Monday, July 30

A vegetarian in Texas

Texas has to have AT LEAST one BBQ place per square mile. I'm not sure the people here have ever heard the word "vegetarian". Nate and I ventured to an awesome Mexican restaurant (which will remain nameless). I was informed that the enchiladas were "amazing" and decided to give them a go. As the only vegetarian in Texas, I ordered the cheese version (I also ordered the cheapest, most awesome margarita, but that's a whole other story).

Nate and I waited very patiently for our food (not only aren't people in Texas vegetarians, but they also aren't in a hurry to do anything). Finally or food arrives. I'm so excited for my first bite of delicious cheese enchilada! I look down and what do I see? My beautiful cheese enchilada covered in ground beef. Who puts beef on a cheese enchilada?

I calmly walk my nasty enchilada to the lady at the counter and explain my problem. "I ordered CHEESE enchiladas," I say.

She replies (in broken English), "Yes, cheese."

"But these have beef on them. I'm a vegetarian." The lady continues to inform me that it's "just a leetle beet of beef."

"But I'm a vegetarian. I don't eat meat!"

"Yes, but just a leetle beet of beef." We continue arguing this point for a while longer (me: that I'm a vegetarian, she: that it's just a little bit of beef). Finally she dumps the plate to give it another try.

I go back to the table where I can see her flinging food about (no doubt trying to hide beef somewhere in my food). She walks towards me, throws my food on the table and walks away. I look down at plate number 2 of cheese enchiladas to find them...covered in beef. Hmm.

This time I make it up to the counter where I just ask for the cheese quesadilla. I figure you can't mess that up. I'm informed the lady I spoke with doesn't speak English. I want to say, "She sure knows how to say 'leetle beet of beef'."

Needless to say, the quesadilla had no beef and the margarita was good.

About one week later, we go to Mexican restaurant number two and go for cheese enchiladas again. After I order I ask the waitress if there is any beef on the cheese enchiladas. She looks at me like I'm the stupidest gringo in Texas. "No," she says.

Cut to 15 minutes later. Our food arrives, and yes, cheese enchiladas covered in beef! This time I just scrapped it off and dealt with it (however cheese enchiladas with all the sauce scrapped off aren't the greatest).

Moral of the story: If you are a vegetarian and you find yourself in Texas, do not order the cheese enchiladas (unless maybe you've had so many margaritas you won't even notice).

1 comment:

Meg said...

OMG. That's hilarious. Sometimes even in California I have issues. (No sir, Salmon is NOT a veggie...)

Send me a note if you need moral support before the end of day 3.

meghan.koka@gmail.com