You really cannot say that you’ve experienced “El Valle” without visiting Cabritos Nuevo Leon on W. Nolana in McAllen. Walking into this restaurant transports you right into Mexico without having to deal with the border crossing. Yes, you will be greeted in Spanish, but when you respond in English they have no problem accommodating you.
Before I mention the food and service, it is important to recognize that they perfected their atmosphere and menu in their restaurants in Reynosa (Matriz and Sucursal Puente Internacional) before introducing the successful model North of the Border. Allen, the owner of the restaurant, follows the traditions for preparing the food that he learned on the family ranch. The traditions include roasting the meat on spits over the fire and using only the freshest ingredients for every dish.
We immediately noticed that the restaurant design allows you to see the meat roasting in the kitchen from the dining room. The host greeted and seated us promptly and our server took our drink order right away. We noticed that they served Coca-Cola bottled in Mexico and there is a full bar. The chips and salsa brought to the table had 3 different salsas (mild, hot, and really hot) and 3 different kind of chips (a thin corn chip, a thicker chip, and chips made from flour tortillas).
The menu was interesting and ranged from a variety of starters, to salads, to meats, and many meals. The feature items are designed for multiple people (botanas for 2, 3, or 4 and paquetes for 2, 4, or 6). We ordered paquete no. 1, for 2 people and felt it would easily feed 3 or 4! While the specialty of the house is goat (cabrito), they also serve chicken, fajita meat (beef) and steaks (sirloin, t-bone, and rib-eye). This is definitely a place to go with a group so you can order the special plates—and, you can share the different items.
Do not be intimidated by the menu (written in Spanish with some English translations on the items, but not on all the items) because your server will answer your questions. Spend some time asking questions so you can understand what is available.
Our meal included the paleta of cabrito (shoulder), fajita meat (we could have chosen the t-bone), guacamole, frijoles a la charra, salad, and tortillas. We also tried the sopa de fideo (noodle soup), which included chunks of cabrito. The soup was excellent and the salad was fresh. They make the tortillas fresh in the restaurant and they were incredible! The cabrito was tender with a mild flavor and the fajita meat (arrachera) was very good. Be careful of the grilled jalapenos that come with the meal—one of them was so hot that even my wife could not eat it!
Of course, the final reason you must visit Cabritos is the homemade flan—it was exceptional; the texture and the flavor were perfect.
In summary, get a group together and visit Cabritos Nuevo Leon for an authentic taste of Mexico; get the experience the ranch hands had at the end of a hard day.
Submitted by Hoby Follis (Converted Texan, Retama Village)