A sampling of Shreveport

El Compadre Mexican Restaurant and Seafood

By: Nathan Keasler

Posted: 2/4/10

Close to Centenary College, at 502 East Kings Highway, is what I found to be a generally good Mexican restaurant called El Compadre Mexican Restarant and Seafood.

Visiting there for lunch, I immediately noticed the red and white color scheme of the main dining room and a cozy looking bar area in front of the entrance. Enjoyable Latin background music played throughout the establishment, making for an authentic environment.

I scanned the large dining room area and noticed about a dozen tables with the notoriously sticky plastic tablecloth material and a handful of booths without them. Having a strong distaste for the mysterious material, I chose a booth.

After sitting down, I received chips and salsa and ordered water. I was thankful for the small pitcher of salsa and a small bowl as I have had experiences where they only give you a bowl of salsa and a basket of chips. The salsa was a little too mild for my southern tongue but had an overall pleasant taste.

I noticed a lot of decorations, like potted plants that lingered on window sills, clay pots that sat upon a shelf, Mexican themed framed pictures that hung on the stucco-like walls, a couple of television sets and a huge mirror on the back wall.

I studied the lengthy menu, noticing an amazing 26 selections for lunch, the most expensive being $7.95. I also noted that they have a happy hour every day from 3 - 7 p.m. and $4 margaritas?a beautiful combination. I finally made my decision for the Mole (sauce) Enchiladas, which the waitress suggested, mentioning that they were spicy.

My enchiladas came shortly after ordering, topped with red onions with black beans and rice. I found the sauce to have an awkward taste to it, but became accustomed to it half-way through. I would not recommend this dish to someone who wants a traditional Mexican dish. The beans and rice were delicious, but I wish I had ordered the Red snapper fish tacos instead.

Upon finishing my meal, I found El Compadre to be a decent place for Mexican food if one knows what to order.