Carmelita’s, El Dorado

A good friend took us to Camelita’s in El Dorado. She described it as a Greek and Burger place. As usual, she was spot on. We got there just before the large lunch crowd. This is a tiny place but it has outdoor seating. Since we were early, we were able to get a table outside.

I decided to get a burger(8). You had the option to make your burger vegan. Most items on the menu offered this choice. So I got a vegan burger with American Cheese. Maybe next time, and there will be a next time, I will have the total vegan burger. Here is a close up view of my burger.

The burger was big on flavor. I don’t know what made my burger vegan but it was really incredibly delicious. I didn’t want to hold up the building line with a discussion of food product. Many people were ordering and picking up take-out. I thought when I picked up the order I would find out. But the lovely lady that took our order brought the food out to our table in such a hurry that I didn’t have a chance to question, just to say thank you.

There was a kind of special sauce that reminded me of the first burger place I went. This burger was far better because it didn’t have that greasy taste. It was a substantial burger but the grease flavor wasn’t present. I savored each and every bite. Ok, I admit that the burger was better with some Tabasco. But this burger had several pickles. I didn’t have to ask for them. I was impressed. There was onion, tomato, and lettuce as well on this beautiful burger. You could add a side of green chile for an upcharge of (1.25), thick bacon(2.50), garlic onions(1) mushrooms(2) or even make it a double(2.50).

We also had the almost vegan version of the Gyro with falafel. The gyro came with a soft pita bread that wrapped up the falafel with onions, feta, olives, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber. It was delicious but we also added some Tabasco. Yes, I keep a small bottle of Tabasco in my car. It is always great to have around, especially when I think that a dish could use a little more spice.

Here is the menu that is pasted on the window. I liked that you could reference menus in different places.

We skipped the sides and went right to the main course. I thought the mixture of Greek food and burgers was inspired. I also liked that after you paid for your drink, you could decide how much ice you wanted in your paper cup. You were also given a topper for the drink and a straw.

We enjoyed our table outside and were not rushed. Many people came and went during our stay. It was nice to enjoy a good meal outside. There was a special that I had missed on the way going in so Camelita’s does have specials.

Carmelita’s is located at 7 Vista Grande Drive D8, in the Agora . Their phone number is 505.772-0450.