Mama's Cafe - Mama I'm coming home!

Mama's Restaurant

Mama's cafe is a place off of 5th street near the loop in a little strip center.  It isn't much to look at from the outside, with somewhat limited parking out front.  I love the entrance, it has a unique feel to it, an elevated dining area and bar to the right and more elevated eating space to the left.  They have a beautiful mural in the bar area.

The spread:  You can check out their menu on their facebook page. Their menu is dichotomous with typical Southern diner fare (T-bone, chicken fried steak, pork chops, pot roast, etc) and typical Tex-mex selections (enchiladas, tacos, burritos, tamales, nachos, fajitas, etc.), and they have a breakfast menu and a dinner/lunch menu.  I stopped in for breakfast and tried a couple of tacos and the huevos rancheros.

The verdict:  I really like this place.  The service was friendly, there was an older group reminiscing about the good old days at the table next to me.  The mural was a nice touch.  The food did take a little longer than I would have anticipated, but when it arrived, it was hot, fresh and generous.  The eggs were cooked perfectly in the huevos rancheros and the beans were nice and creamy.  The chorizo and egg breakfast taco was a meal unto itself with a nice spicy chorizo and plenty of egg crammed into a flour tortilla.  My only criticisms were that the tortillas were not made fresh and the salsa was also not a fresh salsa (very ketchupy). 

Edible Tyler Roses:  4 out of 5; very good breakfast, worth a try for lunch/dinner.

La Michoacana - Cana get a pig toe? Yes you cana.

La Michoacana



La Michoacana is a Mexican supermarket just off of North Beckham and Line.  It is right in the middle of what I consider the "hispanic" part of Tyler.  There are always day laborers looking for work in the parking lots of various adjacent businesses.  La Michoacana is a chain that specializes in serving the hispanic community.

The spread:  In addition to a very good meat market, good prices on fresh veggies and plenty of Mexican/Latin American specific cooking ingredients, there is a little taqueria inside the place.  You have to order at the cash register, then bring your receipt over to the taqueria where they make your order.  BE PREPARED, you will most likely have to speak a little Spanish and have a working understanding of the menu to get what you want.  They offer a tacos with varying kinds of fillings, pozole (pork and hominy soup), Menudo (on weekends), tortas, pupusas, etc.

The verdict:  Well I ordered some pozole and a couple of tacos - one with barbacoa and one with cicharones.  The barbacoa was tender, juicy and great.  The cicharones consistent of cooked down fried pig skin and some sort of WICKED HOT sauce/gravy.  I took one bite and then just about cried for five minutes.  If you like pain, give it a try.  The pozole was the star of the show with tender chunks of pork and hominy floating in a rich spicy tomato based broth.  The only odd thing is that occasionally I would pull out a little piece of pig hoof/toe, which disturbed my gringo sensibilities.  Overall, it is worth grabbing a bite to eat when you are shopping for the special Latin American ingredients.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, don't be afraid, Hable some espanol and get some good food.

Free Birds - and this bird it will not change

Freebirds World Burrito



Freebirds is a chain restaurant based out of California.  They obviously specialize in burritos.  They are relatively new to town and opened up in the old Casa Ole local just south of Rice and Broadway/69.  I have a special place in my heart for Freebirds as I ate many a burrito back in Houston.

The spread:  They offer burritos of varying sizes from small (hybird), medium (freebird), large (monster) and the off menu size of extra large (super monster).  You can choose from a couple different kinds of tortillas: Spinach, Cayenne, Flour or Wheat.  There are three meats to choose from steak, chicken and carnitas.  You can then fill the burrito with a myriad of different items, some cost extra (guacamole, sour cream, queso) others at no cost (beans, rice, cheese, hot sauces).  The overall set up is very similar to Chipotle.

The verdict:  It has been a while since I had a Freebirds burrito, probably close to ten years now.  I always thought in my head that I preferred Freebirds to Chipotle, but it had been so long that I forgot why.  Well I still love Freebirds.  The meat is perfectly spiced.  The rice and beans are spot on.  I think the taste is just a little more "Tex-mex" and a little less California style, so it just has a great flavor profile for me.  I love me some Freebirds.  Go try it out!

Edible Tyler Roses: 5 out of 5.  Get a super monster, IF YOU DARE!

Mi Ranchito Mexican Restaurant - Where have you been all my Tyler life?

Mi Ranchito Mexican Restaurant

Beef and barbacoa tacos.

