Top shelf

Going to a place called Macho Tequila’s, I figured I needed to gather my rowdiest friends since I could only assume we would drink mucho tequila. With that in mind, I brought Casey, Kira and Brett to Macho Tequila for a night of tequila drinking and Mexican food. Macho Tequila’s has only been open since September and is run by a father-and-son team that has struck the gene pool lottery as they both look about 25. The father cooks, while the son seems to do just about everything else, including serving as the waiter and bartender. Macho Tequila has taken over a space in a small strip mall in Sparks and has done some major renovations as the place is comfortable but still has an older feel to it.

Since I brought my rowdy crew, I figured the first thing we needed was tequila. I hate to report that Macho Tequila does not live up to their name, as the best tequila they had was Hornitos. We talked to our waiter about it, and he explained that the last bottle of Patrón had been consumed by the table next us. Look, Patrón is fine but certainly not the “best” bottle I was expecting from a place called Macho Tequila. Unfortunately, they didn’t have much as far as tequila options and nothing top shelf. Our waiter indicated they were trying to get more and were open to suggestions, so our table gladly offered what we would like to see in the future.

I was feeling a little miffed about the tequila but figured a pitcher of Margaritas ($19.99) would make us feel better along with some Pacificos and Modellos ($3.99). The Margaritas were very good and did not have that fake mix taste to them. The beers arrived quickly, which tided us over while we reviewed the menu and munched on chips. Red and green salsas were offered, and the red had almost a mole taste to it.

I love having meals with a group because I can try a little bit of everything. Casey went with the combo plate ($11.99), which he ordered with a chicken taco, beef enchilada and chile relleno. I had a bite of the relleno, and I liked the spice on it. The taco was fat, and the chicken had a smoky spice to it. Brett got a two-item combo ($9.99), and ordered a chile relleno and shredded beef enchilada. Weirdly, his chile relleno was not as spicy as Casey’s, which I guess shows they use fresh ingredients. Kira went with the grilled chicken chipotle ($11.95), which was two chicken breasts marinated in chipotle salsa. The chicken was moist and flavorful with a nice chipotle rub. I went with the Danny Boy Mix Fajitas ($12.99), which came with shrimp, chicken and steak. The fajitas were steaming when they arrived at the table. I was impressed by the amount of meat served with the dish, especially the shrimp, but unfortunately, the steak was a little dry. The peppers were nice and crunchy, and the tortillas seemed fresh. Kira and I definitely had the best dishes of the evening.

My night out with friends ended up being more subdued than it could have been had we had straight tequila, but we still had a good time and a good meal. The owners are giving this place everything they have and seem open to suggestions. As soon as they add more tequila, I would definitely come back and give them another “shot.”