RECIPE OF THE MONTH - March 2001       

La Hacienda -A Family Affair
574 North Main Street
Moab, Utah
(435) 259-6319

If you select a restaurant based on the number of cars in the parking lot thinking that "if that many people eat there, it must be good," at some point you'll find yourself dining at La Hacienda. And if you check out the licenses plates on the cars, you'll find out there's an equal number of locals and tourists who know La Hacienda is the place to munch down on some great Mexican food!

La Hacienda has been a mainstay in Moab since 1981 when it was purchased by the Davis family. The original labor of love of renovating a fire-damaged building and getting the new restaurant up and running was the job of Jeff Davis and his brother Jim. While Jim decided landscaping was more to his liking and left the restaurant after about three years, La Hacienda is still a family affair. Jeff and his wife Lauren own and manage the busy restaurant. Their son, Jarrod, is the Spanish-fluent kitchen manager and chief cook. Four other family members work at the restaurant including Jo, Sarah, Janelle and Tracye.

While the menu has evolved some over the years, the theme has always been Mexican. From 1981 to 1991 they served breakfast, lunch and dinner and were open from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. The restaurant kept over-the-road truckers happy by serving liver and onions, chicken fried steak and other American fare along with Mexican dishes, but in 1991 the Davis' stopped serving breakfast, dropped all but token America meals from the menu, and remodeled into one of most popular restaurants in Moab. Menu selections include fish, pork, beef, and chicken tacos, faJitas, burritos, chili rellenos, and house specialties such as Crab Lupe, Lobster Enchiladas, Camarones Vera Cruz, and Pollo Estofado. La Hacienda serves up good-sized meal at very affordable prices. They are open for breakfast only on Saturday and Sunday (from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.) and the restaurant is open nightly until 10:00 p.m. La Hacienda is a state liquor licensee. Most of their standard salsa and sauce recipes are the same as they opened with in 1981 and most come from the Yucatan. La Hacienda serves between 10 - 15 gallons of their "to die for" salsa every single day. That's a lot of salsa! Of course, it takes a tanker full of salsa to keep an average of 200-300 people a day happy. During the big event weekends in Moab, La Hacienda welcomes up to 700 people a day for their tasty meals!

It's easy to understand why La Hacienda is the choice for so many. The restaurant offers a relaxed, family atmosphere with great food and great service! The decor is as much fun as the servers. Walls are adorned with art and antiques they've collected over the years. They sniff out the best stuff from second hand stores, local shops and Mexico to give La Hacienda its lively, eclectic ambience. And if the d6cor and servers aren't enough fun for you, stick your head in the kitchen to hear Jarrod sing while he cooks up one of the best meals - and best deals - in Moab.

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