El Jimador

  Doing a quick online search it looks like they have another spot in Brighton, but ours is the original. I don't think that counts as a chain restaurant, what do you think?


Our adventure that led to El Jimador was a bit round about. A friend and I decided to get together and have a cup of hot chocolate and chat. It was 7:20 on a Tuesday evening. I have to admit I had no idea how many places are just for the breakfast & lunch crowds. We started our search downtown, driving past the shell that was Belly's, the new bread place & Daily Bread, both closed... All the way to JoJo's Windmill.
By the time we made it to JoJo's it was apparent we would be changing our plans a bit.
We decided to go try El Jimador's.


I really was not in the mood for Mexican and just wanted something to sip on while we chatted.
I had heard some good things about this place so was ready to adapt my plans. There were no cars in the parking lot when we arrived and that made us a little apprehensive that we had just met another dead end. That quickly changed.


 The place is brightly lit and very colorful. We were met right at the door and seated... of course we were the only ones there, so that is not a great indicator. The wait staff was very friendly and we told them as we came in that we only wanted the chips & salsa and to chat, this didn't dampen their service a bit! As we got settled I really started to notice the decor. It is really colorful and festive. I liked it.
I decided chips and salsa wasn't really review worthy...or so I thought at first. So I ordered some Flan and a hot chocolate, That is what we were after in the first place, right?


The chips and salsa were at the table before you could have given the chef our order!

I had heard of their cabbage salsa before, but boy did it blow me away!
It tasted so fresh and crunchy. It wasn't spicy but had just enough garlic in it... I found myself compulsively eating it! The chips tasted fresh as well. I am kinda embarrassed to say we had 3 bowls of it between us.
And here I thought I was not in the mood for Mexican!


Unfortunately the Hot Chocolate was nothing special.
You may recall that I am always on the prowl for a good hot chocolate.
Perhaps the hot chocolate just stood no chance after the introduction to the restaurant we got from the salsa...
No, I think it was just that the poor hot chocolate just really wasn't that special.










The next dish to make its appearance was the Flan. It wasn't what I expected.
Usually I think of Flan as being in little round shapes from the custard cups.
This one look as though it was perhaps made in a larger batch.
I think it was beautiful!

It had real whipped cream and strawberry sauce drizzled on top. At first bite I was in love! The strawberry really helped make this dessert! The texture wasn't the smoothest, but in the end it was an excellent dessert.
I really look forward to returning and giving the rest of the menu a try!

El Jimador (970) 249-8990

1201 S Townsend Ave

Needing You

A few weeks ago I went to get lunch... I was all set to try something new and was on the hunt for another local restaurant. I headed right for a little spot I had had my eye on and was really looking forward to trying something new for me and sharing it with you.
 I pulled up and was met with disappointment....

They had gone out of business just days prior.

I was crushed.
Isn't this the purpose of this blog... to let everyone get to know the little local places so they WONT go out of business?
Are we failing?


Then I saw in the Montrose Daily Press front page... They weren't the only one's to close.
Gessepi’s Italian Delicatessen
Belly's
Maui Wowi
Cheap Charlies
Black Diamond Cafe

The party is over at Belly, a restaurant and bar in the heart of downtown, which has recently closed. (Joel Blocker / Daily Press) Advertisement

Who is next?

This is a big job people, I can't do it alone, Help me out here. 
Email reviews for the places you have gone to that aren't reviewed here yet and we will post them! Comment on the reviews already done and share what you have experienced at these local spots.

Let's take Word of Mouth just a bit father and help our town.

Don Gilberto

This last week I found myself wanting to grab some take out. I decided on Don Gilberto. It is a family favorite. The food is fairly fast if you don't go in during a rush. The breakfast burritos are tasty , large, and served all day! And sometimes all ya want is a nice breakfast burrito for dinner, they've got ya covered.

As far as service....welll... you put your order in at a counter and they call you up when the food is done...like a fast food place. The tables are also fast food reminiscent. The Menu is a big board over the register. It is very  Mexican Fast Food, minus a drive thru. I always get the impression that the cashiers don't speak much English as they never say much, even when you ask a question. I can not think of any recent mess ups on our order, so that is good. While you wait for your food to be cook ,as it appears it is all cooked to order, you can go to the salsa bar (my name for it) where they have a hot red sauce, a milder green sauce and... I don't know what to call the 3rd (if you know please let me know) it is carrots and things sliced thin. I have never added it to any of my orders. Please if you know what it is called or how you eat it let me know!

