Latest visit: Jan 2023
First visit: Oct 1994
We were recently reminded of Senor Manuel due to local food critic Matthew Schniper's excellent series known as Historical Haunts. We had both just featured Roman Villa and Luigi's. I wrote him about it and he responded in kind, which was nice (and unexpected). So on this cold Saturday it was the perfect comfort food lunch outing. There is just something special about a hearty Mexican lunch on a cold Saturday, what can I say? On this visit, Mrs. RJG and I indulged in a house margarita, something we don't do much anymore. Hey - they actually managed to put some tequila in it. Yaay. No wonder they've been around since 1970. The chips and "hot sauce" were exactly as we noted below: Very similar to Fort Worth's iconic Mexican Inn chain (which is in this blog somewhere). I stayed unimaginative and had ground beef enchiladas with the chile verde. Just as good as I remembered it. Hot to the last bite too. And speaking of memory, I also recalled the meal being gargantuan, so I laid off the rice and beans. The Mrs. went for it anyway, so I knew I'd pick from her plate. I ate my meal all gone like a big boy. Mrs. decided to be adventurous and try their "famous" Chile Mondongo sauce. I'm not keen on mushrooms but she wanted to try it. It wasn't a hit. She also didn't like the beans this go round. Too many and too much mush for a lack of a better word. We both agreed the rice was delicious. She only ate half of her meal, so no dessert for her. Oh well, it's her own fault haha. Service is way above average, to note. Speaking of that, it looks like they're only open from Thursday to Sunday now, due to "staff shortages". Yea, sure. Methinks they want 3 day weekends. Why not? They earned it. In any case, we'll be back - about every 2 years is about right. Takes that long to run it off... Bring a huge appetite.
---original 4/18/21 review
There was a time when Colorado was loaded with Mexican restaurants like Senor Manuel (forgive the lack of the diacritic throughout). Founded in 1970, Senor Manuel is like visiting a museum from a distant era. These restaurants were dark, with a dingy bar, and most assuredly cigarette smoke wafted through the air. Most of these places are long gone now, and I miss the atmosphere of going to them on a cold wintry Saturday afternoon for lunch. Followed by a game of pool perhaps. Who remembers Nemeth's El Tejon? That vibe is hard to recreate, and honestly I don't think anyone is trying that hard to either.
While it may look like the RJG have been regulars for 27 years, that would be entirely misleading. In fact I only went that one time in 1994 in my first tour of duty here in the Springs. I know the date, because of the circumstances on why we went there in the first place. I was with some old friends who were also from DFW (and who were responsible for me moving to Colorado in the first place, for which I'm eternally grateful). We were struggling to find the kind of Mexican food we got back home. That would be Tex-Mex. Of course we were seeking out the wrong thing. It wasn't until I moved to Denver the following year that Colo-Mex had real meaning to me. And it's a flavor I crave. Senor Manuel is just that. Old Colorado. Mrs. RJG and I "rediscovered" Senor Manuel when we had the summer Denver townhome sometime in 2011. And since then we've been infrequent, but enthusiastic diners.
On this visit, we took special note of the chips, which reminds us of a place in the Fort Worth area called Mexican Inn. Deep fried, crispy, and delicious. They're not "fritos" style like Mexican Inn, but everything else is about the same. Including the yummy red sauce, that has a small kick too. And speaking of which, Senor Manuel has moved with the times. and offers multiple chile sauces to drench your enchiladas in. Neither of us could resist the pork green chile, which is delicious, with large chunks of pork and that flavor that only a good green chile has. They also have a super hot habanero, which they gave me a sample of. Oh yea, this is some great chile for sure. Probably too much heat for an entire platter, but I was grateful for the taste. The rice was delicious, and we both appreciate the super hot temperature refried beans, which reminded us of Abuelos back in Texas. One area that Senor Manuel has stayed stagnant on is their beer selection. Basically it's Bud Light or Dos Equis (lager and amber) on tap. Ah what the heck, a Dos Equis Amber hits the spot sometimes. Like a big glass of flavored water. Haha.
Want a look back into the old Colorado Mexican restaurant scene of the 1960s and 70s? Hard to beat Senor Manuel for that.
10/1/94; 7/2/11; 3/31/18; 9/22/18; 4/18/21 (new entry); 1/28/23
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