Local Flavor: Battle Drive Thru

Mike at Roberto’s, security at Si Senor

Si Senor, a local favorite for fine mexican food, just opened Si Senor Express a few blocks from Roberto’s. Roberto’s has long been the standard for good drive thru mexican food. In fact, Roberto’s is pretty much the standard for mexican food period. Every year, Roberto Estrada makes the word’s largest enchilada at The Whole Enchilada Fiesta. It doesn’t get any bigger than that! Now that they have a little competition, I was curious to compare the two.

Customer Service
This has been my biggest complaint about Roberto’s. The speaker at the drive thru cuts in and out, making it difficult to understand. The people who work there are pretty rude. I always feel like they are doing me a big favor by taking my order and my money. The line is long and the wait is even longer. The windows are tinted and there is little to no contact.

Si Senor Express was much more approachable. There was upbeat mariachi music playing, which made Echo look everywhere for ‘the party’. Even though the line was long, we were in and out fast. There was no waiting at the window. The cashiers greeted us right away, took the money and gave us the drinks while we waitied for the food. I remarked about how fast the service was and the the guy at the window flashed a huge grin. “They don’t call us EXPRESS for nothing!” It is obvious that there is an emphasis on friendliness. Yay! Si Senor Express wins this one by a landslide.

Winner: Si Senor Express

Food

I love burritos from Roberto’s. My favorite is a chile relleno with beans, onions and extra cheese. Their tortillas are perfect. I gave up on the enchiladas because they are always too hot for me to enjoy. I didn’t think Si Senor would have a chance. Boy was I wrong! The food was fantastic! I tried a combination plate and was given the choice between hot and mild chile. Thank you. I ate the entire thing. The brisket burritos were even better. The meat was tender and flavorful, topped with cheese and a mix of jalepenos, onions, tomatoes and cilantro. One of the best things was the chips and salsa. For $2.95 [less than a bag of Doritos], you get a bag of corn chips and all FOUR of their signature salsas. My favorite is the bean and chorizo. Both places are good, but I think Si Senor Express’ larger portions and fresher flavors win out over Roberto’s more traditional fare.

Winner: Si Senor Express

Value
The prices at Si Senor Express are higher than what I’m used to at a drive thru. When I pick up lunch for Mike at Roberto’s, the three of us eat for under $20. At Si Senor Express, it has been more like $25: not a huge difference, but it adds up. I’m going to have to give this round to Roberto’s.

Winner: Roberto’s

No visit to Las Cruces would be complete without a trip to Roberto’s; it is a local landmark. But I find myself turning to the new Si Senor Express more often than not. Did I mention that they serve huge DEEP FRIED bean and cheese burritos? Pure heaven.

Originally posted at kristyk.org