Caldo de Res

This is a little place off of Front street just west of downtown Tyler.  It isn't much to look at from the street.  There are some colorful murals/drawing painted on the windows and a small parking lot out front.  On the inside, there isn't much more.  There are a 10-15 tables with a few Mexican themed decorations.  My first reaction when rolling up on the place was that it was a little "sketchy".  I was heading over to BBQ Hernandez/Taco Y Mas, but they were closed (this is the second time I have been over there and it was closed, please don't tell me they have shut down).

The spread:  The menu reminds of the little hole in the wall places back in Houston that I love.  They have several different types of soups (caldos) - beef, pork, menudo (on weekends).  They offer tortas, enchiladas, tostadas, etc.  They also offer tacos with your choice of beef, chicken, al pastor and barbacoa.  There were a few more items that I hadn't heard of before and I am looking forward to coming back and trying.

The verdict:  Ah....finally a place that knows how to cook good Mexican food on the cheap.  The flour and corn tortillas were made fresh to order.  The chips were dense and crispy with two types of sauce - red (hot) and green (not so hot) - both excellent.  I knew when the chips came out that I was in for a treat.  I had the caldo de res (beef soup) which comes with tortillas, rice, cilantro and limes.  The broth was rich and well seasoned, the beef tender and delicious.  I also tried the beef, barbacoa and al pastor tacos, and all three were excellent.  Interestingly, most places have a salty, not so great beef/fajita taco meat, but that was not the case here.  The meat was tender and had a great balanced season to it.  The barbacoa was juicy and tender.  The al pastor was also great.  Overall, this is one of the best first food impressions I have had of a place in Tyler.

Edible Tyler Roses:  5 out of 5; First impressions matter, and I love this place.

Graciela's Cuisine - Asian/mexican fusion?

Graciela's Cuisine




Graciela's is a newcomer to Tyler and is located just south of 5th on Broadway.  They are located in a space previously occupied by a former catering/restaurant place whose name I can't recall.  We were driving by and saw several employees waving at us to come in and give it a try.

The spread:  Well I was a little confused by the menu.  It seems to be some sort of fusion between traditional Mexican food (not Tex-mex) and American Chinese food.  The menu ranges from various types of fried rice to moles, enchiladas, and soups.  They have quesadillas and a spicy guacamole amongst other items on the appetizers menu.

The verdict:  Well again, this is one of those places that I want to like, but falls short.  The waitstaff was really trying hard, but didn't fully understand the menu.  The food took a LONG time to come out for lunch.  The spicy guacamole was at a very high heat level and the enchiladas my wife tried were nearly inedible they were so spicy.  I also tried the consume and it was basically a beef broth with some vegetables and rice, it was very nice and light.  The rice and beans were a little bland for me, but I think they were in line with the traditional Mexican taste profile.  My overall impression is that the kitchen and concept are not fully developed - passionate and young, but still immature.  The location is going to be hard to overcome, but there is a lot of passion and hard work going into this endevour.

Edible Tyler Roses: 3 out of 5, The food is average to good, there is a lot of room for growth.

Gilbert's El Charro Restaurant - Old fashioned Tex-mex

*UPDATE*  El Charro's is reopened as El Charro on the Ridge or something like that.  It is now located in the Fresh parking lot.  The food is as I remember, the new space is definitely modern.  The only criticism I have is that the dining room is very loud, there are a lot of hard surfaces, so the sound tends to amplify.  I am glad to have the food back, but El Charro has a lost a little of its charm with the new location.

*EDIT*  Sadly, both Gilbert's El Charro Restaurants closed their doors after 70 or so years of business in Tyler.  My family and I will miss the food.  Another loss of a local favorite, hopefully, another local place can fill the void.

Gilbert's El Charro Restaurant



Gilbert's is an old school Tex-Mex restaurant that has two locations in Tyler. The decor and atmosphere take me back to my youth when my grandma and great aunt used to take me out to eat. For me, there is a warm feeling of nostalgia when I walk through the doors.

The spread: They have your typical, what I call Old school Tex-mex. That is to say, enchiladas smothered in chili con carne, nachos, fajitas, tamales, rice N beans, chips N salsa, tacos, burritos, etc. I usually go with one of the combination plates or with the fajitas. Interestingly, they have teamed up with Mother Frances and offer a few healthy options. They also offer free soft serve ice cream, which the kids love.

