El Mexsal Restaurant

Where: El Mexsal Restaurant, 325 S Freedom Blvd, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey

Number of Visits: 1

What I Ordered: Chicken Enchilada and Chile Relleno & Revueltas Pupusa

What It Cost: $8.08

What I Thought:


As strange as it may sound, this was the first real restaurant I went to for this site all by myself! Usually I coerce my husband into going with me, or try to call up a friend, but the other day when I found myself in south Provo at 1 p.m. with no concrete plans for lunch, I decided to go to this Mexican and Salvadorian restaurant I've been wanting to try for a long time. Though I of course prefer going to a restaurant with some company, I found out some interesting bonuses of eating out on your own. For example:

• You can eat as slow or as fast as you want
• You can double, triple, or quadruple dip in the salsa, and no one will give you weird looks
• You don't have to share the chips and salsa
• You can text or check your Facebook during the meal at your leisure
• You don't have to worry about ordering the same food as someone else
• You can have a super horribly lazy hairstyle and you don't have to be self-conscious about it
• When you choke on your water because of that funny thing you just read on Twitter, no one will even notice! 

The one terrible thing though about eating solo is that when you find a delicious place, you have no one to share it with!

But luckily for me, I have all of you readers to share my experience with! And El Mexsal was definitely a delicious experience to share. I went with the chicken enchilada & chile relleno combo, which was cheaper since it was a lunch special. Like all ideal Mexican places, the combo plate came with rice and beans on the side, which were prepared perfectly. The rice actually had flavor and the beans were slow-cooked and smooth, just how I like them (plus with lots of cheese!). The chicken in the enchiladas was good quality, not overcooked, and spicy. I loved the chile relleno, infused with punchy spice and a tender exterior.

When they bring you your dish, it is accompanied by a huge jar of spicy relish and a large container of salsa - no complaints on skimpy salsa here. The salsa isn't too hot or too runny, and tasted great alongside the rice.

Finally, I tried out one of the pupusas - ever since Devynne and I had our first arepa (similar concept, but from other South American countries) at the Provo Farmers Market, I have been on the search for this delicious, convenient thick corn tortilla meal. Even though I was pretty stuffed from the enchilada combo meal, I thoroughly relished the few bites I was able to manage of this tasty pupusa, filled with melty and savory cheese, beans, and chicharrón (ground cooked pork meat). If El Mexsal was closer, I think I would be tempted to snap up a couple of these every day for lunch! They are cheap and filling, and so SO appetizing!

What You Should Do: Definitely check it out! I am hesitant to say this since I haven't been here with anyone else or visited multiple times, but I think El Mexsal may be my new favorite authentic Mexican restaurant here in the Provo area. They have great prices, fast service, lots of options, and a real hearty and flavorful menu. Certainly worth a visit!

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