El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant (Closed)
4600 N.W. 39th St.Oklahoma City, OK
El Rodeo is a well known, very popular Mexican restaurant from Guthrie that has now opened in
Oklahoma City on N. W. 39th Street (the old U. S. Highway 66). El Rodeo took the place of Diego's
Restaurant which I believe has now moved to the former MexiCasa on N. W. 23rd Street. The
important point, though, is that if anyone goes to this location thinking Diego's is still here (expecting
the better than average food Diego's serves), I believe El Rodeo might be even better. At least on
my initial visit I was quite impressed with it.
The owner of El Rodeo is from the Mexican state of Aguascalientes in the central region, and I
have found that cooks from different areas of Mexico prepare food with their own unique seasonings
and flavors. On the surface the menu does not include any specialties from Aguascalientes, but has
a more generic menu that is similar to the ones found at almost all Mexican restaurants. I think the
difference here, though, is in the flavor, which I found to be quite excellent.
Everything was good, including the chips, salsa, rice, drink, and even the sopapillas (which at
most restaurants are rather flavorless balls of dough with sugar on top). I did not find anything that was
exceptional enough to say that it was the best in OKC, but what made El Rodeo unique was the fact that
everything I tried was enjoyable.
The standard Salsa that looked as if it were made with chopped tomatoes was better than
most, and also spicier than average. The Hot Salsa made with green chiles, served on request,
was even better. I did not find it overwhelmingly hot so that it was hard to eat, but it was good as an appetizer
and also a condiment to the food that was served.
I ordered Tostadas de Camarón (shrimp) after seeing them served at another table. These
had fresh avocados with good quality shrimp and a lime flavored sauce. These are one of the specialties of
the restaurant, and I think for good reason. The way they were prepared was almost like a salad, and
I enjoyed the fact that the shrimp was fresh.
Most of the menu was Tex-Mex, but I found much of the food to be more authentic Mexican than
Tex-Mex. For instance, the Chile Relleno I sampled had a good quality chile, light cheese (not the
gloppy American style cheese I often find), and a very good crust. The only thing that detracted from it
on the version I tried was the ground beef (but this was an optional feature).
The Cheese Enchilada was definitely Tex-Mex style, but it had a better flavor than most,
with better quality cheese. I have had good Tex-Mex food in Austin and San Antonio, and my problem
with many Oklahoma restaurants is not that they serve Tex-Mex, but that it is not as good as the
restaurants in Texas. El Rodeo, though, may be as good as some of the restaurants in the Alamo city.
The Rice was excellent, with a complex flavor. It was not overcooked, and I think was cooked
like most good Mexican or Tex-Mex chefs would prepare it.
Horchata was freshly made and flavorful, but was the only agua fresca drink served.
Tostadas de camarón
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RESTAURANT DETAILS
RATING: 22
Cuisine: Mexican
Cost: $$
Smoking: No Smoking
Alcohol: Beer
| Chile Index: | 
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Most Recent Visit
Jun. 15, 2010
Number of Visits: 1
Best Items
Tostadas de Camarón, Rice, Horchata
Special Ratings
Tostadas de Camarón: 
Chile Relleno: 
Cheese Enchiladas:
Rice:
Beans:
Salsa:
Salsa: hot
Queso: 
Chips:
Sopaipillas:
Horchata:
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