Mexicali Blues

Cinco de Mayo is a day set aside for celebrations, great food, and of course, tequila! Our Lake of the Ozarks Mexican restaurant excitedly looks forward to the 5th of May each year, as do all of our wonderful patrons. Do you actually know how Cinco de Mayo came to be a holiday? Your friends at Mexicali Blues in Osage Beach have the story for you in today's blog.  NOT Mexican Independence Day Many mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day, but that holiday is actually on September 16. The events that established their Independence Day happened about 50 years before Mexico's victory at the Battle of Puebla, which is the cause for celebration on Cinco de Mayo. They may not have won the war, but winning this battle in 1862 gave Mexican citizens a sense of unity and the hope and inspiration that they needed to keep fighting.  Battle of Puebla Due to the previous wars that Mexico had been involved in, the country's treasury was nearly bankr...

The delicious food that we serve at our Lake of the Ozarks Mexican restaurant comes from age-old recipes with rich and interesting backgrounds. Today's blog has a few fun facts about Mexican food in general, and many of the dishes discussed below can be found right here at Mexicali Blues .  #1 - Many traditional Mexican recipes came from the  Aztecs and the Mayans . #2 - The majority of Mexican foods that we favor today were influenced by  Spain . When the Spaniards began moving into Mexico, their influence changed some of the Mexican food recipes slightly by introducing their own seasonings and ingredients. #3 - Tomatoes , the main ingredient in salsa, actually originated in Mexico. They were first cultivated by the Aztecs and Incas as early as 700 A.D. #4 - The first version of  salsa  was made from tomatoes, chilies, and ground squash seeds, and Aztec lords ate it with turkey, venison, lobster, and fish. Mexicali Blues salsa is made from all-n...

Mexicali Blues in Osage Beach is open every Tuesday-Saturday at 11:30 am. While we serve the best Mexican food at the Lake of the Ozarks all day long, there are a few specialty items that are only available for lunchtime between 11:30 am-4 pm.  What is Lunch?  Obviously, it's the meal you eat midday between breakfast and dinner, but we looked a little deeper to find out more about this particular feast. The word "lunch" is actually an abbreviation of the word "luncheon." It originally indicated a small snack that was eaten at any time of day. At some point in the 20th century, the meaning of lunch changed slightly to a small or mid-sized meal eaten at midday.  The main meal of the day during the Middle Ages happened late in the morning following several hours of work. During the 17th-18th centuries, this meal was gradually pushed back until later in the day, leaving a space in the middle of the day where people needed something to eat to tide them...

Sometimes the work week can seem to go on forever and to make your way through it to the weekend, you need a good break. The perfect way to do that is to join us for the best Happy Hour at the Lake of the Ozarks . Sure, there are lots of Happy Hours going on in the lake area, but we've got some excellent reasons why Happy Hour at Mexicali Blues  every Tuesday-Friday from 4-6 pm is the one for you! Those Marvelous Margaritas It's hard to resist the best margaritas at the Lake of the Ozarks , and during our weekday Happy Hour, that amazing taste can be enjoyed at a discounted price! We don't limit the awesome deals to just margaritas, though. Beer drinkers will be thrilled to hear that we've got some great deals on our beers too.  Built-In Snacks Every time you eat lunch, dinner, or come in for drinks, you also get a big basket of our crisp tortilla chips and a bowl of our homemade salsa. Who else in town pairs their Happy Hour with a free snack? The chips are mad...

This weekend, the holiday when you're expected to pull pranks on your family and friends, April Fool's Day, happens to fall on the same date as another holiday, Easter Sunday. Mexicali Blues is a place that likes to promote good times with friends and family fun, so we've used today's blog to share some Easter-themed pranks you may want to try out.  - This takes a lot of pre-planning, but will totally be worth it. Cover an uncooked egg in chocolate, wrap it in colored aluminum foil, and then wait for an unsuspecting person to take a big bite. - It seems like Marshmallow Peeps add new flavors each year. Help them out and secretly squirt a little hot sauce inside a few to share with your friends. - Unwrap small chocolate eggs that come covered in colorful foil and replace the sweets with a similarly shaped food, like grapes.  - Most chocolate bunnies, which tend to be an Easter basket staple, are hollow.  Fill up that empty space with a surprise, like ket...

March 23 has been labeled as National Chip & Dip Day. It just so happens that the best Mexican restaurant at the Lake of the Ozarks not only has the crispiest, tastiest chips in town, we've also got quite a few scrumptious dips to dunk them in.   Although intended as a meal starter from our appetizer menu, chips and any one of the marvelous dips we serve at Mexicali Blues also make a great snack any time of day. If you happen to join us for Happy Hour, it's also an excellent food to enjoy along with margaritas, beer, and other cocktails. Here is a list of the taste-tempting dips you will find on our menu.    Queso Fundido This particular cheese dip is a local favorite, and once visitors to the lake area get a taste of it, they are hooked too! It's smooth and extremely stringy, so much so that you may need help getting a scoop out of the edible bowl without losing your chip!  Chili Con Queso Warm melted cheese with the addition of chili pepper...

We've been serving the freshest and best Mexican food at the Lake of the Ozarks since 2000, and we plan to keep doing that for many, many years to come. Mexicali Blues is a local favorite, as well as a popular spot for visitors to the lake area to frequent each time that they are in town. If you haven't given us a try yet, here are 3 excellent reasons why you need to put a trip to Mexicali Blues on your to-do list.   #1 - Fresh Mexican Food  We use only the freshest ingredients in every dish that we make, and you can taste the quality with just one bite! Your visit begins with freshly made tortilla chips and our homemade salsa. Our salsa is so irresistible, we've even bottled it (in Original, Salsa Verde, and XXX Hot) so you can take some with you to enjoy at home! You'll find all of your favorite classic Mexican dishes on the menu, like tacos, burritos, chimichangas, and fajitas. Each Taco Tuesday you can even get $1 tacos all day long! We also serve ...