New Mexican restaurant is drawing praise from across South Mississippi. We found out why

Sandwiched between an apartment complex and the busy Pass Road, and sitting along the Gulfport-Biloxi border, is a Mexican restaurant that opened in the spring and has since drawn strong praise for its authentic menu and wide variety of offerings.

El Taco Larry first opened its doors in March at 2330 E Pass Road and has gradually grown in popularity as word has gotten around about the newest Mississippi Coast gem.

The painted-red brick building is fairly unassuming, but the interior immediately lets you know you’re in the right place. Bright yellow and red walls greet you with traditionally colorful papel picado stretching across the ceiling.

A sombrero-wearing cactus welcomes you in and a server finds you a seat during the busy lunch hour. What happens next is a bit overwhelming: You open the menu.

It’s not so much the number of selections in front of you, but the wide variety of different ways you can take your meal. There’s breakfast, there’s a taco menu, there’s chicken wings and empanadas, hamburgers, tortas, burritos and quesadillas. And a lot more in between.

There’s even pastries like fried Oreos, cheesecake chimi and churro bites.

And good luck choosing your refreshments. Sure, there’s sodas and cocktails and even aguas frescas like every other Mexican restaurant. But there are also Mexican smoothies and frappes. You can get a fruity raspado or a spicy chamoyada. There’s rusas, Spanish gazpacho and more.

I ordered the mango aguas frescas. It didn’t come in a glass. It came a large mason jar. As for my meal, I landed on one of the specialty items, the Larry Burrito. My server warned me as I ordered: “It’s big.”

I’ve had oversized burritos before. Jalapeños has an especially good one. But when my server returned, I was floored. She undersold it massively. All I could do was stare in confoundment at the cheese-topped, red sauce soaked burrito that rested on the otherwise unadorned plate before me.

When I finally did fork off a bite, it was like I scooped a cup of water from the ocean. There was so much burrito.

“That ought to last you the rest of the week,” a fellow patron quipped in passing.

“That’s outrageous,” her husband added. I agreed.

The monster was stuffed with steak, grilled chicken and shrimp. Filled with rice, lettuce and tomato until it stretched to roughly the same size as the state of Delaware.

I battled that burrito with my mango juice by my side. I made it about halfway in before my server returned and offered the white flag: a to-go box.

I dejectedly accepted the terms and the beast now taunts me from my fridge. Make no mistake, it is a fantastic burrito.

Given the many options on the menu, maybe go lighter if you’re hoping to enjoy some of the sweets and treats offered.

At least for me, I have reason to return. But I won’t be staring down the Larry again. I’ll leave that to you, reader.