El Mirador - Blackfoot, Idaho

El Mirador - 620 West Bridge, Blackfoot, Id July 09

They state they are a family Mexican Restaurant and indeed that is what we encountered, complete with a sign that states, if you kids are running around and get hurt, it’s your fault not ours. They offer up a variety of the usual Mexican dishes with complete dinners, or a la carte and include steaks, chicken and seafood. Mostly prawns or shrimp and a smidge of crab or talipa etc., but 28 combinations in all from Pescado Frito (a moist flaky trout or talipa) to Camarones Mexicano (slightly hot prawns sautéed with vegetables in a sauce).

A lunch menu is offered for prices ranging in the $6-7 range with appetizers, desserts and drinks both alcoholic and regular beverages and dinners run from $6-15.00. They did offer an individual serving of Fajitas which I found very interesting, all the ingredients wrapped in the tortilla with rice and beans inside. They also offer a veggie fajita burrito and also a fajita salad. A children’s menu which offers 5 Mexican choices and chicken strips all served with rice and beans with a free drink for $4.25.

Okay the prices and options are good so what about the food; one must base an American Mexican food restaurant solely on that word combination, American Mexican. I cannot judge the taste of this food against food cooked in Mexico by Mexicans, this is food cooked by perhaps Mexicans in American for Americans. This is where the taste lies, it was okay, not great not really bad, it was good but lacked that punch you look for with that first mouth full. I ordered the Enchiladas Colorado which should have nice chunks of beef cooked in a tangy chili sauce, with melted cheese. I got two rather deflated enchiladas with beef and sauce but again lacking that aroma or punch. Another order was from the a la carte menu, an asada Mexican Burrito; this came much as described a large tortilla filled with allot of rice and whole beans with chunks of beef steak and nothing else, it was dry. The taste was good, but being so dry and not being served with anything but some shredded lettuce, pickled jalapenos and a few cuts of tomato, it for lack of another description was dry

Over all for a family Mexican food establishment it rated about a 6, they are good and again not bad but of course they are far from fantastic, great or mouth watering delicious. If you are looking for the usual chips and salsa with a gentle pleasing taste this is your place but if you are looking for that explosion of taste, that eye popping , heat rendering, spicy burn your tongue off or send your taste buds into overtime, look else where.