Mexican Restaurants – Page 24

La Posta de Acapulco (El Cajon/Lakeside location)

August 31, 2013 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

You're reading this mmm-yoso!!! food blog from an air conditioned location, aren't you? Cathy is writing from a Starbucks in Santee because the present temperature is 99•. Crazy hot days lately!

Our home does not have an air conditioner. There, I've said it. The Mister and I decided long ago that since we grew up in the humid Midwest and East coast in homes without such a convenience, we could do it as adults. For several days a year, we regret our choice. Even though it does get cooler in the evenings, the oven-like blast of heat that hits when we open the front door to venture outside to check the mailbox around noon has been debilitating.

East County has had some overcast days filled with thunderstorms (and therefore) humidity.

Needless to say, I have not wanted to cook. At all.

I had to meet a business client in Lakeside, just off of Los Coches Road and afterwards, drove under the 8 freeway, to the second signal light where the city line is drawn and the location is technically El Cajon. The perfect place to eat is here.

La Posta has three locations-this newest one in El Cajon. Other locations are in Spring Valley and teh Hillcrest area of San Diego.

This location is quite large; it looks like they took over the space in the next storefront.

The salsa bar is filled with three very fresh house made salsas, pickled carrots, limes and an onion cilantro mix. Simple and very good.

You order and pay, and then chips and silverware s brought to your table, and soon, your food is brought out to you also. No number to place on your table; they remember everyone.

The shredded beef Mexican salad here ($5.25) is unique-the shell is large and formed so it is deep- and there are no beans. It is mainly lettuce, meat and cheese (as well as sour cream, cucumber slices and chunky salsa). The stewed meat is very juicy and flavorful. This is a deceptively large salad.

The side order of chile relleno ($3) is something The Mister and I always order here. It's made to order and really, really good- a fresh chile stuffed with cheese and dipped in a light batter and fried. The sauce for the relleno is made here, not the same as the enchilada sauce and has a deep, rich flavor.

On this hot, humid day, I wanted something not heated…the shrimp ceviche tostada ($3.50) is exquisite. The shrimp are very large and flavorful, chopped into thirds, mixed with a simple tomato-onion-cilantro mix then cooked in lime juice. So refreshing and fresh.

I hope everyone stays cool this long weekend!

La Posta de Acapulco 8575 Los Coches Road El Cajon, CA 92021-8815 (619) 443-5522

Champions Mariscos Truck in Bay Park

August 12, 2013 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops

So yesterday I did a "Breakfast of Champions" post, I guess it just makes sense to do Champions Mariscos right after it.

Last week I making the drive up Morena Boulevard, something that I do countless times during the week. In the parking lot to the side of Toys 'R Us, where the ill fated Morena Farmers Market used to be was a lonchera…..

I hadn't seen this one before. Yet, I had stuff to do and couldn't drop by. I kept my fingers crossed that this wasn't just a one time deal. So this past weekend, I managed to stop by. Not once, but twice.

Champion Mariscos? I don't ever recall seeing or hearing about this truck. It was kind of weird approaching the lone truck in the middle of a large parking lot, with no one else around. I checked out the menu, the prices seemed in line for most items. The woman handling the counter was quite friendly. I asked her how long they had been here….."since monday" and what they're hours were, "every day 10 to 6".

I have a usual "routine" of items I order from just about any mariscos truck and I'm just too old to change that habit.

Like any decent mariscos truck, things start off with a cup of consomme…..

On the light side, kind of salty, but not terrible.

I went with the Fish Taco, which was a 99 cent special and a taco gobernador ($4.25).

So let me just get my pet peeves out of the way. The fish taco's batter was kind of mushy, in fact the fish was unusually bland, yet very moist edging on mushy as well. I'm thinking this was probably swali. The under ripe tomatoes add a bit of texture but not any of that nice acid to the taco. Other than that….it's 99 cents, who am I to be a nit-picker, right? There was a ton of shrimp on the gobernador. The tortilla had been lined with melted cheese so it wouldn't turn to mush. The shrimp was cooked decently, but I sorely missed the acid of some sauteed tomatoes and the flavor of bell peppers in this. Still, there was a decent amount of shrimp in this.

So I decided to make a return visit. The consomme was much better this time around. Nice shrimp-fish flavor, with hints of celery.

