Looking for an authentic Mexican food restaurant unrelated to major chains can prove difficult. However, when I learned about another local restaurant that serves classic Mexican dishes, I had to try it out.
El Pueblito is located on the corner of Spring Creek Parkway and Alma in Plano Texas. It is over a 15-minute drive to get to the business, so when I finally arrived, I was excited to look at their menu and order. When I entered the establishment, the tables were all completely packed full with customers. I was surprised with the occupancy levels, considering it was a Thursday night. If I had walked into any other restaurant, half of the tables would be empty. I decided to place a to-go order to escape the chaos.
I ordered the chicken flauta dinner which comes with rice, beans and three flautas. My mother ordered the beef fajitas. My sister ordered the cheese enchiladas. Lastly, we ordered a singular taco. The food only took 10-15 minutes to come out from the time we ordered, which was surprisingly fast given the madness of the surroundings. The prices were also extremely reasonable. The flauta dinner came to $13, while the cheese enchiladas rang up to $12.
When we received the food, we went home to try it all. The whole meal was also served with chips, which were arguably the best part of the meal. They were fresh, homemade and were still hot. The chicken flautas had deliciously spiced chicken wrapped in crispy tortillas. The beans and rice on this side were also a nice addition. In a majority of Mexican food restaurants, the rice served on the side is exactly the same. However, the rice served from El Pueblito has a different flavor than others. The beef fajita meat was also perfectly cooked and came with tortillas of your choice.
The cheese enchiladas, however, were lacking in flavor and quality. They tasted as if somebody had glued a slice of cheese to an enchilada and called it good. The taco was also unspectacular and average.
The appeal for El Pueblito is the quaint small restaurant with only one location and quality food. While they delivered on some aspects of the food with the perfectly crispy chips, spiced flautas and homemade tortillas, they are lacking in others. Some of the food was subpar. The cheese enchiladas were bland and undercooked and by far the least liked item we tried.
Overall, if you are looking to support a local business and have the time to make the trek to Plano, then I recommend El Pueblito. But, if you are just looking for some delicious Mexican food, there are plenty of other restaurants closer to home that deliver far better results.
Rating: 6/10
