OVERALL BITES: 

Value: Rex offers each burger a-la-carte or in a meal. The meals are about $8 and up and they include your choice of fries, onion rings (which are delicious), a drink and your choice of apple sauce or pudding. Considering the size of the meal I thought the $8.95 for my meal was a great deal!

Taste: This is where Rex really stands out. The meat was seasoned well and all the ingredients were fresh. The bun was also lightly toasted, the cheese was melted just right and the green chile was amazing!

Presentation: Nothing fancy here but checkered paper in a red basket but there was a certain elegance in it’s simplicity.

Vibe: There weren’t too many people when we went which was shortly after the lunch rush. The people that were there finished while we were eating and the staff quickly cleaned and cleared each table.

Accessibility: Rex’s Hamburgers is easy to find and there is a ton of parking in the shopping center. They are on the North side of Montgomery Blvd just before you hit San Pedro.

Review – Rex’s Hamburgers

It’s been years since I’ve had a Rex’s Hamburger. In fact, I didn’t even know where Rex’s Hamburgers was located because someone had brought the food to the office. Truth be told I had forgotten all about them up until a couple of weeks ago when I drove by the area to my new office. Since I’m close to the area I thought I’d give them a try.

When you walk in make your way to the back so you can get to the counter to order. There is a huge menu board where you an choose from hamburgers to chicken strips. You can get your burger a-la-carte or you can have it in a meal with a drink and your choice of fries or onion rings. You also get a small dessert which can be an apple sauce or pudding which I thought was a nice touch. Since it is green chile season and every supermarket you go to has roasters going I decided to go with a green chile cheeseburger.

I grabbed my cup and had limeade type drink but you can choose from tea or soft drinks too. The drinks are further to the back where you’ll see a couple of arcade games along the East wall. There is seating room in that area too. We decided to sit closer to the front where there was better lighting coming from the windows.

My assistant and I took our seats and it was only a couple minutes before our meals came out. They were served in a red basket with checkered paper. Nothing super fancy but the burger and the golden brown fries (with one onion ring on top) looked super appetizing. There was ketchup on the table and my assistant grabbed some mustard from another one and we dove right in.

The green chile was perfect! I’m not a fan of incredibly spicy food because I like to taste something else than just the green chile if you know what I mean. The green chile on the Rex Burger was perfect! You could tell it was there, it tasted fresh, and it was hot enough. The cheese was melted just right and the burger was cooked very well. This is probably one of the best burgers I’ve had in a long time! You really do have to try it for yourself.

We give Rex’s Hamburgers 4.5 Bites!!! The back area was a little dark but that didn’t take away from the taste of the meal and the great service we received from the staff.

Check out their website where you can order your Rex Burger online! You can also give them a Like on Facebook!

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OVERALL BITES: 

Value: I love specials and Los Mariachis has two of them. 2 for $17 breakfast and 2 for $22 lunch. I had the lunch special with a friend of mine and that included our drinks, chips and salsa, and two sopapillas as well.

Taste: Ok, so what you get doesn’t make a difference unless it tastes good and Los Mariachis was spot on! I wasn’t able to eat the sopapilla because it was simply too much food but my friend decided on the cinnamon and sugar one and he loved it!

Presentation: I loved everything about Los Mariachis. The plates were full, the gorditas were super full, and I even liked the mugs for our drinks.

Vibe: The parking lot was busy but inside wasn’t as full as I thought. There were a few tables taken and more people were coming in for the lunch rush. The locals seemed to be having a great time as was I.

Accessibility: Los Mariachis is pretty easy to find. They are on the West side of town just North of Hadley Ave on Motel Blvd. There are a couple of signs which make it hard to miss and there is plenty of parking.

Review – Los Mariachis

You ever have those moments where you just need to get out of town and relax? Well, that was me this weekend and a friend in Las Cruces, NM, invited me over for a weekend filled with shooting on the range, hanging out, and of course good food. Los Mariachis was my friend’s suggestion for their wide variety of Mexican dishes and for their quality ingredients. I have to tell you, Los Mariachis did not disappoint.