I decided to just go for it and started with an Enchilado Shrimp Taco….spicy shrimp($4.25). At first I was just going to do a taco de camaron, but I really didn't care for the batter, nor the frying technique on my previous visit.

Good quantity of shrimp, well cooked, though not very spicy. Same tomatoes and mediocre tortillas. Not bad.

I also got the taco de marlyn…or in this case marlin ($4.00):

Unlike other versions, the smoked fish wasn't too salty, but it did lack a distict smokey flavor. The tortilla was nicely griddles, but there was just too much cheese on this. I like the way these trucks make prep the tortilla on the gobernador or marlyn, using cheese as a base to preserve the texture of the tortilla. There's a very mild milky background that you barely notice. Here there was just too much of that. This was not bad by any means, but nowhere near the league of the good mariscos trucks in San Diego.

One thing about my posts you have to understand. It's not in my DNA to drop my standards "just because I'm happy something is close by". Just as I'm not just happy because we actually have XLB in San Diego, I can't say the food here is fantabulous, just because it's the only one. That said, I hope if you live nearby you check them out. I don't want to be negative, but Mariscos German couldn't make it in the neighborhood and sadly, we couldn't even support a Farmer's Market! La Playita closed recently and Playa Azul a couple of years ago. So unless you just want Taco Shop fare, this might be one of your few shots at something different.

Champions Mariscos Truck – In the parking lot of Toys 'R Us on Morena Boulevard

Negro Durazo-Mariscos-Revisit (Lemon Grove)

August 6, 2013 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Well, here you are again at mmm-yoso!!! a page probably bookmarked on your computer. Today's post is written by Cathy, because Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are just too busy enjoying Summer to stop and write.

Usually The Mister and I are driving elsewhere and stop and discover a new-to-us place to eat; rarely do we head out of the house with a destination in mind. Negro Durazo is one of those rare places. Mexican seafood, freshly prepared, served hot or cold, is unique in its flavor profiles and amazingly satisfying. I have posted about Negro Durazo on two other occasions yet could have written dozens of posts of meals enjoyed here.

The location of the store, on Broadway at College in Lemon Grove, just South of the 94 freeway, can look difficult to get to at first sight, but there are three entrances into the parking lot, so don't worry.

Once inside, you'll probably be seated in the cavernous area to your right, which has many speakers, a few television sets…

and a stage in the far back, which is used for live bands on weekends. Negro Durazo can be very busy (and loud) at times. We're usually here for breakfast and lunch though and either the juke box is playing happy music or there's some sort of Mexican sport event on TV.

After you place your order, thick, fresh chips and house salsa are brought out to your heavily condimented table. See the crackers and crispy tostadas behind the napkins?

This day, we could not decide from the hot or cold appetizer menu (which I encourage you to click onto and read; the names of some items are…interesting and the photos are fascinating) and decided what we really wanted to order was just the ample size/meant to be shared items. The Ceviche Mixto- three types of fresh made ceviche: shrimp, octopus and fish ($12.95). The bowl/plate it is served on is 10×10 inches square and about an inch deep: meant to be shared. There is a lot of fresh made, lime marinated seafood lightly mixed with cucumber, cilantro, tomato and onion. I pretty much have been ordering ceviche regularly this hot summer and this plate is satisfying.

The Mister decided on the queso fundido appetizer plate ($12.95). This medium-large oval plate is closer to two inches deep, is filled with a good quality mix of melted cheeses and topped with very large shrimp and served with fresh, hot tortillas.

I can see a group ordering these plates as appetizers and being very pleased anticipating the meal to arrive. We were full after eating all of this tasty fresh seafood and this was our order. We knew we'd be back.

Hope you are having a good week so far!

Negro Durazo 6954 Federal Boulevard at Broadway Lemon Grove CA 91945 (619)240-7148

Website

Saturday Stuffs: La Playita and BBQ Chicken Close, Chaba Thai Kitchen replaces Gyro n’ Kabob Cafe, and Isa.Bella replaces Bollweevil

June 15, 2013 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Pizza, Thai Restaurants

Sheeesh, have I been gone that long? So many upcoming openings and even recent openings (more on that in future posts) and a couple of closings. So here's a quick round-up.

La Playita closes:

I'm kinda sad about this one. Cathy emailed me when I was away telling me that La Playita had taken down their website. So naturally I dropped by and found them closed.

