Las Marias Bar and Grill

When a new restaurant doesn’t shine the first time one eats there, it’s occasionally a good idea to be patient and give them another go. Fool me once, your fault. Fool me twice – well, it depends on the limits of one’s patience.

Selene Roja and Guadalupe Segura, the married co-owners of Las Marias Mexican Grill in Seaside, specialize in the cuisine of their respective Mexican hometowns, Michoacán and Jalisco. This is their first venture in the restaurant biz, although the couple has been running a private catering business, El Primo, for almost 10 years. Their daughter Yaeli manages the floor.

The Michoacán enchiladas came recommended by the owner’s daughter, and the differences in cooking style definitely make it interesting. Fried corn tortillas arrived smothered in red sauce and stuffed with cotija cheese crumbles and some onion. Vinegar and oregano bring the novelty here, adding a tart and herbal zing not associated with this dish (unless you’re from Michoacán). The thin, flat beef steak complemented the unique enchilada flavors, yet somehow each bite seemed lacking.

Potato flautas told a similar story: though topped with a pile of cotija, salsa and sour cream, lettuce, and even with pickled carrots and jalapeños, a certain pizazz was nowhere to be found in the crunchy tortillas housing plain mashed potatoes. Cotija crumbles heavily coated everything, including the beans and delicious bursting-with-tomato rice.

The best bites (besides the rice) came from the complimentary chips and salsa, which arrived with three homemade salsa styles, including a fresh and delicious pico de gallo.

It was very early on a Wednesday night, and only one or two tables were occupied. It all gave the impression Seaside’s newest grill wasn’t operating at its full potential. I decided to go back a few weeks later, this time on a Friday night.

Though second chances aren’t always provided in life, sometimes they make a difference. This time, flavor was much more apparent. I sampled a birria taco first, in which a spicy chili sauce played nicely with soft and hearty chunks of goat meat. Chopped onion and cilantro sealed the deal. Homemade tortillas would have made it even better.

For something super-filling, try the super burrito, an enormous roll-up of rice, beans, pico de gallo, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, plus your meat of choice. I chose carne asada, which came in a good-sized portion of small chunks. No chunks in the guac, which Yaeli describes as a “guac sauce,” and I did sense the green fruit was missing.

Las Marias operates out of the old Grand Buffet building, using a large dining room decorated with colorful art, thick wooden furniture and a fun ambiance from the banda music.

Open all day (with a breakfast menu too), it’s worth a stop just for the rice and salsas. It’s roomy and convenient for large events, but I’ll be waiting to see some more TLC on the entrees.

LAS MARIAS BAR AND GRILL 1732 Fremont Blvd., Seaside. 10am-10pm daily. 747-1877.