Reed: Chez Guevara is a house of nightlife treasures

As a non-native to Knoxville, I often find myself completely unfamiliar with many of the most cherished restaurants and bars throughout the city. I am still surprised at how many places I have not heard of - and get ridiculed for it - after living here for five years.

I consider myself familiar with the city now. But with so many different places to go, I end up overlooking many until someone brings it to my attention. Thus is the story of my first visit to Chez Guevara.

I had heard mention of this mysterious Mexican restaurant with the best food and strawberry margaritas several times, but was never quite sure where it was. After being told it was in the "Toys R Us shopping center," I made an attempt to find it, but failed miserably.

I wondered if, like Dracula's castle, Chez Guevara was only viewable by human eyes every hundred years or so. When I gave it a second try, I finally noticed a few people sitting outside in the corner of the shopping center. It dawned on me that this certainly wasn't the Cricket cell phone store. Then I noticed the sign reassuring me this was indeed Chez Guevara.

Inside, I was greeted by one of the busiest Knoxville crowds I've seen in some time. It was clear to me that I was the only person not in on how wonderful Chez Guevara really is. We decided to take a look around while we waited to be seated.

The walls are plastered with all types of pictures and paintings, from a smoking Clint Eastwood to Jesus to the restaurant's namesake, Che Guevara. Other signs show an obvious affection for Miller High Life, particularly the 32-ounce cans. Chez's atmosphere is certainly one of the most unique in Knoxville. It quickly becomes obvious that there is a lot of history to the establishment formerly known as La Paz.

We took a seat at the bar while waiting for our table and ordered a drink. The bartender was quick, friendly and helpful in letting me know what they had to offer.

I went with one of my favorite summer refreshments, Blue Moon, at a reasonable $3.50. All of their beer fell between the $3-$5 price range, even a 12-ounce Miller High Life, which I felt was a bit pricey. For those feeling particularly thirsty you can get a 32-ounce High Life that resembles an artillery shell for the "market price" at the time of $6.75. Chez's has a fairly wide selection of beer, with something for everyone.

After being seated, it took us nearly 20 minutes to decide what to order. Everything sounded delicious. While it is certainly Mexican food, it isn't your typical tortilla, rice and beans kind of place.

I went with the chicken and steak fajitas while Brian and Kim tried the fried burrito and the burrito gordo. We all agreed that the food ranks as the best Mexican we've ever eaten and, while it seemed a bit more expensive, the quality more than made up for it.

Our visit to was excellent and will not be our last. Chez Guevara makes for one of the best places to start your night. The summer is definitely the right time to kick back with a pitcher of margaritas and check out some delicious food.

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