Great Mexican dinner without breaking the bank? It can be done at this hot spot
Dreaming of excellent Mexican food, but also hoping to make your rent or mortgage payment and keep your car?
If you're like many people today, things are a bit tight. Maybe you haven't had a raise in seven years, maybe you nearly faint when the cashier rings up your groceries. Regardless, there are ways to enjoy a good meal out without breaking the bank.
El Camino, with locations in Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and now Boca Raton, has got you covered.
With excellent food and great ambiance, you can get an awesome meal for two at this restaurant that will fill you up for under $30.
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Additionally, we're not talking microwaved burritos or squeeze cheese on stale chips, at El Camino you're getting some of the best made-from-scratch Mexican in the area. Plus, they actually wait on you, bring it out to you, clear your empty plates and are nice. Yes, nice!
In this world, that last word is practically worth $30 alone.
In case your mind is thinking hidden menu items, special code on your phone or secret decoder rings, forget all that.
Just get the chips and salsa for $5 and the chicken enchilada entrée for $16.
Boom! Done.
Seriously, the chips and salsa are awesome. Made in house and hit with their spice blend, they are served warm with two types of salsa. There's the charred tomatillo salsa and the morita salsa. They are both excellent with just enough kick to make you (at least me) really happy.
For the entree, the chicken enchilada dish comes with three enchiladas, Mexican rice, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo, plus your choice of black beans, pinto beans or refried beans, and either salsa roja, salsa verde, creamy tomatillo or mole negro.
Though I guess there are some that might scoff and say "there's no way that chips and salsa and the chicken enchiladas could satisfy two people!" All I can say is that we've done this several times, I'm 175 pounds and my girlfriend is, well, let's just say considerably less than me and we're stuffed at the end.
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Chicken enchiladas not your thing? There are plenty of other options for cost cutting and satisfying that craving for good Mexican food at El Camino.
Also, time it right and there are more deals to be had. El Camino's 4 to 7 p.m. happy hour might just be the best deal going. During that three-hour window, customers can get tacos for $3 each. These include their tinga de pollo, the gringo (featuring ground beef, colby jack, sour cream, shaved lettuce and pico de gallo) and the chorizo. The three cheese and chicken quesadillas are $3 and $4 respectively. Chips and salsa are only $2. These offerings can vary slightly between the four locations.
Eating out once in a while is nice, paying your bills on time is also good and yes, you can do both.
El Camino on a budget
What: El Camino
Where: 700 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach (there are also locations in Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton)
Information: elcaminowestpalmbeach.com
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Great Mexican dinner for two, under $30 at El Camino in West Palm Beach
