A Tale of Two Mexican Restaurants

We seem to have a bunch of Mexican restaurants opening up around the city and I must say I am a fan of this concept.  Hubby, the Boy, and I have visited two of these restaurants in the past month and have had some pretty darn tasty food! As I write this I am still so full I could fall asleep! The food at both places was delish but at the same time quite different from each other.

Tonight we visited Burrito del Rio on River Avenue.  It is a brightly painted, Subwayesque place where they make your food in front of you so you can choose the fillings.  Burritos are the main item but they also offer tacos and fajitas. Once you choose from  a variety meats such as chicken, carnitas, beef, (or veggie), you can choose from two different types o beans as well as corn, rice, lettuce, jalapenos, cilantro, green onions, and even different sauces and salsas.  There is quite a bit to choose from.

I opted to try the pork carnitas burrito tonight.  When asked if I wanted the vegetarian black beans or the pinto beans with bacon, I obviously said "the ones with bacon please!" When you order a burrito, seriously, order the medium. It is easily enough food to feed a small army (or a teen age boy). The burrito itself was quite tasty. The sauces were flavourful but I found the carnitas itself to be quite bland and in need of some help from the other ingredients.  The medium salsa I had the girl put in the burrito was more of a mild salsa so I think next time I will opt for the hot.

Hubby and the Boy both ordered the beef burritos and varied their options to suit their own tastes.  Hubby tells me the hot salsa needed more heat and he resorted to multiple additions of hot sauce. The beef had more of a flavourful, Mexican inspired spice to it than the carnitas did and was quite tasty.

Cost wise, Burrito del Rio was nice.  We paid just under $40 for 3 medium burritos, a basket of taco chips with guacamole, 2 can drinks and 1 sangria (I just had to try the sangria. It was from a bottle and not homemade so I was a little disappointed there).  We all left full and happy with our food.

Overall the meal was very tasty and filling.  I don't think I would order the carnitas again but will definitely give something else on the menu a try.  I am not a fan of the basket lined with foil thing they have going on.  We all used a knife and fork to eat and that just cut right through the foil.  We did notice many people pick up their burritos and eat them like that but I just couldn't fit that in my mouth. We will go back and try more food.

A couple of weeks ago, we tried out another cafeteria style Mexican joint on Henderson called JC's Tacos and More.  This is another brightly painted place housed in the old Elmwood post office.  Once your read through the board with a decent number of choices, you have to make up your mind!!  JC's uses all natural and organic meats so that has been worked into the cost. We paid just over $50 for the three of us to eat here for 3 meals and 3 canned pops. There is also a nice offering of home made sauces of varying heat to try out, each one was delectable.

JC's is a cafeteria style restaurant where you order at the counter.  Some of the fillings and items they house up here.  Items such as the rice, beans, beef, and carnitas are held up here but lots of prep goes on in the back.  Other dinners had ordered a burrito and when this tiny lady walked by to deliver this ginormous burrito to the table next to us, I was suprised she could carry it, it was just that big!!

That night, the Boy was still recovering from his gastritis and order a chicken quesadilla.  Grilled chicken fresh ingredients, he truly enjoyed the quesadilla.

quesadilla

Hubby ordered the 3 taco platter with the shredded beef. The platter came with rice and beans. This proved to be quite the filling platter.  The shredded beef was quite flavourful and lent a punch to the taco.

3 taco platter

I ordered the enchilada with grilled chicken...I adored this enchilada. The ingredients used were fresh, the grilled chicken in particular was lovely. I wound up taking leftovers home.

Enchilada platter

a bottle of tasty hot sauce

We did enjoy both restaurants will most likely go back to both of them but at the moment I must say I am leaning towards JC's as the food I enjoyed more.

I am so ready for my burrito coma. I will have to save my ice cream for tomorrow....perhaps for breakfast...

Until next time, stay warm and eat well.