Los Reyes Mexican Restaurant

Los Reyes Mexican Restaurant

Written by Beth Wade Sunday, 07 October 2007

Restaurant brings flavor from interior Mexico

People from Central Texas know you can generally find a Tex-Mex restaurant on any street corner, but sometimes finding good Mexican and Tex-Mex food can be a little more difficult. Los Reyes offers authentic flavor, Tex-Mex and great lunch specials.

As we walked into the restaurant, I must admit, I was not expecting to find high-quality food in the middle of a shopping center, but I was mistaken. The aromas wafting from the kitchen were mouth watering, and we were eager to see if the food could possibly taste as good as it smelled.

Be warned, with a crowded dining room, it may take a little longer to enjoy.

Recipes for the restaurant are created by co-owners Isauro Nambo, his nephew Michael Nambo and Manuel Chavez. Isauro was born in Michoacan, Mexico and immigrated to Texas in 1981.

Customers will find all three at work in the kitchen or on the floor helping patrons. The inspiration for each dish comes from the food served in interior Mexico.

The Carne Guisada ($6.95 for lunch) came highly recommended by the waitress. The chunks of beef, served in brown gravy with onions and peppers, were tender and lean. The dish comes with refried beans, traditional Spanish rice and homemade flour tortillas. The tortillas, also sold by the dozen, were soft, flaky and incredibly tasty.

Tamales, generally found at other restaurants still in the corn husk, are served unwrapped and smothered in a rich meat and cheese sauce.

For a better sample of flavors, the Matamoros plate ($5.95) offers a chalupa and enchilada with the meat of your choice. When the meal arrived, we were all surprised to find the beef chalupa made with fajita meat and not ground beef.

For dessert, Sopapillas ($2.25) are served with whipped cream and a cherry on top. New York Cheesecake and Turtle Cheesecake ($3.75) are also on the menu, and a rotating variety of special cheesecakes is available as well.

Each day, a different item is selected as the daily lunch special for $4.95, which includes a drink. The menu also includes selections for children. Los Reyes has served its traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex fare for the past year in Cedar Park and celebrated its one-year anniversary in September.

The trio is working to bring in a mariachi band to perform on Thursday evenings.

Mexican vs. Tex-mex

Traditional Mexican food is prepared using 100 percent Mexican ingredients and must be prepared as it is in Mexico.

Tex-Mex is prepared using some Mexican ingredients and some American. While a dish can be from Mexico, if American ingredients are used, it is considered Tex-Mex.

Los Reyes Mexican Restaurant, 251 N. Bell Blvd., 258-4016, Monday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.