tyler’s taste of texas / el cajon, ca

Tyler’s Taste of Texas in El Cajon is a 24-hour joint serving up home cooked meals inspired by the state of Texas. As soon as you walk into this place you feel like you’re in someone’s converted house – there are knick-knacks and Texas related signs all over the place. Some people might find it to be a little cheesy, but I think it’s kitschy and cute. Cozy on up to the booth of your choice and sit down to open up a huge menu – all kinds of breakfast dishes, sandwiches, BBQ, seafood and other items to make your mouth water. There’s seriously so much to choose from you’ll definitely need a few minutes to pour over the whole menu.

Jake and I went on a Thursday night for our anniversary. We had originally planned going somewhere else, but this is where we ended up. On Thursdays and Saturday they have all you can eat Beef Ribs for $15.98 and on Wednesdays and Friday’s it’s all you can eat Texas Style Catfish for $11.95.

We started off with some onion rings just for kicks. We also got a couple of fresh corn bread muffins with butter on the side and a bear full of honey. The corn bread muffins were pretty tasty – warm and sweet.

The onion rings ($5.95) were good, though not the best I’ve ever had (I’m looking at you, Phil’s BBQ). They were a tiny bit sweet from the onion, the onion didn’t fall out (best part) and had a good batter around them and a good crunch.

Jake got the All You Can Eat Beef Ribs ($15.98) for dinner. He let me have a couple of bites of his ribs for tasting and I must say they were pretty darn good. Very meaty and saucy with a good smoky flavor. Rich and juicy, too. The sauce is a bit sweet, but I like that. If you want to order more ribs, you can order as soon as you get yours (2 at a time).

For my “soup or salad” portion of my meal, I got the Chicken and Dumpling soup. This seriously could have been a meal all on it’s own. It was rich and hearty – full of veggies, chicken and home made stick-to-your-ribs dumplings. I didn’t eat a ton of it only because I didn’t want to get too full before I even got my meal and this was a really filling soup.

I got the Chicken Fried Steak ($10.95) for my meal. I’m sure you can barely see it under all of that gravy, but it’s in there! They surely don’t skim on the gravy here, that’s for sure. Luckily I really like country gravy so it was fine by me. The chicken fried steak could have been a little crispier, it was a little soft by the time I cut through it and ate it up, but this is just a texture thing for me. The flavor was still good and the country gravy was pretty darn tasty. The mashed potatoes were a little too loose and runny for my tastes, too. I like mashed potatoes with a little less milk in them, but again, they were decent.

If you’re looking for a good joint that serves home-style comfort meals 24 hours a day, then Tyler’s Taste of Texas is a place you should check out. Far and away better than Denny’s or IHOP, though the location might be a bit of a stretch for some.

Tyler’s Taste of Texas
576 North Second St.
El Cajon, CA 92021
Phone: (619) 444-9295