Mexican Restaurants – Page 14

Medina Moroccan-Baja Kitchen

March 28, 2019 mmm-yoso African Cuisine/Restaurants, Gastropub, Mexican Restaurants, Moroccan Food

**** Medina has closed

During the beginning of March I was driving up El Cajon Boulevard and noticed a little shop had opened right next to Barn Brewery. The name; Medina, caught my eye and memories of wandering the Medina in Kairouan and Tunis flashed though mi cabeza. A few days later I read the grand opening announcement on Eater. The name says "Moroccan-Baja Kitchen", something that seemed to scream "con-fusion" to me. However, I took a quick look at the menu online and while it was small; basically two proteins and a vegetarian option served in tacos, a bowl, and a favorite of mine shakshouka. And while the Missus was somewhat hesitant at first, I managed to talk Her into visiting for two reasons. More on that shortly. So on a nice sunny day we headed on over.

We loved the décor of this wide open establishment. The drill is typical of this type of fast-casual "San Diegish" restaurant. You order at the counter, pay, and head on over to a table or stool at the front. The two young ladies who were working here on my visits were friendly and very nice.

The reason I managed to talk the Missus into visiting was the merguez which is made onsite, we really loved the merguez in Tunisia. And of course Shakshuka is a staple in our house. Just as an FYI; the "lamb" on the menu is actually merguez.

The Missus went with the Lamb Bowl ($13) topped with an Egg, which was a couple of bucks more.

First off; the egg was a perfect easy-over. The merguez was also very tasty, nice spices, with a good gamey, pasturey flavor. It was much better than other versions which we've gotten from various places in San Diego. The veggies were lightly and simply dressed, the roasted corn added sweetness, arugula bitterness, the pickled onions a nice palate cleansing sour-pungency. The couscous added bulk. As a whole, other than the merguez, this seemed like stuff we make at home. But still, it wasn't bad at all.

In the vein of stuff we make at home; the Shashouka ($7) with Merguez (+ $3.50), was decent as well.

A bit less spicy (I use quite a bit of Harissa) and tangy then the version I make at home, this wasn't bad at all. I like my shashouka a bit more broken down and with a bit more red peppers as well. Again the merguez was the star of the show for me and of course that luscious egg.

While the Missus enjoyed the meal, other than the merguez, She thought that the food wasn't much different from what I make at home.

Still, I wanted to return for another visit before doing a post. We'd had two of the three major items on the menu; the bowls and the shakshouka. So, that left some tacos, right?

But first, a Thorn Brewery Barrio Lager, light, clean, with a touch of sweetness.

I thought it would be nice on a bright and sunny afternoon. To go with dos tacos….

First up; the Moroccan Spiced Chicken Asado Taco ($4.50).

While I loved the look of this; it was the least favorite item I had at Medina. The chicken was dry and the seasoning, a combination of Coriander, Tumeric, and the like was too light and the tzatziki and arugula basically overshadowed instead of complimented the chicken. The rustic, thick tortilla looked wonderful, but quickly tore to pieces.

Of course I got the Lamb (merguez) Taco ($5.50).

Instead of being served in a tortilla, the taco was served on a tortilla sized pita. While the sausage seemed lost in all of the greens at times, the roasted corn and cucumber pico de gallo, along with a nice, but not too overpowering vinaigrette did well to compliment the sausage. The queso fresco added a pleasant milkiness to the spices and the "flavor of the pasture" of the merguez. My only complaint was that this was more of a salad – pita with some merguez than visa versa.

I was pleasantly surprised at the brightness and flavors of the food here; even though it's quite simple. I'm not sure I'll return anytime soon….though if they sold that merguez in bulk, I'd really be regular. Truthfully, I don't find the food here particularly fusion-ny nor innovative. Think swapping out pitas for tortillas; that shakshouka had nothing particularly "Baja" about it, but the ingredients were fresh, decently prepared, the colors pleasing to the eye, the staff very friendly, the hipsterish vibe is great for the area. Still, if you're not familiar with some of these flavors or wonder how well they'd work together definitely give them a try. And if you've never had merguez; this would a good place to try it!

