For Cinco de Mayo we ended up in Niagara Falls, New York at our favorite Mexican restaurant. There was a line out the door. We have been there many times before, but usually not for dinner, so we had never waited in line before. It took about 20 minutes to get a table. The only special was $2 Mexican beer. I had a Negro Modelo and Mel had a margarita. They have homemade chips and delicious salsa. The kids had fun daring each other to eat more salsa–it wasn’t too spicy. The kids ordered Beans and Rice with a Taco from the kids menu. I ordered Steak and Camarones (shrimp). It came with tortillas, guacamole, and lettuce and tomato. Mel ordered an Enchilada Special Plate with 3 enchiladas. This place has some of the best beans and rice I have had anywhere. They were absolutely delicious. My steak was fairly tough and not a great cut of meat but had pretty good flavor for $16.95. The guacamole had good flavor. The boys enjoyed their meals which they call “messy plate.” Mel enjoyed his enchiladas. This is a greasy spoon kind of place. They make their food from scratch and it is good. Food quality isn’t incredibly high but what they do, they do well. I send people here all the time. Mel loves this place more than I do, but then again, I get back to New Mexico a couple of times a year. I give this restaurant 3.5 Stars 8215 Niagara Falls Blvd, Niagara Falls, NY...
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We were impressed by the quick greeting we got from a staff member taking our order. We needed to check some food allergies and they brought out some very useful food sheets that made ordering easy. They took our order and our money and we waited in line.
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Owl Cafe Green Chile Burger vs. Buckhorn Tavern Green Chile Burger I stopped in San Antonio, New Mexico for lunch the other day. I wanted to go to the Owl Cafe, which is famous for its green chile cheeseburger. Now, it is in the middle of nowhere on the way to nowhere (apologies to the 3 people who live there) but it has been a popular stopping point my whole life. As I got off the highway, I noticed a “newer” burger restaurant with signs proclaiming that it offers the #7 burger in the nation. I was intrigued. The Buckhorn Tavern (the “new” restaurant) had a full parking lot while the Owl Cafe was looking pretty lonely. I decided to do my own comparison. Step 1: I start at the Owl Cafe. I order their green chile burger without cheese because they only have nacho cheese and american cheese which both have corn in them and I am allergic. The waitress is probably in her late 50s to early 60s. She has worked there a long time. I am pretty sure she has waited on me before. She doesn’t seem to care whether I’m happy or not. See their very empty dining room in the photo below. As usual, the fries are brought by one server and the hamburger is delivered several minutes later by the waitress. This has been the way they have done their food for 20 years. On a scale of 1-10 the fries are a 3. The oil tastes old and they are nothing special. The green chile burger is delicious and I would give it a 9 on a scale of 1-10. I am only giving it a 9 because if I give it a 10 and the Buckhorn has a better burger I won’t be able to rate them properly. The burger comes with Green Chile, tomato, lettuce, onions, and mustard and the patty is clearly home-made. I discovered this restaurant in my college years and it is always...
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