The Great Mexican Food Debate

So what is your favorite Mexican food restaurant?

More importantly, why is it your favorite?

These important questions are the basis of my

discussion of My Exclamation Point Life on

this New Year's Eve Eve.

No, I don't have much to do.

Although these topics have puzzled me for decades(?)

two recent events have brought them more 

into the focus of my deliberations.

First is the recent visit of my cousin Sarah

 from Tucson.

In planning our dining experiences, I should

certainly include Tex-Mex, don't you think?

No.  Sarah doesn't like "our" Mexican food.

I took her with great excitement to the most famous

of our Mexican restaurants--Joe T. Garcia's.

"Nothing special," she super nicely told me!

And to my own personal favorite--The Mexican Inn.

"Nothing special."

Ditto El Fenix with my lunch bunch, and I gave up.

The second event was reading about the great

Campo Verde debate on Facebook.

I had desperately wanted to take Sarah to CV

when she was here during the Christmas season,

but I didn't dare!

If she thought those others were bad...

So please tell me...what is your favorite and why.

I'll start.

The Mexican Inn is my favorite because of their

chips.

To me, everything else they have tastes like 

everything else all the others have.

But their chips are THE BEST.

When my kids were growing up I used to make

chili and get MI chips to go with it.

And that tradition carries on with them today.

I also like El Fenix because of their 

sour cream chicken enchiladas.

And I will be brave enough to admit that I even like

Campo Verde

because of the cheesy ambiance--especially at Christmas.

And their nachos are very tolerable.

Actually, our family's favorite Mexican restaurant

was Caro's, on the Blue Bonnet traffic circle

in Fort Worth--now closed.

The standout for Caro's was their puffy tostados,

which they brought before the meal 

instead of traditional chips.

These were the best things ever!

I'm getting the drift here that we are primarily a

"chips" family!

I guess it depends on what you especially like

at a Mexican restaurant.

I mean, does anybody prefer anyone's beans or rice

over anyone else's?

They all taste pretty much the same to me.

And exactly how is one enchilada or taco

significantly better than another.

That's not a rhetorical question--inqiring

minds really want to know!

Herein may lie one of Sarah's problems.  

I remember her entree of choice at least one of 

those times was a chimichanga.

What in the world is a chimichanga, and

who has Texas's best?

Seriously, friends, help me here!

I have found something that may surprise you.

For Mexican food (except for chips)

I have a new favorite.

It is Chili's.

Chili's has the best sour cream chicken enchiladas,

accompanied by cilantro rice and black beans,

both also especially good!

 If this is your entree of choice, give it a try!

And one more thing.

Sarah and I agree that when it comes to tacos,

you just can't beat Taco Bell!

 I mean it!

Especially their crispy taco supremes.

Looking forward to some opinions, y'all hear?