Medina Moroccan-Baja Kitchen
2850 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Tuesday 5pm – 9pm
Wed – Sun 1130am – 9pm

Fernandez Restaurant and Catering Revisited

March 18, 2019 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants

Well; it was about time for my yearly revisit to Fernandez Restaurant, what I consider to be a little treasure in Nestor. I'd gone over the changes in appearance over the years in my last post on Fernandez, so I'll just stick with the food.

It's all about the birria here; but first, some consommé.

Scalding, slightly peppery, it's not very salty and does real well with a good squeeze of lime, some onions and cilantro. And a few spoonfuls go on the Tacos de Birria y Nervio ($2.90); you gotta get that tendon.

And man was that tendon nice and buttery today. The nice and hearty tortillas are dipped in the birria drippings and griddled; giving it a nice slightly crunchy-firmness. The beefy birria, a bit of the salsa de arbol, a few spoons of consommé, a light squeeze of lime…..you get the idea, right? The birria de res on this day was very tender.

The onions and cilantro add a nice pungent-herbaceousness.

On this day; I tried out the Quesataco Extremo ($3.90).

The griddled birria was nice; with a decent crispness and caramelization to it; the cheese added a milkiness and was melted helping the tortilla stay in tact. There was some nice tendon on this as well. But, I thought the cheese really took away from the birria and I missed that messy-tasty griddled tortilla. So I'll stick with my favorites here.

The place was totally packed, but turnover is fast. It was about a ten minute wait for a table. Service was friendly and warm. As we were leaving, one of the young men asked me how things was. I told him "excellent". He said, "thank you so much…..and we'll try to make it even better next time." Better than excellent? You gotta love that.

Fernandez Restaurant and Catering
2265 Flower Ave
San Diego, CA 92154
Hours:
Wed – Sunday 7am – 2pm

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Revisits to Tribute Pizza and Aqui es Texcoco

February 16, 2019 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Mexican Restaurants, Pizza

Just clearing out the memory card of places I've posted on numerous times.

Tribute Pizza:

It had been over six months since we'd been to Tribute and the Missus had burnt out on pizza (if you notice that visit to Tribute was "pizza-less"). But finally She was ready to have some pizza again recently and requested a visit to Tribute.

We did the usual….the Sea Salt Foccacia with 'Nduja

The Meat, Cheese, and Veg Board….with all the veggies. Loved the venison salumi and Drunken Goat ("Queso de Murcia") is another cheese we enjoy.

I'd forgotten that the board came with focaccia as well.

Since it was Happy Hour; we also ordered the Biancoverde; which turned out to be just too much food.

But the Missus enjoys cold pizza…… And we enjoyed our visit.

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104

Aqui es Texcoco:

Another place I hadn't been to in ages….like almost a year! Since the Missus's work schedule changed, we didn't have time for breakfasts on weekends anymore or were just too tired when Saturday came around.

I finally got back right after Christmas. And it was as good as ever.

Which was relief since it seems that many of our "regular" spots have been starting to disappoint us recently.

Aqui Es Texcoco
1043 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Hope you're keeping warm and having a great weekend!

Al Pastor Authentic Mexican Grill (Chula Vista)

January 22, 2019 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Mexican Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

The name has changed (Aqui Es Texcoco), the ownership is the same. Still great food.

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog name. Bloggers are (usually) Kirk and (today) Cathy. Posts are random: locations, type of food, liked or not. Today: Chula Vista, Mexican, liked.

I had heard of it: Kirk posted last June and again in October. It's owned by the same person who owns Aqui es Texcoco (where I've gone for breakfast). In late December, cc and I had a little 'food crawl', stopping here.

The clean 'Mexico City' decor has televisions scattered throughout and it's not busy in the early morning. The Mister and I returned a week later. This post shows both visits and breakfasts ordered.

The first menu page (top, far left) is 'breakfasts', but both menus are served all day.