Man, I was looking forward to a nice, refreshing, Vuelve a la Vida when summer got into full swing.

5185 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

BBQ Chicken Closes:

I was never really impressed with B(est of the) B(est) Q(uality) in San Diego. Even after they started opening for lunch.

The version of K(orean)F(ried)C(hicken) served here wasn't my cup of tea, and I'm not really the type to be happy just "to finally have something" in San Diego.

I do believe I saw what was perhaps a KFC joint in the new location of Zion Market?

4768 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Chaba Thai replaces Gyro n Kabob Cafe:

I went for a Lamb Gyro and found that Gyro N Kabob Cafe had closed. It's to be replaced by a Thai Restaurant called Chaba.

Like I've said before, we can always use a new Thai restaurant, but really don't need yet another Ameri-Thai restaurant in the area……so we'll see. Though some of the folks I work with loved the "Thai Burrito" from Dusit….yuck….

8010 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Bollweevil in Bay Park being replaced by isa.bella artisan pizzeria & beer garden:

Yep, it's all lower case….how hip and modern!

I'll readily admit to thinking that this is a Bay Park money grab.

So I asked a friend of mine who is really on top of the brewpub scene. The response was "just jumping on the craft beer and brewpub train". I'm hoping I'm wrong….so we'll see.

4015 Avati Drive
San Diego, CA 92117

So that's it. Hope you're having a great weekend!

La Casa Blanca-La Mesa

May 23, 2013 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. You somehow found your way here, either from a Bookmark or a Google or a Bing. In any case, stay a while and read a post from Cathy, who is writing today.

In the middle part of very large San Diego County, in the City of La Mesa, which some people consider "East" is a nice sit down Mexican restaurant serving homemade/grandma's recipes of simple Mexican foods. La Casa Blanca has been here, parallel to the I-8, next to the Charcoal House, just East of Grossmont Center since 2007. { Yes-charcoal and blanca-The Mister and I sometimes say 'do you want to eat at black or white?' once we park the car.}

There is plenty of parking behind the restaurant, not too much right in front.

There are three tables in front and about eight in the front room. The Cantina is to the back of the building. Not too large, always neat and clean, with friendly waiters. We feel at home here.

Fresh house made salsa and fresh, warm corn chips are brought to your table while you peruse the menu.

This is a lunch special- the Mi Amigo plate ($6.95). Three mini tacos (tortillas made here)one topped with carne asada, one with pollo asada and the third carnitas. This comes with a choice of rice or beans…and the beans here are very good (lard). The meats are all very good, moist and properly seasoned.

The lunch soup and salad ($5.95). Chicken tortilla soup. Excellent, magical chicken tortilla soup. This always hits the spot for me. It's another one of those deceptive bowls; quite deep.

An a la carte chile relleno ($3.95). Made here. Light, crunchy eggy crust on a fresh Pasilla chile stuffed with a fresh Mexican cheese topped with a house made sauce. We always order something with cheese.

…The Queso Fundido appetizer ($6.95) Melted cheese, topped with either chorizo (this version) or rajas (roasted sliced Poblano chiles; my Friday/meatless choice). Served with the house made tortillas. Cheesy gooey spicy goodness.

A simple Caesar salad ($7.95). Sometimes this large serving of crisp lettuce topped with garlicy goodness is shared along with some other item.

The shrimp coctele ($10.95).

I particularly like the seafood here. The shrimp for the coctele are large, butterflied and plentiful in the very fresh lime-tomato-cucumber avocado topped broth.

La Casa Blanca is very nice, family run restaurant that serves good fresh food. If you happen to be in the area, it is worth the stop.

La Casa Blanca 9570 Murray Drive La Mesa, CA 92042 (619) 466-2912 Website

Tacos de Mexicali

May 14, 2013 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

**** Tacos de Mexicali has closed

Tacos de Mexicali is one of those places that I pass at least once every week or so, always reminding myself to visit one day. Well….one day finally arrived a couple of months ago.

On one of the trips to North Park Produce…..this was before the Clairemont location finally opened, I decided to check the place out.

To be perfectly honest, I really don't know what "Mexicali tacos" are….what comes to mind are vampiras, like what Ed from Yuma had, but I was pretty sure this was not that. I would have heard about it sooner if that was true.