The verdict: I love this place, mostly because they stay committed to being old school Tex-mex. They aren't trying to be a fancy authentic Mexican restuarant, they are just doing food right. I particularly like the nachos, as they put beans/meat/cheese on top of a six inch tostada fried corn tortilla. The service is usually average to good, with food coming out quickly and glasses full of drinks. I think they also offer a "best" chicken fried steak, which my wife fell for the hype and turns out it was average. This is a good place to take the kids.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, good ole fashioned Tex-mex. YUM!

La Plazita - had a taste, can't wait to go back for more

La Plazita



La Plazita is just outside of town off of 64 heading towards Canton.  You can easily pass it up as there is a lot of foliage surrounding the place and you don't notice it until you are right up on it.  It looks inviting from the outside with vibrant colors and decorations.  There is a small parking lot out front and a larger one in the rear.

The spread:  Well I stopped by on our way out to Yesterland Farms (which is a lot of fun, but expensive) because I was craving a good breakfast taco and figured I would give it a shot.  The have a fairly large breakfast menu to include several different kinds of breakfast tacos as well as the more traditional Tex-mex fair (huevos rancheros, etc.).  I also peaked at their lunch/dinner menu and was surprised to see not only standard Tex-mex, but a few uncommon dishes on their menu that I would love to try (empanadas, mole enchiladas, and others).

The verdict:  Wow was I glad we stopped.  I got a bean, egg and cheese taco and an chorizo, egg and cheese taco.  The tortillas weren't made to order, but they were cooked well and very good.  They were also generous with the filling with a lot of eggs, cheese, chorizo and beans.  One would have been enough for a solid breakfast.  The chorizo taco was great, with a nice spicy variety that didn't overpower the whole taco.  The bean, egg and cheese also hit the spot.  If they hand made their tortillas to order, this would be heavenly, instead, they are just the best breakfast tacos I have had in Tyler.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5; I'll reassess when I revisit the lunch/dinner menu - and I am looking forward to it.

El Pollo Regio

El Pollo Regio



This is a chain restaurant that specilizes in mexican style BBQ chicken.  They have several locations throughout Texas, primarily in the Dallas area.  The building is colorful from the outside and they primarily run a pick up business.

The spread:  They offer half and whole mexican style roasted/BBQ chickens.  They have meals and packages for the family to include rice, beans, and tortillas.  I think they have other offerings, but I can't find a menu online.  I have only gone to pick up roast chicken.

The verdict:  The service is quick, the food is good and the prices are right.  They put out some good roast chicken, and it is a good change of pace from trying fried chicken (healthier too).  The only caveat is that the white meat can get a little dry and I think they could more aggresively season their chicken.  My preference for mexican style BBQ chicken is BBQ Hernandez.  I will say that El Pollo Regio is probably a bit more accessible to those who might be frightened off from the appearance of BBQ Hernandez.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, go try some roast chicken for a change of pace.

Wienerland - Walking in a Winter Wienerland

Wienerland



Weinerland is a little hot dog stand just off of 5th street across from Tyler Junior College.  It really stands out from the road with a unique architecture where the drive through is right through the middle of the building.  They also have a small outside seating area to dig into the grub.  They are locally owned and operated and have been in business for 45 years!  There is something to be said about that.

The spread:  Well I was expecting nothing but hotdogs, but in addition to various kinds of hot dogs, they also offer burritos, tacos, and nachos.  In fact, on their facebook page they list themselves as a Tex-mex/fast-food place.

The verdict:  Well this is really a guilty pleasure of mine.  They are likely kept in business due to their proximity to Tyler Junior college and the medical center.  I really enjoyed their hot dogs and nachos, not because they were haute cuisine, but because the food is good, the prices are right and their is definitely a since of nostalgia when eating here.

Edible Tyler Roses:  4 out of 5, give Wienerland a try and take a trip down memory lane.

Super Mercado Monterrey

Super Mercado Monterrey



Super Mercado Monterrey, which is basically a Hispanic super market just off the loop and Highway 31 on the west side of town.  If you are looking for any ingredient for authentic Mexican and/or other hispanic type cooking, this is the place to go.  The vegetables are fresh and cheap.  They have a real butcher shop.  You may have to be able to speak a little Spanish to get through a shopping trip.  They also have a little restaurant in one corner of the store that puts out some good food.

The spread:  They offer tacos, tortas and burritos with different kinds of meats.  They also offer rice and beans, combo plates, enchiladas, tamales, and different kinds of soups.  They have multiple large containers of aguas frescas - which are Mexican style fruit drinks of different kinds: pineapple, mango, etc.

