JOURNAL RESTAURANT REVIEW: El Chinito Café

El Chinito Café

1308 E. Main St.

Eagle Pass Texas 78852

(830) 773-3133

COZY, SMALL

and TASTY.

Recently, I had been craving some “order from the menu (A La Carte) Chinese food” as opposed to a buffet. Word got to me that El Chinito Café located at the corner of Main & Medina near the rail tracks is that kind of place. I remember when I was much younger this place was known as “Clown Corner” serving hot dogs and hamburgers.

Today, El Chinito Café is a lunch only restaurant that does not serve alcoholic beverages. It does not have an intimate setting so if you plan to have a private conversation, this is not the place. The dining area sits around 44 people and the tables are very close to each other. The atmosphere is noisy, friendly, and the food is served steaming hot.  Meals are served quickly no matter how full the restaurant is. This eatery is for a fast-casual lunch and back to work quickly type of place. Not fancy, but friendly & stomach filling Chinese food. On the menu, you will find a very simple layering of the dishes they serve as  lunch special combos.  Prices range from $6.00 to $7.50. You have the option to choose an egg drop soup or a hot & sour soup that includes fried noodles. My friend chose the egg drop soup that was tasty and steaming hot (“Divine”).  I chose a hot and sour soup that was “heaven”. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I can’t leave a Chinese restaurant without having a hot and sour soup. Maybe it’s just the spicy flavor or the tofu that I love. As the main entrée I had the Mongolian beef ($6.50) which I found it perfect for my appetite.  The Mongolian Beef had flank steak with bamboo shoots and green onions served with a tasty soy based sauce. The plate was accompanied by an egg roll that was served sizzling and had the wrap crackling crisp and rolled tightly around great tasty cabbage & carrot filling. The fried rice was very simple. It had a yellow color with a few mixed vegetables in it. The combos offer the option of steamed white or fried rice.

The Chicken & Broccoli ($6.00) combo was very tasty.  The broccoli was very fresh & “crunchy”, the sauce was very typical of the sauce used for this dish, and the chicken was cut into pieces that were well balanced with the vegetable. Most importantly, the serving was served steaming hot.

The first impression I perceived when I walked into El Chinito Café was that I didn’t know what to expect.  Only a few people were in the restaurant when I arrived and within 7 minutes, all of the tables were full.  Service was very good, food quality was excellent, and I never ran out of iced tea.  As quickly as the dining area filled up, it also emptied with the customers rushing back to their workplaces.

If you haven’t eaten at Chinito’s Café, stop by.  You will not be disappointed.