 |
Northwest
Indiana Restaurant Review |
El
Bandolero -
Tiny Tacos, Gargantuan Carrots |
| El Bandolero is a
new dine in or carry out restaurant in St. John, Indiana, located across
from Lake Central High School, in that new strip mall (can't recall the
name, sorry) which for whatever odd reason has a western-like decor. |
| My impression is
that El Bandolero is getting a bit of a slow start, but hopefully people
like myself who are glad to support Mexican restaurants will join in the
crusade in getting this place (and other Mexican restaurants) really
growing. The more restaurant options, the merrier, right? |
| The Tamales
Dinner ($6.00) was what filled me up for this particular evening.
However, what was more memorable from the dish was the refried beans and
rice that came with. Those had to be some of the best beans I've
ever had. Saying that they were likely prepared with lard doesn't
sound too appealing, but it made a delicious difference compared to the
typical refrieds I've had before. |
| My dining partner
had the Three Taco Dinner ($5.50). We were both appalled with the
dinkiness of them. These were miniscule tacos - but good. |
| Another surprise
were the chips (and I guess it was) salsa. Instead of a familiar
and welcoming little dish to dip chips into, El Bandolero makes salsa
available via diner- or cafe-style catsup bottles. Squeezing a dab
of salsa on each chip just doesn't have the same effect as dipping, if
you ask me. |
| And yet another
unfamiliar twist was the giant carrot. You know how some Mexican
restaurants provide a bowl of pickled jalapenos, onions and carrots to
accompany the complementary chips and salsa? Well these were some
of the biggest veggies I'd ever seen. A couple of the carrot
slices (I exaggerate not) were the size of my entire palm, fingers
included. My dining partner and I laughed as we chomped into the
near-pancake-sized carrot slices. (I'm not sure why I felt
compelled to tell you about the humongous carrots, but I was.) |
| Also larger than
usual was the bowl of guacamole I ordered ($3.00), but I am not
complaining. That was good guac. |
| At El Bandolero,
the atmosphere is a bit too diner-like (for instance, the small but
noisy TV in the dining room wasn't about to be turned off for the
entertainment of the staff), but it has good food. If you're a fan
of Mexican food and enjoy trying out new restaurants, I recommend El
Bandolero. |
| On your way out
after the meal, be sure to grab a carry out menu. I'll willing to
bet this place is going to be better appreciated for its carry out. |
|
El Bandolero is located at
8235 Wicker Avenue in St. John, Indiana.
For carry out orders, call (219) 365-9565.
|
