Mexican Restaurants – Page 15

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!

Revisits – Bistro Kaz and Talavera Azul

June 27, 2018 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Breakfast/Brunch, Italian Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Mexican Restaurants

The restaurant landscape of San Diego sure has changed from when we moved here back in 2001. And while I still complain about the quality and the preference of style over substance…..I'm still not happy "just to have" something; it's sure nice to have some variety available. Here are two examples; one of lunch on Friday, then breakfast on Saturday, in two drastically different areas of San Diego.

Bistro Kaz:

My coworker "SJP" wanted to take me to lunch……how very sweet of her. At first I thought perhaps Korean would great. But the petite SJP is not a very big eater. She was also born in Japan. Even though my last visit to Bistro Kaz wasn't that great; I thought she'd appreciate the food.

The menu here has grown nicely since they first opened. It was a pretty warm day, so I chose the Cold Natto and Mekabu Pasta. The lunch combo came with a nice, refreshing, simple salad, and a passable pseudo egg drop soup.

But it was the pasta I was looking forward to. And it did not disappoint.

The pasta was cooked…well, just about as well as this type of pasta can be. It had a nice pull and was nicely chilled. The natto fragrance wasn't over-powering and combined with the slimy mekabu (the bottom area of the same seaweed that gives you wakame – it gets slimy when heated) gave the whole dish that wonderful "neba neba" sensation that I find satisfying. For some reason, this seemed quite refreshing and the yuzu kosho added a touch of spice and saltiness to the whole, beautiful mess.

SJP had a taste and thought it was delicious….so did I. But you know how much I enjoy natto and the memories it elicits. I think I'll have this again soon.

Bistro Kaz
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Talavera Azul:

Yes, another post so soon. The next morning the Missus wanted Her Menudo Rojo fix. So we headed to Downtown Chula Vista and back to Talavera Azul.

And the Missus got Her menudo. This time around I finally found "my dish" here. The Sonoran Machaca with Easy Over Eggs.

The shredded beef is griddled with onions, peppers, and tomato; adding some nice crunchy bits of very flavorful beef. Who doesn't love drippy eggs (just kidding Jessica). Some beef wrapped in a tortilla with a smear of beans, potatoes, onions and cilantro, and finished with salsa….man, this was good. In fact, the Missus ate more than I did! And it was one of the rare occasions where we finished all the tortillas. The Missus took half the bowl of menudo home with Her!

We returned the following week with the same result. I'm guessing we'll be returning soon.

Talavera Azul
365 3rd Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91910

Al Pastor Authentic Mexican Grill

June 18, 2018 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

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

I happened to notice this shop in one of those empty strip malls on the corner of H Street and Broadway on our way to breakfast at Talavera Azul.

I’m usually not swayed by the myriad of “Mexican Grills” and truly not by most places who use the word “authentic” in their name. Call me a cynic…..guilty as charged. But for some reason, this place hung around in my “grey matter” as we ate breakfast. I’m not sure what it was; the strange location, my love for al pastor, or whatever.

So later the same day, I headed back down to Chula Vista to see if the place was even open. And they were. Rather empty at 11 am on a Saturday, but still open.

Al Pastor Grill 02

The two women working were very friendly. The menu huge! With everything from Alambres to Tortas. And there was a strange familiar ring to several of the items on the menu.

That’s when I saw him; the owner of Aqui es Texcoco in the kitchen talking to staff. Strange. So I sent my good buddy Candice a text asking if he had opened up a new restaurant. The answer? Yes. I then asked the Server who smiled and said “yes”. Apparently, the place had just opened.

Still rather full from breakfast, I decided to get a couple of tacos which are all priced between $2.50 and $2.75.

The salsas are similar to what is served at Aqui es Texcoco; straight forward and nice and spicy.

My tres tacos.

Let’s go from right to left. The Costilla (rib meat) was fairly chewy, but not bad, but in need of a bit more seasoning. The arrachera; skirt steak, was fairly tough, but had been seasoned simply and perfectly with a nice grilled-smokey flavor. The winner was without a doubt the al pastor as it had the wonderful slightly sweet flavor along with a nice porkiness that reminds me of Char Siu. Nice crispy bits along with meatier bits were provided. I thought the toritllas were just average; they held up okay, but for some reason lacked the nice corn fragrance and flavor.

A mixed bag overall, but that al pastor was pretty good. I returned the following weekend.

