Where did this little gem come from?!
Nineveh is a small town where I spent much of my childhood... it certainly holds a dear place in my heart. That said, it's no secret that this tiny town isn't exactly booming with new restaurants, shops, etc.
So when I recently found myself back in Nineveh for family matters, searching for a lunch spot large enough to fit and feed about 20 of us, I was thinking we'd definitely have to start heading back over to the next town about 25 mins away. Lo and behold, we stumble upon El Potro, nestled within a small strip mall consisting of a gas station, a Subway, a bait and tackle shop, and I think one other convenience-y type store? These things have all been there a while, but definitely not El Potro! We stuck our heads in to check out the scene and, sure enough, it was perfect for us.
We enter to find a very large restaurant, very spacious and well-decorated from floor to ceiling, wall to wall. So colorful and yet tasteful.
NO WAIT EVEN WITH A HUGE PARTY: Naturally, a 20-person table wasn't just waiting for us... we had not even called ahead. But within seconds - and I mean seconds! - the staff put together several tables to create one long dining table for the entire family. Again, we hadn't even called ahead!! And it's not as if the place was empty, either. They immediately came around taking our drink orders, and were ready to take our meal orders as soon as we were ready to place them.
We also had 2 babies under 5 months and their was no problem accommodating them and their parents.
EXCELLENT SERVICE: I cannot eat gluten so, though easy to avoid at a Mexican restaurant, it's still of course imperative that I understand what each dish is made with so that I don't accidentally order a no-no. I only so much as mentioned it to the server and he immediately starts recommending certain dishes to me on the menu - so helpful! I ended up with a classic -- TACOS! The wait for our food was extremely short and, in the meantime, the waiter was more than happy to take our group's photos ;D
THE MEAL: I ordered a platter that came with 3 tacos, rice and beans. So I chose 1 fish, 1 shrimp and 1 chicken. (Also available was skirt steak, pork, beef). They were genuinely some of the best tacos I think I've ever had. The ingredients were simple and distinguishable (ha), fresh and well-made. Authentic. The corn tortillas were also incredible, and each taco was double-wrapped. They put chopped onions and cilantro on the side for me to sprinkle in myself. I'm not sure about the others' meals; everyone seemed happy, though, and finished near everything. So I took that as a good sign.
THE DRINKS: Most of the table got margaritas and everyone was pleased. A few of us were feeling untraditional and tried out some of their fruitier flavors (they had so many to choose from!) I personally thought I'd take a risk and check out their banana margarita... I know, I know, I was curious! And guess what? It was delicious!! It tasted like a thick and creamy banana milkshake. But not with an artificial banana flavoring, you could taste that it was actually made with fresh bananas. Someone else got the mango margarita, which I tasted and was probably even more delicious than mine. Also very creamy, thick and freshly made.
Overall, the food was great, the staff was so friendly and the service was impeccable. I was definitely impressed and recommend anyone passing by to give it a try. Thanks, El Potro! read more