Bacon-wrapped Shrimp Wins
Eat It: April 14
El Sol tastily relieves First Thursday hunger
By Rachel Birdsell
TFW Contributing Writer
El Sol Mexican Restaurant
2630 E. Citizens Drive Suite 21
Fayetteville
443-0606
Preamble Ramble
(Staff Photo: Richard Davis) El Sol Mexican Restaurant has a variety of camarones, or shrimp, options to delight, including this one with shrimp in a garlic, butter and lemon sauce. Slices of fresh avocado and rice garnish the plate.
After First Thursday, I was tired and ravenous. I needed somewhere to eat where I could get fast, good food. El Sol, which is in the shopping center at the corner of Crossover and Mission, happened to be on the way home.
While I’d never eaten there, I crossed my fingers it would be good. Did you know that crossing your fingers really works? It does. I proved it that night.
Food For Thought
I was waffling between the Camarones el Diablo and the Camarones um … I don’t remember the name. It was bacon-wrapped shrimp. The bacon won. It usually does.
The fundido del mar with shrimp, cheese, mushrooms and more, served hot with tortillas at El Sol Mexican Restaurant in Fayetteville.
I was brought out a skewer full of 10 shrimp that had been lovingly wrapped in bacon. It was a beautiful thing. Of course, you can wrap bacon around almost anything and have it be fantabulous. My only complaint about the bacon/shrimp combo was that it was cooked a bit too long. It was still very good. The bacon was crunchy, the shrimp was shrimpy. It was especially good dipped in the mild salsa. But I haven’t told you about the salsas yet, have I?
The art adorned walls of El Sol restaurant in Fayetteville.
You will get the hot and mild red salsas with your chips. You have to ask for the green salsa. The hot, while very tasty, wasn’t very hot at all. In fact, it was kind of puny in the heat department. It was the Michael Cera of hotness. The green salsa was the hottest and was good, but my favorite was the mild. I know that I usually like the hottest salsa on the table, but the mild had the most flavor. It had a slight fermented taste. And I mean that in a good way: fermented like aged fermented rather than spoiled fermented. Just go and taste it, and you’ll see what I mean.
The guacamole is some of the best I’ve ever had. Unlike a lot of Mexican places that pad the guac with a lot of tomatoes, this was pure avocado. It was delicious, fresh and made me wish that the large order was bigger.
The ubiquitous beans and rice that came with my meal were mediocre at best. The beans were dry and pasty and the rice was bland.
But … bacon + shrimp = muy delicioso!
The Sporkcast
(1-5 sporks)
Atmosphere: 4.00 smoky gray sporks with roasted poblanos on the tines. It was dimly lit, enough so that if you’re famous and don’t want to be recognized when you go to eat, El Sol would be the perfect place for you. It would also work well for ugly dates.
Food: 4.25
Staff: 4.80 My waitress was great. She made sure I had exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it
Dollars spent: Roughly $14. Most of the entrees were less than $10.
Chance of returning: I’d definitely go back to El Sol. The food is fresh and tasty and the prices are wallet friendly. The east side seems to be movin’ on up in the restaurant department.
If you know of a great place, drop me a line at rabirdsell@gmail.com. I’ll check it out and let you know what I think.
