Located in the semi-sleepy town of Amarillo, El
Manantial is an authentic Jalisco style restaurant (the hometown of the
owners). This dirt cheap delicious food
was discovered through Yelp and regardless on my personal opinions of the
company when it comes to their treatment of small businesses I was delighted
with the result.
With an adventurous spirit we decided to follow the
branded red Y and drive past the chain restaurants to the ever-so-slightly Mexican hood
(over the bridge and through the junkyard) to this somewhat-hole-in-the-wall
bodega where better authentic Mexican food cannot be found.
As soon as we sat down we were greeted with two
different types of salsa, you classic tomato frescy-y, along with a bean based
salsa that was absolutely delicious. And
El Manantial’s homemade chips were so thin you could see illumination through
them.
My traveling companion Miss Shariece Odell decided on
the Tostadas de Ceviche, a stuffed avocado with shrimp and lime sauce.
She noted the taste to be fantastically fresh. This is an authentic Mexican restaurant so
their menu includes the more exotic meat choices including tongue, goat, and
tripe. 
But because I’m a Veg I chose to partake in their
Veggie friendly Huevos Ranchero. And
absolute delight, the eggs were amazingly runny, the potatoes seasoned to
perfection, and the beans the consistency to bridge the difference between the
two. I also decided to get one Enchilada
which was comprised of a thicker homemade corn tortilla that was lightly sauced
(it’s a pet peeve of mine when enchilda’s are drenched in sauce).
It should be noted that we were initially looking into
this Amarillo based restaurant when we realized they offered a Yelp deal (similar
to Groupon). We spent $10 through Yelp
to get $20 at the restaurant. Truthfully
this was added bonus, and given our options we would return again next time
we’re in Amarillo paying full price.
So here’s to life being delicious and all your trips
off the beaten path of Amarillo being as tasty as El Manantial.
