Mike Pound: El Ray again serving tacos, burritos and smiles

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July 28, 2010

By Mike Pound Globe Staff Writer The Joplin Globe Wed Jul 28, 2010, 06:49 PM CDT

JOPLIN, Mo. — Fernando Garcia is normally a happy guy.

In all the times I’ve ambled over to his place — El Rey Tacos, Burritos and More to Go — I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without a smile on his face or not heard him let loose a laugh or two.

But on Wednesday morning, Fernando was in an unusually good mood. See, a little more than a month after a boat landed in his restaurant, he was back in business.

Normally, boats don’t land in restaurants. I suppose if your restaurant is located on a lake, you might get an occasional boat in your place. But El Rey isn’t located on a lake. It’s located at 212 S. Main St. in Joplin, an area not really known as a high boat traffic area.

Fernando said a guy was towing a boat and trailer on Main Street early on the morning of June 20.

“He forgot to put the little pin in, and the boat and the trailer came loose,” Fernando said.

The boat and trailer landed in the small lobby area of Fernando’s restaurant, taking out the front window, counter and cash register. It was a heck of a boat ride.

And an unfortunate one for Fernando. Because El Rey has become such a hit with folks in the nearly two years it has been open, Fernando closed a second restaurant he owned in Webb City some time ago. So when the boat sailed through his business, his main source of income was temporarily grounded.

Complicating things, he said, was the fact that El Rey is located in a historic downtown building.

“That made it harder to get permits to make the repairs,” he said.

But while Fernando talked about his misfortune, he smiled and laughed. As far as he’s concerned, the whole thing could have been much worse.

“It could have happened when we were open,” he said.

Had that happened, Fernando said, it’s likely that some people would have been hurt. El Rey is a small place. Inside, there is room for a small, efficient kitchen, a counter and a small area in front of the counter where folks can place their orders. Food is ordered to go or eaten at one of the tables on the small patio next to the building.

Fernando also was able to smile when he told me that he’s still working to settle with various insurance companies. So far, he said, progress on the insurance front has been slow. He also smiled when he told me that he paid his employees out of his own pocket while his restaurant was closed.

It was 11:30 in the morning when I stopped by El Rey to chat with Fernando, and the place was already busy. A few people were eating lunch on the patio, and a couple of people were standing inside waiting for their food. From experience, I knew things would soon get busier.

See, in addition to being an upbeat, friendly man, Fernando serves up a mean plate of food. His tacos are great and made with soft tortillas hot off the grill. I’m partial to his beef tacos, but I’m also fond of his chicken and pork tacos. Make sure you have them put cilantro on your tacos and get some salsa to go with them.

Scott Meeker here at the paper speaks very highly of the California burrito. Scott said the first time he ordered the California burrito, he asked Fernando what it was like.

“It’s big,” Fernando told him.

And it sure enough was, Scott said.

I think what I’m saying here is that there is a lot to like at El Rey, and I know that a lot of people are very happy that Fernando is back in business. Like me, I’m pretty sure they missed Fernando’s food. And I’m pretty sure they also missed his smile and his laugh.

El Rey Tacos, Burritos and More to Go is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, with the exception of Fridays, when it is open until 7 p.m. Things tend to get busy at El Rey, so if you want, you can order your food in advance by calling 781-4455.

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Mike Pound: El Ray again serving tacos, burritos and smiles

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