Fiesta Mexicana takes over former Viva Mercado space

Mexican food chain Fiesta Mexicana opened its first Las Vegas location on South Rainbow Boulevard in May.

The restaurant was founded by Martin and Patricia Rangel, who emigrated from the western Mexico state of Jalisco in the 1980s. The restaurant has nine locations in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.

Lunch is served from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays and features a smaller menu of burritos, enchiladas, salads and sandwiches. Dishes are $8-$11.50.

The larger dinner menu includes many of the lunch items as well as a seafood menu that includes prawn fajitas ($17.50), campechana (a seafood cocktail with shrimp, octopus and scallops, $17) and seafood chimichangas (two fried burritos with prawns, scallops, octopus and vegetables, $16).

There is also a shareable dish menu with items like molcajete: grilled skirt steak, grilled chicken, shrimps, pork chops, chorizo, mozzerella, grilled cactus and tomato sauce served in a volcano bowl ($45). Fajitas with a choice of meat can be served “para dos” for $33.

The dessert menu includes deep-fried ice cream, deep-fried cheesecake, flan, sopapillas, churros and apple chimichangas, for $5.50-$6 each.

A full bar serves beer and cocktails, including several types of margaritas. Happy hour is 2-6 p.m. and 9 p.m.-close Mondays-Thursdays.

Fiesta Mexicana also caters, with orders starting at $10.50 per person for an enchilada and taco spread; a three-item dinner is $13 per person and includes choices of enchiladas, burritos, tacos, tamales, chimichangas, flautas, sopito, chile relleno, chalupa and tostada.

This isn’t the first time the building has housed a Mexican restaurant. Until 2012, it was home to Viva Mercado, which moved to its present location in Village Square at 9440 W. Sahara Ave.

Contact Madelyn Reese at mreese@viewnews.com or 702-383-0497. Follow @MadelynGReese on Twitter.