Rio Grande III

Located in Sabraton, this Mexican restaurant is often in competition with Los Mariachis for the best food in town. A good friend of mine just came back from Mexico, and she was wanting to head to her favorite local restaurant: Rio Grande III.

This is the third location. Others are in Beckly and Nitro, I believe. Tons of parking, a few different dining areas and strong margaritas are some features of this restaurant. The food is also mighty tasty. It's tex-mex, really. It's not truly authentic Mexican food, but nowhere in Morgantown is. But it sure is delicious.

Our waiter was extremely nice, and my friend even spoke Spanish with him for a few minutes. I don't, so I was left out of that conversation and used the time to look over my menu. I already knew a margarita was necessary - one glass, frozen, strawberry. That'll cost you $5.95, but it won't be lacking in the tequila area. I also order a water to help balance out. While we looked over the menu, we were brought a basket of chips and salsa. This salsa has some bite to it. My mouth was on fire after a few bites, nothing the margarita couldn't put out, but I held off.

I ordered the quesadilla relleno chicken, which is a flour tortilla stuffed with chicken, cheese, beans, grilled peppers and served with a side of lettuce, sour cream, tomato and guacamole. It came out, it seems, within minutes. This thing was so big, it took up most of my plate. The chicken was tender, the veggies grilled soft with a slight bite and the cheese combined everything into one cohesive delicious taste of Mexico.

In the fight for top Mexican restaurant in town, I think Rio Grande can put up a tough argument.

Grade: A