by MARK SLUTSKY

Mexican dining in Montreal is pretty hit-or-miss. There are the cartoonish downtown eateries like Three Amigos or Carlos & Pepe's, and a sprinkling of classier joints, but the real, good Mexican cuisine is largely the stuff of rumour and speculation. Well, La Iguana, a new place on Roy, isn't likely to end those rumours. It's hardly Mexican food at its most authentic, but it's a pretty fun place to go regardless, and the food isn't half-bad either.

La Iguana is situated in a spot once occupied by an El Zaziumm, and it forsakes its predecessor's aggressively psychotic approach to Mexican culture with something a lot more cheesy, although admittedly fun in its own way. We're talking velvet sombreros, Shakira on the stereo, enormous mixed drinks, that kind of thing.

On a recent visit with a couple of pals, we decided to open the evening with some piña coladas ($5.95, and pretty much worth every penny). We really had no idea what were getting into, as these drinks, when they were arrived, were like spectacular mini-desserts of their own. A huge-brimmed glass contained the drink, which was topped with a very generous portion of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, which I promptly lost in the swirling foam of rum and coconut and never saw again.

We also ordered, for starters, the Iguana Especial ($13.95), a sort of mixed plate of the place's appetizers, and, purely for testing purposes, a pair of beef tacos (a jaw-dropping $2.50!). The Especial was something else, pretty much a meal unto itself, featuring nachos and a big dollop of smooth, zesty guacamole, cheese quesadillas, fried cheese-filled hot peppers, nopales (cactus), and a pair of cheese and jalapeño-covered potato skins. It was all uniformly pretty tasty, with the savoury, cheese-covered cactus definitely standing out. (I think this is the point where we realize that none of the meals at La Iguana are particularly calorie-conscious, though there is a very tasty Mexican Caesar salad, $8.95, featuring grilled chicken and - excitingly - tortilla croutons!) The tacos were exactly the kind of hard-shelled concoctions I'd been dreaming of for weeks: crunchy and overflowing.

The main courses take up a big part of the restaurant's already-large menu, though we soon realized that many of the different dishes were simply slight variations on the same themes. A thin layer of cheese was all that separated the burritos from the chimichangas, for example (and, some would say, the boys from the men). One companion went in for the shrimp chilaquilas tierra blanca ($14.95), a soupy dish consisting of a mini-mountain of rice surrounded by shrimp in a creamy sauce, with shredded tortillas lying about willy-nilly. The sauce was rich and tasty, the shrimp plump and fresh.

My other pal ordered the beef chimichanga ($14.95). This was essentially a gigantic burrito drenched in a brandy and tomato sauce, with rice and salad on the side. The chimichanga was quite tasty, and boy was it ever stuffed with beef. You've never seen so much beef. I really liked the sauce. It had a piquant flavour all its own and really made the dish.

As for myself, I went in for the chicken fajitas ($12.95). You know the drill: an enormous sizzling platter of vegetables and chicken was set before me (I wasted no time in burning my hand on the skillet), along with a plastic drum of soft tortillas and a plate bearing guacamole, sour cream, salsa and cheese. Please know that I tried to eat all of my fajitas. The vegetables and the toppings were quite good (if the chicken was a little spongy), and it's always fun to put these things together, but after all that food, and that huge piña colada I had a hard time soldiering on. As I listlessly assembled what would be my last fajita of the night I felt like I was going to the gallows.

For its corniness, La Iguana is still a pretty good time - and you can even spot a mariachi band there on some nights.

La Iguana
ADDRESS: 51 Roy E.
(at St-Dominique)
PHONE: 844-0893
HOURS: Mon–Wed 11:30AM–2:30PM, 5–11PM; Thu–Fri 11:30AM-2:30PM, 5PM–12AM; Sat 5PM–12AM; Sun 5–11PM
BEST FEATURES: A cornucopia of Mexican dishes
in an entertainingly cheesy environment
ALCOHOL: Yes
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: More or less
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
NO-SMOKING SECTION: Yes
PRICE: $10–$15 per person, before tax, tip– or wine
RATING: ** out of ****