When we're hungry on a road trip, we like to try local places. I was starving and we knew Jasper was going to be our last chance for a lot of restaurant choices for a while.
We came across Martin's Mexican and let ourselves be bedazzled by all the signs claiming authentic Mexican food awaiting us inside. We entered to see a large restaurant and a prominent counter.
We weren't immediately greeted and I did observe a similar issue upon trying to pay and leave. It seems the servers and cashiers occupy the same space, so it sometimes comes off as you being ignored, when really that person is only dealing with tables.
We did get seated and met our server shortly after. Service had some issues, there were some mistakes made, but I was under the impression that she was new, so it's easily forgiven. I should also mention that the place was pretty full for lunch time on a Wednesday and they seemed to have an adequate number of staff for the crowd.
I really enjoyed their sweet tea, I found it very satisfying and it hit the spot on a warm day. We were brought chips and salsa and also ordered a small queso.
The chips were restaurant style and they were okay. The salsa was thin, but interesting. It had some heat and a sweet undertone, not bad. The queso was thick and mixed with jalapenos.
The menu had a mix of prices, but they seemed pretty reasonable. The lunch menu on the back was between $7-9. Since we were getting back on the road and didn't want any leftovers, we stuck with the lunch menu. I ordered the quesadillas and went with chicken off the servers suggestion. My husband went with the beef nachos.
The food took a while to come out and in that time, our server tried to bring us someone elses order. Shortly after that, she disappeared for a while. Another server brought us our order and I asked where my rice and beans were. I was told the order was put in with the either/or option of the salad, even though our server didn't read that back to me. However, it was quickly fixed, so no harm done.
The nacho portion was quite large. I sampled some and can say it's pretty good! My rice and beans were fine and my quesadillas hit the spot. The chicken was a tad dry, but I felt it had a good flavor and there was a decent grill on the tortilla.
To be honest, everything about this place read more Tex-Mex than authentic Mexican to me. That's fine! First of all, I *love* Tex-Mex! Second, we're *in* Texas! However, the outside of the restaurant promises a different vibe and taste, so it's actually a little confusing to an outsider.
Though I haven't been to the area in a few years, I do remember that there isn't a ton of selection for different cuisine around. Considering location, I feel this is a really solid choice and we had a good lunch!
4 stars makes perfect sense for Mexican in Jasper and we would return the next time we're passing through. read more