By Megan Stamper and Kyrra Harris
Little Mexico is a great casual, Mexican-style restaurant nestled right on the edge of the VCU campus.
It is a tiny building (as it’s name would imply), adjacent to Aladdin’s Hookah Lounge on N. Laurel, so there is limited dine-in seating. The restaurant is colorfully decorated and the atmosphere is energetic, as the clientele is mostly college students and the soundtrack mostly spanish music videos.
On Monday nights they feature a dollar taco special, where you can get as many hard-shell tacos with lettuce, ground beef, cheese and salsa as you can handle. No restrictions on how many you can buy (that we have discovered), but the choices of toppings are limited. The dollar taco night seems to be a huge deal on VCU’s campus, because every customer looked to be a student. Despite the crowd, the tacos were made quickly, so there was hardly any wait, and they had a great taste.
If you’re someone who like the works on your taco, the special may not be worth your time, but the rest of the menu is sure to offer something to satisfy your south-of-the-border craving. Other dining options include taco salads, soft shell tacos, quesadillas, burritos, nachos, and alcoholic beverages. The prices are fair and the menu doesn’t really include anything over seven dollars.
The food all tastes like authentic Mexican food, as opposed to fast-food Mexican like Taco Bell or the Southwestern style popularized by chains like Chipotle and Qdoba that is all too common in these parts.
Overall, Little Mexico’s VCU location rates a four out of five for an electric atmosphere and great, cheap dining options.
Little Mexico Burrito Chop is located at 308 N. Laurel St. and is open from 11a.m-10p.m Sunday-Thursday and 11a.m.-3a.m. Friday-Saturday.