Friend us on Facebook
April 23rd, 2010
Brothers from Mexico operate Los Vaqueros
After a long, hard day at work, I decided Mexican food was the way to go and arrived at Los Vaqueros, 1114 S Air Depot Blvd.
Jesus Velasco and his brother Felipe Velasco have lived in Midwest City for 20 years after leaving Central Mexico. The pair opened Los Vaqueros, which translates to "the cowboys" in English, five years ago in June after leaving the landscaping business. He said the brothers are fortunate to have such a thriving business full of customers.
The restaurant is surrounded by glass windows and bright yellow walls without too many frills. Two televisions hang from the ceiling with Mexican music playing softly. The family friendly eatery offers a child's and American menu.
My waitress, Irma Mendoza, greeted me with hot tortillas, warm and crispy chips, queso and salsa, served complimentarily. Large frosty glasses filled with beer and garnished with salt and lime grabbed my attention; I opted for iced tea.
SALSA ESPECIAL
The homemade salsa was refreshing, and I asked Irma for their salsa especial. This is a pico de gallo variety not usually found on the menu, served warm and made with sauteed or grilled peppers, onions, garlic, avocado and tomato.
The menu offers a variety of salads and appetizers priced from $3.99 to $10.50. The Combo Appetizer ($7.25) features a small portion of nachos, two chicken taquitos and two beef taquitos and four poppers, with guacamole and sour cream accompanying the platter. For dinner, I chose the Whale on a Platter ($10.50), a catfish sauteed in garlic sauce and served with avocados, tomatoes, onion slices and rice. The catfish is not entirely breaded, but fried to a crisp and topped with a spicy, chunky homemade red sauce, an authentic Mexican preparation.
Emily Raper squirmed as her mother, Kelli Benne, and grandmother, Linda Nelson, laughed at the large fish with eyes and tail hanging off my plate. Nelson said they dine at Los Vaqueros about once a week, and her favorite dish is the Enchilada Dinner ($6.25). Benne loves the Lalo Special ($9.50), which has one quesadilla, one chicken or beef enchilada and sauteed beef or chicken with tomatoes, onions and jalapeno peppers. Most dinners are served with rice and beans.
I also sampled a single order of a chile relleno ($4.99), a large roasted and skinned poblano pepper stuffed with grilled chicken, breaded with Japanese bread crumbs, fried and topped with a blend of Velveeta and cheddar cheese. It was every bit as good as I imagined.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Jesus Velasco and his brother Felipe Velasco have lived in Midwest City for 20 years after leaving Central Mexico. The pair opened Los Vaqueros, which translates to "the cowboys" in English, five years ago in June after leaving the landscaping business. He said the brothers are fortunate to have such a thriving business full of customers.
The restaurant is surrounded by glass windows and bright yellow walls without too many frills. Two televisions hang from the ceiling with Mexican music playing softly. The family friendly eatery offers a child's and American menu.
My waitress, Irma Mendoza, greeted me with hot tortillas, warm and crispy chips, queso and salsa, served complimentarily. Large frosty glasses filled with beer and garnished with salt and lime grabbed my attention; I opted for iced tea.
SALSA ESPECIAL
The homemade salsa was refreshing, and I asked Irma for their salsa especial. This is a pico de gallo variety not usually found on the menu, served warm and made with sauteed or grilled peppers, onions, garlic, avocado and tomato.
The menu offers a variety of salads and appetizers priced from $3.99 to $10.50. The Combo Appetizer ($7.25) features a small portion of nachos, two chicken taquitos and two beef taquitos and four poppers, with guacamole and sour cream accompanying the platter. For dinner, I chose the Whale on a Platter ($10.50), a catfish sauteed in garlic sauce and served with avocados, tomatoes, onion slices and rice. The catfish is not entirely breaded, but fried to a crisp and topped with a spicy, chunky homemade red sauce, an authentic Mexican preparation.
Emily Raper squirmed as her mother, Kelli Benne, and grandmother, Linda Nelson, laughed at the large fish with eyes and tail hanging off my plate. Nelson said they dine at Los Vaqueros about once a week, and her favorite dish is the Enchilada Dinner ($6.25). Benne loves the Lalo Special ($9.50), which has one quesadilla, one chicken or beef enchilada and sauteed beef or chicken with tomatoes, onions and jalapeno peppers. Most dinners are served with rice and beans.
I also sampled a single order of a chile relleno ($4.99), a large roasted and skinned poblano pepper stuffed with grilled chicken, breaded with Japanese bread crumbs, fried and topped with a blend of Velveeta and cheddar cheese. It was every bit as good as I imagined.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Copyright ©2012 Eastword News. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of content in any manner without permission is prohibited. To obtain permission, contact us.