The verdict:  This is another one of my favorite holes in the wall.  The prices are cheap, the food is good and the service is friendly.  You know it is good food when you are the only non-Hispanic in the place.  Avoid the tamales, as they are set out early and tend to be dry.  I will occasionally make huge batches of salsa and can them and I love to come to Super Mercado Monterrey to get the ingredients as they are always fresh and cheap.  Give the restaurant a try if you are in the store.

Edible Tyler Roses:  4 out of 5.  Worth the hassle of having to speak a little Spanish.

Bar BQ Hernandez

Bar BQ Hernandez



This is a little hole in the wall Mexican food place just off of Glennwood south of Front.  You might miss this driving by as there isn't much to mark this as a restaurant.  The parking lot consists of dirt underneath a big ole tree.  The place isn't much to look at from the outside.  In fact, it looks a little scary.  But the smells wafting from the kitchen are fantastic.  Don't judge a book by its cover on this one.  On the inside of the place, the people are friendly, the service is fast and it is clean.  I think this is also a cash only place, and the hours are a little irregular.

The spread:  They offer whole roast chickens, differnet kinds of fajitas, rice, beans and a couple of other traditional Mexican dishes.  This is definitely more of a traditional Mexican place and not a Tex-mex.  Don't expect frills and colorful decorations.  These people really only care about running a clean place and putting out delicious food.  The place is mainly take out, I seem to recall they have a couple of places to sit and eat, but I have only got food to go.

The verdict: This is my all time favorite hole in the wall place in Tyler.  The food is some of the best in Tyler and the value is great.  Everything is fresh, hand made and delicious.  You will have to power through your reservations of how this place looks from the outside, but it will be worth it.  Don't come in your Sunday best, but expect tasty, cheap food.

Edible Tyler Roses: 5 of 5, best Mexican hole in the wall in Tyler.

Papacita's

Papacita's Mexican Restaurant
http://papacitastyler.com/



Papacitas is a Mexican place just off of Broadway south of Grande that has been around since 1986.  It is locally owned and operated.  It has a colorful exterior, fun bright interior and friendly servers.

The spread:  They offer the standard Tex-mex fair.  Appetizers range from queso, nachos, quesadillas, queso fundido, etc.  Entrees consistent of fajitas, carne asada, chimichangas, different seafood tacos, and different combos of tacos, enchiladas, rice, beans, etc.

The verdict:  This is one place that has all the right elements.  The right atmosphere, friendly service, it is locally owned with its own unique menu offerings.  I want to love this place, but the food is just mediocre and the prices are on the high end for what they are offering.  With so many different good Tex-mex and Mexican places in Tyler, this place falls flat.

Edible Tyler Roses:  2.5 out of 5, average food, high end prices.  Just can't get excited about this place.

Fuzzy's Taco Shop

Fuzzy's Taco Shop
http://www.fuzzystacoshop.com/



Fuzzy's Taco Shop opened up about a year or so ago about the same time as Rusty Tacos.  Fuzzy's is located off of Troup north of the loop next to Bodacious BBQ.  The place has a nice hip vibe going with counter placed orders that come up at a pickup window. 

The spread: Well as you can imagine, the focus is on tacos.  They offer the standard Tex-mex appetizers: chips N queso, nachos, quesadillas.  They also offer several types of salads, sandwiches, tacos, burritos, etc.  The taco fillings range from fajita, chicken, shrimp and fish.  I tried a few of the tacos, as well as chips and salsa, a couple of their breakfast tacos and a torta.  They also offer a really good selection of draft beer for a taco shop.  Obviously, someone in there likes microbrews.

The verdict:  I like this place.  The decor is fun, the staff is friendly, the food is good and reasonably priced and the beer list is awesome for a taco shop.  Their tacos are very good.  If they hand made their own flour tortillas, the tacos would be some of the best in town.  The meats are aggressively seasoned and packed full of flavor.  The breakfast tacos are also very good. 

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, of the two I prefer Fuzzy's.

Rowdy Taco - Name and menu change

UPDATE:  Rusty taco has changed its name to "Rowdy Taco" and has added a few menu items (salads, bowls, nachos and quesadillas I believe). I tried them again to see if there were any improvements.  For me there was no improvement in quality of the meat or other ingredients.  Oh yeah, they have flour tortillas, which did not taste super fresh.  No change in the rating, worth it if you are in the area and just have to have a decent, but not spectacular taco.

