El Cardenal Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Splendora

We had been to Kingwood to shop and hadn't had lunch. we saw this restaurant before our exit. It was a mixed experience at 4 PM. We were greeted immediately by a young man for drink order and given a menu an chips and hot sauce and a sweet green sauce, that was unusual. We put our menus down and nobody came to get our order. The bus boy came by and asked if we needed anything. Yes, we'd like to order. After the older gentleman gave a big table their food he took our order. I thought that weird as 2 waitresses were at the cantina bar talking to the bus boy. I liked my fish tacos that had aloooot of cheese in them and good pico and avacodo slices, rice and charro beans were good. I could only eat 2 of 3. My husband said he thought the menu said Gulf shrimp so he thought it was fresh, it was over breaded frozen shrimp. He said it was a mistake to order shrimp at a...

Our experience at El Cardenal was a good one. Food was good and the personel was attentive and corteous, however a couple of things can be better. I am a food enthusiast and hobbist chef, and I could recognize that the cheese used on the enchiladas was very cheap cheese, with a very artificial flavor. I can bet it was imitation cheese. Cheese is something that can be used of better quality without really hurting overall cost, but using cheap cheese is very notable. Also restaurant cleanliness was good but we could notice a strong damp mop odor as soon as we crossed the door. That's an easy fix with clean water and an mild mopping soap every hour. Use of old, dirty water to mop the floor should not be acceptable because you wonder if they also use dirty and bad odor water to clean tables. Apart from those minor details, the experience was acceptable and we will...

USE TO BE GREAT…. Now…. meh…food is pre cooked and then left in a warmer and then when you order they just throw it on a skillet to serve “hot”, fajitas were so tough and were cooked over well done. Think shoe leather….. Tortillas not homemade and raw in spots. Lack in seasoning all around. Bacon wrapped shrimp, …. Rock hard . Asked if we could order the shrimp by itself and not as a meal.. told yes then manager charges me full price and says that is only way it comes. Then after I have paid he the. Says oh well We do sell them by the individual … sir that is what I had asked. Look…honest consumer opinion… just not worth it anymore. They have gone down hill. For the same price I can to Papacitos and get an amazing hot meal and food is always on point. Sorry won’t be back and told the family and friends to try Papacitos before they...