Mexican Food

[MJ5150]

Here's a pic of Cisco's from the street, the table we always sit at when we go, and those divine migas....

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

-Mike

 

[chuck norriss]

Here's a mini-guide to SoCal Mexican chains I wrote in another thread:

If you're headed to Los Angeles or Orange County and are itching for chain Mexican food, here are some that don't suck:

Invalid Link Removed - Probably the biggest, most widespread chain. Not the best Mexican food but dependable and extremely satisfying on your home from the late gig. Beware of imitators like Adalberto's, Edbertos, etc who all seem to have logos very similar to Alberto's.

EDIT: Apparently, Alberto's was a spin-off of Roberto's in the San Diego area. I've never been to a Roberto's but if it has the same pedigree as Alberto's it has to be good!

King Taco - Another big chain. I've never been big on King Taco but it's popular.

Invalid Link Removed - Back in the day (i.e. the 90s), tacos were $0.50 each. They were small but tasty and most importantly, cheap. I think the last time I went into one, tacos were $1. Still not a bad deal.

Tacos Nazo - Not a huge chain but KILLER fish tacos!

Pepe's - Small, mostly Orange County chain. It was the closest Mexican to were I went to college so I spent plenty of time there.

EDIT: I forgot this place in my original post: Invalid Link Removed - Another Orange County chain. Tasty!

Not included are the soulless, quasi-Mexican, not quite as mega as Taco Bell/Del Taco chains like Chipotle, Qdoba, Rubio's, etc. Don't waste your time at places like that. They're not SoCal!

Of course, the best Mexican food will be found in the small mom-and-pop restaurants that we SoCal folk like to wax poetic about. You *could* spend your time sitting in our traffic, trying to hunt down that elusive taco or burrito, but it might be easier to just hit one the above chains.

El Flamin Taco is a very popular truck with excellent food.
Carnitas Michoacan in Lincoln Heights has al pastor that is worth the drive I also recommend their papas nachos--carne asade + all that inauthentic nacho stuff on a bed of french fries but get the that after the al pastor.
I have to try Guelaguetza & La Casita renowned places but I haven't tried yet.
King Taco is popular for their salsa verde; Tacos Mexico is the good/fast/cheap taco
BUrrito Track in Whittier has magnificent sopes I never use that word magnificent
but if you want hardcore stuff you have to go to a carniceria or mexican butcher then cook it yourself, go to a tortilleria & get fresh handmade tortillas & chips

there's a butcher nearby that does fresh kill chickens it always has a line out front every day.

korean food/korean bbq i could tell you some places that aren't on the map/yelp & the menus are in korean nothing in english they'll knock your socks off.

 

[RxFunk]

Here's a pic of Cisco's from the street, the table we always sit at when we go, and those divine migas....

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

-Mike

Why does it appear that you have a basket full of biscuits instead of tortillas??

 

[matante]

Unfortunately for me, I start work at 7pm and most Mexican food joints around me open at 9:30 or 10:00. Baffles my mind as the people I see walking around, catching the bus and waiting for rides early in the morning are almost all Mexican dudes.

The most popular Mexican breakfast is a piece of sweet bread and coffee (with cinnamon) or a smoothie (licuado). Not really something you go to a restaurant for.

Mexican restaurants come in two varieties for me:

A) Those that serve margaritas.

B) Those that do not.

There are several stories about the origin of the margarita cocktail, but the most believable one is that it was invented by an Irishman who owned a bar in Tijuana during the days of prohibition in the U.S. He was asked to make a "daisy" and grabbed the tequila instead of the brandy by mistake. "Margarita" means "daisy" in Spanish.

Another obscure historical fact: The Caesar Salad was also invented in Tijuana, by an Italian who owned a restaurant there.

Probably because of all the Puerto Ricans that infiltrated my family and the sheer amount of Puerto Ricans in the Bronx when I was growing up (I was the only Mexican where I grew up - except my mother ) I really prefer island food as opposed to Mexican.

Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican food ftw!

I love Cuban restaurants and have never been to a bad one, but none of those cuisines can claim the sheer variety that Mexican food has. It's incredibly varied from one region to the next and their are tons of dishes that even most Mexicans have never tried, simply because the dish is so regional.

I've had birria, it was good. How does birria differ from cabrito?