When we pulled it the parking lot seemed to be pretty full but you’ll notice that Los Mariachis has a big dining area. We were seated almost immediately and our chips and salsa were brought up soon afterwards. The menu is pretty extensive but once we saw the breakfast and lunch specials we opted to have the 2 for $22 and we both got the shredded beef gorditas. You’ll find gordita reviews throughout this blog because it’s hard for me to resist them. There is something about the crunchiness of the gordita that I can’t turn away!

The lunch special includes your drinks, your chips and salsa, a choice of about six different meals with beans and rice, and you also get two sopapillas. Our drinks were delivered in a big mug which I liked because then I don’t have to get refills quite as often but even then the staff was on point and my mug was never empty. The salsa for the chips was excellent! I liked it so much that I used it for my gorditas when they were brought out.

It only took a few more minutes for our food. There was a healthy serving of rice and beans with a little bit of cheese melted on top. The three gorditas were arranged well and you could see they were stuffed to the max! I normally go for the ground beef but today I was going out of my comfort zone and got the shredded beef instead and boy have I been missing out! The meet was juicy, it was seasoned well, and the crunchiness of the cornmeal was perfect! Everything about this plate was perfect. You really can’t go wrong. There was so much food that I wasn’t able to eat my sugar and cinnamon sopapilla after.

Los Mariachis is deserving of 5 Bites!!! The location was easy to find, there was plenty of seating available, the restaurant was clean, the staff was great, the food was even better, and you can’t beat the lunch special. This is definitely where the locals eat and definitely a place you should try!

Check out their Website and Like them on Facebook!

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OVERALL BITES: 

Value: Burri-Dough offers a few breakfast burrito options. I decided to go with the Breakfast Burrito and added cheese and it came out to just over $3! That’s not bad when you consider it was made fresh and it was a decent size. I added a Snapple Drink and a Coffee for my friend and it was a little over $7. Not too shabby.

Taste: Ok, so it’s kind of hard to mess up a breakfast burrito with eggs, sausage and cheese. I liked that everything was fresh and it was made for me when I ordered it. I was offered green salsa on the side which was just the right amount of spice but it needed just a dash of salt.

Presentation: The presentation wasn’t anything special. Burri-Dough wraps their burritos in aluminum foil which helped keep it warm.

Vibe: There wasn’t much going on when we pulled up but there were a few people that came in to order burritos while we ate. Most people were ok with no donuts being available and I only saw one person walk out.

Accessibility: Burri-Dough is super easy to find. They are just south of Pebble Hills on George Dieter. The parking can be kind of tight but there are plenty of spaces in the shopping center.

Review – Burri-Dough

My partner had two early morning meetings to attend while I tried to get her car to the shop. When she was finished she picked me up and took me to breakfast. Since it’s been a while since we tried a local spot we decided to pull into Burri-Dough.

When we walked in we weren’t sure if they were still open for business. The display cases were empty and there wasn’t a donut in the entire shop! Turns out they had sold out already. When I asked how often they sell out of donuts they looked at me like I was crazy. It’s a daily thing at Burri-Dough. The only question is how soon will it happen. On this particular day it was just before 10am.

They did offer me items from their menu so I chose their breakfast burrito with sausage and a side of green salsa. I had a bottled Snapple to drink and my partner had a fresh brewed cup of coffee. It all came out to just over $7. They had been busy that morning as they only had Picadillo (ground beef) and chile verde for their regular burritos.

It didn’t take long to get my meal. I think it took longer for the coffee to brew if I remember correctly. The burrito was wrapped in aluminum foil and when I unwrapped it you could see the steam come off of it. I wanted to be instantly taken away to Albuquerque during the Balloon Fiesta because that’s really when a breakfast burrito is best. The chilly air in October with the fresh smell of fall make it so a burrito warms your entire body as you hold it with both hands. But I was in El Paso with some humidity in the air because of the rains.

Needless to say the burrito was pretty good. I really enjoyed how fresh it was and the green salsa really made the burrito stand out even more. The salsa did need a bit of salt but it was spicy enough without it being too much. The ladies working the counter were super friendly and asked on more than one occasion how we were doing. All in all the Burri-Dough gets 4 Bites! No, we didn’t eat donuts. The menu was limited. What did it for me is that this is truly a place the locals enjoy. They sell out most days and people still come in and enjoy the other menu items which speaks volumes for how they run their business.

Check them out on Facebook or stop by and give them a try.

