A Chilly Night For Chiles | Los Vaqueros | Highlands NC

Written By: Luke Osteen | Issue: Winter 2022 | Photograph By: Susan Renfro

It makes sense that our group of friends would gather on a chilly December evening at Los Vaqueros, Highlands’ newest restaurant in the space next to Farmer’s Market.

The authentic Mexican dishes featured on its expansive menu were simple to make, inexpensive, and informal. 

All of that’s conducive to a lively table and conversations that pinball back and forth and across the margins, enlivened by the steady intake of precisely engineered Margaritas.

Those Margaritas, so potent in their conversation-inducing/seducing, were of the Texas variety. That means that their smooth palate presentation was enhanced by the application of jalapeño agave. When that unique hot sweetness is blended with tequila and lime, well, it’s a sensation that’ll play arpeggios on your palate. 

Not only that, it’s an efficient tongue-loosener, which’ll definitely enhance the tabletop conversation. 

Add to that the arrival of chips and salsa, chips and queso, and chips and glorious guacamole, and you can guess that we were in lovely conversation mode. 

We banked those embers of vital discussion when the food arrived, and this is where the true glory of Los Vaqueros is revealed. 

It’s easy to get sloppy when you’re turning out Mexican dishes. There’s not a lot of variety of ingredients, and the emphasis is on serving the dishes with brutal efficiency.

Without attention to detail, the delivered dishes are uninspired and just this side of tragic.

But we were delighted to discover that the people manning the kitchen at Los Vaqueros were at the top of their game, and each item was obviously crafted with care. 

The Chimichanga, a deep-fried meat-filled burrito, was a thing of beauty, and quickly sampled by everyone at our table, to the chagrin of the person who ordered it and was left with a mini-chimi.

In addition to that sadly-diminished Chimichanga, we devoured our Burrito California, our Fajita del Mar, the Chiles Poblanos and my marvelous Chori Pollo, a fantastic blending of Chorizo and Grilled Chicken. Seeing what happened to that Chimichanga, I was not so good about sharing it with my companions. 

Oh, and before I wrap this up, let me put in my highest compliments to our server, Carlos. It’s not easy taking care of a table of chatty revelers, and he did it with aplomb and gentle good humor.   

Oh, and if this review seems to wander around a bit, I’m going to blame it on those Texas Margaritas. You may remember a few issues ago when I said that I just didn’t like alcohol, but Tricia allowed me to sip some of hers. And sip. And sip. \