College Park/Orlando Mexican

[fsupilam33]

Has anyone been or heard anything about the new mexican restaurant in college park off of edgewater? They took over where Moe's used to be.

[kyhyatt]

While Paxia does offer some of the same dishes you would find in other Mexican restaurants, the quality of the ingredients used in their entrees is what makes this place truly special. On top of that, they offer creative dishes that you will never find anywhere else even if you search far and wide. Can anyone name another place that serves tiger shrimp wrapped in bacon accompanied by tequila-marinated mushrooms?

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Paxia
2611 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL 32804

[FloridaE46]

I'm a Paco's fan.. Fairbanks west of 17-92 on the north side.. can't recall the street intersection

also does paxias use the chili gravy on their enchilladas and burritos? i dont like the red sauces, and its hard to find a good tex mex place with good chili gravy..

[bizzy_geek]

+1 for Paco's. By Orlando standards, it's great Tex-Mex. It doesn't try to be anything it's not, and it's great for what it is.

I'm originally from the southwest, and Tex-Mex/Mexican food is probably the one (or two) cuisine(s) I'm really snobby about. I think there are probably only a handful of places that get it right in the Southeastern US, at least that's the impression I've gotten from my travels within the region.

Frankly I've never understood the problem because there are definitely some, albeit not a ton of Mexicans living down here. I wonder if it might have more to do with a paucity of quality Mexican ingredients carried by restaurant distributors, driven by lack of significant market demand for the "real-deal?"

By the way, green chile season is coming soon, and I would greatly appreciate it if anyone knows of anywhere that will be importing some fresh Hatch chiles and having a chile roast in the CFL area.

Now that I've posted a whole bunch of tangential blathering, I will say that absent some really great feedback, I will probably pass on Paxia or any other College Park proper Mexican food. I'm generally not a fan of the newer College Park establishments, including a few that are favored on these boards. The new "high-end" places tend to pay high rent and conversely cook high-margin, lower value product to cover those costs. I know there's something to be said for atmosphere but I'd rather go a little out of my way to a nicely appointed establishment and have my money go into the food rather than the location, a fancy new POS, and some swanky designer decor.

Jeez, I feel like a grouchy old man after that rant.

[fsupilam33]

you do sort of sound like a grumpy old man. there is plenty of good feedback on this board for paxia. Everything is worth a try at least once. Live a little bizzy

[bcodom]

bizzy, have you tried Taquitos Jalisco in Winter Garden? It's probably one of the most authentic Mexican restaurants in all of Central Florida and I know that's not saying much, but I recommend a visit. I really enjoyed their mole poblano and a ceviche appetizer on my last visit. They're on the corner of Colonial (50) and Dillard Street.

Hope someone replies about those fresh chiles -- I brought some dried chilis home with me from my last trip to Albuquerque...yum!

[vipdebo]

Its been 8 months since you originally asked this question. I hope by now you did try Paxia and ignored a lot of the ridiculous comments below about the traditional vs unexpected menu offerings.

The first time my girlfriend and her business partner went they loved the food, drinks, and price and were severely disappointed in the service. It seems they have hired an all new, better quality staff so the service issue is over (I believe).

As far as the traditional vs. the unexpected... just because the menu says Enchiladas doesn't mean what you are getting is a traditional enchilada. Much of what they have on the menu - for lunch AND dinner - is a sort-of "gourmet" twist on a traditional Mexican offering. That twist alone makes the traditional dish a bit unexpected.

If your favorite Tex-Mex food is Moe's or Chipolte you won't like Paxia. If you want to try something more authentic Mexican with a gourmet flair, try Paxia. I have yet to be disappointed there.

[nitlion39]

Very good review. Everyone should try paxia at some point. I've been very impressed on all of my visits. I'd also recommend going for lunch and dinner. For lunch they have more traditional mexican dishes (tacos, burritos, fajitas, etc.) for only $7-$9. The fajitas are my favorite.. its a ton of delicious steak, peppers and onions for only $9.

