Salsa and chips are the bread and butter of a Tex Mex restaurant, and they make the first impression on a diner. At Bethesda’s new Plaza del Sol Bar and Grill, the tortillas are fresh and hot from the fryer with a light dusting of salt and the salsa is dense with coarsely ground chilies, tomatoes, onions, and herbs that cling to each chip. They are delivered promptly after seating.
From the appetizer menu, the guacamole is creamy and freshly-blended, without the excessive fanfare of a tableside mortar and pestle presentation or exotic, non-essential ingredients. This guac is straight-forward, good and prompt. Chiles Rellenos are an indulgence of cheese, stuffed into roasted poblano chiles which are then breaded and gently fried. Oozing cheese with a touch of piquant heat enclosed in fried, crunchy goodness, what’s not to like?
Ceviche at Plaza del Sol also is simple and satisfying. It is made with fresh flounder as well as cooked shrimp and pieces of squid in a marinade bright with fresh lime, cilantro, chilies and red onions.
Although the menu of margaritas is extensive, and expensive, the top shelf Gold Cadillac is worth the price, a well-crafted cocktail made with fresh lime and quality spirits.
When it comes to entrees, you can hear the sizzle of the Carne Asada as it makes its way from the kitchen to the table, leaving a steaming trail of savory vapors in its wake. And it’s as good as it sounds. Quality skirt steak is marinated with gusto and scorched on the grill by someone who knows how to manage the convergence of meat, flame, seasoning and hot metal. And there is no shortage of sideshow attractions; a dish of competently cooked black beans, buttery saffron rice that is not tired from being held too long, garlicky drawn butter and, somewhere along the way, a tidy, little chopped salad of tomatoes, onions and chilies appeared along with a small pot of green chili sauce with a civil amount of kick, made from pureed roasted chilies. Warm, soft flour tortillas and barely sautéed onions, tomatoes and peppers remind you that it is all just a fajita, but what a fajita presentation it is. Each element is simple yet made with attention to detail.
Marisco Saltado is a generous ragout of shrimp and scallops, both of which are a little tough from prolonged exposure to high heat, but still appealing. It comes with plenty of thickly sliced and undercooked bell peppers and onions. The bittersweet brown sauce is slightly over salted. This is not a refined dish, yet is still appealing in its simplicity and coarseness, and it makes you thirsty. The white rice that comes with this dish is just as buttery and delicious as the yellow rice that came with the carne asada.
Of the desserts, the cheesecake chimichanga is a nifty little confection of flaky pastry, strawberry jam, cheese cake, fresh mint, and a drizzle of chocolate. It’s a keeper.
Service is affable and attentive, and the space feels more like an upscale Bethesda eatery than a margarita roadhouse. Music is appropriate and festive, without drowning out the conversation. Plaza del Sol has so much more heart and flavor going on than many of the stunningly average and overpriced eateries in Bethesda.
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