El Caporal in Crestwood

Just FYI...
The now closed El Caporal on Central Ave in Crestwood is slated to become an El Nopal. Remodeling work has already begun. What's that make for el Nopals now? Like 20 of them?

Twenty-eight, it looks like. So this would make 29.
http://www.elnopalmex.com/locations.html

First time I ever went to an El Nopal I asked if they had nopalitos, and the waiter literally laughed at me.

Dang! I was being sarcastic! I was thinking maybe 12.

Dang! I was being sarcastic! I was thinking maybe 12.

Hope the food is better than the El Nopal in La Grange....That one sucks.

BTW, speaking of "Mexican" in the Hinterlands...Gastavo's (of Crestwood) is opening a new location right next to Beef O'Brady's in La Grange...a location which is a long fly ball from his -original- restaurant; El Acapulco, For those who care, we (occasionally) have our own little foodie drama here in the hinterlands...Gastavo was a former partner/owner in El Acapulco (which a -the time-) had some of the best Americanized Tex-Mex in the metro (or in this case the near hinterlands)...For some reason only a few people know he somehow became the odd man out. Since then two things have happened (A) The food at El Acapulco has become suckage and (B) Gustvos opened a namesake restaurant in Crestwood, taking a fair amount of the La Grange clientele with him. Now he's opening the La Grange location which I personally interpret to throwing down the gauntlet. He's a great guy, I wish him well.

Dang! I was being sarcastic! I was thinking maybe 12.

Hope the food is better than the El Nopal in La Grange....That one sucks.

BTW, speaking of "Mexican" in the Hinterlands...Gastavo's (of Crestwood) is opening a new location right next to Beef O'Brady's in La Grange...a location which is a long fly ball from his -original- restaurant; El Acapulco, For those who care, we (occasionally) have our own little foodie drama here in the hinterlands...Gastavo was a former partner/owner in El Acapulco (which a -the time-) had some of the best Americanized Tex-Mex in the metro (or in this case the near hinterlands)...For some reason only a few people know he somehow became the odd man out. Since then two things have happened (A) The food at El Acapulco has become suckage and (B) Gustvos opened a namesake restaurant in Crestwood, taking a fair amount of the La Grange clientele with him. Now he's opening the La Grange location which I personally interpret to throwing down the gauntlet. He's a great guy, I wish him well.

Where is his place in Crestwood? It isn't ringing a bell.

Where is his place in Crestwood? It isn't ringing a bell.

Off the by-pass...where that old Arbor-what-ever-it-was place used to be.

Cool! Thanks for the tip , I'll try them.

While I haven't been clocking "El Acapulco's" business in LaGrange, it still seems to be fairly healthy, judging by the number of cars in the parking lot...I've been to Gustavo's/Crestwood, and while the food is good, I can't denote a significant difference between it and either El Acapulco or El Nopal. With the arrival of Gustavo's in LaGrange, that makes three full-service Mexican restaurants within just a few minutes of each other - seems rather dense for a small town...would like to see a little more culinary diversity...

While I haven't been clocking "El Acapulco's" business in LaGrange, it still seems to be fairly healthy, judging by the number of cars in the parking lot...I've been to Gustavo's/Crestwood, and while the food is good, I can't denote a significant difference between it and either El Acapulco or El Nopal. With the arrival of Gustavo's in LaGrange, that makes three full-service Mexican restaurants within just a few minutes of each other - seems rather dense for a small town...would like to see a little more culinary diversity...

John,

My wife's company is in LaGrange and they have food brought in for large lunches quite regularly. The overwhelming consensus is that El Acapulco has gone down hill...to the point where they order food from Gustavo's in Crestwood and have it delivered (or send someone after it). El Acapulco also just went through a major overhaul, they knocked out all the interior walls and made it one big room...that and they put in a "play ground" on the patio...Personally I'd rather sit on a patio with a hundred cigar smokers than share the room or a patio with a bunch of hyped up miniature maniacs.

As for diversity....Well you've still got 119 West Main where you can have Avocado on EVERYTHING and we can't forget "Rails" where you can enjoy some good hillbilly music along with your Beef Wellington. ............