I really can’t ever think of a bad time for Mexican food. When it comes to date nights, Ben and I love feasting on guac, tacos, and margaritas. With a love for Mexican food and a blog to boot, we recently received an invite to check out Besito Mexican in Tampa. Located in Westshore Plaza, this restaurant stands out with its large yellow patio umbrellas. Admittedly Besito was a restaurant that I had always walked by, but never tried. I’d usually spot it on my way while walking into one of the surrounding restaurants. Taco ‘bout some fate served with some table-side guac. I happy danced when they extended an invite to have us out!
When Ben and I arrived for our reservation we were led out to Besito’s spacious patio. Our table was next to a fan which was perfect being that the Florida weather was flirting with some heated temps. The patio itself housed a a ton of seating, string lights, a fountain, and an area that looked like it could hold a DJ for when the nighttime fell. I’d love to make it back sometime for a nighttime fiesta. I’m certain it’d be fun to dance the night away out on Besito’s patio, especially after a couple of margs.
As we looked over the menu to decide on an appetizer, Ben and I put in a drink order for some margaritas. I kicked off our date with the Market Margarita. Spicy margs are honestly my favorite kind of marg. I probably could have asked for my drink to be a little spicier, but that’s totally a personal preference. Ben opted for the La Sandia Margarita. His came topped off with a watermelon slice – so pink and perfect for summer.
It was no question that we HAD to start with Besito’s table-side guac. Our waiter came out with a cart of guac mixins and a basket of avocados to make it happen. He got right to work mashing, smashing, and mixing it up for us. The green guac goodness was served up table-side in a large molcajete. It was dynamite. This guac was the supa fresh kick that Ben and I were looking for before diving into the rest of our food orders.
The empanadas de hongos was our second appetizer choice. They came filled with mushroom and goat cheese which sealed the deal for me. I love goat cheese an as accompaniment in dishes because of the tang it provides. Besito’s empanadas also came covered in salsa verde, another tangy accompaniment that I love in Mexican dishes. This dish was RICH. I’d even opt to order this appetizer as a full on meal.
I’m a big fan of enchiladas, so I knew I had to try Besito’s. The enchiladas suizas intrigued me upon spotting it on the menu because of its tomatillo cream sauce. These enchiladas were just a big ole plate of WOW. The sauce, the queso chihuahua on top, the shredded chicken. Each flavor and texture all came together so nicely. The cream sauce was spot on and the serving was super plentiful. I actually ended up bringing more than half of it home with me. Besito does not mess around with portion sizes, that’s for sure.
Ben ordered the iron skillet pastor tacos. I loved the presentation of his meal. The meat for the tacos came served in a black iron skillet. Vibrant salsas were served on the side (green salsa verde and orange chile de arbor salsa). Tortillas were given for assembling the tacos at our leisure. These tacos gave a great flavor balance of sweet with a little spice when assembled together.
If you’re on the hunt for a new date night (or day) option in Tampa with a little Mexican flare, definitely give Besito Mexican a try. Besito is located at 205 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FL 33609. You can check out their website, Instagram, and Facebook page for even more tasty pictures.
Thanks so much to Besito Mexican for hosting us! All good times and opinions expressed here are my own.