Ava Cado's Restaurant, located at 3500 Main St. in University Plaza, is a family-run business bent on serving food just as tasty as it is healthy.
"A lot of people in the area like Mexican food. We wanted to do a fresher, healthier type of Mexican food," said Andy Philipps, founding family member and employee of Ava Cado's.
Open since November 2006, Ava Cado's provides customers with quality food that has half the grease content. Dishes at Ava Cado's contain very little or no preservatives, providing customers with a feel-good experience when their meals are done, Philipps said.
"All of our meat is very low in fat and grease," Philipps said. "We try to keep the grease out of the chicken, beef and steak."
Menu choices include quesadillas, burritos and taco salad. Customers have the choice of three different kinds of meat, as well as a vegetarian alternative. There are 21 varieties of toppings offered to dress dishes available.
Only the freshest ingredients are used for the food, Phillips said.
The restaurant is known for homemade guacamole, which is offered on the side or as a dressing for an additional $0.99.
"All sauces and guacamole are made fresh in store. We also make our own chips," Philipps said.
At the beginning of this year, Ava Cado's began accepting Campus Cash in hopes of attracting more people from the university community.
"We wanted to attract more of a student flow," Philipps said. "We've seen an increase of students ever since we started accepting Campus Cash."
Ava Cado's has a fresh and festive atmosphere: colored lights are strewn across the ceiling and traditional Mexican decorations line the walls, making for a fun and cozy d?(c)cor.
The various toppings and consistent low prices compensate for the small menu.
Menu items range from $1.49 for a traditional style taco to $6.49 for a fish burrito. Home made chips and salsa may be added for $1.99, while drinks are a mere $0.99.
"Our busiest times are between noon and 2 p.m. Our lunch rush is right around then," Philipps said. "We have a small rush around dinnertime between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m."
Ava Cado's is open for business Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Restaurant rating: 7 out of 10 sombreros
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
