The Pioneer Eats Here series was excited for Kosciusko County because of the tremendous voting turnout. With the most votes in the series so far, Botanas Locas in Warsaw was the winner of the Best Restaurant in Kosciusko County.
For a little behind-the-scenes perspective, this was one of the most fun voting processes to watch so far, because it was neck and neck for quite a while before Botanas Locas took a late and commanding lead.
If you love any type of Mexican food, Botanas Locas has it. From different types of birria to tortas to pambazo, there is something on the menu for every palette.
Botanas Locas opened in 2017 by Cristina and Ociel Jaimes with their daughters Michelle Jaimes-Ramirez and Carely Jaimes.
The restaurant started as an ice cream shop, which it still serves, and included Mexican snacks. They also had a taco truck, but that became so successful, they decided to move into the building to be served alongside the ice cream.
“We are a bit small as our seating capacity is minimal, but we are working on expanding in these couple months so our lovely customers can enjoy eating their food with us,” Jaimes-Ramirez said.
The service was excellent. We felt welcome as soon as we walked in the door. We talked with Michelle, Carely, and Cristina about the restaurant and their influences on particular menu items. We could’ve spent the entire afternoon trying different foods and chatting with the staff.
“We feel like having a bilingual staff helps us so much in communicating to all our customers! We offer so many options and can customize orders to our customer’s liking,” Jaimes-Ramirez said. “The community has been so supportive of our family business, and they love the food we offer.”
Here are our thoughts on the meal and overall experience at Botanas Locas.
Ashton – Torta Cubana/Agua Fresca
“The Agua Fresca was sweet and refreshing! The blend of strawberry and pineapple was delicious, and you could tell it was made from fresh fruit.
The Torta Cubana was recommended by the staff and was an absolute mountain of grilled meat, cheese, and bread. I would absolutely recommend this to any meat lovers!”
Callie – Chicken Tacos
“I ordered the chicken street tacos, and they were some of the best I’ve ever had! Sometimes, street tacos can be dry, but these were juicy and flavorful! I always appreciate when I can get a side of rice and beans with my entree, and these did not disappoint.”
Hannah – Asada Quesadilla
“What surprised me most about when we first walked in was the extensive menu options! It took our team a good 10 minutes to decide between all the yummy options. (And we were hungry, so they all sounded good!) I ordered one of the Monday specials: asada quesadilla with rice and beans. And I can honestly say it was the best quesadilla I’ve ever had.”
Brice – Enchiladas with Green Sauce/Mangonada Smoothie
“Rather than getting just a water or soft drink, I decided to get the mangonada smoothie. Boy, was it the right choice. It was packed with chunks of fresh mango that made it feel like you were eating one right off a tree in Mexico. The enchiladas were prepared very well. There was a healthy amount of sauce, the meat was tender, and every bite was one burst of flavor after another.”
Jonathan – Burrito Birria with Consume
“The menu could’ve been an overwhelming experience, but the staff was gracious enough to help order. The birria was excellent, and the consume that was served with it was the best I’ve ever had anywhere, anytime, anyplace.”
Team – Chips with Salsa, Queso, and Chasa-Corn/Pizzaberria
We ordered chips with salsa and queso for the group, and Michelle was kind enough to also bring us some chasa-corn to try.
“As good as my main course was, my two favorite things I tried were shared items with the table. We ordered the salsa, queso, and corn dip with tortilla chips. All three were amazing. We all continually kept saying it was one of the best salsas we’ve ever tried. It was the perfect balance of flavor and spice and paired nicely with my quesadilla,” Hannah said.
“The pizzabirria featured melty cheese and soft, juicy birria that leaves you wanting more. The consume enhanced the experience and flavor tenfold,” Ashton said.
This blog series was created to highlight the best restaurants in Northeast Indiana. If you missed out on voting the first time, make sure to follow our social media to vote for your favorite restaurant in one of our 11 counties.
Previous stops in this series: Caruso’s in Steuben County, Albion Ale House in Noble County, and Fulton & Main in Adams County.
Brice Vance is the copywriter for NEI, and he loves Mexican food so much that he already has made plans to return to Botanas Locas this week!
