Enchiladas and Chimichangas
Saint Petersburg, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: Mexican, Tex-Mex
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 2/5
Dined in: August 2018
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Grand Hacienda Mexican Cuisine Zomato rating:
The Grand Hacienda Mexican Restaurant in Saint Petersburg opened in May 2018 and is the second location with the first on St. Pete Beach. From Mariachi bands, tequila tastings, Taco Tuesday’s. Avoiding Monday’s Kids night (which makes it even more crowded, and louder with kids around), Sunday has fajita nights, and Saturday early bird specials of buying one get one on entree selections from the early bird menu. You can also come in for lunch and get an all you can eat buffet.
Grand Hacienda Menu:
- Entradas (Starters)
- Ensalads (Salads)
- Hacienda Specialties
- Sopas (Soups)
- Tacos de La Calla
- Fajitas
- Quesadillas and Chimichangas
- Enchiladas and Burritos
- Vegetarians
- Mexican Burgers
- Sabores Del Mar (Seafood)
- Desserts
The complimentary chips and salsa arrive as soon as you sit down. My wife had a Patron cocktail while I had a Dos Equis Amber on draft. On the previous visit to Grand Hacienda we had the Esquite side dish of Mexican shaved corn, seasoned with butter, queso fresco, lime chili piquin peppers, and a chili mayonnaise, the huarache entree which is a traditional dish from the state of Michoacán, and the grandma Maria chicken soup made with homemade chicken broth, chicken, rice, pico de gallo, sliced avocado, and topped with tortilla strips. We shared this soup again for our second visit as it was a wonderful menu item. The broth had a good aroma, flavors and spice were lite then spicer on the finish, making it a decent tasting soup.
The chimichanga is served with a 12” flour tortilla filled with cheese and choice of meat. I had the ground beef. You can also have shredded or grilled chicken, steak or brisket, shrimp, carnitas or Al Pastor with pineapple. The dish is served with rice, refried or black beans and a guacamole salad, topped with your choice of Ranchero tomato sauce, Poblano pepper green sauce, or queso cheese sauce. From the first bite to the succulent last was heavenly. The tortilla was stuffed with meat and fried to a perfect golden brown but not too light or flaky for it to fall apart as you cut it. Speaking of the cut, the fork slide right through whereas some places I’ve eaten require you to saw through chimichangas with a knife.
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| Grand Hacienda / Chimichanga |
Seven enchiladas from the Mexico City Suizas, the Rojas, Del Mar, or the grand, my wife chose the De La Casa with chicken topped with a choice homemade mole or queso sauce, with sour cream, rice, refried or black beans. My wife chose the queso sauce and we both had the black beans side instead of the refried beans. The chicken was delicate and moist keeping the corn tortilla moist, and with the queso, it added a complexity of flavor and a taste profile of true Mexico and not Gringo or American Mexican flavor. I wonder how it would have tasted with the mole sauce?
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| Grand Hacienda / Chicken Enchiladas |
Dessert:
We did not have dessert on this visit but a review from Creative loafing Food Critic Jon Palmer Claridge wrote that the white chocolate key lime mousse is a frozen wedge that’s nearly impossible to eat, and shows that it came from a Sysco truck instead of being house-made, and though the flan is made in house Mr. Claridge writes that it was gelatinous and grayish.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other noteworthy Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine articles or restaurants similar to Grand Hacienda:
Tex-Mex is a fusion of United States cuisine and Mexican cuisines, deriving from the culinary creations of Tejanos. It has spread from border states such as Texas and others in the Southwestern United States to the rest of the country as well as Canada. Tex-Mex is most popular in the state of Texas.
Benji’s Cantina An Innovative approach to Tex-Mex cuisine in Austin, Texas
Besito Mexican Restaurant Creative Mexican-blend eats chain; reviewed in Tampa, Florida
Grand Hacienda Mexican Cuisine A recreation of Mexican comfort foods in St. Petersburg, Florida
Güero's Taco Bar Landmark Mexican restaurant on Congress Ave. in Austin, Texas
Hablo Taco Mexican-blend joint known for tacos and margaritas in Tampa, Florida
Texas Chili Parlor Local eatery for Tex-Mex, chili, and American cuisine in Austin, Texas
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other St. Petersburg restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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Part of Datz Restaurant Group in the James Museum of Western Art
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
Casual British cuisine and some Scottish favorites
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
Family Diner steeped in History
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
A Few Florida Favorites:
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An Eclectic Blend of American and European
Dunedin, Florida USA
|
Italian-inspired seafood at the Opal Sands Resort
Clearwater / Beach, Florida USA
|
Stylish chophouse chain with surf ’n’ turf
Brandon, Florida USA
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations, and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Grand Hacienda a 2 out of 5 stars, meaning that they were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants. The first review score was also a 2 of 5 stars, so they have stayed at the same level of excellence from my last visit.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for Grand Hacienda
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Max Points Possible:
|
Total Points Awarded:
|
Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
|
11
|
10
|
1
|
Food quality
|
11
|
7
|
4
|
Plate presentation
|
10
|
9
|
1
|
Customer service
|
13
|
9
|
4
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Alcohol and other beverages
|
9
|
5
|
4
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Total regular points awarded
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54
|
40
|
14
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.740740740740741
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“Wow” factor BONUS
|
5
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0
|
0
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Total bonus percentage
|
0
| ||
Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.740740740740741
| ||
Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
|
2
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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2 of 5 Stars:
74% Rating with a 0 point “wow” bonus
Far Above the Average Dining Experience
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Grand Hacienda Wine rating:
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2 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Germany, Italy
New World selections:
Argentina, California
|
Corkage fees:
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Grand Hacienda does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine Style at Grand Hacienda:
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Mexican, Tex-Mex
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Pescatarian, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required, but Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
|
Casual attire
It’s Florida, everybody wear’s flip-flops!
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Child policy:
|
The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Grand Hacienda Experiences:
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Modern, Trendy, Hotspot, Great outdoor dining, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood Gem
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Grand Hacienda has a public lot
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Low
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Smoking:
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Grand Hacienda is a non-smoking restaurant with a non-smoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
|
Price
|
United States Dollar (USD)
|
$$
|
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
|
££
|
Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$$
|
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
|
¥¥¥
|
European Union (EUR)
|
€€
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Alcohol prices:
$25.00 USD
Grand Hacienda Mexican Cuisine:
399 11th Ave North
St. Petersburg, Florida
33701, USA
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 727-256-9770
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Website Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Mon - Thur
8:00 am - 9:00 pm
Fri - Sat
8:00 am - 10:00 pm
Happy Hour: Mon - Fri
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
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Social Media
And
Accolades for Grand Hacienda:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Swanky French-American Steakhouse chain, reviewed in Atlanta, GA.
New York, New York, USA
|
Sustainable & regional German cuisine
Hilton, Berlin, Germany
|
Seafood and sushi with panorama views
Cape Point, South Africa
|
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
