Sun up, Sun down: Restaurant is a great way to begin, end the day

WESLACO — The Sun Rise Café has plenty of eye candy to go with the main meal.

It has several dining rooms, each flowing easily into the other; the walls are covered with pictures of Pope John Paul II, the Virgin Mary, Pancho Villa, John Wayne and Pedro Infante. Smiling Buddhas sit in the front room.

As I walked in, there was a painting of a black panther near a frame of dollar bills. My lunch hour had come late in the afternoon so the restaurant wasn’t very busy. A woman at the front told me, in unrestrained English, to sit anywhere, and then another woman asked in Spanish what I wanted to drink. Within two minutes, I had a tall glass of orange juice, and a young woman who spoke precise Spanish brought me some chips and salsa.

Floral carpeting covered the floors. Chandeliers and whirling fans hung from the ceiling. There are chandeliers in the ceiling. A sunburst image with a mirror in the middle hung on one back wall.

The broad variety of menu selections impressed me: fajita tacos for $6.95; soups (caldo Tlalpeno, caldo de res, caldo de pollo); a seafood section with grilled or fried fish, filete al mojo de ajo, and red snapper. There were some more intriguing plates such as the Xochimilco, with one chalupa, one taco, and one enchilada, and the chapala, which came with two chalupas, one beef taco, rice and beans. I finally decided on the pollo en mole, one of the specials for the day.

My waitress first brought me a small bowl of hot soup, followed a few minutes later by a plate of hot tender chicken covered with sweet mole, only mildly spicy, with beans creamy as butter, mashed potatoes with just the right consistency and no lumps, and rice with a deep-roasted flavor. It was all very good, especially with some of the meat and refried beans wrapped in hot, thick, chewy homemade (let me stress that — homemade) corn tortillas.

My second visit — for breakfast — was equally pleasant. There were plenty of choices, such as huevos revuelto or huevos rancheros, each for $3.25. I could have also ordered migas, a barbacoa plate, or pancakes. The Plato Tejano plate, which came with one pork chop, two eggs (over easy or scrambled) beans, salad and avocado, was a strong temptation for only $6.95. However, I settled on the machacado con huevo, eggs scrambled with shredded beef.

It came with delicious sides of refried beans and crispy hash browns, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Sun Rise Café has been around for quite awhile, and I can see why. Its tasty food, combined with great seafood and pleasant accommodations, make it a great way to start the day.

———

Travis Whitehead covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4452.

Sun Rise Cafe:

ADDRESS: 301 N. Texas Blvd.

HOURS: 7 a.m. to noon Sun. - Thurs.; 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. Fri. - Sat.

PHONE: (956) 968-9901

PRICE LEVEL: $ (out of $$$$)

PAYMENT: Checks and credit cards

Wheelchair acc.: Yes

Service: 3.5

Food: 3.5

Ambiance: 3

OVERALL: 3.5

(all scores out of four)