Question for RG Valley Fans...

[rangerpride]

I was wondering what your favorite local restaurants for pre-game meals was?
The family and I are planning a trip down to "the valley" and South Padre Island and besides HS football, we love sampling the local flavors (no chain restaurants) wherever we go.

I figured who would know better than HS football fans where the best place is to get a good meal along the way to the coast.

We love Tex-Mex, American, Italian, basically anything except seafood.

We'll be heading down I-37 and can take either 281 South or 77.

Any of you fans out there in places like Alice, Kingsville, Edinburg, McAllen, Pharr, Donna, Welasco, Harlingen, San Benito, Los Fresnos, etc. feel free to chime in with your favorite local dive and the city it's in. It'll be helpful for other HS football fans too who plan on traveling to the valley for some gridiron action this season. I'll take good local home cookin over pre-packaged chain restaurant food ANY DAY.

[RPM]

Weslaco
Ciros-Mexican & Seafood

McAllen
loads of diff restaurants...pick one...


Harlingen
Los Asados-Mexican

SPI
basicly any restaurant you go to will be nice...

[rangerpride]

Weslaco
Ciros-Mexican & Seafood

McAllen
loads of diff restaurants...pick one...


Harlingen
Los Asados-Mexican

SPI
basicly any restaurant you go to will be nice...

Thanks RPM, I think we'll check out Los Asados.

[Firebird]

Ranger, as a longtime Harlingen resident (no offense, RPM) I have to advise against Los Asados. The best Mexican in Harlingen is Pepe's, which is actually just down the road from Los Asados on Bus. 77 Sunshine Strip. Was voted one of the 50 best Mexican places in the nation by Hispanic Magazine.

Other spots:

Harlingen: Smokin' Joes Barbecue (between Pepes and Los Asados on Bus. 77) is great BBQ and is in the new Texas montly list of best BBQ. Get the brisket.

South Padre: Amberjacks for fresh seafood. Blackbeards for burgers and steaks. D'Pizza Joint for pizza in a shady dive. It's too bad that Diry Al's burned, but his famous fried shrimp can be found at Mamacitas mexican.

Hope this helps.

[picperp]

I was wondering what your favorite local restaurants for pre-game meals was?
The family and I are planning a trip down to "the valley" and South Padre Island and besides HS football, we love sampling the local flavors (no chain restaurants) wherever we go.

I figured who would know better than HS football fans where the best place is to get a good meal along the way to the coast.

We love Tex-Mex, American, Italian, basically anything except seafood.

We'll be heading down I-37 and can take either 281 South or 77.

Any of you fans out there in places like Alice, Kingsville, Edinburg, McAllen, Pharr, Donna, Welasco, Harlingen, San Benito, Los Fresnos, etc. feel free to chime in with your favorite local dive and the city it's in. It'll be helpful for other HS football fans too who plan on traveling to the valley for some gridiron action this season. I'll take good local home cookin over pre-packaged chain restaurant food ANY DAY.


Place I like got written up in Texas Monthly recently:

"LOS FRESNOS
WILD BLUE B.B.Q.
Be advised: Pitmaster went to culinary school.
“Food is my life,” says young owner-pitmaster Abraham Avila, who fusses over every detail, from the brisket-seasoning rub (paprika, brown sugar, ancho chile, cumin, oregano, coriander, and kosher salt) and the satiny sweet-potato flan to the blend of apple and pecan woods in the smoker. But business is slow, as South Padre—bound tourists zoom by, hell-bent for bad tacos. Please, patronize Wild Blue before it’s too late. PS
Rating: 4.5.
31230 Texas Hwy. 100, 956-233-8185. Open Mon—Sat 11—9. Closed Sun."

It's on the way to SPI, too. Plus the best football program in the Valley, Port Isabel (albeit 3A).

But 'anything but seafood.' ? C'mon Ranger, that's one of the best reasons to get down to SPI!

[BDB]

harlingen- pepe's
san benito- pilo's
los fresnos- wild blue's bbq
brownsville- mr. taco/el ultimo taco
spi-bigo's, la jaiba (seafood, the best)

if you are one of those people who are scared of "health code violations" then dont go to my browsville places, but there is a place called the vermillion off boca chica that's great too.

[hunterbunter]

amberjacks on the beach is awesome. great food and great scenery of the ocean.

and sorry firbird but I have to agree with RPM. los asados in harlingen is the shiznizzle, some of the biggest and great tasting fajita tacos you'll find.

[Firebird]

amberjacks on the beach is awesome. great food and great scenery of the ocean.

and sorry firbird but I have to agree with RPM. los asados in harlingen is the shiznizzle, some of the biggest and great tasting fajita tacos you'll find.

You wouldn't if you had the d/l on the place that I do.....

Pepe's is the spot. Go for pechugas de pollo, some of the best stuff you will ever taste. Their fajitas asadas aren't shabby either, and wash it all down with lime sweet tea.

[RRSP1]

Here's another vote for Pepe's in Harlingen. Allow plenty of time before the game, though, as Pepe's can get very busy.

[hunterbunter]

You wouldn't if you had the d/l on the place that I do.....

Pepe's is the spot. Go for pechugas de pollo, some of the best stuff you will ever taste. Their fajitas asadas aren't shabby either, and wash it all down with lime sweet tea.

what's to know on the d/l? they have good food, that's all I need to know.

