El Charrito El Charrito El Charrito is a brand of Tex-Mex TV dinners. The word is Spanish for "little cowboy". The brand was introduced in 1980 by the Campbell Taggart company, who owned the El Chico restaurant chain. Though its entrees included taquitos, queso, and beef enchiladas, it was also known for the uniquely named Saltillo Dinner, a three-compartment dinner consisting of two enchiladas (one each beef and cheese), Spanish rice and refried beans. In 1995 the parent company became Earthgrains and chose to focus on baked goods, selling the El Charrito brand to Don Miguel Mexican Foods, now a part of
Tex-Mex cuisine in Houston "the new Mexican restaurants weren't much more authentic than the ones they replaced." Ninfa's began serving fajitas in 1973, and other restaurants followed suit. Many of the foods originated from Tejano people from West Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, and not from central Mexico. Many older style Mexican restaurants declined and/or went out of business. Some old-style restaurants were frequented by older people who have a nostalgia for older cooking. Some old-style restaurants cater to families with young children who may dislike the bolder flavors in newer Houston Tex-Mex. In 1977 Richard West of the "Texas Monthly" stated that