(Credit: MikeAnthony Moffa)
The Digs: Ignore the building being renovated next door, and the colorful boldly-painted exterior opens up to a comfortable open dining room lined with brick walls, green shutters, and cozy booths. From the layout and décor, this is another spruced-up former Pizza Hut conversion.
The Delivery: We placed our order at the counter from the large overhead menus. The young cashier was friendly and helpful. She handed us a small basket with silver utensils, napkins, and our order placard, and we made our way to a window booth. My guest got her drink from the beverage station, and our affable waiter brought my fruit juice with milk. About eight minutes later, he was back with our food, cleanly presented on attractive ceramic plates.
The Dish: The menu offers plenty of grilled, roasted, and fried entrees from chicken to steak, pork, and fish, a couple sandwiches, a chicken soup, two salads, a handful of appetizers, and a nice complement of side dishes. Ordering from the combos menu can save a couple dollars and provide some guidance in putting together a meal. And that's what we did.
We ordered Corral combos #2 and #8. Both combos came with an entrée, rice, beans, 1 side, and soda. A choice of white or yellow rice and black or red beans is given.
The #2 ($5.49 + $.50 for white meat) has 1/4 chicken as its entrée. I added scrumptious sautéed onions for $1.50; these came in ample supply in their own bowl. The tasty chicken was perfectly cooked, slicing cleanly off the bone with little effort. In a future visit, I'd probably bump up to the 1/2 chicken in Corral #5, for only a $1.40 more. My yellow rice and red beans were also quite good, and my side of fried yucca was a delight to dip in a horseradish sauce I found on the table. Instead of a soda, for no extra charge, I ordered a sweet, thick natural juice: mango mixed with milk. I should have chosen water instead of milk as the mixer, because I wound feeling overly full a bit sooner than I expected.
The fried fish my guest ordered was delicious, and reminded me of a less-battered version of what a good pub might serve. I slathered horseradish sauce on it as well. Her fantastic black beans were more intriguing than my red beans, thanks to a smart mix of herbs. Her side of sweet plantain, which the menu called sweet banana, was fresh and yummy.
We were full, but we still tried both of El Corral's two desserts: a good but not earth-shattering flan ($2) and a heavenly, mountainous slice of tres leches ($2.50) cake I highly recommend.
The Damage: There's even a $3.45 combo with 1/4 chicken, rice, beans, and garlic bread. Um, that's shocking. This place can't be beat for its mix of value, quality, and quantity!
The Deduction: I will be back to El Corral Pollos A La Brasa. Here's to hoping they open up additional locations around Orlando.
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