Food at La Michoacana is the real thing

Above: A typical dish at La Michoacana Mexican Restaurant.

Everybody has a favorite Mexican restaurant. But only a few Mexican restaurants can be described as authentic.

So when my friends Ann and Matt said they had found a truly authentic Mexican restaurant in the Spokane Valley, I was skeptical. But I am no more.

Wednesday night I took my brother and drove the snowy streets out to East Sprague, to 9907 E. Sprague to be exact. And at that address, which is where La Michoacana Mexican Restaurant sits, I enjoyed the best Mexican food since my trip to Mexico City and Oaxaca last summer.

The place is not fancy. It's as big as a school cafeteria, with high ceilings, a couple dozen basic tables and chairs on the main floor, along with a number of booths lining two sides. But the service is friendly, the menu is extensive and the food is plentiful.

My brother ordered the flautas, while I splurged and ordered steak fajitas. Neither of us was able to clean our plates.

So I'll return. But not before telling my friends that they were right. And TripAdvisor agrees.