For dinner, they have a lot of unique mexican dishes, including a lot of entrees with seafood. When I last went I had a chile relleno filled with shrimp and eggplant.. it was excellent. They also have excellent margaritas and a full bar if you're in the mood for a drink.

Anyways, Paxia is a must-go in my opinion. It's one of my favorite restaurants

[tampa eater]

I have also dined at Paxia a few times and have loved the fresh quality of food you receive. They recently offered a $15 prix-fixed 3 course menu to try as well....

[GourmetGirl772]

I just stumbled upon Paxia looking for a quick lunch, and I fell in love. First the food was delicious, I was seated promptly and the hostess/server was very professional. Also the prices were completely reasonable. I ordered the flautas, and definitely recommend it. Even though I had never heard of Paxia, I was pleasantly surpried and will be returning

[Bustrorl]

A friend and I tried Paxia, 2611 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, Florida last night and were very disappointed. We felt it was pretentious and pricey along with slow service, (due to 1 server trying to cover the whole dinning room.)

We shared an order of the (Fajitas de pollo,) Chicken Fajitas and an order of the Skirt Steak Fajitas, (The Skirt Steak was very tuff.) They gave us 4 flower tortillas for us to share for the two full orders of Fajitas. (Two Tortillas each.) When we asked for more tortillas they gave us 3 more and charged us $3.00. It is my opinion that $1.00 per tortilla is way to high.

Please don't nickel and dime us. If you need to charge more then charge more for a fair amount of food. We really wanted to like the place and for it to be a success but I doubt we will go back... Next..

[vipdebo]

Would the $1/tortilla price make more sense if you knew that they make the flour tortillas themselves, in their kitchen, fresh, every day? At least that is what was explained to me when I asked about the price. We get so used to cheap almost fast-food (from Moe's to Chili's) that I think we forget the real cost of quality food and quality ingredients.

Well, that's my thoughts on the tortilla thing, anyway...

[mmuch]

Have not been here, but I"m wondering if anyone has been to Emilianoz on 436 in Altamonte. It's a beautiful restaurant on the inside but I haven't eaten there yet....just stopped in because of my work.

[mish]

My husband and I tried Emilianoz for lunch one day right after it opened and it was terrible. We had such high hopes upon entering the restaurant but the food quality was very poor. I thought maybe we hit it on a bad day but we've heard from friends that have had the same experience. The only edible thing was the free salsa on the table. It really is a shame because you can tell the owners put a lot of love into that space.

[Cosmogypsy]

Wow. I am really surprised by the negative reviews. I loved it! First of all, I love real Mexican food, but I have been longing for a good Tex-Mex restaurant to come to Orlando like you find out west. It is just a tad bit healthier. I found that at Paxia. Their food is delicious. The second great thing is that they have a liquor license unlike most authentic Mexican restaurants. Finally, they have 2 for 1 margaritas on week nights from 5-7 and free margaritas for ladies on Mondays from 7-9.

[winechic]

Paxia
Alta cocina Mexicana

2611 Edgewater Drive
Orlando, FL 32804
407-420-1155

Ran by today at lunch while out, they've complete redone the inside, looks upscale.
There is a bar area and a dining area. They advertise 2 for 1 margarita's M-F, 5-7 PM as you walk in and on their lunch menu.

Lunch menu has Apps, Salads, Entrees, Soups and Desserts....entrees range from $7 beef or chicken tacos (quantity not mentioned) to $14 for the NY Strip Steak Veracruz.

I was told they had a website but when I tried the address that was given when I was back at the office, it didn't work.

Cheers!

[fsupilam33]

what website did they give you?

[pfibiger]

The website is:

http://paxiarestaurant.com/

Though it looks like the restaurant launched before the site did. I'm going to try to pop by this week and see if it's any good.

[katygirl]

Is it open?

[rudykins]

Should be. There was an ad for it in the Sentinel last week.

