RICARDO’S: Where the locals have been going since 1975
A large wooden sign greeting customers as they walk toward the equally robust wooden doors also informs first-timers that Ricardo’s isn’t some pop-up Tex-Mex joint that showed up during the Great Mexico Lindo Rush of 2002.
Okay, I totally made up the aforementioned historic event, but you know what I mean; the El Tequila’s, Mexico Lindo’s, and Speedy Gonzales’s that showed up en masse in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Lots of white queso and endless gallons of weak margaritas, right?
Tulsa Tex-Mex: Yesteryear’s Boutique Theme
There’s an insane amount of amazing Mexican food in Tulsa. These restaurants typically aren’t known for their queso, tacos in crunchy shells, or “party” burritos. They’re Mexican restaurants.
On the other hand, Tulsa still does have a lot of Tex-Mex restaurants, although “the game” is largely controlled by big franchises like On The Border, Chuy’s, Abuelo’s, and Ted’s. Even Chili’s menu dabbles heavily in the Tex-Mex game. And the medium-sized players that we spoke of earlier (Lindo, El Tequila, et. al.) are still popular in Tulsa, too.
Ricardo’s isn’t like any of these, really. Ricardo’s is just… well, Ricardo’s.
Let’s dig in.
Eating Tex-Mex? Might as well get the queso!
Before I forget: we had an AWESOME waiter on our recent visit. I didn’t think to write down his name, but we thoroughly enjoyed the level of service we received. If all of Ricardo’s waitstaff is as quick, competent, and friendly as this chap was, we can fully understand how Ricardo’s has been around for over 40 years. I think that if restaurants put more emphasis on their customers’ perceived positive experiences, the more mundane (or even some of the negative) aspects of their businesses would be easier to look past by the same customers. And I don’t mean the awkward try-hard stuff — that kind of behavior just gives me the creeps.
We figured we’d take the waiter up on an order of queso. It was super creamy and had plenty of flavor. Nothing like the white queso garbage you see at some of the other area Tex-Mex restaurants. He also brought us a small cup of what I believe he called “kicker sauce” — it was a more “concentrated” salsa. It had some definite bite to it, but it wasn’t necessarily scorching hot.
Their regular salsa , on the other hand, is a sweeter variety with the tomato flavor way up front (as opposed to garlic, chiles, or other ingredients.) Chips were served piping hot. Love that.
Tex-Mex Macaroni and Cheese…?
Two members of our party mentioned that they always get the (what they were referring to as) macaroni and cheese.
When I first heard this, my thoughts immediately went to “What…? Do these people seriously still order off the kids’ menu?” but I was quickly assured that this was a grown-up meal.
Here’s the zinger: this is is actually referred to as “pasta chile con queso” and as you may have guessed, it’s covered in queso. The nooks and crannies of each piece of pasta trap all the cheesy goodness inside. Explosive flavor. I’d be curious to try the same thing with their beef chili topping, too.
Go Grande or Go Home!
I ordered the menu item that I felt would sum up Ricardo’s the best: Ricardo’s Grande.
This is a big meal (according to the menu):
“A chalupa (crisp corn tortilla, refried beans, ground beef, cheddar, guacamole) is served first, then a platter with refried beans, Spanish rice, beef tamale, an enchilada (choice of cheddar, sliced chicken breast or ground beef), a crispy beef taco, and a chile relleno (mild Anaheim pepper, skinned, stuffed with cheddar cheese, battered, fried, and smothered with chile con queso) is served second. A dish of ice cream or sherbet tops off this unique dining experience.”
Told you it was a lot of food!
I’ve been hearing good things about Ricardo’s chile relleno for years — it totally lived up to the hype, too. The rice and beans were good as expected and while the taco itself wasn’t anything particularly special, it was fine just the same. The tamale and beef enchilada were great… lots of flavor and filling, too.
The chalupa (pictured above) was really enjoyable. This platter consisted of a tostada with ground beef, beans, cheese, and guacamole. Looking at it now, it seems like this menu item is about as a Tex-Mex as Tex-Mex gets.
Jenna had the double meat double cheese nachos. For $8.99, this was a big, yet inexpensive meal. The chicken was tender and flavorful! We doused the nachos with a little “kicker sauce” to bump up the heat factor.
If you’re 21 or over, I would gladly recommend you try their frozen “Sangria Swirl”. It’s sweet, fruity, and not overwhelmingly strong, but doesn’t feel weak either. I’m admittedly a tropical drink enthusiast (mai tais, pina coladas, and others), so a good margarita (there’s was named “Best Margarita in Tulsa) would be something I’d recommend you try here, too.
What did we think?
Obviously, we said Tex-Mex isn’t really our bag, but this place was overall a very enjoyable experience. Awesome service, a fun atmosphere, and good/interesting dishes will make Tex-Mex lovers giddy with joy. With a very enjoyable menu, there’s no reason locals won’t keep coming in for another 40 years!
Check them out here on Facebook for more info about their platters and specials!
Did you enjoy this article? Make sure to follow us on Facebook for even more Tulsa food, fun, and giveaways!