Ramiro’s Cantina Express in Jeffersonville? Yes, Please

Brisket nachos, with emphasis on the brisket (it’s buried, but trust me, it’s there). Photos by Kevin Gibson

I first went to Ramiro’s Cantina Express not long after it opened — what? Two years ago? Three? Time is a blur in the wake of a worldwide pandemic. But I’m glad I finally went back, because it’s better than your average fast casual restaurant.

Interestingly, as my girlfriend Cynthia and I finished visiting my Mom’s grave in Jeffersonville recently, I asked her if she was hungry. She said she was, so I started toward Taco Bell, a rare treat for us but something we could agree upon in the moment. And then we arrived, and the dining room was closed. We considered hitting the drive-through and eating our tacos in the car, but I declared, “Tacos just aren’t good car food.”

But by this point, my mouth and belly wanted tacos. Wait, no, that’s not entirely correct. My mouth and belly NEEDED tacos.

As we drove down 10th Street toward Louisville, Ramiro’s popped into my mind. Without even asking Cynthia, I headed in that direction. She’d never been, so I knew she would be up for it, and I was right. I mentioned this part because, if you’ve not been but have been to Ramiro’s Cantina on Frankfort Avenue (who hasn’t?), this isn’t just a fast-food version of the parent eatery.

Ramiro’s Express is sort of a mashup of the original Ramiro’s and a QDoba; you order, then watch as the servers assemble your food on the spot, much like at the latter. But the smoked meats you know from the original Ramiro’s are the staples here, such as the brisket and pork, not to mention chicken and carne asada. From those foundations, you can build tacos, burritos, quesadillas, burrito bowls and the like.

It was a mild, autumn day, the sun was shining, and Ramiro’s was nearly empty. We jumped in line, and I knew immediately what I wanted. I got my order rolling while Cynthia made up her mind and finally decided on brisket nachos. As any fast-casual Mexican fan knows, half the fun is in the building. I topped my tacos with the fresh pico de gallo (which was bursting with cilantro) and shredded cheese, and asked for the house-made hot tomatillo sauce.

Yeah, that salsa is as hot as it looks.

At this point, the kind woman who was building my lunch asked, “Have you had this before? It’s very, very hot.” I told her I wasn’t sure if I had, so she said, “I’d better put it on the side.” I appreciated her concern for my taste buds, but she clearly didn’t know who she was talking to.

Anyway, Cynthia built her nachos with black beans, guacamole, tomatoes, pico and more, and we decided to sit outside and enjoy the weather. Suffice to say, if I had gotten three tacos, I would not have finished them — the portions are beyond generous at Ramiro’s Express. Both my tacos were running over with meat and toppings. Meanwhile, Cynthia managed to finish off the majority of her nachos, but only with my help in taking care of the big chunks of tender brisket.

“It’s almost like they took a whole order of their brisket bites [a staple at the original location] and just dumped them on top,” she said. Except this stuff was more tender and juicy. Delicious.

Anyway, back to that hot sauce — yes, it is VERY spicy, but also wonderfully flavorful. I didn’t leave any behind, and my taste buds are none the worse for having done so. I can’t wait to get more and, honestly, wish I had asked for some to go. Lunch with two drinks cost us about $24, which isn’t bad considering the amount of food we got. If you haven’t tried this little spot yet, it’s time.