Joe's Oyster Bar, 207 Maxan, Port Isabel, TX

Walk inside Joe's Oyster Bar and you're headed for a treat. From the outside it looks like a seafood store - which it is. I drove past it many times before I finally ventured inside since I'm a consumer of already prepared seafood, not the kind I have to take home and cook.

To get to the restaurant, you walk through the store. The restaurant itself is clean, simple, and colorfully decorated with murals and appropriate decor.

The menu is more diverse than I anticipated. Everett and I had a hard time choosing between the homemade crab cakes and stuffed jalapenos (shrimp and seafood stuffing) for appetizers. Based on the waiter's recommendations we chose the crab cakes. What a great choice! They are homemade, filled with chunks of crab meat, and the best crab cakes I've eaten.

Determined to sample the shrimp, we went with the waiter's suggestion and ordered the 8 grilled shrimp with fries and cole slaw. We split the entre. Another excellent choice - gulf shrimp are huge, tender, and absolutely delicious.

Don't expect fancy. They serve you on paper plates with plastic silverware. The sauces are served in small plastic cups. What you can expect is great taste!

The menu also includes fish, oysters, and fish sandwiches, sodas, iced tea and beer. Prices range from $3.25 for one large stuffed jalapeno and $3.95 for one homemade crab cake to $10.95 for the grilled fish, shrimp and oyster plate or Joey's deluxe seafood special (fish, shrimp, oysters, and 1 stuffed crab).

I recommend this place if you want to sample good home-style seafood. I certainly intend to return and try a number of different items.


They are open for dine in and carryout seven days a week: 11:00am to 7:00pm. Their phone number is 956.943.4501.

Cece's Restaurant, Hwy 100, Port Isabel, TX

Two years ago when Cece Zamora opened Cece's Mexican and Seafood Restaurant on Hwy 100 (in shopping center behind Church's Chicken), she gave Port Isabel residents and visitors another great choice of good food.

Zamora built her business on her mother's recipes.She offers all the basics. Customers rave about her home-made biscuits and gravy, huge pancakes, fajitas and Mexican plate. To this she adds special recipes and offers daily specials.

On our first visit, I ordered the Mexican plate, which offers a chalupa, taco, enchilada, rice and beans. It was an excellent choice. I definitely fell in love with the chalupa.The crispy, thick corn tortillla enabled me to pick it up in my hands. It didn't fall apart. Add to that tasty beans and meat, fresh green lettuce and ripe red tomatoes, and I had a delicious chalupa.

Everett ordered his usual favorite Mexican meal, the carne guisada. He liked both the lean meat and the seasoned gravy. From the chips and salsa, the soups and our entres, to the cleanliness and friendly service, we enjoyed our dining experience.

We usually do not eat out for breakfast but I had to try the biscuits and gravy, so we visited again. Our $1.99 order included one biscuit split and covered with sausage gravy.Light, huge and buttery, the one biscuit proved to be more food than many restaurants offer in two biscuits.

When I grumbled at myself for overeating, Zamora told me she offers a la carte options for those of us who need smaller portions. That services earns lots of good will among those of us who like to eat out often, but not suffer the consequences of overeating. It also made visions of single chalupas dance in my brain.

Cece's is open Tuesday-Thursday 7:00am-3:00pm; Friday-Saturday 7:00am-8:00pm; Sunday 7:00am-2:00pm. She's experimenting with extended hours so check if you're around at other times.

"I grew up working in my mother's restaurant," Zamora said. "With a loan from a local business man who believed in me, the support of my family, and a lot of hard work, I'm living my dream."

I recommend that when you're in town, you treat yourself to Cece's and enjoy a good meal and a pleasant, friendly atmosphere.

Julia's in Los Fresnos, TX

Julia's is a regular stop for us when we're traveling Hwy 100 from Harlingen or Brownsville. A Mexican restaurant, it serves consistently good food located about 25 miles west of South Padre Island.