I had seen a couple of items I was interested in on the menu. I started with the Huitlacoche Quesadilla and the Taco de Al Pastor (of course).

The al pastor was a bit tougher than on my previous visit; but the flavors were still good. I didn’t care too much for the quesadilla; it was quiet fragrant; the wild mushroom smell tickled my nose, but it was quite bland. But it wasn’t griddled right and the tortillas were really hard to cut and I still think it was missing something.

I also ordered the Tostada de pata de res (cow foot tostada)

This was an interesting mixed bag. The tendon had been diced quite finely….I’d have preferred a larger dice so I could enjoy and appreciate the texture a bit more. It was also a bit too acidic and sour for my taste. The beans were lovely; nutty and rich. Loved what the cotija cheese brought to the dish; a light salty-milkiness. A bit too much lettuce for my taste though. Lot’s of crisp, crunchy textures, had me wishing for something a bit more toothsome.

As I mentioned a few paragraphs up. A mixed bag, nice service, priced reasonably. I did enjoy the al pastor.

The menu is huge and I’m looking forward to trying other items like the Caldo Tlapeno or Chuleda Ahumada (smoked pork) tacos….or perhaps even Cazuelitas (sopes) Chicharron en Salsa Verde.

I’ll give them a bit of time to get settled in before revisiting though.

Al Pastor Authentic Mexican Grill
520 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91910

Breakfast at Talavera Azul

June 4, 2018 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Mexican Restaurants

The Missus is a big fan of Menudo Rojo; basically red menudo. Unfortunately, She hasn't found very many versions She likes in San Diego. If I mentioned a place; I have to go check it out first, then report back to Her. She was mentioning this to a colleague, who recommended a place in Downtown Chula Vista named Talavera Azul….this coworker also said the place had been featured on Food Network……that recommendation gave me pause….well, because I think some of the personalities have somewhat dubious taste. Anyway, I wasn't who I thought it was and heck, I did recall that "CC" had been there a few years ago. Plus, you know that I don't mind driving like 20 miles plus for breakfast on the weekends. The place was actually closer than Aqui Es Texcoco.

Both times we visited were just around 8 in the morning. And each time the place was almost full. On both occasions there was just one server working initially, with several others coming in over the next 20-30 minutes.

There was a wait on both visits, but it wasn't anything overly long…..

The Missus just wanted one thing…..

Which She got both times. On the first visit it was fantastic; just a tad of spice, mild offal flavor, the honeycomb tripe was crunchy but not hard. You knew there was tripe in this, but it wasn't super funky. The soup was steaming hot and the flavors melded together well, with some onions, a good amount of cilantro, a dash of oregano, and a squeeze of lime….it was quite good.

On the second visit, the broth wasn't as hot or rich, it lacked any chili flavor, though it was still decent. I'm hoping visit #1 is the norm. I'm sure we'll be back again soon.

Meanwhile, it seems that folks online rave about the chilaquiles. So on our first visit I got the Chilaquiles "Divorciados", that would be, with two different sauces; the mole and the green salsa.

They really do fry up those tortillas here….it was the texture of chips. The beans were really bland……. The breakfast potatoes could have used a bit more time griddled, with more color and a slight crispness to them.

The mole was too runny and overly sweet for my taste, the green salsa, which I believe is made with tomatillos was wonderful; just enough heat, tangy, really good.

Of course this was crowned off with a perfect easy over egg.

For the second visit…well, I wanted to try something else and went with the Nopales and Eggs.

Now this was much better. Especially the beans, which were perfectly seasoned….enough salt, a touch of heat….both creamy and rustic, very nice.

I love the texture of nopales and this was done well, the nopales were tender without being too mushy. There are some chilies in this…..green, so it seems like you're eating nopales…it was a nice surprise. The eggs were done decently….perhaps a bit on the dry side. And while I think it could have used tomatoes, this was perfectly fine with me.

Of course I had to have my Café de Olla….and I gotta say, it was quite consistent on both visits. Not overly sweetened, just enough of a cinnamon flavor….this might be my current favorite version of this coffee drink.

Based on that first visit, I'm guessing we'll be back for the Missus's Menudo fix.

Also, I noticed signs with "El Zarape" on it. It seems that these folks have bought the El Zarape on Adams Avenue. Also, of note; metered parking is free before 9am and the Menudo Rojo is only available on weekends.

