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Tina's Mexican Restaurant

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By JEFF KORBELIK / GZO

Friday, Apr 04, 2008 - 12:08:04 am CDT

In order to get people to try their food, Jose and Berenice Vazquez know they need to get them through the door.

Having worked in restaurants for 13 years, including six as managers, the Vazquezes know a thing or two about marketing.

Such as how to make a restaurant visible.

Story Photo
Tina's Mexican Restaurant is at 10th and High Street and serves traditional and fresh Mexican food. (Michael Paulsen)
Tina's Mexican Restaurant

3427 S. 10th St.

Atmosphere: Casual

Specialty: Mexican

Payment: Cash, checks, major credit cards

Cost: Entrees, $2.99 to $6.09; combination plates, $5.89 to $8.19

Dining room hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday-Saturday

Drive-through hours: Open 24 hours daily

Phone: (402) 328-0252

Notes: Parking, take-out, drive-through, children’s menu, breakfast available all day, no alcohol, menudo (traditional Mexican soup made with tripe) on Saturdays and Sundays



Food: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 2½ stars

Service: 2½ stars

Vegetarian friendly: 2 stars

The Last Bite: Tina's is the latest entry into Lincoln’s competitive Mexican restaurant market, taking over King Taco's location. The eatery serves burritos, enchiladas, tacos and more 24 hours a day.

Rating system: Excellent 4 stars; Good 3 stars; Fair to uneven 2 stars; Poor 1 star

The Vazquezes opened Tina’s Mexican Restaurant three weeks ago at 10th and High streets, where King Taco used to be and Taco Inn before that.

You can’t miss it. It’s the building with new paint and a 100-square-foot sign visible from a block away.

 Tina’s — not to be confused with the diner at Sixth and South streets — specializes in traditional Mexican food such as burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, tacos, quesadillas and tortas (sandwiches) made with a variety of meats, including beef (shredded or ground), pork, chicken and fish.

The drive-through is open 24 hours daily and breakfast is available all day.

The big sellers are Tina’s combination plates. The menu has 24 of them, each served with rice and beans. The most popular among them are the burrito and enchilada ($5.89) and burrito and taco ($5.89). Combos range from $5.89 to $8.19.

The Vazquezes came to Lincoln with their 11-month-old daughter, Ernestina, from Phoenix about six weeks ago. The restaurant is named for their baby girl.

In Phoenix, they were part of a 13-store Mexican chain and were partners in two of the restaurants. They left Arizona because they wanted to live in a smaller city. They settled on Lincoln because they had friends here.

The Vazquezes didn’t waste any time in prepping the location once they settled on it. In addition to the exterior work, they remodeled the interior.

Tables are covered in plastic checkered tablecloths, and bright, multi-colored valances serve as window treatments. Hispanic music is piped through the speakers.

With its drive-through, the  restaurant is geared toward fast food, but Tina’s is enticing enough for those who want to stay and eat. There’s even a small recreational area for children.

As for the food, it’s made to order and is on par with D’Leon’s or the new Mr. Leno. Because the food is made to order, it doesn’t come out of the kitchen as fast as it would at assembly-line Mexican chains.

The Vazquezes pride themselves on their enchilada sauce — Jose says it comes from California — and their salads. The menu features chicken ($5.19) and shrimp salads ($6.09).

Indeed, their semi-spicy enchilada sauce is worthy of bragging. I had a chicken enchilada with it, along with a shredded beef burrito on my combo plate.

My burrito was stuffed with beef, onions and green peppers — an overwhelming amount of peppers. I will ask them not to be so generous with them next time.

I’m impressed with how fast and how well the Vazquezes have gotten Tina’s off the ground. They even have slick, multi-color to-go menus. It bodes well for the restaurant. If they maintain their food quality, they will have repeat customers.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com


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sma wrote on April 4, 2008 2:13 am:
" good luck. "

 Try It wrote on April 4, 2008 10:55 am:
" We just ate there this week and it was really good food. I hope they make it. We live in South Lincoln and we will be back for more! "

 yum! wrote on April 4, 2008 10:59 am:
" I had the pleasure of visiting Tina's for the first time on Wednesday of this week. To my suprise, Wednesday is half-price breakfast day. I selected a burrito and it was very tasty, and well made. I especially like the homemade sauce bar. I will go there again and recommend to friends! Good Luck to the Vazquezes! "

 Pam wrote on April 4, 2008 12:40 pm:
" I'm not a huge Mexican fan, take my experience with a grain of salt. I ordered a fish taco and a shredded beef taco through the drive through. It certainly wasn't speedy service, but it was relatively quick nonetheless. The fish taco was pretty good. The shredded beef taco was not to my liking at all. It was like eating beef jerky that had been dipped in grease in a taco shell. Like I said, I am not a big fan of Mexican, and this is experiences like this that is the reasons why. I'd still be willing to go back and order something without meat. "

 Great food! wrote on April 4, 2008 2:54 pm:
" We picked up some drive thru and it was great! We will be back! "

 Hskr wrote on April 4, 2008 6:39 pm:
" I got a green chile burrito to go. very tasty and not messy at all for eating a couple bites in the car. perfect price and portion. just the right heat. I be back. "

 Yoda wrote on April 4, 2008 10:21 pm:
" I am really liking Tina's. Its a great addition to the neighborhood and the food is good at friendly prices. They do tacos the way I like them - a crispy deep fried shell with your meat, cheese and lettuce. Basic but very tasty, and with a combo its a filler-upper. Also love the salsa bar, and free pickled hot veggies and chips. This is one of the closest places in town to some of the mom and pop taco joints they have down in Southern California. My only suggestion is that they do California Burritos with fries, and have bigger chunks of carne asada. "

 Late O'Day wrote on April 15, 2008 3:33 pm:
" I love our growing Mexican population in Lincoln. They revived my neighborhood with several thriving businesses and been an inspiration with their strong work ethic and honest values. I've forged several solid friendships, picked up quite a bit of the language and learned a great deal about their wonderful culture. That said ... please quit sending us your restaurants! Seriously, we're covered. "

 Sultrydayinne wrote on April 20, 2008 11:43 am:
" Pam, you need to be just a little bit more adventureous in Mexican than tacos no wonder you don't like Mexican "

 very good wrote on May 6, 2008 9:34 am:
" Try the Fish Burritos. They are excellent their. Need something else to go for a side dish rather than just chips or Rice. Just a thought.
Great food and quick service. give it a try. "

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