Cabrito is simply the name of the animal. It's a young goat that has only had its mother's milk. Like a suckling pig. Birria, on the other hand, is very specific recipe for cooking goat--a recipe that very few people have. In fact, even in LA, 90% of the places claiming to sell birria are actually selling barbacoa, becuase they don't have this mysterious secret recipe.

The Tamale King in Chino, CA is *the* joint for the best tamales on earth. Be aware, all they sell is tamales.

-Mike

The singular of tamales is tamal. There is no such thing as a tamale.

I have a friend from New Zealand who married a Mexican girl out here. She's really quiet but...they went to a "Mexican" restaurant out in Australia and she got visibly upset at the food. She called the manager over and asked how they could possibly call it "Mexican food?" Said it was completely bland and flavorless...the manager told her that "Australians don't really like too much spice in their food." She was actually disgusted at the restaurant for calling itself "Mexican"

I complain like that all the time, in LA!

Around here, the difference is cabrito is roasted, as you wrote, and birria is stewed and often just like shredded beef. Unfortunately, cabrito is rare but is almost always very good. Birria is much more common.

Like I said above, real authentic birria is very difficult to find. Few people have the real recipe, and what most people sell should actually be called barbacoa.

 

[elgecko]

...korean food/korean bbq i could tell you some places that aren't on the map/yelp & the menus are in korean nothing in english they'll knock your socks off.

Reminds me of Sam Woo. Good food but it's best bring a Chinese person.

 

[MJ5150]

Why does it appear that you have a basket full of biscuits instead of tortillas?

Because those biscuits are equally amazing.

-Mike

 

[Unrepresented]

There are several stories about the origin of the margarita cocktail, but the most believable one is that it was invented by an Irishman who owned a bar in Tijuana during the days of prohibition in the U.S. He was asked to make a "daisy" and grabbed the tequila instead of the brandy by mistake. "Margarita" means "daisy" in Spanish.

Another obscure historical fact: The Caesar Salad was also invented in Tijuana, by an Italian who owned a restaurant there.

I knew about the Caesar salad info. The restaurant was named Caesar's, and I believe just closed down in the last year or two.

I like both Margaritas and their sweeter, more European cousin, the gin Sidecar, which uses sugar around the rim instead of salt.

 

[1958Bassman]

I will accept nearly any condiment before ketchup.

I don't bother with it- the closest I come is Chili sauce or Cocktail sauce. Life is too short for bad condiments.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Invalid Link Removed

The menu is split down the middle between Tex-Mex and Cajun food. I've only ever been to the Woodbridge, NJ location. Expect a bit of a wait if you go on a weekday evening or anytime during the weekend, but it's soooooooo worth the wait. And for the record, I'm not saying this as a North-Easterner, but as someone born and raised on the best Tex-Mex one can get in Oklahoma.

 

[elgecko]

ZOMBIE REVIVAL!

I've been eating Mexican food pretty much all my life but for some reason, I never tried potato tacos. In the past couple of weeks, I tried them from a couple different places. I love them!

Also, I never tried tacos dorado (fried corn tortilla tacos, not that mass produced Taco Bell/Del Taco stuff). It seems like all potato tacos are dorado...I love those too!

 

[MJ5150]

Taco Bell even has a spicy potato taco. It's not bad.

-Mike

 

[elgecko]

Taco Bell even has a spicy potato taco. It's not bad.

-Mike

Those are next on the list.

 

[MJ5150]

Those are next on the list.

Only $1 too. So even if you don't like it, you're out $1 and tax. It's a soft taco shell, lettuce, cheese, and tater tots with some spicy seasoning.

-Mike

 

[tastybasslines]

Here's a pic of Cisco's from the street, the table we always sit at when we go, and those divine migas....

-Mike

Is that round circular thing in the middle some sort of cornbread or something?

 

[MJ5150]

Is that round circular thing in the middle some sort of cornbread or something?

It's a sausage patty.

-Mike

 

[Crystalman85]

I personally like pepe's. I do like their steak dinners(or cardne asada), enchiladas, flautas, and their queso fundito. other than pepes, I do like some of the local mexican joints in my hometown of chicago like mucho gusto, taco burrito king I thought was pretty decent(my siblings likes that place), and there's a small mexican joint next door to my home that makes some pretty good steak tacos. and now this thread is making me hungry.