The Eagle - San Angelo

There's an old song by the Steve Miller Band called Fly Like An Eagle. Needless to say it is a cool song that has lyrics that say: "I want to fly like an eagle to the sea, fly like an eagle, let my spirit carry me." The song links two things that (considering my present circumstances) I believe go hand in hand. The majestic eagle flying high, summoning his eagle powers, using his acute visual perception to search for and draw out the best of the best of the sea's bounty. In many ways this is exactly what The Eagle on Howard is doing. The Eagle is yet another one of San Angelo's restaurants housed in an old Dairy Queen location (the others being Corner Stop #2, Wok and Rice, Cozy Kitchen, and D-Rays.) The Eagle has murals painted on the walls but sitting here (and maybe because I used to frequent this DQ as a child) I can't seem to forget it was an old DQ. This fact makes also more astonishing that this place is a legitimate seafood surprise. I also relish the chance I have to use these research opportunities to practice a bit on my Espanol (Spanish for the "Gringos") in a friendly environment. I like to eat at an establishment a couple of times before I pass judgement either way on it and it was highly recommended by my Pastor and friend, Jehu Hernandez. My first trip out we had a beef fajita and Camaron Con Ajo (Shrimp with Garlic) plate. I was really impressed by the Shrimp but the fajitas were not my favorite. The garlicky shrimp were sauteed nicely and had loads of flavor. They were perfect with a bit of the thin salsa and some guacamole on a corn tortilla. The Fajitas although visually pleasing, and tasty on the palate were very chewy and weren't really cut through all the way. A marinade would do these fajitas some justice in the way of breaking down the spongy fibers. I was impressed enough with the seafood side of this surf n turf meal that I decided to make another trip out today to focus my attention on what their true strengths were and I wasn't disappointed. This time out I gravitated towards the Shrimp Diabla (Devil's Shrimp.) This shrimp is cooked in a spicy red sauce that you get a salsa buzz from but is not overstated in the least. The sauce starts off light and ends with a slight heat at the end. It looked to be about 10 to 12 medium shrimp along with some rice and beans and a little lettuce and tomato. Here it is:
Since I WAS doing research, far be it from me to stop at just this plate. I also ordered a Ceviche Tostada appetizer. I have to say that on a hot summer day this Ceviche Tostada is refreshingly light fare. The fish was marinated in lemon and/or lime juice and was mixed with tomato, onion, lettuce, cilantro, avocado, and peppers served on a flat deep fried corn tortilla and drizzled with a white sour cream sauce. Ceviche is "cooked" through a process of marinating raw fish in an acidic juice for up to 24 hours before it is served. The acid kills all bacteria and "cooks" the fish so that it is safe to eat. Sounds like Mexican Sushi to me so AriGracias to The Eagle for that. It was a beautiful dish as you can see:









My wife also sampled the shrimp fajitas today and seemed to be impressed with them.
They were served (as many are) on a cast iron skillet and brought to the table sizzling for maximum effect. These shrimp were tossed with garlic, green bell peppers, some small bits of onion and something I haven't seen before with this Tex-Mex staple: mushrooms. My wife practically begged me to taste one and I protested for a bit but after I had tasted them I wish that I had taken her up on her offer sooner and had a bigger bite. Totally delicious. Here is some video with the little "sizzlers" making some noise (along with my son singing in the background.)



Service here is very good and the standard appetizer of chips and salsa comes to the table piping hot. That is a real plus in this day and age of getting cold stale chips. The rice and beans are nice compliments to the seafood and balance these plates out. Sooner or later I will go back and get breakfast burritos and menudo and maybe even the Caldo De Res but that is for another time. I won't lie and say this is a place that is very romantic or that it has great atmosphere. It doesn't, but one thing it does have is great seafood. This is an out of the way hole in the wall joint but well worth your time and money as long as you stick to the seafood.