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OVERALL BITES: 

Value:  I finally was able to go somewhere and take advantage of the lunch special. Chubby’s Bronx Drill was offering a Philly Cheese Steak with fries and a drink for under $8! My significant other had a Mikey Carbone , a grilled chicken sandwich, for just under $10.

Taste: Normally you wouldn’t think too much of a sandwich but Chubby’s seemed to have put some extra flavor in theirs. They didn’t skimp on the meat in my cheese steak or on the mushrooms. The fries are what stole the show. They were perfectly seasoned, crispy and a beautiful golden color.

Presentation: Chubby’s Bronx Drill did a great job of having the right size plate, and also the right portions, to make the plate look full and flavorful. As soon as you got your meal it looked hearty and like it would more than fill you up.

Vibe: We decided to try Chubby’s on a Sunday afternoon after getting out of church. The neighboring restaurants were packed so we gave Chubby’s a try. There were only a few people, the restaurant was clean, and the service was quick and friendly.

Accessibility: Chubby’s is in the Southwest corner of Zaragoza and Montwood in the El Paso Marketplace which means there is tons of parking. They are in a small strip mall just South of the Olive Garden.

Review – Chubby’s Bronx Deli

Finally!!! I had a lunch special. If you’ve read previous posts you know that I rarely ever get to a restaurant for the lunch special. Today was my lucky day. It was Mother’s Day, we had just left church earlier, and we were looking for a place to eat. The lines everywhere were huge! So we drove in the El Paso Marketplace and saw Chubby’s Bronx Deli.

We walked in and seated ourselves. Within a few seconds our order was taken. There were only a few tables taken but the few customers seemed to be enjoying their food. I ordered the special which was a Philly Cheese Steak with fries and a bottled drink. My significant other had the Mikey Carbone which is a grilled chicken sandwich. We waited a few minutes and commented on the clean look of the restaurant. It was a bit dark due to the black furniture but it did have a classiness to it. There was a TV playing and a few people behind the counter.

After a few minutes our food was brought out. My sandwich was full of meat, mushrooms, and a nice serving of cheese and fries. My significant other chose the waffle fries and they looked and tasted amazing! I should have ordered those myself now that I think back on it. In any case, my sandwich was loaded with mushrooms. If you’re a fan of them then you’ll love this sandwich. There was also just the right amount of cheese in my opinion.

At the end of the day Chubby’s gets 4 Bites! The restaurant was clean, the portions were healthy, and the sandwiches were fresh. The staff was very friendly and attentive checking on us at least a couple of times. If you’re looking for a good sandwich shop, or something other than the chain restaurants, give Chubby’s a try.

Check them out on Facebook!

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OVERALL BITES: 

Value: My meal came out to just over $10 with a drink. The Torta was a hefty size, a healthy serving of fries, and a can soda completed the meal. You can’t get too much better than that. They do offer a lunch special which would have made my meal a couple bucks less.

Taste: This is where Tortas Nico stood out. I had the Manolo torta which included pulled pork, ham, chorizo and cheese! Yes, it was amazing. They didn’t skimp on anything and some of the meat fell out a I was taking a bite. The combination of all the meats, along with the salsas, made this an extra tasty meal.

Presentation: Nothing fancy. You get your meal in a plastic basket with paper on the bottom. The drinks are mostly in a can. What they don’t have in presentation they make up for in taste.

Vibe: Got there right after lunch but even then they had a steady stream of customers coming in. The dining area isn’t too big and some people placed their orders to go. There wasn’t any audible music which I think would have created a better environment.

Accessibility: Tortas Nico is super easy to find. They are on the Southeast corner of Montwood and Lee Trevino. Since it’s a huge shopping center you’ll find plenty of parking.

Review – Tortas Nico

Tortas Nico offered a great alternative to the burgers I had the previous couple of days. Do you ever just end up going to the same burger joint because it’s convenient? That’s what I had done. On this particular day I figured I would simply cross the parking lot and give Tortas Nico a try.

Not sure why I hadn’t noticed them before since the sign on the business is pretty big and also a little deceptive. You walk in thinking the restaurant will be huge but it’s really not that big. There are only a few booths and and the rest are tables. A good size crowd does fit but it’s nothing crazy.

You walk up to the counter and place your order. Their drinks are mostly of the can variety but they aren’t too expensive. In fact, my meal came out to just over $10 with the credit card service fee – which I was disappointed about. I ordered the Manolo torta at their recommendation which had pulled pork, ham, chorizo and cheese. After a few minutes they came by my table and placed a plastic basket with a huge torta and a healthy serving of fries. The bread was slightly toasted which gave the outside a great crunchy texture and the inside was nice and soft. The meat, which seemed to fall out with ever bite, was perfectly seasoned. It wouldn’t have occurred to me to put all three of those together but it just seemed to work!

Before you sit down make sure you grab some of the salsas on the counter. They’ll make all the flavors of the torta pop! I tried the green but there was also a red and canned jalapenos if you rather have those. At the end of the day Tortas Nico gets 3.5 Bites!!! The taste of the torta was the best part of Tortas Nico. Like I mentioned earlier, I was disappointed in the service fee to use a card. You’ll enjoy the different options they have. Everything from turkey to steak and even chile relleno. If a torta isn’t your thing then they also have some burgers you can choose from.

Stop by and check them our for yourselves and also give them a like on Facebook.

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OVERALL BITES: 

Value: Missed the lunch hour special once again but their regular prices won’t break the bank. My meal, which was a healthy portion, was under $10 and put me slightly over with my lemonade. You do get complimentary chips and salsa so you can’t beat that!

Taste: I’ve been to the one on Alameda and the one on Horizon and each time the meal was delicious! You really can’t go wrong. The flautas once and the gorditas on my second visit.

Presentation: The food was plated well and it looked appetizing. Everything looked fresh and tasted fresh too!

Vibe: The location on Horizon seemed like a bigger and cleaner space to me. Not that the Alameda location was dirty it just looked a bit older. Everybody was having a great time though so you can’t go wrong at either of these two locations.

Accessibility: The locations are far East of El Paso, on Horizon Blvd, and also to the South. They will probably be a bit out of the way but they are worth the trip. The Alameda location seemed to have more parking since it was a stand alone location where the Horizon one is in a strip mall.

Review – El Crucero Mexican Grill

It was about two months ago that my significant other was stuck at work, short staffed, and couldn’t get off for lunch. What to do, what to do? I figured I’d be a nice guy for once and take her something to eat. Even though we couldn’t have lunch together she’d be able to eat on a short break. I went down the street and decided to pick up some flautas from El Crucero Mexican Grill on Horizon Blvd. Ever since then I’ve wanted to go back and now was my chance!!!

So why so long to go back you ask? Well, my significant other was transferred so I was no longer in the area. I happened to be on Alameda and noticed a big yellow sign which read, “El Crucero Mexican Grill.” Could this be the same El Crucero as before? I decided I would stop, go inside, have a meal and then look them up as I waited. Sure enough, it’s the same restaurant just a different location.

The El Crucero parking lot was pretty full but since it’s so big it wasn’t hard to find a space. I sat down where I was attended rather quickly. I happened to miss the lunch special, yet again, but the prices on the menu were reasonable. They start at just under $10 and work their way up. You’ll find everything from the classic tacos to seafood and everything in between. I opted for the gorditas and a fresh lemonade too.

My chips and salsa were brought out pretty quickly and my drink shortly after. The chips were tasty, salted just right, and they went perfectly with the salsa. If you’ve read my reviews before you know that I like to taste my food and not be over powered by the heat of the salsas and this salsa was perfect! My gorditas were brought out a few minutes later and it was the gorditas I’ve known since I was a kid. They were fried to perfection! Just the right amount of crispiness and they were stuffed with tasty ground beef, potatoes and veggies too! The salsa that I didn’t eat with my chips was poured into my gorditas to make them even better.

The rice had a great flavor as well. No crispy pieces found here. The beans had a bit of cheese on the top, not enough in my opinion, but they tasted so good they didn’t need the cheese. My girlfriend loved the flautas before, I didn’t get a chance to taste them, but she’s a pretty good judge when it comes to food. This now makes two delicious meals for us at El Crucero Mexican Grill.

I do have to say I was disappointed in one small item. The glass in which my lemonade call was pretty tall. Which was great because I love lemonade and it had a lot in it! The drawback was the straw. It was so small that it fell below the rim of the glass and I had to reach into the glass to grab it. Small oversight which I didn’t mind too much because I like lemonade more than I disliked finding my straw.

At the end of the day El Crucero Mexican Grill gets 5 Bites!!! I don’t toss 5 Bites out often. A lot can go wrong on the way to 5. What sets El Crucero apart is that they’re able to have such great food, across two locations, at great prices, and with great service. That speaks volumes to the owners and the staff! Great work, guys!

Give them a Like on Facebook and go try one of their locations. You’ll love them just as much as we did.

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OVERALL BITES:

Value: Gorditas start at just under $3 and your drink goes for a little over a dollar. I had two gorditas for just over $7 which is a heck of a deal considering how filling Gorditas Tony’s are.

Taste: The rajas con queso was tasty and hot!!! There was quite a bit more jalapenos in it than there was cheese but the taste was on point. The picadillo had just the right amount of potatoes and was seasoned very well. The picadillo is my favorite gordita at Gorditas Tony’s.

Presentation: Nothing special here. Each gordita is wrapped and served to you on a paper plate. When the food is this good you don’t need much else.

Vibe: There wasn’t too many people around 2pm but they did have a steady stream of people coming in. I was one of 3 customers at the time. The staff is friendly and the shop was very clean. A great place to grab lunch if you’re in a hurry.

Accessibility: With four locations in the El Paso area you’re sure to find a Gorditas Tony’s near you. I’ve been to the one by the airport and the one on the East side and enjoyed both.

Review – Gorditas Tony’s

It’s been years since I’ve been to Gorditas Tony’s. The last time I had them was just before I was flying out of El Paso and I decided to grab a bite close to the airport. Right off Montana and Airway is where I decided to stop and since I’m a fan of gorditas I thought I’d give Gorditas Tony’s a try. Once again I am in El Paso and as I was driving down Zaragoza on the East side I noticed a new Gorditas Tony’s had just opened.

The menu looks awfully similar to the one before. I decided to try the exact same gorditas I had tried years ago. You’ll walk straight up to the counter where you’ll place your order. I ordered the rajas with queso (jalapeno strips with cheese) and the picadillo (ground beef with potatoes). There were only two other customers around 2pm so I pretty much had my pick of where to sit. It only took a couple of minutes and my order was ready.

As you can see from the pictures the gorditas are a pretty good size. They aren’t the fried cornmeal at Gorditas Tony’s. These are made from flour and are a little bigger in size than a corn tortilla. Both of the gorditas I ordered were filled pretty well. I decided to eat the cheese and jalapeno gordita first because if it was too hot I wanted to walk away having eaten something that didn’t leave my tongue burning. The taste of gordita was great! I will tell you though it was a bit hot for me. I ended up taking out probably half of the jalapeno. The cheese to jalapeno ratio was definitely in the jalapenos favor. If you like spicy then I’d recommend this to you. If you aren’t then stay away!

Having cooled my mouth for a bit it was time to try the ground beef and potatoes. The beef was perfectly seasoned, the potatoes were perfectly soft and it paired perfectly with the flour gordita. Both gorditas reminded me of the time I first had them. The jalapenos were too hot then and they still were. The ground beef and potatoes were great then and they still are.

If you’re looking for a quick and filling meal at a great price then you need to try Gorditas Tony’s. They get 3.5 Bites from us. The jalapenos were a bit too spicy but even more than that it’s the hours that Gorditas Tony’s is open that didn’t do it for us. I’ve been wanting to take my significant other to eat there a few times but by the time she gets off work Gorditas Tony’s is closed. Most days they close at 6pm so if you want to try them you’ll have to go for lunch or an early dinner.

Give them a Like on Facebook!

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OVERALL BITES: 

Value: $8.99 lunch specials with 9 dishes to choose from! It doesn’t get too much better than this! Did I mention that includes a sopapilla, chips and 4 dipping sauces and a drink!?!

Taste: O. M. G. I was hooked by the chips and salsa. Each one of the sauces makes you want more. The green chile, served hot, is spicy! But the coolness of the sour cream cools you down.

Presentation: The food looks great! The basket of chips and salsas looks incredibly appetizing and tasted even better! You have to try this place.

Vibe: Very exciting and energetic. The staff is hustling around making sure you’re taken care of and people are having a great time.

Accessibility: The parking lot is huge but they get so full for lunch and dinner that you may have to park on the backside by the tortilla factory.

Review – Si Señor

Let me start off by saying that Si Señor Restaurant has a few locations. Two in Las Cruces, NM, and one in Chandler, AZ. Yes, I have been to both. Although, my heart is partial to the Las Cruces location. They both look great but I enjoyed my food more in Las Cruces more.

I’m writing this review, for a local restaurant blog, since Si Señor started in Deming, NM, before they moved to Las Cruces and then Chandler, AZ. The owners, the Castillo Family, say they owe their success to one of their main ingredients, Hatch Green Chile. Once you taste it you’ll realize that Si Señor is very deserving of all their awards including “Best Business Lunch,” “Best Chips and Salsa,” and “Best of the Best Reader’s Choice Awards” by the Las Cruces Sun News.

I’m going to get right to it and just tell you that Si Señor gets 5 Bites!!! The service is second to none and the staff always makes sure you’re attended to promptly and with a smile. There is always a buzz in the dining area and it’s from everybody enjoying their meal. The Las Cruces location looks amazing with a huge fountain in the front. You really can’t miss it.

What I enjoyed best was the lunch special. You can choose from 9 dishes and it includes your chips and salsa, a drink with one refill, and a sopapilla for desert. All for under $10!!! The chips and salsa got me hooked at Si Señor. The bean dip is amazing. The tomato based salsa is very tasty but not too hot. You can spice things up quite a bit though with the green chile sauce which is served warm and then you can cool yourself off with the cold cream sauce. The chips and salsa alone made for a great experience.

A word of warning to you though. When you order the green chile at Si Señor, remember that you’re just South of the home of the famous Hatch Green Chile. When they say hot it actually means hot! For some reason I forgot this and ended up getting more than one refill on my tea trying to cool my tongue down!

Again I went with my go to New Mexican dish, the green chile chicken stuffed sopapilla, and it was amazing! I’ve had this on a couple of occasions and they never fail to disappoint. Once you include the chips and salsa, the rice and beans and the main entree, it really is a whole lot of food for one individual! The sopapilla is filled with a generous amount of chicken that is seasoned just right and then it’s smothered with the green chile. Every bite, from the first to the last, was full of flavor and left you wanting the taste in your mouth even though your stomach couldn’t possibly handle another bite.

If you’re in Las Cruces, NM, then you need to try them. You’ll be glad you did.

Check out their website and check them out on Facebook.

The post Si Señor Restaurant appeared first on LocalBite.

OVERALL BITES: 

Value: Most plates are right under $10 but you can get a sandwich for about $5. They definitely won’t break the bank and your meal will also come with a Sopapilla you can cover in honey and have as a desert!

Taste: This is where Angelina’s really shines. You can tell the locals love the taste too because they were super busy. You can’t go wrong with any meal on the menu.

Presentation: Nothing too special here. Just a full plate of good food! The restaurant itself has been around a while and could use a little updating.

Vibe: The staff is super friendly, fast, and they were always checking on me.

Accessibility: As Espanola restaurants go they are pretty easy to find. They are on the South side of Fairview Ln. There is parking on both the East and West side of the restaurant. Keep in mind that they do get super busy during lunch.

Review – Angelina’s Restaurant

So why was I in Española? Well I wouldn’t normally take the 90 min drive from Albuquerque unless I’m going to the Ojo Caliente resort or going for work. On this occasion it was the latter. Once my job for the day was done I decided to try a favorite of mine from years ago – Angelina’s Restaurant.

The lunch rush was almost over, or at least I thought it would be, when I arrived at just before 1pm. The parking lot was still full but I was able to find a parking spot. When I walked in I was approached pretty quickly and since there were a few tables I was allowed to choose where I wanted to sit. After sitting at my chosen booth my drink order was taken.

It was unusually hot this day and I was pretty thirsty so I only had a glass of water. I noticed the carpet is a little worn but the locals don’t seem to mind. They’re there for the food and I was too. There is a dividing wall that separates the dining room into a North and South side. Along the top of the wall you’ll find ceramic Roosters with a plant in between each one which I thought was pretty cool. Plenty of light comes in from the skylights which gives the entire restaurant a brighter feel.