For this visit I was thinking of a nice lunch for me and My Love. I went with the Chicken Chimichanga Combo and a Lengua burrito. Oh, and I added a bottle of Sangria, really love that stuff. All together the total was $15.25, I dropped the change and a dollar into the tip jar then made my way to the salsa bar.
The combo's are served with beans and rice on the side. The chimichanga has guacamole sour cream on top and pico de gallo. I like the pico de gallo in my beans as I find the beans a little plain without it.
The portions are large enough that I made two meals out of it.
Everything they sever is ample portioned. the chimmichangas are really stuffed and it takes both hands to eat the burritos.
I haven't asked much about the restaurant, I remember they opened a shop in Delta but I don't know if they are considered a chain.

They are a good place to try if you want real Mexican, not Taco Bell!

Shanty II

This morning found me running errands around town... I had $5 in my pocket and my tummy was growling! So, I did the logical thing...found some food!

I decided since I was on the run I would give the Shanty II's drive thru a run. I had been to the Shanty II when they first opened, but it wasn't the best experience. All I wanted were onion rings...but the line was long, the place still had kinks to work out, I was hungry, and they were closing for the day...so the whole experience left me not too excited to get back.
I am glad I had the chance to try them again this morning!

If you aren't familiar with the Shanty II you might not know it has a drive thru. It's not your average drive thru, you actually get to talk to a person! You drive up to a window that is in their kitchen area. The menu is on a board right there and they lean out the window to take your order.

The menu was shockingly small at first glance.

I decided on the egg sandwich...with bacon of course, though you had the choice of sausage, ham, or chirizo. I didn't need a drink as I had picked up a hot chocolate from the cafe in Hastings while I did some shopping there, but the Shanty II had a good selection of flavors and coffee drinks.
The gentleman taking the order was nice, I am sorry I didn't even look for a name tag so I can't give him any props...hey, I'm still new at this (and more then a little shy.) He was polite and answered all my questions. He didn't give off that impatient attitude you get at a lot of the fast food places.

I found out that lunch starts being served at 11 (it was 10:36 when I pulled up) and it looks like they open at 7am. The rest of the schedule is a little less clear...some days they are open till 3 and others till 8. You will have to check for the days you want to go...or I will when I get by again.

The wait wasn't bad I was there for about 6 mins start to finish: a shocking improvement over my first time.

A different gentleman handed me my bag and I was on my way.

The smell filled the car and it was good! My stomach wasn't too happy with my decision to wait till I got home to eat. But we made it.


This may sound odd but I liked the fact that it was in a plain paper bag. made me feel like it was a home cooked meal, something I would have been sent out the door by my mom with.



Again, odd, but I really liked the paper  the sandwich was wrapped in. If presentation is part of the meal these guys are off to an excellent start.

It took some restraint to snap these shots for you... I wanted to EAT!

The bread was  grilled Texas toast and the cheese was a mild cheddar (I think). There was the right amount of everything! Not too much bacon or too little and it was even across the whole sandwich. The cheese fit the piece of bread perfectly. The whole look of the sandwich made me think it was made just for me. It was really living up to the brown bag appeal.
It tastes wonderful! Like I said just the right amount of everything! Nothing falling on you while you ate or oozing out the sides.

There are only 2 things I could suggest to improve the sandwich...
I cut mine in half before eating. It was too big for me to handle otherwise.
And Onions. I would have really loved some sauteed onions on it.
Now next time I go I will ask if they can do those too things for me and then it will be the best fast breakfast sandwich in town!  

I'm not hungry now,
~A~

Cafe 110

gI was really excited when I got the chance to go here!
You will find that a reoccurring theme, I am sure.

I had out of town guest come and we were meeting for breakfast before they left. They suggested Denny's...don't get me wrong I love Denny's, many good teenage memories from there...but this was a chance I had be waiting for...a reason to try a restaurant!
See, I live with a few very unadventurous souls. They do not like to go out unless they know what to expect (that is another reason for this blog, to check a place out before taking them there) So here was a glorious opportunity to eat at a spot I have wanted to try and perhaps open the door to future dining.

Joyfully my guests agreed to try it out...I didn't mention that I had not eaten there yet and they were part of my experiment...hehe.


I arrived first and was seated right away. I must say I loved walking into the place. They are under construction I guess...perhaps expanding? I did not ask. So the front looks a bit discouraging, and the lot was rather empty. I got there at just about 9am. there was one car in the lot. If they hadn't pulled in just before me I would have been afraid the place was closed for construction. Thankfully that was not the case.
There was a chill in the air as I crossed the lot, enough that you hurry to get inside. It felt very warm and welcoming as I came in. I liked the cozy entry.
There was a sign saying 'wait to be seat', and I had barely a chance to look around before a lady was there to seat me. I let her know I was meeting 2 others and they would be in soon. I already knew what we wanted to drink...hot chocolate...so I asked for it as I was being seated.

