The end of an era

What a shock to walk into Mexicali Rosa's and find it was now Rosa's Cantina. The Mexi's franchise is in a horrible state of disrepair (and has been for a few years) with only one location left in Ottawa. Luckily Rosa's Cantina was the original Mexi's in Ottawa and they've kept the same great menu and quality Mexican food. (Unlike the Hunt Club Mexi's which is now known as the Twisted Lizard and looks like psuedo tex-mex pub type food. I predict it goes the way of Rick's Cantina which took over another Mexi's location a few years ago.)

PS: From the Mexicali Rosa's Web site... a little history:

"The fiesta began in 1979,

when Clyde Ross opened Rosa’s Cantina in Ottawa. Clyde, a young American from Los
Angeles, found the Ottawa food scene, well, bland. He passionately missed the aromas
and flavours of Mexican food – the food he had grown up with. Clyde took the toro by the
horns and with his wife Iona, his brother Joe, and Iona’s cousin, Grace Mulvey, opened the
first Mexican restaurant in Eastern Ontario. Guests raved about this new food experience
and soon the lineups stretched down the street. Expansion came quickly and naturally, as
everyone loved the colourful, down-to-earth food and the fun Mexican atmosphere. Many
of those original guests still dine at Mexicali Rosa’s, served by some of the same staff! It
seems people never tire of a great thing.

The next milestone year was 1988. The original restaurants were renamed Mexicali Rosa’s
and the first franchise opened in Orleans, Ontario, under the direction and encouragement
of the newly formed Mexicali Rosa’s Franchise Company. Since then, the Franchise
Company has opened new restaurants in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes."