Rosa's Café is located along "Chain Restaurant Row" on Loop 250 in northwest Midland, the only restaurants in town that seem to be open after 9 p.m. Unlike some of the nearby restaurants, though, Rosa's should actually be classified as a "mini-chain," with about six locations in Midland/Odessa, probably not more than a dozen more around Texas, and one in California.

I believe the small scale of the resturant's operation is a result of its conscious effort to maintain a higher standard of food than is found in most chains. I certainly find it to be better than a lot of Tex-Mex chains. On more than one occasion I have found Rosa's to be not only one of the few late-night dining options in Midland, but to provide some pretty enjoyable Tex-Mex food.

One of the specialties here is fajitas, which I have not tried. I can believe they are good, though, because the Flour Tortillas, another one of their claimed "signature dishes," is one of the items I enjoyed the most. The tortillas were fresh and were better than I find in the great majority of Mexican restaurants.

Of the main courses I tried, Tamales were the best--the masa had an especially good flavor and texture.

Cheese Enchiladas were about average for Tex-Mex restaurants, and not only had a good flavor, but stayed warm and fresh until I could finish the meal.

A Beef Taco had a crisp shell and good seasoning in the meat.

The only item that was disappointing was a Chicken Chalupa that was piled on top of a tortilla shell that was so soft it could not be used to support the chicken, but had to be eaten with a fork. The chicken on the chalupa was fairly flavorless, but tasted fresh.

No chips are served, but a salsa bar contains several varieties of salsas including a chile de árbol that is comparable to the El Paso chiles in spiciness (but not in flavor).

I really thought the restaurant's high points were the flour tortilla, rice, and guacamole, none of which were main items but which definitely raised the overall food quality--especially since the chicken chalupa, an item I though I would really enjoy, turned out to be a disappointment.

The service and cleanliness are very good, and Rosa's Café serves food well above the tasteless mass-produced items normally offered at chain restaurants.