Today Everett ordered the special, Enchiladas Suiza, chicken enchiladas with green tomatillo sauce. Since I stole a taste I can verify that the sauces just-right sharpness combined with fresh corn tortillas and shredded chicken created a excellent meal.

I ordered a la carte - a beef chalupa and a taco. The freshness of the lettuce and tomatoes assure the appealing appearance and good taste.

The restaurant is always busy and clean, and the service is good. I recommend it.

Jose Peppers Border Grill & Cantina, Kansas City area

Jose Pepper’s Border Gill & Cantina
14373 Metcalf
Overland Park, KS
913.681.9750

We visited one of their seven Kansas City area locations. Three others are located on the Kansas side and three are located on the Missouri side.

According to their menu, “Jose Pepper was the seventh son of his father, a Tijuana physician (Dr. Pepper), and his mother, the finest and most revered cook south of the Rio Grande.”

Whatever the legacy, Jose Peppers has been successful in Kansas City since the first restaurant opened in 1988.

This is the place to start with an appetizer. The Espinaca con Queso dip was wonderful – thick white cheese with jalapenos, onions, ripe tomatoes and a touch of spinach. It was a treat!

Their chips are exceptionally thin. They describe them as “ultra thin so they absorb less oil and are trans fat free.” Ours were a little salty but delicious with a medium-spicy salsa.

Everett tried the Baja Burrito, listed as a “healthy, all-white seasoned chicken with guacamole, diced bacon, cheese and pico de gallo all rolled burrito style” and covered with New Mexico red chile sauce and jalapeno sauce. He loved the spicy, full taste and felt “healthy.”

I ordered the Chicken and Avocado Enchilada. I didn’t want a huge serving but our waiter offered the luncheon portion. It’s one of their specialties and he highly recommended it. I think they use the word “healthy” when they describe chicken, but I’m not sure it’s a true description. Anyway, it was an excellent choice. It had chicken and guacamole rolled in a corn tortilla and covered with jalapeno sauce and guacamole. I ordered black beans instead of refried beans.

While they don’t list individual items or the luncheon offerings for the evening, both are available if you ask.

We didn't have room to try the fried ice cream, but there's always next time.

Catching Up on Mexican Restaurants

El Chico
Alexandria, LA

I didn’t think I could have a new experience in an El Chicos but I was wrong. Joyce, Dale Seawright and I were on a tour. Our waitress, Opal, was about the best any of us could call to mind.

If you’ve never been in an El Chicos, it’s Tex-Mex. There are about 300 locations in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Louisiana. Again, this one had to be at the top of any we’ve ever visited.

We started with the cheese dip which was excellent. The chips were just right, not too salty. The sauce was typical, but good.

Joyce ordered tamales made with steak. Dale, who can't take spicy food, chose chicken enchiladas with a sour cream sauce - just mild enough to please him. I ordered a beef burrito. All the items were flavorful, spicy but not too hot. Our food was served hot and fresh, and we had an endless supply of chips and salsa.

We watched Opal make guacamole dip at the next table. Although we were quite impressed, we were at the end of the meal, and decided not to try it. It looked delicious and our table neighbors said it was.

For dessert, we chose the Mexican Apple Pie which was also prepared tableside. Opal brought out the sizzling skillet with the apple pie and topped it with cinnamon ice cream. She drizzled a heated brandy butter sauce over the top of it. Needless to say, there wasn’t a drop of that dessert left on the plate.

Overall, we give this El Chicos an excellent rating in every category: flavor, service, appearance and communication.

Jason Null, the manager, willingly answered all our questions concerning the chain, its location, franchises, etc. This particular restaurant is owned by CRO out of the Dallas area. For more information, check out www.elchico.com.


El Nopal
117 Hwy I South Drive
Natchitoches, LA 71457
318.214.0219

We arrived at lunch time and the restaurant was crowded. We waited about ten minutes. When we sat down, we were ready for the chips and salsa. The salsa was flavorful, about medium hot.

