Tag Archives: Mexican Food

Lola 55

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I consider myself a fairly smart person.  Fairly.  Like, I know a lot of things about a lot of stuff.  I can list all of Madonna’s albums in chronological order, from memory but I also didn’t learn to properly tie my shoes until I was 23.  So, give and take right?  But few questions will make my head explode faster than “Where can I get a good taco in San Diego?”  Seems like a simple inquiry on it’s surface but I guarantee you every San Diegan who just read that sentence said “wow”.  There’s, like, a million places.  And there are follow up questions to be had.  Not all tacos are created equal.  In a recent episode of The Boy Who Ate San Diego: The Podcast, we even briefly touched on this very subject.  Dan wisely responded with “Well, what kind of taco?  Because I’ll likely have a different place for each kind” and he is not kidding.  It’s a big deal around here. 

While great Mexican food places come in all shapes and sizes, each has their own spin on a particular dish or style of Mexican cooking that makes them special.  Naturally, when I started this challenge, I got roughly a gazillion suggestions of Mexican places to try  so I had to be extra nit-picky when it came to which to try first.  I could seriously do a whole series of just Mexican food in San Diego.  I can’t believe I lived so long on the other coast thinking I had actually had real Mexican food!  HA!  Oh, baby Anthony.  Although I will say, in the years since I’ve seen the light (the “light” in question being the neon glow of the Filiberto’s drive-in sign from the passenger seat of a friend’s car at 2am because I am definitely unfit to drive in this moment), Mexican places in other parts of the country have stepped their collective game up.  Not too long ago, I even let my Brother take me to his favorite Mexican restaurant in Bridgeport, Alabama (no, really).  My expectations were so low, they melted in the face of the Earth’s liquid magma core but I have to say, it was actually pretty good and dare I say kinda authentic?  Who knew?!  We won’t even get to how long it took for me to have actual Mexican food in actual Mexico.  Let’s just say it was well worth the wait.

My buddy Chris suggested Lola 55 to me for this challenge.  I take his suggestions seriously as he is not only well schooled on all things food, he’s been with me for nearly all of the most exciting and noteworthy places I’ve covered on this blog since it’s inception 10 years ago.  Lola 55 is one of many in that it is a Mexican restaurant in San Diego but one of few since it’s Michelin-recognized.  Yes, really.  Located in San Diego’s East Village and Carlsbad, Lola 55 bills itself as a “modern Taqueria” with a focus on the always-delicious Oaxaca region.  This concept holds a lot or promise and expectations were high for me and my taco-loving compadres:

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Amy J-Chief science officer, Michigan Football loyalist, a common floozy

Chris-Attorney, lifelong food snob, loves sandwiches.  Like, a lot.

David-Wonder Woman superfan, musical theatre enthusiast, the narrator’s love interest

It Takes an East Village…

Located just East of downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, Lola 55 is just close enough to all the action that you can easily have a pre-game or pre-concert taco (It’s blocks away from PETCO Park, San Diego’s largest sports stadium and the reason I had to leave my awesome downtown apartment in early 2002.  It’s a long story and I’ve accepted that I will absolutely die mad about it, so let’s keep it moving.  Nothing to see here…)  but Lola 55 is also far enough away from the craziest tourist/traffic/downtownness that going there is not a chore.  Navigating Downtown San Diego can be so rough, I know dozens and dozens of people that will automatically veto going there for any reason.  Got jury duty? Guess where the courthouse is…Wanna attend San Diego Comic Con?  Guess where that is… It’s a whole thing.

We arrived in time for Happy Hour, so cocktails were a must.  Aimee had the Red Sangrita, which she found light, refreshing and very fruit forward.  I ordered the Lola Marg (Blanco Tequila, Grapefruit Cordial and Lime with an option to make it spicy.  I made it spicy.).  It was pretty tasty but nothing outstanding.  A solid Marg.  I might go more adventurous next time.  Amy J got the Bidi Bidi Bom Bom (We love a Selena reference, may she rest in eternal peace).  Made with Mezcal, Jamaica Passionfruit Syrup, Pineapple and Lime.  She found it tasty but not her favorite part of the meal.  Chris ordered the Golden State Fizz (Gin, Pamplemousse, Raspberry Cordial, Lemon and Fizz Bitters).  He called it perfect blend of fizz and citrus that paired well with the pork tacos.

