I'm new to Texas originally from California, and I also lived in Arizona, so I have pretty much…read moretried Mexican food from all regions. As a Latino who grew up eating Mexican food daily, I don't hand out praise easily. I'm a foodie with high standards, and I give honest reviews with no fluff. That said, El Jarrito is one of the best spots we've tried so far in Magnolia and even compared to places we've had in Houston.
I'm giving it a solid 4 out of 5.
I ordered the chile relleno plate. Normally it comes with either cheese or ground beef, rice, and refried beans, but I customized it to one cheese and one ground beef with charro beans instead. They gave me zero pushback, which I appreciated. The cheese relleno was better than the ground beef one in my opinion, but both were good. The rice was actually better than most places around here. The charro beans had good flavor, about a 3 out of 5 for me, but could have used more meat.
We also ordered hard shell ground beef tacos. They do not offer shredded meat, which would have been nice. Flavor was good and my wife enjoyed them, but they use pre made taco shells. If they homemade fried those shells, that would have taken it to another level.
Our friend had the combo, cheese enchilada and taco, and she loved it. The enchilada was solid.
Now let's talk about the salsa. The house salsa with the chips was fire. Fresh and warm, which is different in a good way. My wife had never had warm salsa before and really liked it. The guacamole was fresh. We asked them to keep it basic because we have a toddler and did not want it spicy. They nailed it. We added our own lime and salt and it was perfect.
We ordered three micheladas. The cups were on the smaller side, but the mix was good and the mugs were ice cold. No complaints there.
Service was quick, attentive, and friendly. The place was clean and we were taken care of right away.
Overall, based on flavor, service, willingness to accommodate, and feedback from everyone at the table, it is a 4 out of 5. We will definitely be back and are looking forward to exploring more of Magnolia, but for this neck of the woods, this spot holds its own.