Travelers to Beaumont, Texas will soon come to the conclusion that Southeast Texans love to eat. We love to eat and we like things spicy. No where is this more evident than in the wide array of authentic Mexican and also Tex-Mex food available in the city of Beaumont. So what is Tex-Mex food and how does it compare to authentic Mexican food? How can you tell the difference and where do you go to find it? That all depends on who you ask.
Tex-Mex is a term used to describe Mexican food with an American twist. Authentic Mexican food is just that – authentic. As it was originally prepared by the Mexican people, without any outside influence. Tex-Mex food has a long history in the state of Texas and it really wasn’t introduced by the Mexicans at all. It came from a blending of cultures as well as a blending of ingredients. The Native Americans contributed onions, nopales (prickly pear cactus), and pinto beans to the Mexican culinary history in the early seventeenth century. Colonists from the Canary Islands brought with them new spices for the mix – including cumin, chiles, and coriander. Tex-Mex cuisine is known for its common use of beef and beans. Nachos, hard shell tacos, tostadas, and fajitas are all trademarks of the Tex-Mex culture with no roots in Mexico at all.
Authentic Mexican food might not be as appealing to Americans without that Tex-Mex twist. Dishes such as menudo (a stew prepared from pork tripe, chiles, and spices), tamales de cabeza (tamales made from the meat of a pig’s head), tacos de lengua (soft tortilla tacos made from beef tongue), and queso fresco (goat’s milk cheese) sound good to the ear, but a person who isn’t accustomed to the ingredients of these dishes might think otherwise once they found out the translation.
You can experience all these tastes and more during your visit to Beaumont, Texas. Beaumont offers a variety of authentic Mexican and Tex-Mex eateries to appease any appetite. Here are the top three Mexican restaurants that you should check out in Beaumont, Texas.
Rio Rita’s Mexican Restaurant
230 Crockett St
Beaumont, TX 77701-2335
(409) 833-0750
Rio Rita’s has an extensive menu of Tex-Mex dishes as well as original American food. Centrally located in the heart of downtown Beaumont’s historic Crockett Street Entertainment District, it’s sure to on the way to wherever you’re headed in the city. The atmosphere is very old world Mexico in a hacienda setting. You can also choose to sit outside on the patio by the water fountain. Rio Rita’s offers everything from the requisite guacamole and enchiladas to cool Margaritas and Tex-Mex desserts to finish off your meal.
I-10 to Beaumont – take the downtown exit turn left at the second light, which turns to Main Street. Pass through two stop lights, and then one block down you’ll find Crockett Street on the Right. Rio Rita’s is located at the end of the strip.
Casa Ole Mexican Restaurant
5898 Eastex Freeway
Beaumont, Texas
(409) 899-2646
www.casaole.com
Casa Ole is a big pink building full of a whole of fun and good food. While visiting Casa Ole in Beaumont, Texas, you can enjoy a large menu offering the requisite Tex-Mex dishes at great prices. Casa Ole in Beaumont, Texas features a lunch special each day Monday through Friday and $1.49 Margarita specials on Thursdays. Casa Ole in Beaumont, Texas also boasts a kids’ menu where all their dishes come with a drink included for a cool $3.99. As an added bonus, if you visit on your birthday, the staff will sing you the birthday song and give you a yummy ice cream desert on the house.
I10 West to the US 69 North exit. Follow 69 North about 2 miles until the Dowlen Road exit. Casa Ole is located on the right at the corner of Eastex Freeway and Dowlen Road – Beaumont, Texas
Taqueria de Buey y Vaca
1801 College Street
Beaumont, Texas
(409) 832-9002
If authentic Mexican food without the Tex-Mex twist is what you’re looking for, de Buey y Vaca is the place to go in Beaumont, Texas. It’s a very low-key, neighborhood Mom and Pop kind of place with no frills – but they do have a TV so that you can brush up on your Spanish speaking skills while watching Telemundo. De Buey y Vaca serves carnitas (shredded pork), tortillas a mano (handmade tortillas), barbacoa (Mexican barbeque), nopales (prickly pear cactus), friojles refritos y arroz (refried beans and rice), tacos de lengua (beef tongue tacos), and just about any other authentic dish imaginable. Aside from the homestyle Mexican fare, they also have fresh chicharrones (fried pork skins) and aguas frescas (fresh fruit drinks) – all made on site. You don’t order from a menu at de Buey y Vaca. You can just point to what you want cafeteria style and they will serve it to you hot and fresh. You won’t find hard shelled tacos, cheese, tostadas, nachos, or any other familiar Tex-Mex food at de Buey y Vaca in Beaumont, Texas. It’s strictly old Mexico.
I10 West to the College Street exit. Turn left onto College Street and drive approximately three miles. After you cross a set of railroad tracks, de Buey y Vaca will be located shortly on the right hand side of the street.
