Jose's Mexican Grill and Cantina in Hot Springs, Arkansas

Having lived in Texas for several years, I got my fair share of authentic Tex-Mex food. When we moved back home to Arkansas, I was delighted to find several small family-owned restaurants had popped up around Hot Springs. Our city is a tourist town, and we get thousands of Spanish speaking people every summer who come to see the historic bathhouse row, fish in our lakes and get thrown upside down on the Hawk at Magic Springs Amusement Park.

They can also choose from hundreds of places to dine. Jose's is a popular choice, but not just with the tourist crowd. It serves up authentic Tex-Mex food to the locals 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch. The prices are affordable for the family pocketbook, and the large portions assure that no one goes away from the table hungry!

Located just south of the Lake Hamilton Bridges at 5361 Central Avenue, Jose's welcome's its patrons into a beautiful diningroom, it's decor traditional spanish art and colors. The mostly male wait staff greet you like royalty and usher you to a table where hot, freshly fried tortilla chips and homemade salsa magically appear. The bowls never grow empty before they are replaced throughout your meal.

Daily lunch and dinner specials include Taco Salads, Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, Fajitas, Quesadillas and Chimichangas. Served with refried beans and rice, they are just $4.95 at lunch and $6.40 after 3 p.m. The portions are generous and everything is hot and delicious when it's delivered. All the dishes are cooked to order, so nothing gets made ahead of time to sit under a heat lamp for hours on end. No dried out tortillas here!

Their regular menu includes house specials such as Carne Asada: a skirt steak grilled with lime and spices and served with beans and rice for $8.95.
The Chicken Fajita Enchiladas are a favorite among many patrons, as is the Chicken Monterey and the Beef Taquitos Dinner. If you've never had a true Taquito, it's a corn tortilla with beef, cheese and onions, rolled up and deep fried.