[winechic]

Yes, it is open. Lunch is 11AM -3PM and they are open for dinner.

I did see a brunch menu at a distance, but I don't know if they are officially opened for that yet.

Cheers!

[katygirl]

This is really a third party report, but I have some friends that stopped by over the weekend. They said it is lackluster Tex Mex at best and gave them 3 months before they shut the doors.
I'm gonna wait and see other reviews here before I head over!

[fsupilam33]

I finally got to try it myself for lunch today. The manager indicated they weren't haveing their "grand opening" for another two weeks and that they were not done decorating. I think they've done a pretty good job with the interior of the place minus some touch up that needs to be done.

The service was good considering their was one waitress for 10 tables. I think they got more people for lunch than expected.

We had the fresh guacmole as an appetizer and it was very good. For lunch I had the Skirt Steak Fajita. The steak was a little over cooked, but it was a good dish. My date had the Chicken Enchaladias and she indicated they were good as well.

I look forward to going back in a couple weeks to see if they are still improving. If so I think it will be a good addition to Colege Park. If not, oh well we still got PR's and Pacos

[rudykins]

It's disappointing to hear that it serves fajitas and enhiladas, even if the quality is good. From the restaurant's ad, there was promise of another level of Mexican cuisine entirely. Shucks.

[mountdorahound]

Just take a jaunt up the road to winter park on hwy 17-92. There you will find El Potro next to k-mart. Mexican owned and operated and priced just right. They have a good buffet at lunch for under $10! The best tamales! They do not have full liquor though. Apopka and Deland have one too!

[starbucksbrew]

Yeah, the website says "expect the unexpected." Maybe not so much? I'll probably still give it a try though. I'll try any new restaurant that's not horrible.

[winechic]

I've still got their lunch menu sitting here...here is the unexpected very quickly in the entrees section

Tacos (Beef or chicken)

Enchiladas (Beef, Chicken or Cheese)

Enchiladas Suizas (Corn totillas stuffed with Chicken topped with green tomatillo sauce, melted cheese and a dollop of sour cream.)

Tostadas (Beef, Chicken or Cheese)

Flautas (Beef or chicken)

Burritos (Beef or chicken)

Pollo Mole Poblano (Chicken breast dressed with special chile poblano chocolate sauce served with rice and beans)

Pollo Chipotle (Sauteed Chicken breast drizzled with a smokey chipotle chille sauce)

Fajitas de pollo (Chicken Fajitas)

Chargrilled Skirt Steak

NY Strip Steak Veracruz

Skirt steak Fajitas

Fajitas de Camaron (Shrimp Fajitas)

[rudykins]

I'm heartbroken.

[fsupilam33]

supposedly the dinner menu is a little bit more adveterous, plus for lunch, i see more on there than you would find at your typical mexican place

[winechic]

Ya, I'd agree to there being a few different things on the lunch menu. However, I didn't eat there, so I cannot speak for the actual food.

I'm sure most consumers going to a Mexican restaurant would expect to see the "normal" (Americanized) Mexican standbys on the menu. Esp. in College Park, which is mostly families with a few business people sprinkled in for lunch hours.

That said, don't know if Paxia should be hyping the "unexpected" angle with standard Mexican fare comprising the bulk of the menu (that I saw) and 2 for 1 margarita's advertised everywhere. My 2 cents...

I'm not over in my old neighborhood much these days, so it will be awhile before I head over for Paxia. Esp. with Nonna, K, Harmoni and Taste being great cullinary destinations that I happily spend money on gas to drive back into College Park to visit.

Cheers!

[starbucksbrew]

Haven't heard, but I'd love to try it. Do you know what it's called?

[fsupilam33]

It was hard to read the name when i went by. I think it was texeria or something. They claim to blend old mexican style with new cooking techinques or something along those lines. Looking in, it apears to be a more upscale mexican place with white linen tables and such.

[katygirl]

Is it the same quick casual concept or is there table service?