Joyce ordered her usual tamale with a white sauce and also a cheese enchilada. The enchilada was good, but she much preferred the tamale with that spicy sauce. Dale ordered a cheeseburger which he found to be overcooked. I ordered a quesadilla filled with beef and gravy and covered with melted cheese. It was very good.

The weak point was the service. We had to hunt a server to get refills on drinks and more salsa. I think they were just recovering from the lunch rush and trying to get the tables cleaned but we had to wait a couple of times.

There were luncheon and a la carte items on the menu. The decor was colorful and the restrooms were clean. That always counts in our book. The total bill for the three of us was $18.00.


El Rodeo
306 E. Jackson, Bolivar, MO
417.777.7020

El Rodeo is one of those jewels you find in little towns as you’re traveling through. Bolivar is about 30 miles north of Springfield, MO on Hwy 13. A new bypass circumvents the town, but you can find this restaurant by taking Business 13. It’s just a block or two off the town square.

The exterior is colorfully decorated with murals. It makes you feel good to walk inside. You’re still feeling good when you leave, unless you stuff yourself.

The chips are homemade, but the restaurant buys its tortillas ready made. We visited at lunch time during the week. The place was packed so we had a short wait. An extensive luncheon menu contains 20 choices. Even if you find something you prefer on the regular dinner menu, you’ll find the prices comparable to the lunch menu in other places. Lunch prices range from $3.50 to $5.50. I didn’t try them, but next trip it’s the luncheon shrimp fajitas for me, at an unbelievable price of only $5.00.

My husband, Everett, ordered the Chile Con Carne off the dinner menu. The generous portion of chunks of pork in a green hot salsa, served with guacamole, pico de gallo, rice and beans, was a hefty meal. He loved it. One of the cooks loves to experiment with salsas so be sure to ask if there are any special ones to try. We tried several different ones ranging from a medium tomatillo to a very hot habanero. Everett thinks it’s difficult to find a hot sauce with flavor, but he was delighted with this one.

I order the #32 on the combo menu. It was a burrito verde, strips of beef in a green sauce, spicy but not too hot. I also loved the green sauce. It’s good in the medium or hot variety. My dinner came with rice and beans, both very good but more than I could eat. His meal was $6.75 and mine was $6.00.

We’re never too hungry for dessert so we tried the sopapillas. Audrey, our waitress, said we’d love them and we did. Three sopapillas are served with the usual cinnamon and honey, topped with a whipped topping with chocolate drizzled over the top. An excellent choice.

Murals and birthday pictures of customers line the walls of the restaurant. It was clean in the midst of a busy lunch. The restrooms were clean. Audrey did a great job refilling drinks and making sure everything was fine. We’ll definitely try this one again.

The Contreras family owns the restaurant and they have another location in Rolla, MO. If you’re not familiar with the state, Rolla is on I-44 between St. Louis and Springfield.


Juanita’s Café and Bar
1300 South Main
Little Rock, AR 72202
501-374-3271 • www.juanitas.com


Sometimes you luck out and stumble on to delightfully delicious food. Joyce and I just finished a conference and we were ready for a treat. Tamara, a front desk clerk at the Hilton Little Rock Metro Center, suggested we try Juanita’s. She was right on! Thanks, Tamara.

We arrived just late enough to not have to wait for a table. First off, we decided we had to try the queso. We had a choice between yellow and white cheese. Pam, our waitress, suggested the white. She definitely knows the restaurant’s products. The queso was a great start. Everything she suggested throughout the evening was excellent.

After visiting with her and Lee Ann Russell, the manager, we found that everything is made fresh daily including the chips and salsa. Both were excellent. The chips were crisp, not too salty, and the salsa was unique. Chipotle peppers added a slightly different taste mixed in with the standard roasted peppers, jalapenos and cilantro flavors.

