El Cardenal is a huge place with several floors of dining rooms, all packed with people.  There is a nice sized waiting area where you enter with a wonderful stained glass cardinal on one side and the good view of the kitchen on another side.  This place has been in business since 1969 and serves breakfast and thru the midday meal and does not take reservations. The staff spoke limited English but it was enough to get by.

 

While looking over the menu they passed a basket of pastries and the warm sweet roll was delicious, tender with just the right amount of sweet. These are charged unlike their bread,  but everything there is very reasonably priced.  The house rolls are also nice with a crispy exterior and a nice chewy inside.

 

The beef was cooked as ordered but was a little tough to cut.  However it was juicy and tasty and mixed nicely with the beans and saucy tortillas.  The chilaquiles were served with a delicious red sauce and chicken. The corn chips were a mixture of crisp and soft all mixed with cheese and cream in that nice sauce.  The chicken was fine and all melded into a wonderful taste treat. Both dishes were not fancy but simple, well done food with great flavor content.