Decent Mexican food in Montgomery County
El Cabrito is located in a standalone building at the intersection of US 51 and MS-407. The parking lot is small and the building is undergoing an addition, so space was limited outside during this visit.

Inside, the décor is... Sparse. There's a few banners advertising beer and a tiny television playing a soccer game. Beyond that, this could be any restaurant in any town in Mississippi.

When my friend and I arrived, there was no one at the door to greet us. Another party came in and seated themselves, so we did the same. Menus were already on the table, and within a minute our waiter brought out the chips and salsa. The yellow corn chips were quite warm and very crispy. The salsa was watery and chunky. It had a little bite to it, but some hot sauce on the table would have been a nice addition.

As an appetizer we tried the queso fundido. (If you've read any of my other Mexican restaurant reviews, you realize this is beginning to become a staple item for me!) The chorizo sausage and cheese dip concoction was somewhat slow in arriving but, when served, was piping hot. The sausage wasn't very spicy and didn't impart much flavor in the queso. (With the exception of one recently reviewed restaurant, this seems to be the norm.) The cheese was your standard white Mexican cheese. There was a layer of refried beans at the bottom, which added to the flavor, texture and satisfaction of the dish.

For his entrée, my friend found an old standby in the combinations menu: #3 ($6.50), consisting of a taco, enchilada and chile relleno. The beef in the taco was very moist and the shell quicky became mushy. Oddly, it was still very enjoyable that way. The relleno was nothing special, but it was huge. The skin was kind of chewy, but not as bad as some others in the area. The relleno was stuffed full of white cheese which oozed onto the plate with each slice. The cheese was ever so spicy, but otherwise it was a bland pepper. The enchilada was ranked average and was stuffed with more of the watery beef.

For my entrée, I chose the enchiladas rancheras ($8). It consists of four enchiladas, one cheese, one chicken, one beef and one bean. They are covered in lettuce, a light tomato sauce, sour cream and tomato slices. The beef enchilada, despite being watery was still somewhat flavorful. The chicken was very moist and ever so slightly more tender than I've encountered in other restaurants. Overall, it was acceptable.

Now, the important question (at least to me): How was the tea? The answer is a solid, "A-OK." It was nicely sweetened and tasted fresh brewed.

Overall, this is an acceptable restaurant. The décor is nothing to write home about but the food is alright. The waiters (who are all, I believe, brothers according to the restaurant's website) were friendly if not jovial, and pretty good at keeping the chips, salsa and drinks topped up. Being the only Mexican restaurant for a good 25 miles in any direction, it clearly has the market cornered; the place was almost empty when we arrived early on a Sunday afternoon and almost full by the time we left. That, plus the ongoing expansion, bodes well for the future of the restaurant.    [22 Oct 2007 00:42:53]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Queso fundido - it's better than a regular cheese dip!

     ­Tom Servo, ChefMoz - MS editor