ADULT-SIZED SOFT SERVE. Eau Claire's Casa Vallarta (2426 Seymour Rd.) is the first in the area to start slinging soft serve margaritas. The sweet treat has been a big success, according to owner and manager Pablo Mendez – so much so that a second soft serve machine had to be purchased.

Looking for a delectable dessert to complete a delicious meal? Or maybe just a unique sweet treat at the end of a perfect summer day? If so, it’s time to try the new craze: soft serve margaritas.

Currently, the soft serve – with the flavor (and alcohol content) of a blended margarita but the smooth texture of soft serve ice cream – comes in three flavors at Eau Claire's Casa Vallarta (2426 Seymour Rd.): peach, pineapple and mango.

Soon, the restaurant will add strawberry and raspberry flavors, with plans to continue experimenting with more flavors throughout the summer, according to Pablo Mendez, the restaurant's owner and manager. (The margarita treat can also mix flavors and is topped with sprinkles, fruit slices and gummy worms!)

“This latest addition to the menu has been so popular that the restaurant has had to hire three new employees to keep up with the increased business,” Mendez said. A good problem to have!

The northside restaurant, which opened about eight years ago, has since enjoyed serving its loyal customer base. In reflecting, Mendez said “customers want good food and good flavor, and they want to know what they can expect when they come to the restaurant.”

Even so, Casa Vallarta likes to try new things to keep the dining experience feeling fresh – aiming for the right balance of innovation and consistency – which is perhaps why the soft serve margaritas have been such a hit.

Non-alcoholic soft serve margaritas will also be available at Casa Vallarta on Sundays. Either way you have it – N/A or not – you can have it topped with fresh-sliced fruit, sprinkles and even sour gummy worms.

Casa Vallarta claims to be the first restaurant in the Eau Claire area to offer the alcoholic soft serve-style margaritas. Mendez, who comes from a family of restauranteurs, was inspired by relatives who experimented with their own margarita soft serve at restaurants in Ohio. 

Once the recipe was perfected at Casa Vallarta and the treat was unveiled, the single dispensing machine that Mendez had purchased was not enough to satisfy customer demand. He first rented, then bought, a second machine to keep up with the sheer amount of orders and to be able to offer a variety of flavors.

Patrons of Casa Vallarta, open seven days a week, can enjoy the alcoholic margarita soft serve from Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, when guests in the restaurant tend to be families, the treat is served N/A.

While Casa Vallarta's business is roughly 40% take-out orders, Mendez indicated, those grab-and-go guests, too, can enjoy the margarita soft serve. The sweet treat can be dispensed in a specially sealed to-go cup for either pick-up or delivery!

If dining on site, the friendly staff at Casa Vallarta will welcome you to seating inside or outside on the patio. Whether you want to enjoy a full meal and top it off with a dessert, or just the latest specialty — the margarita soft serve — your visit will definitely be worth it.

Casa Vallarta (2426 Seymour Rd., Eau Claire) is open seven days a week: 11am-9:30pm on weekdays; 11am-10pm on Friday and Saturday; 11am-9pm on Sunday. View Casa Vallarta's menu, reviews and more information online at www.casavallartamex.com.