For appetizers, I ordered the Masa Fritas.  Puffed masa rounds, pasilla Salt and lime zest served alongside an avocado mousse.  This was the most unique and satisfying part of my whole meal.  They literally ate like fries.  I had to double check that what I was eating was, in fact, corn.  Lightly fried with just the right crisp and fluff ratio.  I would come back for these alone.  David loved the avocado mousse and wished it had come with a bigger ramekin of it. 

Not since the Mission Tortilla Factory at Disney California Adventure (RIP) have I been so invested in corn.

We also had some Brussels Sprouts, charred and tossed with Mole Amarillo Vinagrette, cotija cheese and thick cut bacon.  While the sprouts had a nice flavor them, the spicyness of the dressing was a little loud for those in our party sensitive to such things and the bacon was straight up burnt.

Now it was time for the star attraction, the tacos.  Not gonna lie, they weren’t my favorite.  I had 3 very different tacos but ran into the same issue with two of them.  First up was the Squa-Shroom taco (Lions mane Mushrooms, Squash blossom, housemade beet soyrizo, poblano salsa and potato chicharrones).  It was tasty if very unwieldy.  Yes, I know great tacos can be messy but this was served with nearly the entire tortilla covered in large items.  The mushroom cluster and squash blossom were large and hard to eat in a taco but the flavors were good.  Amy J also ordered this taco and found it to be a great combination of flavors and textures.  She liked how the firmness of the mushrooms held up firmly against the softer ingredients. 

The only kind of Shroom I’ll have. No Phish concert required.

Next up was the Mesquite Chicken Taco (Mesquite grilled chicken, chicken chicarron, cucumber, coconut rice, peanut macha salsa and pickled cilantro).  While the mesquite had a nice spice, it was so vinegary it damn near blew out my palette.  The pickled cilantro doubled down on that note and there wasn’t much the cucumber and rice could do about it.  Very unbalanced and also overloaded.  My final taco was the Baja Style Fish (Local fish, remoulade, chorizo-tomato vinaigrette, baby mizuna, pickled serrano and purple basil).  While I will say the fish was great; big, juicy, well fried and seasoned, this was another case of the vinegar shoving everyone else out of the way and taking center stage.  The balance was nonexistent for me.  Aimee, on the other hand, named this taco as her favorite.  She felt the well-fried fish and vinaigrette were a great pairing. 

David and Chris both ordered the Smoked Carnitas Taco (Pork Shoulder Confit, crisped maciza, shaved tomatillo, avocado mousse, picked red onion and cilantro). It was David’s favorite of the night.  The tomatillo added the right amount of zing and a welcomed bit of moisture with an absolutely delicious tortilla (seconded.  Really well made tortillas).  Chris praised the great flavor, tender pork and just the right amount of crisp.  Aimee had the Steak Taco (Mesquite grilled steak, mash, avocado mousse, smoky pasilla salsa, crispy onions and jalapeno toreado).  She found it tasty but the cut of the steal itself was too big and difficult to eat.  She ended up cutting it up into smaller pieces.  She also got the Pork Belly Al Pastor Taco (Achiote pork belly, mesquite pineapple, baby mizuna, avocado mousse, crema and cilantro).  While she describes the flavors as nice, she also said the pork belly wasn’t tender.  One bite and the whole piece “Slid out like a bad onion ring”.  She said she wouldn’t order this one again. 

Our resident pescatarian, Amy J, ordered the Rainbow Cauliflower Taco (charred cauliflower, eggplant bacon, avocado mousse, almonds, golden raisins, morita dulce salsa, cilantro).  While she found it a bit spicier than she normally enjoys, she praised the salsa and how it mixed with the textures of the eggplant bacon and cauliflower. 

Amy J also ordered a side of Lola’s Beans (a food I won’t touch so I was glad to have her input) creamy peruanos with diced red onion.  She calls it a “must-have”; creamy and flavorful.  A bowl of comfort.  David was also a big fan of this dish, claiming he’d never had beans so creamy and loved the zest from the onions.  Love that for them. 

