The (huh?) Jacalito Mexican Grill of Eustace (review)

Today, we will be exploring the delicious offerings of the incongruently named "The Jacalito" restaurant of Eustace.

Before we talk about the food, though, I simply must ask... what's with the name? The Jacalito? Why not "El Jacalito," or "La Jacalito?" Was there some confusion over whether the gender of the word "jacalito" is feminine, masculine, or neuter? Was a Spanish translation of the word "the" considered treacherous in this time of national uncertainty at the hands of illegal immigration? Or were the owners just afraid of getting their butts sued by the founders of "El Jacalito" of Austin? To my great lament, the world may never know.

Names, however, are not too important. The Jacalito is a quality establishment, and therefore, I feel as though a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. (Unless, or course, you called your restaurant "The Scarf 'n' Barf." Then... you know. Actually, since I don't know what "Jacalito" translates to, this may very well be the actual name of the place. So maybe I'm better off not knowing the truth, after all.)

The Jacalito stands in the space that was formerly occupied by another Tex-Mex restaurant, the name of which escapes me. All I remember is that it started with an "M." (Mercados? No, that's in Tyler...) The previous restaurant offered about the same quality food, but with a very dingy-looking, depressing atmosphere. (Oh, "Menendez?" No, wait, that's DEFINITELY not it...) The floor was of bare, unpainted concrete, and the walls were constructed with cinder blocks painted a worn-looking white. The place was very bland and colorless, and not at all conducive to relaxing with your friends and enjoying a pleasant meal. The Jacalito has solved this problem with the use of some very warm, soothing colors, including textured terra-cotta walls. The floors are now a deep maroon shade, making them look more wooden than stone-like. And, thankfully, the very large windows are now tinted, so that you don't get the awkward feeling that someone on the street is watching while you eat. This huge difference leads me to believe that, if the "M" restaurant had taken atmosphere into consideration, they may not have gone under.

The ambiance is pleasant, and so is the food. It's very classic Tex-Mex (with a little more Tex than Mex), like my grandmother used to make (and this is a HUGE compliment, believe me). The dishes are simple, well-cooked, and pleasantly spiced. The vegetables are always crisp and fresh, and the fried tortilla products (chips, taco shells, tostadas, etc.) are fresh-out-of-the-oil warm. The cooks obviously have respect for the quality of the food, and can afford to keep the dishes simple by merit of the quality of the ingredients.

The service is fast, the prices are fair, and the menu is extensive. There are literally about four pages worth of menu options, and all that I've tried thus far are delicious. The Jacalito offers enough variety for patrons to make frequent visits without ever feeling bored.

One criticism I do have is that these people do not know how to build nachos. When I ordered the nachos, they put the meat on first, followed by the cheese and other toppings. This caused the chips to get soggy, as they absorbed all of the grease from the meat. Nachos should always be assembled so that the cheese goes on the chip first, so that that soft, mildly fatty layer can be a barrier between the crisp chip and the moist toppings. If you want the nachos (and you DO want the nachos, of the chicken variety; the meat is well-seasoned and succulent), ask your server to specify to the cooks that you would like the cheese to go on first.

Overall, The Jacalito is a nice establishment that offers nourishing, uncomplicated food, in a pretty and suitably rich-looking environment.

B+

(Recommended: Sour cream chicken enchiladas, chicken supreme nachos)


Mangia!
--Seguin

Welcome to Henderson County Foodie!

I am your blogger, Seguin. I am an aspiring chef, and your new guide to the wide and wonderful world of the Henderson County culinary arts.

The purpose of this blog is to put the spotlight on the restaurant scene in my area. There is a wealth of fine local establishments which... alright, in all honesty, I just really wanted to start a food blog, and this is the only plausible subject on which I could write. I may be a bit of a bore to those who keep track of the internet foodie scene. I am not as witty as Charlus or Miss XaXa of Amuse-Biatch, nor do I have as intimate a knowledge of food as Keckler of Television Without Pity. What I do have, however, is a playful palate, and a willingness to experiment and share my love of food. I have always been of the opinion that the small-town restaurant scene is seriously overlooked. This is not San Francisco, or New York, but we do have some surprisingly great food in our area, and it's time we were proud of it. I am absolutely obsessive about food, and I look forward to sharing my tips for dining out, and ruminations about food and chefs in the media, with those who share my passion.

In this blog, I plan on providing restaurant reviews, general food musings (with a little snark sprinkled in for good measure), and, hopefully, an interview or two in the future (let me dream, please!). Admittedly, I will be posting a few articles which are not HC-centric, but I plan on keeping the focus mainly local. This may end up becoming a fairly general food blog, but I want to include plenty of materials to help others in my area get a taste of what's available to us, while at the same time, never shutting out other foodies around the world.

You may be asking yourself, "Isn't this whole thing just an exercise in pretentious scrutiny by a big fish in a small pond?" Why, yes! Yes, it is. See you at the next post!


Mangia!
--Seguin