It’s a dream come true for Mexican-food lovers – a buffet that isn’t just stocked with the ubiquitous taco shells, some ground beef and a couple of chopped toppings.
The buffet tables at Calvillos in Alamosa dominate a whole room. One side is continually replenished with fresh green chile burritos, tasty cheese enchiladas, flautas and chicken fajitas – just to name a few. Another table includes tamales, various steak and chicken dishes, shrimp soup, and sopaipillas prepared as you watch.
More trays contain a huge variety of vegetables, at least six different salsas, and the aforementioned ingredients to create tacos. Another has more than 20 containers filled with dessert foods, including fruits and Jell-O chunks for the little ones.
All of it is fresh, not greasy, not cold and well-prepared.
Even after two dinners, we couldn’t begin to make a dent in the offerings, but everything we sampled was good. The meats were tender and juicy, the sauces smooth and just spicy enough, the salsas excellent. Most of the dishes are made from family recipes.
And the cost? Only $9 (at lunchtime, it’s $8).
Even though all the dining room tables were filled and a line snaked around the waiting area, the service was fast. And when one patron asked for a dish prepared without wheat, the manager complied without blinking.
Bar drinks include aguas frescas, made fresh from a variety of fresh fruits, water and sugar. Available flavors change daily, but include watermelon, lemonade and piña colada.
Of course not everyone in the restaurant gathered at the buffet. The menu lists more than 40 items, including shrimp in three different sauces, and numerous variations on burritos, tacos, quesadillas and tostadas.
If I could pull myself away from the lure of the buffet, I’d try one of the restaurant’s “classics.” A stuffed sopaipilla ($5.50), perhaps, or the relleno pie ($7.75) – a chile relleno casserole made with cheddar and jack cheese, then baked and topped with avocado slices and sour cream and served with beans and steamed vegetables.
But try the buffet once, if only to sample something you might not try otherwise. Or to “have it your way.” For dessert, we sliced open a piping hot sopaipilla, lined the inside with chocolate chips then layered those with slices of ripe, fresh strawberries. It was a perfect ending to an oh-so-sweet dining experience.
Calvillos Mexican Restaurant and Bar
Mexican|400 Main St., Alamosa; 719-587-5500 |75 cents-$18.95 (fajitas for two)|7 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday; most credit cards
Front burner: This place is an adventure for the palate – try something new; tortilla chips served with both salsa and a light queso.
Back burner: If only it wasn’t four hours away from Denver.