We capped off the night with dessert.  We got the made-to-order churros, served alongside a vegan cajeta dipping sauce.  They were fried a bit darker than I’m used to but they were very tasty with fluffy insides.  The sauce was giving more maple syrup than caramel but it was also very tasty.  We also ordered bowls of all 3 ice cream flavors offered; Dark Chocolate Mole, Horchata and the seasonal offering; Pumpkin.  We were unprepared for the chocolate and horchata to be topped with peanuts (bad news for allergic Amy) but she did get to have the pumpkin ice cream which, instead, was topped with crunchy pepitas.  She found it to be heavy on the Fall spices without being too Pumpkin-y (also a plus for others at the table who don’t love pumpkin but enjoyed this ice cream).  I enjoyed it as well.  I don’t know that I could get through a whole bowl of it but it was very tasty.  

The Horchata Ice Cream was another hit, even for Aimee who doesn’t love the original drink the ice cream is modeled after.  Great vanilla and cinnamon coming through on that one with a rich creaminess.  Chris chose “Best Life Only” options by adding the Cajeta sauce from the churros to the Horchata ice cream, calling it a perfect finish.   For David and me, the clear winner was the Dark Chocolate Mole Ice Cream.  Served with a syrup that hardened like a rich chocolate shell along with the peanuts made for a great crunch on top of a rich, not-too-sweet ice cream.  I will say, had I not been told there was mole in it, I wouldn’t have known.  It just tasted like a rich chocolate ice cream.  A little heat would’ve been nice but for what it was, I really enjoyed it.

The Michelin recognized version of Magic Shell.

While my taco experience at Lola 55 was less than stellar, I will say this place is worth seeking out for a number of reasons: location, value (nothing on the menu is over ten dollars, unheard of for food of this quality) and great small plates.  The Masa Fritas are a MUST.  I will be back to explore more of the menu.  I’m still not eating the beans.  I’m sure they’re wonderful.  The answer is no.  Leave me alone.

Check out my YouTube Channel for this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@TheBoyWhoAteSanDiego

Check out the deep dive podcast for this episode! https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-wbbmi-1580be8

Further Reading: https://lola55.com/

Jimmy Carter’s Mexican Cafe (47 of 52)

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In this town you can’t fling a dead cat without hitting 5 Mexican food restaurants. What you’ll find (in addition to some really grossed out people in the path of a flying feline carcass) is a variety of styles of Mexican food.  You’ve got fusion, upscale, hole-in-the-wall to white washed gringo chow and everything in between.  This week’s restuarant is Jimmy Carter’s Mexican Cafe.  Contrary to my first thought, it was not founded by our 39th president but by a guy named Jimmy Carter in 1991.  It was classic diner food but after noticing a lack of authentic Mexican food in the area, he reopened it as a Mexican cafe and it’s been there ever since.  It took 23 years for me to have my first meal here but better late than never, right?  Joining me were some of my Mexican food loving friends:

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Amy J-Rocky Horror performer, Michigan football loyalist, a common floozy

Chris-Attorney, lifelong food snob, loves good Scotch and gay jeans

Dylan-The newest addition, the 2014 model.  A Kate & Joe production.

Harry-Wise guy, master of the grill, loves camping for some reason

Joe “Bish”-Computer wunderkind, Husband of Kate, a tall drink of water

Kate-Costume designer, Comedian, Once starred in a church rap video

Sebastian-The coolest kid in Kindergarten.  A Kate & Joe production.

You will be shocked to learn that this picture was taken post margaritas.

You will be shocked to learn that this picture was taken post margaritas.

Margaritas were a must for starters.  Amy Ordered a Mezcal Margarita.  She thought it was a tasty and different take on a smoky mezcal.  Harry had a Cucumber Margarita.  He loved it and found it to be very refreshing.  Aimee got a Azul Margarita which looks a lot like Windex in a glass.  She said it was very good and they didn’t spare the hooch!

For appetizers, Aimee had the Calamari Strips.  She thought it was a little unusual that they actually sell Calamari by the piece but she enjoyed them.  A bit chewy but that was more than made up for by the outstanding sauce that came with it.  Harry started with a cup of Chicken Tortilla Soup.  He said it was tasty but nothing he would lose his mind over.  I started with Chicken Taquitos.  They arrived, as it traditional, buried under a pile of shredded lettuce, sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole.  I’m sad to say what awaited me under all that was less than impressive.  In fact they were kind of burnt to all hell and back.  The Chicken on the ends was so charred it almost had a bacon-like consistency.  They could have done with a quicker journey through the fryer.

