Adalbertos Mexican Food is a 24-hour restaurant that offers tacos, burritos, breakfast items, and a drive-thru window.



I stopped here and had the most bomb breakfast burrito I've ever had. You can get all the standard proteins - like bacon, sausage, and even steak. Then there's ham. Potato. Jalapenos. Pico de Gallo. And my answer was yes, yes and yes.



And this was all wrapped up in this giant flour tortilla. It was just full of goodies, but still sturdy and didn't fall apart.



Everything was fresh, which is the key to me with eggs. No fake eggs or dried out eggs. It was moist and flavorful and filling.



Grade: A

El Charro Café offers a wide variety of Northern Mexican and Tucson-style Mexican dishes, from enchiladas to tamales to mini chimis, and their insanely delicious food has been hailed by everyone from Bon Appetit to the NY Times to Nation’s Restaurant News, which named it one of America’s 50 most iconic restaurants, according to their website.



"Established in 1922, El Charro Café of Tucson, Arizona is The Nation's Oldest Mexican Restaurant in continuous operation by the same family. Featuring traditional Northern Mexico-Sonoran style and innovative Tucson-style Mexican Food, El Charro Café is truly as Gourmet Magazine wrote: "A Taste Explosion". With a large array of award winning hand-crafted recipes based on Sonoran and Local ingredients, El Charro Café is a passage to Tucson's Culinary History that has been won the dining icon acclaim from all over the world. The word “Charro” is “a name given to the peasants of the province of Salamanca.” This word was adapted in 1857 and applied in Mexico to good, able horsemen, recognized by the costume or uniform they wear, especially the high-crowned, wide brimmed hat."



I went here, though, because it is known as the birthplace of the chimichanga. They have a few locations, and I ended up at the "Oro Valley" one, which was pretty spacious with giant windows that let in all sorts of light.



"Our Legendary Tia Monica Flin, is well-known as “The Inventor of The Chimichanga.” While frying her now famous El Charro ground beef tacos, she accidentally dropped a burro into the frying pan and when the oil splashed up she was about to lash out a common Spanish cuss word starting with “Ch” but because she was amongst her young nieces and nephews, changed it to “Chimichanga”, the equivalent of “thingamajig.” Thankfully for all of us, Monica was a controlled and creative cuss."



The chips and salsa to me were like most others - but not super oily-fried; they seemed fresher. I opted for a Carne Seca chimichanga, which means a dried beef. It comes with chunky pico salsa, arroz sonora and beans. "Chimichanga style" is essentially just deep-frying the burrito. 



It was great! The burrito was flavorful and the texture was on point. It was not soggy or too crunchy - just a perfectly lightly chewy bite. The interior was equally as good - moist, great seasoning and an all-around delicious bite. The pico added some freshness; the rice was great; and I even didn't mind the beans. 



Grade: A

"As we say in Spanish, “my house is your house” and we are pleased that you are paying us this visit. The history of this famous Mexican restaurant a stone’s throw from Las Cruces, NM is long and colorful. This is the original La Posta. For more than a century and a half, these adobe walls have withstood the attack of elements and man, sheltering such personalities as Billy the Kid, Kit Carson, General Douglas MacArthur and Pancho Villa. A roaring Wild West town during the late 1800’s, Mesilla was the largest town in the Southwest between San Diego, California and San Antonio, Texas. During this period, La Posta served as the Corn Exchange Hotel, a favorite stop on the Butterfield Stagecoach Line. Many years later a young, vivacious and colorful Katy Griggs Camuñez started La Posta de Mesilla Restaurant and Cantina with four tables, dirt floors and no running water! La Posta’s authentic dishes are made from century-old recipes handed down to us from the Fountain, Chavez and Griggs Families. Now one of the oldest and most recognized Mexican restaurants in the Southwest, La Posta de Mesilla still offers its traditional hospitality, fine food and spirits to all who wander here…just the way Katy would have wanted it!"



I ordered: Enchilada Plate, which consisted of rolled enchiladas - one red chile cheese, one green chile cheese and one meat with cheese (I went with red carne, which is made with achiote peppers). These were saucy and spicy. But there was a depth of flavor here that I really enjoyed.



I also ordered chile con queso, which I thought would be thick and cheesy, but this was a much thinner and heavier on spice than dairy. Really good flavor, though. It was less of a dip and more of a soup. A hearty, hot, rich soup.



Grade: B

There are several Campestre locations - Princeton, Lexington and Beckley. I visited the Princeton location previously, so it was time to check out the Beckley one.



Of course, we started with some salsa. It was mild, but had some decent roasty flavors. We also had to have some queso, which always sets the tone. A deliciously cheesy tone, that is.



For my main entrée, I went with a shrimp and rice dish with vegetables. It's a tried and true dish for me because it's difficult to mess up unless you overcook the shrimp, but it's tasty, somewhat healthy and simple.



I think Campestre is always a step above many of the area's similar restaurants. It always seems fresh and flavorful and creative.



What's your fav dish here?



Grade: A

3 Amigos is a Mexican restaurant in Barboursville that serves much of the same fare common in the area.



First up, of course, is chips and salsa. The salsa here was pretty thin and mild, but always a nice appetizer for a big meal to come.



All chips are always better with queso. This one was creamy and delicious and everything that I wanted.



For the main meal, I went with steak, covered in cheese sauce, along with green peppers, pineapple, and a side of rice.



The pineapple is maybe a bit odd for some, but it did add some sweetness. Most of the steak was OK, though there were definitely some chewy pieces. Overall, this was a decent dish that I've not had before.



Grade: B

Yellow Brix was the closest restaurant when I made a pitstop in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The aptly named yellow brick house offers soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas and chargrilled cuts of meat.



I ordered the steak tacos with rice and beans. And I can see why this type of food is popular in locations where it is super hot. It was refreshing and filling without being super heavy because as soon as I stepped outside, I was sweating. Fresh veggies, thick cuts of steak - all tasty. I would've preferred a different cheese, and the beans were pretty bland. Still, a solid lunch.



Grade: B