Mexico Cafe Delano

It has been a few years since my last visit. Still enjoyed every bite. The enchiladas are one of my favorites. Update 6/29/22 Don't forget to buy some take-home for the freezer. Delano Mexican Cafe enchiladas at home is the second best thing to dining in.

Everything we ordered tasted like it came from a can. We ordered the lunch sampler and a taco salad. The ground beef wasn't seasoned to any standard I could appreciate, and it served as the key ingredient of everything. Each item tasted exactly same... just served up differently. The taco salad didn't come with sour cream or guacamole. The chips tasted like they were store bought and the salsa tasted like it came from a can. I'm not particularly picky, and I don't have high standards for Mexican food in the Midwest. But this was memorably bad in what it lacked in flavor. On the positive side, the staff was friendly, it had a pleasant dining room and was generally a neat little hole-in-the-wall restaurant! I just wish the proprietor put a little thought and flavor into his dishes.

We happened to see this small cafe in Delano. So we checked it out. We saw the bowl advertised in the window. Since it was ‘to go’ because of COVID the owner invited to come in an order and it would be 10 minutes. So we went for a walk in downtown Delano and when we came back it was ready. We had a 17 minute drive home but the meal was still warm. What we experienced were chips that were just right; not too salty. The salsas were delightful and generous. The came the bowl. My wife felt that there was too much rice but I found it just right! And then came the nicest surprise: tender chunks of seasoned pork! This was awesome chile verde! It is hard to find good chile verde. I know of other older family restaurants in Wichita and Newton that have great chile verde. And this was for me among the best! I shall return soon! Thanks much!