Mexico Tipico, a culinary treasure deserving discovery

April 1, 2007
By Bill Sontag
Feature Writer

Newcomers and tourists often ask Del Rioans, “O.K., where’s the best Mexican food in town?” The query suggests that the competition is hot, and it’s not. There is an abundance of Mexican food eateries here, and only a few are even worth a mention.

But one, México Típico, sits modestly at the top of the heap, in this writer’s opinion. And owners Jose and Eva Segura are either so modest or so confident – likely both – that the name of the little restaurant at 100 Fermin Calderon Blvd. doesn’t even appear on the building.

The term “hole-in-the-wall” as a criterion of Mexican food excellence is both overworked and tired, but you’ve got to want to find México Típico to dine there. And by any yardstick of dining out enjoyment, it’s worth the search.

On a recent Saturday morning, Eva Segura greets customers warmly and with the enthusiasm of someone who knows the importance of hospitality in any language. She and server Liliana Sanchez “tag team” customers to ensure orders are taken and delivered to Jose, who, with the assistance of Aurora Rodriguez, is cooking and plating generous servings of traditional Tex-Mex breakfasts.

Eva and Liliana are equally diligent about getting the sizzling hot plates to customers’ tables as fast as possible. And the aromas that rise from those plates are the new customer’s first clues that they’ve found a special place. The breakfast machacado (literally “ground” or “pounded”) is a blend of crispy, dried beef, shredded into a mix of scrambled eggs, mantled with a red sauce of tomatoes, onions, and spices.

This delicious mess has been a favorite of mine since I first tasted it at Lucy’s Café in the Five Points district of El Paso, but it’s never been as satisfying until it was served to me at México Típico. The plate comes with the usual refried beans, but they’re done perfectly, a little frothy, and cooked, of course, in manteca (lard).

The plate also includes hash browns. Not the vile, freezer-burned variety most restaurants serve. As with everything served at México Típico, these are fresh! The potatoes are grated that day, the coffee is made fresh several times a day, the sauces are made fresh daily, and the homemade tostada chips are crispy-fresh every day. There’s no orange, grapefruit or tomato juice on the breakfast menu, but the lemonade is squeezed that morning, a refreshing alternative to the usual.

And the salsa that comes with the tostadas is a standout, always a useful gauge of the quality of nearly everything else on a Mexican restaurant menu. Jose’s and Eva’s salsa is – what else – fresh. It’s spicy and flavorful, but not so picoso that your tongue goes searching for a place to hide.

The Seguras have owned México Típico in this location since 1995. It can be very busy at lunchtime, as regulars crowd in to get a bowl of steaming, rich caldo (beef and vegetable soup) before the supply runs out. But breakfast on Saturday mornings is more relaxed. There are only 36 chairs in the dining room, usually set up with four long tables and four against the wall that seat three, each.

México Típico hides in plain sight at 100 Dr. Fermin Calderon Boulevard (also U.S. Highway 277 South toward Eagle Pass), on the southwest corner of its intersection with De La Rosa Street. There’s no overhead sign, nothing above the roof, not even a clue on the doors or windows, other than some gaily-colored trim and fanciful figurines on the window sill.

But inside is an atmosphere of attentive table service, great food, and loyal customers that make newcomers feel at home straight away. México Típico is worth finding, but approach this little gem with high expectations tempered with respect and patience.