Over a short time span several people told me about the local chain of El Rodeo restaurants that serve authentic Mexican cuisine.
I expressed only polite interest because like many busy folks, I would usually ārun for the borderā and go to Taco Bell. Unless a business lunch or date was involved, Taco Bell seemed sufficient for common selections such as tacos, burritos and nachos.
That was until one recent weekend I visited an El Rodeo location on North High School Road. At El Rodeo, customers are served with the convenience of Taco Bellās pace, but can enjoy fine, authentic Mexican cuisine with āsit-down restaurantā service.
Fresh salsa, great chips, flavorful ingredients ā and their service is lightning-fast too. More times than not, the salsa is pretty spicy… thatās a good thing in my book. El Rodeo has got handling a busy lunch down to a science.
I didnāt know what I was getting myself into as I took one of the comfortable seats at El Rodeo (pronounced el-ro-day-o), which (as you can probably guess) means āthe rodeo.ā
Since it was my first time being at āthe rodeo,ā I had to tread carefully while reviewing the menu; this stuff is the real deal, at least as far as chain restaurants go.
I decided on the hot and spicy burrito, something that would surely be flavorful and not bland, because having bland food is awful, like eating spackle or white wall mixture.
As I waited a very short time for my order, I noticed that a couple seated near me had, what the waiter later told me, was the nachos al carbon, a massive $10 entrƩe for two or three people that includes nachos covered with cheese alongside steak, chicken, shrimp, lettuce and pico de gallo.
It looked good and tempting, but I wasnāt going to be that greedy. Before I knew it, the spicy burrito had arrived. Would this be a real manās dish, or a wimpy imitation of a traditional favorite?
Immediately, it became apparent that I had no reason to worry. The spicy burrito was indeed very flavorful and satisfying. It is basically a folded flour tortilla with beef on one side, chicken on the other, giving you the best of both worlds. Rice and beans are also in the burrito, with salsa, cheese, sour cream and beef tips placed on top and around it. Every delicious bite was enjoyable. Yes, I had my pack of Altoids on stand by.