There are rolled tacos under here, I just know it.

There are rolled tacos under here, I just know it.

For our main dishes, Harry had the Shrimp Tostada.  He said it was fine but nothing spectacular.  Joe had the Calamari Al Mojo de Ajo.  He loved the big, tender pieces of Calamari and the sautee in butter and garlic.  Also high marks came from Joe for the side of Telaquepaque Sauce.  Kate ordered the build-your-own-plate with shredded beef crispy taco, chicken enchilasa with green sauce and Chili Relleno with Red Sauce.  She also enjoyed it and praised the moist beef, the Chili Relleno which was “Larger than my head” and had a unique texture outside of the normally runny fillings.  She loved that the enchilada was so fresh and made with hand made corn tortillas.  Chris had the Chile Colorado.  He said it was competently executed but not outstanding . This particular dish, according to Chris, can be found done better elsewhere.

Aimee also had the Chili Colorado with pork.  She loved it and praised the tender pork with just the right amount of heat on the finish.  Amy got the Taco Salad with Soy Ground Beef.  She said it was good but there were some issues with the taco shell-to-filling ratio . Also she mentioned the salad would likely be better served tossed than layered.  Overall she found her dinner to be not much better than what could be found at a drive thru Mexican place (of which there are roughly 12,345,678 in San Diego).  I ordered one of the house specialties, the Comidas Del Mar Enchiladas (Shrimp).  I was really not impressed with this dish.  The shrimp were tiny.  The kind you can add to a salad for 50 cents at most chain restaurants.  The sauce, billed as “Creamy chipotle” tasted like reheated Tostitos cheese dip.  It was really greasy and gross.  I’m sad to say I really did not enjoy it.

Unfortunately the flavor spectrum on this dish was about as wide as the color spectrum.

Unfortunately the flavor spectrum on this dish was about as wide as the color spectrum.

In closing while my experience at Jimmy Carter’s was not the best, others seemed pleased with their drinks and some of the things they had but I got the distinct impression that better Mexican food can be found at too many other places in San Diego.   This is why we try new things.  Well, that and my obsessive need to publicly state my opinions on everything.  Anyway, you get the point.  Walk don’t run.

Further reading

To see all of the photos from this dinner, be sure to follow The Boy who ate San Diego on Instagram!

Old Town Mexican Cafe (29 of 52)

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San Diego has absolutely no shortage of Mexican restaurants.  You can pretty much find one anywhere.  Historic Old Town is no different.  It’s the oldest place in San Diego (oddly enough not home to the oldest people.  Looking at you, La Jolla…) It has culture, theatre and the 10th most haunted house in America . Directly across the street from the Whaley House is Old Town Mexican Cafe, where Scooby, Shaggy and the gang can enjoy a margarita after running from Yankee Jim with the Harlem Globetrotters.  As for me, I brought my own gang of rag-tag ghost hunters:

Abby-Swim instructor, Disneyland buddy, Stresses about making food for my other food-savvy friends

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Harry-Wise guy, master of the grill, loves camping for some reason

Kasey-Rocky Horror performer, Coffee wife,  Occasional Drag King

Ky-Rocky Horror performer, Disneyland enthusiast, Roommate of Brad

Sean-Former “Ambassador to Spain”, Halloween spookster, A picky eater like me

Yes, Mexican culture is rich, in-depth and lovely. Keep the Margaritas comin'...

Yes, Mexican culture is rich, in-depth and lovely. Keep the Margaritas comin’…

The first place you notice about Old Town Mexican Cafe is it’s big, crowded and LOUD.  Not the place you wanna bring a quiet dinner date but the party atmosphere is pretty contagious.  In what can only be described as the ultimate reward from the universe, we happened to be dining at Old Town Mexican Cafe on National Tequila Day.  Yes.  That is a thing.  Actually everyday is national something day.  ALL OF THE MARGARITAS FOR EVERYONE!!!   Abby had the Patron Margarita, which she called “effective”.  It’s important to note that Abby had already been there for a while when we arrived and was at a point in her Tequila Day celebrating where we probably could’ve gotten her to dance on our table with her skirt over her head with minimal fuss.  Ky had the Mango Margarita.  Kasey had the Strawberry Margarita, which she found to be lacking a fair deal of flavor and was essentially “The flavor of red”.  Harry got the 1800 Cadillac Margarita, which he called “awesome”.  Aimee ordered a Midori Margarita, which she also said was good but lacking flavor.  I had the classic margarita (blended).  The margarita was tasty and effective and totally worth the pain I had to endure from a bad reaction to lime juice with my medication.

