Straddling the border between the Penn student realm and far, far away lies El Camino Real, a restaurant celebrating the unique cuisines available on the border between Texas and Mexico. El Camino is the recent incarnation of Owen Kamihira, the man responsible for drawing crowds to Northern Liberties with his Spanish tapas restaurant Bar Ferdinand. Although El Camino is just across the street from its sister spot, the cuisine, décor, and overall ambiance could not be more different.
Walking into El Camino Real, customers feel as if they’ve entered a casual, unknown bar in a small border town. No prominent sign marks the restaurants exterior. Instead, colorful scribbles on the windows advertise specials and upcoming events. The rough-hewn wooden tables, booths upholstered with Southwestern tapestries, and a prominent open kitchen add to the relaxed atmosphere of the space.
Upon first glance at the menu, it is clear that the restaurant is divided along the Rio Grande. It is not solely Tex-Mex, but instead highlights the individual aspects of both Mexican and Texan cuisine. The left side of the menu presents Mexican favorites such as chiles rellenos, chimichurri skirt steak and enchiladas, while the other side focuses on barbeque and comfort foods with a twist, like mac ‘n’ cheese with jalapeno bread crumbs ($7) or fried pickle slices with spicy chili mayo ($7). The menu may pull restaurant patrons in opposite directions, but there is no need to choose between the two sides: whether from Texas or Mexico, the appetizers, main courses, and sides mix well to create interesting combinations of flavors.
To fully appreciate El Camino’s Mexican options, I recommend beginning with a plate of two burritos ($9-11). Although this dish is considered Tex-Mex, the unusual fillings and ingredients in the kitchen at El Camino far surpass any Tex-Mex joint in Philadelphia. Choose from shrimp, chorizo, chicken, lengua (tongue), tripitas (tripe), barbacoa (slow-cooked beef), machacha (steak and eggs), seasonal fish, or cactus and potato. The machacha seemed more suitable as a breakfast entree, as it was filled mainly with eggs and little steak. The cactus and potato, however, provided a welcome spin on the traditional vegetarian burrito, and paired perfectly with the chunky tomato salsa, cabbage, radish, black beans and rice. Another traditional favorite was the side of grilled Mexican street corn on the cob, topped with chili powder, shredded cheese, and sprinkled with lime ($3).
Great barbeque is hard to come by on the East Coast. The brisket at El Camino, slow-cooked in house and served with Texas toast and house-made sweet or spicy barbeque sauce, was better than any I have had outside of the South or Midwest. A barbeque appetizer plate allows you to choose three options from an extensive list including short ribs, hot links, shaved pork loin, seitan and brisket ($10). Each of these dishes is also available as a separate barbeque entree, smokehouse platter, or sandwich.
While the ingredients and dishes clearly reflect Texas and Mexican favorites, it is the little details on the menu that truly immerse the diners in the border theme. From the Southwestern decor to the beverage list — Mexican coke (no high fructose corn syrup here!), grapefruit-flavored Los Jarritos soda, Rogue Chipotle beer and frozen daiquiris — El Camino paints an authentic picture of border town tastes.
