Eric Scicchitano
Good food isn’t always hard to come by, depending on your tastes, but sometimes it’s served in the unlikeliest of places.
Wedged in the little town of Conyngham between Interstate 80 and Interstate 81 is The Brass Buckle, a restaurant with a reputation for serving up a mean Mexican meal.
It’s been around 25 years but its location may lend itself to remain a bit of a secret for those of us living in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area.
Located at 334 Main St., the building itself has been used almost continually as a bar and restaurant since it was erected in 1812. The first floor is used for off-site catering, as well as banquets and private dining rooms. It’s in the basement where The Brass Buckle earns its mettle.
Entering the place is interesting in and of itself, having already crossed through two doorways, by the time we reached the third, it felt like we were entering an underground poker room made famous in Rounders.
Once inside, the atmosphere is warm and receptive, tables situated to the front of the bar and in a back room, a stone fireplace which was unlit nearby, and lighting dim to set a low-key mood. It had the appeal of a non-descript pub rather than the bright, southwestern style some Mexican restaurants employ. The bar is beautiful and was crafted out of a single, albeit large, tree.
The menu is quite vast, and for someone like me who has trouble making up their mind, maybe had too many options. However, its variety also allows for more then just Mexican-style offerings. So if you’re not up for carne asada, flautas or Mexicali steak and chicken, you can order a rib eye steak, ravioli or baby-back ribs. And if you can’t seem to find exactly what you’re looking for, just ask. They’re open to special requests.
I had my mind set at first on a fried calamari burrito, but when my eyes were set upon the seafood burrito, it was easy to keep the rest of their offerings at bay. My guest kept it simple: one hard shell beef taco and one chicken enchilada.
The burrito, which came with a house salad and a side of rice, beans or French fries, was stuffed with shrimp, scallop and crab and a three-cheese combination of Colby, Monterey jack and queso Chihuahua (a white cheese made from a cow, trust me), all dressed with a creamy white sauce. Wrapped in a flour tortilla and covered with more cheese, the burrito was then baked in the oven, providing a perfect melt to create a cheesy goodness.
One bite and I was hooked. A dozen or so more bites and I was finished, and full. But that didn’t stop me from sampling the taco and enchilada.
The taco was tasty — its corn shell (like their tortilla chips) fried fresh in the kitchen and stuffed with the right portion of ground beef, cheese and the trimmings. The enchilada, too, was good; for a small item it was packed with chicken but not drowned in sauce.
I may have been full but I couldn’t turn down the lemon cheesecake chimichangas — freshly made cheesecake wrapped in a two flour tortillas, deep-fried to America’s favorite color (golden brown; we love fried food). Coupled on the plate with whipped cream and a mango sauce, we made sure to polish off the entire plate.
Though business wasn’t booming, the wait between plates was a tad slow. However, the down-low ambiance of The Brass Buckle seems to foster conversation with your tablemate, easily passing the time. It’s a good place for two, four or more.
Beside the good food, the price was easy to swallow too. Dinner, an appetizer and dessert, three bottles of Samuel Adams Boston Lager and a soft drink totaled $35.
When you head to The Brass Buckle, ask for Martha and tell her you want a margarita. Aside from the food, we’re told they may be the best thing on the menu.