A wise man once said, “You can’t judge a restaurant by its guacamole.” For Roberto’s, that’s a fortunate thing. Considering that the salsa and the dips give the first impressions of a Mexican restaurant, careful consideration should be given to the preparation of both.
I would bet money that the salsa is out of a jar and the guacamole has mayonnaise in it. In most food-lovers’ estimations, guacamole with anything more than fresh avocado, garlic, lime juice, some tomatoes, and seasoning would be heresy. We got a huge bowl of barely green dip for $3.99; for the same money, I would have preferred a smaller bowl without the mayonnaise filler.
Luckily, everything else was pretty good. The big beef soft taco was definitely grande for $6.99, and the mucho nachos with chicken for the same price were enough for several of us. The chicken taquitos, tortillas rolled around a meat filling, looked like little fried cigars but tasted great — our helpful server even brought us extras.
You can build your own combo of one (for $3.99, add $2 for rice and beans), two ($6.99, add $1 for rice and beans), or three items ($8.29, add 70 cents for rice and beans), though I’m not sure how one item can be a combo. Choose from an encharito, burrito, chili relleno, jack relleno (same as chili relleno without meat), two taquitos, an enchilada, taco, guacamole salad, small chalupa, quesadilla, flautas, or tamale. We chose the jack relleno, which was a little strange and slimy, but not bad, and two tacos, which were quite good.
Kids can eat well for under $4, with options like a taco, enchiladas, burrito, or quesadilla, or more American fare like popcorn chicken or shrimp or a hamburger.
Some other American items on offer at Roberto’s include a hamburger steak, chicken tenders (plain or smothered), fried shrimp, burgers and catfish. Desserts include Mexican fried ice cream, apple burritos, cinnamon chips and sopapillas.
Some items I would try next time are the juevos chorizo, which are scrambled eggs with Mexican sausage covered ion cheese, and the arroz con pollo, a traditional dish made with chicken and rice. I’ve heard the chalupas are good, too, available with steak, chicken, shrimp or even ham and bacon.
Our favorite thing about Roberto’s was how they turned a potential negative into a positive. Located straight across Ga. 247 from Robins Air Force Base, Roberto’s has to deal with the frequent noise of the passing trains. Rather than be disgruntled by this, Roberto’s has a big roulette wheel with all the tables’ numbers on them. Whenever a train honks by, an employee spins the wheel to see who gets 50 percent off the cost of their meal.
Base employees have been coming to this location under the name “Gregg’s” for as long as I can remember. While it may not be the best Mexican food you can find in this area, for a quick, filling meal served by friendly people for a good price, it fits the bill.
Roberto’s Mexican Restaurant
Rating: 2 stars
Address: 312 S. 1st Street, Warner Robins
Phone: (478) 329-0638
Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday
Payment: Cash, credit
Smoking: No
Alcohol: No
Kids Menu: Yes
Noise Level: Low
Wheelchair accessible: Yes
Health Rating: 99
Price range: Under $10
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