Joyce ordered the Tex-Mex enchiladas and is still raving about them. Lee Ann said she prepares about 150 cheese enchiladas every morning. There are three different styles of toppings including the Tex-Mex. Add in the chili con carne and cheddar cheese taste of Tex-Mex and Joyce was in enchilada heaven. All the enchilada plates come with rice and beans. We sampled a shredded beef brisket enchilada also covered with chili con carne and cheddar cheese, which we both thoroughly enjoyed.

In my usual fashion, I ordered a burrito - the Juanito burrito. I chose the fajita chicken and left out the rice. The burrito was also stuffed with black beans and jack cheese. It was covered with a hatch green chile sauce. It was flavorful and spicy - but not too hot.

Since we’re suckers for dessert, we just had to ask about them. They have several specialties: homemade key lime pie and angobango primo. The key lime was the perfect dessert to cool our taste buds down after the spicy food. The angobango is unique. Starting with a brownie, they add vanilla bean ice cream, roll it in finely ground pecans and almonds, cinnamon and white chocolate, surround it with bananas and drizzle Mexican caramel over the top. Just don’t think about the calories and you’ll love it!

All told, we found the whole evening to be a great way to wind down a day. Outstanding food and a friendly service-oriented waitress - we couldn’t ask for more. Whenever we’re in Little Rock, we’ll be back at Juanita’s. You can count on it.


Ta Molly’s
206 W. Commerce
Bryant, AR (suburb of Little Rock)
501.653.2600

This chain of restaurants has locations in Bryant, Jonesboro and Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and in Abilene, Greenville, Paris and Texarkana, Texas. We found the wait staff to be friendly and very efficient. The service was good.

Like many chains, the food was good, but we noticed that the menu was Americanized. Joyce ordered tamales. Dale chose beef and cheese enchiladas and Pat had a beef burrito. The menu was extensive, but we always seem to try the same things. It makes it easier to evaluate and compare places.

For dessert we tried Strawberry Crispitos. It’s a unique dish with strawberries, cream and a cinnamon glaze on tortilla strips. Our reactions were mixed. Joyce loved it because it wasn’t too sweet, but just enough to know she had dessert. Dale didn’t like it at all. I liked it, but then I love dessert. I liked the mix of strawberries and cinnamon.

We visited with Daniel Springston, the store manager. He filled us in on all the locations. Alex, our waiter, was on top of refills for drinks and salsa. The prices were very reasonable. The ticket for three of us was under $35.00.

Manny's at 20th and Southwest Blvd in Kansas City, MO

Last night we (Everett, Chris and I) picked Joyce up at the airport and immediately headed to Manny's, one of our favorite restaurants in Kansas City. We thought the snow and cold would mean fewer people, but we had a wait - shorter than the projected twenty minutes.

If you're in Kansas City and fortunate enough to visit Manny's, be sure and order the cheese dip appetizer. It's thick and well spiced, made with Monterrey Jack cheese. We fought over it - you should have seen four of us dipping into one small bowl.

Joyce ordered a tamale, a cheese enchilada and rice. The cheese enchilada was terrific - Joyce's description - really thick cheese. The pork tamale was meatier than most and it rated right up with the enchilada.

Chris ordered a pork burrito verde - a spicy hot choice. Combining that with the spicy salsa, and he was happy. Everett's choice was the fajita burrito - chicken. A man of few words - he described it as 'very good.'

I ordered a Monterrey burrito - filled with chicken and beans and covered in thick Monterrey Jack cheese. We all felt we'd chosen well. It wasn't a first visit for any of us, but we all like to try different menu items each time.

We've never been disappointed in the food or in the service. All of us agreed that it was an excellent choice of restaurants.

October 21, 2006

Joyce and I are reviewing restaurants - starting with our passion, Mexican food. Some times we share the adventure, sometimes the review will be from only one of us. As we travel to various author and writing events across the country, we always check out the Mexican restaurants. We've found superb food in many places - different tastes, different spices - but many good dishes.

We hope to guide you to some great food when you're in a given area.

The next entry will be long because I'm catching up on some recent experiences.