Worth the pain.

Worth the pain.

The menu is big and they’ve got a wide array of Mexican and American food to choose from.  I would love to meet the sad tourist that would come here and have a burger, but I digress.  Abby ordered Mexican Shrimp Cocktail, which is served almost ceviche-style and she enjoyed.  Ky and I both had the chicken and rice soup, which was hearty and good.  Possibly not the best choice for a hot July day after a Margarita, but I like food so there’s that.  I also ordered the 3 Lobster Rolls.  I’ve seen these done elsewhere but they always seem to have black beans in them, so that was a deal breaker.  I’m happy to say that while Old Town Mex’s Lobster Rolls were not the greatest thing I’ve ever had in life, they DO NOT have beans of any kind in them, so this was a tasty victory.

Sized for sharing but I could've easily demolished this plate without a second thought.

Sized for sharing but I could’ve easily demolished this plate without a second thought.

For main courses Abby had the Fish and Lobster Enchilada, which she loved.  Sean had the two Enchiladas combo with one chicken and one pork enchilada.  While he mentioned he wished the chicken meat had been cut smaller for an enchilada, he said it was tasty and the pork enchilada was perfect.  Ky had the Steak Azteca (Marinated steak stuffed with jack cheese and  green salsa).  Ky said the steak was amazing but her rice was gross.  The salsa had some serious heat to it but she really  liked what it brought to the steak.

Harry ordered the Mariscada (Marinated shrimp and halibut with lime juice, onions, cucumber and avocado).    He said it was a nice light flavor.  Sort of like having a plate of ceviche.  He wished the cucumber could’ve had a bit more marinade but no other complaints.  Aimee got the 1/2 rack of Mexican style ribs.  She said that these were probably some of the best ribs she’s ever eaten.  High praise from our Southerner.  They are prepared rotisserie style and are served with no sauce but Aimee insisted it wasn’t needed.  Also delicious were the home made tortillas served with the dish.

Kasey ordered the Beef taco and Tostada Combo.  She described the dish as “standard sit-down Mexican restaurant quality” and was creeped out by the crust over her beans.  I had the Chicken Verde Enchiladas with rice and no beans.  I thought they were good with a nice spicy sauce.  I’ve had better enchiladas elsewhere but these were pretty solid and not super expensive.  It was a good meal.

Mexican food as it should be. Fresh, hot, bean-less and in front of me.

Mexican food as it should be. Fresh, hot, bean-less and in front of me.

For good measure, we ordered one of the few desserts offered, Churros with Vanilla Ice Cream.  These weren’t exactly a showstopper in concept, execution or taste but they were good enough.  While Old Town Mexican Cafe is a fun place with a great party vibe.  I think I would come here more for the bar food and drinks.  Not that this is a bad thing at all.

Further reading: http://www.oldtownmexcafe.com/

To see all of the pictures from this dinner, be sure to follow The Boy who Ate San Diego on Instagram!

El Pollo Grill (16 of 52)

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People from San Diego never need to be asked twice to brag about where they live.  Most never need to be asked but those who brag will almost always talk about how our Mexican food is better than anywhere else in the country.  A select few will even argue that certain parts of San Diego have better Mexican food than other parts of San Diego.  An even select-er few will argue that we have better Mexican food than Mexico does but those people might be missing the point.  The truth can be boiled down to this: short of going to Mexico (a staggering 20 minute trip from my front door), San Diego has the best Mexican food.  Now, I’m not talking about high end Mexico-fusion dining or trendy molecular gastronomy versions of a burrito-type places.  I’m talking the classic, hole-in-the-wall, cash-only, bars-on-the-windows, they-need-to-go-get-the-one-lady-who-speaks-kinda-okay-English-to-take-your-order, neon-painted-lettering-that-covers-the-windows and has-Horchata-on-tap type place AKA THE BEST FOOD EVER.  When it’s 2am and you are knee-walking drunk, this is the place your friends take you to for food that will hug your soul.  It’s the place you take out-of-towners to for a life-changing experience that we who live here all had:  The day you discovered what real SoCal Mexican food is.  THAT’S the shit worth bragging about.

