There are a lot of Mexican restaurants around, but sadly, too few of them have both excellent food and authentic atmosphere. El Meson in Schaumburg is an exception to the rule.
When we walked in, the hostess asked if we wanted inÂŹside or outside seating. Jimâs brilliant idea was to dine outÂŹside even though the weather looked like Dorothy and Toto would come swirling by at any moment. It actually worked out well. If you needed an extra napkin, all you had to do was put out your hand and grab it as it flew by.
The restaurant is small, but with the covered patio that is open in summer, itâs an ideal place for a romantic evening. Even though it faces Schaumburg Road, it is far enough away so road noise is not an issue. Our waitress arrived with homemade tortilla chips and red (hot) and green (mild) salsa; both were excellent.
As a starter, we had jalapenos El Meson for $7.99, which were four huge breaded Jalapenos stuffed with Chihuahua (not the dog) cheese. They were delicious and muy caliente!
Tonight, Jim ordered the house specialty of beef and shrimp fajitas for $18.50. They came on a sizzling cast iron pan with grilled green peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Refried beans, rice, sour cream, guacamole, chihuahua cheese, and flour tortillas were served to complete the dish. The marinade used on the beef was awesome. Jim being the macho man that he is, asked for the optional hot peppers, which turned out to be fire-roasted jalapenos. They looked delicious, but were too hot for his taste. So much for the macho man…
Nancy had the chiles rellenos (2) for $12.95. These are poblano peppers, and they are very mild and tasty, not what you would expect given the name. They were filled with Chihuahua Cheese, then battered, fried, and served with a red sauce and melted cheese on top. Rice, refried beans, and flour tortillas completed the entree. This is one of my favorite Mexican dishes and El Meson didnât disappoint me.
To sum it up, great food, great atmosphere, great service, but watch out for those peppers!
FYI: If you want to sit back, relax, enjoying the chips and salsa with a margarita or two, donât order your appetizer or entree until youâre ready to eat. Why? Because the food arrives very quickly!
Now for the bill. El Grande total with lots and lots of iced tea, came to $49.90. Not bad at all.
He said/she said:
Jimâs take: I enjoyed the beef more than the shrimp. It was the tastiest and most tender beef fajita Iâve ever had. Nancy is a better âmanâ than I am; I couldnât handle the optional peppers, and she loved them. Nancyâs dish had too much cheese for my taste.
Nancyâs take: My dinÂŹner was superb! I preferred the shrimp over the beef in Jimâs fajitas, but loved the optional peppers; it gave my dish a kick. I judge how hot a dish is by watching Jimâs âextendedâ forehead bead up with sweat, as was the case with our appetizer. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 9.5 on the âSweat Head Meter.â
El Meson
34 W. Schaumburg Road
Schaumburg 60194
(847)882-1716
elmesonschaumburg.com
Directions: I-90 East to Rte. 59, South to Schaumburg Road East to just before Roselle Road. Leftside of the street.
Approximate Travel Time: 40 minutes
