El Regio Loco: Shady Restaurant of the Month
by Andrew | December 18, 2007 | 8 Comments
(votes: 6, average: 3) 
Loading ...El Regio Loco is located on the corner of SW 29th and S May (map). They are open every day from 10am to 10pm.
December’s “Shady Restaurant of the Month” award winner epitomizes everything that those who love shady spots look for in an eatery. I have chosen El Regio Loco and will implore anyone who reads this to work up the nerve to eat somewhere unconventional and try this place. This place is a road-side stand, not unlike many taco stands you see throughout the Hispanic community. What is unlike most road-side stands, however, is that El Regio Loco has rented space inside the convenience store with which it shares a parking lot to give its patrons a place to sit and eat, sheltered from the elements.
Before we dive into the savory edibles, it is important to understand what El Regio Loco actually is. Gerard (pronounced herard) came from Mexico to start his own “American dream” and open a chicken stand not unlike the places he grew up working in Mexico and in Austin, Texas. El Pollo Loco is a familiar place to anyone from Northern Mexico and all along the bordering American states, and that is where Gerard got his start in roasting chickens.
Gerard hails from Regio, Monterrey or simply “Regio.” It’s not uncommon to refer to yourself as “from the Regio,” or ask fellow Mexican nationals if they are “from Regio.” Regio, Monterrey is a mountainous region (English for regio) in north-central Mexico with its own culture, food, and industry. One of the regional specialties is cabrito, which is baby goat cooked over mesquite coals. Unfortunately, El Regio Loco does not serve cabrito but, lucky for us, they do serve a roasted chicken that rivals any chicken you can get anywhere else in town.
Gerard is a very accommodating guy and wants nothing more than for you to be pleased with your experience. He is setting up a kitchen and grill inside the convenience store, but until then he is more than willing to run back and forth to the mobile kitchen and serve you while you wait inside at one of the three booths he has prepared for his patrons. If I have anything to do with it he will be expanding soon. Currently he cooks in the little roadside stand, but his new indoor grill will cook 100 chickens at a time, he says. If you have ever eaten at a little BBQ place that shares space with a convenience store then you can picture what he is doing inside this place.
Currently, you choose either a whole or half chicken. This chicken is marinated in herbs, spices, and citrus juice and then roasted over wood and coals until golden brown and delicious. The whole chicken is $13 and it comes with sides of rice, beans, or this very tasty Mexican goulash substance (I’m not really sure what the goulash is, and Gerard was unable to put it in English terms, but it contains elbow macaroni, bits of ground beef, onions and other spices, in a soup stock of some sort. Looking back on that sentence, the choice of words could probably have been more eloquent, but I’m not sure how else to describe it). You also get a stack of warm tortillas.
The chicken is cut into pieces for you before being served. One chicken is enough for 2 or 3 people, depending on how hungry you are. A half chicken costs $7. Gerard is about to start serving Carne Asada as well which he says will be equally satisfying. I also recommend eating with someone who enjoys the opposite type of meat as you so that there is no fighting over those succulent dark meat pieces.
Drawbacks? It’s as shady as it gets. Southwest 29th is not exactly the safest street in Oklahoma City. Plus, you buy your food from a roadside stand and eat it in a shady little convenience store that has to be a front for some sort of questionable money making venture because they don’t serve gas, they don’t have an ATM, they have limited merchandise, and they are across the street from a 7-11 that offers all those things and more, and yet somehow they pay their electric bill month after month. Perhaps Gerard will one day kick these guys out and turn this place into a full service restaurant pleasing the Oklahoma City masses and fulfilling his American Dream!
The good of El Regio Loco far outweighs the bad. So please, take a friend during daylight hours and go visit my amigo, Gerard. Tell him you read about his place on EatAroundOKC.com. He was very excited to hear that he would be on the internet so your encouragement will make his day.
(4.75 out of 5)
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So far, 8 people have responded to this article. Won't you join in?December 28th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Andrew, thanks for taking me to this place today at lunch. I have to say, you are right. The food is amazing and the atmosphere is of the utmost shadiness.
I was very impressed with the helpfulness of those who appeared to work there. One lady even went across the street and bought some plastic spoons for us since they had no spoons.
I also really enjoyed it when the table top fell off and spilled the coke that was sitting on it everywhere.
But, I have to say, it’s worth enduring the conditions to experience Gerard’s hospitality and great food. Everything was great, including the wonderful soup of the day, the very flavorful (and spicy) green sauce (not to mention the red salsa, also great), and the awesome corn tortillas unlike any I’ve ever had. Plus, three of us ate for $13. Amazing!
If you’re not up for the eating-in experience, you can always get it to go. Whatever you do, find time to try this place.
December 28th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Agreed, that was a fun trip and everything it was billed to be. Not only did we get a great deal of food for less than $5 each, but Gerard just kept bringing more.
I can see where some might prefer to just pick up a chicken and take it home, but the hospitality and extra value of eating there more than makes up for the shady conditions.
Either way, El Regio Loco is like getting to eat dinner at a new neighbor’s house - a new neighbor who happens to be a really great cook.
December 30th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
I like getting this chicken to go and attempting to eat it while driving around town. Man, its some tasty chicken, just be sure not to rub your eyes if you get any green sauce on your hands. Also, there are plenty of extra tortillas to wipe down the steering wheel when you are done, then you have a perfectly seasoned afternoon snack just waiting on you.
February 21st, 2008 at 8:47 pm
I ate at Regio Loco today and Gerard gave me some exciting news! He is opening an actual restaurant on Western and Grand within the next week or so. Don’t worry, he is keeping the little roadside stand open, and has more tables now inside the gas station. Again, I was blown away by the tasty flavor of his chicken. Its the best chicken in town. Period.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:43 am
I love SW 29th. I have never felt unsafe there, day or night, and every place I have been is as friendly and warm as you describe this one. I can’t wait to try this.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Who Knew!! El Regio is in OKC. Currently living in Austin Tx. where EL Regio shows up on the menu at least a couple of times a month. Love watching the drive through lane where the chickens are flying out the window as fast as the money can be thrown back in, sort of dinner&theater, except it is theater and then dinner. Same $13 for a whole meal and the best green sauce in town. Now planning a trip to eastern Oklahoma via Norman/OKC and I ran across this. Did Gerard open his restaurant? If so, where?
April 24th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Yes, Gerard has his new location open now on Western and Grand. He took over an old Taco Bell. He still has his stand down on SW 29th and May as well. Looks like Gerard is slowly fulfilling his American dream and I for one wish him continued success.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:58 am
OMG! OK, we decided to stop by El Regio Loco and grab some chicken to go instead of eating out at El Pollo Chulo for my wife’s first marinated chicken experience. This stuff rules. I’m not kidding! And what in the world is this light green dipping sauce? I’m completely addicted! I’m dipping chunks of cheese in the extra one we had left over from last night right now! (grin)
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