Catch a new wave of Mexican dining

Las Olas Taqueria
30 Portsmouth Ave.
Exeter, N.H.
603-418-8901
www.lasolastaqueria.com
Hours: Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, noon-8 p.m.
All major credit cards accepted
Wheelchair accessible

We know what's coming - a whole mess of cold weather and dreary winter days.

We also know a great antidote: A visit to Las Olas Taqueria in Exeter, N.H.

It's not just that the food is so fresh, colorful, and fragrant; it's the whole gestalt of this little eatery. Las olas means "waves" in Spanish. And the décor reflects that on every level. All the colors are warm and tropical: aqua walls with great original art depicting waves of every sort, and conch-colored tables with curvy edges that resemble waves.

But a wave, though reminiscent of the tropics, also indicates a new trend, and Las Olas offers a new way to order fresh, custom-made tacos with lots of choices.

This is a self-service restaurant and it takes a little adjusting to get used to the system. We would have liked to see a little more instruction, either in the form of a sign or help from the staff.

That being said, it all is well worth it. There is a nice, simple menu posted on the wall, basically burritos ($5.90 for vegetarian, $6.70 for chicken, pork, or Ancho beef, $6.90 for steak, and $7.50 for locally made chorizo - a Spanish sausage); soft flour or corn tortilla tacos ($2-$3.75); corn quesadillas ($3.25 -$3.75); tostados ($2.20-$3.90); nachos ($7-$7.90); salad ($6.80 -$8.50); and "Las Olas Bowls": flour tortillas with beans, rice, lettuce, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, choice of salsa, fresh cilantro, and lime ($5.90 - $7.50).

You might notice, despite the name and décor, that there isn't any seafood on the menu, with the exception of Fridays, which is marinated shrimp day. But there are plenty of choices for vegetarians.

Once you order your dish, you then get to choose toppings that feature several types of salsa, including pico de gallo, salsa verde, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole ($1 extra).

We started our meal with a Dos Equis Amber ($3.75) and a special appetizer of the day: fried plantain with cumin ($4.65). It was sweet plantains with savory spices, including cumin served with sour cream, salsa, and the best black beans ever.

We moved on to two soft Ancho beef tacos and were thrilled to have a choice of a corn tortilla. It's a rare exception when Mexican restaurants have any choice but the anemic flour tortilla for a soft taco. The corn is better for you and so much tastier. In fact, the tacos at Las Olas are doubled, which is a necessity when you see how much stuff is piled on.

We also loved the option of having fresh, shredded cilantro in addition to lettuce as a topping. Cilantro is the herb of the gods.

We sampled another of the day's specials, a chicken fajita ($9.85), which was a heaping plate of marinated and grilled chicken, peppers and onions, soft warm tortillas with a mild white rice, and a choice of refried or black beans. The refried beans were good but a little too pureed for our taste.

Overall we love Las Olas. It is an amazing bargain for such fresh food and such a pleasant venue.

TOM LONG