Hot Dish: La Ribera Mexican Restaurant updates menu

If you love Mexican food and have lived in Greenville long enough, you probably have already eaten at La Ribera Mexican Restaurant at 658 E. Arlington Blvd. in Arlington Village. They have been serving up authentic Mexican food since 2011.

The expansive lunch and dinner menu features traditional Mexican dishes, vegetarian options, soups and a big kids menu, too. For the health conscious, you can ask them to make your meal with olive oil. La Ribera is famous for its variety of weekly lunch and dinner specials including the popular “Taco Tuesday,” when shredded chicken or beef tacos (hard or soft) sell for $1.50 each. They serve thousands of tacos per week and not just on Tuesdays.

Manager Hugo Ayala has been heading up the crew at La Ribera since 2014. He and the friendly staff will help you navigate the menu and find a fiesta meal the whole family will enjoy. And speaking of families, La Ribera is one of the only Mexican restaurants in Greenville that does not serve alcohol. They do, however serve a variety of Mexican bottled sodas with those awesome little ice cubes so many of us love.

They also added a variety of flavored waters to the menu recently including jicima, a Mexican fruit that’s like a mellow apple, mango and pineapple. They mix water with fresh pureed fruit and the end result is a delicious fruity drink. I sampled the pineapple, which was tart, refreshing and perfect to cool you off on hot summer days.

I also was lucky enough to sample the horchata, a cold milk-based drink made with vanilla and cinnamon. La Ribera uses sweetened condensed, evaporated and whole milk for the base and serves it in the biggest mug you can imagine — enough for two people or one really happy kid! It was smooth and creamy and tasted like a cross between rice pudding and a vanilla milkshake. It has happy written all over it.

Now that you are hydrated, it’s time to enjoy some new menu items, including shrimp and fish tacos al la brava, chicken verde, tilapia and shrimp, a full fried tilapia and Hawaiian chicken.

The fish tacos start with two flour tortillas filled with boneless tilapia topped with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, shredded white cheese and sliced avocados, then drizzled with a chipo cream sauce. I love these tasty tacos. The tilapia pairs beautifully with the cool avocado and toppings, which help cool down the slightly spicy chipotle-style cream sauce. The same tacos also come with shrimp. Two tacos are $12.89 with two sides like Mexican rice, refried beans, black beans, Charro beans, fries or a salad made with lettuce and tomato.

Another new menu item is the Mojarra Frita, which is a whole seasoned and fried tilapia, or mojarra, served with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avocado slices and your choice of fries or rice. I had never ordered an entire fish before because I am scared of bones and because I could never eat it all by myself, so I needed some education before I tried it. The fish was beautiful with the fins still in place and the skin delicately scored and crispy to the touch. You can choose to eat it with your hands or take a fork and flake away the delicate white meat under the skin. I opted for my fingers to ensure I could feel for bones. It was easier than I thought as the meat was so tender it pulled away from the central bones with little effort. And for me eating fish with my fingers felt natural. I enjoyed the yummy bounty for only $19.89.

To end my tasting I tried the new Hawaiian chicken. Yes, I just said Hawaiian when taking about a Mexican restaurant. That is the beauty of La Ribera; they add a delicious spin on menu items to provide you with multiple options and flavor profiles to consider. Start with a grilled chicken breast sautéed with onions and green peppers and smothered in a rich sauce made with sweet pineapples and chili sauce, then top that with grilled pineapple rings. Pair this dish with two sides for only $15.89. The sauce has a smoky yet sweet flavor similar to a sticky sweet barbecue sauce, and I love the combination of sweet and smoky on the same plate. I paired mine with grilled mushrooms and onions and seasoned rice. I enjoyed the detour to the islands.

Make sure you check out the new menu items for yourself at La Ribera in Greenville. It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. You can order take-out, through Grub Hub, Door Dash or Takeout Pros, enjoy curb-side service, or come inside and dine-in. For more information, visit their www.lariberamexicanrestaurant.com or call 565-8945. If you would like to visit the Washington location, it’s at 702 W. 15th St., 944-7734.