Pedro's Mexican Food

Going out to eat every night is getting old. I didn’t think I’d ever say that. Eating out three meals a day for much of our 17-day trip to Africa didn't help. Perhaps the wait for our food at Pedro’s was the turning point. On a Friday evening – okay, granted they were busy – it took a half hour to get our food, after we had ordered. The Man Who Has More Patience Than Alan Greenspan (which is perhaps one reason he is still married to me) was noticeably annoyed. I will have to feed him at home a few times while he, and his wallet, cool down from the Africa trip and the new kitchen.

I’ve counted: Flemings is five restaurants away. If I don’t get there on this kitchenless adventure, I probably never will. The guys at The Man's office must talk about a few other tidbits at the sheepshead table, besides the score of the Packer/Brewer/Bucks games. Flemings' reputation as an expensive spot has been noted by The Man With The Wallet. My new kitchen's countertops are being installed on Wednesday. Then comes the installation of the tiled backsplash (with our daughter’s arty botanical tiles), then appliances and the sink. At that point I will have to admit that I have a functioning kitchen – even without the final wall painting and the final floor finishing. I think I will make it to Flemings.

There are big signs at Pedro’s noting that it offers a special deal for Packer fans: come and watch a Packer game, buy a margarita or a bloody Mary and get a free buffet breakfast. Their huge bar area with lots of tables and TVs was quiet on this Friday evening at 7 PM. Is that too early for the professionals to be hitting the bars?

Though the bar area had lots of empty space, the restaurant was quite full. There were many tables of extended families, with grandparents, parents and small children dining together. It’s a good spot for kids, if they like Tex-Mex food and don’t drink anything. We found that the beverages here are priced higher the other restaurants along Bluemound. Why would a Corona Lite cost $4.25 here, when I paid $3.79 for a Blue Moon beer at TGI Friday’s the night before and $3.25 for a Spotted Cow at Chin’s? Both of these are specialty beers, and in my opinion, more special than Corona Lite. What’s more, The Man had a Miller Lite here at Pedro’s, for which he paid $3.50. A Miller Lite for more than a Spotted Cow? What are they thinking?

The food was what you’d expect. The Cow Afficionado said that his Beef Chimichanga dinner ($11.49) was good. I snuck a sample of his refried beans, and I must say that they were much better than those I tried at the last two Tex-Mex places at which we ate along Bluemound – Qdoba and Mi Cucina. I ordered what Pedro’s menu calls a Stuffed Chicken Quesadilla ($9.49), which was tasty, but for an ala carte appetizer in a chain restaurant, I thought it was rather pricey. There was noticeable chicken in it and the tortilla had an interesting cheesy flavor. But my jet lag seems to be squelching my appetite at any normal dinner hour in Wisconsin, so I could only eat half of even this small portion of food. Either the jet lag or the long wait for our meal may be affecting the impartiality of my critique. But from this experience, I would not go back to Pedro’s. In comparing Mexican restaurants, I have said that I like Fiesta Garibaldi at Ruby Isle better than most. I should also mention that for a slightly longer drive, Taco Amigo in the Silvernail shopping center in Waukesha is the best Mexican food around, tied with Senor Tomas in Hartland – if you ask me. I wonder what they charge for a Corona?

Kitchenless in Brookfield