Chicken Fiesta bills itself as a "rotisserie chicken and Tex-Mex grill."

But anyone who has spent more than 30 seconds in the southern half of Florida will recognize many menu choices as definitively Cuban.

Plantains ($2.50), fried to order, are delectably sweet and soft (but not mushy -- we hate mushy) and served with a side of not-really-needed sour cream.

Fried yucca ($1.95) isn't a favorite, so it wasn't sampled, but a few passing plates showcased a crispy golden shell around the root.

Of the more traditional offerings, rotisserie chicken and yellow rice (aka arroz con pollo) is as standard a dish you'll find in a Latin American restaurant, and here, the traditional cuisine is both tasty and ample.

It's also probably the best value.

The chicken platters are served with two sides (choices of fried yucca, fried potatoes, rice, beans, salad, coleslaw or corn tortillas). A reasonable $4.95 gets you a quarter chicken, and for $7.50, a heartier appetite can upgrade to a half chicken.

Fans of well-marinated skirt steak will want to check out the Taco de Carne Asada ($2.50 each), a soft shell taco stuffed with tender meat, tomatoes and onions, and served with a lime.

Chicken Fiesta loves its lime and has found a novel use for it in its iced tea. Served next to the usual fountain drink dispenser in a nondescript silver canister, the tea is brewed with an infusion of lime, giving it a sweet, slightly tangy kick.

The other secret we hate to disclose, because it will make this hole-in-the-wall even more crowded, is the Tamal de Elote ($2.25). The sweet corn cake -- a popular breakfast in Mexico -- is served in a steamed corn husk, and tastes a bit like whipped cream corn.

Yes, that's a good thing. A very good thing.

Although Chicken Fiesta sounds like a chain -- sort of a Pollo Tropical for the mid-Atlantic -- it's not. Right next to an IHOP and a Wendy's, the tiny counter service restaurant is easy to miss on Midlothian Turnpike.

But at prime lunch time, be prepared to stand in a line out to the sidewalk.

Obviously, some people have found it.

Pluses: Authentic, affordable Latin American food.

Minuses: Tables are a bit cramped and the parking lot isn't big enough to service a busy lunch crowd.
Contact Melissa Ruggieri at (804) 649-6120 or MRuggieri@timesdispatch.com.