We ordered a Chicharron de Queso ($6.50). Simple grilled, rolled cheese along with simple guacamole. Excellent.
Al pastor ($2.50), costilla (rib meat)($2.75) and chuleta ahumada (smoked pork chop)($2.65) tacos. We liked the al pastor best; the spit grilled, pork based, chili/spice marinated, pineapple topped meat was moist, flavorful and satisfying. The costilla was good, basic quality meat, needing some of the tabletop condiments at some point. The smokiness of the chuleta was nice, but pretty much smoked ham (which I love, but this, too, needed some hot sauce to taste 'finished').
After having Alambres at Tako Factory, The Mister and I were curious to see what this version was like. We were able to choose two meats, so thought the bistek along with the smoked pork chop (The Mister loves smoked meats) would be good ($9.75) and we did add cheese ($1.25) just because. Well, the freshness of the tortillas, meats, bacon, grilled onion and peppers along with the creamy cheese was just about perfect. I can see why Kirk's Missus likes it here.
A mollete is a a fresh, split, toasted bollilo topped with beans and cheese ($3.75). You can add chorizo for $1 and we did (on both visits, choosing the milder green chorizo)(description of green chorizo is on this link-scroll down to Mexican Chorizo) (basically, tomatillo, chiles, cilantro and garlic). I remembered fondly having a mollete at Tropifruit, in 2014 and the version here is great.

All in all, a new favorite spot in Chula Vista for a quality Mexican breakfast, lunch and late night dinner.

Al Pastor Mexican Grill 520 Broadway Chula Vista 91910 Website Open Sun-Thurs 8 a.m.- 1 a.m., Fri-Sat 8 a.m.-2 a.m.

TJ Oyster Bar (again)

November 21, 2018 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are reading mmm-yoso!!! on Thanksgiving Eve…or Thanksgiving Day. Cathy is writing a short post about another regular stop. Kirk is busy, elsewhere, with His Missus.

There are two locations of TJ Oyster Bar in Bonita with the third in Chula Vista- all East of the 805. The Mister and I have been to all three, but we keep returning to the original location, even though it is the smallest.
There are five two top tables and about 12 bar stools of seating inside and two-four seat tables out in front. The cash register is right in front when you walk in: order, pay, find a seat.
On this visit, we decided to share a fried calamari appetizer ($9). It was nice that they did give us two forks . The batter is thin/light and the fry is correct. The squid is tender and the dipping sauce has a light amount of spice; a complimentary flavor. I did add salt at the end.
We had to get the fish tacos ($1.25 each) which are in a beer batter (slightly thicker; good crunch). The fish pieces are large, the cabbage and salsa and white sauce are just enough (not overpowering). The corn tortillas have nice light corn flavor and because they were warmed, a good chew.
The grilled fish salad ($9)is exceptional. The fish is (as you can see) lightly grilled and the salad served with an avocado half. The salad was a bed of Romaine (which had not yet been recalled; we were here last Friday) which had a great housemade salad dressing mixed in-in perfect proportions (creamy but not overpowering in any one flavor; not much garlic).

Just a nice place to stop in for quality Mexican seafood.

TJ Oyster Bar 4246 Bonita Road Bonita, 92002 (619) 267-4577 Mon-Th 11:30-9, Fri 11:30-10, Sat noon-9, Sun noon-8

Al Pastor Authentic Mexican Grill Revisited

October 8, 2018 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants

**** Al Pastor has changed back to Aqui es Texcoco

When I did my original post on Al Pastor back in June I mentioned waiting a couple of months before checking in with "Al Pastor". It just so happens that a month or so ago, the Missus wanted breakfast from Talavera Azul. we were running late and by the time we drove down to Chula Vista there was a long line outside the restaurant. It was just before 10am so I suggested checking out Al Pastor. The Missus enjoyed Her meal and we've returned a few times since. The menu at the restaurant is humongous, like generic Vietnamese Restaurant menu sized. We've tried a few items on the menu and here's the rundown.

The Missus loves the simplicity of the Guacamole here. There is always a glowing freshness to it.

It's a nice base, a palette of sorts to which the Missus can add various salsas, cilantro, onions, and a squeeze of lime to suit Her taste and mood for the day.

It also goes nicely when a little dollop is added to the Al Pastor Alambres……you have your choice of meat, but it's the savory-sweet flavor of the Al Pastor that goes well with this riff of the traditional grilled beef-bacon-green peppers dish. She usually forgoes the queso.

And of course there's the Al Pastor, pork of course. Here I tried the Chuleta Ahumada, smoked pork chop, which didn't bring much flavor to the table.

