Sombreros, Tequila and waitresses who jump at the chance to salsa – yes, even in Moscow you can find a little bit of Mexico.

Located near the center of town at 14 Petrovka Ul. and right across from a Marriott hotel, this Tex-Mex restaurant clearly caters to a more privileged class of customers. The gated parking lot and the armed guard standing outside attest to that. Inside, however, the mood is festive and light-hearted – a characteristic of Mexico that has thankfully made it over here.

Some characteristics, on the other hand, are purely Russian. When I ordered tamales as an appetizer, the smiling waitress regretfully informed me that they weren't available. A little disappointed, I got the "Nachos Grande" instead (210 rubles). Covered with beans, chili and cheese, this massive nacho dish was more than my date and I could finish. It went well with our Coronas (80 rubles each).

Like at any good Mexican restaurant, the chips and salsa were free, and the menu had its variety of burritos, fajitas, quesadillas and enchiladas. My date ordered the steak quesadilla (240 rubles), a delicious beef and cheese combination melted between two big, soft tortillas and served with sour cream. The cute little taco shell cactus also added a nice touch.

I chose the Acapulco chicken fajitas (390 rubles) because someone always has to order fajitas at a Mexican restaurant. The sizzling pieces of chicken, peppers and onions were joined by side dishes of beans, rice, and red cabbage. I got three tortillas to complete the fajita experience, which requires you to make your own taco – but they were too soft to hold the food and split under the pressure. The meal also came with two delicious mystery sauces and guacamole in a hard taco shell.

For dessert, I soothed my sweet tooth with flan (120 rubles), a custard dish, and an Acapulco Midnight cocktail, a tasty mix of tequila, pineapple juice, Galliano and chocolate royal liqueur, topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. All the cocktail drinks at Acapulco cost 150 rubles.

The alcohol prices are higher than average, but the restaurant does have a happy hour offering two beers for the price of one. At first, our waitress told us that the two-for-one special was only for bottled beers – thus our Coronas. After we were charged full price, however, she explained that she had made a mistake, and we were only allowed to get the special for one kind of beer, which was on tap, and she still charged us for her mistake. Yes, even in Acapulco, Moscow prevails.

Of course, all was forgiven in the end. After all, how could I be angry with the waitress? She and her co-workers truly made the evening enjoyable, offering to arrange some salsa lessons for me, tapping their feet and shaking their shoulders at any given moment and actually smiling.

There was also a good band, Grand, playing near the bar. Although half of the band was invisible due to an awkwardly placed pillar in the archway, the singer could at least make it to the dance floor, where he entertained the guests with some Spanish rock.

To top it all off, there was a girl walking around with 20 shot glasses in a leather garter belt around her waist. We felt it absolutely necessary to take pictures with her – after ordering some 100-ruble shots of Sauza Tequila, of course.

The band and the staff were definitely the best thing about Acapulco. The food is a close second. If you're a Canadian or American citizen, you also get 10 percent off your bill. Acapulco is a great place to go for that Latin vibe.

ACAPULCO
14 Petrovka Ul.
Metro: Kuznetsky Most,
Okhotny Ryad.
Tel: 200-4441.
Hours: Noon to 6 a.m.