The interior of the restaurant is bright but a bit worn, but I appreciated a the simple menu, a single page.

You could by the prices that these aren't the smaller "street tacos", but probably more substantial. Another plus is that all the tortillas are hand made.

The one person I knew who had actually visited Tacos de Mexicali told me that I just had to have the lengua, which I thought was strange since he barely has anything else other than polla asado and carne asada….in fact, he once told me he "hated cabeza and lengua".

So I ordered a Taco de Lengua ($2.95) and Taco de Cabeza ($2.70). The tacos come to your table with nothing but the meat, It's then up to you to dress them as you wish at the salsa bar. The salsas were routine, except for the spicy guacamole which I enjoyed for some reason.

I had requested corn tortillas, but these were obviously flour. It was a happy mistake since the tortillas had a nice stretch to them.

One bite of the lengua and I knew why the dude liked them so much. In terms of tongue, this was very mild in flavor. I thought that the condensed beefy, almost offal flavor of the tongue was missing. In those terms, it was really well prepared, soft and tender. For me it seemed like everything I enjoy about tongue had been cooked out of it. The slight waxiness, the almost luxurious richness was missing.

Ditto the cabeza.

This could have been stewed and shredded short ribs, or chuck.

I guess I could recommend this as "beginner's lengua and cabeza". It just seemed that all the redeeming qualities of tongue and beef head had been removed. If that's talent and skill, I'll tip my hat to the cook, but it's not my thing.

Still, I returned a couple of weeks later. I thought I'd try the Taco Al Pastor ($2.70) and the Carne Asada ($2.95).

As you can tell by the lack of color on the carne asada, it was pretty bland, tough, and in need of some caramelization which would probably made it a bit more interesting.

The Al Pastor, was pretty much Adobado. The marinade had a powderiness to it and the flavor was very one dimensional with just some heat from chilies. I would have enjoyed it more if it had some sweetness and acid to it. At least it was much more tender than the carne asada.

A word on the tortillas. This time I did receive the corn tortillas. These are quite refined and thin, though the masa flavor is quite clear and clean. It seems almost a bit too processed.

In terms of price-point it's not bad, but really not my cup of tea. The flavors are a bit too mild and tame for my tastes.

For another view of Tacos de Mexicali please read Mary's post.

Tacos De Mexicali
3450 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104

Eating on the hood of your car: The Mariscos Alex Truck

April 29, 2013 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops

So there I was running low on petrol in City Heights. I decided to stop and fill up at the station on the corner of ECB and Fairmount and what do I see but a mariscos truck! I've passed this corner dozens, maybe hundreds of times and had never seen this truck before.

Since it was almost lunchtime and I was famished, this seemed like the perfect stop…..all the stars were aligned it seemed.

All the standard mariscos offerings were present on the menu posted at the rear of the vehicle. I did find it kind of strange that there were no prices posted, except for fish tacos which were a $1.25.

The woman manning the window looked familiar…..was this truck once one of the Mariscos German fleet? She always seemed a bit gruff before and this time was no different.

The consomme was decent, way too much celery for my liking, but not bad.

I ordered a fish taco and a gobernador, which came out to $6.25.

As fish tacos go, this was ok. All the usual suspects. The crema was mild and the tortilla routine. There was too much batter on the fish, which was on he gummy side. The fish tasted a bit off as well.

I hoped my Gobernador would be an improvement and while not as good as, say the original Mariscos German(no tomatoes), Beyer, or El Pescador, it was not bad.

The shrimp were plump and juicy, though the vegetables were undercooked for my taste. The cheese was perfectly melted and this was super hot, though it could have used more seasoning…oregano, salt, pepper. Still it wasn't too bad.

So I returned the following weekend for another try. Same gruff woman, though she must have a heart of gold as she gave the homeless guy a fish taco……me on the other hand, I just a "yes" as she looked down at me. This time I ordered the tacos de camarones and a taco de marlyn, which cost $7.50 total.

Quite a bit of shrimp in my taco, though this confirmed that I'm not a big fan of the gummy and not especially crisp batter. The tomtoes were green and not very good. The rest was decent.

The taco de marlyn….smoked fish taco was the best item I've had here.

The fish had a nice smokiness to it and while the versions at many places teeters on salty, this one isn't.

