Los Reyes

No doubt, if you have driven down Chastain Road in Kennesaw, you have seen Los Reyes. Before the new strips were built, it sat virtually alone.

The building itself is beautiful. Built to resemble an old Mexican hacienda. The trip inside is a treat of historical artwork. The inner dining room feels and looks like the center of a Mexican village. The ceiling is black and adorned with tiny lights to emulate a starry sky.

The walls are built out like the exterior of homes surrounding a courtyard. Bright colors and ornate lights keep your attention only for a brief moment, for almost immediately your eyes are drawn to the mural that covers the front wall. The painting depicts some of Mexico's history in a beautiful storytelling through brushwork.

The story told in the mural can be found on their website. Here is an excerpt:

"This mural represents the pre-hispanic history of the beginning of Colonization. Before the Spanish came to Mexico there was the Aztec Kingdom . From this comes the take of the Volcanoes next to Mexico City . The great Popocatepelt (Great Smokey) and Ixtlaxiwal (sleeping lady).

It says that those two fell in love with each other, but this love could not be possible because of different social status, her being a daughter of an Azteca King, and him being just a warrior. The king decides for her to marry the bravest warrior and she will be the prize for the winner of this battle. On one side there was this army boy Popocatepelt (el caballero) Aguilla (eagle gentleman). On the other side was the King's armyboy, el caballero, Tigre (tiger gentleman). During the battle someone tells the daughter that Popocatepelt had lost and she took her own life."

I almost forgot. The service (my server was Anthony) is impeccable, and the food very good. I had the Pollo Supremo, a nicely fried chicken breast topped with supreme salsa with rice and beans.

The lunch menu is very affordable, with most items under $6. Kennesaw State University students get an added bonus of 15% off any entree over $5.

Give this place a try. Take the kids and let them see the mural.