Miguelito's Mexican Grill

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?  Fajita plates usually have the standard Beef, Chicken, or Shrimp (Chicken and Shrimp aren’t really fajitas but that’s another story) along with some beans, rice, tortillas and either some guacamole, pico de gallo or some other hot concoction and sometimes sour cream and shredded cheese depending where you are.  Miguelito’s fajita plate comes with pico de gallo and a lime right on top of the meat as the top layer with sautéed onions and bell peppers mixed in.  This is served (as is customary in many places) on a sizzling cast iron comál or hot plate. My personal preference is to have the pico on the side but this particular set up works well also.  The beef had great flavor with a tinge of lime.  If I had a complaint about this it’s that the meat was slightly overcooked for my tastes.  I prefer medium rare to medium on any steak that I’m eating.  The Borracho beans served with the fajitas were the best part of the combo.  They were perfectly cooked and were garnished with a small bit of cilantro.  The rice was notable in that it had authentic flavor and was moist but just a bit overcooked.
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.  I would have preferred less fat on a lot of the meat and there was very little hominy.  Had those two things been remedied it would have been an excellent bowl of soup.  It came with the standard accoutrements of lemon wedges, fresh jalapeños, and onions along with a few tortillas.  Jared has his standard Cheeseburger with everything on it….lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mustard and mayonnaise.  He seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.  One of the most remarkable flavors I tasted at Miguelito’s was that of my daughter’s grilled Catfish.  Being a person raised in Texas and having had Catfish at home and at many restaurants I must say it has always been deep fried in a cornmeal batter and usually served with some French fries and hush puppies.  Miguelito’s gives you a choice of having it fried or grilled and my daughter opted for their grilled version.  The fish tasted very fresh and light and was grilled perfectly.  It was served with the traditional fries but no hush puppies.  She made an excellent choice and I think between my wife’s chicken enchiladas and her plate I would have to say those were probably the best 2 meals on the table. My fajitas were a close second.  On this trip to south Texas my faith was restored.  I really didn’t think that would happen in Crystal City but I’m so glad that I gave it a chance.     

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