Adam & Eats: El Trio

After a little continued research, I feel we are ready to head to the intended location of last week’s eating adventure. This little spot may be nestled next to an abandoned Wal-Mart, but don’t think for a second that they don’t serve excellent food.

Located behind a pawn shop on U.S. 64 in Alma, right next door to the old WalMart, is the home of El Trio Mexican Restaurant. This place really is a diamond in the rough. If the place weren’t painted bright pink and purple, you would never know it was there.

As it stands now, you’d barely notice it anyway. Given their fairly hidden location and the fact that neither the innernet nor the phonebook has any information on the place, you can understand why postponing this review required a bit more legwork on my part. It took me a while to find the damn place.

You may be wondering if all of this hype and extra work was worth it.

You bet your gorditas it was.

This joint is an oasis in the barren wasteland of Supercenter upgrades. You walk inside from the gloom of the parking lot to find a vibrant, cheerful atmosphere filled with delicious smells from the kitchen.

And the staff! Rarely have I seen waitstaff so willing and happy to take care of the clientele. Perhaps the only people more thrilled about the food service industry are the house elves at Hogwarts. And according to my sources, that’s saying a lot.

But what about the food? Surely with such an eccentric paint job and cheerful crew, El Trio must have blown their good vibrations load. Alas, and lucky for us, they have not.

Plate after plate of delicious, energetic, and bright food comes streaming out of their kitchen. For the big eater in your family, I’d suggest the “nachos deluxe.” Fresh tortilla chips are piled high with perfectly seasoned ground beef and chopped chicken, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and smothered in their wonderful white cheese. It is massive. It could definitely feed two normal people or one growing teenage boy.

If you want something on the lighter end of the spectrum, try the “pollo loco.” This crazy chicken has been hammered wafer thin, marinated in their special sauce, and grilled. It comes with rice, avocado salad, and tortillas. It is surprisingly refreshing and light. Squeeze a little lime over it for a little extra umph and you’ll be thanking Batman for El Trio’s ability to beat their meat.

On the more traditional end of the menu, I’d say the enchiladas are some of the best around. The tacos are great, but the chalupa might just be the most difficult thing to eat ever.

As I’m sure most of you have never seen or heard about this place, I highly recommend giving El Trio a shot. You’re sure to be pleasantly surprised.

Until next week, good eating to you and yours.

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