Took in a late lunch earlier in the week at Rio Grande near Turtle Creek Mall. It's one of the few Tex-Mex places around the area that I have not tried. The decor is pretty much Tijuana meets Pier One, but I found the dining area to be clean and well kept. The clientele was pretty much mall workers and soccer moms with kids in tow.
The chips and salsa were pretty bland honestly. The salsa was runny and not terribly flavorful.
Not wanting an overly heavy lunch I ordered two soft tacos and a tamale.
I asked that they to leave off the iceberg lettuce (which may be the worlds most worthless editable item) and tomato and replace them with pico de gallo.
When they arrived the soft shell tortillas were stuffed full of flavorful ground beef, white cheese and a better than expected pico de gallo. And while these won't compare to traditional tacos they were some of the better Tex-Mex tacos I've had in the area.
In retrospect, I should have stopped right there, but I didn't. I moved on to what may be the single worst tamale I have ever attempted to eat. I am not sure it could really be classified as a tamale as the masa de maíz to meat ratio was about 9/1 and it was almost totally flavorless. I won't even dignify that sorry excuse for a tamale with a photo.
The most disappointing part was when I mentioned to the server how dis-satisfied I was with the tamale he indicated that he really didn't care what I thought.
I won't be back...there are too many other Tex-Mex establishments in the area that want my business and would be interested in trying provide decent service.
I've eaten there a few times. The food I've had has been okay, although I haven't tried their tamales, and won't. Shortly after they opened a few years ago, I went there with some friends for margaritas. The margaritas were HUGE and very strong.
ReplyDeleteBest Mexican place in the area is Fernando's in Mize.
Yeah, I've eaten there once, when it opened, and it was terrible - too much, much too much salt. There are better places in town.
ReplyDeleteRio Grande serves the best, by far, mexican food in town. Unlike the chain restaurants, their food is fresh and not boxed. Don't know about the tamales, but I can tell you that the burritos, quesadillas,taco salads and, regardless of what you think, chips and salsa, are all 1st class. Furthermore, the service is 2nd to none.
ReplyDeleteIts my favorite when i'm in the mood for mex. Always fresh and I believe that the owner and family is always there making sure things are taken care of, so I can't believe the first post about the bad service. I love the place just for the freshness of the food!
ReplyDeleteMMMM im starving after i saw this picture :)
ReplyDeleteThere are better Tamales in town definitely. However, they have the best Chimichanga in town by a landslide. The rest of the food is pretty good and the service has always been top notch, and had several great conversations about futbol with the servers and cashiers.
ReplyDeleteActually my favorite mexican place in town. Prices are pretty inexpensive and they make the best chicken quesadillas around. They're salsa isn't spicy so I love it and their chips are wonderful because they arent salty or stale like alot of other places. The service is great and theyre really nice there!
ReplyDeleteYou can go suck it ! who do you think you are to be talking about Rio Grande one of the Best Mexican Restaurants in Town ! you better get your information right next time you want to write a review!
ReplyDeleteI have yet to be impressed with their food. I much prefer Papitos or Mama Alma's. My favorite place in Hattiesburg was El Taco Loco when they first opened (they went downhill over time, though). I eat very little meat for health reasons, so I do judge meals a bit differently than other people in the area. I like a variety of veggies (too many rely on green bell peppers and onions), good seasoning, the option for spicy heat, flavorful queso, and good portions. Mama Alma's wins when it comes to being able to customize your meal, Papitos wins with variety of veggies and huge portions. Rio Grande would probably be fine for some margaritas.
ReplyDeleteRio Grande is a fine restaurant. The negative comments here are undeserved. The food is good and all the staff are friendly and eager to help in whatever way they can.
ReplyDelete