Ole!

 

This Christmas my wonderful and beautiful wife got me various gift certificates for a ridiculous amount of money and by ridiculous I mean like $100 worth of certificates for like four bucks. For more info check out restaurant.com. It is partly the reason I decided to go ahead and start this blog. For the first redemption of these certificates we decided to go to a Mid-town favorite, Cafe Ole. Supposedly if you're hip and young and have a craving for Tex-Mex, then this is the place you should go. Below are the items we tried with the restaraunts description in italics.

 

Chips and Salsa

The chips were light and crispy. The salsa was pureed finely and had chili powder, but not enough cilantro for my taste, but some say I have an addiction to this leafy green herb. I would rate it a 5 out of 10, but I prefer chunky and lots of cilantro.

 

CHILI CON QUESO

A creamy blend of cheeses, chili, peppers and spices.

 Well, cheese dip is pretty standard across the board. Abbye convinced me to go for the chili con queso with added beef, and it was fair. Next time I will opt for the plain queso.

 

BACON WRAPPED STUFFED SHRIMP

Five shrimp stuffed generously with cheese and jalapenos then wrapped in delicious bacon and fried. Served with spicy chipotle BBQ sauce.

 

Now these little puffs of goodness were worth the visit alone. We got this appetizer off the suggestion of the waitress saying this is the reason people come here.  They were the best stuffed shrimp I have ever had. But, you must take this for what it is. I am not a connoisseur of stuffed shrimp. I am not a big fan of shrimp engulfed by a sea of bread with a bit of bell peppers and onions.  However, these stuffed shrimp were actually stuffed with more goodness than breading.  It was stuffed with white cheese and jalapenos, which made for great flavor. Of course, you can't go wrong with bacon and on top of that it's fried. However, Abbye and I agreed that the Chipotle BBQ sauce was good (smoky, sweet, and spicy), but kind of took away from the stuffed shrimp.  But, overall this is a must try at Cafe Ole.

 

TORTILLA SOUP

Veggie Spicy Mexican soup with onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, corn tortillas & cheese.

 

Now this could quite possibly be my favorite tortilla soup yet. And yes, it is fair game for all you vegetarian friends. Bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms made for a good overall taste. Most tortilla soups are creamed based and have very little spice if any at all. The spice level was appropriate and the tortilla chips added a good crunch to balance the texture.

 

 CHICKEN DIABLO

 

sautéed in chili butter & Dos Equis beer. Served over rice with fresh sautéed vegetable

This was my main dish of the night. And by that I mean entrée. The rice was unique to other Mex and Tex-Mex spots. The chicken was good and tender and the chili butter with Dos Equis was tasty. The fresh sautéed jalapenos added a good kick and the side of veggies were nice surprise to the most often accompanying fried and re-fired beans. However, my surprise turned to dismay because as most establishments they pour on the butter sauce which really negates the purpose of the vegetables. Overall the Chicken Devil was good, but not worth $17.

 

Conclusion

Café ole is a good place to get a margarita as the Memphis Flyer suggests. Nice atmosphere, decent food, over 50 types of tequila, and a friendly staff with eccentric personalities. If you're in the mood for a mid-town kind of night and want some Tex-Mex then this is your place,  but for my money, I prefer Molly’s La Casita.