August 9, 2018 Carolina's - Mesa, Arizona

I have been wanting to try this restaurant way before I ever moved to Arizona.  They recently expanded into Mesa.  Janet and I had such a good day at the bridge table that once again we decided to celebrate.  We tried Carolina's for the first time.

I was surprised that it was a place your order place and then pick a table until your number is called.  Wow!  I thought for sure it would  a sit-down place…but I loved the food….I love that machaca meat.  I ordered the 2 – machaca enchiladas…it came with rice and re-fried beans…Janet ordered the two enchiladas…one machaca and the other chicken. 

Janet also ordered chips and salsa.  Carolina’s is famous for its homemade tortillas…and I liked the salsa…only I would have preferred a chunkier salsa.  I could really taste the tomato in the salsa…

Machaca is a beef  that has been marinated, cooked, shredded and dried.  The drying process preserved the beef, made it easy to pack on the trail (like beef jerky) and it also gave the machaca a unique texture when prepared the traditional fashion.  It is rehydrated and then used in popular local cuisine in Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States.

I need to find out more about this food.  I have eaten it many times at local real Mexican restaurants.  I think you can eat it after the process... skipping the drying out…and I bet for as much as Carolina’s sells in a day…that it had never been dried out…and rehydrated.

Carolina’s

1450E. Country Club

Mesa, Arizona 85210

(480) 912-3420

www.carolinasmexicanfood.com

Hours:  Monday – Thursday  9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

             Friday – Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

             Sunday - Closed