Newly opened Guacs Mexican Grill has taken up residence in the former location  of KFC in the Diamond Bar H-mart Plaza. Equipped with slushies and overwhelmingly friendly customer service, the Chipotle-style restaurant provides typical Mexican food.

Guacs offers their customers the choice of tacos, tostadas, nachos, quesadillas, a bowl, a salad or a burrito base, all for $9.95. Different meats, as well as a vegetarian choice with grilled vegetables, are available to fill the base, including as chicken, different types of pork and steak, and even salmon.

Brightly lit with a simple decor and accessible seating, the restaurant made it easy to relax and find seats. While not crowded, the restaurant had its share of customers, many of them students from Diamond Bar High School looking  to eat after class. As it was recently opened, the store was extremely clean, and the ambience of the restaurant was cheerful.

I ordered the same thing I always get when presented with Mexican food: a barbacoa burrito, with almost every topping possible, such as salsa, guacamole and onions.

My friend ordered carnita tacos, which was served with the rice and beans on the side. The staff behind the counter was extremely approachable and amicable, offering samples of their slushie drinks,  advising us and recommending their favorites.

The slushies were tempting, swirling around in giant dispensers, and I sampled a few of them before choosing the seasonal Pumpkin Pie flavor over the tasty cinnamon Horchata and the fruity lemonade choice, all $3.75 for a small and $5.25 for a larger size.

Overall, my burrito was satisfying, it was filled with more than enough to ensure that I was full. The corn in my salsa was very fresh and sweet, and the tomatoes and cilantro in the salsa paired nicely with it.

However, for the price of almost $10, my burrito did not quite measure up to the addicting, fresh flavors of Chipotle, where I could have purchased the same thing for a dollar less. The barbacoa was not as flavorful or tender as I hoped it would be, and the salsa was overly salty. I could barely taste the sour cream and guacamole in my                         burrito, despite asking for extra.

Yet the drinks at Guacs surpass anything Chipotle has to offer, with choice after choice of blended slushies, lemonades and sodas.

My Pumpkin Pie slushie was delicious, reminding me of a lighter, decaffeinate, and much tastier pumpkin spice frappuccino from Starbucks and paired well with my meal.

Overall, Guacs’ convenient location in the student filled H-mart plaza, the wide variety of delicious drinks and slushies, and my ardent love for Mexican food will bring me back for more visits to see what else is in store.