Thursday, May 21, 2009
El Gran Rodeo's sauce remains a favorite
TOM ANGLEBERGER Special to The Roanoke Times
El Gran Rodeo in Christiansburg's Marketplace shopping center has a robust lunch menu.
Tom Angleberger knows what he likes. So we've asked him to eat at NRV restaurants and write about them. If you have a restaurant to recommend,
e-mail him. Tom Angleberger
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El Gran Rodeo
Marketplace shopping center, 2700 Market St., Christiansburg
- Phone: (540) 394-4005
- Prices: Many lunch specials $5 to $6, many dinner specials $6 to $7
- Monday to Thursday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Friday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Saturday: 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
- Sunday: noon to 9 p.m.
El Gran Rodeo has long been a favorite.
What makes it any different than the many other local Mexican restaurants? The white sauce.
Most Mexican restaurants bring you chips and salsa. Some bring you white sauce, too. El Gran Rodeo brings you chips, salsa and the perfect white sauce: creamy but spicy, cool but hot.
I tried to find out what it was once but made no headway. I don't know if the recipe is really secret, but it should be.
That's not the only thing El Gran has going for it, of course.
There's the very friendly service, the relaxing atmosphere and certain dishes we've come to love, such as Vegetarian No. 8, a quesadilla with grilled mushrooms and onions. I couldn't tell you how many of these I've eaten over the years.
But not this time. On my most recent visit, since I knew I'd be reviewing the restaurant, I decided to order a dish I'd never tried before.
The lunch menu is robust here, so I scanned for something new and found El Azteca.
This dish, which was served up very quickly, is a steak smothered in mushrooms, onions, cheese and sauce. A hearty meal with a potent flavor. It came with a huge knife, but was tender enough to cut with a fork.
It came with rice and beans as side dishes, but I'd recommend asking for lettuce and sour cream instead. (Luckily, my wife was kind enough to give me a bit of these items from her fajita platter.)
If you're looking for lighter fair, try one of my favorites, the "chicken salad." This is not chicken salad, but rather a salad piled with delicious grilled chicken and cucumbers. It's a great combination.
El Gran has actually gotten better since we first became loyal customers. It has cut out the smoking section and added a new dining area. It's a pleasant setting for a family meal.
Bottom line: El Gran Rodeo calls us back again and again with tasty food, friendly staff and a very comfortable restaurant.
