Good Eats

Julia’s ... Meet your new amigo

Story by David Myers Photos by David Moore

When a server rolls a cart up to your table and starts chopping, juicing and mixing to your personal preferences, you know you are in for a treat. That’s exactly what Rose and I got after a drive up the mountain to Julia’s Mexican Restaurant in Guntersville.

Keep this in mind, now … we’d just returned from a week in San Antonio. I couldn’t help but wonder how Mexican fare in Guntersville would stack up with true border cuisine.

I’m happy to report that Julia’s does more than stack up. I’m still happy two days later.

We had hardly slid into our booth before the salsa and chips were on the table. I’m a fan of that service because by the time I’ve entered a restaurant I am ready to eat.

We dug into the wonderful combination of warm chips and spicy salsa. The salsa met my benchmark test of being not overly thick but not so thin it won’t stay on the chip. It was tasty with just the right amount of spiciness. The chips were thin and crispy, just as I like them.

We intended to make quick work of it, but after a couple of minutes the guacamole cart arrived and we made a new amigo. He mixed the ingredients at tableside to our specifications. The result was a guacamole that was creamy but chunky and loaded with tomatoes, onions, fresh cilantro, garlic, jalapenos and, of course, avocado. We had to force ourselves not to fill up too soon.

Here’s a tip that can make your visit fun. Learn a few basic words of Spanish and parley with your server. It’ll be fun for both of you. Don’t worry about getting it perfect, just enjoy. I’m known to be a beer man, but Rose favors girly drinks like wine and margaritas. She invited our server to choose a flavor for us from the list of margaritas. It took two hands to sip the generous concoctions of pineapple and strawberry. Not overly sweet, the drinks were delicious.

We sipped as we perused the massive menu. Again, we asked for recommendations and our amigo outdid himself.

My eyes popped out when I saw the Molcajete Azteca arrive smoking and sizzling. Molcajete is a hot volcanic stone bowl and is the traditional Mexican version of the mortar and pestle. It was loaded with big slabs of steak, chicken, shrimp, chorizo sausage, cactus, poblano peppers, veggies and a pork rib.

I had a ball sticking my fork in and

The Jael Plate is a jumbo fried tortilla packed with grilled steak, chicken, shrimp, chorizo and special sauce. And at Julia’s, a large beer is exactly that.

Clockwise: The Hawaiian, house and Azul are among margarita choices; Amigos Plate has steak, chicken and shrimp; meet the authentic Mexican Molcajete Bowl; and the interior is inviting. Julia’s is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It’s located at the top of Sand Mountain on U.S. 431 in Guntersville.

seeing what it came up with. I was really surprised when I pulled out a slab of cactus.

The bowl was accompanied by a “special salad” – a platter of warm tortillas and toppings of sour cream, Spanish rice, refried beans, pico de gallo and guacamole. I shoveled food into tortillas and then into my mouth until Rose warned me to slow down. It was all muy delicioso.

Rose got the more elegant Amigos Plate, a platter with chunks of chicken, steak, shrimp, mixed with broccoli and onions, on a bed of rice smothered in cheese. Whew! I found out how to keep her quiet for a while.

When you dine at Julia’s, plan on having leftovers the next day because you get a lot of food. We made ourselves stop eating before we hurt ourselves.

Little did we know that an irresistible dessert was on the way. A lovely presentation of churros was served warm with whipped cream and ice cream. We allowed ourselves one churro each, and that delicate pastry was the perfect end to a wonderful meal.

There are too many entrees on the menu to list but suffice it to say anybody can find something to fit their taste. Going down the menu, lists of specialties, combination dinners, burritos, fajitas, chicken dishes, nachos, steaks and seafood – each sounds better than the previous. Nothing is over $20 and most are closer to 10 bucks. Good luck choosing – just make sure you’re hungry. Of course, your amigo can always make recommendations.

Owner Julia Palacios and her husband, manager Rony, make sure every dish is made from fresh ingredients every day. Their goal is to serve the highest quality Mexican cuisine in this area.

In addition to that, the restaurant provides a feast for the eyes in its inviting and warm decor. Paintings of beautiful Latina women line the deep red walls. Light fixtures are giant globes of colorful blown glass. Plus, it’s spacious enough that it doesn’t seem loud.

All in all, a great place to make a new amigo.