Cafe Ole

By Angele Sionna

119 S San Francisco, Flagstaff, AZ

(no menu online)

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>= good, but not great

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxxxx= you’ll love it

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$$ = $10

Value (what you get for your money)
*** = fair -you get what you pay for, not in a bad way

The relaxing atmosphere is everything at Cafe Ole. The outside patio is more of a courtyard and is the best in town. You feel comfortable from the moment you walk in. There's a giant fountain at the back and plants all around with Mexican pottery scattered about. On the weekends, you'll often catch a live music performance to set the mood as well.

The food and drinks at Cafe Ole are creative. The special drinks of the night have included blueberry mojitos and pomegranate margaritas. Both were good, though there seems to always be too much ice in the mojitos and margaritas here and they only serve them on the rocks. They're a little watered down tasting as a result.

My favorite thing on the menu is the "make your own combination" platter. They're served in one, two or three item portions with rice and beans. I like to do three item combo with two cheese enchiladas and a guacamole taco. It is the perfect size to share with my toddler. The special enchilada dishes are often intriguing choices and I recommend them as well.

The service is generally slow but very friendly but the atmosphere makes up for any negatives here.

All in all, this is the best Mexican restaurant in town to take out of town friends or go on a date. The food is quality and the surroundings really put you at ease and in a talking mood.

For more photos of Cafe Ole, click HERE.