Rita’s Margaritas and Mexican Grill - Eureka, California

Rita’s Margaritas and Mexican Grill
Eureka, California
http://www.ritascafe.com/

August

Having arrived in Eureka late afternoon after a long days drive from Oregon, both my son and I were tired and hungry. After a brief rest we decided to drive around the town to see what was available. We toured the beach historical area and found many bistro type establishments, some frilly fish types. On the main street we found the usual diner affairs and a couple of higher priced ones. We drove up and down the main street several times passing most until we settled for Rita’s. First it was around the corner from our hotel, second it looked nice and clean and afforded parking in front, so what’s not to like?

The store front impression is that of any other small town Mexican eatery, but upon entering you know immediately that this is a California Mexican Restaurant. There is something about the feel and way they furnish, richly colored ties, the tables and booths, the smell of the place. This is an experience that one must feel to tell the difference. Having g grown up in Southern California in the San Fernando Valley and a hop skip and jump from San Diego and Tijuana one might say it’s in the blood. Rita’s is a growing concern with three stores in Eureka and another in nearby Arcata, California.

Friendly staff greeted us immediately and we chose a booth, after a longs days travel it was nice to sit on something soft. What I noticed first was the hot sauce already on the table. It was like when you eat at the House of Pancakes and they have about 3-4 different syrups on the table, well here they have several hot sauces spanning the Scoville ratings. You can mix to your own taste preference and as much as you want.

The menu offers the usual assortment of Mexican dishes and they have a good sampling of beer, local and Mexican and a full bar. We ordered their signature Margarita and what we got was a giant sized, fully packed drink and for only $6.50. Chips and a regular bowl of salsa were brought to the table, here is where you can create your own signature salsa, mine was eating through the table and my sons just a tad behind.

Our dishes came with rice and beans of good proportion and the main entrees were large and fully satisfying. The seasonings were subtle but adequate to satisfy most devotees of Mexican cuisine. Taco’s were freshly prepared with shredded beef, lettuce and crumbled cheese. The enchiladas were full and bursting with cheese and covered with a delicious red sauce. If I find myself back in Eureka, California again I will be sure to have lunch or dinner at Rita’s, perhaps both.

Chili's - Pocatello, ID and others...

CHILI’S
Pocatello, Idaho
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Ogden, Utah

Another fixture of malls among other places is the Chili’s Restaurants and their trademark Chili Pepper sign. A good advertising ploy since the “chili pepper” can be seen well before you can actually spot the restaurant. As with all national chains, their exterior save for a few plants is the same across the nation and the menu items offered are exactly alike. The interior has open ceilings so the din of the diners does carry. So if you dine at one you dine in all, but to be fair you need to try more than one to establish this.

They have a full service bar and I’m sure I won’t be the first to tell Chili’s staff knows how to mix some pretty nice drinks. Perhaps the drinks more so than the food is why I tried out three establishments to make sure about the chain. I didn’t find their food to be exceptional, not bad but not fantastic either. To me it all had the same taste to each item I sampled; perhaps it was their signature blend of spices applied to all their food. I suspect the wide appeal is to persons who have never been acquainted to the symphony of flavor of Southwestern cooking and cuisine

I sampled a chicken dish (Guiltless Grilled Chicken Sandwich, with tomato, lettuce and non-fat honey-mustard dressing on a wheat bun. Served with steamed broccoli.$8.29. There was way too much bun and I did not like the honey mustard sauce as I am not a sweet sauce person. It was OK but I would not order it again.).

Another sampling was the BBQ pulled pork sandwich (With crispy onion strings on a sesame seed or wheat bun. Served with coleslaw and original BBQ sauce. $7.99); again, on wheat bun which again was way too much bun and again the taste reminded me of every other item on Chili’s menu. It was OK but would not order it again if given the choice.

I sampled the Chili topped with cheese (Terlingua Chili – Slow-cooked chili with beef, onions and chilies, topped with cheese. From $2.69 a cup with entrée to $4.99 a bowl ala carte.) As before, it was OK, but there is something about the predominate seasonings at Chili’s that makes me think the dishes are all the same thing just with different wrappers, However, I must add that their coleslaw was delicious as was their loaded mashed potatoes, of which I could have had thirds on both.

I also have had the opportunity to sample a fish dish and their black bean burger and all had the same distinct taste of spices, and I found I needed to drink more water than normal so I could sample the dishes of my sons to judge fairly about the taste and textures of their dishes.

They offer a wide range of entrees and sides and I am sure they offer just about something for everyone, just not me. Each person has their own taste preferences and sadly Chili’s is not to my liking. Those dishes that my two sons and daughter had were to their liking and so I must say that their tastes must rule here.

Chili’s gives you nice size servings some with reduced calorie/fat contents but the majority is your traditional food chain fare, gooey, yummy and loaded with calories. But for an occasional day out, they provide a nice break from the ordinary food chain taste and give you a sampling of American Southwestern cooking. They offer children’s portions, steaks, burgers, seafood, Southwestern style Mexican, chicken entrees, their famous baby back ribs, sandwiches and soup and salads rounding off the list. They offer bottle water, soft drinks, a chillin’fruit freezer, coffee and tea (their Bottomless Beverages) and again a wonderful bar, featuring mixed drinks, beer and wine, which they are very proud of.

Complete your meal with Molten Chocolate Cake (Topped with vanilla ice cream under a hard chocolate shell $6.29), cheesecake (Served over strawberry sauce $5.49) or a thick and tasty chocolate shake ($3.99).

They are open 7 days a week but closed most major holidays.