El Cozumel Mexican Grill

I like Mexican food, sometimes. I'm not much for strongly spiced food of any ethnicity but if the spices are subtle I can appreciate just about any ethnic flavors. So I went to El Cozumel with an open mind and hoped the food wouldn't be too spicy. D likes his food hot and spicy so he was hoping for just the opposite.

I wasn't disappointed :-)

El Cozumel is located at Hilltop Rd. and Lakeshore Drive in St. Joseph, overlooking beautiful Lake Michigan. It's a brightly painted building that harkens back to 1892. You can read the story of this former residence and it's inhabitants here.

The weather was mild and even though there were threatening rain clouds overhead we took the gamble and ate outside on the patio. It has an outstanding view of the lake!

I ordered a chicken taco and 2 chicken enchiladas. D ordered the Tbone Steak Rancheros. Here's what we got.

We were also served a complimentary basket of nacho chips and salsa (mild). I enjoyed all my food. It was all mild and very flavorful. I would definitely order it again and I can't wait to go back. D wasn't so happy with his steak. He ordered it medium rare but it was served raw. I don't think I've ever seen D turn away a steak because it was under-done before. It was really really rare. He didn't care for the ranchero sauce either. He said it was "bland, pastey, tomato sauce". He will certainly not order that menu item again. However, he will return to the restaurant and try something different.

I'm going to hold off on recommending El Cozumel at this point. While I was satisfied with my meal, D was not. The view of Lake Michigan was wonderful and that alone is enough to bring us back, for drinks if for nothing else. If the weather is unpleasant we may actually get to see the inside of this former mansion. I'll keep ya posted!

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