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Need a Roma or Rio Grande City lunch recommendation

Patricio Swayze

By Patricio Swayze
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Patricio Swayze

Patricio Swayze 17058

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Maybe a long shot, but that is what I love about this site is there are people from every corner of Texas.  Going to be passing through Roma and Rio Grande City soon and need a solid lunch recommendation in that area.  I would hate to resort to a chain when there might be some amazing taco joint or something else.  Help a brother out.

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Patricio Swayze

Patricio Swayze 17058

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I used to hunt quail down there.  Roma is the undisputed champion dump of these United States of America.  

Caro’s in RGC is the only decent place that I recall  
Good luck. 

Lies. There are some really, really, really shitty parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. And of course college station.
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IDIOTsavant

IDIOTsavant 8557

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11 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Maybe a long shot, but that is what I love about this site is there are people from every corner of Texas.  Going to be passing through Roma and Rio Grande City soon and need a solid lunch recommendation in that area.  I would hate to resort to a chain when there might be some amazing taco joint or something else.  Help a brother out.

In Rio Grande City, I'd probably hit up Rio Cafe, but it's only open from 10am-2pm on Monday-Friday...and if you're willing to drive a bit, I'd head about an hour west to Zapata to El Paraiso as an alternative, but it's been a good while since I've spent any time down there, so who knows what other new spots have popped up in the last 15 years or so.

Edited by IDIOTsavant
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Patricio Swayze

Patricio Swayze 17058

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In Rio Grande City, I'd probably hit up Rio Cafe, but it's only open from 10am-2pm on Monday-Friday...and if you're willing to drive a bit, I'd head about an hour west to Zapata to El Paraiso as an alternative, but it's been a good while since I've spent any time down there, so who knows what other new spots have popped up in the last 15 years or so.

Thanks. The Zapata rec might actually work out better for timing. Has good reviews.
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IDIOTsavant

IDIOTsavant 8557

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21 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:


Thanks. The Zapata rec might actually work out better for timing. Has good reviews.

Get this (El Paraiso Special) and hate thank me later...and looking at that is giving feelings of equal parts indigestion and jealousy.

 

Edited by IDIOTsavant
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Johnny Sack

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Not sure how it is now, but back in the day that area was considered the prime drug trafficking corridor.  And it seems about 1/3 to 1/2 of the residents of RGC or Roma were involved either directly or indirectly.  I remember in the early 90s when I lived in the Valley, you could drive up 83 near those towns and see pretty obvious drug lord houses.

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IDIOTsavant

IDIOTsavant 8557

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41 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Not sure how it is now, but back in the day that area was considered the prime drug trafficking corridor.  And it seems about 1/3 to 1/2 of the residents of RGC or Roma were involved either directly or indirectly.  I remember in the early 90s when I lived in the Valley, you could drive up 83 near those towns and see pretty obvious drug lord houses.

Mid 2000s was the same deal. I was working on a project down there for a couple of months one summer, and we could hear gunshots across the river pretty much weekly when we'd sit out by the pool and grill dinner at the hotel. Nobody left the hotel after dark for the most part. Some of the locals would come over to play poker, and they said they were involved to some degree on an involuntary basis. A couple of months later the local sheriff got popped for running protection for one of the cartels, and one of his family members basically told us that saying no wasn't an option for him because he had a lot of family in the area. 

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Helobious

Helobious 9516

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7 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

Not sure how it is now, but back in the day that area was considered the prime drug trafficking corridor.  And it seems about 1/3 to 1/2 of the residents of RGC or Roma were involved either directly or indirectly.  I remember in the early 90s when I lived in the Valley, you could drive up 83 near those towns and see pretty obvious drug lord houses.

I don’t think it’s like that in the small towns anymore really. Those two in particular are deeply poverty stricken. A lot of the mafiosos moved and bought up places in the sharyland area. They generally don’t fuck around on this side of the river though, they know how to keep the heat off themselves. 
 

Im from the valley and have hardly ever been to Roma or RGC. I really don’t think I’ve even stopped in Roma ever. Been to Zapata plenty though, el Pairiso is pretty good but I like The steakhouse more actually. And yes it’s just called “the steakhouse”. Make surer you go with plenty of time to spare. Service is slow but the chicken fried steak is worth it. 

Edited by Helobious
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tx 3 putt

tx 3 putt 78027

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8 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

Not sure how it is now, but back in the day that area was considered the prime drug trafficking corridor.  And it seems about 1/3 to 1/2 of the residents of RGC or Roma were involved either directly or indirectly.  I remember in the early 90s when I lived in the Valley, you could drive up 83 near those towns and see pretty obvious drug lord houses.

