Well this one has been a long time coming. I've wanted to try this place, long lines, good reputation. My thoughts are a bit mixed. Don't get me wrong, I dig the joint, but they left some meats to be desired. Will I go back? Of course, I still haven't tried their Torta Ahogada which is their house specialty.
What a beautiful Sunday in Southern California! The low clouds, cool air and rain were a nice change of pace for the area. Brandon and I have been trying to get together for quite some time, finally, it happened. This place has been on Brandon's radar for a while. We've text back and forth about it, emailed about it. He went in and scouted the place getting some pina not too long ago. I have missed Brandon, he's been busy, I've been gone, it was good to finally catch up and hang out for a bit.
This place was totally packed. The line did not subside at all. People kept coming in. They were staying to eat, taking food to go, every way to get food, people were on it. The waters looked pretty solid, that is going to happen next trip. Looking at the restaurant it looks like they expanded at some point and took over the place next to them. The restaurant is pretty big, they need the space!
They had a pretty decent size crew that was working! This team did not stop. They were all quiet, heads down working. They ran with two people on the grill the entire time and then had a slew of prep folks and were wrapping, plating and packaging food as efficiently as they could. You can tell that they are use to being busy. They communicated effectively and I appreciated seeing them work so well together. There was a freaky power surge while I was there, you should have seen the people in there jump!
I dig the menu. I now look at this picture and realize what a horrible job I did of taking it. I would apologize, but that really is not my style. Pretty darn good looking menu. They have plenty, but not too much. It is not a regular "cheap" taqueria, but it is not pricey by any means. I am totally coming back for a Torta, like I said earlier. They hit the basics, do some cool stuff and they don't overwhelm you with too many options.
RATINGS:
BUCHE: 2, this was a sad first bite at this place. It was just not up to par. It was a bit under cooked and tough.
LENGUA: 2, this just did not hit me right. They leave the tongue in bigger pieces, it did not absorb all of the flavor that I think it could have. It was just not that great, I was a bit sad, but not for long.
SUADERO: 1, couldn't eat it. Really couldn't eat it. This was slimy, under cooked and not at all good. I don't even want to talk about it.
PASTOR: 3, this was interesting. This was really interesting. I enjoyed this one. Not off a cone, but tasty. Lots of flavor. Lots of clove. Heavy on the aciote. It is a pleaser that you will want to indulge in.
ASADA: 3, I liked this. Without question, I would order this again. It was pretty standard, but pretty great. Don't miss out if you have a beef craving.
PIERNA: 5, slow clap for the surprise of this trip. This stuff came out of no where. I was done ordering and asked the guy if there was a taco I "had to order." He pointed me towards this delightful meal. WOW! Really enjoyed this stuff. It was very good. It was sweet, spicy, loaded with layered flavors of cinnamon, cumin, clove and pepper. I really enjoyed it! It came out in red tortillas from cooking it on the flat top, ah man, you need to check this out.
POLLO: 3, I liked it. It was tasty and not over cooked. It was tender and tasty, but didn't have a layered depth or flavor that could bump it up a rating.
CHORIZO: 4, I really am not a chorizo fan. I just don't care much for the stuff, but this one was good, really good. It was not greasy at all and the flavors on it were tasty. Worth a try!
CARNITAS: 3, this was pretty good operating standard right here. Sweet, but not too sweet. Tender, but not falling apart. It was some really good stuff. Check it out, it won't disappoint.
Good looking spread huh? We took the food back to Brandon's for us to chow down on. We couldn't even finish all of the food. The tortillas were small but full. They do a nice job. As for to-go packaging, these guys were great. They really did an amazing job. They packaged everything nicely, wrapped it tight and everything stayed nice and warm. The red tortillas are the pierna. They almost come out looking like they are quesadillas, but there is no cheese in them. They are nicely cooked and the meat melts into the tortilla. I really enjoyed it. This was a nice surprise on the taco front for the day. After eating the food, I'm coming back, I am totally getting a torta and pierna is not going un-ordered if I'm around!
That is the salsa bar. They let you put your own lime, cilantro and onions. Some places don't have great fresh product out, these guys do. They replenished it over and over while I was there. They had fried jalapenos on the salsa bar. They were so incredibly good. That is worth the price of admission in itself. I totally loved them! Salsas were good, didn't blow me away.
Thank you as always for reading and being a part of the adventures. I need to write more of these, just been crazy busy! I've also been hitting some old favorites lately. Today's goodbye gratuitous photo is of Brandon. Brandon has been a really great close friend of mine for a few years now and it is like I've known him my whole life. Very lucky to have such a great guy to call a true friend. When I'm on the road, Brandon always checks on me. When I'm in town, he is reminding me to try to have some fun sometimes and does his best to get me to get out and eat some tacos with someone other than myself! Here Brandon is about to crush some pierna and beer!
Stay Excellent!
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