So the rumor is that Angelina's and Cristina's are owner by two sisters by those same names. I'm not big on rumors, but there are plenty of similarities between the menus. Then again, most Mexican restaurants have similar items.
Cristina's is ok. The music is pumped up a bit. There is certainly a better dressed crowd at Cristina's. The decor is also better. Ah, but the food, the food never lies!
The salsa, for starters, is chunky and has quite a bit of onions in it. Onions tend to overpower anything they touch or look at, kind of like Medusa. There are plenty of sweet tomatoes and chives and cilantro, but the onion's volume is just a bit higher than the rest of the crowded salsa bowl. Too many onions for my soft tongue. The chips are good and crispy and usually hot. I'd rather have this salsa than Pace, for example, but I've had better.
The fajitas are above average. They're tasty with a nice amount of onions and green peppers on the skillet. The tortillas are not homemade, not a good sign. The rice and beans are pretty tasty. The sour cream and guacamole are ok. Mix them all together and you get an above average experience when it comes to food.
The waiters here usually take a bit longer than I would like when it comes to refills. Two visits in a row I had the same waiter that seemed like he completely forgot my wife and I. We left with sad stomachs.
I suspect that people frequent this place because it is near the Vista Ridge Mall, the food is ok for what you pay, and especially because the decor and the music make it seem better than it is. It's what my friends and I disparagingly call "trendy." If you're near the mall and Angelina's is too far away to drive, go ahead and stop by Cristina's. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
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