Word of mouth is a fine thing.
It’s happened multiple times in the past few weeks, members of FLORIDA TODAY’s Facebook group, 321 Flavor: Where Brevard Eats having taken the time to call, not text or message (imagine that!) to ask when Cazadores Mexican Restaurant would be reviewed.
In this corner, we’re reader-driven, so to Cazadores we went, and friends, you were on point once again. Cazadores is terrific, one of the better Tex-Mex-style restaurants in the area.
It is a spacious, airy, immaculate place, with plenty of room outside, where it faces Eau Gallie Boulevard. I didn’t see much Mexican-style kitsch (sombreros, serapes, guitars) on its walls. Service was prompt and attentive; overall, first-rate.
The menu is extensive, though a couple of pages are dedicated to beverages, including too many Margaritas to count. If you associate a dish with Mexico or Texas, it’s there, including tacos that contain tripe or goat meat, among other fillings.
We started with shrimp ceviche ($11.50) for two reasons: 1. Former FLORIDA TODAY person Holly Martin called to say it was excellent, and Holly has a great palate; and 2. Because we all love ceviche.
This was the best any of our party had had in Brevard County: not limp or over-saturated, as ceviche can be, but fresh and substantial, with fat shrimp, newly diced tomatoes and beautifully sliced avocado on the plate. It did not give you a mouth full of cilantro, but a pleasant sum of its parts. Truthfully, it would make a fine meal because there was so much, almost too much, of it.
Entrees were just fine too: carnitas ($18.99), steak and chicken fajitas ($19.99) and enchiladas poblana ($13.99).
The same is true of the fajitas, which were the best we’d had in ages: beautifully grilled, extremely tender meat and slightly al dente vegetables. This was no chew-fest, but a fine, sizeable meal.
The carnitas were just fine, crisp-tender chunks of pork topped with nicely caramelized onions, served with rice in which vegetables were present, and refried beans topped with a little cheese. It was a good dish, and, again, big. I’m not sure how the leftovers worked out because I think a dish like this loses something with reheating.
The enchiladas were grand: filled with shredded chicken and coated with slightly-sweet, but not dry, over-spiced or over cocoa-ed mole. I don’t think about enchiladas too often, but these have been in mind since they were ordered because everything about them was what they are supposed to be, and this non-Fabaceae-lover actually enjoyed the beans.
The meal ended with fried ice cream ($8.50), which was a bit different than the usual in that it was a ball of vanilla ice cream coated in crushed corn flakes, fried and drizzled with not too much honey and fudge. It came in a cinnamon sugar-covered pastry bowl under whipped cream and a cherry and received happy nods all around.
One more thing: the aforementioned beverages. A fellow diner had a Mangonada Margarita ($15), a gigantic thing that overflowed its gigantic glass that combined mango, simple syrup, chamoy, Tajin and triple sec, mixed with a tamarind-chile-coated straw. It was grand, as was the house margarita. The mojito ($9.99) needed more mint and lime but less ice.
Problems? Well, that and that the menu probably should include a disclaimer about certain dishes, especially that ceviche, being perfect for multiple diners.
That is it and it is fine. Judged against the standard — Tex-Mex — we’ll put up Cazadores as best of breed. Thank you, 321 Flavor members, and see you there.
Cazadores Mexican Restaurant
Four stars
Address: 630 E. Eau Gallie Blvd., Indian Harbour Beach
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
Call: 321-610-1867
Online: www.cazadoresmexicanrestaurantandbar.com
Other: Full bar with a large selection of tequilas; children’s menu; can accommodate large parties.
About our reviews
Restaurants are rated on a five-star system by FLORIDA TODAY’s reviewer. The reviews are the opinion of the reviewer and take into account quality of the restaurant’s food, ambiance and service. Ratings reflect the quality of what a diner can reasonably expect to find. To receive a rating of less than three stars, a restaurant must be tried twice and prove unimpressive on each visit. Each reviewer visit is unannounced and paid for by FLORIDA TODAY.
Five stars: Excellent. A rare establishment to which you’d be proud to take the most discerning diner.
Four stars: Very good. Worth going out of your way for. Food, atmosphere and service are routinely top notch.
Three stars: Good. A reasonably good place with food and service that satisfy.
Two stars: Fair. While there’s nothing special about this establishment, it will do in a pinch.
One star: Not recommended. Don’t bother.
Lyn Dowling is a freelance food and lifestyles writer based in Melbourne. Join the conversation atfacebook.com/groups/321FlavorWhereBrevardEats.