Love the mixture of thin slices of pork and the caramelized "crispy bits" of Al Pastor, the pineapple adds a nice fruity-acidic touch. I'm usually not a big fan of fruit in savory dishes, but it works here. I didn't care much for the texture of the Chuleta Ahumada as it was weirdly "mushy" and it just didn't have enough smokiness, richness, nor pork flavor to make it really shine in a taco.

As much as we enjoy the Al Pastor; there have been occasions when it's been cut too thick, the spices have been pasty and gummy, and perhaps, thinking we're not worthy gringos, there were no nice, crisp pieces added to our tacos. When that happens, like below, the Al Pastor tacos really don't stand out from what I can get elsewhere.

The Chorizo Tacos are a nice "plan B", except we really didn't enjoy the radioactive looking Chorizo Verde – green chorizo. We actually didn't order that Green Chorizo…more on that later.

Usually made with green chilies; beyond the shock of the color…..green and meat (ecxept in a stew) are not something I think humans gravitate towards, the chorizo had a weird texture and while it is traditionally made with Serrano and Poblano Chilies; there was basically no spice in this, just that green-chlorophyllic flavor. The regular chorizo has that combination of spice-saltiness-slight smokiness that folks would be familiar with.

Some other items. On a whim I ordered the Nopales Asados….because we both love Nopales. We received a plate of stir fried nopales and cebollas.

Which very plain…….you'll need tortillas for these. Those aren't provided.

Ditto the Frijoles Charros, which was too salty, and was quite thin while still having a greasy mouthfeel. And yet; if it were thicker and you were provided tortillas, this would maybe be passable.

Still, when the Al Pastor is on….or anytime the Missus is craving those Alambres, the time on the griddle brings out the best in the Al Pastor, we'll be headed back over to Al Pastor. Service has always been friendly, though sometimes a bit…well, spacey? We had ordered Alambres, with Chorizo, but somehow got the Chorizo Verde taco, go figure?

Al Pastor Authentic Mexican Grill
520 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 10am – 1am
Fri – Sat 10am – 2am

El Jardin

September 25, 2018 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants

**** El Jardin has closed

We were a bit fascinated when El Jardin opened in Liberty Station a few months back. The Missus is starting to enjoy Mezcal, so that was a draw. The menu seemed quite diverse; El Jardin literally means "the garden", which seemed interesting. In the various posts in Eater San Diego, there's one thing that caught my attention, the Chef's definition of the menu as "Grandma Chic". The product of travel through seven regions of Mexico with locally sourced products and ingredients.

Well, we decided to visit, and to this day, El Jardin is basically a monthly treat for us.

And while the dining area is perfectly fine; we've only eaten inside once.

We prefer the al fresco, outdoor area….even with the recent cooler weather. The only major issue is the darn planes flying over every 20-30 minutes, which drowns out all conversation.

We will often go early; the bar area opens at 430. We get on the list for a table, usually sitting outside; often in our favorite Server's area. His name is Ille and is the friendliest, gracious, Server you could ever want. He also got on the Missus's good side on our first visit by recommending the Bozal Ensamble, a wonderfully smokey Mezcal which was served in a pretty Copita. On a revisit with my good friends, MrQ really took to this as well. Like my post on Soi 30th; I'm not going to reference that visit, since it was just about good times.

One of the main reasons we visit El Jardin are for the cocktails. They make a mean Mezcal Old Fashioned. The Missus loves the Mazateca Swizzle (to the right) with a nice smokey Mezcal instead of the Rum. The folks manning the bar are usually very good and the drinks aren't too sweet or watered down. They're priced competitively at $11-13.

They've also made me a pretty good Mezcal Negroni a few times as well; which I prefer to the traditional Negroni. Yes, even more than a Negroni in Florence where the drink was created.

I also enjoy the Plaza Sesamo; which uses Toki Japanese Whiskey, Black Sesame, Mole Bitters, as a base.

When it was a zillion degrees out….like this past summer; I'd often just get a nice Michelada.

