Last updated: December 6, 2023

In the Weeds

I was still a block away when I could first smell the indistinguishable scent of fajitas. It was so distinct, I half expected to hear the sizzle of onions and green peppers and beef on cast iron as I crossed Trade Street toward Que Onda, a Mexican restaurant with locations in Uptown, Matthews, and Highland Creek.

There are some places you hear about all the time, and you go to these restaurants because they’re constantly being pushed to the front of your mind. Then there are places like Que Onda, which my husband, a friend, and I popped into one night before a Knights game with little expectations because I’d driven by it, and was curious.

The restaurant around the corner from BB&T Ballpark has been so many things in the past years — The Mandrake, 3 Trade, Threes, and Press Wine Bar — that it’s easy to expect short staying power in the space. Yet when we sat down with no expectations, we were impressed all around— the cocktails were fun and tasty, the tacos were nicely seasoned and the meat cooked tenderly. A personal favorite is the lengua, which has a texture halfway between a liverwurst and flank steak but a rich, beefy flavor. The Coca-Cola Carnitas is nearly as good — tender, sweet, savory, and salty. Service was slow despite there being only a handful of customers, but our server was friendly, and we left certain we’d come back.

This time, as I crossed the street toward the smell of fajitas, I expected a similarly quiet lunch with the same friend.

We sat down in a packed dining room, and a few minutes later arrived the complimentary chips and salsa, a pureed blend with a base of charred tomatoes, giving the salsa a note of smokiness to it.

That smell demanded I ordered the fajitas, with grilled chicken and steak that are served on a hot plate on a bed of caramelized onions and green peppers. A separate plate holds pico de gallo, guacamole, rice, and beans. The meat was moist and the portion was big, but the sour cream wasn’t on my dish, and by the time the server came back to check on us, I’d already finished eating and was waiting for a box.

As I drove home, the takeout box making my car smell just like the breeze outside of the restaurant, I thought about the lunchtime crowd. I don’t remember reading about this place anywhere, and despite not showing up much in media, the dining room was packed. I smiled as I realized that good food and drinks may still have more power than social media in determining a restaurant’s success. Or maybe it’s just that irresistible smell.