Carlos and Lucia's

Location: Cameron Sabalo, just north of El Cid
GPS: 23 15.331N, 106 27.510W

We stopped in at Carlos and Lucia's mostly because painted on the sign in big letters it says Mojitos. I've always wanted to try a mojito – a properly made Cuban mojito – and that's exactly what I got, and so much more.

The interior of the restaurant is festive and charming. The bright colors are welcoming and the owners' collections are displayed everywhere: flags, hats, license plates, baskets, sea turtles, fish – you name it, it seems like they collect it. We chose to sit outside on the patio to enjoy the cooler weather.

We were seated and waited on by Carlos himself. He created a feeling of such warmth, it was like being an honored guest at a family dinner. We had the opportunity to meet his daughter as well. Ironically, at the time of our visit, Lucia was in Fort Worth.

Carlos brought out chips and salsa. The chips were light and crisp and the salsa was like none I have ever tasted. It was smoky and tangy and not too hot.

Of course, I ordered a mojito, $40 pesos (about $3.71 US at our most recent exchange rate). Carlos made it for me himself. It was beautiful, filled with fresh mint, and tasty. I was expecting a strong drink, but it was smooth and went down easy. Probably too easy. The only thing I couldn't figure out was how to drink the last half without getting mint in my teeth. I need lessons. Or better yet, more practice.

I started with onion rings, $30pesos (about $2.79 US) and Chuck ordered the Cuban black bean soup, $40 pesos (about $3.71 US). The onion rings were sliced thick, battered and fried. The batter was everything a tempura batter should be, light and crisp. Even though they were sliced thick, the onions were neither mushy nor stringy, a real feat. I am an onion ring connoisseur and very picky. Carlos served the onion rings with honey mustard and brought ketchup to the table, then he offered me something totally unexpected: ranch dressing. That's the first time I've even heard the words since we've been in Mexico. Texas eat all things fried with ranch, but I declined. The honey mustard was really good.

The big hit of the meal was the black bean soup. This stuff is amazing. It's flavor isn't overly complicated, but there is no way you can call it simple. The flavors are perfectly balanced and really highlight the beans. The texture takes advantage of the natural creaminess of black beans. It feels so indulgent without the guilt that goes along with cream soups. That's not to say that it's low fat. It is served with a dollop of sour cream and plenty of melty cheese mixed in. Mmmmmm. The soup is so good that we had to go back the next day and get two orders to go.

I had the Cuban sandwich for dinner, $60 pesos (about $5.57 US). It was as big as the plate. There were some French fries on the side, but I ignored them. They were average fries and couldn't hold a candle to the onion rings. The sandwich had sliced ham and slow roasted pulled pork in a delightful sauce. It was topped with cheese, lettuce, and tomato and served on a soft bread that soaked up the sauce wonderfully.

Chuck had the Shrimps Carlos and Lucia, $130 pesos (about $12.07 US): perfectly cooked shrimp and onions brandied, flambed, then poured over tasty rice and covered with melted cheese. The rice soaks up the sauce from the shrimp and becomes irresistible. Chuck usually views rice as pointless filler and ignores it, but he ate this rice with gusto. The plate was garnished with steamed vegetables which were pretty but bland and overcooked. It didn't matter. There was plenty of food. There were also fried plantains which were very tasty.

I would go back and order everything we had again. It was all delicious and well worth the price. But the star of the meal was the soup. We will be going back for the soup again and again.

You can see more pictures from this review in the photo album.