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• La Hacienda

The Cancun Special, Cheese Dip with Beef and the Carnitas Dinner at La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant & Bar located at 10202 E. Washington Street. (Matt Detrich for The Star)

The Cancun Special consists of strips of chicken cooked with onions, hot peppers and their very own special sauce, served with rice. (Matt Detrich for The Star)

Cheese dip with beef is an appetizer at La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant & Bar located at 10202 E. Washington Street in Indianapolis. (Matt Detrich for The Star)

The Carnitas Dinner consists of fried pork with rice and beans, grilled onions, guacamole, lettuce & tomatoes with three tortillas at La Hacienda. (Matt Detrich for The Star)

Indy's Eastside recently lost its longtime Don Pablo's to a quick-fire closing by corporate. The local La Hacienda chain, however, hasn't given up on this part of Indy, opening a new location in Washington Square mall even as Macy's and The Gap were departing.

Fortunately for the chain's owners, they didn't have to invest in a major design overhaul, since La Hacienda's new spot previously was home to another Mexican eatery.

Warm peach walls with an orange border above and green wainscoting below surround tables and booths with red-cushioned seating. Balloons and spangly accents dangle from the ceiling, tile designs perk up the concrete floor and mariachi music cheerfully bubbles from the speakers. For sports fans, the owners have brought in two big-screen TVs, visible to most diners in the restaurant.

The newest La Hacienda opened before the holidays, but few people seem to be aware of its arrival. Only a few tables were occupied during our Monday-night dinner. We were greeted warmly by the staff and given our choice of seating.

Tasty mild salsa

We munched the complimentary tortilla chips, served with both mild and hot salsas. The mild style is notable; it features grilled tomatoes, giving it a smoky flavor that differs from versions found elsewhere.

I can't seem to enter a Mexican restaurant without ordering a queso appetizer; this time, we ordered the version that includes ground beef ($4). The mild white melted cheese and seasoned ground beef together formed a gooey, indulgent start to the meal.

Pete pondered the fish tacos, but eventually decided to try the carnitas dinner ($8.75), in memory of his favorite dish at the dear departed Don Pablo's. Unlike that version's shredded meat, here the pork was fried and served in six meaty chunks, accompanied by rice, refried beans, grilled onions, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, guacamole and a trio of foil-wrapped tortillas.

The "very juicy" pork would have been enhanced by a drizzle of lime juice and a smattering of cilantro, Pete said. Next time, he'll ask for a lime wedge with his meal. Otherwise, though, he enjoyed the dish and deemed it an acceptable alternative to his old favorite.

Yummy cheese

I tried the Cancun Special ($7.25), a blend of grilled chicken, onion and green pepper slices, covered with a creamy cheese-sauce blend (yes, more cheese). One tortilla accompanied my meal, along with the tomato/lettuce/guacamole trio, so I made one fajita-like roll-up and ate the remainder of the goodies with a fork. I liked the hot-off-the-grill combo of meat, veggies and cheesy sauce, although I didn't make much headway on the rice served with my entree.

There's plenty to choose from here: 20 combination dinners plus a "make your own" option, the usual suspects (tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas) and a selection of steak, chicken and shrimp specialty dishes. Two that sound especially worthy of a return visit: steak alla Mexicana (steak with jalapenos, onions, peppers and tomatoes) and camarones al mojo de ajo (shrimp grilled with garlic).

Adults will appreciate the full bar and big draft beers (the largest is a whopping 32 ounces), although this is predominantly a family restaurant.

Children younger than 12 have eight menu options for only $3.75 each, ensuring that plenty in this age group will be in attendance once word of the opening is out.

Hopefully, that will be soon, so this branch of La Hacienda doesn't fall prey to the Eastside blues.

Taste Test

Appetizer
Cheese dip with beef, $4

Entrees:
Cancun special, $7.25
Carnitas dinner, $8.75

- By Julie Cope Saetre / Indy.com correspondent