Don Sol

In a previous post I talked about a restaurant in Mattoon, IL called Don Sol.  I mentioned their excellent Sunday buffet.  While grocery shopping last week, Jason and I decided to drop in for all you can eat Mexican fare.  We were disappointed when we discovered the buffet was no longer running, but we ordered off the menu and we were not disappointed.  Jason ordered the chicken torta.  It was huge; the size of two regular sandwiches and loaded with chicken, avocado, refried beans, lettuce and tomato.  They make their bread in house for this, and it makes a difference.  I had carnitas which were well seasoned and crispy on the edges, the way they should be.  We are sad the buffet is no more, but with so many delicious items on the menu, we will keep coming back.

Jason with his first bite of torta, I think I caught him off guard.

I kept saying "Hold it up to your face, so I can compare sizes."

The torta in all its glory (the fries were pretty good too)

My carnitas.  The sauteed, pickled jalapeno slices are a nice touch.

Restaurant Review: Don Sol Mexican Grill

Moving has some advantages, and a big one for me is checking out great new restaurants.  My husband took me to Don Sol a few months ago for their Sunday buffet, and I was blown away.  I had never seen a Mexican buffet before, but I think it's a great idea.  The buffet contains hard, soft, and fried bowl taco shells.  It has about four kinds of fajita meat along with tilapia, carnitas, carne asada, and grilled chicken.  It also includes tamales, cheese enchiladas, spicy potatoes, spicy eggs, refried beans, and rice.  In addition to all that there is a cold salad bar with traditional salad fixings but also pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole.  There are also several kinds of desserts and a choice of ice cream or ice cream bars.  There is too much to try it all, and I know I'm leaving a few things out.  With all this variety, the food is still really good.  The fajitas suffer a little from sitting in the hot bar, so I usually stay away from those.  The carnitas are amazing, perfectly seasoned and tender.  The pico de gallo is some of the best I have ever had. Whenever family or friends come to visit, I take them to try the buffet.  If you are in Mattoon, Il. on a Sunday, you should check out Don Sol.  I want to go on a different day to try the menu, but I have heard good things about it too.  You can check out their website link

 My plate: refried beans, grilled chicken, tilapia, carnitas, beef chimichanga, and soft tortillas

 This really is a great pico de gallo

 My mom's plate: Chicken fajitas, beef fajitas, shrimp fajitas, carne asada, and rice

 My husband's plate: chicken fajitas and grilled veggies

Dad's taco salad.

Looking at all these plates I realize that we all have a ton of meat.  However, if you are a vegetarian, you could still find more than enough to eat.  They have grilled veggies, beans, rice, potatoes, eggs, and cheese.