourselves 'why did our friends recommend this place'? I'm very suspect of the review on this site suggesing it's the best Mexican restaurant in town -- I think it was written by the owner! It sounds like ad copy! The comlimentary chips and salsa are good and the beer is cold. It went downhill from there. The chicken fajitas were a big disappointment. There was no grilled flavor - no grill marks. I think the chicken was roasted, with some unappealing spicing. The veggies were not carameized and showed no grill marks either, more like a boring stir fry. The Arroz con Pollo was unworthy of the name. How can you mess up chicken and rice? They did. Bland small squares of previously frozen chicken breast piled on rice, with a gloppy flavorless cheese sauce. Arroz con pollo should be tender, flavorful whole pieces of chicken cooked like a casserole with savory yellow rice, so the flavors mix. And no cheese sauce, no way. So, to each his own, but if you are looking for an authentic Mexican meal... please look somewhere else. Pros: good salsa and cold beer Cons: unauthentic food more