The green chile chicken stuffed sopapilla, my go to New Mexican meal, only took a few minutes. The chicken is in broth when they make the stuffed sopa and it wasn’t drained much so my sopa was a bit soupy. The taste of the sopa was spot on and the green chile was perfect. In fact, I would have been perfectly satisfied with just that. The rice was heavy on tomato sauce and had celery which you don’t see every day but it was really good. Super tasty and no crunch and not mushy either. The beans had plenty of melted cheese on the top and needed a tad of salt for my taste.

I was bummed I didn’t get any chips or salsa but I did end up getting 2 sopapillas as desert!!  So you can’t knock them too much for that. Angelina’s gets 4 Bites! They do have a couple of things you can improve but at the end of the day it’s about the taste of the food, the service, and judging by the parking lot you can tell the locals love Angelina’s.

I didn’t find a website for them but you can find them on Facebook. Take the drive up to Ojo Caliente and give Angelina’s a try. You’ll be glad you did.

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OVERALL BITES:

Value: La Mexicana has quite a few dishes for just shy of $10. I had the gorditas, two of them, and it came with rice and beans. The chips and salsa were also complimentary.

Taste: I thought everything tasted pretty good. The gorditas were made fresh and the ground beef with potatoes were seasoned well. The rice had small pieces of onion in them, which I haven’t had before, but it was also very tasty.

Presentation: The chips came in a big cone, my beverage was in a huge mug, which I thought was a cool touch. Although, it also seemed more like a sports bar type of presentation. More on this below.

Vibe: I was the only person in the restaurant but a couple joined me shortly after. They’re new and just getting going.

Accessibility: If you’re going North bound on Yarbrough they are on the East side just before you hit Pebble Hills. There isn’t too much going on in that shopping center so it looks kind of empty. There is plenty of parking though.

Review – Teresa La Mexicana Burritos & Mexican Grill

I walked up to Teresa La Mexicana and thought maybe they were closed because I saw a Christmas tree just inside the entrance. Maybe they had opened during the holidays and they weren’t able to make it. I pulled the door and they were in fact open and after talking to the shop owner they had been open for 4 to 5 months. He was at the counter having some lunch himself and he seemed to be enjoying it so I was hoping I made a good decision.

The server, which I think was the other owner, brought me a huge cone of chips and soem salsa and took my drink order. The chips needed just a bit of salt in green salsa and chips. They were also way too many for just one person. Jamaica/hibiscus tasted like the real thing and not a mix and it was served in a huge mug. Both of these seemed to be a better fit for a bar type of setting than a small family restaurant.

This leads me to my next point. The decor was a little confusing. It’s a Mexican restaurant filled with English sayings:

• Love is the heart of the home
• The joy of cooking starts in the kitchen
• Keep calm and call mom
• Live Love Laugh

The entire restaurant is filled with little wooden signs with those type of phrases. It seemed more like a Cracker Barrel type of feel on the walls but then the tri-color decor hanging from the ceilings gave you a different impression.

There was a great looking salsa bar in the middle but it was empty. Since they aren’t getting too much foot traffic, filling up the salsa bar would probably leave them with a lot of waste at the end of the night. It was a bit disappointing to walk up and not have at least one salsa to try.

I got my food relatively quickly. The beans were smothered in cheese which was awesome. The rice had onions in it which I don’t think I have ever seen but I was pleasantly surprised. I am an onion fan though so not all of you may enjoy as much as I did. The red salsa for gorditas wasn’t too spicy but it lacked a little salt. I was also brought a side of pico just in case the red wasn’t to my liking, according to the owner. Which she didn’t have to do but I thought was a nice touch.

The gorditas weren’t fried but instead cooked like a tortilla on a hot plate and made out of flour. The potatoes and ground beef were just the right amount and it was tasty too. No salt or anything else needed on the gorditas. The veggies were served on the side and not stuffed in the gordita. They lettuce and tomatoes were all cut fresh and hadn’t been sitting around.

A couple walked in when I was eating and they had questions about certain plates on the menu. The waitress brought them out a small sample. Again, going above and beyond to ensure customers would be satisfied with their order and their food choice.

In the end, Teresa la Mexicana gets 3.5 Bites. The rice and beans were good. The gorditas were pretty darn good too. Nothing was knock me over great but the flavor was there and so was the value. Most importantly, it’s another family chasing their dream of setting up a restaurant and serving people. Congratulations to them and best of wishes. I’ll be seeing you soon.

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