Years ago Reynosa was a great place to go and eat and have some drinks. Are any of the good restaurants and bars still there or have they gone out of business with all of the violence?

Everything has changed, and to be honest I wouldn't recommend going over there. A day time trip to Progreso would be the best bet if you have to make a trip over. It has really spiraled out of control.

A few of the cool places are still there, very few. Sam's, Trevino's, El Virrey, etc. are all gone. La Fogata is still there as is El Pastor and El Guachinango.

Sadly not worth going over there right now and by all indications anymore. As mentioned Progreso is easier.

Really sad. When growing up in Pharr, going to Reynosa was no big deal at all. Even went to Reynosa Mexican league baseball games a few times.

Wife and I went on our first date to Reynosa Saturday of Thanksgiving my jr yr 57. Through the years have had many good times with friends,Old Ags (They weren't old then) from out of town at Trevinos,Dutches, The Imperial(where we once ran into a happy hour @ 11am Tequila drinks were three for one,$1.10 the tab for six of us was about $18.00 they offered to pick up the tab but I said no,they could pick up the tab when we came to Dallas.Dinner at SAMs,LaCucarcha,Cabrito at the place a block off the square,walking down the street about 1 am and a coronet blaring out "CHERRY PINK and APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE".Good MEMORIES,

In the 90s and early 2000s my wife and I would hit the nicest spots in Reynosa all the time. I remember taking my infant son over there to get my car worked on once. Times have changed.

For many years my wife and my routine was for my wife, and if available other couples, to meet me in Reynosa for dinner on Friday nights. I would get off work a little late on Fridays and after the drive and the wait at the bridge I would maybe get back home at about 8:30 or so.

So in order to fend that off, get a good meal and drinks in, and just have fun my wife would meet me in Reynosa and we would hang there until the bridge traffic died and we had our fill of goat, frog legs, and Bohemia. In her case Tampiquena and margaritas.

So much in life has changed over the years. Long before my now wife I dated a single mother from Corpus that an old friend introduced me to. We would split weekends between the RGV/PI and CC for the most part. Well what I would do is get 2 rooms at the Hotel Gran Residencial in Matamoros, one for her and one for the kids and we would spend the weekend in Matamoros. She and her kids loved it, they had a deal back then that included the room and breakfast buffet, which lasted till 11:30 in the morning, and a discount on dinner or something.

Her kids, they were young, loved the grounds at the hotel, the pool, and hanging out at the market. I took them to Bagdad Beach a couple of times and they had the time of their lives in the palapa's on the beach eating octopus cocktails and going for boat rides with the pangeros on the beach. And they were straight up gringo's. Never a worry or a concern, just lots of exotic fun for kids that lived away from Mexico. Now that stuff would never happen.

Trevino's- The Imperial had forgotten those places. Worked for a financial institution in McAllen- we financed the carpeting in Trevino's, auditor never caught it.. would have prematurely ended my short career in the financial world.

There use to be a restaraunt on the west side of the square- great for lunches (cheap). Anyone recall the name?

[This message has been edited by laavispa (edited 8/13/2014 7:37a).]

laavipsa:

What did the place serve? The church is on the east side of the square right? I am trying remember?

RGV:

All ways ordered steak--could have been large cat-- want to say it was something like Mission(???). Middle of the block.

Your thinking of the Reynosa Cathedral.. hear it as had some additions from my time.

laavispa:

Haha, I just got your handle, that is cool. You from E-E?

There were a couple of places on the big square, you are right one was on the west side, and there was like cafeteria on one of the corners.

Right around the block from the square was a cabrito place, It had the turtles in the entrance and for the life of me I can't remember the name. I don't think it was "El Pastor" but it might have been, I always liked that place they had the best salsa's in Reynosa. A couple of blocks off the square was the best seafood place in Reynosa, owned by the son of Chinese immigrants, called "Rico's". They had not Chinese on the menu, but you could ask for some stuff and they would make it and it was really good.

One of the off the radar and best places in Reynosa was "La Diligencia" on the little square. It was an excellent place, I always used to take my grandmother there, as they some true Mexican stuff on the menu along with linens and it was quiet.

I have spent a lot of good times in Reynosa, and I miss it.

RGV

Jes!!! Jellowjackets...

La Maquina Amarilla, ese!!!

The La Maquina Amarilla sobriquet came along well after my time...

You guys are bringing back lots of memories. When I was in H.S. in the late 50s and early 60s, it was standard procedure to take your date over to Reynosa for dinner prior to the dance (preferrable double date with your best friend and his date).

I still remember the frog legs, cabrito and the outstanding onion rings(does anyone make them good anymore) and mixed drinks. I think I was 14 the first time I went over (back then you could get a driver's liscense when you were 12). Seems like you could order everything in the place for $5. What a shame that has all come to an end.

Of course there was always Eddie's Covered Wagon where you could get all you could eat (fried fish, shrimp, and chicken) for $3. ...but no mixed drinks.

[This message has been edited by oldvalleyrat (edited 8/20/2014 9:13a).]

Loved going to Eddies Covered Wagon. As a kid I always ate the frog legs there. Fun place. Reynosa was fun also.

OVR:

I am convinced that the key to those onion rings was frying them in real lard. I don't know that for a fact, but I recently had some friend chicken done the old fashioned way, along with FF's, in lard and they were spectacular.

Do any of you all remember the onion salad at Sam's in Reynosa? Talk about missing something? Man that was good and I have no idea how to replicate it.

I guess human nature is that you never miss something so much until it is was gone. I would have never imagined that going to Mexico would basically be off limits and places that had been open before and during World War's and depressions would be gone.

RGV,

I agree. I have no idea what they cooked those onion rings in but they were the only really good onion rings that I have ever had. I have tried them in a lot of places but they always fall short.

To celebrate school starting and the end of our summer baby sitting chores, Mrs Rat and I drove to Harlingen and had fajita stuffed, fried avocados. I really like them and no place here in McAllen makes them. I have asked my buddy at Kokos to put them on his menu and he agrees but nothing ever happens. I guess it will have to stay a "every once in a while" treat.

My 9th grade grandson is raising a goat for his FFA class at McHi. I wonder how he is going to like it when it is on the menu? :-)