Located in the heart of Gold Country, Gringo’s Mexican Café is one hot place to cool down after a long day on the river in Coloma.

The sandwich board on the wall isn’t overcrowded with specialties or overdone dishes; it’s just the basics for satisfying fill-you-up Mexican food.

Choose your primary dish of tacos, burrito, nachos or a select few other staple Mexican dishes, and then it’s time to get creative! You have your choice of shredded beef, carne asada, carnitas, or chicken, plus all the fresh accompaniments you can handle – lettuce, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, olives, choice of salsas and more.

My family decided to take the drive out to Gringo’s one Sunday afternoon to grab a bite. We ordered a sampling of the menu; a fully loaded Shredded Beef Burrito and Carnitas Tacos. We also gave the one specialty dish on the menu a try – the Rasta Taco, which consists of two overlapped tortillas, stuffed to capacity with your choice of meat (we went with chicken) along with guacamole, cheese and salsa. For sides, along with rice, our kids opted for pinto beans, while I chose to go with the rich, salty flavor of their black beans.

Located right on the American River on the Lotus side of the bridge on Highway 49, Gringo’s is especially packed with rafters and summer fun-seekers in the afternoons and evenings. You can choose to sit riverside on their outdoor patio, or enjoy dining inside surrounded by art from local artists in their laid-back atmosphere. This is also a great place to sit back with a cold local microbrew or a margarita, and enjoy some cool live music with friends on summer weekends.

So, if you plan on hitting the rapids, or frequenting one of the local equine/bike trails during the sunny months, be sure to stop in and refuel at Gringo’s Mexican Café.

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