La Sirena: Mermaids, Tequila, & Fabulous Cuisine [REVIEW]
My beloved decided to surprise me last week. I came home from work and was greeted by him in a suit, looking incredibly dapper. He laid out two of my favorite dresses on the bed and told me to get ready quickly; we had reservations at 6. I had no idea where we were going, just that I had never been there before.
When we pulled up to Lubbock's Cactus Courtyard, I was delighted, because it meant I was finally going to try La Sirena. I had heard only amazing things and I was excited to try it myself.
In case you're unaware, La Sirena means the mermaid in Spanish, and the warm, elegant dining area had beautiful subtle touches of mermaid art throughout. Even the bathroom was beautifully decorated.
La Sirena specializes in tequila, from specialty drinks to tequila "flights" -- much like a craft beer tasting, except it's delicious, sip-able shots of lovely tequilas.
We started with cocktails, the house margarita and a 'Mermaid Water'- a tequila, lime and carbonated water cocktail that was refreshing and dangerously drinkable. I could taste the tequila, but it was so smooth and tasty that I could have knocked them back indefinitely.
For an appetizer, we ordered the poblano fries. I hate too much breading on anything; I find it gross and weird. Luckily, these were lightly breaded, which allowed the tasty poblano flavor to come through. They were perfectly cooked -- toothsome without any hint of rawness.
Our entrees were to die for. Everyone will tell you the stacked enchiladas are a "must-try," and they're not exaggerating. We order ours with an extra layer and chicken. I cannot emphasis enough how perfectly cooked everything was. The chicken was perfectly tender, as was the shrimp on my black arroz entree with wilted spinach, heirloom tomatoes, fried plantains and cuttlefish ink.
Of course, we had to try a tequila flight. It was a lovely comparison between different ages of tequila and really allowed you to compare. The palette cleanser was blood orange and cinnamon, prettily plated with limes, of course.
All that liquor and incredible food left me intensely craving coffee. La Sirena had me covered, and the coffee I ordered had a special ingredient -- you guessed it, tequila!
Price-wise, let's say it this way: You get what you pay for. For two people with everything we ordered, it was over $100. But it was also a generous, exquisite adventure that was well worth the price. It certainly isn't a meal I'll be forgetting, ever.
La Sirena is open Monday through Saturday and is located at 2610 Salem Ave.