Casa Maria Mexican Grill has quietly built a three-location footprint across the Capital Region, with dining rooms on Bluebonnet Boulevard in Baton Rouge, on North Airline Highway in Gonzales and on LA-16 in Watson. For Livingston Parish families in particular, the Watson spot is a sit-down Mexican option that does not require a drive into the city.

Lunch and dinner

A separate lunch menu runs Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., excluding holidays, with lighter plates such as Baja shrimp tacos, a naked burrito bowl and lunch fajitas. At dinner, the Fajitas Famosas come with chicken, steak, a combination of the two, imported shrimp or a vegetable mix of squash, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms and onions. Fajitas Ultimas puts steak, chicken and shrimp on one plate.

Combination platters are a big part of the menu. The El Valor pairs a beef chimichanga, a chicken burrito, a cheese and onion enchilada and a crispy beef taco. There is also a 12-ounce Black Angus ribeye, a chipotle penne pasta and a vegetarian plate built around a veggie chile relleno. The guacamole is made fresh daily.

Margaritas and happy hour

The cantina menu lists more than ten house margaritas, served in 12- or 20-ounce sizes. Options run from the Tradicional, which can be flavored with sangria, mango, pomegranate and other fruit, to a Chantilly version made with amaretto and mixed berries and a Monstruo that comes with an upside-down beer. Happy hour runs weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m.

Save room

The dessert list includes homemade flan, sopapillas, churros, fried ice cream and a Sizzlin' Mexican Apple Pie served with cinnamon sauce and vanilla ice cream.

Casa Maria Mexican Grill Baton Rouge: 7955 Bluebonnet Blvd., 225-757-7447 Gonzales: 1210 N. Airline Hwy., Suite 1, 225-647-7737 Watson: 33939 LA-16, 225-380-1991 Monday through Thursday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. casamariabr.com

Photo courtesy of Casa Maria Mexican Grill