Mama Roja is an upscale Mexican restaurant in north Oklahoma City, located at 9219 Lake Hefner Parkway.

The restaurant reminds me of a Mexican saloon for the most part. The building has traditional supports and was made to look very worn.

On the outside, there is a dining area overlooking Lake Hefner. The view is beautiful and made me wish I had been seated outside.

While the building itself is impressive, the food and service were exceptional.

Within moments of going in, we were greeted and seated. Not too long after that, the waitress came and took drink orders and made suggestions for a cheaper option for the meal.

That being said, the ultimate fajita dinner comes with four sides in addition to the main course.

The meal had steak strips, shrimp, chicken strips and some of the most tender ribs I have ever eaten. You can pull them apart with a couple of forks, and the meat comes right off the bone.

The food in general was amazing. The ribs were smoky and sweet. The steak was tender and the vegetables were cooked just right. The beans and rice also were fairly good.

For those interested, they have two full bars: one inside and one on the outside patio.

Unfortunately, the drinks are very expensive. I had an upside-down margarita, which cost around $8, as well as a Long Island iced tea which was $6.50.

Despite the alcohol being outrageously expensive, the overall experience was amazing.

The meal, which filled up two big eaters plus one, cost $45, plus $15 for the alcohol and another $10 for the tip, which was worth it, as the waitress came by fairly often and asked if we needed anything.

Overall, while the bill was pretty large for three people, but I think that it was worth every cent.

Rating: A-