ADRIAN, Mich. — If you’re up for a drive and enjoy Tex-Mex, then Maria’s Sunnyside Cafe might be the place for you.

It’s been a family-owned business since June 1974, originally established as a Mexican bakery. It is now expanded to a diner-like restaurant owned by Maria Guerrero, the granddaughter of the original owner. The area of town where it’s located is called “Sunnyside,” accounting for the name of the cafe.

On our first visit we were greeted by the waitress who told us to pick where we’d like to sit. The restaurant was not full at first, but after a while there was a wait at the door. We noticed a mixture of people that seemed to be locals and out-of-towners like us. 

There were hits and misses across our dining experiences, with some standout dishes and some that disappointed. 

Bill of Fare

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We started with salsa and chips, and were told there was a charge of $2. We also ordered a large guacamole ($10.50). The appetizers were just OK. The guacamole lacked vegetables that would have given it some flavor, and had too much garlic in it. 

We also ordered a large bowl of menudo ($9.95), served with lime or lemon wedges, onions, and two corn tortillas that we shared. Let me tell you, it was the best menudo I’ve had in a while. It had chunks of beef tripe, hominy, and lots of red chilies and spices (for me, Mexican oregano would have taken it to another level).

We also shared a breakfast taco that our waitress suggested called the Mary taco ($3.25) with egg, potato, bacon, onion, and melted cheese. We were least impressed with this taco, as we thought it needed more seasoning, was very greasy, and seemed to be missing the egg. 

My dinner companion ordered the special of the day, which was a combo meal with two cheese enchiladas with red sauce gravy, a side of chicken fajitas with peppers and onions, rice, beans, and choice of two tortillas ($12.50). He liked his fajitas and enchiladas, but said the latter needed some meat; he also commented that the rice was too dry, and the beans lacked flavor.

I ordered the Maria plate ($7.75) that included a cubed beef burrito that I substituted with a cubed beef enchilada, a beef corn taco, and a beef chalupa. The cubed beef enchilada with red sauce gravy was excellent, flavored just right with cumin, garlic, pepper, and other spices. The beef taco and chalupa were plain, and could have used some taco seasonings — so much so that one bite of each was enough. 

On our second visit we went big and decided to try a variety since the prices at this cafe are pretty reasonable.

My companion ordered the cubed beef enchilada plate ($12) with red sauce gravy, rice, and beans. He thought it was all good, but not amazing.

Bill of Fare

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I ordered three chicken flautas ($2.50 each), the enchilada plate ($12) with two cubed beef enchiladas, one chicken enchilada (some with red gravy and one chili sauce, but they only put the red sauce gravy on all of them), beans and rice. This time the cubed beef lacked the tenderness and flavor from the previous visit, but overall these dishes were good. The rice a little too dry, and the beans needed more spices. The chicken in the flautas was too dry, most likely because it’s fried, but there are ways to cook chicken with enough sauce to prevent this. 

To share we ordered huevos rancheros ($8.50), two eggs that included cubed fried potatoes, beans, and topped with a tomato sauce. The eggs were cooked to order, but the potatoes seemed to be pre-cooked or frozen and the sauce lacked flavor and just tasted like tomato sauce.

We also tried the guacamole again, and asked if they would add more to it for us, like lettuce and tomatoes. They did, but it still was too garlicky and lacked in the flavor and freshness that you get from adding tomatoes, onions, lime, and cilantro.

Of course we had to have the menudo again (add $3 for extra meat), this time one for each of us to have leftovers.

Maria’s Sunnyside Cafe offers good Tex-Mex overall, and for the price you can take the whole family. While the locals seem to love it, we found the food to be average. We would definitely go back for the menudo and to try the barbacoa, which we learned too late is another menu item this cafe is known for. 

Maria’s Sunnyside Cafe also has a concession trailer that the owner runs for catering weddings, birthdays, and even fairs. Check its Facebook page to find out where you can find it.  

First Published June 1, 2023, 1:00 p.m.