El Jalisco

El Jalisco
Crawfordville location
Most recent visit: August 13, 2009


My absolute all-time favorite Mexican food experience involved a beach barbecue in Cozumel. Our hosts grilled beef and chicken in the open air and we stuffed warm, grilled tortillas with salsa fresca and freshly prepared guacamole. Dining at El Jalisco actually reminds me a bit of vacationing in Cozumel. The painted wall murals and the Mexico meets Florida - “Floribbean” – décor takes me back to the Cozumel bar Carlos and Charlie’s. While the nightlife doesn’t get nearly as wild, the noise level on a good business night can also rival that busy tourist trap.

The staff at El Jalisco may want to take some care, however, that their establishment doesn’t develop the reputation of being as dirty as a Mexican port cantina. I have noticed that tortilla chips often litter the floor and that the bathroom trash tends to overflow. I do not want to speculate about what the appearance of the front of the house says about the back of the house which, in restaurant parlance, refers to kitchen conditions.

Until El Jalisco opened in Crawfordville, Mexican cuisine in Wakulla was a distant memory involving a departed Taco Bell. I actually had to mystery shop the Crawfordville Taco Bell once…. Enough about that, let’s talk about the reason Wakulla residents no longer have to cross county lines when they want Mexican flavors.

The El Jalisco food represents one of the better Mexican outposts in the Big Bend area. If you like Tallahassee’s San Miguel on Tharpe Street or La Fiesta on the Parkway, El Jalisco will satisfy your cravings for south of the border flavors. This is authentic Mexican food, not the sort of chain Tex-Mex you will find at On The Border. The Crawfordville location is actually one of five El Jalisco restaurants and they even have a website to promote the Tallahassee sister establishment on Monroe Street: http://eljalisco.com/.

My most recent visit to El Jalisco was on a Thursday night. The parking lot was almost full and there was a large party holding court in the expanded dining area. Yes, El Jalisco has been so successful that they took over an adjacent space and expanded their seating area within the last year.

The menu at El Jalisco is daunting. There are almost myriad choices and combinations to be enjoyed. Diners can opt for a Mexican-style salad or a taco. The queso is popular. Patrons in the mood for a more substantial meal can opt for Mexican combo platters, seafood, chicken, or steak with multiple variations.

My husband and I have developed a few favorites over the last year. I like the bistec mexicano – steak pieces cooked with onions and jalapenos. It is served with beans, rice, salad, and tortillas. You can eat it with a fork or make tasty little soft tacos with the warm, foil-wrapped tortillas. Half of this generously portioned entrée always goes home with me in a box. One down side – I wish the refried beans were a little less soupy and a lot more flavorful. My husband alternates between various burrito combinations on the menu and his absolute favorite dish, Mexican grilled chicken strips.

Two serving of crispy tortilla chips with cilantro-flurried salsa are gratis with meals. Additional refills will incur a change. The Crawfordville El Jalisco recently upgraded the drink menu. I haven’t had a chance to sample the new bar offerings yet, but the menu pictures are enticing. That said, I am not a fan of the neon green house margaritas the bar staff mixes. They taste like watered down limeade. I have a good margarita recipe and, for the good of the community, I am willing to share it with El Jalisco. Call me, we’ll talk.

Want to watch something other than football? Are you a soccer fan? El Jalisco is a great place to watch televised soccer games. The restaurant boasts multiple screens and they will show American football on request, gridiron fans. However, El Jalisco is definitely a haven for those follow international soccer. Many El Jalisco staffers are not only avid soccer fans but also skilled players; they have been known to challenge the local kids to after hours pick up games.

The next time you have a craving for some South of the Border flavor, want to hear some live mariachi music, or just want to watch soccer with people who appreciate the game, check out the Crawfordville El Jalisco. You will save money on gas, enjoy a good meal, and probably see a few of your neighbors while you are there.