Restaurant Review

Friday, February 9, 2001

Rosita's knows the art of refried beans

Menu items are limited to traditional Tex-Mex meals; expect hearty portions

 

At a glance 5253 S. Staples Street Phone: 906-1007 Entrees: $ Spirits: Full bar Credit cards: yes Checks: yes Hours: Mon.-Thurs.: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri./Satu. 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; Sun. 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wheelchair access: yes Food: 2 stars Service: 1 ½ stars Atmosphere: 2 ½ stars

After 16 years of service at its former location on Morgan Street, Rosita's restaurant has made its way to Corpus Christi's Southside to establish a place for itself in a booming retail environment. Open for only two months at its new South Staples St. location, it's not hard to figure out that the simple but flavorful Tex-Mex cuisine is part of the reason why it's been so hard to find a parking space, be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
   The menu features a limited and simple list of meals prepared in traditional Tex-Mex fashion and accompanied by sides of refried beans and Mexican-style rice. There are only about 10 Mexican menu items that include cheese, beef or chicken enchiladas, carne guisada (meat sautéed in brown gravy), carne frita (fried meat), chalupas and beef tacos. In comparison, most restaurants will offer 15 to 20 variations of Mexican-style dishes.
   Breakfast taquitos
   Rosita's also serves up breakfast taquitos until 11 a.m. daily. Also on the menu are non-Mexican dishes like pork chops, hamburger and chicken fried steaks, catfish and T-bone steak. While the Tex-Mex fare is somewhat limited, there is nothing reserved about the generous portions served at this establishment.
   Owners Johnny and Rosita Rodela have played host to the Corpus Christi Coffee Club, a weekly political and community affairs program, every Thursday and Saturday for the past nine years, as well as to various political and entertainment figures. And, now, they have carried that tradition to their new location. But the most loyal following is the customer base, which has increased since moving to Staples Street.
   Each meal starts out with fried corn tortilla chips served with a hot picante sauce that is prepared daily at the restaurant. Make sure you have some tea, lemonade, a soft drink or a beer handy to put out the flames. A word of caution! There are no refills on soft drinks. They are served and charged by the can.
   Two appetizers

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: This restaurant review described the meat used in a beef fajitas plate. Rosita's Mexican Restaurant says it uses skirt steak in its beef fajitas.

   There are only two appetizers on the menu: a chile con queso dip and nachos (corn tortilla chips topped with beans and cheese). On this day we tried the nachos topped with guacamole and served with slices of jalapeno peppers on the side. Nothing original, but there is an art to refrying pinto beans that cooks them just to the point before they dry out, and Rosita's has captured that secret.
   The menu features six combination plates. On this day, we tasted "Juan's Plato," a beef or chicken fajita platter served with one cheese enchilada, a cheese tostada, Mexican-style rice, refried beans and flour tortillas.
   Non traditional
   The beef fajitas are not the traditional strips of skirt steak one might expect, but instead are strips of round steak sautéed with onions, bell peppers and tomatoes. This cut of meat usually cooks up a little tougher than the skirt steaks when prepared in the same fashion. The flour tortillas are soft and about 10 inches in diameter, much larger than any typical tortilla. The ones at Rosita's are just the right size for tearing off a piece and stuffing it with some beans, or meat, to make your own tacos.
   We also tasted "David's Plato," a combination of two cheese enchiladas, beef taco, chalupa, refried beans and rice. One thing we had to say about the enchiladas is that the beef sauce is thick, rich and very flavorful in combination with what tasted like shredded American cheese.
   A la carte
   You can also order any menu item a la carte, which plainly means that you can order any item without the sides of refried beans and rice.
   The wait staff at Rosita's is very friendly. However, our waitress couldn't answer some of our questions and later admitted to being new on the job. One gets the impression that a fair amount of turnover occurs here. But the live Mariachi entertainment - a staple every Friday and Saturday and a longstanding Rosita's tradition - will make you look past the service and will help you enjoy what is already a very filling and appetizing meal.
  
  

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