A trio of margaritas

Like its name, Fred’s Mexican Café isn’t exactly authentic Mexican. But when it comes to a kitschy Latin atmosphere, great tacos and a massive margarita menu, it’s the real deal.

Open only four months, Fred’s is situated on Old Pasadena’s “final frontier”: the corner of Arroyo Parkway and Colorado. Standing in a glass window is a pretty young lady making tortillas by hand. The interior of the restaurant is Mexican glam, a mixture of glass chandeliers, thatched umbrellas and tufted naugahyde.

The paper-placemat menu is the usual combination of tacos, enchiladas, burritos and  fajitas.  But although there are no surprise on the menu there are some in the entrees themselves: great tasting, high-

Mexican hockey pucks

quality beef, chicken and fish.

Fred’s is unlike many restaurants that use taco fillings as an excuse to use up left-over dark meat chicken and the toughest cuts of beef, cooked to tastelessness in hopes the meat will magically become tender. Instead, Fred’s opts for tender strips of marinated chicken breast, top sirloin steak and mahi mahi.

Our experience kicked off with margaritas, three from Fred’s extensive list of choices. My

Fred's tacos

favorite was the Diva Rita, a fruity blend of Margaritaville tequila, passion fruit, Patron Citronge and cranberry juice. Smooth, slightly sweet with a tropical twist, I found myself favoring this blushing drink. The other two margaritas, the Cadillac and Patron Rita, were good but a bit strong for my tastes. The Cadillac is a mixture of 1800, Reposado and is topped with Gran Marnier. The Patron Rita contains Patron Silver and Citronge. All drinks were served on the rocks, a preferable choice to a frozen drink.

Hand-made tortillas

Chips and salsa were presented with a little twist on the chips: the addition of season salt. The salsa was very mild -- too mild. I asked if they had something a little spicier and was rewarded with a bowl of smoky, hot chipotle salsa.

The house special appetizer, a chicken “Mexican hockey puck” (the real name is not fit to print), came next. Crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, these round gems were filled with black beans, corn, cheese, chicken and pico de gallo. A refreshing change from the ordinary quesadillas and nachos. They were slightly spicy, very cheesy and topped with an avocado/ranch sauce and accompanied by a slaw-like salad made with shredded lettuce, grilled corn and cilantro. continued