The menu at El Jardin is constantly changing, which is a mixed blessing because once in a while you'll find a dish you love and then it'll vanish, never to be seen again. El Jardin is also not cheap; we never get out for less than eighty bucks or so, but of course we'd rather spend it here for an interesting dinner with cocktails to our taste than, say Cloak & Petal.

So here's a run down of dishes; from our favorites, to stuff we really didn't care for.

But first, a few words about the supporting cast. Of all the salsas, we enjoy the smokey and spicy salsa made with chili de arbol. It seems to have peanuts or something like that in it that just ups everything. The tortillas a decent, but we've definitely had better. The tostadas are amazing, light and crisp, with a texture like a perfect chicharron…..

Da' Winnahs:

Octopus Tikin Chic ($28) - Yes octopus. Holy smoke, this was fork tender, and the seasoning, an amazing recado rojo, slightly sweet ("like char siu" said the Missus), citrusy, with a nice touch of spice.

The soul of the flavor took me back to a certain dinner we had in Flores, Guatemala. The, what seemed to be something like an almost cheesy celriac puree was great at tempering the flavors of the octopus. Yes, this octopus might even be better than our favorite restaurant in Chania.

The Yucatan Style Castacan ($29) was another winnah!

Nice pork belly; crisp outside, tender and moist inside. The Sikil Pak, pumpkin seed salsa was delicious, nutty, with a nice kick. Ille told us that they use some habanero in this version. The green beans were super firm and crisp, with a nice "green" flavor and a mild sweet finish. Unfortunately, we only saw this once on the menu.

Another item that we came across only once; albeit as a appetizer special was the fried smelt.

If you read our blog regularly, you know the Missus loves Her shishamo. This was so crisp, clean, and light; which just a touch of rich brininess; like we were eating the crisp soul of the smelt. We actually had two orders of this.

A regular on the menu; the Res en Salsa Verde ($23), pairs a confit of beef belly, with confit of beef tongue….talk about a combination of beefy flavors!

The salsa verde isn't too sour and bracing. And the Missus really enjoys the very firm, frijoles de olla….very beany.

Dependable Standbys:

Jalisco Style Pozole Rojo ($17).

The bowl with the beans, pork, corn, radish, avocado, et al; is served first, then the broth is poured over at the table. This is hearty and all the various textures come through.

Carne Apache ($17); rib eye tartare.

I didn't care for the sloppy pile of raw meat on the plate….and I love beef tartare! I missed the silken textures of an egg or something similar. This was fine; the beef a bit too chewy, the ancho mayo distracted from a nice, clean, finish.

The Missus loves the Albondigas de Chipotle ($26).

The meatballs are slightly smokey and very tender. Those things that look like mushrooms are actually chochoyotes, wonderful dumplings of masa, so full of corn flavor. My main issue with this dish is that the two times we've had it; it arrived at the table less than lukewarm. It didn't stop the Missus from scarfing it all down.

Another nice appetizer; Totopos Emmolados ($10); basically tortilla chips, in this case super crunchy, freshly fried, thick tortilla chips topped with a mole negro.

I loved the fact that the mole wasn't overly sweet; it just had a nice balance of sweet-salty-mild spice. That cheese was interesting; it was mild in flavor, with a texture of yogurt. we were told it was Cashew Cheese. This was actually a pretty large portion size.

Not Our Favorites (perhaps we'll try them again):

Carne en su Jugo ($26). The brisket was a bit too fatty and that "beef dashi" was kinda watery, with a strange flavor.

Not Having Again:

The Cazuela de Chilorio ($26) featured dry and stringy pork shoulder in a Chili Colorado sauce that was on the cold side making it greasy.

The beans were also on the colder side as well. Pass.

The Vuelve a la Vida ($19) is also something we won't have again.

First off; this was a really tiny portion. Second, the trout roe was too salty, third the uni tasted a bit "off", and unlike the other octopus dish, in this it was quite tough.

And our least favorite dish; which seems like a regular item on the menu. The impressive looking Barbacoa Lamb Shank ($26).

This was just unpleasantly sweet for us…….to the point that you really couldn't taste the beans, nor enjoy the lamb shank.

In case you're wondering; there is a "garden" at El Jardin.

So for us; the strategy is simple.