Talavera Azul
365 3rd Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Hours:
Mon – Sat 730am – 2pm
Sunday 8am – 2pm

Ta’cul

May 2, 2018 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

**** Ta'Cul has closed

Because I like to make more than one visit before doing a post, I sometimes take too long. As was the case with El Trebol, a taco shop that a couple of folks had recommended to me at what I call the "gateway to PB". By the time I went to make my second visit, a shop by the name of Ta'cul had taken its place.

The configuration has been changed around a bit and the place is looking kind of rustic. But the young lady and the guy working the kitchen are quite nice.

I liked the menu; both mariscos and what I consider a bit different for this part of town, tacos guisados are available.

Your guisados can be ordered as "street tacos" or larger tacos and run at $2.25 a pop for the smaller sizes. The prices for tacos de mariscos are four bucks and up.

Well, since I was here and fascinated by the menu, I ordered Al Pastor and Cochinita Pibil street tacos, and in typical form for me when it comes to tacos de mariscos, a Gobernador ($4.95).

Service was rather "laid back" as some of the containers on the tables were missing napkin and such. It also took a while to get my tacos.

Even though I saw the trompo in the kitchen, it was not in use. The "al pastor" was heated on the plancha and laid to rest in a mild tasting corn tortilla. It had a very strong, earthy, lightly peppery achiote flavor which kind of overwhelmed everything. It was also quite dry and tough; lacking the different textures of something off the vertical spit. The guacamole helped a bit, as did the onions, but still this really lacked the mild sweetness and balanced flavor I enjoy in a tacos al pastor.

I was quite excited to be able to try the Cochinita Pibil, which I rarely see on menus here in San Diego.

While this was also on the dry side and the achiote flavor was also quite pronounced, there was a mild porkiness to the meat, and the time on the flat top helped add some textural contrast to it. The flavor really reminded me of a milder version of my carne guisada. I did expect a bit more complexity; citrus, cinnamon, garlic, and cloves……but this was better than the previous taco.

The Gobernador looked a bit skimpy, but at least the tortilla was nicely coated with melted cheese to preserve the integrity of the taco.

Not enough onions…peppers….and the shrimp was over cooked. This was the best of the three tacos, but it's hard to get super excited about this……since I usually expect this when I order a Gobernador.

And this for an Al Pastor.

But this is PB and all……

I really did like the friendly service and this time I returned rather quickly.

And ordered the Fried Shrimp ($5.00), Pulpo ($5.95), and a Birria (de res) street taco.

The fried shrimp taco, while being a bit on the greasy side was the better of the two. The shrimp had a nice oceany-briney flavor, the onions and lime helped to cut the greasiness a bit; the batter had a lacquer like crunchiness and the shrimp were moist this time around. The octopus had a nice texture, not too chewy, but really had no flavor and was over shadowed by the peppers and even the queso.

The best was saved for last. It took a while for my taco de birria to arrive. But it was worth the wait.

While this won't make me forget Fernandez or any number of places; most of them are in the South Bay. While the meat was on the stringy side; this had a nice beefiness to it with a decent richness. Definitely the best item I'd had on my two visits.

Due to the nice, friendly atmosphere, I may return for a some more birria and perhaps something else from the menu. Though it's not very high on my list. Also, all they had on my two visits were bottled salsas.

Ta’cul
2015 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
Hours
Open Daily 11am – 10pm

I wonder if this pooch was waiting for some tacos?

Clearing Out the Memory Card – More Breakfasts at Aqui es Texcoco

March 21, 2018 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants

Just a quick post of the Missus's favorite breakfast spot. We've done so many posts on Aqui es Texcoco over the years. We're usually here early in the morning, when the place looks like this.

And yes; we order the usual suspects.

And while I'm still fairly consistent, or as the Missus says, "boring". She's been changing things up a bit.

Two recent favorites of Hers. The Enchilada Mixto. The Missus usually goes with lamb, pork belly, and beans.

And She's grown rather fond of the Codornices Asadas - Grilled quail.

Of course, She's not able to eat both in one meal; so She'll often get the quail "para llevar" and snack on it later. It's a bit low on the "return on investment" side of things for me, but the Missus enjoys it.

And that's what really matters…….

Aqui Es Texcoco
1043 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Returning to Fernandez Restaurant

February 19, 2018 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants

The Missus was working days during this past weekend. So, instead of us heading to our usual winter weekend breakfast destination, I was left to my own devices. Ever since my visit to Birrieria El Primo, I'd been wanting to return to Fernandez Restaurant. So, I headed on down to Nestor. I arrived just after opening time; these days it's 7 am. Turning into the last remaining spot in the parking lot, I had to laugh.

