El Jalapenos

Review by Joel Kirk

1313 West 117th St.
Cleveland, OH 44107
216.226.9765

The place/atmosphere:

Well, when deciding on where to EAT today we looked outside our cubical windows today at work and were dreading stepping outside. However, the guys at Eating Around Town will Never let you down. We’re kind of like Rick Astley in that way I guess ( The creators of Eating Around Town sincerely apologize for getting that song stuck in your head. We have found that the best cure is just to dance it out for a couple of minutes and then resume reading the post).

Anyhow, we looked at each other and said “Wow, it sure would be nice to be on a beach somewhere sipping on a Marga…”soda”…eating something spicy on a cold wintery day like this, wouldn’t it?” So, we looked at our InFamous List of Places to EAT and saw that we hadn’t reviewed an Authentic Mexican restaurant for the site. We decided today was the day to change that. Now as I said at the launch of our site back in September…Mexican Food is my absolute FAVORITE type of food. I seriously can eat it every day of the week. So, with that being said, please know I am VERY picky when it comes to Mexican food and possibly a bit biased to certain dishes.

I actually had to change my order at the table to get something a bit more mainstream Mexican because I thought it might be something that more of you guys would eat and want to read about. That was a bit hard for me…but you’re all worth it. I’m never gonna give you up.

Anyways, El Jalapenos is a little restaurant on the border of Lakewood and Cleveland on West 117th, just south of Clifton Boulevard. They pride themselves on serving Fresh, Authentic Mexican dishes. They have a fairly expansive menu and can be seen at http://eljalapenos.com/menu.html

It’s not the prettiest looking place from the outside but don’t be scared to walk in. It’s very inviting and festive once you get inside. From the Chili Peppers hanging on the walls to the Mariachi music being played, going to El Jalapenos will not disappoint you if you’re looking for a fun place to go eat.

What was ordered:

Joel:

Ok, I’m going to say it. Part of my favorite thing about Mexican restaurants is the free appetizer you get just by walking in the door. I lasted many of my college days when I was flat broke just joining some of my friends who were eating dinner and just eating the Chips and Salsa. I saved my money for more important things. Like Beer. Specifically Corona. However, I do consider myself a bit of a Salsa Connoisseur and I will admit their salsa is a very good salsa. It’s not too tomato tasting and has a splash of lime in each taste. I really enjoyed their chips as well.

With the salsa, we ordered their guacamole dip. It was pretty good. I like my guac with a tad more cilantro for a little extra kick but all in all it’s a big bowl of it served for $4.99.

As we were waiting on our Marg…”sodas” to arrive, Chris dared me to eat 3 chips with 3 different hot sauces on it. The Trio of Hot Sauces if you will. Well, as some of you may know, it’s hard for me to turn down any dare…especially one that has to do with food. I ate 3 different chips with 3 various hot sauces thrown on top of it. I downed my first “soda” in about 30 seconds.

Don’t attempt this stunt unless you’re an idiot like me.

Anyhow, for my main dish I ordered Chicken Fajitas. I figured this would be something most people would order when they went here so I thought I’d give you all a fair review.

The Fajitas to me, were just all right. What won this dish over for me was the Rice. The rice is very well prepared and has a nice kick to it. To add a little bit of flavor to the Fajitas, all you have to do is add some of the salsa to the tortilla and it definitely makes the chicken come to life a bit more with each bite. All said, at $6.99, it’s a hefty portion of food for lunch at a good price. The peppers and onions are fresh and you can taste that, which I appreciate. According to their website, the only thing frozen served at El Jalapenos are their Margaritas!

Chris:

He ordered the Enchiladas Supremas, which is a combination consisting of one chicken enchilada, one cheese enchilada, one bean enchilada and one beef enchilada topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and Mexican rice. Wow, that’s the last time I tell Chris I’ll take care of his lunch. Buying one of the most expensive things on the menu ($9.50), why I oughtta….

Just kidding. Chris thoroughly enjoyed his enchiladas though. He pounded them with reckless abandon. At one point, he even had shredded lettuce get caught in his teeth. I laughed. How can you not?

Innocent bystander:

Our innocent bystander today was minding his own business when we approached him (cornered him is more like it) and demanded to know what he was eating. After looking at all Exit opportunities and realizing we wouldn’t leave him alone until he talked, he gave into our interrogation techniques (sans the bare light bulb) and spilled the beans (no pun intended…ok, maybe I’m lying).

Our innocent bystander had the Chicken and Beef Flautitas. This is Two flautitas, one chicken, one shredded beef, served with rice, refried beans, lettuce, sour cream and guacamole. At $6.50, it’s a pretty good amount of food for Lunch. He said it was one of the better lunches he’s had in a while. However, he appeared homeless, so I’m not so sure what to make of that. Just kidding (or am I?)

Hour Later Review:

Well, perhaps next time I do the Trio of Hot Sauces, I should have the foresight to order the Fried Ice Cream as well.

Would we go back:

Sure thing. It’s a great value and pretty good Mexican food close to downtown. It’s a good place to pretend you’re in a warm sunny spot on a cold Cleveland January day. And if the food doesn’t warm you up…try one of their “soda’s”…the special ingredients in that definitely do the trick!

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