The next good sign was the large bowl of Salsa Picosa that came out when I asked for something spicier than the bowl of salsa that had been placed on the table. This was truly hot and truly good. Like the salsas served in the better Mexican restaurants it seemed freshly made, and certainly did not come from a can or a bottle.

The food became more understandable when I learned the owners were from Zacatecas and had brought many recipes with them. While the majority of customers probably want and expect the items to which they are accustomed in other restaurants, Margarita's offers items not found in most other establishments, and is more representative of the type of food that would be served in Mexico.

Combination plate with tamal, chile relleno, fajita enchilada, rice, and beans

Tamales here are fresher and have a richer flavor than the typical ones served in Tex-Mex restaurants. The one I tried here was permeated with red chile, and was worthy of a Christmas or New Year's celebration at which the tamal is a requisite.

Enchiladas seemed totally Tex-Mex, and bore little resemblance to ones I have seen south of the border. The Fajita Enchilada was not really an enchilada at all. With no chile on top it did not fit the definition of to "en-chi-le-ar" or to top it off with some type of chile. Instead it was more like a burrito with sour cream and cheese on top. The Beef Fajita meat inside, though, was so good it did not matter whether the dish was authentic or not. Of course, I do not think fajitas are at all authentic, seeming to be popular almost exclusively north of the border. This whole thing was a blow for Margarita's status of trying to serve authentic Mexican food, but it was a treat for the taste buds.

Chile relleno served a la carte

The Chile Relleno is a pretty typical Mexican dish found in most restaurants in OKC. The ones I have tried at Margarita's used a mild chile with flavorful Mexican style cheese, and was overall a good item. Some authentic rellenos can be quite greasy but this was not so-- just cheesy and delicious. In fact I thought the large amount of cheese detracted from it by covering up the taste of the chile.

Chicken mole Zacatecas style

The Chicken Mole was listed under the "Specialties," and I think this is where some of the more authentic dishes can be found (all seemed to be meat dishes). Using a mild red chile sauce it tasted much like mole I have had that was representative of Queretaro (another state in central Mexico), except not as spicy.

I should mention that the Flour Tortillas that came with the meal were quite good, and are almost a requirement to successfully eat a plate of mole.

Carne asada tacos

Tacos de Carne Asada had a lightly spiced good quality meat (as opposed to the more heavily spiced fajita meat) and were excellent in their simplicity of the meat, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. They came with flour tortillas that were better than average, but I thought they were better with corn tortillas (these will be brought to the table at no charge). Carne asada is found in a wide area of Mexico, but I am sure the owner brought his special way of cooking to the restaurant.

Costillas Zacatecanos

Costillas Zacatecanos, or pork ribs, were listed under the "House Grill Specials" section of the menu which includes several types of grilled meats and shrimp. My dinner, though, took about a half hour to prepare, and toward the end of that time they said it was about "ready to come out of the oven" (meaning that I do not think it was grilled since this usually involves a shorter cooking time). Regardless of the cooking method, though, this was an excellent dish that contained a substantial amount of meat (I really would have been full on a much smaller portion of ribs). It was cooked with jalapeños and onions, and the meat was well seasoned. This was the only dish I could find on the menu identified as originating in Zacatecas, but I know from ordering the mole that there are others.

Beans, rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream that come with the costillas Zacatecanos

The "House Grill Specials" all come with a side plate which includes rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo. I really could not see any reason to eat sour cream with the ribs, but the rest of the items were good. The Refried Beans were much better than average, but the plate was supposed to come with Borracho Beans which they gave me when I asked for them (they were also very good). In fact, the plate was too large for me to finish even with one order of beans, but by sharing I was able to avoid having leftovers.

The Guacamole was also very good, and was thick and flavorful.

Tortilla soup

Tortilla Soup comes with a tomato flavored broth that seems to be full of "secret herbs and spices" that make it one of the best around. The main issue with ordering tortillas soup is not whether it will be good (I think it is one of the best), but whether it will be large enough for a meal without ordering something else. I would say give it a try-- you may be surprised how filling it can be. There is a substantial amount of chicken, and the tortillas provide a good amount of substance.

One thing about Margarita's is that there is a good variety of items, and I have not found any one thing that is a "must try" to the exclusion of others. The trick for me, though, is to avoid the Americanized items and to find the owner's specialties that originated in Zacatecas or are respresentative of food from other states in Mexico. Most of the items I have found to be disappointing are ones that are served on the lunch specials, and this might be a good guide. If in doubt, though, I would ask the staff what they would recommend that is authentic (and in my opinion some of the dishes here come as close to being authentic as I have found in Oklahoma City).