Recently we were visiting a local Blaine restaurant, The Hot Spot, when the owner recommended La Gloria Market / Restaurant in Bellingham to us. He mentioned that it was the only Mexican restaurant that he’s been to that is high quality and didn’t give him heartburn. Hey, if another restaurant owner is raving about La Gloria, we must try it out! So on our recent daytrip down to Bellingham, my hubby, a friend and I went down to check out La Gloria – we were in search of delicious, cheap, authentic Mexican food.
We were told La Gloria is a hidden gem. It’s in a strip mall, behind a car wash located on Meridian Street, just a few minutes away from Bellis Fair Mall. We’ve tried a few of the Mexican restaurants near Bellis Fair Mall, but hadn’t noticed this place. We arrived to find a very small restaurant attached to a Mexican market. The menu was in English, with ample selection whether you are vegetarian or a meat-eater. They served burritos, tacos, sopes, quesadillas, fajita plates, enchiladas, tamales, pupusas, and more! There were even quite a few Mexican menu items that I hadn’t heard of. All items were under $10.99 – the seafood dishes were the most expensive at $10.99. For drinks, they serve $3 beer and Mexican Coke, Fanta, and other sodas from bottles. Because of the amount of Canadians that visit, they also accept Canadian currency.
We ordered the Chiles Rellenos, Enchiladas, Burrito and a couple of Fish Tacos to try. Shortly after we ordered at the counter and paid, we took our seat and fresh tortilla chips and a delicious house salsa dip came out for us. The food came quickly and hot!
The enchiladas were accompanied with beans, rice, and salad. My friend requested the green sauce on his enchiladas – which is a green salsa verde that my friend said was on par with the high quality Mexican food he use to eat in Colorado and New Mexico. For $6.99 this dish is definitely worth the value compared to nearby restaurants.
The burrito we ordered was pretty big! No sides needed as it was more than enough for one person to eat for $5.99 with a little bit of salad on the side. My Chile Relleno also came with rice, beans and salad – for $6.99 is steal. The red tomato sauce and the richness of the cheese inside the pepper was more than filling enough for me.
I didn’t even need to order the fish tacos! The fish tacos were ok, but nothing to rave about. I’m not a huge fan of deep fried fish, so it was not my favorite dish of the restaurant. However, next time I’m back I’m definitely looking at ordering the enchiladas and trying some of the other unknown dishes that are on the menu.
I hope this restaurant does well, but keeps their prices low, as I’d love to keep coming back for the value and the quality of the food. They are missing some delicious churros from their menu though! It’s also fun to stop in the market to find all the Mexican products you need to take home with you in case you can’t find it in Canada, including some nice Mexican leather boots and belt buckles!