Rowdy Taco
https://www.facebook.com/RowdyTacoTyler



Rusty's is a relative new comer to Tyler, just off the corner of Beckham and 5th street south of the medical center area.  They opened at almost the same time as Fuzzy's Taco further south, so I had a little bit of a hard time distinguishing them.  And spent some time wondering who thought we needed two more taco shops.  The decor is spartan industrial with an open kitchen where you can see them throwing together your tacos.

The spread: Well as you can imagine, the focus is on tacos.  They offer brisket, fish, chicken, fajita, and pork as their meat fillings.  They also offer breakfast tacos that I would like to try out as I am always Jonesing for a good breakfast taco. I would say the food is more Cal-mex than Tex-mex.  When I went you could only choose corn tortillas for the tacos, which is ok, but I just prefer flour tortillas.  I tried a few of the tacos, as well as chips and salsa.

The verdict:  Well the food was prepared quickly and it was pretty good.  I had a big problem with not being able to choose flour tortillas.  The meat was flavorful and everything was well prepared.  The main problem I had is that it didn't have the familiar Tex-mex or mexican flavors that I am used to.  The meats were fine, but they just didn't have that deep rich flavor that comes from home-style cooking.  The food was just a little too Americanized for me.

Edible Tyler Roses: 3 out of 5, of the two I prefer Fuzzy's, but not a bad place to grab a quick taco.

Salsarita's

Salsarita's
http://www.salsaritas.com/



Salsarita's is a chain Tex-mex/mexican restaurant that is located just north of the loop and Troup. From the outside, the place looks great. Vibrant colors and neat designs with a lot of glass to show off the inside. You mosey up to the counter, place your order and wait at a table to have it delivered. Some people have compared it to Chipotle (higher end Tex-mex/mexican fast food).

The spread: Salsarita's offers a pretty good selection of your Tex-mex fare. They offers tacos (with your choice of tortilla and meat), burritos, nachos, quesadillas, salads, and enchiladas. I like all the choices they offer with each selection, you can really customize your food. If you want guacamole, go for it! Sour cream? Sure! It is similar to Subway and Chipotle as the food is made right there in front of you. I tired a couple of different kids of tacos, a burritos, the nachos and the quesadillas.

The verdict: Well, I was slightly disappointed with the food. The tacos were fresh and decent, but the meat was a little bland. The burrito was also average - not a lot of flavor in the meat/beans. The quesadillas was great and the kids devoured it. I was disappointed in the nachos, the chips were a little stale and the toppings a little bland. It was a little more than I intended to spend on fast food, but the quality was definitely better than the other choices for fast mexican food (taco bell, taco bueno). The food at Chipotle is hands down better as a comparison, but it is slightly more expensive as well (and you don't have as many choices). The food was prepared quickly and the place was clean. The place is kid-friendly, but with the caveat that it isn't toddler friendly. They also offer catering, which is where I think Salsarita's would really shine. The best deals are on the bulk/volume tacos/burritos and I think the price would match the quality in that regards.

Edible Tyler Roses: 2 out of 5, slightly disappointing in quality. Would recommend for catering.

Chuy's

Chuy's
5935 S. Broadway
Tyler, TX 75703
(903) 509-2489
http://www.chuys.com/



Chuy's is a relatively new Mexican place just off of Broadway north of Grande. Chuy's is a chain restuarant that has branches throughout the South, to include my hometown in Houston. Chuy's does things right. The exterior is festive and leads into a well, but quirky, decorated interior. Like all new restaurants in Tyler, they were absolutely PACKED the first few months they were open, and they continue to stay very busy. They had some serious issues with wait times at first, that are now manageable - but still expect to wait during peak times.

The spread: Chuy's offers your typical Tex-mex fair, albeit with some tongue in cheek humor. They have very good queso, guacamole and nachos as well as a decent tortilla soup and various Tex-mex style salads. The entrees run from the "Big as Yo Face" burritos, various tacos, flautas, enchiladas, fajitas and various combination dinners. They also offer sopapillas and flan for dessert (I think).

