Pulse

The Bean Awards: Celebrating the best in local Mexican cuisine since 2007

By Rachael Workman
St. Albans High School

There are numerous restaurants in the Charleston area, each with its own unique atmosphere and special qualities. So how do you know which one to choose?

Truthfully, there aren’t many big differences between the restaurants. But there are many small ones, and it’s the small differences that make the dining experience so much more enjoyable.

The Bean Awards celebrates those small differences. It recognizes restaurants for quality salsa, location, service, décor and chimichangas (I’m a fan).

One of the biggest differences between restaurants is the salsa. Salsa is a temperamental food, and no two places will serve it the same. Some people like it overblended and runny, but my rule of thumb is the chunkier the better. If it’s too thick, though, it can be like dipping your nachos into a solid tomato.

The restaurant that does it best, and the winner of the Salsa Bean Award, is Cozumel! Its combination of fresh chunky ingredients and ample spices make Cozumel’s salsa like no other.

I’m a chimichanga aficionado, and why not? Who wouldn’t love them, with their wonderful combination of a flour tortilla, meat, cheese and sauce? In my opinion, there’s one place that has the best chimichanga in the valley - El Rio Jr., the winner of the Chimichanga Bean Award!

El Rio Jr’s chimichangas are the best because they use chunky chicken instead of shredded, which gives it a better texture. Also, they don’t use beans inside of the tortilla. (Beans makes it taste weird.) And they use lots of cheese, giving it a good flavor.

Location is another important factor in selecting an eatery. If you’re in Elkview, you don’t want to drive all the way to Nitro for a meal. The Location Bean Award was a tough decision, and the judges (a.k.a. me) were out for a long time, but ultimately the award goes to Charleston’s Rio Grande.

Being downtown, this Rio Grande is close to many other amenities, including Charleston Town Center, Park Place Stadium Cinemas, the Clay Center and Appalachian Power Park.

Service and décor are two other small attributes that make the dining experience more enjoyable. The Best Service Bean Award goes to Nitro’s Rio Grande and the Décor Bean Award goes to Los Agaves!

From singing traditional Mexican songs on your birthday to prompt replacement of your chips, salsa and drinks, Rio Grande in Nitro is the hands down winner for service.

Los Agaves uses a traditionally bright Mexican color scheme and lots of paintings set in the Spanish/Mexican style. Also, the layout of the restaurant is spacious and the seating is comfortable.

Casa Garcia

19 Riverwalk Plaza, South Charleston

720-1587

Cozumel

1120 Fledderjohn Rd. (Ashton Place), Chas.

342-0113

El Rio Jr.

800 Eighth St., Nitro

755-2390

Rio Grande

503 First Ave. S., Nitro

722-6069