[rangerpride]

Wow! Now I'm torn between Los Asados and Pepe's. I read a few reviews on both and they have their pluses and minuses. One thing I read about Los Asados is that they have gotten skimpier with their portions since they've become more well known. Any truth to that?

And no, elprezidente, I am not afraid to go to a dive if the food tastes good, I don't care how the place looks.

Firebird, I didn't know that Dirty Al's caught fire. I was looking forward to eating there one night.

Picperp, I know, the wife HATES any and all seafood. I like most fish and fried catfish but never did acquire a taste for things like shrimp or lobster.

We'll have to check out Wild Blue's BBQ on the way back home too. Thanks for the tips, we are gonna eat like kings on this trip. I knew HS football fans would steer us in the right direction when it came to good local food.

[hunterbunter]

rangerpride, just from my own experience. the last time i ate at los asados was in the end of april while i was training in Harlingen. and i ordered a chicken fajita taco plate. they gave me a big oval plate and the tacos were hanging off the sides :notworthy

[RPM]

honestly....ill eat anywhere if its mexican....i just couldnt remember all the names at the time but Pepes is good also ive been there as well......i think the fajitas at los asados are way better...another restaurant in Harlingen is Platillos....good fajita tacos and enchilada plates...

as far as service and what you know on the DL or reviews...i could really care less.....I still drink water straight out of the mangera......

[Firebird]

honestly....ill eat anywhere if its mexican....i just couldnt remember all the names at the time but Pepes is good also ive been there as well......i think the fajitas at los asados are way better...another restaurant in Harlingen is Platillos....good fajita tacos and enchilada plates...

as far as service and what you know on the DL or reviews...i could really care less.....I still drink water straight out of the mangera......

Platillos is awesome, I always order their tacos al pastor. Sorry, but the deal with Los Asados is far worse than drinking out of the tap. I've eaten fried pies from the side of the railroad tracks in Ukraine...fish and pork from a roadside shack with no running water in Armenia...and eat the street food all over Mexico so it's not like I am too squeamish about stuff......but I would steer clear of Los Asados.

[sldragondad]

Los Asados
Los Asados
Los Asados
Los Asados
Los Asados
Los Asados
Los Asados
Los Asados
Los Asados
Los Asados
Los Asados
Los Asados
Los Asados
Los Asados

about it

[hunterbunter]

if you happen to get lost and go through EE, ask someone where you can get a roach burger and they'll point you in the right direction. I gaurantee you'll like em so much you'll swear theres crack in them and try to stock up!

[rangerpride]

Well, the wife and I just got back from our trip down to SPI. We eventually decided on Pepe's in Harlingen over Los Asados.

I had the fajitas and was very impressed with them. Good food, great queso, home made tortillas, the lime sweet tea was ADDICTIVE, but the thing that impressed me the most was the attention of the wait staff. We got there on a Tuesday night (buffet night) around 7pm and there wasn't an empty seat in the house, but our drinks never got below half full (I was chugging that lime tea) and out chip basket never bottomed out either. Our waiter politely referred to me as "my friend" every time he came around. I was very impressed with Pepe's.

In SOuth Padre, our favorite restaurant was Blackbeards. Wow! They have HUGE portions there. I had chicken fried steak with green beans and mashed potatos and I SWEAR the amount of green beans on the plate was equal to a whole CAN that you get at the grocery store, same with the mashed potatoes. In fact, the green beans and potatoes took up so much room on the plate that they had to cut my CFS into 2 pieces and stack them to make them fit on the plate. The best part was the price, we got out of there spending under $22 for 2 people.

[RRSP1]

Well, the wife and I just got back from our trip down to SPI. We eventually decided on Pepe's in Harlingen over Los Asados.

... but the thing that impressed me the most was the attention of the wait staff.

Yea, I've left a lot of tip money at Pepe's in the past, for good reason.

[Firebird]

Well, the wife and I just got back from our trip down to SPI. We eventually decided on Pepe's in Harlingen over Los Asados.

I had the fajitas and was very impressed with them. Good food, great queso, home made tortillas, the lime sweet tea was ADDICTIVE, but the thing that impressed me the most was the attention of the wait staff. We got there on a Tuesday night (buffet night) around 7pm and there wasn't an empty seat in the house, but our drinks never got below half full (I was chugging that lime tea) and out chip basket never bottomed out either. Our waiter politely referred to me as "my friend" every time he came around. I was very impressed with Pepe's.

In SOuth Padre, our favorite restaurant was Blackbeards. Wow! They have HUGE portions there. I had chicken fried steak with green beans and mashed potatos and I SWEAR the amount of green beans on the plate was equal to a whole CAN that you get at the grocery store, same with the mashed potatoes. In fact, the green beans and potatoes took up so much room on the plate that they had to cut my CFS into 2 pieces and stack them to make them fit on the plate. The best part was the price, we got out of there spending under $22 for 2 people.

Told ya my friend....I can't get enough of that stuff.

I ate at Blackbeards this weekend, too. I hade a tuna steak sandwich.

Sorry about the weather, though...that was a downer for me.

[hunterbunter]

thats awesome rangerpride good to hear ya'll had a great time down here! :D

[Shokkin da wrld]

whataburger lol

[BDB]

whataburger lol

big spender....

haha

[Shokkin da wrld]

oh yeah lol