Ah… Cancun…
sand, surf, and lots of sugary, liqoury frozen beverages. Cancun, Mexico,
is known for being one of the most spectacular vacation spots in the world.
From zipping through the bay in two-person boats to touring Chichen Itza, when
you book a week in Cancun 
all you have on your mind is relaxation, fun and food.
But, be careful in Cancun – you can’t drink
the water or venture outside without sunscreen because that equator sun will
fry your Indiana/Kentucky skin like an egg… Yeah, personal experience…
Hopping the next flight to Mexico isn’t always convenient when
you are in need of a vacation. On long, wintery January days I often daze at my
computer and dream of the sizzling south-of-the-border setting. If only there
was an oasis of sorts that didn’t require a plane ticket. Ah, but there is!
Cancun Mexican Restaurant is the ultimate getaway when you can’t get away. Located
on Green Street
in Henderson, KY,
Cancun boasts dishes reminiscent of traditional
Mexican recipes and is the perfect place to relax and enjoy yourself – even if
you only have an hour.
We started our tasting with a basket of crunch chips and
a warm greeting from Marcos Nicolas, co-owner of Cancun.
Originally from Mexico City, Nicolas spent some
time in Cancun before moving to Austin Texas.
To be closer to family, Nicolas left the southwest and ventured to Washington, IN,
where he secured a job at a family-owned eatery. When Nicolas moved to Evansville with his wife
he started at El Charro as a dishwasher. Over the course of seven years he
moved his way up to busser, then server and finally chef and manager.
Nicolas purchased the building on Green Street and began work transforming
a once Americanized structure to a fiery food paradise. Nicolas did all the
work himself from the custom tile table tops to the brightly colored textured
walls. He even added an open-air patio to the front of the restaurant that is
constructed from a 100-year-old tobacco barn that Nicolas tore down by hand and
genuine tobacco sticks.
When I asked Nicolas what made Cancun
different from the plethora of Mexican restaurants in the area he smoothly
answered, “We are not completely authentic but the closest you’ll find. I even
use my mother’s guacamole recipe. We also offer the biggest burrito in town.”
And what a burrito it was… the infamous Burrito Kentucky is filled with
your choice of chicken or beef (or mixed), beans and rice, pico de gallo,
lettuce and sour cream and topped off with velvety cheese sauce. It was
literally as large as my foot but much more tasty! The crunchy vegetables
paired flawlessly with the smoothness of the sour cream and cheese sauce and it
sported just the right amount of spice. Cancun
offers a Burrito Kentucky lunch special for only $6 that comes with one huge KY
Burrito, chips and salsa, and a soft drink. In fact, Cancun
offers over 25 $6 weekday lunch options. The Burrito KY dinner option is only
$8.25 and comes with two huge burritos. I could barely get down a half of the
monster and I was starving!
Next, we sampled the Pollo Cancun which consisted of
marinated chicken breast and juicy shrimp topped with sautéed onions on a layer
of melted cheese and served with Mexican rice and beans. The onions
complimented the tender chicken breast and shrimp and the cheese sauce lent a
unique flavor to the mix.
If all this talk of cheese sauce is making you think,
“calories, calories!” there are much healthier options available at Cancun. Our final selections were the Rio Grande and the Carne Asada. The Rio Grande consisted of two tilapia fillets topped with Cancun’s famous Aztec seasoning and served with rice,
squash, mixed vegetables, mushrooms, bell peppers and tossed salad. The fish was
lightly seasoned with a wonderfully firm texture and
didn’t make you feel like you had a rock sitting in your stomach.
The Carne Asada was a tender ribeye
served with lettuce, pico de gallo and a side of guacamole. The guac was creamy
and kicky but not overpowering. The steak was thin cut with tons of flavor
bursting out of each bite.
Open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Monday thru Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays Cancun Mexican Restaurant
is the afternoon siesta you deserve. Oh – and you can drink the water but I’d
suggest a pitcher of margarita! Ole!
