Let me start by saying that you know I don't like to go into these trendy, more expensive taco joints. I remind you that I am usually upset by spending more then $2 on a taco. Every once in a while, a place is different. A place stands out. A place is very worth going to, and enjoying. Let me say that value, is a word I would use to describe this place, and most tacos are $5. Villalobos, I want you to know, I will be back. I want to say that the service was second to none, the atmosphere was spot on and the tacos, well, we can wait for the ratings, but they were delicious.
This is the badass decor that you can come to expect. Seasonal, cool, edgy. I really loved it. It is right at the counter when you walk in. Oh, the hostess stand, yeah, they are there to greet you. Then don't stand behind some podium and point you in a direction, they are there to welcome you and guide you. They have a plan on where you are going to sit and they are all over it.
Kitchen was fast and hard at it the whole time. It is a completely opened kitchen and they have no problem letting you see them rock out some delicious food in a very efficient, timely manner. Yeah, it was great to see. Everyone in the kitchen made eye contact with the patrons, they were all smiling, communicating well and seemed to be having a great time being there, and I don't know how they couldn't enjoy being a part of such a well oiled machine. The owners were there, involved and seemed to genuinely care about each team member that they had as much as each guest in the building.
The Chalkboard Revolution. I'm such a fan. Put a chalkboard up and let your guests know what is going on in the restaurant. It is such a cool thing. It really is. I think that it is something that we are all use to from school, it is easy to read, easy to change. This one is awesome. Simple, well laid out and to the point! I love the picture of the wolf howling in the background and on the chalkboard, I really think it makes the place look even cooler.
I'll begin to tell the story. I got to the restaurant and parked in the parking structure. A very sweet lady, yes she was cute, was getting into the elevator at the same time. She had her hands full with a diaper bag and a nine month old who I later found out is named Jack. She asked me to press the button to get us to the bottom floor. Being the extra nice guy that I am, I did. We got off the elevator and she got her heal stuck. I was there, helped her prior to her hitting the ground and we then found out that we were both headed to the same restaurant to meet friends. Not the same friends, she was meeting her friends, I was meeting a friend.
When we walked in, it was very difficult to explain to the hostess that this lady and I were not there together as we were both the first in their party. She got sat, I stayed and waited for my friend. When he walked in, he knew darn near everyone in there. It was pretty cool. We sat down and went through the menu above. Great menu. Well laid out, and that is everything that they serve aside from water.
They start you off with these two delicious salsas and chips. The chips were great. The presentation was so excellent. The salsa rankings will be below. These came out pretty quick. They were traditionally different, which made this place pretty cool.
Yeah, I could not, not try this. Villalobos Guacamole. Sea Urchin Guacamole. Pretty interesting stuff. There was a lot of depth to this stuff. An interesting complexity that was not fishy. The smoked tomatillos were such a nice touch and really gave it the sweetness that it needed to push it over the edge. What a different starter. This may not be for everyone, but it is worth trying, for the record, it is for me.
RATINGS:
AL PASTOR de POLLO: 5, Yeah, this was crazy. So good, but it made me a little sad. I really wanted it with pork. The pineapple was umm, yeah, the aciote was, umm, I can't talk about this without going crazy and wanting more. Go and try it.
LENGUA: 3, this was really textbook. It was not a standout in my mind in anyway whatsoever. It was tender, it was good, it had a slight crisp, but I'm a lengua fanatic and this was good, but not amazing or above the average.
PULPO ASADO: 4, Octopus, yeah I'm going to order it. It was tender, but could have been a little more tender to be a 5, but this was close. It was sweet and great. Nicely done here.
CARNITAS: 2, the only disappointment of the night. Let me tell you that it was not horrible, but I did not find it very good. I went back and read the description on the menu but after I took my first bite, I was sad because it tasted like Coke. If you are into Coke, this is your stuff, but I'm not much of a big soda fan.
VERDURAS: 4, So this has poblano peppers, corn and mushrooms. I did think it was a bit too much mushrooms, but they were so good that I had to give it a 4. The flavors were well blended and you almost thought that you were eating meat. Really good.
ASADA: 5, This asada is a one of a kind. Oh, and it is HOT! It was so delicious. I've been talking to my self since I left asking me if this was my favorite.
CHORIZO y PAPAS: 3, this came highly recommended. What I loved most is that they make their own chips, I think, and top the chorizo taco with them. The chips are small, I mean small in diameter chips that are thinly shaved and they are fantastic. A very nice crunch and texture with good flavors. To be honest, the chorizo was good, but not as amazing as many of the other things that they create.
CAMARONES: 5, this was again a one of a kind for shrimp. It was sauteed, for sure not overdone or tough. Flavors were light and great.
SCALLOPS: 5, brussel sprouts? I hate brussel sprouts, but I loved this taco and they were good, I'll admit, I liked these. I've tried them with bacon, other vegetables, steamed, fried, stewed, always disliked them, until this dish. The tortilla was hot and cheesy. Really a nice special for them to run and recommend that you don't miss out if this bad boy is on the chalkboard.
PESCADO: 4, fried fish tacos that are really worth eating. They were fried, but tasted like real fish, not fishy, but they had great texture and flavor.
RED SALSA: 4, sweet and spicy. A great balance that was tasty and the more that I ate it, the more that I liked it.
TOMATILLO SALSA: 5, this was so complex and so layered with flavor. It was sweet, but had some real depth to the flavor. It was unlike a tomatillo sauce that I've tasted, clearly, very impressed.
What a spread! Clearly this is some of the highest ratings across the board. This place is great. My friend and I cut every taco in half and we were very full and obviously very far from disappointed. The music was cool, the vibe was great. The demographics were all over the place. Every age, everything, point being, this place has appeal for every age. It looks almost more expensive than it is. It was really affordable and worth every penny. I expected our bill for 10 tacos, the guacamole to be much more than it was. The people working there were really fantastic and it capped the meal right off.
Thank you to everyone for reading and for following. Please continue to tell everyone and to tell your friends. Today's goodbye, gratuitous photo is of the two geniuses behind this machine. Adam and VJ. There could not be two cooler guys that could come together and make such an amazing experience. The food, the service, the ambiance, the whole thing was brought together nicely.
STAY EXCELLENT!!!
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