Again the peppers, celery, and onions weren't stir-fried long enough, making it them and raw tasting.

It was also a decent sized portion though another customer ordered the same thing while I was leaving and was only charged $6.50. Shades of Vietnam!!!

I'm hoping the pricing was a mistake. I wouldn't want to think the place does random pricing based on customers.

Overall, just ok, not quite in the same league as other trucks I've been too.

Mariscos Alex
In the parking lot of Qwik Corner Service Station
4357 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92105

The Corner of First and Main Part 1: The Blind Burro

March 27, 2013 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants

As I mentioned in my post on Sage, we've been finding firsts and appetizers to be much more interesting than main courses recently. And we've had a couple of meals that seem to support that theory. The first was at the Blind Burro, a rather trendy, fairly new "concept" bar/restaurant in East Village. A very nice and stylish sort of Baja-ish fusion restaurant. I'm more substance focused, so I'd usually pass on places like this. The menu however, seemed interesting and I'd heard good things about the place. So when my dear FOY (friend of yoso) Candice asked us to join her for food and drink, the Missus and I jumped at the chance. Of course there is always the parking thing, but hey, it's about location, right?

Like I said, very nice atmosphere and the service was decent. The Missus really enjoyed the rather thick, but very crunchy chips.

There were some interesting items on the menu. We started with the Sweet Potato-Chorizo Taquitos ($7.50).

First off, we thought the chorizo, made inhouse was very good, smokey, with a nice blend of spices. The sweet potato added a touch of starchy sweetness. The Missus really enjoyed the mole, the combination of savory-salty-sweet flavors was nice as well. The crunch? Well, the Missus loved that as well. This was a very nice start for us.

The Missus also enjoyed the Quinoa and Squash Cakes ($9).

I really enjoyed the cilnatro pesto, especially on the grilled panela cheese which always seems to work well with herbaceous and even pungent flavors. The Missus loves quinoa….we still joke about getting it for 79 cents a pound back in '06……nowadays it's sticker shock. The inclusion of black beans gave it a bit of heft and a mild smokey flavor. The shaved calabacitas salad was….well let's just call it zucchini, was pretty mild and really fell into the shadows.

At this point we were starting to really enjoy the food here. It seemed that the BBQ Yellowtail Collar ($13) spelled the end of that feeling for us.

I love the richness of hamachi kama, as I do the flavor which is perhaps a bit strong for some, but for me it just adds to the enjoyment. Grilled in a too sweet and sour glaze killed the richness, it blocked the flavor….you might have well been eating chicken wings. A bit too sweet and sticky for me, I really didn't taste the smokiness of the chipotle in this.

The seafood in the Mariscos Stew ($17) were perfectly cooked.

The mussels were especially tender.

Unfortunately, the whole dish was way too salty, even for a sodium lover like me. It got to the point of being rather unpleasant, though it didn't seem to bother JohnL who joined us at about this time.

The Angus Skirt Steak($18) was decent.

I mentioned that the flavoring tasted like something out of Rick Bayless's playbook. Candice cracked-up and told me that the Executive Chef has gone on those chef excursion/tours that Rick Bayless has every year and is infatuated with the food. The beef could be a bit more tender, the salsa macha was pretty weak, more like a watered down chili oil. The best part of this dish were the red mole beans which had a nice complex flavor and though you could make out the touch of sweetness, it was still restrained, as was the spice, giving this nice balance.

Overall, his was a decent meal. But as we've been finding recently, appetizers have been outshining the entrees on menus. So in the case of the Blind Burro, the next time we visit and reach the "corner of first and main"….we'll be turning onto first and checking out more of the botanas, ensaladas, and probably a side or two.

The Blind Burro
639 J Street
San Diego, CA 92101

It’s Pollo Amigo!

March 26, 2013 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

Sorry, I couldn't help but add bookends of the It and the exclamation point to the name of this very low keyed nondescript little shop in Chula Vista. Last weekend, I drove down to Chula Vista to pick up some mantarraya from the El Vaquero truck for the Missus. Even though there are a couple of newer mariscos trucks in the area, I decided to check out this little shop I saw on my last visit to the area.

The tiny shop looks a bit worn, with simple communal picnic like tables and a small television running.

The kitchen was spotless though and seemed larger than the entire dining area.

