La Rosa hosts happy hour Tuesday-Sunday from 2-5:30 p.m. 

Story and photos by JANAY WRIGHT • The Bulletin

Food

For a Mexican restaurant that suits a variety of palates, try La Rosa in Northwest Crossing. The six-page menu includes burritos, enchiladas, fajitas and combination plates. And then there’s entire sections of the menu dedicated to meat and seafood dishes.

Last week, my partner and I visited La Rosa for dinner with another couple. They had last patronized the restaurant five years ago. Impressively, my friend remembered to ask the waiter to bring medium salsa in addition to the standard salsa that comes with the complimentary tortilla chips. The traditional salsa was incredibly spicy, but the medium salsa was just perfect. That evening, I may have filled up more on tortilla chips than my main meal.

All four of us ordered margaritas. I chose the blended mango house margarita ($9). Other options include traditional or strawberry. Mine was pleasant and only subtly sweet.

For more drink options with reasonable prices, La Rosa hosts happy hour from 2-5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Margaritas are $7.99 during happy hour, and the small bites are $8 each.

The couple joining us challenged themselves to follow a yearlong pescatarian diet at the beginning of 2022. They’re still going strong, despite counting down the days till they’ll be able to eat meat again. The extensive menu included vegetarian and pescatarian options, making it easy for them to stick to their pescatarian diet.

One ordered the ceviche ($17.99) and her fiancé ordered the burrito de marinero ($20.99).

The service was slow, but according to my friend who ordered the burrito de marinero, it was worth the wait. He gushed over the burrito stuffed with shrimp, scallops and mahi-mahi and topped with lobster cream sauce. The waiter divulged it was also his favorite dish.

I ordered the stuffed peppers ($13.99). The Anaheim peppers wrapped in bacon and doused with salsa verde and ranchero sauce and stuffed with gooey cheese, chorizo and spinach.

They were arranged artfully on a long rectangular plate and topped with pickled onions, cilantro and cotija. The bacon made for a delicious crunch. As one of the small plates, it was still enough to leave me more than satisfied, along with the tortilla chips of course.

Service

On a weekday evening, La Rosa was bustling with customers. Our server brought out the chips and salsa the moment we arrived but was slow to take our order and bring out the drinks.

When we had finished eating, he didn’t clear the plates, even as we lingered after paying the bill.

However, he was genuine and attentive, taking care to put in the correct orders, and checking in to ensure we were satisfied with our meals.

Atmosphere

The restaurant was decorated with Day of the Dead piñatas and tasteful stained glass. Mobile glass partitions separated some tables from others. In addition to the indoor dining area, there’s a large outdoor patio.

More info

Location: 2763 NW Crossing Drive, Bend

Contact: 541-647-1624, larosabend.com

Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Price Range: $11.99-$39.99 per menu item

Happy Hours: 2-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday

Happy Prices: $4-$8

Cuisine: Mexican