Go early, grab a cocktail (or two), get a table outside…explore the garden a bit while waiting on your food. Enjoy the amiable, yet professional service. Pause your conversation between planes flying over.

Just enjoy….life is too short.

El Jardin
2885 Perry Rd
San Diego, CA 92106
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 5pm – 9pm
Fri – Sun 1030am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm

Clearing Out the Memory Card: Breakfasts and Brunches – Urban Solace, Tiger! Tiger!, and Talavera Azul

September 21, 2018 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, Gastropub, Mexican Restaurants

It's sure been a beautiful day. I'm hoping you have more important things than to just sit around and read blog posts…..but if not; here are some quick, mostly photo revisits. Brunch and Breakfast issue.

Urban Solace:

*** Urban Solace has closed

For the Sunday Jazz Brunch.

Sadly, they're not doing the "Secret Menu" torchon de foie gras anymore. Bummer. Portion sizes were generous; but I really didn't like the gravy they put on the biscuits; it really killed the rather delicate cheese flavor. The slab bacon might have been our favorite; though the Kennebec potatoes were not bad.

Actually, my favorite thing was the Picante Bloody Mary, with bacon. Man, that was really good.

Urban Solace Restaurant
3823 30th Street
San Diego, CA 92104

Tiger! Tiger!:

**** Tiger! Tiger! has closed

We were bummed when they removed the Wood Fired Potatoes from the brunch menu and stopped dropping by on Sundays. We revisited last weekend and were happy to find "crispy potatoes" on the menu. We enjoyed it with a half charcuterie board.

Tiger! Tiger!
3025 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104

Talavera Azul:

It's been too hot for the Missus to order the Menudo; so of course She ordered my favorite, the Sonoran Machaca.

Trying to figure what to order; I went with the Chicharron in Salsa Verde.

Gooey pork skin in an almost too tart and sour salsa verde. But combined in a tortilla with the beefy and crunchy machaca; it worked out fine.

Talavera Azul
365 3rd Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91910

So there you go….maybe some ideas for brunch this weekend!

Thanks for dropping by!

El Pollo Grill (Lemon Grove)

August 2, 2018 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Salads, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. There's always something to eat somewhere and sometimes it is interesting. Cathy is writing today; Kirk is busy with many work related projects. This location of El Pollo Grill has been open since 2002 in the heart of Lemon Grove (on Broadway, kitty corner from the giant Lemon). It originally had been in a smaller location nearby, since 1987.
Parking can be tight in front of the strip of storefronts, but there are plenty of spaces in the back and the entrance is easy to find.
At any point in the day, the flaming grill is filled with marinated chickens. It can get busy; everything is fresh.

The Bonita Road location of El Pollo Grill got much busier when the San Diego Chargers football team left for Carson and became the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017. The owner, Victor Lopez, decided to give away a free chicken taco to anyone dropping by on the day following a Los Angeles Chargers *loss*. This business model was written up in Forbes Magazine, CBS sports, USA Today and was a pretty major news story locally…at some point (I think October), the Lemon Grove location also jumped into the 'Spanos Taco' frenzy, also giving away a free chicken taco (regular price is $2.99) after a Chargers loss. Thousands of free tacos were given away last year.
Order, pay, your number is called and you can pick it up on the other side of the cash register.
"Special C": 1/2 chicken, rice, charro beans, corn tortillas, salsa ($11.99). A good test of 'basics'. Plenty of food. Moist chicken, nicely flavored from the marinade-grilled perfectly(light, crisp skin). The rice and charro beans (whole beans, cooked with chiles) are hearty, flavorful. The hot, fresh made corn tortillas are thin and wonderful. A meal with some leftovers.
"Michelle's Walnut and spinach salad" ($10.99). Hot grilled no-skin chicken (white meat; but you can ask for dark), a mix of spinach and Romaine with walnuts, tomato, avocado, dried cranberries, feta and onion. Choice of dressings. A wonderful meal or two; refreshing on these hot days we have had…
The menu does have items other than chicken. This is the a la carte plate of shredded beef chimichanga ($6.99). All beef. All good. Seriously. Look at the (wonderful, fresh, garlic-y, not onion-y) guacamole served with a small shredded lettuce salad toped with sour cream. A meal…

Only on Friday does El Pollo Grill make chile rellenos ($9.99). From scratch, fresh, cheese filled chiles covered with an extremely flavorful sauce which is light enough not to wreck the delicate egg/flour fried batter (there's still crunch). The refried beans are very good.

