UPDATE: El Chico has shut down and reopened as a more adult themed El Chico Ranch. There was some controversy concerning the renaming and uniforms of the waitstaff (think Hooters), but apparently that is all resolved. Stay tuned for a review of El Chico Ranch.
El Chico Restaurant
426 E Southeast Loop 323
Tyler, TX 75701-9632
(903) 581-9986
www.elchico.com
This is the Tyler location of the chain of El Chico restaurants throughout Texas. My wife and I used to go to El Chico frequently in college, and I was feeling sentimental so we packed up the kids and stopped by after our trip to Toys R Us.
The spread: The menu is typical Texas roadside Tex-Mex. The selections range from queso, enchiladas, tamales, tacos, burritos, fajitas, salads, etc. I was a big fan of the queso and the cheese enchiladas in college so I went with those. My wife went with the chicken enchiladas and we ordered rice and beans for the kiddos.
The verdict: Ugh. Well, the service was pretty good, with the waiter being attentive and tolerating the kid madness well. The decor is artificial Mexican, nothing offensive or interesting. The food was a big let down, although the queso was the highlight of the meal. The cheese enchiladas were cold, flavorless and swimming in a cold flavorless chili gravy. The rice and beans tasted old and were again lacking salt and seasoning. My wife was equally unimpressed with her food. I am not sure if my tastes have refined, or if the food isn't as good as it was back in Huntsville (Go Bearkats!), but we left disappointed. Overall, there are plenty of places to get good Mexican food in Tyler, this isn't one of them.
Edible Tyler Roses: 1 out of 5, skip it!
So you think! So you think there are many good Mexicans restaurant's in Tyler? I don't care what you think! El Chico's was the BEST! The best hot sauce, the best chips, the best tacos and the best enchiladas and chili gravy. It's been around since the 50's. I ate at the one in Longview as a child and never ate Mexican food better than El Chico's. You sound like a Tyler suck up to me.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog. I appreciate your comment. I have had great meals at El Chico in Huntsville, however, at this particular El Chico, the food was terrible. If you hadn't noticed, this particular El Chico has since shut down. Presumably the people of Tyler agreed with my assessment by not visiting this El Chico causing the restaurant's demise. If you truly have never eaten better Mexican food than El Chico, I suggest you broaden your restaurant choices and try new things. Also, it isn't polite to insult people.
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