This is my favorite restaurant in the area, and I make a point to go here every time I'm in town…read more They are doing takeout during this extended period of "pandemic," so grab some lunch or dinner to go! I know there are a lot of small businesses in this area to support, but many of them are trucks or shacks, and this full-sized restaurant probably takes a lot more revenue to keep open. Please help them survive this lockdown.
They are easy to find only if you know what you're looking for. What you're looking for is Rodeway Inn! They share the parking lot, but El Valle is hidden in the back.
I know it's called "Family Restaurant," but I'm pretty sure it really IS a family who runs it. I always see the same people working here over the past few years I've been patronizing this establishment. They are all great. I especially like the young, big guy. The first time I remember him serving us, he was really rude, but in a funny way that amused me. I was pretty sure at the time that it was a shtick, and as I've experienced his personality about 20 more times since then, I am confident that it was. He is always either funny or really nice, and he is certainly the most memorable!
The prices here lean high, but the serving portions are also on the larger side. If you're concerned about the prices, give them a try during lunch, as their lunch menu is a better value. They serve lunch from 11a-3p.
My favorite thing here, and one of the main things I judge mexican restaurants by, is the carne asada. El Valle rivals my favorite places for this dish. It is seasoned and cooked perfectly. The rice and beans that accompany it are also very good. Though it is served with a green onion, a fried jalapeño, a blob of guac, and tortillas, I always omit everything but the guac. The guac is usually amazing, though sometimes much heavier on the onions than I like. The only other thing I usually order here is a chicken enchilada, and it's also very good. I can't personally speak to anything else, but my ex branched out and ordered a lot of other offerings, and he liked most of the things he tried.
I am a white girl, I love mexican food, and I'm extremely picky. That said, my favorite mexican food is americanized. If you're looking for authentic, there are about a billion other mexican food places in this area, so you might want to shop around. My ex is mexican, and was born and raised in mexico, but he is not very picky. The only times I noticed he wasn't fully satisfied here were when he was looking for something to really remind him of home and his mom's cooking. Then he was hard to please, and El Valle did not quite hit the spot for him on those occasions. But we both enjoyed coming here together, and now I enjoy coming here alone. ;-)