Naturally, when I set out on this quest, I was inundated with suggestions for local Mexican joints from local friends.  I had to choose carefully, but honestly it’s hard to go wrong with these kinds of places.  This week’s challenge was El Pollo Grill in Lemon Grove, which is NOT to be confused with fast food chain El Pollo Loco.  I love Mexican food and I love chicken so this was a labor of love for yours truly and my loyal dining companions:

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Chris-Attorney, lifelong food snob, loves good Scotch and gay jeans

Mike & Marjy-The package deal, a pair of my favorite foodies who once served me cake on a stick in the snowy mountains (true story)

Image

“Blanco: Party of Five…”

El Pollo Grill is a down-home “elbows on the table” type joint but is certainly not high on the sketch-o-meter of Mexican places I’ve been to, locally.  Good food is good food so I don’t judge.  I’m not a big fan of chicken on the bone.  I will eat it but prefer not to.  Fortunately, El Pollo Grill offers a myriad of others way to get your chicken on.  I took advantage of a few of them and left the chicken mauling to my cohorts.  Aimee ordered the half chicken dinner, which came with tortillas, rice & beans.  She also had a fish taco on the side.  She said the chicken was juicy and well seasoned with a great crispy skin.  Something she (and everyone else who ordered it) found odd was the choice of beans.  Rather than the usual refried or black beans, El Pollo Grill serves pinto beans.  While they were not badly prepared, Aimee mentioned she would have preferred refried beans with her dinner.  Her grilled fish taco was really good with a fantastic sauce.

Chris ordered the “Special C” (also his break dancing name back in ’84): 4-piece combo with rice, beans and tortillas.  Chris enjoyed his meal but found it a little plain.  When he eats white meat chicken, which is rare, he finds it a bit dry.  Such was the case here, even though he admitted the chicken itself had excellent flavor.  He is also not a fan of pinto beans.

Mike and Marjy shared the 12 piece grilled chicken with rice, beans and corn tortillas.  They also ordered a side of jalapeno carrots.  They agreed with Chris on both counts that their chicken was flavorful but a bit on the dry side (which is admittedly better than being undercooked).  Marjy smartly pointed out that the true test of any Mexican place is the quality of their beans and/or rice and both were great with moist tortillas, which is important.  Mike also added that the Horchata (A sweet, rice-based drink) was on point.

I ordered 3 a’ la carte dishes: 5 rolled tacos, a chicken quesadilla and Pollo Asado Fries.  The rolled tacos, served with house made guacamole, were crispy, fresh and flavorful.  The chicken was a bit dry but the flavors were damned near perfect compared to some other rolled tacos I’ve had.  The pollo asado fries were shoes string-cut french fries covered in marinated chicken, guacamole, sour cream and a massive layer of shredded cheese.  Something like this would’ve been akin to food of the Gods back in my heavier drinking days.  The me of today enjoyed the burst of flavors on this shareable plate of goodness.  The food here is kind of large…

Greasy happiness by the plateful. and we grateful.

Greasy happiness by the plateful. and we grateful.

Which brings me to the quesadilla.  It was huge.  Like, the size of a newborn.  I had no idea there was going to be so much food or I would have most certainly scaled back my order.  Full of chicken and rich cheese, this quesadilla had more of a Mexican Calzone feel to it but it was really good.

I would show something next to it for scale but everything on the table was hidden underneath it.

I would show something next to it for scale but everything on the table was hidden underneath it.

Overall feelings on El Pollo Grill were positive.  We all agreed that the place was a great value.  Tons of big food at a great price.  I got 3 meals for barely more than $20.  While nothing was Earth shattering we all agreed that it would be a fantastic choice for a place to take out-of-towners for their first taste of “real Mexican food”.  I say thumbs up, hit it up if you’re in the area for a good lunch or dinner.

Further reading: http://www.elpollogrill.com/