Chile Mercado offers more than standard Tex-Mex fare

Once a pancake house situated close enough to Interstate 40 at the Southeast 15th Street exit for hungry travelers to see, the restaurant is owned by veteran restaurateur Jack Young. Young owned and operated Monterey Jack’s, which once upon a time, had a Midwest City location.

While a local real-estate agent briefed me on the recent business boom, we recently dined over a tasty lunch. I ordered the luncheon chicken quesadilla served with rice and beans, while my dining companion ordered the chicken fajita tacos with mashed potatoes and a corn side dish. Considering both of us are what waitstaffs might consider high-maintenance or overly inquisitive when it comes to making meal selections, we were pleasantly surprised when the waitress was more than gracious to accommodate us. She had us at, “I can do that,” for sure.

As our drinks came out (agua for me and iced tea for my lunchmate), chips, salsa, cheese sauce and both corn and flour tortillas arrived, too. The chips were light and crispy. The salsa was quite savory without being too runny or saucy. The cheese sauce had a kick to it and was likely made with fresh cheeses and peppers. (If not, this was by far the creamiest processed cheese ever to melt.)

Before we could completely ruin our lunch appetites, lo and behold, our waitress brought us our food. I always like it at a restaurant when a server uses the cart to deliver meals for some reason, and score one for Chile Mercado. The cheese in my quesadilla was so soft in the crispy flour tortilla that I knew it was too hot for me to taste quite yet. The chicken was nicely diced in the sea of cheese. My rice was very fluffy and not greasy, while the refried beans were a combination of mashed and whole beans. The beans had a terrific flavor without being too strongly spiced or floured.

My companion “ooh”ed and “ahh”ed over her selection as well. Her chicken fajita tacos were not served in a cast-iron skillet, but inside two crispy tortilla shells. She ate one in the crispy shell and transferred the chicken into a corn tortilla for some variety for the second one. Her mashed potatoes and corn had Tex-Mex additions to them. Her face displayed total delight as she ate them.

Beef tips.

Credits: Photo/Mark Hancock

Much like the 1970s television commercial in which the man said, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing,” I was saying the same as I polished off my quesadilla, rice and beans. The complimentary sopapilla came out soon after, and it was just as tasty as the rest. Lightly sugared with some cinnamon, too, the sopapilla was light and airy.

Chile Mercado, with its festively painted walls and plenty of seating, has an extensive menu for more than just weekday lunch that includes the typical Tex-Mex enchiladas, burritos, tamales, chimichangas, tacos, nachos and fajitas, along with some more authentic dishes and seafood offerings. The prices are so reasonable and the eatery is so conveniently located, that I certainly will be a repeat customer.