Everything is good here.

El Pollo Grill 7836 Broadway Lemon Grove, CA 91945 (619)697-7153 website Opens daily at 9, closes at 9 Tues-Fri, 8 on Mon & Sat, 5 on Sunday.

Mariscos Monday – The Mariscos on Miramar Truck

July 16, 2018 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Seafood

I've often said that things around these parts would not be as delici-yoso without all the recommendations and tips I receive. About three weeks ago; "MichaelW" was nice enough to drop me an email letting me know about a Mariscos Truck that had started doing business in back of the strip mall at 6904 Miramar Road….you know; the one that houses Jersey Mike's, Denny's, Pho Ha Noi, and the Philadelphia Sandwich Company, among others. I was able to run out to check the place out the following week. And yes, there it was…..

The truck has the back corner of the strip mall parking lot, there are signs on the road, and if take the turn north onto Commerce Avenue, you can't miss the signs. Funny, I guess I haven't been to the Sandwich A'Fare in a while. The truck is in the same side of the mall as that shop. There are also three parking spots against the building designated for the truck….I think they've got a nice deal.

It was pretty busy even at 11am when I arrived. A lot of the local guys were lined up waiting to order or waiting for their order.

The menu is nicely varied; from the usual Mariscos Truck suspects; the Gobernador, Fish Tacos, Camarones a la Plancha, Tostadas, Cocteles, and Botanas.

Ordering was pretty easy for me; as Michael had made a recommendation and I went with my usual; the Gobernador. The woman working the window is very nice, though the salsas are limited and things take a while….not necessarily a bad thing as it means items are really made to order. Though one should keep that in mind.

I was handed a consommé while waiting. Strong celery and pepper tones; on my first visit it was quite mild, on my second visit, much stronger in the celery/seafood department.

My order took about 20 minutes or so, but it was worth the wait. While the Gobernador wasn't among the best I've had; not enough peppers and onions; the tortilla was nicely coated with cheese then griddled, thus protecting the tortilla from breakage. The shrimp was plump and tender; this was a bit light in the seasoning department; but not bad at all.

Michael had recommended the Taco de Costa Azul, a nice combination of shrimp, bacon, and some slightly smokey, but not fishy smoked tuna….this trucks version of the usual smoked "marlyn". This was quite good as the crunchy bacon, complemented the shrimp and smoked tuna, which wasn't overly salty. The avocado and squeeze of lime, along with the standard seafood salsa just worked together in harmony. The tortilla; though quite standard held together well with the light coating of melted cheese protecting the integrity of the taco.

I was pleasantly surprised. I also bought two extra tacos for the guys in the office to taste. They all enjoyed them.

In fact, the following week, I returned with Calvin and also ordered some tacos for JeffP to try.

It was right before 11 when we arrived and there were already people there.

I got a bit greedy and ordered tres tacos for me this time.

The best of the bunch was the Machin; shrimp, octopus, and smoked tuna….though it wasn't quite as good as the Costa Azul. The pulpo al ajillo was the weakest of the bunch….not much octopus; what it contained was tender, but quite bland. The camarones al ajillo was decent; the shrimp again decently prepped and cooked, though I expected a bit more of a garlic "punch". The tortillas were left on the griddle too long this time around….though while the crunch was nice; it just tore to pieces when biting into them.

Still, this was better than many other trucks I've eaten at over the years.

Like I mentioned; I really like the woman who works the window here. No nonsense, but also quite nice. It's not a bad choice for lunch in the area….though like I mentioned; you might want to give yourself some time for the folks to prep your food. You can use the time tasting the consommé.

Notice the "Mariscos Rolex" tag on the truck.

Mariscos On Miramar Truck
6904 Miramar Rd – in the back parking lot
San Diego, CA 92121
Hours
Mon – Fri 1030am – 8pm
Saturday 11am – 6pm
Closed on Sundays

Thanks for the recommendation Michael! I owe you some tacos!