 

back in the day, all cars driving into and out of both those were cities were 'discussed' 

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Patricio Swayze

Patricio Swayze 17058

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Been to Zapata plenty though, el Pairiso is pretty good but I like The steakhouse more actually. And yes it’s just called “the steakhouse”. Make surer you go with plenty of time to spare. Service is slow but the chicken fried steak is worth it. 


Wait, but didn’t you voluntarily go to okie lite? Not sure I can take you seriously, whether you are from The Valley or not.
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Helobious

Helobious 9516

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3 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

 


Wait, but didn’t you voluntarily go to okie lite? Not sure I can take you seriously, whether you are from The Valley or not.

 

You have me massively confused with someone else, my lifetime experience with Oklahoma is driving through it on a road trip one time.
 

There was some dude that had a handle like “OSU grad in Zapata” or something like that, think he was a sock. Maybe that’s who you think I am.

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Patricio Swayze

Patricio Swayze 17058

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You have me massively confused with someone else, my lifetime experience with Oklahoma is driving through it on a road trip one time.
 
There was some dude that had a handle like “OSU grad in Zapata” or something like that, think he was a sock. Maybe that’s who you think I am.

Goddamnit. Ok, wait, so you are a Texas grad or a T-shirt fan (doesn’t make a difference, just curious). Why the fuck did I think you want to osu?
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Helobious

Helobious 9516

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39 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:


Goddamnit. Ok, wait, so you are a Texas grad or a T-shirt fan (doesn’t make a difference, just curious). Why the fuck did I think you want to osu?

My parents met at UT, so I literally exist because of the school. How many of the elitist actual alumni can say that? Exactly. But yeah, I’m a Yankee fan even though I’m from Texas, and a longhorn fan even though I didn’t go. My fandom, my choice.

No idea why you made the okie lite connection. It might be because you touch yourself. 

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Patricio Swayze

Patricio Swayze 17058

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My parents met at UT, so I literally exist because of the school. How many of the elitist actual alumni can say that? Exactly. But yeah, I’m a Yankee fan even though I’m from Texas, and a longhorn fan even though I didn’t go. My fandom, my choice.
No idea why you made the okie lite connection. It might be because you touch yourself. 

Dude, take a deep breath and step back. I was just asking. Calmate pendejo.
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Helobious

Helobious 9516

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3 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:


Dude, take a deep breath and step back. I was just asking. Calmate pendejo.

Ha I wasn’t mad. My sarcasm never translates well over the internet, and I never adjust it anyway. But the ok state thing is pretty funny, that’s a new one. You’re a houston guy right? Have you been leanin’ today? That could be it.

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Patricio Swayze

Patricio Swayze 17058

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1 hour ago, IDIOTsavant said:
[mention=98]Patricio Swayze[/mention] have you made this trip yet? I'm curious what you ended up going with...and really just hoping it was El Paraiso, so I can get some updated photographic evidence that my irrational desire to drive down and get that chicken fried steak isn't that irraitonal.

 


Yo! I was down there a few weeks back. I’ll try to put a photo up later. I made it to El Paraíso and had the special. Overall I give it a B+. The portion was smaller than all the pics I had seen, but that’s ok. CFS was good, crunchy taco was good, cheese enchilada was quite good. Beans were too salty, but maybe it was just that batch. I appreciated that their salsa wasn’t some wimpy mild crap.

 

Edit for pic:

 

spacer.png

 

 

 

29 minutes ago, cabowabo said:
Never thought I'd see a Roma thread on Surly.  

 

 



I need to update my map, but I have been to about 98% of the counties in Texas. This is all mostly driven by my photography. Been to a lot of small towns.

 

 

Edited by Patricio Swayze
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Helobious

Helobious 9516

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3 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

First, be nice until I tell to not be nice.

Second, where the fuck is the gravy for that CFS? Are you communist?

Edit: ahh, you are “on the side kind of guy”. Suspicious to say the least.

Tried telling you the steakhouse is better than El paraiso. Agree with you that Bevo&Pevo’s pic is a travesty. Still, can’t say I approve of your cheese on gravy choice. There’s no beating plain gravy.

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Patricio Swayze

Patricio Swayze 17058

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Tried telling you the steakhouse is better than El paraiso. Agree with you that Bevo&Pevo’s pic is a travesty. Still, can’t say I approve of your cheese on gravy choice. There’s no beating plain gravy.

Nah, it hit the spot and was contextual for being on the border.

Cheese on gravy is the way it comes.
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Bevo&Pevo

Bevo&Pevo 5402

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Steakhouse, EP, and El Rincon' are all owned by the same family.  If you notice, they can agree to hang the same picture of grandma.  With that being said, I don't they always get along otherwise.  I prefer Steakhouse most of the time.

For the record I prefer brown gravy on the side.  I like to control the amount of soggy I'm getting.

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