The menu was pretty small but I still had a hard time deciding what I was going to get... I wasn't very adventurous in my choice. I decided on french toast as that is my life long favorite breakfast.
and really... if you screw up french toast there is no hope for you. I guess it was like giving a test that you have to work at to fail.

The hot chocolate came out in good time and instantly get big points cuz it had whipped cream and chocolate drizzled on top! I loved that it was served in a glass mug rather then the usual coffee cup.

I waited for my guests, sipping hot chocolate and looking around. the dining area was small but didn't feel crowded, of course that could have been from the fact that only 4 other tables were occupied. you could hear the sounds of the kitchen, but in a good background sort of way. All the guests I saw come in were seated quickly and drinks seemed to come out in a good time as well. There looks to be art for sale on the walls...again, I did not ask, I will try to be more chatty in the future if that helps others. I really like the vase of real flowers on the tables, just a few sprigs in each but very nice.
I chuckled to myself at the menus...they look as though they were held together with tape.

My guest arrived and so did my food!
It was served on 2 separate plates... the french toast on one platter and a side of country potatoes and bacon on a smaller one. I was given a small dish with a scoop of butter and a small craft of syrup. I am not a syrup fan so I reached for the strawberry jelly instead. There was a selection of jelly on the table in little packets that reminded me of diners old diners when I was a kid.

The toast was sliced so they were each a triangle, sprinkled with powdered sugar and garnished with an orange slice. The French toast was excellent! A hint of cinnamon and a bit of citrus...possibly from the garnish. The outside was a perfect crispness and the inside was cook through without being dry.
I know I said french toast is a breakfast test you have to work at to fail, so perhaps it was too easy but they most certainly passed!
After one unadjusted bite I slathered on the butter and jelly and enjoyed every bite!

I hadn't realized it would be served with potatoes...perhaps I hadn't read the menu well enough...but I was pleased. I had briefly looked for hash browns and hadn't spotted them before I ordered.
The country potatoes were nice and golden brown, with a few over done pieces on the plate. I really had no preconceived idea on how they would taste as I wasn't expecting them in the first place...so that first bite was GREAT! The were seasoned just right without being too salty or greasy.

I had chosen the applewood bacon instead of the sausage or ham that was offered. The bacon was a little crisper then I like it, I'm not a crisp bacon fan...it tastes over cooked to me. But this was nice. I really loved the flavor! In fact I was surprised by the flavor! I was expecting that over-cooked-bacon-taste and got a mouth full of smoky goodness. It would probably been one of the best bacon I had eaten if it wasn't for the crispness. But hey, if you like crisp bacon you will love this!

The cost of the whole meal was hidden from me as my quests decided to treat me. But The price on the menu for the french toast was 8$. Most of the other meals were around $8-10.
The atmosphere was pleasant and the service was rather good. She checked on us without being pushy or absent. Overall the entire experience was pleasant...the food was good, the servers pleasant, the decor pleasant... It is an excellent place for a nice way to start your day!
I look forward to returning and trying something new!

~A~

Hungry? starting out...

I moved to Montrose about a decade ago. At that time I had a very young family and I remember wishing I knew what places in town were kid friendly and, as eating out was a rare event, I wanted to know if the food was worth it. I wished the paper would do more Montrose news and specifically restaurant reviews.
Well, here we are so many years later and as wishing hasn't made it happen I am going to do it myself.
As I get the opportunity to eat out at local restaurants I will post to you about the experience.
*the price
*the food
*the service
*the overall experience
I will rely on you, the readers, to let me know if you want to know more then I have thought to share, if there is a place in town you wonder about, or if there is a place you want to share your experiences about. So comment till your heart is content and email me if you have your own review you would like to add.

We have so many chain restaurants moving in and so many local spots I never had the chance to visit before they were gone...the Glenn Eyre, the Black Canyon Restaurant...and others I can't even recall the names of! So lets start with the locals first, if we can.

I will caution you right from the start... This will be a casual blog. I am not an English major, I am horrid at spelling, and often forget there are even rules to the English language...so, if that hurts your eyes this is going to be a painful place for you.
But as this is about the food that shouldn't really matter, right?

Shall we get started? I'm hungry...


~A~