My recent forays into south Texas’ oil boom areas searching
for sustenance have until last weekend been very unfruitful in the areas of
quality and flavor not to mention cleanliness.
I happened to be in the Carrizo Springs/Crystal City area due to a death
in our family but it was also Father’s Day and so I would be eating out as is
our usual tradition. I was in need of
something new and unfamiliar. I had
eaten at Lee’s Steakhouse, The Balia Inn, The Royal Palace, Yolie’s Steakhouse,
Rosita’s, in addition to all the fast food staples like McDonald’s, Sonic,
Subway, Pizza Hut, and Dairy Queen. I
have thus far been unimpressed with the food in this area, as far as full
service restaurants are concerned. That
these fast food joints are even in these small towns is a testament to their
consistency and their overall quality at the national level. You can go anywhere and basically get the
same food, and I’m not particularly into eating at a national chain when I go
out of town. Especially not for Father’s Day.
Having said all that I am pleased to report that Crystal City, Texas has
helped me. It has helped me to maintain
my hope that even in a small town you can find a good quality local restaurant
that does things right. Miguelito’s is a
place that I had passed by many a time and usually because they were closed on
the days that I happened to be in the area.
Now that they are open on Sundays there was no reason not to try their
cuisine. The restaurant is located on
Veterans Ave. in what I would deem to be the middle of town. The building outside is built up with stone
and with all of its colorful signage would seem to be a festive place. The inside of the building turns the atmosphere
up even more with bright colored walls, Piñatas, Latino and Chicano art and
festive streamers.
When you first walk in the building looks deceivingly small. Once you get around the corner though you do see another dining area with quite a few tables that will seat at least 4 people each and a few that seat 6-8. As we stood waiting for a place to sit the first thing I noticed was that the plates coming out of the window played on the theme of festivity. Lots of colorful veggies and nice bright sauces adorned the plates as they came out. My first thought was: well at least it looks good!
For it being Father’s Day we had a very short wait of not more than 10 minutes so I was pleased with that. After we were seated, I perused the menu and was glad to see they had some of my favorites there. Beef Fajitas, Steaks, Mexican Plates, and even Catfish. Then I saw Menudo on the menu. I like to try Menudo at places just to see if they have done their due diligence which in this case means 1) thoroughly cleansing the meat of hair and unsavory smells, 2) correctly seasoning the dish, and 3) making it look appetizing. So I ordered a small bowl of that along with another Texas stand by beef fajitas. I’m looking for something in a Mexican restaurant with these two dishes obviously. Can they pull off 2 of the hardest dishes to make? Are
they able to put out a consistently good product?
My wife had a green chicken enchilada plate and I did get a small taste of that and the chicken inside was very moist. The green sauce was mildly piquant and very tasty.This was a good plate. She really enjoyed it. We shared a bowl of menudo just to see what it tasted like and the flavor was great.
Food:
But for the slightly overcooked meat and rice and a bit of fat on the tripe this meal would have been excellent all the way around
Atmosphere was great:
The piñatas and streamers really added to the festive atmosphere at Miguelito's. The colors pop and it is an upbeat type of place.
Excellent Prices:
Prices are what you’d expect in just about any Tex-Mex restaurant but I’d have to say getting a fajita plate for $8.99 is really a good deal.
Service Good:
Service was good but the waiter seemed green. Being so new he seemed a bit apprehensive and nervous about serving. He just needs some more time doing it and he’ll become a pro. I do have to say that although it took him some time he did bring everything extra we asked for.
Overall:
I’d definitely eat at Miguelito’s again. In fact I may have to stop there the next time I’m in town on the way to my Mother In Law’s place.
Check out the website for more info: www.miguelitosmexicangrill.com
1 comment:
By the way sorry about the grainy pictures of the food. Those were taken on my wife's Ipad. The other pics were taken with my Galaxy Tab. I think my pics were nicer. :-)
Post a Comment