The verdict: Like I said in the intro, Chuy's does things right. The queso is just the right texture with a nice kick. The burritos are as big as your face and the entrees are always on point. They do not shy away from using appropriate levels of heat and seasoning. My wife is obsessed with their creamy jalapeno dip, which is complemented well with their fresh salsa. Chuy's makes their own tortillas fresh and it makes a difference. They really do pay attention to details in their cooking and use quality ingredients. One thing that I like is the servers are very accommodating and encourage you to try different items or even try mixing things up by using a different signature sauce (Boom-boom is my favorite.) Also, it is family friendly as it is usually loud enough that a couple of outbursts from the kids aren't too disruptive.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, solid food, good atmosphere.

Chipotle - Build yer own Burrito

Chipotle
4571 South Broadway Ave
Tyler, TX 75703
Phone: (903) 534-6266
www.chipotle.com



Chipotle is a burrito place that is relatively new to Tyler. They opened up in the mall parking lot (off of I-69 and just south of the loop). They are a chain restaurant and have a focus on 'food with integrity' - which I think boils down to they are making an effort to make sure their ingredients are high quality and the animals are raised/slaughtered humanely.

The spread: I think Chipotle ascribes to the notion of doing one thing well. They offer burritos, tacos and bowls. You start off with your base (taco shells, burrito tortilla or bowl) then build on it. You have a choice of different meats (chicken, beef fajita, pork carnita, and beef barbacoa). Then you basically can put whatever you want on it. Beans, rice, salsas (4-5 different types), cheese, guacamole (for extra charge), sour cream, grilled onions/peppers, etc. They also serve beer and offer chips and salsa.

The verdict: Chipotle serves solid food. The ingredients are high quality and you can tell in the results. The burritos are also a pretty decent deal, coming in at around 6-7 bucks. and the burritos are big (one is definitely a satisfying meal). I like the idea of choosing your own ingredients and watching your food being prepared. My favorite is the pork carnitas and the barbacoa. The service is usually friendly and fast. The only major point of criticism I have is that the chips tend to be ignored, they are almost always oversalted and I have received stale chips on more than one occasion. I usually don't like chains because the food tends to be generic, however, the carnitas and the barbacoa are very good (not the absolute best) and they are not afraid to bring the heat in their medium and hot salsas. Overall, definitely worth a try!

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, go stuff your face with a big ole burrito, avoid the chips and salsa.

El Mejicano - Please don't go here.

El Mejicano
678 West Southwest Loop 323
Tyler, TX 75701-9407
No website.



My wife and I went here when we first moved to Tyler, as we had heard about a good Mexican restuarant on the loop west of 69. We saw a colorful building that looked pretty decent on the outside.

The spread: Well this is an all you can eat Mexican buffet. There are fajitas, tacos, nachos, rice beans, and a few desserts.

The verdict: This place was just awful. I am a fan of Pancho's in Houston, which is an all you can eat Mexican place where you raise a flag to get more food (which isn't great, but makes up for being plentiful). I tried just about everything they had out there, not so much because I was to give a full and thorough review of the place, but rather because I was looking for something edible to justify spending money there. My wife was giving me the evil eye the whole time we were there and had maybe 2-3 bites of the food before she decided she didn't want the punishment. I am a glutton for punishment and kept trying. There was nothing redeeming about the food. I did have a very nice young girl who provided pretty good service for a buffet. One bonus is that, although I didn't feel well after eating here, I did not get violently ill.

Edible Tyler Roses: 0 of 5, please do not punish yourself.

El Chico - needs work.

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!

Taqueria El Lugar III - good place for tacos

Taqueria El Lugar III
2121 East 5th Street
Tyler, TX 75701-3515
(903) 526-6118
No website.



This is one of three (I think) locations of Taqueria El Lugar. They are a locally owned (I think) and operated chain of little taquerias. They have a pretty good reputation as a traditional mexican restaurant/taqueria.

The spread: They definitely have a focused menu. There are about 10 different versions of tacos or quesadillas that you can get with beef or chicken on flour or corn tortillas. The taco with beef fajita on flour tortilla is my old stand by, but have had 4-5 different combinations. They have a nice selection on bottled drinks to include my favorite "Jarritos" mexican made sodas. You walk in, place an order at the counter and then pick up your grub and bring it back to the table or get it to go.

The verdict: The tacos run about 2 bucks and the quesadillas are around 4 bucks. The meat is flavorful, the tortillas are good (although I don't think they are made in house) and the topping are fresh. The salsas they provide are also very good, ranging from a spicy green to a medium to hot red sauce. My wife is a big fan of the avocado taco. Overall, this is good food at reasonable prices.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, the selection is limited, but the tacos are tasty.