It only makes sense that the city of Madras, less than an hour’s drive north of Bend, should have a high concentration of Mexican restaurants. After all, nearly 40 percent of its population — more than 2,500 of its 6,500 people, according to census figures — are Hispanic or Latino, a far higher percentage than elsewhere in Central Oregon.

It makes sense, then, that the community’s best restaurants might be Mexican. I surveyed the seven that I found in the central urban area (apologies to any that I may have inadvertently overlooked), and found two establishments that stood out above the others.

In fact, there is wide variation among these restaurants. Each has its own distinctive characteristics. The Mexico City Restaurant has been a local institution since 1978. Mazatlán (one of five locations in Central Oregon) can accommodate more than 140 diners, double any other place in town. Mi Casa is lodged within Martina’s Market, which doubles as a bus station for the Fronteras del Norte line. The Pepe’s restaurant family started in Madras many years ago, but tried a year in Bend before returning to their roots.

Menus at these restaurants mostly focus on familiar fare (tacos, burritos, enchiladas) but can extend from very traditional (weekend menudo at La Posada) to wildly creative (Rio) to rustic village fare (La Cabanita). Only three — Rio, Mazatlán and Mexico City — serve alcohol.

I tried to set a basis for comparison by ordering three commonly served Mexican dishes — chile relleno, chile verde and chicken enchiladas — and found them surprisingly different in preparation from place to place.

Rio tops the list

Eventually, the cream rose to the top. Rio Distinctive Mexican Cuisine is a place I would choose to dine on a regular basis, followed by the far more casual Pepe’s.

Rio was opened in 2011 by former Bend chef Roberto Cardeñas (La Rosa and Amalia’s). He subsequently added new restaurants in Sisters and Redmond, and sold the original Rio Madras to his former partners. In a former residence on northbound Fifth Street, the beautifully maintained restaurant has a warm atmosphere. It seats only 36 at nine tables indoors, but adds a seasonal patio in warmer weather. Both its chile relleno and its chile verde were wonderful.

After its peregrinations, Pepe’s (which originally was in the house that is now Rio) occupies a small taqueria-style establishment at the south end of town. Always in the Chávez family, it serves what I consider the best chicken enchilada and the best refried beans, with a layer of cheddar and jack cheeses, in town.

I gave both Mazatlán and Mi Casa mixed reviews for their food, although they have very different atmospheres — Mazatlán leaning toward elegance, Mi Casa what you’d expect of a bus station. Although the décor at Mexico City is pleasant, I would not recommend it, nor would I choose La Posada, which is little more than a food cart serving everything on Styrofoam with plastic utensils. I did, however, like its salsa bar, with roasted chilies and pickled vegetables.

I’m not certain how to describe La Cabanita. The café offers simple meals prepared by a family from Mexico’s Guerrero state. There is no menu other than photos (with prices) above the counter; I had to ask what I was looking at.

Chile relleno

A chile relleno is a stuffed and roasted poblano or Anaheim pepper, filled with cheese or meat, typically battered with egg and fried. The versions at Madras restaurants vary widely.

Rio’s delicious version was the least traditional and the most gourmet. A large Anaheim pepper was filled with a mix of kernel corn, diced zucchini, onion and cheese, sprinkled with cilantro and roasted without a batter, then covered with a guacamole cream sauce.

Pepe’s more traditional version of a relleno bettered any other competition. A very large (4 inches by 6 inches) pepper, stuffed with cotija cheese, was fried in a light, eggy batter and ladled with a moderately spicy ranchero sauce with tomatoe and onions. A roasted jalapeño was offered on the side, and two cheeses were melted on top.

Others were more ordinary. Mi Casa’s pepper was fresh and crispy, filled with cheese and battered with egg. La Posada’s was similar in preparation but far spicier. Mexico City stuffed its charred pepper with chicken but no cheese, and offered no sauce on top. Mazatlán’s answer was a disappointing omelet with a smaller pepper folded inside.

La Cabanita had no rellenos. Instead, I had a homemade Salvadoran-style puposa with a filling of cotija cheese, avocado and artichoke hearts. The thick batter was grill-fried.

Chile verde

“Verde” is Spanish for green. This stew is typically made with pork, slow-cooked in a green tomatillo sauce spiced with jalapeños.

Rio’s version was again the best. Bite-size cubes of pork shoulder were simmered for four hours until delightfully tender and flavorful. The moderately spicy tomatillo sauce was not too heavy, and was topped with cilantro and a drizzle of cream. A full green salad accompanied.

The pork at Mazatlán was coarsely chopped and not as tender as at Rio, but it was still very good. The lightly peppered tomatillo sauce was of medium consistency and very mildly spiced.

Mi Casa served the pork as tender small ribs, still on the bone but easily separated. The hearty verde sauce was spicy and very flavorful. Pepe’s and Mexico City both sautéed their pork before stewing; at Pepe’s, the meat was finely chopped and prepared with onion, while at Mexico City, exactly seven flat cutlets were presented in an overly watery but spicy sauce. At least the chips that accompanied the meal were homemade and the best in Madras.

La Posada had the dish on its menu only as a “chili verde burrito.” The shredded pork, wrapped with rice and beans in a flour tortilla, was not apparently made with green tomatillo sauce at all. And at La Cabanita, flank steak rather than pork was stewed with potatoes and onions in a very spicy verde sauce. The meat, however, was gristly and not top quality.

Enchiladas

The enchiladas varied the least from place to place. All seven restaurants served their rolled tortillas, filled with chicken, with Spanish rice and refried pinto beans.

This time, I found Pepe’s to be the best. An ample amount of chicken was rolled in the corn tortilla, covered with savory ranchero sauce and topped with lettuce, onion, cilantro and sour cream. There was no melted cheese, but it didn’t need it. The same was true at Rio, which presented its chicken in similar fashion but with ranchero and mildly spicy chipotle cream sauce.

Mexico City’s enchilada has plenty of chicken and house-made tortillas, covered with cheddar and jack cheeses and ranchero sauce. At Mi Casa, the enchilada was similar, with sour cream and salad atop the sauce. Enchiladas at Mazatlán and La Cabanita was standard issue as well; the former had melted cheese, the latter simple ranchero sauce.

My enchilada at La Posada had no chicken. It was instead filled with shredded, processed cheddar cheese that hadn’t even begun to melt. Mild ranchero sauce couldn’t help this plate.

— Reporter: janderson@bendbulletin.com.