As far as American BBQ goes, this place is as close to home as a Texan can find in Chile and it's…read morepretty good! The first time I attempted to visit El Camino, my friends and I (two Texans and one Kansan) were turned away despite being early to a mostly empty restaurant because El Camino was hosting a party that was reservation-only. The next time was more successful and the three of us plus another family ate a delicious feast on the back patio, which reminds me of Austin.
Then came a global pandemic that started 7 months ago. In that time, restaurants in Santiago, including El Camino, have figured out how to stay in business by bringing the home cooking to us direct. Lucky for us, El Camino lets us order ahead, delivers to our door, and we can make our meals whenever we want.
We've ordered a huge pre-smoked brisket that feeds about ten people, smoked turkey, sourdough bread, pimento cheese, chili, sliced brisket, pulled brisket, and bread pudding. All of it has been delish. I was especially glad to find the mac and cheese came with panko breadcrumbs and cheddar to melt on top in the oven--tasted like home! The only downside, which probably helps my waistline and budget, is that these specialties are not available all the time. El Camino changes up its menu pretty frequently, so each month is something different.
Looking forward to the day we can return to the restaurant, but in the meantime, we're grateful to have the flavors delivered to our door.