“If you like Piña Coladas…”

Instead of going to the usual Thursday night location, my girlfriends and I tried something a little different. We went to Los Arcos for dinner and drinks. Since Los Arcos does not share the same deals as El Maguey, I decided to splurge and go for their handcrafted piña colada. For those who are not aware, piña coladas are the puerto rican drink made from coconut, pineapple and white rum usually blended with ice. Allegedly, piña coladas were first made in 1954 by a Puerto Rican bartender named Ramon “Monchito” Marrero. Marrero worked in the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. This tropical drink literally translates to “strained pineapple” in Spanish.

While sipping my drink I asked our waiter what makes their piña coladas at Los Arcos taste so good. He explained to me that they put an extra splash of triple sec in the drink to really enhance the flavor. Our waiter also explained that they have more than 50+ types of tequila. All made in Mexico with 100% agave. Anything from Cabo Wabo to Gran Patron Platinum Silver. He also informed me that there are tequila shot deals every Friday, 3 half shots $7.25, 3 full shots $14.75, 4 half shots $9.99 and 4 full shots $19.99. From further investigation on their website, Los Arcos offers many deals every day of the week. Drink and food deals galore.

I asked for a recommendation from our waiter on what to order and he told me about the Parrillada Mexicana. This monster of a dish is served with carnitas, shrimp, chorizo, chicken and steak served as a fajita with well marinated & cooked with tomatoes, onions & bell peppers, served on a sizzling hot skillet. Not only that, but topped off with rice, beans, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, and flour or corn tortillas. Los Arcos really knows how to serve their customers. I ordered that and took half of it home because it was too large of a meal and well worth the leftovers for lunch the next day.

I also had a couple of bites from my friends’ plates and all of their food was delicious as well. I have some really good friends and they also let me try their margaritas they had ordered. Los Arcos’ margaritas may be a little more expensive than El Maguey, but definitely worth it in the taste. Los Arcos makes their margaritas with real fruit juice unlike the margarita mix that El Maguey uses. For older students like myself, the real fruit juice helps wonders for the morning after your night out.

I also really enjoy Los Arcos because if you ask your waiter nicely, he might put your piña colada in a bigger fancier glass like the margaritas so you don’t feel left out at your table with the other margarita drinkers.