The Dining Divas and Dudes headed to an old location with a new venue today. Since June 3, 2025, the old South Street Smokehouse (3305 South St in Lafayette) has been transformed into Arandas, a new Mexican restaurant. This is owner Jonathan Fuentes’ first venture at running his own restaurant, and from what we saw today, he’s doing a great job. (Some may remember him from El Meson). Colorful and welcoming, Arandas is a place we’ll happily return to.
We started with the customary chips and salsa, which was well-balanced with just the right amount of spice. Jonathan took our orders, and they arrived quickly, hot and fresh.
Ken ordered the Special Lunch #1, which was chile relleno, a taco, beans, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. First reaction: “Oh, WOW!” His taco was very good, but the chile relleno was chock-full of cheese, almost too much, he said, though most of us agree that there’s no such thing as that.
Jo had Huevos Rancheros, sans tortillas and rice, which made it look sort of weird, but she was happy with it. The sauce was very spicy, but not overwhelming. Hot, but very flavorful. Jo is always grateful to chefs who honor her special requests.
Tetia got the Veggie Chimichanga, a flour tortilla stuffed with tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and cheese sauce served with beans and rice. She asked Jonathan if there were house-made hot sauces. He brought bowls of salsa verde and salsa picante, which was very picante indeed. We liked them both. Tetia said the vegetables were very fresh and she loved the flavor of the beans.
Speaking of beans, Iseral says it’s not a Mexican meal to him unless there are beans and rice, and he said these were some of the best he’s tasted in town, especially the rice. Along with his beans and rice, he had a 3-piece Combo, which consisted of an enchilada and taco, both with carnitas, and a pork tamale. He can’t wait to come back and explore the menu more thoroughly.
There’s an abundance of shrimp dishes on this menu, a bonanza for Linda. She only ordered one though, Arroz con Camerones, and she thoroughly enjoyed the perfectly cooked shrimp swimming in a creamy, lightly spiced queso sauce. She said it brought back fond memories of a shrimp dish she had growing up in Memphis.
Jerry had Arroz con Carne, seasoned steak topped with cheese sauce and cambray onions, which are Mexican spring onions with a mild flavor, crisp when raw and creamy when cooked. Jerry, the thinnest of us all, always manages to clean his plate.
Kay loves shrimp almost as much as Linda, but it’s rare to have so many choices, and if there’s only one, it is Linda’s. Kay chose Tacos de Cameron on corn tortillas (you can have flour if you want). There were 3 tacos filled with 4 plump shrimp each, topped with lettuce and pico de gallo, served with rice and cambray onions. The best shrimp tacos she ever had!
Arandas has a large menu with all the favorites you expect from a Mexican restaurant, but the friendly service and delicious food elevate it above the ordinary.
