Cielito Lindo

815 N.H., Lawrence, 66044

Phone: 785-832-1545

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Cielito Lindo lays claim to not only the potentially best dining environment in town, but also the best dish in town for lovers of el sabor mexicano.

Pollo Fundido.

Anyone who likes Mexcian and isn't a vegetarian yet hasn't tried this dish is missing out on one of this town's treasures. Few flavor combinations can compare to this hearty, lustful offering. Super tender chicken breasts (you could cut them with a cheap plastic fork) are smothered with thick, real cheese and loaded with spicy chorizo. It's simply decadent. Words cannot do this dish justice.

But the redeeming qualities of Cielito Lindo do not end at Pollo Fundido. The restaurant's name—taken from the traditional Spanish folk song, meaning "pretty little sky"—is quite appropriate for this space. The environment is striking, built around a central atrium with broad windows at the top—it's unlike anything else in town, or within 50 miles of town for that matter. Regrettably the owners renovated the central dining area with a tasteless roofed structure but, overlooking that, the rest of the space is glorious.

The service can be spotty, but generally the servers are helpful, attentive, and friendly. It's somewhat mystifying, but the restaurant is often virtually empty—this could be the result of a few particularly bland dishes on the menu (the enchiladas come to mind), which may have made an irreversible first impression on some customers. With even one staple dish being so egregiously neglected, the prospect of an otherwise fabulous joint closing prematurely becomes real and scary for anyone who appreciates quality and variety in their Mexican dining options.

Banquets, parties and private dinners are available.

Heated smoking area? Yes

Smoking porch? Yes

WiFi: Unknown

Wheelchair accessibility: (1, 'ADA-compliant') *

Cuisine: Latin American, Mexican

Price range: $3 - $11

Delivery? No

Buffet? No

Local establishment? Yes

Outdoor seating? Yes

Party room? Yes

Reservations accepted? Yes

Call-aheads accepted? Yes

Kids menu? Yes

Occasional live music? Yes

Accepts Off Campus Meal Plan? No

Accepts barter? No

Accepts REAL Dollars? No

Number of vegetarian dishes: 10

Number of TVs: 1

Payment options:

Visa MasterCard Discover American Express No checks accepted

Business hours:

Sundays: 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Mondays: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Tuesdays: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Wednesdays: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Thursdays: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Fridays: 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

The kitchen is always open during business hours.

Past events at Cielito Lindo

* Restaurants are rated either: Very accommodating, ADA-compliant, Inaccessible. For more detailed accessibility profiles, check wiredonwheels.com.

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Comments

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1 of 1 people found this comment useful.

Posted by tribalzendancer (Tim Hjersted) on January 26, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Food: 9/10 Vibe: 7/10 Service: 10/10 Value: 10/10 Overall: 9/10

I've only had one dish from here, but it IS AMAZING every time: the Vegetarian Fajitas. Delishious and quite a generous serving. I can eat half and be stuffed and take home the rest for a whole nother meal. Only $7!

So great value.

I gave the service a 10 because the last time I went there is was 5 minutes before close and it was pretty slow but they were more than happy to serve us.

Outdoor patio is nice when it's nice out. In anycase just try the dish. It's great.

1 of 1 people found this comment useful.

Posted by claird (Claude Laird) on April 15, 2007 (Suggest removal)

Food: 8/10 Vibe: 9/10 Service: 9/10 Value: 7/10 Overall: 8/10

I have eaten in many places in Mexico and at every major Mexican restaurant in Lawrence. For authenticity, service, price, quality and quantity, Celito Lindo is currently the best in town. Unlike some other local establishments where the order may be up for quite some time before it is actually served, the fajitas (my personal favorite) always arrive sizzling. The combination fajita plate includes a generous portion of shrimp (9-10 vs 4 or 5 elsewhere) and definitely is not bland. The refried beans and frozen margaritas are also better than elsewhere. The service was fast and competant and I personally appreciated the extra attention we received. I am looking forward to warmer weather so we can eat outside in their courtyard. I wholeheartedly endorse Celito Lindo as one of the best kept Mexican restaurant secrets in town.

1 of 1 people found this comment useful.

Posted by dannebohm (J. Basil Dannebohm) on March 9, 2007 (Suggest removal)

Food: 3/10 Vibe: 7/10 Service: 1/10 Value: 3/10 Overall: 5/10

If you're in the mood for great atmosphere, this is certainly a nice choice.

0 of 2 people found this comment useful.

Posted by bloodyheart (Kendra Herring) on November 20, 2006 (Suggest removal)

Food: 1/10 Vibe: 2/10 Service: 3/10 Value: 2/10 Overall: 2/10

I was excited to have a new Mexi joint in my neighborhood. The food was NOT acceptable. In fact as my main man and I walked out after eating half of what was on our plates we realized the only reason we made it even half way through the plates is because we hate wasting food. I can get down with some grubbing mexican food,, and this truly was like cafeteria style ground meat and PROCESSED cheese. What? At least give me real cheese. Also, as great as it is to be waited on attentively, well, lets just say I felt the staff was hovering. I'll give 'em credit for the frosty mugs that came with our mexican beers, and thats as generous as I can be.

0 of 7 people found this comment useful.

Posted by murderama (Rob Gillaspie) on November 7, 2006 (Suggest removal)

Food: 1/10 Vibe: 1/10 Service: 5/10 Value: 1/10 Overall: 1/10

Buh-buh-buh-BLAND.

4 of 4 people found this comment useful.

Posted by Dazie (Aileen Dingus) on October 28, 2006 (Suggest removal)

Food: 9/10 Vibe: 9/10 Service: 10/10 Value: 9/10 Overall: 9/10

I went there for the first time last night and was pleasantly surprised. Lawrence has a definite lack of Sonoran-style Mexican food, and Cielito Lindo is stepping up to fill the void from what I've seen!

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