Check out that sign!

I thought it was interesting that on my last visit there was the awning and the host/hostess stand outside. Here's that photo.

Versus how things looked when I first visited all those years ago.

Even the dining area has changed over time.

On my last visit; the photo above; there were very "colorful" chairs which had replaced the old plastic folding seats – the photo to the right. On this day, there were more formal banquet style chairs.

Also new; you paid via credit card or at the register……all iPads! Man, they've really come a long way over the years.

Still, there are things that have been the same on all my visits. The owner comes and visits every table, shaking hands, doing fist bumps, hugging the women. The young ladies here are always so friendly always smiling. I've always enjoyed starting my day here.

And most importantly, the food has kept to a steady course.

A nice hot café olla; the rich, rustic, tongue coating consommé. You bring to taste by adding that squeeze of lime, that touch of cilantro, and some onions.

And my usual; the Tacos de Birria con Nervio. Nice tortillas, dipped and fried (tacos dorados), slightly crunchy, and totally up to the task of being the very tasty vehicle for the birria de res. Beefy and fairly rich, riding that line of heading to oily, nicely seasoned beef, topped with buttery tendon. Crunchy and pungent onions, cilantro, a squeeze of lime and slightly picante salsa.

It is indeed the "breakfast of champions" for me on the weekend.

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

Circling Back to The Mariscos el Pescador Truck

January 4, 2018 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops

I needed to get my New Year Wagashi from Hogetsu Bakery. So I headed down to Chula Vista. As I went past the H Street offramp on the I-5, I had a sudden craving for tacos from the Mariscos el Pescador truck. I got off at L street and headed on over. Man, had it really been a year-and-a-half since I last visited?

It was just a few ticks after 10am so there were no crowds. I noticed two semi's parked in the lot. Both drivers were eating in their rigs.

Since I hadn't been back in a while; I decided to see how my old standbys here were. I ordered a Tacos Gobernador and Marlyn. It actually looked even better than what I had on my last visit. Though I was offered no consommé…..I guess I could have asked, but I figured what I ordered would be enough.

The Gobernador was better than what I had here on my last visit. Nice balance of peppers to onions and the shrimp was moist, tasty, and plump. The one detail that I noticed was that there wasn't much cheese melted on the tortilla. The melted cheese, along with adding milky goodness to the taco acts like a "barrier", allowing the tortilla to stay whole during the eating process. The taco fell apart after two bites. I also noticed the tortillas aren't as good as they were as well. Don't get me wrong. This is still good; but not great.

The smoked fish taco was really nice; smoky, the essence of the sea, and more moist than I recalled. Lime really helps to cut the oiliness of the fish. This was very good.

I really need to return more often.

Mariscos El Pescador (In the parking lot of Toys R Us)
1008 Industrial Blvd
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Birrieria El Primo

December 18, 2017 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants

On one of my "taking the long way to work" weekends; I took a really long way; University City via Chula Vista. I decided to stop by Hogetsu and noticed this birria shop had opened in the old Utage location.

So I decided to grab some breakfast and birria sounded just great. This is purely a birria de res shop; so no goat here.

The dining room is broken into two portions, one side was really busy, the other empty. Since I was eating solo, I had a seat at what was Utage's former sushi bar. For some reason, the counter here is very high.

Since this is a Birrieria, ordering was quite easy. The young lady working here was very friendly, with a nice, bright smile.

In a somewhat humorous moment, the young lady approached the counter and placed some chips in front of me while at the same time a hand appeared over the counter handing me the consommé.

The ships were crisp and still warm.

The soup already had onions and cilantro in it and was hot enough to melt steel. It was slightly beefy with what seemed like the distinct flavor of ginger coming through. I've had jugo de res with rather assertive onion or garlic, but a strong ginger flavor was a new one for me. The broth was also on the lighter side.

The pickled onions had quite a kick to them and went well on my tacos dorados.

Which, like the consommé came already dressed with onions and cilantro. The tortilla, while a bit on the "thinner" side, had a nice texture; slightly pliable, but still crisp. The birria de res was very tender and moist, though the flavor was on the milder side. I do prefer the richer, heartier, version of birria de res at Fernandez Restaurant and Catering and could have done with a more beefy flavor. Still, not bad overall.