Sunday, September 30, 2007

Mi Pueblo - Guest review

Mexican food up north. Scary!

Location: 1379 N. Cass St, Wabash, Indiana

Phone: 260-563-0843

Hours: Sun-Thu: 11a-10p, Fri-Sat: 11m-10:30p

by Colleen Coble, author of Abomination

I’m a sucker for good Mexican food. I scout it out whenever I travel, but so far I haven’t found another restaurant that beats my own little hometown place, Mi Pueblo. It’s in a location that no other restaurant has made successful—at the end of a strip mall in Wabash, Indiana. They’ve not only made it successful, they had to expand into the space next to them to accommodate the crowds!

It’s not much on the outside, just a typical storefront. The inside is decorated in earthen colors with uneven saltillo tile. Little snippets of Mexican culture decorate the walls. But its main draw isn’t the décor—it’s the FOOD! Have you ever noticed that Mexican restaurants know service? The minute we’re seated, a smiling waiter brings over chips and salsa before even taking our water order. And they keep the basket filled to overflowing. The salsa is made fresh daily—and the heat depends on how hot the peppers were that day!

Your birthday is a good day to come here. The waiters bring a big straw sombrero, put it on the head of the hapless birthday person, then sing Happy Birthday in Spanish. They also bring him/her a sopapilla and ice cream. If you’re shy, don’t speak up!

Mi Pueblo is the fastest place I’ve ever seen. We barely dig into our chips before the food is brought. My favorite is arroz con pollo which is just chicken and rice with a spicy cheese sauce, but oh my, you haven’t lived until you’ve tasted it. It’s much tastier than it sounds. Their enchiladas rancheros is fabulous as well. I always get the chicken ones. I’m not one for Mexican food that’s so hot it makes you sweat. But my brothers are. So they generally ask for the hot stuff to be brought to their table. And the waiters are happy to oblige!

I’m not a drinker, but I hear the margueritas are really good. Their con queso dip is terrific as well. On Sundays the crowd is so large they turn the smoking room into a non smoking one. But they’re so fast, that even if there’s a line when you arrive, you’ll be seated within fifteen minutes.

If you’re in Indiana, look them up. There are also Mi Pueblo restaurants in North Manchester and Marion. And if you stop by on Wednesdays, you just might find me there digging into my dinner. Enjoy!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Not that you'd have the time, but someone should hire you to write brochures or travel literature or at least food reviews for the local paper. You're amazing - funny, informative, familiar. Either that or find a way to turn this site into a scratch-and-sniff.

Signed: Tenacity (wink, wink)