Well, grab your favorite compadres and let’s eat! And be sure to invite your appetite because it’s going to come in handy on our short journey to sunny Mexico. For right here in Burlington you can enjoy the sensational cuisine of our southern neighbor, sans the airfare.
Your festive mood is also a welcome compadre here at Los Compadres, for as you step in the door, you’re greeted with huge murals of traditional Mexican artwork, standing out from walls of brilliant pink and green. Did I say brilliant? Because this is the hottest hot pink and the most auspicious green in the palette.
And since we’re on the subject of palate, let’s eat. Choices abound on the Los Compadres menu, but choose we must, so dive in and get your feet wet in this vast, friendly menu. Each item is listed in Spanish with its English translation close by for those of us who are language challenged. It doesn’t take long, though, before terms like Sincronizadas and Pescado a la Verracruzana begin to become familiar.
Botanas start us out and these Appetizers offer more than the Nacho Supreme with which we’re all familiar (although the Nachos are there, front and center). Queso Fundido con Rajas tops the list with its melted cheese, poblano pepper slices, tomatoes, refried beans and all their companions. . . sign me up! Choriqueso steps right up to bat, too, boasting authentic Mexican sausage surrounded by melted cheese. And the Pico de Gallo is hot (sorry) on its heels, prepared with the freshest tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and cilantro. Fresh, in fact, is the word of the day as everything here tastes just-picked.
It’s apparent from this ten-page menu that you could partake of Los Compadres offerings on many visits before running out of choices. There are many old friends, such as the Burrito and the Chimichanga, but here you’ll make new friends that you’ll want to remember. Quesadillas are not limited to the appetizer section, and they are a welcome addition to the Mexican Favorites portion of the menu, oozing with melted Monterrey cheese, grilled veggies and poblano pepper slices. Yum. Enchiladas join the party, too, topped with Los Compadres homemade sauce. The menu suggests you Ask About the Traditional Way, but on this busy evening, I didn’t get a chance. We’ll have to save that for another trip.
Speaking of tradition and still perusing the vast menu, we find a full page dedicated to just that. The menu welcomes meat lovers, as the Comidas Mexicanas, boasts such delights as Steak Tampiquena, served with a side enchilada, Carne Asada, ribeye done j-u-s-t right, Steak Encebollado, smothered with sauteed onions and slices of avocado or Steak Ranchero, simmered in Los Compadres own Ranchero sauce. Do you suppose it’s fresh? You bet.
There are sauces of many colors here, too. Green, red, white and then there’s the delicious and intriguing mole sauce. Move over sweet chocolate, because the Mexicans have mixed our most beloved food into a savory concoction of spices, cinnamon and other mysterious ingredients to arrive at a sauce that, when poured over your burrito adds a depth of flavor not to be rivaled anywhere. Chocolate takes on a whole new meaning here in Chocolate City.
Poultry fans, you’ll applaud as you skim down the menu greeted by such titles as Pollo en Salsa, Pollo en Crema, Pollo a la Diabla, careful, "very hot sauce", states the menu. This is dangerous territory on a Mexican menu.
Never to be left out, seafood performs swimmingly led by Caldo Siete Mares, boasting seven different kinds of seafood. Or, have your Enchiladas stuffed with jewels from the sea, served with special homemade white sauce. Talk someone at your table into the Los Compadres Mexican Grille for two. Marina, sporting crab, shrimp, clams and crab legs or Carnes, with chicken, sausage, Italian, and arrachera. Whoa. Hope you’re hungry.
Were you thinking dinner? Well, think outside the tortilla here at Los Compadres, and order your breakfast! When you’re tired of the same ol’ meal breaking your fast, come on down. Because here you can get your huevos smothered in red and green sauces, your scrams with cilantro and jalapenos and your toast the Mexican way. Now, wouldn’t your Mom like her Mother’s Day to start out Mexican style?
Of course, there’s always room for dessert, but you won’t find a boring ice cream sundae here. Instead, round out your meal with Fried Ice Cream, (Do not try this at home!) topped with strawberries and ice cream, a Chalupa, a fruit-filled Chimichanga served with ice cream. Dreamy. Or try Mexico’s answer to custard, the Flan. Add a cool, refreshing Margarita to your repast and you’ve just spent your mini vacation in sunny Mexico. . . north of the border.
You’ll find Los Compadres on Milwaukee Avenue (Hwy. 36) in Burlington. They are open seven days a week and also offer carry-outs and delivery. Bring your compadres and let’s eat!
