My spouse and I dined at Fiesta Ole Tequila House for an
early dinner on a Saturday afternoon in mid-March 2017 (but we have dined here several
times previously over the years). Emmaus hosts a second Fiesta Ole location.
(Until 2014, a third Bethlehem location existed.) Although both the Whitehall
and Emmaus locations share the same name and owners, some differences exist
(for example, the Emmaus location offers more traditional dishes than
Whitehall). Fiesta Ole is open daily for lunch and dinner. You can make a
reservation to dine at this location using the online Open Table reservation
system or by telephone.
The Whitehall location of Fiesta Ole opened in 2010 on
MacArthur Road (also called Seventh Street and Route 145) between Grape Street
and Route 22, on the same side of the street as Best Buy and opposite the
Lehigh Valley Mall. The restaurant space (previously occupied by Pizza Hut) contains
lots of windows, so it is light and bright. Although the building shape
suggests its original resident, updated décor includes terracotta tile floors,
white brick walls hung with colorful Mexican masks and paintings, and
interesting lighting. You can sit in one of the few booths, at a wooden table
with chairs, at a high-top table with stools in the bar area, or at the small bar
itself. This restaurant also contains a small waiting area in the entry next to
the host stand.
Fiesta Ole offers Mexican cuisine
with an upscale twist (although its menu is not as modern as other Lehigh
Valley Mexican restaurants such as Torre or Mesa). As we perused the menu, our
server delivered a complimentary basket of warm tortilla chips with a side of
salsa for dipping. We shared the tasty shrimp nachos as an appetizer. (We like
that this starter is composed of one flat layer of chips, with each chip carefully
topped with shrimp and other ingredients; we prefer the flat arrangement to the
usual heaping messy pile of chips and toppings found in other restaurants.) We
shared two entrees: the enchiladas las suizas and one of their specialty
burritos (the burrito was the winner by far!). For dessert, we shared the
churros, long thin crispy pastries filled with cajeta (a thick caramel sauce
similar to dulce de leche) and then rolled in cinnamon sugar. (The churros are
unique from those we have eaten in other restaurants because of their length,
diameter, hardness, and filling.) On certain nights of the week, the restaurant offers
specials, including happy hour, Taco Tuesday, free appetizer with two entrees
on Thursdays, and live music on weekends. Fiesta Ole has a
full liquor license, so you can enjoy wine, beer (10+ on draft), or cocktails
(including margaritas and 40+ kinds of tequila) with your meal.
We enjoyed our meal at Fiesta Ole because of its fresh
homemade menu items, its attractive casual surroundings, and its good service.