Vida Cocina, Altamonte Springs

I tried this Mexican spot on Tuesday at lunch. It is just off I-4 on 436 in a strip mall on the NE corner. I had the lunch special chicken fajitas for $15. It came with beans and rice. Tomatoes and onions and lettuce and sour cream and a tiny amount of non-Haas guac. Three tortillas. There was alot of chicken. Ok flavor. The rest of components were acceptable. I guess the price was in line to low. They have a larger version. Most of the menu is familiar. They try and move it upscale a scoche. However, things like birria and tamales are becoming commonplace. Tacos are $19 and lower. Apps are $11-$20. You have to order one to get chips and salsa. I think the mains top out at mid-twenties. The place is kind of tropical looking. White. Modern. The left side had five booths at the back wall and four on the side wall. In the middle were two rows of four fours and one row of four twos. The right side had more tables in front of an L shaped bar that takes up two of the walls. They have a patio outside of that. Seats on that side of the bar and some tables beyond it. It was open air. They have a neon sign in Spanish that translates to something like "Without love there is no (you have no) life". It was pretty full. On the other two nocturnal occasions I tried before this, it was beyond full. I don't think it deserves the notoriety. But, I don't think many popular places do either. The crowd isn't the most Continental. Drinks are big part of the experience. People were even boozing on a weekday lunch. Service was fine. Dressed up in black. It's like Senor Tequila's or Rocco's Tacos. Feels like a chain. Isn't. Yet. I believe it opened a month ago. I kind of wish it was just the fast casual place I expected it to be. Then I could have just ordered take out and been through with it.