In the Lit-ul Corner – McAllen

Just returned from a trip to the Valley, Rio Grande Valley of South Texas.  This is as close as you can get to the border to Mexico. The City of McAllen is a simple city. Being the center to the Foreign Trade Zone, this area has become one of the fastest growing cities in the state.

Since it’s located miles from the Mexican border, it is no surprise that population is mainly Hispanic. Some of the most popular places to eat are the many Mexican restaurants or Taco places. Taco Palenque or Tacos El Zarape are two chains with many locations where you can stop and grab a quick bite to eat. I like to eat their fajita corn tacos with cilantro, onions, and a bit of lime.

In an effort to not eat Mexican food on my visit, I found this place called Solo Empanadas tucked in a little corner of a shopping strip in McAllen. The food is great, and like the title says all they sell is empanadas, Argentinian empanadas. This food is new to the people of McAllen and so far it has had great reviews. The restaurant is a cozy, little place with music videos of Argentinian singers, bands playing in the background. Are you into soccer? They have an autographs jerseys of Messi and Maradona and others from players from Argentina. Talk to one of the workers and they could tell you about the jerseys and the person who is in all the pictures on the wall.

The prices are reasonable and the variety is great.  You can eat here for less than $10 and try 3 or 4 different empanadas from the 10-12 on the menu.

You’ll receive each empanada stamped with your choice of filling and a small cup of chimichurri, the sauce used to put on your empanadas. If you don’t know what they’re like, the wonderful staff are very helpful.

Here’s my review:

I have tried 4 different kinds of empanadas, and all I loved each one of them. I have been back several times since and it has not disappointed me. They’re YUMMMY! so yummy that I brought them back home to some friends and family in Houston.

Here are a couple of more reviews from