Dining on a budget: Casa Del Rey in San Dimas

By Maritza Velazquez

Finally a Mexican restaurant with a little authenticity. 

I was in downtown San Dimas, looking for a place that would quiet my growling stomach, when I came across Casa Del Rey. It's just a little further down Bonita Avenue, away from the cute Western-style shops.

I had never heard of the place, but what I found within was very surprising.  The dimly lit dining room was pretty empty, as it was well after the lunch rush. 

It was a beautiful day outside, so I opted to sit on the covered patio, which has heaters for the cooler winter days and is decorated with a line of pretty blue and flowered wall tiles.

I found that the service here was exquisite from the time I walked in. As soon as I took a seat, the server was already at work, taking my drink and meal order.

After scrolling down the expansive menu, I decided on the El Ranchero plate ($12), which comes with two enchiladas, one cheese and one beef, rice and beans and choice of soup or salad.

As I waited less than 10 minutes for my meal, I feasted on the fresh chips and salsa. My server dropped off both a mild and hot salsa, but I find my tastebuds always favor anything with more kick to it. 

And the hot stuff had just enough kick. 

My soup was just as good - albondigas - a small cup with thick pieces of tender meat, onions, carrots and celery. 

But what really impressed me was my entree, the enchiladas. Right when the hot plate was dropped off at my table, I knew I would enjoy it. 

Both the shredded beef enchilada and the cheese enchilada, topped with a red ranchero-style sauce, a huge dollop of sour cream and lots of cheese, were as delicious as they looked. 

So were the beans and Mexican rice. 

According to its Web site, Casa Del Rey uses no lard in its beans and uses no trans fat oil in all of its fried dishes. 

And for those of you who want to spare your arteries further, this restaurant offers many vegetarian and low-carb options such as the vegetarian tacos and health-nut salad. 

When I find a good Mexican restaurant, I don't hold back at all, and I will definitely be heading back to Casa Del Rey for more. 

Casa Del Rey is at 345 W. Bonita Ave. in San Dimas. The restaurant is open seven days a week. For more information, call (909) 592-2776.