BajaNomad

Do locals go to El Charro in Ensenada?

Hook - 11-13-2006 at 05:47 PM

My wife and I really like this restaurant but we are really just frequent tourists. We think it is a great deal and delicious. Guess what.......we order rotisserie chicken when we go there.:light:

But they also have a really good chicken vegetable soup there, as well.

So, what's the verdict, you locals? Do you avoid it just because it crawling with the cruise ship crowd? Or is there a better place for rotisserie chicken with some ambience?

Bruce R Leech - 11-13-2006 at 05:48 PM

where is it Hook? we will give it a try.

Hook - 11-13-2006 at 06:26 PM

Geez, Bruce, I'm terrible with street names in Ensenada. I just go to it. I think its on the north/west end of the main street that is one block east of the waterfront road.

We eat there all the time

Keri - 11-13-2006 at 07:35 PM

You hit it right on the head with the chicken soup. It is great. We get the chicken sometime too. We also like it because it has parking in the back. easy to park,k:yes: (Bruce if you are sitting in the restaurant looking out at the street looking slightly left you are looking at the side of Papa's and Beer on the corner.)k

bajabound2005 - 11-13-2006 at 08:34 PM

Donde? Donde esta????

Minnow - 11-13-2006 at 09:28 PM

Very good chicken. Wife loves the french fries. She says try the burritos, and they have the best chips and salsa in town. Clean and a great atmosphere. We also ordered three songs from the mariachis by Vicente Fernandez. Yep, can't wait for tomorrow.:biggrin:

Hook - 11-13-2006 at 09:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Minnow
Very good chicken. Wife loves the french fries. She says try the burritos, and they have the best chips and salsa in town. Clean and a great atmosphere. We also ordered three songs from the mariachis by Vicente Fernandez. Yep, can't wait for tomorrow.:biggrin:


Oh si! Volver, Volver...........

Minnow - 11-13-2006 at 09:55 PM

a tus brazos otra vez, quiero volver quiero volver volver volver volverrrrrrrr

bajaguy - 11-13-2006 at 10:15 PM

Is this the place with all of the roasted chickens on the big rotisserie in the front window....tourist zone???:?::?::?:

Minnow - 11-13-2006 at 10:42 PM

Si, and Keri's directions are right on the money.

fdt - 11-13-2006 at 11:22 PM

Yes, locals have always eaten en El Charro, my grandmother took me as a kid to the old place that was across the street, maybe someone remembers it had all the walls made to look like a log cabin, fresh hand made flowr tortillas, it belongs to the Bernal family. I also liked going to La copa de leche back then that was across from the old el charro. The new one has the same flavor. Muy bueno
saludos

thebajarunner - 11-14-2006 at 08:14 AM

El Charro is on Second St (tourist row) on the East side about 2 blocks from the North end of the street.
We started going there when we started racing in 1971 and I doubt if it has ever changed, in fact the tables and the cooking gear all look the same.
In its day it was where you would find all the racers, before and after, have not been back in years and years.
They had a waiter, I think his name was Arturo, and he would draw cartoons on your napkin, if you smiled, he whipped out a pre-drawn pack of original note cards and sold them for a very small price.
Great memories!

Baja runner , you should go back

Keri - 11-14-2006 at 08:56 AM

They moved across the street to very nice 2 story building. You don't have to sit in the smoke filled room anymore. Its rather nice,k:yes:

BajaNomad - 11-14-2006 at 09:27 AM

La Hacienda del Charro
Av. López Mateos 454

Hook - 11-14-2006 at 11:14 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Keri
They moved across the street to very nice 2 story building. You don't have to sit in the smoke filled room anymore. Its rather nice,k:yes:


Yes, Keri, I remember going to the original location in that log cabin type room. Not only the smoke but it was incredible how much of the cooking heat was trapped in there. I swear it was 100 degrees in there all the time. The new location is superior......and gigantic.

Happy ending to the tourist-discovers-good-local-hangout story..........:yes:

But, is Arturo still there???

thebajarunner - 11-14-2006 at 12:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Keri
They moved across the street to very nice 2 story building. You don't have to sit in the smoke filled room anymore. Its rather nice,k:yes:

don't know arturo

sylens - 11-14-2006 at 05:34 PM

and assume he's not there. we've been going regularly for over 6 years now. as of about one month ago, they now accept credit cards. :)

18 year-old grandson appears to be taking an interest in the place and is making some changes.

btw quality of french fries is debatable. hubby says they're awful:lol: i wouldn't know; i only order rice and beans with my chicken:bounce:

and the chicken is unfailingly excellent. yum. for special occasions we order the mole and it too is very good.

buen provecho:spingrin:

lizard lips - 1-12-2007 at 09:58 AM

Arturo died a few years back. He was an old man when I first met him in the 70ies at the old El Charro across the street from the new location.

He was an artist first and a waiter second. He sold us his personalized christmas cards every year which were hand drawn and always included a burro either in a santa hat pulling a sleigh or doing something with regards to christmas.

I miss the old man who was always smileing and had a positive attitude.

David K - 1-12-2007 at 10:05 AM

Does anyone have any of his artwork to show?

Was it simular to this style?

Viva Baja Cactus 062r.JPG - 44kB

Ken Bondy - 1-12-2007 at 10:41 AM

I was married in Ensenada in December of 1961 and we had our honeymoon dinner at El Charro. Nice memories, great thread for me.

++Ken++