The menu featured standard taco shop fare in the form of tacos and burritos. But since this place is named Pollo…..Amigo, what else would I order but the pollo, amigo?

I went with the Special#2. A half chicken, beans, rice, salsa, corn tortillas(3). Then I drove home with lunch…..mantarraya for the Missus and for me, well, it was pollo, amigo! (last time with this silliness, I promise)

The chicken was surprisingly good, much better than most, if not off the hook delicious. Well seasoned and moist, I really enjoyed it and will definitely get it again. Though I won't include the beans which were tragically runny and bland, nor the salsa which was also watery and had the over-powering "green" flavor of straight on jalapeno. The rice was ok, but o the dry side.

Next time, I'll just get the half chicken for $5.99, chop some white onion and cilantro, use a good hot sauce……

And be perfectly happy……

The couple that run this place is very nice, the prices seem good….so perhaps you should ignore the rather shabby exterior, stop by, and have some….pollo…..ok, I promised no more silliness. You get the point.

Pollo Amigo
2540 Main St.
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Thursday Tacos: Tacos el Paisa – Imperial

March 21, 2013 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Howie Eats - Where the Foodie from Foodieview Eats

The Missus: Why do they have taco Tuesday?
Me: Well, I think that Tuesdays are usually a pretty slow day for business, so it's a marketing thing….
The Missus: But why not Thursday?
Me: I believe because business starts picking up on Thursday so they don't need a….
The Missus: That's really not fair….
Me: Ummm, to who? Thursday???

Sometimes it's hard to get past the conversation…..so in deference to the Missus…after all, my boss always tells me, "happy wife, happy life!" It's Taco Thursday. At least here it is…..

I recently had a fun dinner with my friends Candice, Howie, and Jenne. It had been a while since we had gotten together and we had a blast. Anyway, during the conversation Howie mentioned that one of his favorite taco shops is El Paisa. I suddenly realized that I haven't paid this location of El Paisa a visit since it was Tacos el Rico. So I made a mental note to check them out. It was easy enough for me, since I'm in the habit of dropping by the San Diego Public Market every Sunday. Imperial is just a couple of blocks away….there's really no excuse.

Man, they've really renovated this place sine the last time I passed by.

The deck area look really nice……

You can get two different sizes of tacos here; the "minis" run from $1.80 – $1.85, though you can get three for $4.99. The regular sized tacos run from $2.25 – $2.99.

On this day, I went with the Al Pastor and Cabeza ($2.75 each):

The Al Pastor was on the dry side, the spice quite mild, and it lacked the depth of flavor that a good al pastor would have. The tortillas were pretty much middle of the road, nothing outstanding. Ditto for the two salsas I tried….the verde and the roja.

The cabeza was very moist, though it could have been more tender, and rather than being rich seemed more like greasy to me. There were hints of the nice beefiness that I enjoy in cabeza.

The service was rather indifferent to me, though it seems like they really tend to cater to their Hispanic customers.

Still, I could see some potential and thought it only fair that I return. On this visit, the young lady was very friendly. She even brought out squeeze bottles of the salsas to me. On my last visit, all the other tables got those bottles….except me. When I stood up to get limes, she told me to have a seat and brought them to me. Very nice…….

On this trip I went with the Lengua ($2.85) and Carne Asada ($2.75):

The carne asada wasn't too salty and I don't know if it was a byproduct of the griddle, but I could taste hints of what tasted like chipotle and perhaps achiote as well. Just look at the meat and you can see what I mean.

Sadly, this was dry and tough as heck…..it really brought out how gloppy the guacamole was as well.

Looking at the rather grayish lengua wasn't very encouraging either.

Looking closer I could make out the actual papillae of the tongue's surface on the pieces of lengua. It also looked a bit too waxy, but the fragrance was heavenly. And it was surprisingly tender with that somewhat offal-beefiness that I enjoy in good tongue. The onions and cilantro helped to cut the richness and the salsa roja added that bit of pungent push in flavor.

This was good; I'll have it again.

Since I'm in this area every Sunday, i'm thinking I'll hit up La Fachada again. I haven't visited since they moved things around in the parking lot a bit. Unless anyone has some other recommendations for tacos in the area at 10am!

Tacos El Paisa
2494 Imperial Ave
San Diego, CA 92102
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 8am – midnight
Fri – Sat 8am – 3am